RCCG ABIA 2 MEDIA

26/02/2024

OPEN HEAVENS 2024 DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUE, FEB 27, 2024

TOPIC: CALLED TO BE TEMPERATE

MEMORISE:
“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” – (1 Corinthians 9:25)

READ: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (KJV)

MESSAGE:
To fulfil your calling, you must be in full control of your body and not allow sin into your life at all. Galatians 5:17 says that the body and spirit are always at war. You must be able to keep your body in check so that it does not put you in trouble. When God calls you for an assignment, He will support you all the way so that you can succeed despite the forces that try to stop you. However, Romans 8:31 says, "If God be for you, who can be against you?" The answer is, 'You!' If God is for you, yet you cannot control your body not to work against you, then you may not fulfil His call.

Not only must you stay away from sin, you must also do everything in moderation. You cannot afford to sleep anytime you like, eat as you wish, or be intimate with your spouse as many times as you want. Apostle Paul said in (1 Corinthians 6:12):

All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

You must remain in control such that you cannot be brought under the power of even the things that are necessary.

In (1 Corinthians 9:24-27), Apostle Paul said, "I keep my body under." That is the apostle of the same grace that some people claim has taken care of everything, and that no matter how much we sin, it is fine. Paul said that he kept his body under, in other words, I tell my stomach when it is going to eat next and my eyes when they are going to sleep next. People have asked me how I fast for 40 days and nights, and I say, "Simple. The night before I start, I go to an almanac, count 40 days, and mark when the fasting is to end. Then I say to my stomach, 'That date is the next time you will get food.’" The stomach will grumble because it doesn't like that kind of situation. When you drive along the street, every restaurant on the route will seem to be calling you, and you will smell the food in another house from almost a quarter kilometre away. I don't care; I ignore everything the devil tries. After about 3-4 days, when my stomach sees that I am not yielding, it will keep quiet. He that strives for mastery has to be temperate in all things.

KEY POINT:
If you want to fulfil the call of God over your life, just like Paul, you must be a man or woman with strong self-control.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Deuteronomy 20-22

HYMNAL:
Hymn 19 - Rock of Ages, cleft for me

Install the Open Heavens 2024 devotional app on play store.
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07/02/2024

04/02/2024

RCCG ABIA 2 GLOBAL PRAYER 🙏 WALK

03/02/2024

Wait for it!!!

03/02/2024

19/01/2024

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
FRIDAY 19TH JANUARY 2024
THEME: 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
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

HYMN 11: I’VE FOUND A FRIEND IN JESUS

1 I have found a friend in Jesus, He's everything to me;
He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul!
The Lily of the Valley, 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. (Hallelujah)
CHORUS:

He's the Lily of the Valley,
the Bright and Morning Star;
He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

2 He all my grief has taken, and all my sorrows borne;
In temptation He's my strong and mighty tower;
I have 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: (Hallelujah)

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, I'll see His blessed face,
Where rivers of delight shall ever roll. (Hallelujah)

18/01/2024

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY, 18TH JANUARY, 2024.

TOPIC: THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE III

MEMORY VERSE
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Psalms 103:2

BIBLE TEXT
Psalms 103:1-5
[1](A Psalm of David.) 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 A YEAR
Exodus 8-10

HYMN 17 PRAISE MY SOUL THE KING OF HEAVEN

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!

17/01/2024

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY JANUARY 17TH 2024

THEME: THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE II

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
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
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
remenbrance 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 lsrael 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 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 conseequence 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

HYMN 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.

15/01/2024

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2024.

TOPIC: THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE 1

MEMORISE
Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof. - Nehemiah 13:14 (KJV)

BIBLE TEXT: Esther 6:1-11

1 On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.

2 And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.

3 And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.

4 And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king’s house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

5 And the king’s servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.

6 So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?

7 And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour,

8 Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head:

9 And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour.

10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king’s gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.

11 Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.

MESSAGE

I prophesy to you today that as you read this, a pleasant book of remembrance will be opened in your favour, in Jesus’ name.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the word remember means to be able to bring back a piece of information into your mind or to keep a piece of information in your memory.

In Genesis 8:1, the Bible says that God remembered Noah. Ordinarily, one cannot imagine that God can be forgetful and not remember the family He put in an ark.

Thus, when the Bible said that God remembered Noah, it could only mean that God was now paying attention to Noah’s situation.

The same thing applied to Rachel in Genesis 30:22-23 where the Bible says:
And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and open her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son; and said God hath taken away my reproach:

The above scripture reveals another meaning of remembrance: the taking away of reproach by a higher power. When God remembers a barren woman, she conceives and becomes a mother of children, like in the case of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:1-28.

She had been constantly provoked and humiliated by her rival because of her barrenness, and it seemed like her case was hopeless. However, God remembered her and intervened in her situation when she cried out to Him in Shiloh.

When she returned to Shiloh, she was carrying her testimony in her hands.

In our Bible reading for today, God intervened in the case of Mordecai against his adversary, Haman. Mordecai and his niece, Esther, prayed, and there was a breakthrough.

The king was unable to sleep, and he commanded that the record books be read to him. While this was being done, the good deed of Mordecai that had been forgotten was brought to remembrance. That could only have been God.

Nehemiah understood the things that can happen when God remembers a fellow, and that was why he prayed that prayer in today’s memory verse.

Beloved, I encourage you to ask that the Almighty God should open a book of pleasant remembrance for you this year.

I join my faith with yours, and I pray that He will remember you for good all through this new year and beyond, in Jesus’ mighty name.

PRAYER POINT
Father, please open a book of positive remembrance for me this year.

AUTHOR: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Exodus 1 - 4

HYMNAL
HYMN 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]

14/01/2024

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.

13/01/2024

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]