Voice of praise ministries a.k.a Praisethrough

26/03/2018

25/03/2018

09/12/2017

OPEN HEAVENS BY PST. ENOCH .A. ADEBOYE

SATURDAY 9TH DECEMBER, 2017

STOP THE PRETENCE!

MEMORISE:
Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1Timothy 1:5

READ:
1Timothy 1:5-9

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 120-134 & Zephaniah 2:13-3:8

MESSAGE:
Salvation through Christ is such a great experience, but the devil in his characteristic manner has introduced counterfeits into people’s lives. The consequence of processing a counterfeit salvation experience is a life of pretense. To guard against this wile of the devil, the holy spirit in 1 timothy 1:5, admonishes us thus:

“Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:”

While God wants us to show love to all, he equally cares about the source of this love. The source of a thing goes a long way in determining its quality and value. You cannot bring something good out of an evil heart. If you do, that good thing is already tainted. For instance, even though you see lots of food in a dunghill, you will not go to eat from there. God is therefore saying that you should do away with pretense and hypocrisy, because they taint whatever good works you are doing. He is saying that if you will show Him love, make sacrifices for His sake, or give to his cause, such actions must come out of a pure heart, with a good conscience and done with sincerity; otherwise, the doer of these works may not get any reward.

Are you saved? Is your salvation genuine or false? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says if you are saved, old things are passed away. This means that if you were stealing before, after experiencing salvation, you will stop stealing. You cannot continue to stealing and still lay claim to salvation. While my father-in-the-lord was alive, if you claimed to be saved, he would ask you these questions: “what were you saved from? What were you doing before that you no longer do now?” today, people claim they are saved, and yet they still steal, lie or fornicate. What kind of salvation is that? In one of my missionary trips outside Nigeria, a man came to me and said, “Sir, I heard that you are a prophet of God and that your prophesies are deadly accurate.” “Is that so?” I replied and further added, ‘I am not a prophet but a pastor, but I do hear from God once in a while.” He then asked me to tell him his future. I asked him if he was born again and washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, and His response was “No”. So I said to him, “Your future will be terrible.” Alarmed, he said, “How do you know? You don’t even know my name, and you have not even prayed!” I told him there was no need for that because Isaiah 3:11 says “Woe to the wicked!” on the other hand, if you are saved, your tomorrow will be alright. Are you saved? Did you genuinely give your life to Jesus Christ on a particular day? If not, do it today!

KEY POINT:
The afterlife has no room for pretense. It’s all about reality and truth.

HYMN 6:
1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
Refrain:

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Refrain:

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
Refrain:

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.
Refrain:

09/12/2017

DAILY MANNA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2017

EVIL LEGACY

TEXT: 2 KINGS 15:13-26

KEY VERSE: "And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord : he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
(2 Kings 15:24)

In honour of his parents who were Baptist missionaries to Argentina when he was a child, Steve Green penned the following lyrics in his popular song: " After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone. And our children sift through all we've left behind. May the clues that they discover, and the memories they uncover become the light that leads them to the road we each must find. Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful. May the fire of our devotion light their way. May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe. And may the lives we live inspire them to obey. Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful. "

Scriptural records reveal that all the kings who reigned over northern kingdom of Israel were grossly ungodly. They all took after the legacy of Jeroboam, their foremost progenitor who was the first king to rule over the ten tribes of northern Israel after the kingdom was divided.

In our text today, we have a mention of some of the kings that reigned after Jeroboam and how they "departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin" (2 Kings 15:24). The chain of wickedness is clearly observed: the reigning king is killed and the killer ascends the throne. The people are oppressed, exhorted and led into idol worship. There are still many who belong to Jeroboam's school of thought and subscribe to his legacies. They can kill their rival to gain a political office. The Bible says "the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). But the good news is that the Blood of Jesus can make you clean. So, turn away from evil and pass a righteous legacy to the coming generation. Then, you will be counted worthy of reigning with Christ in His coming kingdom.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Every man will be remembered for what he has done.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: LUKE 17-19.

HELPFUL QUESTIONS
1. Have you discovered God's purpose for your life as a child of God? This is the beginning of a worthy life.
2. Are your ambitions and plans focused on fulfilling that purpose without being distracted by the vanity of the world.
3. Even at this present time, Is your life a legacy for others to follow? This is not possible without definite decisions. You can make them now.

HYMN: Only remembered by what you have done

Fading away like the stars of the morning,
Losing their light in the glorious sun--
Thus would we pass from the earth and its toiling,
Only remembered by what we have done.

Refrain:
Only remembered, only remembered,
Only remembered by what we have done;
Thus would we pass from the earth and its toiling,
Only remembered by what we have done.

2 Shall we be miss'd though by others succeeded,
Reaping the fields we in springtime have sown?
No, for the sowers may pass from their labors,
Only remembered by what they have done. [Refrain]

3 Only the truth that in life we have spoken,
Only the seed that on earth we have sown;
These shall pass onward when we are forgotten,
Fruits of the harvest and what we have done. [Refrain]

4 Oh, when the Saviour shall make up His jewels,
When the bright crowns of rejoicing are won,
Then shall His weary and faithful disciples,
All be remembered by what they have done. [Refrain

PRAYER POINTS
1. If you have not discovered God's purpose for your life, pray fervently that God will reveal it to you or paint it in your mind very clearly and indelibly.
2. Consecrate your life to Him not to follow after worldly vanities but to fulfill His will and purpose for your life.
3. Pray for divine empowerment and nobility of heart that you will be mindful that your legacy in every place you pass through will be a point of reference to the glory of God.
4. Pray that the fear of God will reign in the hearts or our rulers, lawmakers and law enforcement agents in all their decisions and actions.

07/12/2017

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: FRIDAY DECEMBER 8TH 2017

THEME: CONCEALED ARE SECRETS?

MEMORISE:

“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 4:13

Read: Hebrews 4:11-14 (KJV)

4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

MESSAGE:

The way a child of God relates with sin is indicative of the level of brokenness he or she has attained. An unbroken fellow tries to cover up sin. He or she tries to play smart with sin, particularly when its repercussions are not immediately apparent. In proverbs 28:13, the Holy spirit has this message for such people:

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

If you fall into sin and the most important thing to you at that moment is that no one should know what you have done, it is because you are not broken. In any case, to what extent can you truly hide sin? For how long can you cover up your evil deeds? Can you hide your sins from God? Hebrews 4:13 answer this:

“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

Thinking that you can hide away your sins from God is living is a fool’s Paradise. This can be compared to the proverbial ostrich which buries his head in the sand to hide from predators, not realizing that is body is still visible to its enemy and vulnerable to attack.

Not only are your sin never hidden from God, they are equally not hidden from the saints in Heaven. Hebrews chapter 11 provides a list of saints that ran this race ahead of us and are now in Heaven. Hebrews 12:1 calls them a ‘cloud of witnesses’. These brethren know and can see all we are doing. Someone who was privileged to visit Heaven and return to earth said that there is a curtain in Heaven that anyone there can pull and the fellow will be able to monitor the activities of anybody here on earth. Another brother who also had that same privilege spoke of how saints in Heaven gather together in a place like a stadium, where they watch earthly saints facing crucial trials of their faith. When a saint being watched compromises, they shout in disappointment, just like when your favourite football team concedes a goal. In contrast, when a person stands for his or her faith in Christ, they shout with excitement. Be aware that you are being watched. If only you can imagine the number of eyes monitoring you, you would be conscious of the fact that nothing you do is hidden!

Key Point:
The next time you are tempted to sin in secret, just imagine multiple eyes peering at you from every corner of the enclosure you are in.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 119
Zephaniah 2:1-12

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: DEEPER, DEEPER

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

Chorus:
O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.

Chorus:

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.

Chorus:

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu'ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.

Chorus:

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow'r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.

Chorus.

04/12/2017

OPEN HEAVENS BY PST. ENOCH .A. ADEBOYE

MONDAY 4TH DECEMBER, 2017

WORTH CELEBRATING

MEMORISE:
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. Luke 10:20

READ:
Luke 10:17-20

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 102-105 & Habakkuk 1:1-2:1

MESSAGE:
If you are sure of your salvation from sin, you need to be grateful to God. The reason is that there is nothing else in the whole wide world that can transform a sinner into a saint other than the Name of Jesus and the power of His Blood. Acts 4:12 says,

” Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

No hero from any country can save you; neither can any prophet from any age or dispensation deliver you. No amount of money can buy you out of Hell, and no level of good works or moral uprightness can redeem you either. Only faith in the Name of Jesus and faith in the cleansing power of His Blood can save you. Thank God that Jesus fully paid the price of our redemption! If He had only paid in part, you can be sure that no one would have been saved today, going by Satan’s antecedents. However, Jesus fully paid for our redemption – Hallelujah! To show that the price has been paid in full, shortly before He died on the cross, He publicly declared “It is finished”. (John 19:30). Therefore, you ought to daily thank God for your salvation. How often do you appreciate Him for saving your soul?

Today, many believers celebrate their birthdays, graduation from school, promotion at the office, appointments, winning big contracts and other major achievements in life, but many of these people forget to even say “Thank You Jesus for the salvation of my soul”. This is the benefit that should give you the greatest joy! After the 70 disciples sent out by the Lord for evangelism returned with fantastic testimonies of the success of their outing, the Lord shocked them by telling them that they were rejoicing over what was not the main issue. He then told them what the object of their joy should be:

“Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:20

Your salvation from sin is far more important than any other achievements you have on earth. Great is the value that God and the whole of heaven place on it. You should therefore thank God for it every day of your life; it is well worth it.

KEY POINT:
If you knew the severity of eternal hell, you would treasure the salvation of your soul and thank God always for it.

HYMN 12:
1 How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
In a believer's ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.

2 It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
'Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary rest.

3 Jesus, my Shepherd, Husband, Friend,
My Prophet, Priest, and King;
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring.

4 Weak is the effort of my heart,
And cold my warmest thought;
But when I see Thee as Thou art
I'll praise Thee as I ought.

5 Till then I would Thy love proclaim
With every fleeting breath;
And may the music of Thy Name
Refresh my soul in death!

01/12/2017

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY 2ND DECEMBER 2017

THEME: BACKSLIDING NOT AN OPTION.

MEMORISE:
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12

READ: Matthew 27:3-5

27:3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

27:4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

27:5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Message:

One unfortunate thing about backsliding is that backsliders often fall so slowly that they hardly notice their deteriorating state. By the time some of them realise how far they have gone, it is rather too late. Are you a backslider? May the Lord restore you fully to Himself today! According to James 1:14-15, backsliding is a process that progresses from lust to sin, and ultimately ends with death. In Luke 22:3-6, Judas accepted to be paid 30 pieces of silver to betray his Master. He must have thought he was going to make some quick, free money. He probably believed that nobody would be able to capture Jesus. After all, how could anyone apprehend the man who calmed the storms by His word? However, after the plot blew up in his face, he felt so disappointed in himself that he returned the money and committed su***de by hanging himself. The question is, why steal or accumulate what you are not going to spend? Do you know that some people, who are stealing, particularly from God, will not be able to spend their evil loot? Those who steal God’s money to buy a car are only driving a moving coffin which can claim their lives at any time.

“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:12

On the straight and narrow way to Heaven, overconfidence has killed a lot of people, preventing them from making it to the very end. A case in point is Samson. His fall from grace, which led eventually to his tragic death, was a gradual process. From violating little instructions not to eat anything from a dead animal as a Nazarite, to unwholesome jesting and riddles that made light of the commandment of God he had broken, to visiting a harlot, and eventually ending his ministry on Delilah’s laps (Judges 14-16, Numbers 6:1-21). Overconfidence has brought many people to the pitiable place where they are now. Always remember that nobody can stand by his or her own power alone, except God helps the fellow. In fact, we are so weak that we need to always rely on God’s strength to live the Christian life. Have you ever thought or even boasted that you cannot fall? You are just like Peter who boasted that he would never deny Christ, but at the end of the day he denied Him thrice (Matthew 26:31-36). Recognize your weakness and engage in regular Bible study, prayers and fasting to draw strength from God. Furthermore, deliberately avoid any appearance of evil that can tempt you, and break any tie that can lure you back into sin. The Lord will keep you from falling, and He will restore you if you are already down.

ACTION POINT:
Pray that God will keep genuine Christian leaders across the globe from falling.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 89-92
Nahum 2:1-3:4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 11: 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.

30/11/2017

OPEN HEAVENS BY PST. ENOCH .A. ADEBOYE

THURSDAY 30TH NOVEMBER, 2017

OVERCOMING LIKE JESUS

MEMORISE:
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Revelation 3:21

READ:
Revelation 3:21-22
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalm 78-80 & Micah 7:8-20

MESSAGE:
Man’s surest source of rest is Jesus Christ because He never breaks His promises (Matthew 11:28-29, 2 Corinthians 1:20). In John 16:33, He assures us that as long as we are in this world, tribulations and problems will come, but because He successfully overcome them, He will see us through if we put our trust in Him. Therefore, because He overcame and we are following in His footsteps, we are also bound to overcome. Are you struggling with sin and expressing doubts on whether you can ever overcome like Jesus did? Fear not and do not doubt! You can overcome that besetting sin! The truth with such sin is that the one who keeps falling into them has not truly made up his or her mind to stop them. The Bible declares that sin shall not have dominion over you, and God cannot lie (Romans 6:14). If you are therefore falling into sin and you probe yourself a little deeper, you will find some level of tolerance for that sin, or some excuse you always give for that sin, or even some iota of likeness for that sin. If the devil can find any of these in you, he will celebrate, knowing that any of these can keep you perpetually at the bus stop of that sin. If you are serious about stopping a bad habit, you will have zero-tolerance for it.

“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Revelation 3:21

God does not have double standards in the criteria He uses for allowing people into Heaven, or for giving them rewards for work done on earth. Jesus Christ is God’s standard. So if you will enter into eternal rest in Heaven, you must meet with God’s standard as exemplified by Jesus Christ. If you will be rewarded by God in heaven, Jesus says you must be prepared to overcome the same way He overcame while He was here on earth. You can run the Christian race without stress when you follow in His steps. Have you taken pains to study the life of Jesus? Have you noted how He responded to temptations, sin, enemies, friends, difficulties, lack, needs, challenges in ministry, and betrayal by associates? God expects you to respond as Jesus did in all these situations. If you do so, you will be granted access to the privileges reserved for overcomers in Heaven.

KEY POINT:
You cannot overcome if you fail to study Jesus Christ and respond to situations the way He did.

HYMN 2:
1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

2. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

3. Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

4. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.

28/11/2017

You are all invited!!!