"Open Heavens" A Daily Devotional Messages from Pastor E.A Adeboye of R.C.C.G: THE PRICE OF BEING A STANDARD for Wednesday May 27...: TITLE: THE PRICE OF BEING A STANDARD Memorise: Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch n...
IT IS FOR YOUR GOOD for Sunday May 31st 2015
TITLE: IT IS FOR YOUR GOOD
Memorise: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love
God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Read: Genesis 50:15-21, Bible in one year: 1st Kings 2, Luke
1:26-56
From the beginning, the devil’s modus operandi has been to sow the
seeds of doubt in the heart of mankind with regards to the plan and intentions
of God for them. For example, while God’s reason for restraining Adam and Eve
from eating the forbidding fruit was to keep them alive, healthy and
prosperous, the devil came and told them that God did so because He did not
have their good at heart (Genesis 3:4-5). It was this type of doubt that the
devil sowed in the heart of Joseph’s brothers after the demise of their father.
Thank God Joseph was a man who knew the mind of God; He quickly quenched their
doubts. For us His children
A CONSCIENCE VOID OF OFFENCE for Saturday May 30th 2015
TITLE: A CONSCIENCE VOID OF OFFENCE
Memorise: And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of
offence toward God, and toward men. Acts 24:16
Read: Romans 14:16-21, Bible in one year: 1st Kings 1st
Luke 1:1-25
The Church of Jesus Christ on earth will be healthy and pleasant if
Christians would live with conscience void of offence. Unfortunately, offences
often arise here and there in the Body of Christ today. This is caused by
misuse of opportunities, wealth and other material possessions. For this to be
uprooted from the Church, we need to apply the spiritual principles that
Apostle Paul laid down in 1st Timothy 6:17-18:
“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they
be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who
giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in
good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;”
WHAT HAS YOUR AFFECTION? for Friday May 29th 2015
TITLE:WHAT HAS YOUR AFFECTION?
Memorise: Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians
3:2
Read: Colossians 3:1-6, Bible in one year: 2nd Samuel 23-24, Mark
15:33-16:8
I have observed that one of the reasons why many Christians find it
difficult to live according to the standards of the Bible today is that their
mind is not set on the things of heaven, and the reason for this is the coming
of material prosperity to the church. Is it then a mistake that God has
prospered us materially? Certainly not! Abraham was blessed, Isaac was blessed
and Jacob was also blessed, but yet, they all served the Lord. King David even
blessed the Lord for material prosperity among other things. Psalm 103:1&5
says,
CARING FOR THE NEEDY for Thursday May 28th 2015
TITLE: CARING FOR THE NEEDY
Memorise: For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command
thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor,
and to thy needy, in thy land. Deuteronomy 15:11
Read: Matthew 25:34-40, Bible in one year: 2nd Samuel 21-22, Mark
15:6-32
The Bible says something very fundamental about our calling as
disciples of Jesus Christ which many of us do not pay close attention to. This
relates to caring for the needy. Proverbs 22:9 says:
“He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for
he giveth of his bread to the poor.”
Once of the quickest ways to be blessed by God is to care for poor. The
Almighty God said that the poor shall never cease out of the land, and it is
His prerogative to take care of such poor people. In as much as God will not
come down to do this duty Himself; He has commanded those who are blessed with
resources to give to those who do not have. Whoever acts on God’s behalf by
catering for the needy and the poor will be bountifully blessed by Him. This is
one of the secrets of divine blessing.
THE PRICE OF BEING A STANDARD for Wednesday May 27th 2015
TITLE:THE PRICE OF BEING A STANDARD
Memorise: Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 2 Corinthians 6:17
Read: 2nd
Corinthians 6:14-18, Bible in one year: 2nd Samuel 19:16-20:26, Mark
14:53-15:5
To become a standard or a positive reference point, there is a price to
pay. Going though the Bible, one will see that all those who got outstanding
approval from God had at least one thing in common, which is that they stood
out for God before they became a reference point. One of such Bible heroes is
Elijah. He stood out for God on Mount Carmel. He risked being killed by the
numerous prophet of Baal whom he had challenged. As a matter of fact, he was
considered to be Public Enemy No. 1 by the ruler of his day, Ahab (1st
Kings 21:20)
DRESS TO BE ADDRESSED for Tuesday May 26th 2015
TITLE: DRESS TO BE ADDRESSED
Memorised: And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand pf the
shepherds, ands also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock. Exodus
2:19
Read: Exodus
2:16-20, Bible in one year: 2nd Samuel 18:1-19:15, Mark 14:32-52
Many of today’s Christians don’ pay attention to their physical
appearance. They have overstretched the fact that physical appearance may be
deceptive at times. Although the Bible confirms this to be true in Proverbs
31:30, it is also true that what you show on the outside is a reflection of who
you are on the inside. In my culture, there are two sayings of the elders which
appear to contradict, each other, but which contain eternal truths that cannot
be wished away. The first one says: “The way you appear determines the level of
respect people will accord you.” In other words, if you dress like ma slave,
you will be treated like a slave. The other saying is: “A gorgeous dress does
not
YOU ARE GOD’S SANCTUARY for Monday May 25th 2015
TITLE:YOU ARE GOD’S
SANCTUARY
Memorise: What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost
which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1st
Corinthians 6:19
Read :1st Corinthians 6:15-20, Bible in One year: 2nd Samuel
16:17, Mark 14:10-31
The most pleasurable sin to the flesh is sexual immorality.
Incidentally, this particular type of sin is the most deadly because its
consequences are not only spiritually unpleasant but also physically
humiliating. In our Bible reading, Apostle Paul warned the Church at Corinth
against sexual immorality. He explained that we the temple of God. The
implication of this is that your body does not belong to you, but rather, it belongs
to God. He further revealed to us the judgement that would follow if we defile
the temple of God – our body. In 1st Corinthians 3:17 he wrote:
“If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God
destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which
ARE YOU READY? for Sunday May 24th 2015
TOPIC:ARE YOU READY?
Memorise: Then
we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1st
Thessalonians 4:17
Read: 1st
Thessalonians 4:13-18, Bible in one year: 2nd Samuel 14-15, Mark
13:24-14:9
The admonition of Apostle Paul in today’s Bible reading is addressed to
those he referred to as “brethren”. His first admonition is against ignorance
(1st Thessalonians 4:13). Ignorance is the first weapon the devil
uses to make Christians not ready for the rapture! Going by the words of Paul’s
warning, other people on earth can afford to be ignorant, but we who are
joint-heirs with Jesus Christ cannot afford to be. One reason why many
Christians are not watchful anymore is the supposed delay in the second coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ. They feel He may not come as expected; therefore,
they have thrown godliness with contentment to the wind. Such Christians
display their
DON’T BE CARELESS for Saturday May 23rd 2015
TOPIC: DON’T BE CARELESS
Memorise: Watch
therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Matthew 24:42
Read: Matthew
24:37-44, Bible in one year: 2nd Samuel 12:24-13:39, Mark 13:3-23
While some commandments of God are very glaring, some others appear in
covert mode, such that many don’t even see them as commandments. One of such
subtle commandments is the commandment to “watch” (Matthew 24:42). This
commandment can also be expressed this way: don’t be careless. It is
unfortunate that many children of God today are careless about their Christian
life, and by so doing, they have shipwrecked their faith. They live their lives
as if they have nothing to lose to the enemy. Such Christians needs be reminded
that they have at least one crown to protect – the
THE POWER OF SIGHT II for Friday May 22nd 2015
TOPIC: THE POWER OF SIGHT II
Memorise: By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be
called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Hebrews 11:24
Read: Genesis 13:14-18, Bible in one year: 2nd Samuel
11:1-12:23, Mark 12:28-13:2
The power of spiritual sight is apparent in anyone who has it. Such a
person can see into the future and therefore does not exercise any form of
fear. We can see these attributes manifested in Elisha in 2nd Kings
6:11-18. Elisha’s servant could not see what his master saw, and so he was
afraid of the human army attempting to arrest them; but read what happens in 2nd
Kings 6:17
“And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee,
open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man;
and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire
around about Elisha.”
People often ask me why I don’t go about with police escorts like many
great men of
THE POWER OF SIGHT for Thursday May 21st 2015
TOPIC: THE POWER OF SIGHT I
Memorise: Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that
keeepth the law, happy is he. Proverbs 29:18
Read: John 9:1-7, Bible in one year: 2nd Samuel 7:18-10:19,
Mark 12:13-27
There are 3 categories of sight, all of which are very important. These
categories include: physical, mental and spiritual. Today’s memory verse
rightly summarises the risk a person without the power of sight is taking in
life. The story of the man born blind in our Bible reading shows us some of the
challenges a person without the power of sight faces. For as long as he was
blind, this man had to be content with sitting on one spot, begging (John 9:8).
Before Jesus met this man, he was already on the verge of
THE TURNING POINT IV for Wednesday May 20th 2015
TOPIC: THE TURNING
POINT IV
Memorise: He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that
loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. Ecclesiastes 5:10
Read: 2nd Kings 5:15-20, Bible in one year: 2nd Samuel
5:1-7:17, Mark 11:20-12:12
Gehazi was the servant of Prophet Elisha. He was privileged to be the
apprentice of a great prophet and had the potential of inheriting at least
thedouble portion of Elijah’s power that was upon Elisha. However, his covetousness
ruined his destiny as a would-be great prophet. He decided to got after the
material things of this world at the expense of his prophetic calling. He was
so determined to go after worldly things that he even swore by God that he must
“possess his possessions”. Like present-day worldly preachers, he seemed to be
saying:”….. after all, he that labours by the altar must feed by the altar.”
Consider his words in 2nd Kings 5:20:
“But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God,
said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his
hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and
take somewhat of him.”
Once his son of covetousness was found out by his master, the leprosy
of Naaman was transferred to him and all his generation after him (2nd
Kings 5:27).
Judas Iscariot is another
individual we should learn from. He had almost the same moral and spiritual
problem as Gehazi: covetousness and greed. The Bible says he was a thief, and
being the treasurer of Jesus’ ministry, he often stole from the purse (John
12:4-6). His greed got to the level where he took a decision that condemned him
to eternal perdition: he decided to sell his Master, the King of glory (Matthew
26:14-16). Before Judas Iscariot realised his folly, he had already ruined the
opportunity of having himself numbered among the twelve apostles. He ended up
committing suicide.
“Then Judas, which had betrayed
him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the
thirty pieces of silver to the chief priest and elders,… And he cast down the
pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.”
Matthew 27:3&5
Children of God in the 21st
century must be wary of materialism. It is deadly; through it may not look that
way. This is why John the Beloved warned us against worldliness, as if he knew
what would become of the Church in the end-times (1st John
2:15-17).
Prayer Point:
Father, guide me never to take a wrong decision that will blight my
future in Jesus’ Name.
THE TURNING POINT 111 for Tuesday May 19th 2015
TOPIC: THE TURNING POINT 111
Memorise: And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what
profit shall this birthright do to me? Genesis 25:32
Read: Genesis 25:29-34, Bible in one year: 2nd Samuel 3-4,
Mark 11:1-19
While the
decisions made at crossroads resulted in a great future for Moses, Elisha,
Daniel, Peter, Paul and Ruth, the decision of Esau at such a moment blighted
his future. Esau found himself at a crossroads when his brother, Jacob, offered
him food (a present need) in exchange for his birthright (a future asset). He
experienced a negative turning point when he chose to sell his birthright. He
filled his stomach with bread and pottage of lentils, gulped some drinks, rose
up and went his way, but he forever lived to regret it. The Bible in Hebrews
12:16-17 says:
“Lest
there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel for
meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have
inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance,
though he sought it carefully with tears.”
Another
figure who took a decision that led to a negative turning point was Reuben, the
first son of Jacob. He defiled the bed of his father by sleeping with his
father’s concubine. When Reuben was taking this decision to humiliate his
father, little did he know that he was destroying his own future. Our Father in
heaven deserves our honour and not humiliation. We humiliate our Heavenly
Father when we offer Him worship that is polluted with sinful habits (Malachi
1:6-7). As Priest of God (Revelation 1:6), when we lift up unholy hands in
worship of God, we are offering polluted “bread” on His altar. This is the
reason why the Bible in Romans 12:1 says:
“I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service.”
The most
fearful thing in the story of Reuben is that after he did the abominable act,
he did not realise that his father knew about it, because his father never even
mentioned it (Genesis 35:22). However, on the day of reckoning, his father
placed a curse on him (Genesis 49:3-4). I will therefore encourage you to pray
that the Lord will, through the blood of Jesus Christ, undo whatever you have
done wrong in the past that is troubling you now even as a Christian.
Prayer Point: Father, please undo whatever I have done in the time of
ignorance that has placed a curse on me.
THE TURNING POINT 11 for Monday May 18th 2015
TOPIC: THE TURNING POINT 11
Memorise: And Ruth said, intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Ruth 1:16
Read: Ruth 1:11-16, Bible in one year: 2nd Samuel 1-2, Mark 10:32-52
After Ruth lost her husband early in life and there was no child to show for the relationship, she could never dreamt that she would be a mother of many nations through Jesus Christ our Lord (Matthew 1:5). Ruth would have been long forgotten but for a turning point in her life when she made the decision in today’s memory verse. Her sister-in-law, Orpha, kissed their mother-in-law goodbye and left, but Ruth refuses to let go. She was resolute in her decision to stay with Naomi.
After moving to the land of Israel with her mother-in-law, Ruth eventually remarried Boaz, who was a distant relation of her late husband. This union produced an ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ, Obed (Ruth 4:13-17). Anytime I remember the decision I made to serve the Lord in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, after the founder personally followed up on me by visiting my residence just after my first visit to the Church, I give glory to God. When I was making the decision to turn away from my self-righteousness and academic pride, little did I know that I was entering into a lifetime for joy in the service of the Lord. I am grateful to the Holy Spirit who helped me make the decision. I pray for you that the Lord will help you to make the decision that will turn your life around for the best today, in Jesus’ Name. you will decide to serve God in spirit and in truth as from today in Jesus’ Name. the last mention of Orpah in the Bible was when she was at a crossroads, and she made the decision to return to her idols.
“And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.” Ruth 1:14-15
Beloved, what type of situation are you passing through now, and what decisions are you making? Have you weighed the decision you are making, and is God being brought into the picture? Think about this and go into prayer as you go about your business today.
Prayer Point: Holy Spirit Divine, please lead me aright in my decision-making process at all times.
THE TURNING POINT 1 for Sunday May 17th 2015
Topic: THE TURNING POINT 1
Memorise: And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great
sight, why the bush is not burnt. Exodus 3:3
Read: Exodus 3:1-6, Bible in one year: 1st Samuel 29:31, Mark
10:1-31
A turning point is a defining moment; it is a moment of decision that
either makes or mars the life of a person. In life’s journey, there are always
crossroads where you have to decide whether to go to the right or to the left.
At such moments, if you make the right call, glory to God, but if you make the
wrong decision, may God have mercy on you. The Bible contains several examples
of people who took either positive or negative turns while at crossroads. Moses
is one of such persons. In today’s Bible reading, Moses made a turn that sealed
not only his destiny but also that of the Jews for
CHILD OF DESTINY for Saturday May 16th 2015
Topic: CHILD OF DESTINY
Memorise: Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before
thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a
prophet unto the nation. Jeremiah 1:5
Read: Exodus 1:15-17, Bible in one year: 1st Samuel 26-28,
Mark 9:30-50
A child who fulfil destiny can never be destroyed by the enemy. The
fact that you alive today is a pointer to the fact that you have a destiny to
fulfil, and this destiny is a good one (Jeremiah 29:11). By Pharaoh’s
calculations, Moses was born to die. He
UNCIRCUMCISED IN HEART? for Friday May 15th 2015
Topic:UNCIRCUMCISED IN HEART?
Memorise: Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do
always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Acts 7:51
Read: Romans 6:1-10, Bible in one year: 1st Samuel 24-25, Mark
9:2-29
In his sermon just before he was killed, Stephen spoke to a Jewish
audience made up of people who were circumcised in the flesh as required by
God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:10). However, Stephen revealed to them
that there exists a circumcision beyond that of the flesh: the circumcision of
heart and ears (Acts 7:51). This circumcision is spiritual. He
YOU NEED THE DIVINE TOUCH for Thursday May 14th 2015
Topic: YOU NEED THE DIVINE TOUCH
Memorise: For she said within herself, if I may but touch his garment, I
shall be whole. Matthew 9:21
Read: Matthew 9:20-22, Bible in one year: 1st Samuel
21:10-23:29, Mark 8:22-9:1
The entrance of sin into this world destroyed so many things about
humility. It provoked God to pronounce a curse on the ground and banish mankind
to a life of sorrow and pain in Genesis 3:16-17:
“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply
thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt being forth children; and
thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam
he said, because thou hast hearkened unto the voice
YOU CAN BE REPLACED! on Wednesday May 13th 2015
Topic: YOU CAN BE REPLACED!
Memorise: Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou
hast, that no man take thy crown. Revelation 3:11
Read: Esther 7:9-8:2, Bible in one year: 1st Samuel
20:1-21:9, Mark 8:1-21
It is great folly to contend with God. This is why I pity those
societies that have become anti-God and are challenging His commandments. God
spoke about such people in Isaiah 45:9, saying:
“Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the
potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that
fashioned it, What makest thou? Or thy work, He hath on hands?
DIVINE INVOLVEMENT COMPARED for Tuesday May 12th 2015
Topic:DIVINE INVOLVEMENT COMPARED
Memorise: And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will
take of the spirit with is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall
bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.
Numbers 11:17
Read: Exodus 2:13-15, Exodus 3:7-8, Bible in one year: 1st
Samuel 17:55-19:24, Mark 7:14-37
When God
is involved in your matter, you can go to bed and sleep with your two eyes
closed; the simple reason being that He can handle any situation better than
you. When Moses attempted to deliver the Israelites by his own might, he ended
up fleeing and leaving a mess behind, but when the Almighty God Himself got
involved in the project of delivering His people, Egypt was never the same
again. I prophesy to someone using this devotional that the Almighty God will
get involved in your situation today in Jesus’ Name. At the end of God’s
intervention in Egypt, the Bible records this in Exodus 12:30-31:
PRESS INTO YOUR DAY OF FAVOUR on Monday May 11th 2015
Topic: PRESS INTO YOUR DAY OF FAVOUR
Memorise: For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt
thou compass him as with a shield. Psalm 5:12
Read: Esther 5:1-3, Bible in one year: 1st Samuel
17:1-54, Mark 6:53-7:13
Queen Esther is one person who pressed into her day of favour. Her
experience should serve as a template for us all. She obtained favour in the
sight of the king because it was the day of her favour. Be aware that the law
of the land during this period was that nobody could go into the king’s inner
court uninvited. Disobeying this law was equivalent to a suicide mission. But
Esther went to the king in his inner court uninvited, and she lived because of
favour.
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