Open Heavens 1 April 2018 Sunday
By Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Memorise: “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” – Psalm 25:14
Read: Daniel 2:10-23 (KJV)
10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:
15 He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.
Bible in One Year: Deuteronomy 29-30, Philippians 3:1-4:1
MESSAGE:
The benevolent Creator of all things speaks to mankind using different means and methods, one of which is dreams. King Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream which became worrisome to him when he realised that he could not even remember its details. Indeed, the awesome God of heaven and of earth does what pleases Him in the affairs of men. The king thought he had experts who could unravel his mysterious dream, but he was mistaken. His astrologers and stargazers could not reveal the secret things of life to him. Disappointed, he threatened to kill them all. Little did he know of the way God works, outlined in today’s memory verse. If you will be wise and learn from King Nebuchadnezzar’s experience, you need to first recognise and accept that there are secret things which determine the course of life. The knowledge of such secret things could avert evil, make a person wise in decision making and even lead to unimaginable breakthroughs in life. My prayer for you today is that secrets which will lead to your success will not be hidden from you in Jesus’ Name. In Joseph’s time, it was the revelation of the devil’s secret plans to destroy the whole of Egypt and all other surrounding nations with hunger that saved from dying during a devastating seven years of famine (Genesis 41). King Nebuchadnezzar would have killed all his so-called wise men out of frustration, but for the God of heaven who intervened through His prophet, Daniel.
When King Nebuchadnezzar’s decree brought the threat of death to the doorstep of Daniel and his cohorts, they sought the mercies of the God of heaven, and He released His wisdom to them. Beloved, where do you seek wisdom: from God or from men? The wisdom of men will definitely disappoint you, and so you must seek the wisdom you need for overcoming life’s challenges from God. You may be wondering what the basis of my recommendation is. God is rich in mercy and His mercy endures for ever (Ephesians 2:4, 1 Chronicles 16:34). Because He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, He knows the secrets behind all things that are yet to happen (Isaiah 46:10). You would therefore be wise to put your trust in Him. Daniel and his brethren consulted Him and they were not disappointed. Furthermore, learn a vital lesson from their attitude after the secret things of the king’s dream were revealed to them by God: they gave all the glory back to Him immediately (Daniel 2:20-23). This attitude is unlike that of some people who after obtaining just one degree would conclude that there is no God. We know what the Bible calls such people in Psalm 14:1. I pray for you today: the knowledge that would take faith away from your heart will not be your portion in Jesus’ Name.
Prayer Point: I thank you Father because sound wisdom come from You; please don’t deny me secrets of life that will lead me to Your presence on the last day.
HYMN 6:
A NEW THING
(Tune: There shall be showers of Blessing)
1. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because GOD will do new things
Sinners will soon be forgiven
Prodigals will come home soon.
Chorus:
Shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Rivers in desert now flowing
Halleluyah to our king.
2. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Sickness and sorrow will be gone
Bondage will be forgotten.
3. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
The barren will be fruitful soon
Failure will be forgotten
4. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Poverty will be forgotten
Stagnancy will soon be gone.
5. We will soon shout Hallelujah
Because God will do new things
To all miracles are given
There shall be celebrations
6. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Many will have testimonies
Of prayers answered fully
7. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
One of us will chase a thousand
Two will conquer ten thousand.
8. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Songs of praises we will sing
Halleluyah to our King
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