Open Heaven 24 March 2023

Open Heaven Topic:

ACT ON THE WORD

Memory Verse:

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving you ownselves. – James 1:22 (KJV)

Bible Reading: 

Matthew 7:24-29 (NIV)

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching,

²⁹ because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. 

Open Heaven 24 March 2023 Message

As opposed to the people who don’t have ears that we discussed yesterday, there are many who do have ears but are too paralysed to practice what they learn from the word of God.

They can recall the Pastor’s sermon word for word but they don’t practice it. They can probably even recite the Bible from Genesis to Revelation but it does not show in their lives because they do nothing in line with the word.

This category of people is described in 2 Timothy 3:7 as: Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

These are people who learn but somehow, the word does not take root in them enough for it to change their character. The devil practically paralyses them and stops them from doing what they have learnt.

If you are in this category, I declare your freedom today, in Jesus’ name. One way the devil paralyses people after they have heard the word is through procrastination.

They hear and are determined to apply what they have learnt, but then they procrastinate until they lose the zeal to do it. The day my Father-in-the-Lord taught us that worldly music attracts evil spirits while godly music repels them and attracts the Holy Spirit, I destroyed all the worldly music tapes that I had.

The night he preached about cleanliness, and pointed our attention to the dirt under our beds, that same night when we got home, my wife and I lifted up the mattress and cleaned under the bed and everywhere in our home.

We did not wait until the next day. That is the same way you should practice the word of God: with urgency! James 1:23-25 says that when you don’t practice the word immediately, it is like not adjusting your clothes while standing in front of the mirror.

It would be useless to start adjusting them when you no longer have the mirror before you. Don’t let the devil paralyse you; act on God’s word as soon as you hear it.

Open Heaven Hymn: 

Take My Life And Let It Be

Open Heaven Point:

The blessing is in hearing the word of God and doing it (James 1:23-25)

Bible in One Year:

1 Samuel 8, 1 Samuel 9, 1 Samuel 10, 1 Samuel 11, 1 Samuel 12