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How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14).

In the Old Testament, God gave laws and instructions to the children of Israel, which they couldn’t keep, no matter how they tried. But thanks be unto God! All of those laws and commandments have been nailed to the cross. Colossians 2:14 says He blotted out “…the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.”

Not only have your sins been nailed to the cross, what caused them to be sins in the first place have also been nailed to the cross! No wonder Paul said in Romans 6:11, “...reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God….” To be dead to sin is one part, to be alive to God is another; however, both have been consummated in Christ—in His works of salvation.

The Bible says Jesus bore our sins on His own body on the cross: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). Our sins were dealt with before the resurrection. The resurrection is very important because that’s what brought us into life and justification in Christ. Hence, to receive salvation, a man must confess the Lordship of Jesus, and believe in His resurrection. Romans 10:9-10 says, “...if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved....”

Prayer:
Dear Father, thank you for the wonderful works of salvation, consummated by the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Sin, with its cause and effects, has been nailed to the cross, and now, I live triumphantly, displaying your graces and goodness everywhere, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

FURTHER STUDY:
Romans 5:7-8; Romans 4:23-25; Romans 6:4

 1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Romans 5:12-21 & Psalm 104

2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Luke 9:1-17 & Joshua 10-12 

Romans 4:25

who [Jesus] was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

The Bible tells us that Christ was delivered up for our sins and raised from the dead for our justification. You may already know why Jesus died for our sins, but do you know the significance of God raising Him from the dead?

Let me give you an illustration to help you understand the significance of Jesus’ resurrection.

Let’s say that you are living in a foreign country. One day, you happen to break a major rule of the land. You appeal to the king for mercy. He says, “A rule is a rule. I cannot bend the rule for you. What will others say about my integrity? However, if you can find a substitute to take your punishment—three months in jail—I will allow it.”

By God’s grace, you find a willing substitute. He goes to prison on your behalf and you don’t see him for some time. Days, weeks and months pass by.

Now, how or when will you know that your crime has been fully paid for? When will you be able to rest easy regarding your crime? It is when you see your substitute walking free again! When you see him out of prison, you will know that the sentence has been fully served. You will know that you are now justified and no one can bring a charge against you for your old crime. No longer will you be afraid of the king or his guards coming after you because you know that the one who was punished in your place is now walking free.

Beloved, Jesus, your substitute, paid the debt you could not pay. On the cross, He bore the sins of your entire life. God put it all on Jesus and then He punished Jesus for every single one of those sins until He was fully satisfied. And because He was so pleased with what Jesus had done, He raised Him from the dead.

Today, Jesus’ tomb remains empty. He is not there for He has risen! His resurrection and empty tomb will forever be our assurance that we have been fully justified. You no longer have to be afraid of God judging you for your sins. His justice is on your side today!

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

You choose your attitude every morning when you get out of bed!

It is God’s will for you to prosper, but you must hear God’s word and obey it before success can be yours.  That’s what our text says today:

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:  for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Joshua 1:8

Success is not accidental; it is a byproduct of your attitude.  Has anyone ever told you that you have a bad attitude?  People fling that phrase around today like salt and pepper.  “You’ve got a bad attitude.”  So what does that mean?  It means you’re too critical.  It means you’re too sarcastic…too arrogant…too mean…and too inflexible.

If you have a bad attitude, it means that you generally choose to disagree.  You whine and pout when you can’t get your way.  You like to live with a chip on your shoulder.  You can’t keep friends.  You can’t keep a job.  You can’t keep a wife or a husband, because you are a joyless toad.

Who is responsible for your attitude?  You are.  We try to blame our attitude on our husband or wife.  We blame our attitude on the weather, or the car we’re driving.  We blame our attitude on the IRS or PMS—we blame it on something, anything, except ourselves.

You attitude is a choice, not a chance.  Do you wake up in the morning saying, “Good morning, Lord!”  or, “Good Lord, it's morning!”  There’s a difference in those two!

Daily Living

Beloved. I know you have felt rejection at some time in your life. You have been treated unfairly by a corrupt and evil world. Many have had unbearable pain. I understand and I know what you are feeling, My Child. 

Your Savior was despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. But listen to the good news, Dear One. Surely the Lamb of God has borne your griefs, and carried your sorrows; He was wounded for your transgressions, He was bruised for your iniquities: the chastisement of your peace was upon Him; and with His stripes you are healed. Do not sorrow any longer, Beloved.

 The Glorious Cross changed everything. What the enemy meant for evil shall become your greatest place of victory! The Comforter Himself now dwells forever in your heart. I comfort all who mourn, I give you beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for that spirit of heaviness. Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion you shall rejoice in your portion. Hope in Me, Beloved. My Head was bowed down, so that yours could be lifted up.

I am your Glory and the Lifter of your head. I gave My Life so that you could walk in newness of Life. I gave up My spirit so that you could be FILLED with the Holy Spirit. And Beloved, this is just the beginning of an amazing journey. Instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. In My Presence is fullness of joy; at My right hand there are pleasures forevermore. Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.

...Isaiah 53: 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.4 Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.

...Colossians 2:14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross;15And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

...John 1:11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
...John 19:30When He had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

...Isaiah 61:7 Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours

I think it would be fair to say, most of us love the sight of a beautiful cascading waterfall. The sheer power, majesty and sound of it are enough to awe the senses. But have you ever thought about the origin of a waterfall? In appearance, it just looks like any other river quietly flowing down stream. It is not until it plunges over the edge of a steep cliff, that suddenly average becomes magnificent.

What if the river refused to fall, what if the flow dammed up before the destination. Will you trust God with blind obedience, will you hold his hand and make that leap of faith? For it is not until we jump, that our true beauty is revealed. Complete surrender to the Father, total destruction of the flesh. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end (Ecclesiastes 3:11). And no one can know which way the river runs, without placing your hand in the current.

More than the sounds of many waters, than the mighty breakers of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty (Psalm 93:4). He who believes in me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). Deep calls to deep in the roar of your water falls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me (Psalm 42:7). I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps (Jeremiah 10:23). Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not (Psalm 17:5).

Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105). You make me as sure footed as a deer, you plant my feet firmly on the rock. Why would I doubt you, why would I not easily go where you lead? The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9). Will you trust your senses, your emotions that drive without end. Or will you trust Almighty God, the maker of heaven and earth, the God with no beginning and no end. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And son of man that thou visitest him? (Psalm 8:4). God loves you, he wants you to jump in the river with him. He knows the very number of hairs on your head, will he not also teach you to swim.

When he leads you out in deep waters, certainly he will not leave you to drown. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze (Isaiah 43:2). You will move from glory to glory. You will be is a fire upon the water. Nothing will be able to extinguish your flame. You will be a burning inferno for Jesus Christ. Your light will invade the darkness, no evil can stand in your way. Grave you have been defeated, oh death where is your sting! I am the living one; I was dead, and now look I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave (Revelation 1:18)....

Tammy Lang Jensen

Sunday April 1st 2018
Memorise: The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. Psalm 25:14

Read: Daniel 2:10-23(KJV)
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:
15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.

Bible in one year: 
Deuteronomy 29-30,
Philippians 3:1-4:1,

Hymnal: 
Sing hymn 6

Message:
The benevolent Creator of all things speaks to mankind using different means and methods, one of which is dreams. King Nebuchadnezzar had a distributing dream which became more worrisome to him. When he realised that he could not even remember its details. Indeed the awesome God of heaven and of earth does what pleases Him in the affairs of men.

 The king thought he had experts who could unravel his mysterious dream, but he was mistaken. His astrologers and stargazers could not reveal the secret thing all. Little did he know of the way God works, outlined in today’s memory verse. If you will be wise and learn from King Nebuchadnezzar’s experience, you need to first recognise and accept that there are secret things which determine the course of life. The knowledge of such secret things could avert evil, make a person wise in decision making and even lead to unimaginable breakthroughs in life. My prayer for you today is that secrets which will lead to your success will not be hidden from you in Jesus’ Name. In Joseph’s time, it was the revelation of the devil’s secret plan to destroy the whole of Egypt and all other surrounding nations with hunger that saved them from dying during a devastating seven years of famine (Genesis 41). King Nebuchadnezzar would have killed all his so-called wise men out of frustration, but for the God of heaven who intervened through his prophet, Daniel.

When King Nebuchadnezzar’s decree brought the threat of death to the doorsteps of Daniel and his cohorts, they sought the mercies of the God of heaven, and He released His wisdom to them. Beloved, where do you seek wisdom: from God or from men? The wisdom of men will definitely disappoint you, and so you must seek the wisdom you need for overcoming life’s challenges from God. You may be wondering what the basis of my recommendation is.

God is rich in mercy and His mercy endures for ever (Ephesians 2:4, 1st Chronicles 16:34). Because He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, He knows the secrets behind all things that are yet to happen (Isaiah 46:10). You would therefore be wise to put your trust in Him. Daniel and his brethren consulted Him and they were not disappointed. Furthermore, learn a vital lesson from their attitude after the secret things of the king’s dream were revealed to them by God: they gave all the glory back to Him immediately (Daniel 2:20-23).

This attitude is unlike that of some people who are obtaining just one degree would conclude that there is no God. We know what the Bible calls such people in Psalm 14:1. I pray for you today: the knowledge that would take faith away from your heart will not be your portion in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point
I thank You Father because sound wisdom comes from You; please don’t deny me the secrets of life that will lead me to Your presence on the last day.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

As for me, God forbid that I should boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
—Galatians 6:14 (TLB)

What glory is there in the cross? It was an instrument of torture and shame. Why did Paul glory in it? He gloried in it because the most selfless act ever performed by men or angels took place upon it. He saw-emanating from that rough, unartistic beam upon which the Son of God had been crucified—the radiant hope of the world, the end of the believer’s bondage to sin, and the love of God shed abroad in the hearts of men. A lone man dying on a cross did more to restore man’s lost harmony with God, his fellowman, and himself, than the combined genius and power of earth’s mighty. With my finite limitations, I cannot fully comprehend the mystery of Christ’s atonement. I only know that all who come to the cross in simple, trusting faith lose all their guilty stains and find peace with God.

Listen to Billy Graham talk about the importance of the cross.

Discover Jesus and the power of the cross for yourself.

Prayer for the day
Like the Apostle Paul, Father, help me to glory in the cross of Jesus and more fully understand the tremendous meaning it has for me as a believer and for all who would come to its foot and kneel.

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12 NIV).

If you went to a mall today and asked people if they were going to Heaven or Hell, you’d likely hear many of them say, “I hope I’ll go to Heaven.”

But hope just isn’t good enough. I pray that’s not your answer. Your eternal destiny is too important not to know for sure.

It’s foolish to be unprepared for what we all know is inevitable: death. The most recent statistics show that mortality rates in the world remain 100 percent!

You’re not guaranteed another minute on this planet, much less another hour. Don’t put off the most important choice you’ll ever make.

The Bible says in 1 John 5:11-12, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (NIV).

That’s about as clear as you can get. If you have Jesus, you have life. If you don’t have Jesus, you do not have life. You have a choice.

You won’t go to Heaven because of someone else’s faith. You’ll never go to Hell because of someone else’s choice.

It’s your choice! You’ll decide where you’ll spend eternity.

This is why Christmas and Easter are so important. If Jesus hadn’t come at Christmas, and then if he hadn’t died and come back to life on Easter, we’d be hopeless. Nothing we do would matter. You wouldn’t have this choice.

The cross is the answer to our deepest problem: our separation from God.

The Bible says, “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14 NLT).

Talk It Over

How does realizing that you’re not promised another second on Earth give urgency to either your decision to follow Jesus or the decision your friends and family need to make?
Who in your life needs to read the message in this devotional? How can you develop your relationship to a point where you can share this message with them?
If the decision to follow Jesus and have life or reject Jesus and not have life is so clear and stark, why is it hard for some people to choose?
Prayer of Commitment to Jesus

If you are ready to commit your life to Jesus Christ, then pray this prayer:

“Dear Jesus, you have promised that if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in Heaven one day.

“I confess my sin, and I believe that you are God, my Savior. I receive you into my life as my Lord. Today I’m turning over every part of my life to your management. You have the right to call the shots in my life.

“Jesus, I want to relax in your love. Thank you that I don’t have to earn it or deserve it or work for it. I want to use the rest of my life to serve you instead of serving myself. I humbly commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4, NIV

TODAY'S WORD:

As we celebrate the resurrection of Christ this Easter season, I think about when they crucified Jesus. On that Friday, it was the darkest, most painful, discouraging day of His life. In fact, it was so bad that He sweat drops of blood earlier. It looked as if His enemies had gotten the best of Him. But, God had other plans. They put Him in the grave on Friday, celebrating their victory, but Sunday morning was a different story. The grave could not hold Him. Death couldn’t contain Him! The forces of darkness couldn’t stop Him! On the third day, He came out of the grave and said, “I was dead, but now I am alive forevermore!”

One principle that the resurrection teaches us is that God will always finish what He started. No matter how dark it looks, no matter how long it’s been, no matter how many people are trying to push you down, if you will stay in faith, God will always take you from Friday to Sunday. He will always complete what He started in you!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father God, thank You for completing what You started in my life. I trust that no matter how dark things may seem, You are my shining light of hope. I thank You for working behind the scenes to carry me through to the place of victory in every area of my life in Jesus’ name! Amen.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time,

— 1 Peter 5:6

We all know that we should be grateful for our many blessings. God tells us in His Word to be thankful, and we know from our own experience that once we seriously start praising God, our burdens and troubles seem to weigh less heavily on our shoulders.

David said, "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Many evils confront the [consistently] righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all" (Psalm 34:1,19 AMPC).

That’s the power of thankfulness. Not only does it help set us free, but as we pause to give thanks to God for the blessings we enjoy in our lives, we actually begin to find more blessings—even more to be thankful for!

I encourage you to take time to practice being thankful. There is so much for us to be grateful for, and we need to focus on it—every single day. Keep in mind the admonition of the psalmist, "Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name!" (Psalm 100:4 AMPC).

Romans 11:33-34, Romans 12:1-2

In the book of Romans, Paul works through a progression of truths—from our sinful condition, which deserves God’s wrath, to the display of His mercy in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Chapter 11 ends in a crescendo of praise that should cause us to respond in worship by offering ourselves to God as living sacrifices.

But practically speaking, how are we to do this? In Romans 12:2, the apostle spells out a mindset to avoid and a goal to pursue.

Do not be conformed to this world. This is not a command to withdraw to the hills and live off the grid. Rather, we’re to lay aside our former manner of life because it is corrupted by our sinful desires (Eph. 4:22). Paul calls this “the old self,” and it’s what John referred to as “the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life” (1 John 2:16). Until we deal with these things, we’ll find ourselves continually crawling off the altar to follow our own desires.

Be transformed by the renewing our minds. Lasting change isn’t brought about by willpower or emotional mountaintop experiences. For change that endures, we must renew our mind with God’s truths as revealed in His Word. Paul describes this renewal as “put[ting] on the new self,” which is created by God in righteousness, holiness, and truth (Eph. 4:23-24).

To be a living sacrifice requires submission in obedience to God’s will. As long as we’re in our earthly body, there will always be a battle with sin and self. But by letting God’s Word renew our mind, we’ll find ourselves praising Him as we use our life in accordance with His will.

Bible in One Year: 1 Samuel 22-24

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:16-17 NKJV).

The term counterfeit refers to something that was made in imitation, so as to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine. Therefore, a counterfeit cannot be considered a counterfeit unless it is identical in appearance to the real thing.

A counterfeit $20 bill looks and feels like a genuine $20 bill, but in reality it is a worthless scrap of paper. Although your five physical senses may assume it is genuine, the truth of the matter is that it’s a fake, a deception, a lie. The only way to determine whether a $20 bill is genuine or counterfeit is to inspect it closely and put it through certain tests.

Just as a $20 bill must be tried to determine its authenticity, so must every perceived blessing be tried. If you have been praying for something in particular, and that something appears on your doorstep, do not welcome it into your house without first testing it. When you have been standing in faith for a while, it can be easy to accept an apparent manifestation without first checking it out with the Word and with your inner witness.

The devil has no power over you. The only way he can gain access to your life is by deceiving you. He oftentimes does this by presenting you with a counterfeit answer to prayer so that you will accept something that is designed to steal, kill, or destroy in some area of your life. To do this, he has to come to you with something you are eager to have.

The only way to see through the devil’s deception is to judge it against the Word and the Spirit. If the enemy has brought anything that is a counterfeit into your life, the Word of God will expose it for what it is. If it is a counterfeit, you will not have peace in your spirit.

Inspect every gift closely and put it through these two tests. The Word and the Spirit will alert you to counterfeits. By accepting only the good and perfect, you will keep yourself from the harmful and destructive. You will ensure that every gift is a true blessing from your heavenly Father.

Confession: I declare that every good and perfect gift comes from my heavenly Father. I will not be deceived by the enemy, who comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. By testing every gift by the Word of God and by the Spirit, I will walk in God’s favor and blessing all the days of my life.

Author: Jerry Savelle

Beloved. Fear not. I am not a King without a kingdom. I am not a King without power. I am not a King without a scepter. 

I am not a dead King. I am the Risen King. Sing Hallelujah, My Child. I have won the victory. I am ALIVE forevermore.

Death could not hold Me down. I am seated in Majesty above ALL principalities, powers, rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places. You have been translated from the kingdom of darkness into My Kingdom of Light. The world shall hear of My fame through you, My Bride. They shall stand in awe at My deeds.

Let your praise fill the earth, My Warrior Bride. You shall see My splendor like the sunrise; Rays shall flash from My Hand: My power is not hidden from you, Dear One. By My Spirit, I shall repeat My wonders in your day, and in this time, I will make them known. All power and authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Let not the enemy convince you otherwise, My Child. Fear not. Your God reigns, He is clothed with majesty; clothed and girded with strength; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me, Beloved. Behold, I give unto you power to trample serpents and over ALL the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means harm you. Have no fear. The Sovereign Lord is your strength; I make your feet like the feet of a deer, you shall tread upon the heights. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Like the sunrise, My Glory is rising over you. Be prepared to be amazed, Beloved. Your God reigns!!

...Habakkuk 3:1A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet.2 Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known;

...Habakkuk 3:3His glory covered the heavens and His praise filled the earth. 4His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from His hand, where His power was hidden.

...Habakkuk 3:9The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights.

...Revelation 19:6 And I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude, like the rushing of many waters, and like a mighty rumbling of thunder, crying out: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God, the Almighty, reigns.

...Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

God is with you on the tallest mountain height, and in the deepest valley low. He goes before you, beside you and will be your rear guard. 

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

Then He said, Verily I say unto you unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:3). Live simply, and love honesty. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty (1 Corinthians 1:27).

Who are you great mountain, that you should not bow low. And who are you great kings, that you should not bow down before our Father in Heaven. For it is written: As I Live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God (Romans 14:11). Bow low before Me, and receive your golden crown of derision.

You will wear it like a merit badge. God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers (Matthew 5:11). Today Jesus was wiped, beaten, mocked and crucified for your sins. But along the way, someone came to help Him bear the weight of the cross.

Along the way they found a man from Cyrene, named Simon, they compelled him to carry the cross of Jesus (Matthew 27:32). The blood of the Lamb, has ransomed you from sin. Won’t you accept the free gift of salvation....

Listen closely, don’t you hear that sound on the wind. It is the Angels rejoicing in heaven, for another lost sheep that found their way home! I hear a home coming celebration this weekend for many....

Tammy Lang Jensen

A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed (Leviticus 25:11).

Think about what we just read! God told the children of Israel, “No farming—no sowing; and no reaping in the fiftieth year.” So, what were they going to eat? How would they survive if they didn’t sow and reap? But then God said, “I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years” (Leviticus 25:21). Wow!

All He needed to do was to command His blessing, and as a result, they had three year’s harvest in one year, to cater for the years in which they weren’t supposed to sow or reap. They didn’t have to do anything for the abundant supply to come; God made it happen, because He said it was jubilee.

Consider the fact that He did this for people who were under the the Old Covenant. The Bible says, the New Testament is established upon better promises (Hebrews 8:6). Hebrews 4:3 says, “For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.” This is the life He’s given us—a life of rest, where we don’t struggle for anything. In our case, every day is jubilee, not just the fiftieth year! Blessed be God!

Think about this: God made man on the sixth day of creation and rested on the seventh. Man’s first day on earth was God’s resting day. Why didn’t He make man on the first day or when everything was still a chaotic mass, or on the second, third, fourth, or fifth day? It’s because He wanted everything to have been ready when He brought man on the scene.

You were born into God’s rest; you were born into jubilee. So, enjoy your life! Refuse to toil, struggle or suffer. Live in rest every day of your life, and the way to live in God’s rest is living in, and by His Word.

CONFESSION The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. I have set the Lord always before me; and I shall not be shaken, for this is the morning of my life! The Lord has made my life glorious, granting me all that I require for life and godliness. Blessed be His Name forever!

1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Luke 8:40-56
Joshua 7-9

2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Romans 5:1-11
Psalm 103

FURTHER STUDY:
Matthew 6:31-33
Hebrews 4:3
Hebrews 4:9-10  

Proverbs 4:20–22

My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.

God has given us a sure way to receive the answers to our problems and challenges. It is His Word. Every answer or solution we need is found in the Bible.

Yet, many Christians are not walking victoriously in certain areas of their lives. This is because the devil continuously wages a war of distraction against them. He has managed to take them away from the one thing that can bring them victory—the Word. He will do everything possible to prevent them from opening the Bible because he knows that the Word will deliver them.

The distraction can be very subtle: A lot of things to get done, a lot of TV programs that interest you, or it may take the form of a big problem that makes you feel that you need to focus all your attention on it. The enemy knows that if he can get you to take your eyes off the Word of God, he can keep you from winning the battle.

When you are going through a tough time, it is not enough to know that God’s answer to the problem is “somewhere in the Bible”. Find the scripture in which God has promised the solution. Meditate on it until the truth of that scripture is revealed to you. When you do this, no demon or devil can prevent that word from God from bearing fruit in your life.

Even Jesus Himself used the Word to defeat the devil in the wilderness—“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4) The way to defeat the enemy is with “It is written…”

My friend, there is no substitute for the written Word. God tells us that we will find life and health if we give our attention to His Word and keep it in the midst of our hearts. So get into the Word and let God’s promises abide in you.

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

It is God’s desire for you to succeed!

All of us want to be successful, yet so few of us are.  According to the Social Security Administration, only 2 percent of Americans reach the age of 65 financially independent.  Of the remainder, 30 depend on charity, 45 depend on their relatives, and 23 have to work the rest of their lives.

“Even as your soul prospers,” from the above scripture, means that the spiritual realm controls prosperity in the natural realm.

Prosperity and success begin in your thought life and in your decisions.  You decide which emotions will rule your life.  You decide to accept defeat or to climb the unclimbable mountain. You decide to feel inferior or to say, “I can do all things through Christ.”  That’s a decision process.  The Bible says, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” Proverbs 23:7.

Success is not accidental.  It is a byproduct of your attitude, and your attitude determines your attainment.  Your attitude toward God determines the eternal destiny of your soul.  Your attitude toward people will determine whether you are a friend or a foe.  Your attitude toward wealth determines whether you will ever have it—and if you get, whether it will destroy you or make you happier.



Daily Living

Saturday March 31st 2018
Memorise: So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Read: Genesis 5:21-24 (KJV)
21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:
22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:
24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Bible in one year: 
Deuteronomy 28,
Philippians 2,

Hymnal: 
Sing hymn 12

Message:
The value of a man’s life is not dependent on the number of years he spends on and neither is it dependent on the amount of goods that he possesses. The value of a man’s life has to do with what he does with his life in appreciation of the benevolence of his Maker, who is also the Redeemer of his soul. The wisdom of God in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 says:

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall being every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be devil.”

According to the above scripture, the value or quality of a man’s life is based upon the service he renders to his Maker in obedience to His commands. God hates a life of disobedience. He likens disobedience to the sin of idolatry (1st Samuel 15:23). Reading through the Bible, you will discover that idolatry is passionately abhorred by God with a promise of severe punishment to the fourth generation of those found guilty of it (Exodus 20:5)

Some people erroneously think that the amount of material possessions they have determines the value of their life. For this reason, they struggle at all costs to get rich, even to the extent of abandoning the pursuit of the external life. Eventually, they end up frustrated and in serious agony. How I wish such people would listen to those words of Jesus in Luke 12:15:

“…Take heed, and behave of coveteousness for man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

The Lord Jesus Christ admonished his audience to labour for things that have eternal value (John 6:27). They in turn asked Him what works they must do in order to do the works of God. Here is His answer to them in John 6:29:

“….This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”

This is the only way our labour in life will have value and meaning. Any labour you put up that will not further your cause of having eternal life in God’s kingdom is an exercise in futility. Believing in Jesus Christ and the work redemption He did for all mankind is a great work of faith that will add value to your life, which transcends this present life. Enoch’s life was so valuable to God that God decided to personally come to take him to Himself. He did not send any of His angels on this assignment because of the value He placed on Enoch. Such a life is worthy of emulation. I encourage you to determine to add value to your life by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and by living a life of obedience to God in truth.

Key Point
The worth of a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of things that he has.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood.

1 Corinthians 11:25, The Amplified Bible

New Covenant. It's a familiar phrase to most of us. But do we really know what it means?

No we don't. Because if we did, every one of us would be faith a giant. Instead of struggling, "trying" to believe the promises of God, we'd be like Abraham: "Strong in faith...fully persuaded that, what [God] had promised, he was also able to perform" (Romans 4:20-21).

That's the kind of confidence that welled up in Abraham when God cut the covenant with him. It was an inferior covenant to ours, made with the blood of animals. Yet it transformed a doubting Abraham into the very father of faith. Why? Because, Abraham understood the significance of it.

He knew that entering into the covenant of blood meant you were totally and forever giving yourself away to someone else. Once you did it, nothing would ever be exclusively yours again. All that you were, all that you had or ever would have became the equal property of your covenant partner.

During the covenant ceremony in Abraham's day, the partners exchanged coats, each one giving their authority to the other. They exchanged weapons as a way of saying, "Your enemies are now my enemies. I'll fight your fights as if they were my own." They walked through the blood of slain animals, pronouncing their loyalty to one another, even to the death.

When God made covenant with him, Abraham knew there was no longer any room for doubt. God had proven how intensely He desired to be God to him. He'd given him everything He had and bound Himself to Abraham in a relationship that could not be dissolved. Abraham comprehended the gravity of a covenant agreement. It convinced him once and for all that God's promises could be trusted. It became an anchor to his soul.

Do you want to be a faith giant like Father Abraham? Then dig in to the covenant you have with God. Study it out in the Word. Let the Holy Spirit show you what really happened when Jesus became the sacrifice that ratified your covenant with God. Let Him show you what it meant when He gave you His Name (John 16:23), His authority (Matthew 28:18-20), His armor and weapons (Ephesians 6:10-17).

Once you realize what Jesus actually meant when He said, "This is the New Covenant established in My blood," your life will never be the same again.

Scripture Reading:
Hebrews 10:1-23