Open Heavens 31 January 2016: Sunday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Looking unto Jesus I

Topic: Looking unto Jesus I [Sunday 31 January, 2016]

Memorise: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: – John 3:14

Read: Hebrews 12:1-2 (KJV)

1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Bible in One Year: Matthew 16:5-18:35; Job 13:17-14:6

MESSAGE:

Human beings have been in search of the way back to their Maker since after the fall. The soul of man pants after the peace that only his Maker can provide. This is the reason man invented means of getting along with God in the name of religion. Unfortunately, man was unable to adequately reach out to his Maker until God in His mercies revealed Himself to us through His son Jesus Christ.

”9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” - Genesis 3:9-10

Adam was sent out of the Garden of Eden and he became a wanderer and a destitute of the peace that he once had with his Maker. After many dispensations, God decided to reveal part of Himself to some people who sincerely sought to know Him. He related to Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and the prophets to mention just a few. They did not only benefit from God’s self-revelation, they also helped their generation by pointing them to the Almighty God. Yet, the perfect relationship was not in view then. When the fullness of time came, God became man and lived among men in the person of Jesus Christ. When one of the disciples asked Him to reveal God the Father to them, Jesus said:

“…Have I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me, Phillip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, show us the father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the father in me?...” - John 14:9-10

Jesus Christ is the perfect revelation of God the Father. He came to reveal the father to us so that we may know how best to worship Him. It was through His teaching that we know that God is a spirit and whoever wants to worship Him must worship Him in spirit. He told us that unless we are born-again, we cannot see the Kingdom of God. Religious activities are exercise in futility without this experience. Not until He came, even Doctors of the Jewish religious laws were ignorant of these principles of God’s kingdom. Therefore we must always look unto Jesus for direction if we want to make it back to the One who created us in His image. Our text says to look up unto Jesus because He is the author and finisher of our faith.

I encourage someone reading this devotional to look unto Jesus for salvation, for deliverance, for healing, for material prosperity and eternal life.

Prayer Point: Jesus Christ my Saviour, I look unto You today, perfect everything concerning my life.

Open Heavens 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. 

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