Open Heaven 4 April 2023 – Fighting On God’s Side
Open Heaven 4 April 2023 Tuesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Fighting On God’s Side
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Open Heaven 4 April 2023 TOPIC: Fighting On God’s Side
MEMORISE: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” – Psalm 23:4 (KJV)
READ: Numbers 16:23-34 (KJV)
23 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
24 Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
25 And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.
26 And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of their’s, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.
27 So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.
28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.
29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the Lord hath not sent me.
30 But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord.
31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:
32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 12-13
Open Heaven 4 April 2023 MESSAGE:
To further our discussion from yesterday on the dangers of fighting against God, let us look at what happens when you are fighting on His side.
When you decide to fight on the side of God, no matter how big or strong your enemy is, you will win. It doesn’t matter if you are fighting against enemies within your household or those outside – as long as you are on the side of God, they cannot defeat you.
Also Read: Open Heaven 3 April 2023 – Don’t Fight God
The beautiful thing about standing on somebody’s side is that the fellow is also standing beside you, so if any enemy sends an arrow to you, such a person is also sending an arrow to God. That is why no weapon fashioned against you can prosper (Isaiah 54:17). When you are on God’s side, no enemy can defeat you.
In 1 Samuel 17:34-37, David talked about how he had killed a lion and a bear and that he would also kill Goliath because God was with him. King Saul then said to him, “Go, and the Lord be with you”. The boy defeated Goliath with just a stone because God was on his side and he was on God’s side (1 Samuel 17:44-50).
In Joshua 10:1-14, God was on Joshua’s side because Joshua was on His side. Joshua stopped the sun so that he could defeat his enemies. When you fight the battle of life on God’s side, victory is sure. It doesn’t matter what comes your way, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). Jesus Christ assured us in John 16:33:
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Jesus has overcome the world, so your victory is guaranteed once you are on His side and the first step to ensuring this is to surrender your life to Him.
Open Heaven 4 April 2023 KEY POINT:
Those who are on the side of God are victors in the battles of life.
Open Heaven 4 April 2023 HYMN 12: Onward, Christian Soldiers!
1 Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before!
Christ, the Royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle, see His banner go!
Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before!
2 At the name of Jesus, Satan’s host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver, at the shout of praise:
Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthem raise!
3 Like a mighty army, moves the Church of God;
Brothers, we are treading, where the saints have trod;
We are not divided, all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.
4 Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdom’s rise and wane;
But the Church of Jesus, constant will remain:
Gates of hell can never ‘gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.
5 Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng;
Blend with ours your voices, in the triumph song:
Glory, praise and honour, unto Christ the King;
This, through countless ages, men and angels sing.
Open Heavens 2023 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 2023
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
