OPEN HEAVENS AND OTHER DEVOTIONALS

February 22 | Bible in a Year: Numbers 4-6; Mark 4:1-20 *LIKE JESUS* For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. Romans 8:29 *READ ROMANS 8:22–30* As a boy, theologian Bruce Ware was frustrated that 1 Peter 2:21-23 calls us to be like Jesus. Ware wrote of his youthful exasperation in his book The Man Christ Jesus. “Not fair, I determined. Especially when the passage says to follow in the steps of one ‘who did no sin.’ This was totally outlandish . . . . I just couldn’t see how God could really mean for us to take it seriously.” I understand why Ware would find such a biblical challenge so daunting! An old chorus says, “To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus. My desire, to be like Him.” But as Ware rightly noted, we are incapable of doing that. Left to ourselves, we could never become like Jesus. However, we’re not left to ourselves. The Holy Spirit has been given to the child of God, in part so that Christ can be formed in us (Galatians 4:19). So it ...

*YOU’RE WHAT YOU SAY .*  Monday, February 22nd . Pastor Chris  _*For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith (Mark 11:23).*_   Your life is the summation of the words that come out of you. Our opening verse emphasizes the importance of framing your life with your words. That’s the most beautiful natural gift from God to man; the gift of words; the ability to speak and make words.  Life produces for you a harvest of what you say, and here, there’s no middle ground. As a Christian, you must keep talking; if you want to live in health, talk health. If you want to walk in righteousness and always produce works of righteousness, then talk righteousness; every so often, consciously declare, “I’m the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I produce works and ...

Luke 5:5 "And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net." Glory. The LORD is assuring you this morning that this is your week of DIVINE ENCOUNTER AND POSITIVE TURN AROUND. Peter had an ENCOUNTER with the KING OF KINGS and he experienced a POSITIVE TURN AROUND - NO MORE TOILING.This week, you shall have a DIVINE ENCOUNTER WITH GOD AND YOUR LIFE WILL CHANGE POSITIVELY. Beloved, BY THE POWER AND AUTHORITY IN THE NAME OF JESUS,  I decree and declare that YOU SHALL HAVE A NET BREAKING BLESSING THIS DAY, THIS WEEK AND NOTHING CAN STOP YOU IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.  Stay safe and GENUINELY OBEY THE MASTER AS YOU LET DOWN YOUR NET.  Good morning and blessed week ahead.

MEMORISE: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; Philippians 2:10 READ:  Philippians 2:9-11 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. MESSAGE: Many people wonder why names are important. Well, to start with, a name says a lot about the bearer. The Bible says that whatever Adam named the animals, that is what they were called (Genesis 1:19). What you are called has serious consequences on what you become. When I was a lecturer at the University of Lagos, there was a Professor's typist who everyone jokingly called Prof. Whenever they called him Prof, he would smile and reply, "Yes, yes". Then one day, he made a life changing de...

Psalm 119:24 "Thy testimonies also [are] my delight [and] my counsellors." Glory. The Psalmist is saying here that the TESTIMONIES OF GOD ARE A DELIGHT to him. What is the TESTIMONY OF GOD? This means the WORD OF GOD - JESUS. How can this be a DELIGHT? By reading it, meditating on it and ABIDING BY THE WORD. Beloved, it's time to approach the THRONE OF GRACE TO RECIEVE THE WORD. I decree and declare that you shall RECEIVE A WORD from God and you shall have DELIGHT. Your TESTIMONIES shall abound therefrom in Jesus name, Amen. Remember to always stay safe as YOU DESIRE EARNESTLY THE WORD OF GOD.  Good morning and blessed service ahead.

  MEMORY VERSE:  “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” – 1 Peter 4:10 BIBLE PASSAGE:   Romans 12:6-8 KJV (RCCG Sunday School STUDENT Manual 21 February 2021) 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. INTRODUCTION:  It is definitely commendable for God’s children to desire to know the spiritual gifts given to them by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of service in the Church and glorify God in the world (2 Timothy 1:6). The existence of a gift is a call to exercise it. Therefore, Apostle Paul advised Timothy, “Neglect not the gift that is in ...

February 21 | Bible in a Year: Numbers 1-3; Mark 3 *UNIMAGINABLE PROMISES* He has given us his very great and precious promises. 2 Peter 1:4 *READ 2 PETER 1:2–8* In our moments of greatest failure, it can be easy to believe it’s too late for us, that we’ve lost our chance at a life of purpose and worth. That’s how Elias, a former inmate at a maximum-security prison in New York, described feeling as a prisoner. “I had broken . . . promises, the promise of my own future, the promise of what I could be.” It was Bard College’s “Prison Initiative” college degree program that began to transform Elias’ life. While in the program, he participated on a debate team, which in 2015 debated a team from Harvard—and won. For Elias, being “part of the team . . . [was] a way of proving that these promises weren’t completely lost.” A similar transformation happens in our hearts when we begin to understand that the good news of God’s love in Jesus is good news for us too. It’s not too late, we begin to r...