Port Harcourt Chronicles!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: MONDAY 29TH FEBRUARY 2016 THEME: CHILDREN! FOLLOW THE WAY Memorise: My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother: Proverbs 1:8 Read: Ephesians 6:1-3 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Message The Bible teaches that children have mandatory responsibilities to their parents. As a matter of fact, children owe their parents certain important duties that include the obligation to respect, honour and obey them. Children are the heritage of the Lord and God has a special interest in their well-being. Meanwhile God is a disciplinarian as revealed in Revelation 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” God has decided to commit the discipline of children to their parents as caretaker...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: MONDAY 29TH FEBRUARY 2016 THEME: CHILDREN! FOLLOW THE WAY Memorise: My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother: Proverbs 1:8 Read: Ephesians 6:1-3 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Message The Bible teaches that children have mandatory responsibilities to their parents. As a matter of fact, children owe their parents certain important duties that include the obligation to respect, honour and obey them. Children are the heritage of the Lord and God has a special interest in their well-being. Meanwhile God is a disciplinarian as revealed in Revelation 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” God has decided to commit the discipline of children to their parents as caretaker...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: MONDAY 29TH FEBRUARY 2016 THEME: CHILDREN! FOLLOW THE WAY Memorise: My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother: Proverbs 1:8 Read: Ephesians 6:1-3 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Message The Bible teaches that children have mandatory responsibilities to their parents. As a matter of fact, children owe their parents certain important duties that include the obligation to respect, honour and obey them. Children are the heritage of the Lord and God has a special interest in their well-being. Meanwhile God is a disciplinarian as revealed in Revelation 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” God has decided to commit the discipline of children to their parents as caretaker...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: MONDAY 29TH FEBRUARY 2016 THEME: CHILDREN! FOLLOW THE WAY Memorise: My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother: Proverbs 1:8 Read: Ephesians 6:1-3 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Message The Bible teaches that children have mandatory responsibilities to their parents. As a matter of fact, children owe their parents certain important duties that include the obligation to respect, honour and obey them. Children are the heritage of the Lord and God has a special interest in their well-being. Meanwhile God is a disciplinarian as revealed in Revelation 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” God has decided to commit the discipline of children to their parents as caretaker...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: MONDAY 29TH FEBRUARY 2016 THEME: CHILDREN! FOLLOW THE WAY Memorise: My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother: Proverbs 1:8 Read: Ephesians 6:1-3 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Message The Bible teaches that children have mandatory responsibilities to their parents. As a matter of fact, children owe their parents certain important duties that include the obligation to respect, honour and obey them. Children are the heritage of the Lord and God has a special interest in their well-being. Meanwhile God is a disciplinarian as revealed in Revelation 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” God has decided to commit the discipline of children to their parents as caretaker...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: MONDAY 29TH FEBRUARY 2016 THEME: CHILDREN! FOLLOW THE WAY Memorise: My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother: Proverbs 1:8 Read: Ephesians 6:1-3 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Message The Bible teaches that children have mandatory responsibilities to their parents. As a matter of fact, children owe their parents certain important duties that include the obligation to respect, honour and obey them. Children are the heritage of the Lord and God has a special interest in their well-being. Meanwhile God is a disciplinarian as revealed in Revelation 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” God has decided to commit the discipline of children to their parents as caretaker...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: SATURDAY 27TH FEBRUARY 2016 THEME: LOVE, THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW I Memorise: These things I command you, that ye love one another. John 15:17 Read: 1st Corinthians 13:1-3 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Message The Bible takes the subject of love so seriously that love is equated to the sum total of all the commandments of God. The Bible goes further to say that love is the fulfilment of the law. The use of the word ‘law’ in the New Testament sense, is usually a reference to all the commandments and statu...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : FRIDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2016 THEME : ABUNDANT LIFE AFTER DEATH Memorise: And he said unto me, it is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. Revelation 21:6 Read: Revelation 21:1-7 21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he th...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : THURSDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2016 THEME : HELL IS REAL Memorise: And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. Luke 16:23 Read: Luke 16:19-31 19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in th...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : WEDNESDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2016 THEME : ARE YOU PREPARED? Memorise:  Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.  Job 14:1 Read: 2nd Timothy 4:6-8 6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Message  In the Bible, the word ‘Heaven’ is often used in three ways: to described a physical part of the universe which is above the sky, the prevailing condition whenever God reigns in the affairs of men, and the invisible dwelling place of God, also known as paradise. Today’s devotional focuses on the need to prepare for heaven, the dwelling place of God, and what such a preparation entails. First, the Bible presents heaven...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : TUESDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2016 THEME : HOW OLD ARE YOU? Memorise : So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalms 90:12 Read : Psalms 90:1-12 1 LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. 3 Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. 4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. 5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. 6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth. 7 For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled. 8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. 9 For all our days are pas...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. MONDAY FEBURARY 22 2016. THEME : APOSTATE OR REFORMER? MEMORISE : Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. JAMES 5 : 4. READ : 1 KINGS 18 : 41 - 46 : 41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, 43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. 44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : SUNDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2015 THEME : BLESSINGS OF KNOWING THE TRUE GOD Memorise: And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. Daniel 11:32 Read: 1st Kings 18:21-24, 21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. 22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: 24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. DATE: FRIDAY 19TH FEBRUARY 2016. THEME: BEWARE OF DECEIVERS (1). MEMORISE: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness - 2nd Timothy 3:16. READ: 2nd Timothy 3:1-8 1. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3. Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4. Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8. Now ...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: THURSDAY 18TH FEBRUARY 2016 THEME: THE GREAT HELPER MEMORISE: My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. Psalms 121:2 READ: Psalms 121:1-8. 1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. MESSAGE: It has been said that one of the common features of Christianity is the diverse conflict that is targeted at a child of God from the moment of conversion; it presents itself as a pe...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : WEDNESDAY 17th FEBRUARY 2016 THEME : TIME TO FIGHT 2 Memorise : Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: Colossians 3:5 Read : 1 Timothy 6:6-12 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : TUESDAY 16 FEBRUARY 2016 THEME : TIME TO FIGHT 1 Memorise : TO every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1 Read : 1 Timothy 4:1-6 1 NOW the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. 6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. Message Fight...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE: MONDAY 15TH FEBRUARY 2016 THEME: COMMANDED TO REJOICE!!! MEMORISE: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end - Jeremiah 29:11. READ: Philippians 4:1-7 1 Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. 2 I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 And I urge thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with my other true labourers, whose names are in the book of life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understandi...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL DATE : SUNDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2016 THEME : FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE? (5) MEMORISE: A wise son maketh a father glad: but a foolish man despiseth his mother -Proverb 15:20. READ: Psalms 127:3-5 3. Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. MESSAGE: The Bible in several passages uses the word fool to describe a disobedient child. It is important therefore to take a closer look at the characteristics of fools as presented in the Scripture. According to Proverbs, a destructive fate awaits the fool. This is especially so because of the rebellious attitude of fools. The Word of God also describes fool as arrogant, untrustworthy, argumentative, reckless, and impulsive. Fools usually refuse instructio...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : SATURDAY 13 FEBRUARY 2016 THEME : FULFILLING GODS PURPOSE? 4 Memorise: And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 Read : Genesis 18:17-19 17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORDmay bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. Message The Bible declared the father as the head of home- head of the mother and the children. As such, fathers have complete authority within the household to direct the affairs of the family, and to administer discipline when necessary. However, Apostle Paul admonishes that fathers should ha...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : FRIDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2016 THEME : FULFILLING GODS PURPOSE? 3 Memorise: And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Read : 1 Samuel 19:9-12 9 And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand. 10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. 11 Saul also sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David's wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain. 12 So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. Message Let me start by clarifying something about being alone. Being alone could be in two ways, by solitude ...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : THURSDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2016 THEME : FULFILLING GOD’S PURPOSE II Memorise: And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Genesis 2:15 Read: Genesis 1:26-28, 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Message At the beginning of creation and before the fall of man in Genesis chapter three, the instruction given to humanity ...