OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.
DATE: SUNDAY 15TH DECEMBER, 2019.
THEME: WHAT IS MAN?
MEMORISE:
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have domination over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26)
READ: PSALM 8:1-9 (KJV)
- O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
- Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
- When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
- What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
- For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
- Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet;
- All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
- The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
- O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
MESSAGE:
The topic of today’s devotional is a question that has confounded the minds of many and has persistently been on people’s lips down the ages. People are confounded by this question because they have refused to accept the answer that God provides on this in His word.
The reason why they reject what God’s word says about it is that they don’t want to be subject to God’s authority as their creator. They have therefore developed an alternate reality for themselves that says man evolved from apes. This is a lie of the devil, fabricated to debase the glory of man and keep him oblivious of the power and domination he stole from him.
The essence of man is revealed in today’s memory verse. This scripture explains that man emanated from God. In other words, man is the image of God.
When we read through the first two chapters of the book of Genesis, we see that man is God’s representative on earth and a co-ruler with Him.
Man is the visible representation of the Almighty God, who is a Spirit.
How awesome this is! No wonder the Psalmist was astounded when he caught a revelation of who man is in today’s Bible reading. He observed in Psalm 8:6:
“ Thou madest him to have domination over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet. ”
The lesson from this scripture is that man must not live below the standard which God set for him to live by. What brings man down to live below God’s standard for him is sin.
Man is fearfully and wonderfully created by God to be in charge of all circumstances of life. Beloved, if you are not living in domination, you are not living out the man in you.
I don’t mean what man became after the fall; I mean the man described by God in Genesis 1:26&31.
The question is, what can man do today to regain his dominion?
The scripture is clear about this: man must be regenerated by being born again.
There must be a spiritual re-engineering in the fallen man for him to return to God’s original design for his life.
This is the reason why Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3b:
“ Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
After we are born again, we have an inheritance in Jesus Christ to have our domination restored to us (Ephesians 1:11-18).
Beloved, Jesus Christ takes away the image of the fallen man and bring back the original man in you for domination, if only you will genuinely accept Him today and live by His principles and ideals.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please remove every trace of the curse of the first Adam from my life today, and restore me to the original image in which You made me.
AUHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: PSALM 132-138, ZECHARIAH 1:18-2:13
HYMNAL: HYMN 13:
I AM A VICTOR - Yes, I know I am a victor
For the Bible tells me so
God made me more than a conqueror,
Much stronger than all my foes.
CHORUS:
Jesus loves me and I love Him,
Together we rule the world
Christ with me I will overcome
By His Blood, His Name, His Word. - Yes, I know I am a victor,
Stronger than demons I am,
To Satan I am a terror
I am free, o yes, I am. - Yes, I know I am a victor,
Stronger than lack, poverty
All my needs Jesus provides for,
I have life abundantly. - Yes, I know I am a victor,
Barrenness no more indeed
Fruitful is the God I live for
All my dreams shall be fulfilled. - Yes, I know I am a victor,
By His strength I shall succeed
No more loss and no more failure
Glory to glory proceed. - Yes, I know I am a victor,
No more sorrow, no despair
Jesus Christ is my own Succour
Tomorrow is joy and cheer. - Yes, I know I am a victor,
Very soon I’ll reign with Him
His promise is my sure anchor
He’s coming to take me home. - Jesus loves me and I love Him,
We rule this world together
As He is so right now I am
Hear me shout Halleluyah. - Jesus loves me Halleluyah,
Hear me shout Halleluyah
Halleluyah, Halleluyah
Glory be to God on high.
