Open Heavens Daily Devotional Messages, By Pastor E.A Adeboye.

Open Heavens 26 October 2017: Thursday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye –As you lay your bed!

Posted: 23 Oct 2017 12:37 PM PDT

AS YOU LAY YOUR BED! – Thursday October 26^th 2017

Memorise: The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. 2^nd Timothy 2:6

Read: Proverbs 27:23-27 (KJV)

^27:23Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.

^27:24For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?

^27:25The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.

^27:26The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.

^27:27And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.

Bible in one year: Titus 1-3, Philemon 1, Hosea 1, Hymn: Sing hymn 10

MESSAGE:

Insincerity is a terrible character flaw that has led to the undoing of different generations of mankind. Take for instance Cain. He had no reason whatsoever not to have known that it was the nature and attitude of his sacrifice that made the Righteous God reject his offering. Furthermore, there was no justifiable reason whatsoever for him to have gone ahead to murder his brother, after he had been told that his wicked intentions were known to the Omniscient God. However, because he was not sincere to himself, he did what he did and he forever lived with its consequences. Open Heaven 26 October 2017: Thursday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye –As you lay your bed! One dimension of the insincerity of men is manifested when people speak or work against paying a labourer his due wages. If you are one of such people, please know that this character is not a part of God's nature and His word is against it. In 1^st Timothy 5:18, God said:

"….Thou shalt not mazzel the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward."

Some people envy hardworking colleagues who are being promoted. As it is generally assumed, promotion comes with its responsibilities as well as its attendant goodies and benefits. More often than not, people refuse to see the added responsibilities of a hardworking leader; they only see his or her derivable benefits. This attitude is not godly.

There are some valuable lesson on labour and reward which I would like to point out to you today. First, I want you to know that since God has said that He who does not work should not eat, the righteousness of God makes it imperative that he who works must eat, (2^nd Thessalonians 3:10, 1^st Timothy 5:18). Secondly, as you lay your bed, so will you lie on it. The more diligent you are in business, the more comfortable you will be after fulfilling all godly conditions. Thirdly, when you are diligent in your vacation, business or job, you will be promoted to lead, because Proverbs 12:24 says,

"The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute."

The fourth lesson I want you to note is that riches are not forever. However, they can endure on one condition: if you continue to be diligent at your business. The fifth lesson is that God must be factored into whatever you do. Remember that except the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain that build it (Psalm 127:1). This consideration has to do with being faithful in paying your tithes, offerings, vows and the first fruits of your increase (Malachi 3:10, Psalm 50:14, Proverbs 3:9). Beloved, the most needful of all these is that you give your life to Christ and accept the redemption which He used His life to procure for all mankind. It shall be well with you.

Prayer point:

Father, through the knowledge of Your word and Your Holy Spirit, help me to be sincere with Your principles which govern being blessed in this world and the world to come.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons 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.
iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Hymn 10

THERE SHALL BE SHOWER OF BLESSING

1. There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

[Chorus]
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

2. There shall be showers of blessing--
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.

[Chorus]

3. There shall be showers of blessing:
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing;
Come, and now honor Thy Word.

[Chorus]

4. There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we're confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!

[Chorus]

Open Heavens 25 October 2017: Wednesday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Touch not my Anointed

Posted: 23 Oct 2017 12:16 PM PDT

TOUCH NOT MY ANOINTED – Wednesday October 25^th 2017

Memorise: Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. Psalm 105:15

Read: 2^nd Kings 1:1-15 (KJV)

1:1 Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.

^1:2And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.

^1:3But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?

^1:4Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.

^1:5And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back?

^1:6And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.

^1:7And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words?

^1:8And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

^1:9Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.

^1:10And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

^1:11Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.

^1:12And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

^1:13And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.

^1:14Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.

^1:15And the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.

Bible in one year: 2^nd Timothy 1-4, Daniel 12, Hymn: Sing hymn 15

MESSAGE:

Although the anointing in the life of the anointed can have a positive impact on people's lives, it can also take actions which have adverse effects against those who abuse the anointed or treat him or her spitefully. The Holy Spirit therefore gave us the warning in today's memory verse to avoid being on the receiving end of such grave actions. This reminds me of the sad story of a pastor who tried to humiliate my father-in-the-Lord, Pastor Josiah Akindayomi, during his lifetime. Sadly, this fellow became leprous and died. Open Heaven 25 October 2017: Wednesday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Touch not my Anointed. This is similar to the tragic story in today's Bible reading. Ahaziah, the king of Samaria, tried to lay his hands on Elijah, God's anointed prophet. What was the prophet's crime? God sent Elijah to point out to him that it was wrong for him to have sent emissaries to consult a strange god for his healing, in defiance of God's law (Deuteronomy 18:10-11). God's warning, if heeded, normally brings forgiveness and restoration, as demonstrated in Jonah 3:10, when the people of Nineveh repented of their sins. Unfortunately, Instead of crying to the merciful God of Israel, the king ordered the prophet's arrest. Is this the right response to a message of warning from God? Before you respond to this, think of how you also feel whenever your pastor hands down a strong sermon to you in an effort to make you repent and be delivered from both present and eternal damnation. The story of King Ahaziah's foolish actions ends in tragedy, not only for him but also for the soldiers he sent to arrest the anointed of God.

There are many lessons to learn and pray about from this story. First and foremost, we must pray for our bad leaders, because when God's judgment comes, even the innocent may not escape the outcome. Secondly, children of God must always know whether any assignment they are given is of God or of the devil, and they should ask God for wisdom to go about it. I remember some policemen who wanted to extort money from my entourage some years ago. The moment I told their leader, "There is always a last assignment for every individual on earth", he understood and let us go. If he had not repented, that would have been his last outing, because it was not I who spoke but the Holy Spirit. Thirdly, ministers of God should always live above board so that God's anointing can fight on their behalf. Elijah said "If I be a man of God…". As a pastor, evangelist or prophet, can you confidently say you are a man of God? Have you burnt you spiritual fingers in the fire of sin and covered it up as if nothing happened? If you are in such a situation, repent today, so that the anointing can resume its defence on your life. For those fond of ridiculing the anointed of God, be careful, so that you don't experience the adverse effects of the anointing. May the peace of God be with you.

Action Point:

If you've spitefully treated the anointed of God, repent and pray for forgiveness and healing.

Hymn 15

The Comforter Has Come

1 O spread the tidings 'round, wherever man is found,
Wherever human hearts and human woes abound.
Let every Christian tongue proclaim the joyful sound:
The Comforter has come!

Refrain:
The Comforter has come! The Comforter has come!
The Holy Ghost from heav'n, the Father's promise giv'n,
O spread the tidings 'round, wherever man is found:
The Comforter has come!

2 The long, long night is past; the morning breaks at last;
And hushed the dreadful wail and fury of the blast,
As o'er the golden hills the day advances fast!
The Comforter has come! [Refrain]

3 Lo, the great King of kings, with healing in His wings,
To every captive soul a full deliv'rance brings;
And thro' the vacant cells the song of triumph rings;
The Comforter has come! [Refrain]

4 O boundless love divine! How shall this tongue of mine
To wond'ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine -
That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine?
The Comforter has come! [Refrain]