Open Heavens

Friday, October 11, 2024

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

 OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL 


DATE: SATURDAY OCTOBER 12TH 2024


TOPIC: BE MERCIFUL


MEMORISE:

“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” - (Matthew 5:7)


READ: MATTHEW 18:21-35 (KJV)


21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?


22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


MESSAGE:

Many people ask God for mercy, but when God looks into their lives and sees that they don’t show mercy to others around them, He withholds His mercy. From our memory verse today, you will realise that if you are merciful to others, you will also enjoy God’s mercy. Psalm 130:3 says that if God were to count our iniquities, we will not stand. It is only by His mercy that we are still alive, and if we are wise, we will also have mercy on those around us.


In our Bible reading for today, Jesus Christ told the story of a man who owed the king ten thousand talents. The king commanded that he and his family be sold in order to pay the debt, but the man asked for mercy, and the king forgave him of the debt. The same man went out and saw someone that owed him a hundred pence. His debtor begged for a little more time to pay his debt, but this man refused to forgive the debtor and locked him in prison. The king heard about it, withdrew his mercy, and gave the unmerciful servant to tormentors. Proverbs 11:17 says:


The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.


The Scripture above says that when you are merciful, you are doing good to yourself, but if you are cruel, you are hurting yourself because your cruelty will only rob you of the mercies of God.


In John 14:23, Jesus said if you love Him, His Father will love you, and both of them will come and dwell in you. How do you show God that you love Him? (1 John 4:21) says that if you love God, then you must love your brother. Love your neighbour like yourself because you cannot say you love God and hate your neighbour. If you decide not to love your neighbour, you are telling God that you don’t need His love. Galatians 6:7 says:


Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.


Whatever you sow is what you will reap. If you sow mercy into the lives of others, you will reap mercy. However, if you decide to sow unforgiveness, then do not complain when you reap unforgiveness (Job 4:8).


ACTION POINT:

Be merciful to everyone.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: MARK 1-3


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 endless praise,

let them flow in endless 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.

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Open Heavens Prayer Points

PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL


Friday, 11th October 2024


COMMITTING GOD


Special Note.


These prayer points are not written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, but by one of his, disciples, of Christ, who was inspired and mandated by the Holy Spirit, effective, January 1st, 2015, to start writing these prayer points, based on the Open Heavens Daily Devotional  authored by Pastor E. A. Adeboye.


Some of the prayer points are deep spiritually and may not be understood by carnal minds.


If you want to be blessed from these prayer points, you must first, surrender Your life, to the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, by saying this prayer:


“Lord Jesus, I come to You with a deeply repentant heart, please, forgive me all my sins. I surrender my life to you, today, and, I accept You, as my personal Lord and Saviour. Please, come into my life and save my soul from eternal destruction in hell fire. In Jesus' name, I pray.”


PRAYER POINTS


1.Father, I worship You for another beautiful day to be alive again. Thank You for watching over me while I was sleeping, for my sake, You neither sleep nor slumber, I am grateful Lord.


2.Father, thank You for honouring Your word in my mouth, for Your word is spirit and life, Not returning empty, but accomplishing that which You purpose it and succeeding in the thing for which You sent it.

 

3.Father, You are sovereign, You do what pleases You yet, You said I should command You as touching the works of Your hands; what a merciful God You are


4.Father, please, whatever I have done that will make my prayers to be an abomination to You , have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus' name 


5.Father, You said in Your word that if I lift You up on earth, You will draw all people to Yourself. Help me to align myself with Your word always, to worship and to please You in all I do, that men may come to You in salvation, in Jesus' name. 


6.Father, please, teach me to remain humble under Your mighty hand and empower me to be diligent in my work before You, in Jesus' name 


7.Father, please, help me not to do anything against Your word. Make for me a way of escape and help me to overcome all temptations, let the devil have nothing to accuse me with before You, in Jesus' name


8.Satan, I refuse to be a fool, for greater is He that is in me than you the devil, for in all things I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus that loves me and laid His life down for me at Calvary


9.Father, please, let every valley before me be exalted, and every mountain and hill be made low; make the crooked paths straight and rough places plain, in Jesus' name.


10.Father, let Your glory be revealed over my life and let all flesh see it together; for Your mouth has spoken it and You are not a man that should lie, neither will You repent of Your word.

Help me to be committed to doing what will commit You to bless and answer my prayers always, in Jesus' name. 


11.Father, bless your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye;  grant him divine health and long life; and, bless his ministry, home, and family (biological and spiritual), help them to remain a shining light forever, in Jesus' name.


12.Father, bless Your son that You have been using to prepare these prayer points, beyond measures, and all those who have been rebroadcasting them, in Jesus' name.


13.Father, let every challenge, hindrance and obstacle of getting these prayer points across to Your children, timely, and on daily basis be removed, in Jesus' name.


14.Your Personal petitions.

( Philippians 4:6)


15..In Jesus' name I pray.

(John 14:13-14; 15:16)


16.Thank You Father for answered prayers.

(1 Thessalonians 5:18).


#GodBlessOurNation


These prayers have no expiry dates! Please, pray them, irrespective of the time they get to you. Remain blessed, in Jesus' name.


Kindly, purchase your own hard copy or online version of the Open Heavens devotional & buy for your friends too, as a potent evangelism tool. God bless you, as you sow, into Pastor E.A. Adeboye's, books ministry.


Note:

You may not add, subtract or rearrange these prayer points.

 The Holy Spirit is the author, though He used someone, who, out of humility has refused to take glory for it, by not putting his name. It is plagiarism to use, or pass as your own, someone else writing or work. The original author of these prayer points is the Holy Spirit. So, share, but don't share His glory with Him in the process.

Remain blessed, as you obey, in Jesus' name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

 OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL


DATE: FRIDAY OCTOBER 11TH 2024


THEME: COMMITTING GOD


MEMORISE: II will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for t thy loving kindness and for thy truth: for t thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.  Psalm 138:2


READ: Isaiah 40:4-8

4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:


5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.


6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:


7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.


8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.


MESSAGE

Do you know that it is possible to commit God to do some things for you and leave Him with no choice but to do them? Psalm 115:3 says that God is sovereign, He does as He pleases, but if you know Him well, you can position yourself such that the Almighty will do what you want.


Going by today's memory verse, if you can find what God's word says about what you want and align yourself with it, He will be committed to doing His part. For example, Psalm 75:6-7 says that promotion comes from God. 1 Samuel 2:7-8 also says that God decides whom to raise and whom to bring down. Since you know this, the question now becomes, "How do I get God to promote me? The answer is in 1 Peter 5:6:


Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:


Therefore, if you notice that it seems like it is taking a long time for God to promote you, then you can make up your mind to be humble. Once you are humble, He will be committed to exalting you in order to fulfil His word. Proverbs? 22:29: says that if you are diligent in your business, you will stand before kings. Proverbs 12:24 also says 'that the hand of the diligent shall bear rule. therefore, if you want to get to the very top, you must add diligence to your humility, and in line with God's word, He will raise you so high that you will be in the category of kings. You can get God to do what you want if you do what He wants.


The devil, however, also knows this principle. When he doesn't want God to do something for you, he tempts you to do something wrong so that he can accuse you before God aid commit God not to bless you. This is why Revelation 12:10 calls him the accuser of the brethren. He knows that God will not go, against His word, so he tempts you into committing sin and accuses you before God. This is why it is foolish to obey the one who has decided to destroy you by committing sin. When next the devil tempts you, tell him, “I refuse to be a fool."


Beloved, never give the devil the opportunity to use God's word against you, rather, use God's word to your favor by always praying according to His will.


REFLECTION

Are you doing the things that will commit God to bless you and a answer your prayers?


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 27-28


AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE


HYMN 21: STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD


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.

Refrain:

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 cannot 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 Prayer Points

PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL


Thursday, 10th October 2024.


LOVE FOR GOD 


Special Note.


These prayer points are not written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, but by one of his, disciples, of Christ, who was inspired and mandated by the Holy Spirit, effective, January 1st, 2015, to start writing these prayer points, based on the Open Heavens Daily Devotional  authored by Pastor E. A. Adeboye.


Some of the prayer points are deep spiritually and may not be understood by carnal minds.


If you want to be blessed from these prayer points, you must first, surrender Your life, to the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, by saying this prayer:


“Lord Jesus, I come to You with a deeply repentant heart, please, forgive me all my sins. I surrender my life to you, today, and, I accept You, as my personal Lord and Saviour. Please, come into my life and save my soul from eternal destruction in hell fire. In Jesus' name, I pray.”


PRAYER POINTS


1.Father, thank You for Your undying love for me. Thank You for first loving me and laying Your life for me on the Cross of Calvary 


2.Father, thank You for Your loving kindness. I will bless Your name and my lips shall continually praise Your Holy name

 

3.Father, please, help me to love You with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my mind. Let the hunger to please You be revived in me, in Jesus' name 


4.Father, please, help me to give my all and my very best to You. Let nothing be so precious to me that I cannot give back to You. Help me to always remember that all I have is given by You and for Your use, in Jesus' name 


5.Father, please, let my love for You get greater than ever before in praises to You, in the place of worship and in all I do. Help me to always remember that I am nothing without You, in Jesus' name. 


6.Father, please, give me the right kind of heart, a heart that appreciates and acknowledges You as the lifter of my head. No matter how high You will raise me, give me a humble heart and remove every pride in me, in Jesus' name 


7.Father, please, do not reject me, keep me far from offending You, in Jesus' name


8.Father, please, increase my love for You; I want to understand what really matters most, so that I may live a pure and blameless life until the day of Christ’s return, in Jesus' name 


9.Father, please, remove every idol in me and for the rest of my life, let my love for You never reduce, in Jesus' name.


10.Father, please, let my love for You abound more and more everyday, in knowledge and in all judgement, in Jesus' name. 


11.Father, bless your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye;  grant him divine health and long life; and, bless his ministry, home, and family (biological and spiritual), help them to remain a shining light forever, in Jesus' name.


12.Father, bless Your son that You have been using to prepare these prayer points, beyond measures, and all those who have been rebroadcasting them, in Jesus' name.


13.Father, let every challenge, hindrance and obstacle of getting these prayer points across to Your children, timely, and on daily basis be removed, in Jesus' name.


14.Your Personal petitions.

( Philippians 4:6)


15..In Jesus' name I pray.

(John 14:13-14; 15:16)


16.Thank You Father for answered prayers.

(1 Thessalonians 5:18).


#GodBlessOurNation


These prayers have no expiry dates! Please, pray them, irrespective of the time they get to you. Remain blessed, in Jesus' name.


Kindly, purchase your own hard copy or online version of the Open Heavens devotional & buy for your friends too, as a potent evangelism tool. God bless you, as you sow, into Pastor E.A. Adeboye's, books ministry.


Note:

You may not add, subtract or rearrange these prayer points.

 The Holy Spirit is the author, though He used someone, who, out of humility has refused to take glory for it, by not putting his name. It is plagiarism to use, or pass as your own, someone else writing or work. The original author of these prayer points is the Holy Spirit. So, share, but don't share His glory with Him in the process.

Remain blessed, as you obey, in Jesus' name.

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

 OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL 


DATE: THURSDAY OCTOBER 10TH 2024


TOPIC: LOVE FOR GOD


MEMORISE:

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” - (Matthew 22:37)


READ: PSALM 63:1-8 (KJV)


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


2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.


3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.


4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.


5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:


6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.


7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.


8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.


MESSAGE:

Occasionally, I wonder, “Do I still love God like I used to? Was there a time when I loved Him more than I do now?” In the past, many of us were willing to do anything for Him; we were hungry to please Him at whatever cost and give to Him even when we had next to nothing. I remember the days when we used to have Bible Study Leaders Retreat, and we would take offerings. From the offerings, you would know that if the congregation had more, they would willingly give more. One brother gave his belt because he didn’t have any money to give!


How is your love for God now? Is it greater or less than it was before? There are people who, when they got born again, could dance vigorously during praise and worship, not caring if anyone was looking at them. Now, they can’t even shout hallelujah at the top of their voices. No matter how big a fellow is, he or she is still nothing before God. If a person is too big to dance for Him, He can decide to show that fellow how small he or she really is.


One day, I asked God, “Lord, David did a lot of terrible things, even more than Saul, yet You said David was a man after Your heart while You rejected Saul. I know that You are not partial, but I am curious to know why.” He responded, “What did David do in (2 Samuel 6:14)?” I replied, “He danced with all his might.” Then He asked, “Can you show me a place in the Bible where Saul danced for me?” That was when I really knew why God rejected Saul. It is not so much about dancing; rather, it is about the heart of a man after God has raised him. David’s love for God increased as he went higher, while Saul’s love reduced as he went higher. Which of these two are you?


If a believer’s love for God is reducing, such a believer is not far off from offending Him, and that might result in God rejecting the fellow. If you don’t believe me, read Philippians 1:9-10:


And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;


May your love for God keep increasing for the rest of your life, in Jesus’ name.


PRAYER POINT:

Father, please let my love for You abound more and more every day, in Jesus' name.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: MATTHEW 25-26


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 endless praise,

let them flow in endless 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.

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Open Heavens Prayer Points

PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY'S OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL


Wednesday, 9th October 2024


THE MEANING OF LIFE


Special Note.


These prayer points are not written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, but by one of his, disciples, of Christ, who was inspired and mandated by the Holy Spirit, effective, January 1st, 2015, to start writing these prayer points, based on the Open Heavens Daily Devotional  authored by Pastor E. A. Adeboye.


Some of the prayer points are deep spiritually and may not be understood by carnal minds.


If you want to be blessed from these prayer points, you must first, surrender Your life, to the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, by saying this prayer:


“Lord Jesus, I come to You with a deeply repentant heart, please, forgive me all my sins. I surrender my life to you, today, and, I accept You, as my personal Lord and Saviour. Please, come into my life and save my soul from eternal destruction in hell fire. In Jesus' name, I pray.”


PRAYER POINTS


1.Father, I worship You for the grace to be alive today. Thank You for making me a living soul with Your breathe of life in me


2.Father, thank You for granting me the experience of the true meaning of life through the salvation of my soul in Your death on the Cross and resurrection from the grave 


3.Father, thank You, for in Christ, You have made everything available that i will ever need for life and godliness 


4.Father, please, help me never to trade this new life found in You for unsatisfying wealth, worldly success and it's  pleasures, in Jesus' name 


5.Father, please, help me to only seek to satisfy the burning desire to connect with You, My Maker, in Jesus' name. 


6.Father, please help me never to lose  my relationship with You; let me continually enjoy the inner peace of salvation and let my life be truly meaningful, in Jesus' name 


7.Father, please, as many that are seeking for the true meaning of life, let them encounter Your power of salvation, in Jesus' name


8.Father, please, no matter the pull to the momentary attraction and the things of this world, help them not to trade their soul for money, in Jesus' name 


9.Father, You said in John 6:35, that You are the bread of life, You also said no one comes to You stays hungry or thirsty; please Father, satisfy every hunger and thirst for genuine salvation of the loss, in Jesus' name.


10.Father, please, use me as a vessel to bring meaning to every life lost in sins, in my family, my neighborhood and to the uttermost part of the world, in Jesus' name. 


11.Father, bless your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye;  grant him divine health and long life; and, bless his ministry, home, and family (biological and spiritual), help them to remain a shining light forever, in Jesus' name.


12.Father, bless Your son that You have been using to prepare these prayer points, beyond measures, and all those who have been rebroadcasting them, in Jesus' name.


13.Father, let every challenge, hindrance and obstacle of getting these prayer points across to Your children, timely, and on daily basis be removed, in Jesus' name.


14.Your Personal petitions.

( Philippians 4:6)


15..In Jesus' name I pray.

(John 14:13-14; 15:16)


16.Thank You Father for answered prayers.

(1 Thessalonians 5:18).


#GodBlessOurNation


These prayers have no expiry dates! Please, pray them, irrespective of the time they get to you. Remain blessed, in Jesus' name.


Kindly, purchase your own hard copy or online version of the Open Heavens devotional & buy for your friends too, as a potent evangelism tool. God bless you, as you sow, into Pastor E.A. Adeboye's, books ministry.


Note:

You may not add, subtract or rearrange these prayer points.

 The Holy Spirit is the author, though He used someone, who, out of humility has refused to take glory for it, by not putting his name. It is plagiarism to use, or pass as your own, someone else writing or work. The original author of these prayer points is the Holy Spirit. So, share, but don't share His glory with Him in the process.

Remain blessed, as you obey, in Jesus' name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

 OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL


DATE: WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9TH 2024


THEME: THE MEANING OF LIFE


MEMORISE: And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believe th on me shall never thirst.  John 6:35


READ: John 10:9-10

9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.


10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.


MESSAGE

Many people have sought to find out the real meaning and essence of life. I have discovered that the only thing that gives life meaning is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Without Christ, life has no meaning. Without Christ, a man is like a boat, rocked back and forth by the waves of this world. He may pursue a variety of personal objectives, amass wealth, achieve success in one field or the other, or gain pleasure in one thing or another, but soon he will discover that they are all momentary and unsatisfying without Christ. No matter how rich you become, Ecclesiastes 5:10 says that money doesn't satisfy. In Christ, you have everything you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).


In Ephesians 2:1, Apostle Paul referred to those without Christ as being 'dead in trespasses and sins'. He said in verse 3 that they fulfil the desires of the flesh, and if anyone has lived long enough, he or she would have discovered that the desires of the flesh do not bring satisfaction. At the end of the day, what people need to gain the joy that they seek is to satisfy the burning desire to connect with their Maker, the Lord Jesus Christ. Until that is done, they will always feel empty. Cars, awards, titles, and all the money in this world can never fill that void in their hearts. Until they have a relationship with Christ, their lives will remain meaningless. This is why when people become born again, all of a sudden, they feel this inner peace that cannot be explained. What follows after is joy. Life now suddenly has a meaning-


Beloved, make Christ your top priority. Don't trade Him for money or anything else because it will profit you nothing if you gain the whole world and lose your soul (Matthew 16:26). People who do not have Christ will not only live a life of depression and chaos on earth, but they will also suffer for eternity in hell. The worst thing about hell is not the unquenchable fire and undying worms that will torture its occupants (Mark 9:48); it is the eternal separation from God and the regret of choosing to continue in sin despite hearing several messages of God's salvation. Save yourself from that torment by giving your life to Christ now if you haven't done so, and ensure you live holy henceforth.


NOTE: If you are born again, you can make this message into a tract. Put the contact details of any RCCG parish at the back of the tract so that people who read it can have a minister of God to call for counselling and prayers. Use it to win souls to Christ.


KEY POINT

A life without Christ is empty.


BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 23-24


AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE


HYMN 10: IN CHRIST ALONE

1.  In Christ alone my hope is found 

He is my light, my strength, my song 

This cornerstone, this solid ground 

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm 

What heights of love, what depths of peace 

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease 

My comforter, my all in all 

Here in the love of Christ I stand  


2. In Christ alone who took on flesh 

Fullness of God in helpless babe 

This gift of love and righteousness 

Scorned by the ones He came to save 

Till on that cross as Jesus died 

The wrath of God was satisfied 

For every sin on Him was laid 

Here in the death of Christ I live  

There in the ground His body lay 


3. Light of the world by darkness slain 

Then bursting forth in glorious day 

Up from the grave He rose again 

And as He stands in victory 

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me 

For I am His and He is mine 

Bought with the precious blood of Christ  


4. No guilt in life, no fear in death 

This is the power of Christ in me 

 life's first cry to final breath 

Jesus commands my destiny 

No power of hell, no scheme of man 

Can ever pluck me from His hand 

Till He returns or calls me home 

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand