Open Heaven Daily Devotion

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY JANUARY 22ND 2024

TOPIC: GOD'S BEST FRIENDS 1V

MEMORISE:
“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” - (John 15:2)

READ: JOHN 15:1-5 (KJV)

1 am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

MESSAGE:

One thing about being one of God's best friends is that you must be ready to be pruned. God's best friends are fruit-bearers; that is why He said in John 15:16 that if you bear fruits and those fruits abide, you can ask anything of Him, and He will do it.

God will prune you till you are genuinely humble. He will prune you till you are completely dead to the flesh. Once He marks you as someone to bring closer to Himself, He will start pruning you. This is where many people drop off His friends list because they cannot endure His pruning.

Many years ago, I was at an airport, and I was to declare all the money that I had with me. I only told the attendant about the notes and left out the coins. She told me to show her my purse, and I was embarrassed because I had to admit I had lied. The lady let it go, but I heard God's voice at that moment, "You are special to me, so I will not condone the smallest of lies from you." If you really want to be one of God's best friends, you must be ready to meet His high standards.

Nobody can get close to God without going through intense discipline. You must be willing to submit to His discipline if you want to become His best friend. If God disciplines a person for doing something wrong and the person does not desist from committing that particular sin, He will eventually leave such a person as He cannot become friends with unrepentant people.

Once in a while, God tests His best friends. He takes them through a period of trials to prune them and make them perfect, wanting nothing (James 1:3-4). Only a few people go through these trials and come out on the other side perfect. Only a few people can submit to these tests without compromising their faith. Are you one of those people?

Beloved, it is true that divine pruning can be a painful exercise, so you must spend quality time in God's presence daily to build your spiritual strength. If you hold on and do not give up, you will not only become more fruitful, but you will also become one of God's best friends.

REFLECTION:
Are you willing to be pruned by God so you can get closer to Him and produce more fruit?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 21-23

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 23 - TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE

1 Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

2 Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3 Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.

4 Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
Every power as Thou shalt choose.

5 Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY JANUARY 20TH 2024

TOPIC: GOD'S BEST FRIENDS II

MEMORISE:
“But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.” - (Isaiah 41:8)

READ: HEBREWS 11:5-6 (KJV)

5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

6 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.

MESSAGE:

From yesterday's discussion, I believe you must be very interested in becoming one of God's best friends. If you truly are, you must study those who have been best friends with Him and do what they did. One major thing you will notice about such people is a great level of faith.

Faith is a major attribute that is required of anyone who wants to become God's friend. Those who will be one of God's best friends will not only have faith but have so much faith that they will be doing things that do not seem to make sense according to human understanding.

Romans 4:18 says that Abraham hoped against hope - that is a great level of faith! He not only hoped in his heart, but it also showed in his action when he told everyone to start calling himself and his wife 'father of nations' and 'mother of nations' respectively, even when they were old and didn't have a child. Romans 4:19 says that he did not consider his body that it was dead; he believed God like a fool.

Can you have that much faith in God that you will begin to say and do things that would make people who do not understand God's ways wonder if you are normal? Will you see the word of God as more real and potent than anything else, including natural laws? When God sees this kind of faith in someone, He draws the fellow closer to Himself.

Early in my Christian walk, I learned during a Sunday School class that faith can be likened to when a child jumps from a high surface at his father's instruction without being scared of falling because he knows that his father will catch him. When I heard that, I started jumping without being scared of falling because I know from His word that He will catch me. I noticed that every time I made audacious statements or moves of faith based on God's word, He drew me closer to Himself.

You can have a close relationship with God if you can just be audacious with your faith. If you can hope against hope and become a fool to others because of what you so obsessively believe in the word of God, not only will you see His word come to pass in your life, but you will also discover that He has brought you close to Himself to make you one of His best friends.

KEY POINT:
Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 14-16

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 7 - I AM THINE O 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.
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 O 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 yet may know
Ere Thee face to face I see;
There are heights of joy that I yet may reach
Ere I rest in peace with Thee.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY JANUARY 19TH 2024

TOPIC: GOD'S BEST FRIENDS 1

MEMORISE:
“And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” - (James 2:23)

READ: GENESIS 18:17-33 (KJV)

17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of S***m and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward S***m: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

26 And the LORD said, If I find in S***m fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:

28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.

30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.

32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.

33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

MESSAGE:

It may surprise you to know that God has best friends. God's best friends are so close to Him that they know things about Him that no one else knows. They are people with an experiential knowledge of Him that most people don't have. Such people don't like to talk deeply about how much of God they know because those who haven't gotten that close to Him will misunderstand them.

Abraham was one of God's best friends. He was so close to God that God said He could not do anything significant on earth without first informing him (Genesis 18:17). Moses was also one of God's best friends. He was so close to God that God Himself testified in Numbers 12:8 that He spoke to Moses mouth to mouth and that he beholds His similitude which is translated as 'form' in modern English. John the Beloved was another man who was clearly one of God's best friends. Of all the people on earth, Jesus decided to tell him all the things that will happen in the end time (Revelation 1:1).

All these people had such a close relationship with God that they saw sides of Him that others never saw. They heard things from Him that they never told others and made Him change His mind on several occasions (Genesis 18:24-32, Exodus 32:9-14). Probably the most obvious example is reflected in Jesus' relationship with Peter, James and John while He was on earth. Because they were with the Lord Jesus Christ on the mount of transfiguration, they saw His glory (Matthew 17:1-2). When He went to raise Jairus' daughter, He allowed only the three of them to follow Him, and so they saw His resurrection power (Mark 5:35-37). They were so close to Him that they saw Him in His time of distress at the garden of Gethsemane when He was crying for God to take away the cup from Him (Matthew 26:36-39). Jesus invited them specially to watch with Him. These three experienced special moments with Jesus Christ that no one else did.

It indeed is a special honour and privilege to be one of God's best friends. I believe every sincere believer should desire to be in God's special inner circle of friends, and so I will be discussing what it takes to become one of God's best friends in the next couple of days.

REFLECTION:
How close are you to God?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 11-13

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 11 - I'VE FOUND A FRIEND IN JESUS

1 I’ve found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;
The Apple-tree of trees, in Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay,
He tells me every care on Him to roll:
He’s the Apple-tree of trees, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

2 He all my griefs has taken, and all my sorrows borne;
In temptation He’s my strong and mighty tower;
I’ve all for Him forsaken, and all my idols torn
From my heart, and now He keeps me by His power.
Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore,
Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal:
He’s the Apple-tree of trees, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

3 He’ll never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here,
While I live by faith and do His blessed will;
A wall of fire about me, I’ve nothing now to fear,
With His manna He my hungry soul shall fill.
Then sweeping up to glory to see His blessed face,
Where rivers of delight shall ever roll:
He’s the Apple-tree of trees, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY JANUARY 18TH 2024

TOPIC: THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE III

MEMORISE:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” - (Psalm 103:2)

READ: PSALM 103:1-5 (KJV)

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

MESSAGE:

Today, I will be discussing how needful it is for men to also open a book of remembrance of God's goodness so that they can give Him praise like the psalmist in our Bible reading today.

Over the years, I have come to realise that many people easily forget the goodness of God to them. For example, when things are going fine, it is easy for a fellow to be full of praise for his or her Maker. However, when things are not going well, the same fellow may momentarily forget all that the Lord has done for him or her and immediately begin to complain. David also realised this tendency in men to forget what God has done for them quickly, hence the reminder he set for himself in the memory verse of today.

After setting the reminder in Psalm 103:2 for himself, David went on to open the book of remembrance of God's blessings upon his life and began to praise Him (Psalm 103:3-5). He praised God for forgiving his sins, for healing him, and for saving him from destruction. He went further to praise God for crowning him with loving kindness and tender mercies. David also praised God for satisfying him with good things and for renewing his strength like the eagle's.

Beloved, it is very important that you always remember the goodness of the Lord upon your life. You were created in His image, and this is enough reason for you to thank Him at all times. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of calvary for your sins and indeed the sins of the entire world is another major reason to be thankful to God at all times. You should thank Him always for saving you from the consequences of sin and all sorts of evil in the world today. Like David, you must give thanks to God for His lovingkindness and tender mercies. The Bible says that you would have been consumed if not for His tender mercies (Lamentations 3:22), so you owe your continued existence to Him.

I am sure that I can go on and on, and I still will not be able to exhaust the list of reasons you should praise God at all times. Beloved, open a book of remembrance of the Lord's goodness over your life today and begin to praise Him.

ACTION POINT:
Praise God throughout today and make this a habit going forward.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 8-10

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 17 - PRAISE MY SOUL, THE KING OF HEAVENS

1 Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;
to his feet your tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
evermore his praises sing.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King!

2 Praise him for his grace and favor
to his people in distress.
Praise him, still the same as ever,
slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Glorious in his faithfulness!

3 Father Like he tends and spares us;
well our feeble frame he knows.
In his hand he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Widely yet his mercy flows!

4 Angels, help us to adore him;
you behold him face to face.
Sun and moon, bow down before him,
dwellers all in time and space.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY JANUARY 17TH 2024

TOPIC: THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE 2

MEMORISE:
“Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.” - (1 Samuel 15:2)

READ: EXODUS 17:8-13, 1 SAMUEL 15:1-2 (KJV)

8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.

10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

12 But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

1 SAMUEL 15:1-2 (KJV)

1 Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.

2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

MESSAGE:

Yesterday, I mentioned some wonderful things that can happen to God's children when He opens the book of remembrance in their favour. Today, I will progress in the discussion by looking at what happens to the enemies of God when He opens the book of remembrance concerning them.

In our Bible readings today, the Amalekites attacked the Israelites for no just cause, and God recorded this evil act against them. He also promised to wipe them off from the face of the earth. Many years after, their past evil action against the children of Israel was brought to remembrance, and the Lord commanded Saul to wipe them off the face of the earth. I pray that a negative book of remembrance will never be opened to you, in Jesus' name.

Beloved, a terrible book of remembrance was opened to all men because of the sin of the first man and woman in Genesis 3:19:

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

This terrible book of remembrance is re-echoed in Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23. Beloved, the only way to escape the consequences of this terrible book of remembrance that was written because of the disobedience of our first parents is found in the last part of Romans 6:23:
..but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God has provided only one way of escape from this terrible book of remembrance, and that way is Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Jesus' blood was shed on the cross at calvary to write off the consequences of this terrible book of remembrance for everyone who accepts Him as their Lord and Saviour. Beloved, if you have not truly surrendered your life to Jesus, there is no way you can escape the ultimate consequence of this terrible book of remembrance, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). Surrender all to Jesus today and commit to living a holy life if you are yet to do so. Only then can you experience the mercy of God and have the book of life opened to you.

I declare that every evil book of remembrance concerning you shall be shut down permanently from today, in Jesus' name.

KEY POINT:
God has provided only one way of escape from the terrible book of remembrance and that way is Jesus Christ.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: EXODUS 5-7

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 19 - ROCK OF AGES, CLEFT FOR ME

1 Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save me from its guilt and power.

2 Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All could never sin erase,
Thou must save, and save by grace.

3 Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace:
Foul, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

4 While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY JANUARY 15TH 2024

TOPIC: IT SHALL BE WELL VII

MEMORISE:
“And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.” - (Joel 2:25)

READ: 1 SAMUEL 30:1-8, 18-19 (KJV)

1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.

MESSAGE:

Today, I will conclude the discussion about God's prophetic message to you from Isaiah 3:10 that says it shall be well with the righteous in this new year and beyond. God indeed desires that you should enjoy all-round wellness, and this includes recovering all that you might have lost to the enemy. I declare that you will recover all that you may have lost to the enemy, in Jesus' name.

Our Father in heaven said in His words, "I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:" (Isaiah 45:2). In other words, the Lord is assuring us of His presence as we pass through this new year. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us an added assurance in John 16:33:

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

These infallible words in the Scriptures are an assurance to you that regardless of what you might have experienced in the last year, it shall be well with you in this new year.

Beloved, for it to be well with you this year, you must learn a lesson from our Bible text for today. David consulted God before pursuing the enemy, and God assured him of victory. I encourage you to cultivate the habit of seeking divine direction this year as you go about all your lawful endeavours. David, even though He was an army General of high repute, did not rush into pursuing those who raided his camp while he was away. Instead, he consulted with his Commander-In-Chief, Jehovah-Nissi, for divine assurance. God told him to pursue after the invaders, and when he did, he recovered all that they had stolen from him.

Are there things you know that the devil has stolen from you? Are there opportunities you believe you have lost? Are there steps you ought to have taken but failed to, and you feel all is over? I want to assure you today that my God can help you recover all if you trust Him and surrender all to Him.

I declare once again that as you truly surrender all to Jesus and seek His guidance, you will recover all the losses you may have suffered, and it shall be well with you, in Jesus' name.

PRAYER POINT:
Thank God for His assurance of recovering all, and ask Him to recover all your losses for you, in Jesus' name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 47-50

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 21 - STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST MY KING

1 Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

3 Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

4 Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

5 Standing on the promises I shall not fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call.
Resting in my Savior as my All in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY JANUARY 14TH 2024

TOPIC: IT SHALL BE WELL VI

MEMORISE:
“Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” - (John 5:14)

READ: JOHN 5:1-14 (KJV)

1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.

12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

13 And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.

14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

MESSAGE:

In continuation of the discussion about God's declaration that it shall be well with the righteous (Isaiah 3:10), it is important to note that the state of a person's health is another indicator of the fellow's wellness. An individual that is always in and out of the hospital because of health challenges cannot say that it is truly well with him or her. I declare in the mighty name of Jesus that from today onward, you will begin to live in sound health.

The story in our Bible reading for today reveals the healing power of our Lord Jesus Christ and also shows that sin can be a source for sickness. This is the reason the Holy Spirit through the writer of Acts 10:38 said:

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

For you to live a sickness-free life in this new year, you must desist from any sin that might exist in your life. Confess them to God, ask for His forgiveness, and genuinely repent from them. If you do not genuinely repent of any sin that exists in your life, you are setting yourself up for great torment by the devil, as Jesus told the sick fellow in our memory verse for today.

Jesus gave a parable about putting new wine into old wine bottles in Luke 5:36-38. You cannot receive a miracle from God and remain in a sinful state; it is like putting new wine in an old wine bottle. As Jesus warned in His parable, such a person will surely be destroyed.

In our Bible reading today, Jesus pronounced healing on the sick fellow and, after a while, upon seeing him again, gave him a warning that he should not commit sin again. A lesson here for us to learn is that it is not enough for a fellow to receive his or her healing or any other miracle and go about committing sin afterwards. Such a fellow will definitely lose the healing or miracle. As I have pronounced healing and sound health upon you today, may the Lord keep you away from sin so that you will not lose your miracles to it, in Jesus' name.

KEY POINT:
Sin exposes someone to the demons of infirmity. Repent and be healed, live holy that you may not lose your healing and miracles.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: GENESIS 44-46

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 15 - PASS ME NOT, O GENTLE SAVIOUR

1 Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry,
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

Refrain:
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

2 Let me at a throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief. [Refrain]

3 Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace. [Refrain]

4 Thou the Spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in heav'n but Thee? [Refrain]