Topic: Are You in the Number? [Open Heavens 2 August 2018 Thursday Daily Devotional]

Memorise: “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”- Acts 14:22

Read: Revelation 19:5-9 (KJV)

5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.

6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Bible in One Year: Esther 8-10, Matthew 12:33-50

Open Heavens 2 August 2018 MESSAGE:

Based on the erroneous understanding of the scripture in Revelation 7:4, a certain religious group claims that only one hundred and forty-four thousand people will qualify to be in heaven. This cannot be further from the truth because the Bible says in verse nine of the same chapter:

“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;” – Revelation 7:9

Further, debunking this wrong teaching, Apostle John in today’s Bible reading heard the voice of a great multitude shouting Alleluia in worship of the Omnipotent God. They were rejoicing because they were numbered among the participants at the marriage supper of the Lamb. The question for our consideration today is what qualified them to be numbered among these very important guests at the marriage supper of the Lamb? The answer to this question is found in Revelation 7:13-14:

“13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ came to shed His blood for the remission of our sins, so that we can qualify as citizens of heaven and be numbered among the saints. What is required of us is to accept the offer of his atonement and live by the articles of the new covenant, which He sealed with His Blood. Doing this will surely attract persecution and tribulation in this world. The challenge with some contemporary Christians is that they don’t want to experience persecution or undergo tribulation for the sake of their faith in Christ. They want the world to accept them, and so they adjust their message to what the world likes. We often forget these words of Jesus in John 15:20c:

“If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”

In other words, just as the world did not like the teachings of the Master, they will also not like ours. However, when we introduce gimmicks not found in the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus Christ and His Apostles into our message loses its power. How shall we be numbered among the guest at the marriage supper of the Lamb? The answer lies in these words from Acts 14:22: “We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” There is no other way.

Prayer Point: Father, please grant unto me the grace to endure tribulations.

Also Read: Open Heavens 1 August 2018 – Kings of the King

Open Heavens 2 August 2018 Hymn 5: I Have Decided To Follow Jesus

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

3. Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though- none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

4. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

5. Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.

Open Heavens 2 August 2018 Thursday Daily Devotional guide 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. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.

If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

Topic: The Deployment of Potentials – A Major Factor for Success in Life [Seeds of Destiny 2 August 2018 Daily Devotional]

Scripture: And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Matthew 25:15

Thought For The Day: Your potentials determine your possibilities; Your Potentials determine your opportunities.

Yesterday, we saw the discovery of purpose as one of the most important things in life; we saw that life without a bearing is a burden and that life without purpose is pointless.

Today, we shall look at another very important thing in life which is the deployment of life’s potentials.

This is the release of the gifts inside you. It is important to know that potential is the vehicle of destiny (Proverbs 18:16). If you travel by potential, you will reach your destiny. Your gifts and potentials transport you from your present into your future; your potential has the capacity to transport you from the realm of smallness to the realm of greatness. Your potentials determine your portion; your potentials determine your possibilities; Your Potentials determine your opportunities. To hide your gifts is to halt your destiny. There are so many people who are loaded with heavy potential but wasting away in idleness and confusion.

Beloved, the question is, what has God given you? Have you discovered it? And have you started using it? Your profit on earth is connected to your potential release. People value you to the extent to which you have released your gifting and graces. Nobody cares for a nonentity who has nothing to offer.

My counsel is, make up your mind to push out what God has put inside you.

Remember this: Your potentials determine your possibilities; your Potentials determine your opportunities.
Assignments:
1. Discover the potentials God has given you.
2. Maximally deploy your potentials for the benefit of humanity and to the glory of God.

Prayer: O Lord, I ask that You show me what You have put in me. I receive the grace to deploy my potentials maximally, Lord, in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN LIFE.

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 32:1 to 33:13, Romans 15:23 to 16:9, Psalm 25:16 to 22, Proverbs 20:16 to 18

Amazing Fact: A Rhino’s horn is not attached to its skull; it is compacted mass of hairs that continue to grow throughout the animal’s lifetime.

Today In History: 02/08/1887 – Rowell Hodge patented barbed wire.

Quote: Don’t kill yourself that nobody recognizes your potential! What is most important is that God does not only know you, He knows where you are right now. Culled from GO IN THIS THY MIGHT by Dr Paul Enenche.

Also Read: Seeds of Destiny by Pastor Paul Enenche

Today’s devotional was written by Pastor Paul Enenche of the Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), headquartered at Abuja, Nigeria, with Pastor Paul and Becky Enenche, as the Senior Pastors. It is a power-packed arena where God’s Presence, Principles and Power are at work for the salvation, healing and restoration of human destinies and dignities

Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.

If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

Topic: Little Foxes that Spoil the Vine (Part 4)

Dear Reader,

You would agree with me that you have been having a wonderful time since we began this teaching series. You must have learnt a lot on how to keep your home from being destroyed by characters that can be watched and overcome. Marriage is an institution established by God and must be sustained by His Word. If you fill the water pots with water, you will have sweeter wine every day.

As this month rounds off, I would like you to start, by setting some good standards on the right foundation for your family. It is important to know that there are things which should, of necessity, not be found in your home, if you must enjoy a wonderful marriage. They are things that you must avoid, in order to have the best in your marriage. These things cause stress, pain, arguments, quarrel, lack of peace, separation and sometimes, even divorce. Most of them are caused by man himself. A good knowledge of some of them will keep your marriage free from such things. This week, I shall be looking at two of them.

Wrong Company: A man does not have to be foolish in himself to be destroyed. All he needs to do is walk with the foolish and soon, the folly in his friend will become part of him too. Walking with a foolish person is as bad as being foolish. The Word of God says, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20).The company you keep either makes or mar you. It doesn’t leave you the same. The major cause of problems in some homes today is wrong company, caused by family members who keep receiving counsel and moving with people who always cause trouble in their homes.

A wrong association will affect you negatively. It will make you do things that you may never have done on your own. You must be careful about your choice of company and friends. A wise man once said, “Show me your friends, and I will tell you who you are” and I would like to ask you the same question today as you are reading this article: Who is your friend? If your friend is one that is a liar, a cheat, a thief, one that beats his wife or is covetous and you think you are not like him or her, then, you are wrong. Very soon the nature of your friend will begin to rub off on you and the end-result will be destruction. That shall not be your portion in Jesus’ name!

Anyone that constantly provokes your spirit and gives you wrong counsel against your wife, husband or family’s well-being will destroy your home. The Word of God says: Be not deceived: evil communication corrupt good manner (I Corinthians 15:33). A wrong company or association corrupts good manners. The basis for any association should be agreement (Amos 3:3). When the company or association you keep is not in agreement with the things you believe in, then you must end your relationship with that company. Friendship, as they say is by choice and not by force! Separate yourself from wrong friends. Be selective in your association. Select your friends with wisdom. Do not allow any wrong company to destroy your home and marriage.

Slothfulness: It is another thing that can destroy marriages. It simply means laziness. Successful families don’t just happen; they are consciously made to happen. If God had to work for six days when He was creating the world in Genesis 1, you must be ready also to do what it takes in order to enjoy a successful family life. Get rid of laziness or slothfulness because the fruit of laziness is shame. There are some women that find it difficult to attend to their husbands, especially in the area of cooking. They leave everything for their house-help including the upbringing of the children. This habit can easily destroy marriage and family. Knowing what to do to improve the state of your family and not doing it or doing it for a while and giving up will not bring the success you desire; rather this attitude can destroy your marriage and family. You must co-operate with God by playing your own part and getting rid of spiritual and physical laziness in order to enjoy a successful family.

A brother who read one of my tracts, Created to Create, said, “I was very happy when I read your tract. I am in business now. But I used to be very lazy, right from my youth; to the point that I was always late to school because of oversleeping. But after reading your tract, which mentioned a sister that decided to sell boiled water for drinking in school and prospered by it, and another lady who sold tomatoes and bought a car with the profits, I became ashamed of myself, because my business was not prospering due to my lazy attitude. I was challenged to change my lazy ways and decided to do according to your advice in that tract. God touched my soul and I was converted. I thank God for opening my eyes. My life and my business are no more the same!”

I see the same thing happening in your life, as you take the right steps to get rid of every act of laziness and slothfulness in your life in Jesus’ name. I curse every sluggish, dull and drag attitude that has stolen away the beauty in your family before now and I decree that God release unto you, the grace to be diligent, so that you can enjoy your family in Jesus’ name.

You need Jesus Christ to help maintain the right company and strengthen you at all times. If you are already born again, rejoice because your case is settled. If you are not yet born again and you desire to do so right now, please pray this prayer with faith in your heart: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.

Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are now born again and a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ Name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building a Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).

“Please click HERE to read other inspiring articles by Pastor Faith Oyedepo”

Pastor Faith Oyedepo is the wife of Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide a.k.a. Winners’ Chapel, and Senior Pastor of Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria.