Open Heaven 22 March 2019 – How Prepared Are You? by Pastor E. A. Adeboye TOPIC: How Prepared Are You? MEMORISE: “Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.” – (2 Peter 1:14). READ: 2 Timothy 4:5-8 (KJV) 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. As we journey through this world as pilgrims, there is the tendency for us to get too comfortable with our temporal earthly dwelling and forget the permanent home in heaven that God is taking us to. For some children of God, after being blessed on all sides here on earth, they forget to prepare for the heavenly mansions that the Lord has gone to prepare for them (John 14:1?-3). Open Heaven 22 March This is the reason why the Holy Spirit says to us in Deuteronomy 6:10?-12: One of my children in the Lord once shared his own experience in this regard. He said he was thinking about the horrible situation in the world today and how world governments are failing their people. He then began to think of the divine intervention that could make things work so that people can be comfortable all the days of their lives. He imagined how pleasant the world would be if roads were fixed, power supply was uninterrupted, and hospitals were adequately staffed with qualified medical personnel having the medications needed to combat diseases, especially in developing countries like his. He also imagined education becoming free at all levels and so on and so forth. While he fantasised, the Holy Spirit suddenly interrupted his thoughts and asked him that if all he had been fantasising about happened to be true, how many people would appreciate the heavenly mansions that Jesus Christ had gone to prepare for the elect? I believe many children of God would be satisfied with what they had here on earth and would not bother to get prepared for heaven at all! The question is, how prepared are you for heaven? In today’s memory verse and Bible text, we see two Christians who were prepared to go home: Peter and Paul. Paul declared his preparedness when he said he had fought a good fight and had finished his course – the essence of his time on earth. Yes, there is a fight to fight because there is a crown to win. As part of our preparedness, we must ensure that we are not entangled with the affairs of this world (1 John 2:15?-17, 2 Timothy 2:4?-7). Beloved, I charge you to always be prepared. Are you so overwhelmed by the cares of life that you have forgotten God? Do you have cues around you that remind you of heaven? Examine your level of preparedness of heaven today. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR – Open Heaven 22 March 2019: HYMNAL: verse 1. CHORUS: Verse 2. CHORUS: Verse 3. Verse 4. Thanks for reading Open Heaven 22 March 2019 – How Prepared Are You? written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye Read Previous Open Heaven Here
5. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.MESSAGE (Open Heaven 22 March 2019):
“And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells, digged, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land Egypt, from the house of bondage.”ACTION POINT (Open Heaven 22 March 2019):
2 Corinthians 11-13, Jeremiah 3:6-23
Hymn 17 – Hold the fort
Ho! my comrades, see the signal,
Waving in the sky!
Reinforcements now appearing,
Victory in nigh!
“Hold the fort, for I am coming,”
Jesus signals still,
Wave the answer back to heaven,
“By Thy grace we will,”
See the mighty host advancing
Satan leading on:
Mighty men around us falling,
Courage almost gone!
“Hold the fort, for I am coming,”
Jesus signals still,
Wave the answer back to heaven,
“By Thy grace we will,”
See the glorious banner waving!
Hear the trumpet blow!
In our Leader’s name we’ll triumph
Over ev’ry foe!
Fierce and long the battle rages,
But our help is near:
Onward comes our great commander,
Cheer, my comrades, cheer!
Open Heaven 22 March 2019 – How Prepared Are You?
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