Open Heaven For Today 2024 Thursday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Snare Of The Fowler 4
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TOPIC: The Snare Of The Fowler 4
MEMORISE: “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” – 1 Corinthians 6:12 (KJV)
READ: Romans 6:1-23 (KJV)
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 8-11
Open Heaven For Today 2024 MESSAGE
Today, I will discuss the second quality that makes the devil’s baits effective. The devil uses baits which are pleasant to the eyes and taste to get people in his trap. For example, Eve considered the forbidden fruit to be pleasant to the eyes and good for food when the devil tempted her with it (Genesis 3:6). Presenting sin as if it is pleasant is an old trick of the devil to trap man, and every believer must be wary of it.
If a fellow is controlled by physical senses, he or she becomes vulnerable to the devil’s bait. This is why you must be dead to the flesh. When people always want to satisfy their flesh, they will not be able to control their sexual desires, eating habits, and so on.
The very dangerous thing about the devil’s bait being pleasant to the taste is that if a fellow tastes it once, it can become difficult to stop, just as I described three days ago. The key to avoiding the bait is not to taste it at all. Yes, it looks attractive, but you must not go near it at all. An African proverb says, “What you should not eat, you should not sniff.”
Ask anyone who is addicted to something bad, and they will tell you it all started with a taste. Those who masturbate only tasted it once, and when they saw that nothing happened to them, they did it again and again until they found out that they had become addicted. Those who are addicted to alcohol usually start out as casual drinkers before becoming heavy drinkers. When the trap snaps shut and many of these people look back at their lives, they regret the first day they ever tasted the enemy’s bait. If a snare is prepared by the fowler and you stay away from the bait, you will not be caught in it.
During the Nigerian civil war, there was a slogan used by one side of the conflict: “The price of safety is unresting vigilance.” Please, my beloved, stay as far away from the devil’s bait as you can. If you are addicted to a sinful habit, you need the power of the Most High God to break free from it. Seek help from a spirit-filled man of God and you may also consult a Christian professional counsellor to break free from that addiction.
By the grace of God, you will not become the devil’s prey, in Jesus’ name.
KEY POINT:
Don’t taste the devil’s bait at all.
HYMN 7 – I Am Thine O Lord
1 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Chorus:
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
3 O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!
4 There are depths of love that I yet may know
Ere Thee face to face I see;
There are heights of joy that I yet may reach
Ere I rest in peace with Thee.
Open Heavens 2024 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. Open Heaven for Today 2024
Open Heaven 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], +234-1-8447340, +234-0-7098213112.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Wednesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Snare Of The Fowler 3
Click HERE for the Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: The Snare Of The Fowler 3
MEMORISE: “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.” – Matthew 5:29 (KJV)
READ: Matthew 6:22-23 (KJV)
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 5-7
MESSAGE
Yesterday, I promised to discuss the three major qualities that make the devil’s baits effective. The first bait the devil ever used was the forbidden fruit. When you read Genesis 3:6, you will see all the qualities of the devil’s bait in the fruit. Eve saw that the fruit was pleasant to the eyes. The fowler’s bait is usually attractive and difficult to ignore.
The devil studies a fellow and knows the things that he or she is attracted to. You will hardly see a man commit adultery with a woman he considers ugly. The bait the enemy will use is usually attractive. Don’t be fooled by its attractiveness; it has death in it. In Judges 16:4, Samson ‘fell in lust’ with Delilah and threw all caution to the wind. The devil used his attraction to her to bait him into a trap that eventually destroyed him. There are probably things around you that you are attracted to that are sinful or that may cause you to sin. It is a trap that you should beware of so that you will not become prey to the devil.
If a man is attracted to light-skinned women, the devil will put them all around him as temptations to commit fornication or adultery. If he is attracted to flashy cars, the devil will keep bringing flashy cars his way. If he lets his lust for flashy cars push him to steal, then the devil has caught him. This is why Christians must circumcise their hearts to change their affections.
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. – Colossians 3:2
Do not be too attracted to the things of the world. You must soak yourself in the word of God. Let His word abide in you so much that the only things that are attractive to you are the things that please Him. Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). Beware of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). If you discover that things of the world are becoming more attractive to you than the things of God, it means that you are vulnerable to the devil’s snare. Declare a fast for yourself, go on a retreat and spend quality time in God’s presence till that lust dies.
KEY POINT
The devil knows what you are attracted to, and he will use that as bait to get you. Beware!
HYMN 31 – Yield Not To Temptation
1 Yield not to temptation,
For yielding is sin;
Each vict’ry will help you,
Some other to win;
Fight valiantly onward,
Evil passions subdue;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.
Refrain:
Ask the Savior to help you,
Comfort, strengthen and keep you;
He is willing to aid you,
He will carry you through.
2 Shun evil companions,
Bad language disdain;
God’s name hold in rev’rence,
Nor take it in vain;
Be thoughtful and earnest,
Kindhearted and true;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through. [Refrain]
3 To him that o’ercometh,
God giveth a crown;
Through faith we will conquer,
Though often cast down;
He who is our Savior,
Our strength will renew;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through. [Refrain]
Open Heavens 2024 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. Open Heaven for Today 2024
Open Heaven 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], +234-1-8447340, +234-0-7098213112.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Tuesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Snare Of The Fowler 2
Click HERE for the Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: The Snare Of The Fowler 2
MEMORISE: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” – 1 John 2:16 (KJV)
READ: James 1:12-16 (KJV)
12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 1-4
Open Heaven For Today 2024 MESSAGE
Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? – Isaiah 49:24
According to the word of God, anyone who catches prey with a trap like I described yesterday can legally lay claim to it. There are lawful captives of the enemy. We have tried to cast demons out of people before, and they would say, “You are trespassing because this fellow belongs to us. They walked into our trap.” For example, I once had a student who was on his way to his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) station when he fell sick. The doctor said he was allergic to rice. When they brought him to me, and as I was about to pray for him, the Lord said that he had to make restitution. It turned out his father stole a neighbour’s bicycle to pay his school fees, and the owner placed a curse on the thief. His father died from an allergic reaction to rice, and now the son was on the same path. If that had not been revealed to me, we would have prayed in futility because the boy was a lawful captive.
I told him to buy a bicycle for the man’s son because the man was late. Incidentally, when he returned after doing so, I was about to eat rice. He ate my rice, finished it, and nothing happened to him. Another boy was brought to me for prayers because he was barking. This boy had been having sex with their dog in the house. I prayed, but the barking did not stop. I advised the parents to keep bringing him for the Holy Ghost service every month and be hopeful that God will have mercy and deliver the lawful captive from his captor. When a fellow walks into the trap of the enemy after being lured by his or her lust, the devil can lawfully lay a claim on the fellow.
In our Bible reading for today, Apostle James tells us clearly that God does not tempt anyone, but rather, people are tempted by their own lusts, which result in sin and then death eventually. The bait the devil uses does not usually look like death. The bait has three major qualities to make it effective: it is usually attractive to the prey, it is pleasant to the prey’s taste, and it invokes the prey’s pride.
I will discuss these qualities in detail in the following days because I believe God that after this study, you will never fall into the devil’s trap.
KEY POINT:
Beware of the things you lust after; they are baits of the devil that will lead to death eventually.
HYMN 28 – Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
1 Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.
2 Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell’s Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.
Open Heavens 2024 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. Open Heaven for Today 2024
Open Heaven 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], +234-1-8447340, +234-0-7098213112.
