03-17-2021, 06:56 AM
OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021
THEME: TOMORROW MAY BE TOO LATE
MEMORISE:
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 3:2
READ: Acts 5:1-10
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
MESSAGE:
When people hear the topic of today, they feel the preacher is only trying to manipulate them into surrendering their lives to Christ immediately. There is no need for a preacher to manipulate you; if he says tomorrow may be too late, he knows what he is saying. I have seen many times, where a fellow did not get the chance to repent before he or she died and went to face judgement in heaven. They refused to repent when they had the chance until it became too late.
There was a chief I had been preaching to for years, who kept saying he would repent but not yet. One day, he suddenly had a stroke but managed to tell his people to send for me. I went, prayed for him and God healed him. Then I said "Chief, I sense that God only gave you a second chance. Will you give your life to Him now?" He said, "Not yet''. The next time I heard about him, he was dead.
There was another man who was sick and at the point of death. I went to pray for him, but each time I came to the hospital, somehow, I was unable to see him. I kept trying to see him for about two days but couldn't. At last when it seemed like I would be able to see him the next day, I arrived at the hospital and learnt that he had died. If only I had gotten the chance to see him, I would have asked him to give his life to Christ first before praying for him. If he had died then, at least I would have known that he went to heaven.
There was another man - a Pastor, someone people looked up to as a great man of God. I got the report that he was committing sexual immorality with girls and he denied it so I set up a committee to investigate. In the meantime, I put the pastor on suspension. The people investigating brought evidence to prove that he was guilty of the allegations against him. The plan was to walk him through a process of repentance, but while the investigation was ongoing, he died in a car accident.
Beloved, It may seem as if there will always be time to repent and start Living holy, but tomorrow really may be too late. Everyone has a cup; the day that cup gets full is the day the person’s time to repent runs out. In your own interest, drop that sin and begin to live holy from today. A word is enough for the wise.
KEY POINT:
Tomorrow may be too late.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 38-39
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 29: WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY STAIN?
1. What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
o Refrain:
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
2. For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
3. Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
4. This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
5. Now by this I’ll overcome—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Now by this I’ll reach my home—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
6. Glory! Glory! This I sing—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
DATE: WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH 2021
THEME: TOMORROW MAY BE TOO LATE
MEMORISE:
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 3:2
READ: Acts 5:1-10
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
MESSAGE:
When people hear the topic of today, they feel the preacher is only trying to manipulate them into surrendering their lives to Christ immediately. There is no need for a preacher to manipulate you; if he says tomorrow may be too late, he knows what he is saying. I have seen many times, where a fellow did not get the chance to repent before he or she died and went to face judgement in heaven. They refused to repent when they had the chance until it became too late.
There was a chief I had been preaching to for years, who kept saying he would repent but not yet. One day, he suddenly had a stroke but managed to tell his people to send for me. I went, prayed for him and God healed him. Then I said "Chief, I sense that God only gave you a second chance. Will you give your life to Him now?" He said, "Not yet''. The next time I heard about him, he was dead.
There was another man who was sick and at the point of death. I went to pray for him, but each time I came to the hospital, somehow, I was unable to see him. I kept trying to see him for about two days but couldn't. At last when it seemed like I would be able to see him the next day, I arrived at the hospital and learnt that he had died. If only I had gotten the chance to see him, I would have asked him to give his life to Christ first before praying for him. If he had died then, at least I would have known that he went to heaven.
There was another man - a Pastor, someone people looked up to as a great man of God. I got the report that he was committing sexual immorality with girls and he denied it so I set up a committee to investigate. In the meantime, I put the pastor on suspension. The people investigating brought evidence to prove that he was guilty of the allegations against him. The plan was to walk him through a process of repentance, but while the investigation was ongoing, he died in a car accident.
Beloved, It may seem as if there will always be time to repent and start Living holy, but tomorrow really may be too late. Everyone has a cup; the day that cup gets full is the day the person’s time to repent runs out. In your own interest, drop that sin and begin to live holy from today. A word is enough for the wise.
KEY POINT:
Tomorrow may be too late.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 38-39
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 29: WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY STAIN?
1. What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
o Refrain:
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
2. For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
3. Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
4. This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
5. Now by this I’ll overcome—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Now by this I’ll reach my home—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
6. Glory! Glory! This I sing—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.