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Galatians 3:14—The blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

I Am Blessed!
I am blessed, for my sins have been forgiven and covered by the Lord that I serve.  I am blessed as I seek Him with my whole heart.  Out of His abundance I have received one grace after another, spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift upon gift.  I will receive showers of blessings from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Because I believe in Christ, I have the blessing of Abraham and through faith I receive the promise of the Holy Spirit.  I am blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm.

Because I have received Jesus Christ into my heart and life, the blessing promised to Abraham has come upon me.  I am in Christ as Abraham’s seed and therefore, an heir of the promised blessing.  As I hear and do His Word, God will keep me, love me and multiply me.  He blesses the fruit of my body, the fruit of my land, and all that He has provided for me.  As I keep His commandments, God’s blessings overtake me and I am blessed in the city and in the field; blessed is the fruit of my body, the fruit of my ground, and the fruit of my livestock.  I am blessed in my basket and my storehouse will be full.  I am blessed coming in and going out.  The Lord will bless all I undertake.  When I do all that my Lord commands, I am the head and not the tail.  God blesses me as He yields His harvest; and I, and all the earth, reverently fear Him.

Source:  Man of God 18 Days of Promise

Daily Living

Memorise: And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. 2nd Kings 2:2

Read: 1st Peter 4:12-13 (KJV)
4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
2nd Kings 2:1-15 (KJV)
2:1 And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2: 2And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

2:3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

2:4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

2:5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

2:6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

2:7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

2:8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

2:9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

2:10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.

2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

2:12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

2:13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan;

2:14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.

2:15 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

Bible in one year: 
1st Peter 2-5,
Hosea 10,

Hymn: 
Sing hymn 7

Message:
There are some vital lessons we can benefit from the story of Elijah and Elisha found in our Bible reading today. The first thing we see in that story is that God always has something better, more precious and more glorious in store for His children. No matter where you are and where you plan to be, God always has a better plan for you. This is why 2nd Timothy 1:9 says,

“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began”

God has a unique purpose for your life. When you become born again, you were called by God to fulfil that purpose, and He also called you to holiness (1st Thessalonians 4:7). This call of God on you is referred to as a ‘high calling’ (Philippians 3:14). Therefore, no matter how good you are in strategic planning, there is still a need for you to subordinate your plans under God’s will and allow Him to have His way in your life.  No wonder Psalm 37:5 says that you shall not fail to commit your ways unto God and trust Him to help you in actualising your plans. This is also why Proverbs 3:5-7 says that you should always tell God of your plans, so that He will provide divine guidance. Do you trust God enough to let Him direct your steps? Elisha was a successful businessman before the mantle of God’s call fell on him, and he left his business to fellow God’s plan for his life (1st Kings 19:19). Eventually, he became a father to the whole nation of Israel and kings called him ‘father’

Moreover, another lesson is that although God has a higher glory ahead for you, He can use people, situations and circumstances to test your resolve along the way. Sometimes when test come, we don’t recognise them as tests, and because of this, many of us fail the test. You have to pray that in the tests of life, you will not be a failure. When Prophet Elijah was to be taken away, he told his servant Elisha that he had been sent by God on some errands and that Elisha should not bother to follow him. Thank God Elisha was dogged and sensitive enough to realise that it was a test, and he passed the test brilliantly. Some tests of life are so crucial that failing them may rubbish all the past good efforts one has put into achieving greatness. May you not fail in the tests of life!

Prayer Point:
Father, Whatever tests I would have to go through, please see me through. In the tests of life, let me not be a failure.

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.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.... And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us....John 1:1,14, The Amplified Bible

The deity of the Lord Jesus Christ is something that can never be brought into question by any born-again believer. Our very salvation rests on the fact that Jesus Christ is divine, the second person of the Godhead, God—the Son.

The beloved disciple and apostle, John, forever puts to rest any doubt about that in John 1:1,14. Anyone who doubts what those verses say could not possibly have been born of the kingdom of God. For the deity of Jesus forms the very foundation of our faith in Him.

Yet, if you'll search the Gospels, you'll see that Jesus didn't go around proclaiming Himself as God during His 33 years on earth. He acknowledged that He was the Son of God, the Messiah. He referred to God as His Father (which enraged the Pharisees), but He never made the assertion that He was the Most High God. In fact, He told His disciples that the Father God was greater and mightier than He (John 14:28).

The reason is simple. He hadn't come to earth just as God. He'd come also as man. The Word says He set aside His divine power and took the form of a human being—with all its limitations. Since God was His Father, He was not born with the sin nature that had been passed along to the sons of Adam. But by being born of a woman, in all other respects He became a man and called Himself the Son of Man or, literally, the Son of Adam.

How, then, did He do all those mighty works? The same way He expects us to do them today—by the Anointing and the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38). He said, "It's the Father within Me who does the work."

What does that mean to you? It means that Jesus meant exactly what He declared when He said that you, as a believer, would be able to do the works that He did (John 14:12)!

It means that you, as a reborn child of God, filled with the same Holy Spirit as Jesus was, have the opportunity to live as He lived when He was on earth.

In fact, that is exactly what He intends. He went before you, as a man, and opened the way. Don't just admire Him for it. Follow Him in it today!

Scripture Reading:
John 14:1-15

There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.—Proverbs 18:24

How many lonely people there are today! God did not create man to live in miserable inner loneliness. In that first Eden, God Himself came down to keep the man He had made from being lonely.

One of the most heartening things Jesus said to His disciples was, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). He came to restore fellowship between man and God, and to take away human loneliness. Jesus Christ will take away loneliness from your soul. He will be your companion and friend.

Are you lonely? Read this story by Billy Graham.

Prayer for the day
You want to fill all the lonely moments, Lord, and turn them into times of incredible delight. May I never fear loneliness again.

“Some of these people have missed the most important thing in life — they don’t know God” (1 Timothy 6:21a TLB).

There are 18 inches between your head and heart. But, unfortunately, some people will miss Heaven by those 18 inches. They know God in their heads but not in their hearts. They intellectually believe the Gospel, but they’ve never let it change their hearts.

I went to school a long time, a total of 24 years to get my master’s and doctorate degrees. Honestly, I’ve forgotten much of what I learned during that time.

But I’ve never forgotten the most important truth I’ve ever learned. We were made by God. We were made for God. Until we understand that, life will never make sense.

You were not made for your own sake.

The Bible says, “Some of these people have missed the most important thing in life — they don’t know God” (1 Timothy 6:21a TLB).

You might know string theory. You might know chaos theory. You might know quantum physics. But if you don’t know God, you’ve missed the purpose of your life.

At the end of your life, God will give you a final test. Here’s the good news. It’ll be an open-book exam. All the answers are in the Bible.

On that test, God won’t ask you if you got straight A’s. He won’t care how well you did in your career. He won’t ask to see your bank account balance.

Instead, he’ll ask you this: Did you get to know me? Did you build a relationship with my Son who I sent to Earth to die on the cross for you?

For more about how to get ready for that day, visit pastorrick.com/know-god.

Talk It Over

Why is it so difficult to move from what we know about God to what we trust about God?
Why do you think many people put off beginning a relationship with God?
If God asked you today, “Do you know my Son?” how would you answer?

Beloved. I am your supporter when all others run away. I am with you always, My Child. My love and constant care are not based on your success or failure in life. 

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more. They are as far from you as the east is from the west. So do not fret over past mistakes. Do not absorb the criticism that comes at you from the enemy. Let not your heart be troubled, Dear One. I am your Encourager and the Lifter of your head.

The devil is the accuser of the brethren. Be careful of whom you listen to, Beloved. If a man tells you that he has all knowledge, he is a liar. So do not be intimidated by those who call themselves wise. Professing themselves wise, they have become fools. My wisdom is revealed to you by My Spirit. So do not fear what man can do or say to you. I reveal the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge to you, My Little Children. You are My daughter; you are My son, in whom I am well pleased. You are the apple of My Eye and the Delight of My Heart. Rest under the Shadow of My Wings.

...Psalm 91:1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!"…

...Psalm 17:8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings

...Isaiah 43:25 "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

...Colossians 2:2 resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 IN WHOM ARE HIDDEN ALL the TREASURES of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.

...Luke 10:21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

...2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal Encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

What is clogging your well today, has the enemy suck in and filled it with dirt. Have you become a reservoir, instead of a flowing stream of living water. 

Has the enemy taken your hand, and lead you back to the muck and the mire. God lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand (Psalm 40:2). On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.

In that day he will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord will be your treasure (Isaiah 33:6). O afflicted one, storm tossed, and not comforted. Behold, I will set your stones in antimony and your foundations I will lay in sapphires (Isaiah 54:11). Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone. A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed (Isaiah 28:16).

Are you a stone that has been tested, are you firm and sure. Have you braved the fires of affliction, to come out as pure gold. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:4). Make sure your wicks are trimmed and your lamps are full of oil upon Christ return (Matthew 25:7). Be prudent and wise, not foolish and unprepared.

For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2). I tell you on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left (Luke 17:34). Is your lamp lit, are you waiting for the master; with a burning in your heart to hear those fateful words, “Well Done, My Good and Faithful Servant!”....
Tammy Lang Jensen

"You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you; so light will shine on your ways."(Job 22:28, NKJV)

TODAY'S WORD:
Today I declare that a shift is coming. Whatever you need—a shift in your health, a shift in your finances, or a shift in a relationship. It may not look like anything is happening in the natural, but we serve a supernatural God. He’s about to breathe in your direction in a new way! The enemies you have seen in the past, you will see no more. The addictions or bad habits that have held you back are being broken in Jesus’ name. God’s favor is being released in a new way that will propel you forward.

What should have taken you 40 years to accomplish, God is going to do in a split second!
The shift is acceleration. The shift means going beyond where you could go on your own. The shift is seeing Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider, do exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond. Now our attitude should be, “God, I’m ready. I’m taking the limits off of You. I’m enlarging my vision. I may not see a way, but I know You have a way. I declare I’m coming into a shift!”

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father, today I open my heart and mind to You. I declare that a supernatural shift is coming my way. I receive Your Word, I receive Your truth, and I receive the increase You have in store for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

For the Lord gives skillful and godly Wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.— Proverbs 2:6

Life is no fun when we let our feelings run the show. Feelings change from day to day, hour to hour, and even moment to moment. They often lie to us. In short, we cannot trust our feelings.

But we can choose, as Christ followers, to ignore false emotions and live by truth and wisdom. Let me give you some examples…

Perhaps you have found yourself in a crowd of people and felt as though everyone was talking about you. That doesn’t mean they were. Maybe you feel that nobody understands you, but that doesn’t mean they don’t. You may feel misunderstood, unappreciated or even mistreated, but that doesn’t mean you are. These are only feelings.

We need to be mature, disciplined people, determined to walk in the Spirit. It takes a constant act of the will to choose to do things God’s way rather than our way.

Even though we may occasionally feel bombarded by negative emotions, we cannot allow those feelings to control and spoil life. Instead, we can choose to follow the truth—godly wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

John 14:15
For a sermon I wrote several years ago, I jotted down a list and titled it “The Evolution of a Passion to Obey God.” A passion to obey the Lord doesn’t typically just spring up, full-blown, when we get saved. We do enter our new life in Christ with a desire to please Him, but a determined pursuit of His will develops more slowly and over time.

In fact, when we first believe, we’re typically motivated by fear concerning the consequences of disobedience. This barely qualifies as reverence for God, because it’s more about us than Him. But as we progress in our faith and form a commitment to obey the Lord, we develop a deep love for and devotion to Christ. Wouldn’t you rather follow Him out of love than out of fear?

Progressing from one motivation to the other begins with what you might expect: a growing knowledge of the Lord. As we dig into God’s Word, we learn who He is—His heart, His character, His will. We begin to see how He has provided in the past and trust that He’ll provide in the future. People like Mary, David, and Paul weren’t satisfied with what the world had to offer, and we won’t be either once we witness God’s hand at work. We’ll recognize the wisdom of obeying our heavenly Father—not just because of the promised blessings, but because He knows what’s best and loves us.

Where are you on the spectrum between fear and devotion? It is my hope that you’ve committed to obeying God and that you’re reading His Word daily to learn how to stay faithful to those intentions. God wants your best—your passionate pursuit of His will—and is giving His best to you.

Bible in One Year: John 4-5

November 1, 2017

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV)

Have you ever prayed something like this: “God, say something to me that will pull me out of this depression, this discouragement, this sense of hopelessness”?

According to Jesus, if the yoke you wear is not easy and light, it is not His yoke. Jesus wants to lift you up. He wants to deliver you and set you free from the weight of that depression, discouragement, worry, care—or whatever you may be carrying.

The Amplified translation of the scripture above says, “You will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls” (v.29). In other words, you’re going to learn you can have joy in every situation; you’re going to have some fun.

When you come to Jesus, you will learn the truth about your situation. The truth is, when you stand on His Word, God will give you the victory.  With this revelation you will be able to walk through any situation with joy and hope, knowing that it will turn out for your good.

Confession: Jesus, I come to you today and release all of my burdens to you. I receive Your yoke and the rest and refreshment You promised. Father, thank You for loving me. You have already given me the victory in every situation, and I await the manifestation with joy.

Author: Jerry Savelle

Romans 4:8
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

You are blessed today because all your sins are forgiven in Christ. God does not count your sins against you. Instead, He counts you righteous in Christ. That is why you are the blessed man to whom the Lord does not and will not impute sin!

What happens to such a man? Let’s look at the story of Jacob to find out.

The Bible records how Jacob had deceived his father and cheated his elder brother Esau of his firstborn blessing. (Genesis 27:1–41) Yet, in spite of his sin of deception, God chose to speak to Jacob. And no, God did not say to this cheat, “You terrible sinner! How can you deceive your own father? You are cursed!”

No, to deceitful Jacob, God said, “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants…Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” (Genesis 28:13–15) Here was a man to whom God did not impute sin!

God did not rebuke Jacob at all. Instead, we hear Him telling Jacob, “I will give to you…I am with you…I will keep you…I will bring you back…I will not leave you…” Jacob certainly did not deserve these blessings. This is one man who walked in the truth of Romans 4:8—“Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin”! Now, I am not encouraging you to sin, but I want you to see the love and grace of God toward us.

If Jacob was so blessed, how much more you and I today, who are under the new covenant of grace established by the blood of Jesus. How much more is our blessedness because Jesus has removed all our sins at the cross!

Beloved, because of Jesus’ finished work, God does not impute sin to you. What He does impute to you is righteousness apart from works. (Romans 4:6) And because you are righteous, get ready for His blessings! (Proverbs 10:6)

Thought For The Day

Because of Jesus’ finished work, God does not impute sin to you, but righteousness apart from works.