OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL DATE: MONDAY 16TH 2022 THEME: THE GOD OF ABRAHAM

 OPEN HEAVEN DEVOTIONAL

DATE:  MONDAY 16TH 2022

THEME:    THE GOD OF ABRAHAM

MEMORISE:  Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. Exodus 3:6

READ: Genesis 17:1 -8

1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

MESSAGE

In the memory verse today, God introduced himself to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In Yorubaland where I’m from, the meaning of the name of a man gives you deep insight into the kind of person that fellow is. Thus, in order to get deep insight into who our God really is, we well be looking at this introduction more deeply for the next few days.

What is the implication of the fact that God is the God of Abraham? It means that He is a God of blessings (Genesis 12:1-3). In Genesis 24:34-35, Abraham’s servant said, “God has blessed my master greatly”. Also, the name “God of Abraham” tells us that He is a covenant-keeping God. Deuteronomy 7:9 tells us that He is a God who keeps covenants and we see that clearly in the case of Abraham because in Exodus 2:23-24, when the children of Israel were suffering in Egypt, the Bible says that God remembered His covenant with Abraham. This was even long after Abraham had died. Thus, in Exodus 3:6-12, God decided to do something about the liberation of the children of Israel from Egypt.

The God of Abraham is the God of blessings. Therefore, if you serve the God of Abraham, then you are entitled to the blessings of Abraham.

Somehow, some Christians are not enjoying these blessings. The reason may be linked to what God told Abraham in Genesis 17:1:

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

God had made a covenant with Abraham for over 25 years, but it wasn’t until Abraham began to walk before God perfectly that it took effect. Genesis 21:5 tells us that Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born, just a little above 9 months after God told him to be perfect. Believe me honestly, if you start living holy, the blessings of Abraham will pursue and overtake you. Those ‘little sins’ you still commit will keep on hindering God’s promises from coming to pass in your life if you don’t stop them right away. Those little foxes are spoiling your vine; get rid of them now!

 

 

 KEY POINT

Sin hinders the fulfillment of God's promises in the life of His children.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezra 8- Nehemiah 1

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.

 

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 shall not 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.

PETER OBI: The promising candidate and waiting game of would-be supporters

 Nigerianewslite

PETER OBI: The promising candidate and  waiting game of would-be supporters

By Chidiebere Nwobodo

"People who stand in the middle of the road get run over"

           Rush Limbaugh 

As at today, if opinion poll is conducted, Peter Obi is the leading presidential aspirant among the declared aspirants in the two major political parties. Yemi Osinbajo could have been competing with Obi on this pedestal but the vice president's ignoble role in the present administration gravely punctured his popularity. He cannot extricate himself from Buhari's colossal failure of leadership. 

Peter Obi's popularity is growing like a wildlife because some Nigerians have started accepting the hard truth—Nigeria is in dire strait; the nation is dithering and tethering towards a collapse, and only someone in Peter Obi's capacity and competence will lead the rescue mission post-2023 general elections.

A lot of enthusiastic Nigerians have expressed readiness to go the whole hog and extra mile to campaign for Peter Obi, only if PDP will give him its ticket. So, Nigerians who are of this school of thought, are sitting on the fence praying that Peter Obi emerges the PDP's flag bearer before they will go full length to market his personality and political ideology. 

Then the million-dollar question is: who is the PDP? The PDP is the leading opposition political party made up of Nigerians. The PDP is not composed of aliens. The delegates and those that influence delegates during presidential primary are not foreigners, but Nigerians as well who read our opinions cum analyses on social and mainstream media. They also have felt excruciating pain of bad governance in the last seven years, like every other Nigerian. 

In essence, if you truly believe in Peter Obi's presidency as what the nation needs today to stop progressing in error and start revolutionary recovery process, you have to get to work now. If Peter Obi's supporters can overwhelm Nigerians with the possibility and practicability of his presidency in solving myriads of woes bedeviling the nation, before the presidential primary slated for end of May, 2022, the PDP, being a party that wants to return to power, won't have option but to join the momentum.

But if you're waiting for Peter Obi to battle the moneybags, of which some of them are veterans in presidential primaries, let me bring you bad news—we will end up having uninspiring cum uninteresting candidates presented to us to choose between the devil and deep blue sea.

Nigerians who have faith in Peter Obi's philosophy of governance, must let the PDP understand that, among its aspirants as at today, only a Peter Obi can motivate Nigerians to go out in the streets to campaign for the PDP and defend its votes to return to power. Peter Obi is not popular with some of the political elite class because he does not believe in sharing government funds.

The political merchants who see every election cycle as opportunity to get slush funds, will never support a Peter Obi to clinch the ticket. To them, politics is their major means of economic survival. So, if you want a Peter Obi candidature, there is no time to stand in the middle of the road—you have to take side now, risk your desired candidate being run over. 

 It is your little support, together with that of others like you, will make the PDP choose Peter Obi as its candidate. And once he emerges as the PDP candidate, the moneybags and the political elite club will key in, because nothing will stop an idea whose time has come.

There is no time to sit on the fence. If you believe in Peter Obi and what he can do for us, our children and generations of Nigerians unborn, the defining moment of great decision has beckoned. Spread the message.