Open Heavens 30 April 2015: Thursday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Watch That Backsliding

Open Heavens 30 April 2015: Thursday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Watch That Backsliding 

Memorise: The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. -Proverbs 14:14

Read: John 6:66-69

66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve,Will ye also go away?

68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

Bible in one Year: Judges 20-21, Matthew 28

MESSAGE:

Backsliding does not happen suddenly. It’s a process that occurs over a period of time, during which a person becomes lax in his thought life and begins to entertain from the path of light to the ways of evil from which one was once saved. There are many prodigal sons and daughters today who have forsaken their first love in the pursuit of materialism. Many workers in the vineyard of God, who started well, have allowed their spiritual fire to grow cold, thereby departing from the faith.Hebrews 10:38 says,

“Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

A backslider loses interest in the Lord, in the Bible, in prayer, fellowship and witnessing, and eventually turns to the world. It is like a dog returning to its vomit. You will not backslide in Jesus’ Name. The flesh will always find expression when people fail to focus on spiritual things. The flesh expression when people fail to focus on spiritual things. The flesh clouds the minds of God’s children with such things as idle past-times, sports and television, and fills their heart with junk at the expense of spiritual growth. Before you know it, backsliding would have commenced. Someone who has always been very zealous for God will then begin to miss church meetings when there are crucial match fixes. A sister who has been very productive in evangelism will then begin to come late to meetings because of addition to certain television soaps. As Christians who are Heaven bound, we have to be very careful. Let us keep ourselves away from danger zones as much as we can. You have to be very vigilant and sober so that the devil doesn’t drag you to Hell with little things you think do not matter (1 Peter 5:8). Those detrimental “little things” you fail to terminate may end up terminating your destiny (Song of Solomon 2:15)

Remember that even David, a man after God’s heart, fell for Bathsheba. Samson, the Lord’s anointed from the womb, lost his two eyes and was reduced to a prisoner grinding corn inside the enemy’s prison. One of my sons came to me complaining of a problem. He confessed that as every weekend drew to a close; he would get excited, looking forward to the next Monday morning because he would see his secretary again. I told him to disengage her from the job. A proverb in my native tongue says “Stay away from a snake whose head is still intact.” Whatever you can’t control will truncate your destiny. Whatever is capable of destroying your testimony must be avoided. Sometimes you need to apply wisdom and not strength (Ecclesiastes 9:18).

Action Point: Take wise, decisive action on any relationship that has the potential of destroying your testimony.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God

Open Heavens 29 April 2015: Wednesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Restitution

Open Heavens 29 April 2015: Wednesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Restitution 

Memorise: And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.-Luke 19:8

Read: Luke 19:1-10

1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchæus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchæus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

8 And Zacchæus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

9 And Jesus said unto him,This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Bible in one Year: Judges 19, Matthew 27:45-66

MESSAGE:

Restitution is the act of making right that which has been wrongly done to the injury of others. It involves restoring what has been wrongly taken, and repairing or giving the equivalent of any loss or damage. This is very important aspect of Christianity that proves genuine salvation. Even though this teaching is not popular among preachers today, the word of God is forever settled on it. If we are to experience a clear conscience and have a good testimony among those within the Church and in the world, we must obey the teaching on restitution. Restitution is not a 21st century teaching. It has been in practice from Bible days. While salvation is aimed at making your ways right with your Maker. Restitution is aimed at making your ways right with your fellow man. One is not complete without the other. It is the desire of God for us to correct all past wrongs which are correctable. If may be difficult to carry out restitution for wrong done in the past, but the mercy of God is always available to help, even it looks difficult.

If you have been genuinely converted, you should return those things that you may have stolen or converted to your own use which belong to others or to your place of work. This includes your tithes and first fruits, the non-payment of which is robbery. There are things that belong to others which you may have destroyed. Those must be replaced. Restitution includes reconciling with people who may have quarrelled with you in the past. We must make restitution for all lies and things wrongly said about anyone which have resulted in causing troubled for the person involved. Every marriage contracted contrary to the standards of the Bible must be visited and reviewed. There are some sensitive cases of restitution that you do not carry out alone. In such cases, you must seek counsel for those who are spiritually more mature than you. They will guide you through the help of the Holy Spirit on the appropriate way to go about it.

When you obey God making restitution, you will receive His favour. The favour of God removes all your years of labour and makes your life a blessed one. Also, when you restitute your ways, you will experience speedy answers to all of your prayers. This is because you have made peace with God and you have a clear conscience towards man. When you make restitution, you will no longer live under the bondage of fear, because there is nothing else to hide.

Action Point: Prayerfully take steps to carry out restitution in every applicable area of your life.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God

Open Heavens 28 April 2015: Tuesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Choose to be Sanctified.

Open Heavens 28 April 2015: Tuesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Choose to be Sanctified. 

Memorise: And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. -I Corinthians 6:11

Read: I Thessalonians 5:22-24

22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

Bible in one year: Judges 16:23-18:31, Mathew 27:15-44

MESSAGE:

It is the express will of God that every believer is sanctified (1 Thessalonians 4:3). For us to become vessels unto honour, fit for the Master’s use, we have to be fully sanctified (1 Timothy 2:21). To be sanctified is to be separated unto the process of becoming like Jesus Christ inn character (2 Corinthians 3:18). Sanctification helps the believer to live a holy life. Right from creation, God has always been in search of vessels of glorify. The Lord will find you worthy for His glorious use in Jesus’ Name. Today, He is still looking for men to honour by using them. One thing you must know is that the scarcity of men is not the issue; it is the scarcity of sanctified vessels. A holy God cannot fill unholy vessels. A vessel that God will use for doing great exploits in life must be clean always.

All those who are still finding it difficult to deal with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life cannot be used of God for honourable purpose. It is a great privilege for God to use a person. God will never play your role even though He wants to honour you. You must be made pure through and through by the Blood of Jesus. You must be willing to resist ungodly thoughts and every other thing that has the potentials of defiling you physically and spiritually. Sin makes a vessel impure. The choice is yours to make.

The one who wants to be used and honoured by God must refuse to compromise by following the norm (Daniel 1:8). You cannot go far if you are not ready to be sanctified. You cannot be an oracle of God if you are not ready to deny yourself of the present in order to buy the future. God’s vessels are not democratically elected. His choices are made based on what He deems fit for His purpose (Hebrews 2:4). The moment He picks you and you are willing to leave your life in His hands, you will never regret that you did. The call to sanctification is a clarion call to all. It is a call of privilege to become a vessel of honour fit for the Master’s use. If you accept and allow God to perfect His good works concerning you, you will become a wonder to yourself. You must be willing to let go and let God work on your weaknesses. You must be ready to decrease so that Christ may increase in you. Give attention to the study of you word of God. Memorise it and do mall that it commands. Do not love the world or the things that are in it. Beware of pride, rebellion, envy, strife, ungodliness and uncontrollable desire for wealth. Watch and pray. Do not allow anything stain your glorious garments. Get back to God and remain connected to Him in all that you do.

Prayer Point: Father, sanctify me wholly from every besetting sin by the Blood of Jesus shed on the cross.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God

Open Heavens 27 April 2015: Monday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Benefits of Salvation II

Open Heavens 27 April 2015: Monday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Benefits of Salvation II 

Memorise: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. - Ephesians 1:22-23

Read: Ezekiel 36:24-30

24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.

30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.

Bible in one Year: Judges 15:1-16:22, Matthew 26:69-27:14

MESSAGE:

As a child of God, it is part of your benefits to enjoy continuous spiritual victory over the kingdom of Satan. The devil is the last person that would like to see you saved. He is committed to anything that will pull you down from your new-found faith. You have to be aggressive in your response to him (1 Peter 5:8-9). Jesus with those words granted your authority as a believer inLuke 10:19

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

It is this authority that you use in commanding respect. It is this authority that will make demons to bow. You use the authority in Jesus ton put challenges events and circumstances where they belong. For instance, it is the authority backing a policeman that makes him simply raise his hands to stop oncoming vehicles. As long as he is in that uniform, he will command obedience. If you are born-again, authority has been given to you. You are to make use of this authority to preach good tidings to the meek. You are to bind up the broken-hearted. You are to decree liberty to those who are captives and the opening of prisons to those that are bound. Your authority is to be used for commanding the devil and his activities out of your jurisdiction.

Some times ago, while travelling to Ilesha in southwest Nigeria, I saw a vehicle parked along the way at Ile-Ife. The bonnet of the car was opened, and on closer inspection, I saw one of my daughters standing by the car. I decided to park and find out what the matter was. I asked her what was wrong with her car. She replied that there was nothing wrong with the car, but that everything was wrong with her personally. She told me that the baby in her womb had not moved for several days, and that the doctor had confirmed that the baby was dead. She parked her car to contemplate on what she should do. Since I was with her at that point, she asked me to just lay my hands on her stomach and speak the word of power so that the baby would come back to life. I did as she requested and continued with my journey. The Lord honoured my words, and that child came back to life again. This same child graduated from the university in 2003. This miracle was made possible because of the benefits of salvation. Without salvation, I couldn’t have commanded even a dead cockroach to come back to life, but in salvation lies the power of resurrection. This is way I know that everything dead in your business is coming back to life, and the supreme power of God is swallowing up all the powers of the enemy in your life in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point: By the authority given to me by Jesus, I destroy everything limiting God’s benefits in my life.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God

Open Heavens 26 April 2015: Sunday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Benefits of Salvation I

Open Heavens 26 April 2015: Sunday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Benefits of Salvation I 

Memorise: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. -John 14:27

Read: Isaiah 25:8-9

8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Bible in One Year: Judges 12-14; Mathew 26:47-48

MESSAGE:

Salvation is a package full of benefit cutting across the three spheres of human existence: the spirit, the soul and the body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). When you experience salvation, the life force of God is released to you. You will begin to have a strong desire of holiness. Rather than condemnation, you will receive justification. Instead of punishment for sins committed, you will receive a credit of righteousness into your account. The new man in you has a lifestyle patterned after and controlled by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Comforter promised by the Lord Jesus Christ. He gives man total victory over sin and empowers him for service in God’s kingdom.

Through the miracle of salvation, the one who was a sinner yesterday becomes a saint today. With his spirit, he begins to relate with God. With his mind, he receives inspiration on issues. With his body, he carries out the dictates of the Great Master. As a child of God, you have tremendous opportunities that others do not. With the assurance of full salvation, everywhere you go, goodness and mercy will follow you. I prophesy to your life today that you will never again be stranded; everywhere you turn to, there will be open doors. No one ever followed Jesus and had regrets (except the son of perdition). If you abide in Christ, you will always flourish. It is time for believers to wake up. God does not want His children running from pillar to post. The mind of excellence is in you. You have the mind of the Son of God; therefore, enter into your inheritance. It is time to balance our growth. In every area of your life, there should be full evidence that God is in charge. The Abrahamic covenant has no limitations (Genesis 13:14-15). You can go as far as you can see. In Christ, there are no limits to the heights you can attain except the ones you set for yourself. We should be envied by unbelievers and not pitied. We should be mobile signposts of signs and wonders. As a child of God, your salvation makes you a candidate for miracles. The power that raised Jesus from the dead is still very much alive. Be prepared to yield to what He says to you. He is willing to turn every hopeless and unpleasant situation in your life into a great testimony. Stop relying on your sense. Focus on the word of liberty that is able to set you free. As a believer, is your business crippled or do you find it difficult to make progress in anything you do? I command you in the Name of Jesus to rise up and walk now. Let all crippled businesses receive competitive strength now. Let there be rejoicing leaping, Singing and clapping in all areas of your life in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point: Father, let me experience the full joy of salvation in every area of my life.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God

Open Heavens 25 April 2015: Saturday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Jesus The Saviour

Open Heavens 25 April 2015: Saturday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Jesus The Saviour 

Memorise: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. -Matthew 1:21

Read: John 3:16-18

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Bible in one Year: Judges 10-11, Matthew 26:26-46

MESSAGE:

The number-one treasure of the Church is Jesus Christ. Through Him, all things consist (Colossians 1:17). He is the Almighty who on one can make mightier; He is the richest one who no one can make richer. The earth and its fullness belong to Him. Every bit of what He says is always in our own best interest. Jesus teaches that there is nothing more valuable than the soul of a man (Mathew 16:26). The salvation of your soul is worth more than all the treasures of this world. The devil is after this salvation because thieves only go after treasures. The devil would do anything within his power to inhibit our relationship with the Giver of salvation, Jesus the Saviour. There is nothing as great as following Jesus. Following Jesus will cost you a lot of things, just as it cost God the Father the price of Jesus His Son to establish your salvation. Anyone who will follow Jesus the Saviour must be ready for a life of discipleship. This will be measured by the proof of your willingness to go the extra mile. You have to set a high bar of self-denial for yourself. If you want to follow Jesus, you must not allow anything to come between you and your loyalty to him.

The greatest problem of man is nothing else but the issue of sin. This problem was what Jesus the Saviour came to solve. Every benefit we can derive from Jesus is tied to salvation. Without salvation, man is doomed for destruction. When you accept Jesus, you receive the power to become great (John 1:12). Anyone who does not accept this free gift of God cannot attain their full potential in life. May you not leave this world without fully achieving the plan and purpose of God for your life in Jesus’ Name. When you accept Jesus, there will be an instant change in your life. Those who knew you before will not be able to identify you again by virtue of the transformation that would have taken place in your life. Those who were acquainted with your past life will never be able to correlate your past with your present (2 Corinthians 5:17). One of my sons used to be an impossible character. He was so unruly that during holiday periods, parents would keep their children under lock and key the moment they discovered he was around. This was because he would go for anything in a skirt. However, he eventually met with Jesus the Saviour and surrendered his life to Him and immediately, his life was transformed. Those who knew him before wondered how the change happened. You too can experience Jesus the Saviour today and overcome all sins (Galatians 5:24). As long as you are sincere, help is very close to you. All you need to do is ask Him to come into your life and change your negative experience to a positive one.

Action Point: List 3 transformations that have occurred in your life since you met Jesus the Saviour.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. 

Open Heavens 24 April 2015: Friday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Sin: Consequences & Cure

Open Heavens 24 April 2015: Friday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Sin: Consequences & Cure

Memorise: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; -Romans 3:23

Read: Ezekiel 18:20-24

20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

Bible in one Year: Judges 8:29-9:57; Matthew 26:6-25

MESSAGE:

Sin is disobedience of God or a deviation from His ways. From the account in Genesis 3, we understand that sin cannot be hidden. Every secret sin will always be discovered; it’s only a matter of time (Numbers 32:23). When sin comes in, there is a loss of relationship with God. When we house sin in our lives, no matter the amount of time we spend in the place of prayer, the heavens will remain shut. Sin is not a lifter; rather it leads to demotion. It brings shame and reproach to someone with a glorious future as seen in the case of Samson. Proverbs 14:34 says,

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”

Although Samson was born great, by including in sin, his destiny was truncated (Judges 16:20-21). God has been warning a lot of people about the consequences of their actions, but they have refused to depart from the path of iniquity. Some people remain in disobedience until they experience a negative turning point in their lives. King Saul was a king who happened to be handsome, rich, healthy, powerful and prominent. His word was law, but he disobeyed God and kept going contrary to God’s divine will until tragedy struck.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” -2 Chronicles 7:14

The only way a lost relationship with God can be restored is obtaining pardon for sin through genuine repentance. The good news is that the death of Jesus on the cross has made adequate provision for the remission of our state of hopelessness against sin. We must be convinced of the need for pardon and be willing to confess out sins, no matter how numerous and terrible they are. God is ever willing to grant pardon to a genuinely repentant soul. Genuine repentance involves a change of mind that leads to a change of conduct. This change of conduct will lead to a life of holiness, through which the repentant soul becomes a vessel unto honour for the Master’s effective use. Such a person will then begin to work towards the attainment of perfection in Christ Jesus. Having done all these, there is a guarantee of an inheritance in Christ and an assurance of everlasting life.

Prayer Point: Father, I thank you for the Blood of Jesus that was shed for the remission of my sins. I accept this provision of Yours, and ask that it wash away all my sins.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God

Open Heavens 23 April 2015: Thursday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Secrets of Answered Prayers

Open Heavens 23 April 2015: Thursday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Secrets of Answered Prayers

Memorise: If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. -John 15:7

Read: John 16:23-27

23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:

27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

Bible in one Year: Judges 6:36-8:28, Matthew 25:31-26:5

MESSAGE:

Although prayer is at the very heart of our relationship with God, not all prayers are answered by Him. There is therefore a need to understand the secrets of getting answers to our prayers. First and foremost, you need to understand God’s original blueprint concerning and aspect of life you are praying about, and align your prayers with it. God said in Isaiah 55:8-9 that:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Although God’s thoughts are higher than ours, His thoughts are directed towards giving us peace, joy and fulfilment in life. No matter how much good you want for yourself, you can never get something better than God’s best for you. Oftentimes, people ask God for something that He is not involved in. such prayers will definitely go unanswered. You need to learn to wait for God’s timing. It is dangerous to be impatient with God. What is the motive behind your request? Why are you in such a hurry? Patience is an indispensable virtue for all believers in Christ. There is hardly any promise of God that can be fulfilled in your life without the application of patience (Hebrews 6:12). Until patience has had its full impact on your life, you cannot get the best from God. In addition to the aforementioned, the secrets to answered prayers include thanksgiving and praises. If you can give thanks and praise while praying effectively, closed doors will be forced opened by God as He inhabits your praises.

Your attitude during the period of waiting for the manifestation of your answered prayers is very crucial to God. You must know how to conduct yourself during your waiting period. There are people who think the world should come to an end just because the answer to their prayers has not yet manifested. Some women who are waiting for God to give them the fruit of the womb begin to wear sad looks; while some men trusting God for a job suddenly become monsters to everyone around them. It does not matter how much trouble you are facing, provided you keep on praying, God will be there to make sure you have a great testimony in the end. Always remember that negative situations will not bow to your attitude. The moment you see the appearance of an unpleasant situation, go immediately into your closet and begin to call on the Almighty God (Psalm 50:15). Don’t wait till the storm is overwhelming before you cry out to Him.

Action Point: Put aside that sad look and let the glory of God radiate through you as you await God’s best.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God

Open Heavens 22 April 2015: Wednesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Sowing Before Reaping

Open Heavens 22 April 2015: Wednesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Sowing Before Reaping

Memorise: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. - Galatians 6:7

Read: Galatians 6:7-10

7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Bible in One Year: Judges 5:1-6:35, Matthew 25:14-30

MESSAGE:

Our God is great. Not only is He great, He is the greatest. He possesses all wisdom, riches and glory. The plan of God and His delight is for you to prosper (3 John 2). Prosperity here implies abundance, fullness and sufficiency. One thing we need to know is that prosperity does not come by speaking in tongues, but by the wisdom of sowing and reaping.

At a particular time in my ministry, by necessity, I started giving out neckties to elders who were ministering along with me. I then noticed that all my close associates started giving me only neckties upon their return from foreign trips. Out of curiosity, I asked God why this was so. He told me "Son, if you sow a tie, you will reap ties." I then switched to sowing good shoes into the life of those I was sure were of the same shoe size with me. However, the return I got from this did not come as fast as the neckties did. I went back to God to know why, and He told me "Son, if you plant maize and also plant yam, both harvests will come, but not at the same time." Then, I understood the lesson that it is the quality of your sowing that determines the quality of your harvest.

There is a category of people who want to reap without sowing. They can best be described as thieves. It is very wrong to expect a harvest when you have not sown. Make efforts to sow into that particular area of life where you desire a harvest. Entering into your financial breakthrough may not come easy. You have to provoke Heaven to act on your behalf by sowing. No one is poor enough to have nothing to sow. If you check yourself very well, you will realise that there is a seed in your hand you can sow. The Church in Macedonia had so little, yet, they were committed to giving to the work of God (2 Corinthians 8:1-2). In the early days of my joining the Redeemed Christian Church of God, there was a meeting in which my father-in-the-Lord, the late founder of the church, asked all workers to empty their treasury because of an urgent need in the church.

Out of excitement of being privileged to be part of the saints, my wife and I as workers emptied our accounts with nothing left. At the workers meeting the following Sunday, my father-in-the-Lord asked "How many of you have done what I instructed?" Out of excitement to be counted among those who had complied, my wife and I raised our hands and we received the greatest shock of our lives. We discovered that we were the only ones that had compiled! Ashamed, we quickly brought down our hands; but see what the Lord has done with our lives today. The many seeds of those days needed a lot of patience to become the great harvest of God's blessings today.

Key Point: Nobody is entirely poor. There is always a seed in your hand that you can sow.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God

Open Heavens 21 April 2015: Tuesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Jesus: The Wisdom of God

Open Heavens 21 April 2015: Tuesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Jesus: The Wisdom of God 

Memorise: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; - 1 Corinthians 1:23

Read: 1 Corinthians 1:21-24

21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Bible in One Year: Judges 3:7-4:24 and Matthew 24:36-25:13

MESSAGE:

When wise men from the East discovered the phenomenon that indicated the birth of Jesus, they abandoned everything they were doing and commenced an immediate search for Him (Matthew 2:1-2). These were noble men who were feared and highly respected. They were of the priestly caste, and they were spiritual counsellors to the kings of their time. Yet, on hearing of the birth of Jesus, they decided to abandon their own wisdom and search for the superior Wisdom of God manifested as Jesus. This is why I pity those who know the truth but allow foolishness to keep them in darkness. Romans 1:28 says this about such people:

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;"

For this reason, everyone who comes into this world must make a decision to submit to the superiority of God's wisdom which is personified by Jesus. To benefit maximally from this life, you must accept Jesus Christ as your Lord. He is willing to give you divine wisdom concerning all issues of life. He is ready to guide you into greatness. Don't allow the devil to keep you in the foolishness of self-government. If you do, you will experience great loss and destruction especially in the world to come.

After a branch is severed from a tree, its leaves will still remain green, but it is only a matter of time before they wither and die. Is someone asking you to embrace the wisdom of this world? Is anyone asking you to forsake the congregation of the righteous? Are you being lured by religious sects with a promise that you will be free? You are only about to lose your freedom if you subscribe to such lies. It is only in Jesus Christ you can experience the true wisdom that brings freedom. If there is any place to search for wisdom, it is in Christ alone, because all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him (Colossians 2:3). The wisdom of God is like light that repels darkness on its arrival.

When this wisdom comes into your life, every reproach automatically gives way. As a child of God, you must allow wisdom to control all that you do. When it appears things are not moving in the direction you expect, don't try to 'help' God; there is nothing beyond His wisdom. Don't accept the alternatives of the devil, and don't subscribe to the suggestions of men. The wisdom of God is the greatest of all wisdom.

Action Point: Are you perplexed by any situation? Look to Jesus and ask God for wisdom on how to handle it.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God

Open Heavens 20 April 2015: Monday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Kingdom of God on Earth

Open Heavens 20 April 2015: Monday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Kingdom of God on Earth 

Memorise: Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. - Matthew 6:10

Read: Matthew 6:9-10

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Bible in One Year: Judges 1:1-3:6 and Matthew 24:15-35

MESSAGE:

The nature of our expectations from God directly depends on His promises to us. Some promises of God may sound incredible, but He is always committed to bringing them to pass. If your expectation does not agree with His promises, you may forfeit its fulfilment. Our God is good and gracious. He does many things to prove His divine power. There are times when God unravels some mysteries to make us believe and know absolutely that His plan and purpose for us cannot be compared to our current struggles and toils. This is why every child of God must pray the kingdom of God into their life (Matthew 6:10). When you make such prayers, you are saying to God: “Let there be no difference between your promises for me and the situation of my life.”.
God has special and specific promises for the righteous alone. These promises are great, and they transcend the condition of any national economy. Righteousness is the only key that ensures the enjoyment of God’s blessings in this world, with the guarantee of making heaven. When the kingdom of God comes and His will is done on earth, then there will be no defeat, failure, sickness, lack, regret or hopelessness. The scripture does not say that the will of God will be done for everybody. It says it will be well with the righteous (Isaiah 3:10). That is to say, only those who are doing the will and the pleasures of God will enjoy His blessings.

“Thy Kingdom come” is a desperate call by someone in need of change. It is a cry for hope in the midst of hopelessness, a cry for healing in the midst of sicknesses and a cry for deliverance in the midst of bondage. It is a deep cry seeking for the intervention of Heaven when earth has failed. Have you been in the bondage of debt for some time? That shame is removed now in Jesus’ Name. Do you know that your time of favour is coming? It is just around the corner. God will remember you and make you overtake those who have earlier gone ahead of you. Once you forsake the government of self and that of the devil; God will begin to administer the affairs of your life. You will then realise that there is no challenge or difficulty too great or too bad for God to fix. As you thirst after His Kingdom, He gives you permanent victory and your life begins to reflect His original plans and purpose in every area. God’s power is supreme. His power cannot be compared or equated with any other power. That is why I am sure that every power working against the fulfilment of God’s will in your life here on earth shall be consumed by the fire of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer Point: Father, let your kingdom come in my life, and let your will be done in all of my ways.

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. SUNDAY 19 APRIL 2015. THEME : BACK TO YOUR VOMIT ?

MEMORISE : And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the
plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. LUKE 9 : 62.

READ : 2 PETER 2 : 20 – 22.
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the
knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled
therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of
righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy
commandment delivered unto them.
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is
turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing
in the mire.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : : JOSHUA 23 – 24 AND MATTHEW 23 : 29 – 24 : 14.
Often, we find someone who starts off very well in the Christian race and then
cools off later. Sometimes, some people who used to be very hot for the Lord
may even leave the Lord completely. When such things happen, thoughtful
minds wonder, “Who will be the next to leave the Lord?” invariably, the answer
is “Not me!” We are all kept standing by the grace and strength of the Lord.
Another word for going back to your vomit is backsliding. It means to turn
away from the Lord ( 1Kings 11 : 9 ). It also means to grow cold and leave your
first love ( Revelations 2 : 4 ). When a person returns to his vomit, there will
be a loss of joy, happiness, peace of mind and power. Darkness and murmuring
will replace light and songs of praise. That will not be your portion in Jesus’
Name. When I was meditating on Elisha’s decisions to kill off his oxen, I
realised that he did this to demonstrate the burning of the bridge that could
lead him back to his vomit ( 1Kings 19 : 21 ). The one who is going to become
great must make up his or her mind never to look back. Whatever will not let
you follow Jesus through and through will be destroyed in Jesus’ Name. I am
never sympathetic to anything that could stop me from becoming what God
wants me to become. Whatever will not let you ascend to the greatness that
God has for you must give way. Any friendship with the world or association
with anyone that will impede your progress to the place of greatness must be
removed.

The past is gone, and the present must be faced with proper zeal and
commitment. Anyone driving a car cannot afford to concentrate on the rear
mirror if they want to avoid catastrophe and disaster. This is why Paul said
that he forgets those things that are behind ( Philippians 3 : 13 ). There are
many reasons why some people go back to their vomit. The major reasons why
Lot went back to his vomit was because he lusted after something that was not
God’s will for him. The love of money has made many people sell their future.
This was the case with Judas Iscariot ( John 12 : 4 – 6 ). You cannot serve God
and please the world at the same time. When you find someone who has always
been fervent in the things of God now giving excuses for being absent from
church programmes, it is only a matter of time; the person will soon return to
his or her vomit. If you find yourself in such a situation, God is saying to you
like the prodigal son, return and be forgiven. God does not want any sinner to
die in his sins; neither does He want His children to be at the mercy of the
devil. It doesn’t matter how far down you have gone; He is ready to make you
a better child of His.

ACTION POINT :
Examine yourself; if you have backslidden in any way, repent and return to
your first works.

AUTHOR : Pst. E . A ADEBOYE.

How does the Bible define a good Christian family?

Question: "How does the Bible define a good Christian family?"

Answer:A good Christian family is one which lines up with biblical principles and one in which each member understands and fulfills his or her God-given role. The family is not an institution designed by man. It was created by God, and man has been given the responsibility of stewardship over it. The basic biblical family unit is comprised of one man, one woman—his spouse—and their offspring or adopted children. The extended family can include relatives by blood or marriage such as grandparents, nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles. One of the primary principles of the family unit is that it involves a commitment ordained by God for the lifetime of the members. The husband and wife are responsible for holding it together, the current attitude of our culture notwithstanding. Although divorce is sought and granted much too easily in our society, the Bible tells us that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16).

Ephesians 5:22-26provide the guidelines for husbands and wives in a good Christian family. The husband is required to love his wife as Christ loved the church, and a wife should respect her husband and willingly submit to his leadership in the family. The husband's leadership role should start with spiritual matters and then flow to instructing and teaching both his wife and their offspring scriptural values, leading the family into biblical truth. Of course, the first requirement for the members of a good Christian family is that they all be Christians, having a true relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Fathers are instructed to bring up their children in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). A father is also to provide for his family. If he does not, he “denies the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). So a man who makes no effort to provide for his family cannot rightly call himself a Christian. This does not mean that the wife cannot assist in supporting the family—Proverbs 31demonstrates that a godly wife may surely do so—but providing for the family is not primarily her responsibility; it is her husband’s.

Woman was given to man for the purpose of being her husband’s helper (Genesis 2:18-20) and to bear children. Husband and wife are to remain faithful to one another for a lifetime. This eliminates the cultural view that divorce, living together without being married, and same-sex marriage are acceptable in God’s eyes. Sexuality expressed according to biblical standards is a beautiful expression of love and commitment. Outside of marriage, it is sin. God declares equality of worth in that all people, men and women, are created in God's image and likeness, and are therefore equally valuable in His eyes. This does not mean, however, that men and women have identical roles in life. Women are more adept at nurturing and caring for the young, while men are better equipped to provide for and protect the family. Thus, they are equal in status, but each has a different role to play.

Children are given two primary responsibilities in the family: to obey their parents and to honor them (Ephesians 6:1-3). Obeying parents is the duty of children until they reach adulthood, but we are to honor our parents for a lifetime. God promises His blessings on those whohonor their parents.

When a husband, wife and children all fulfill their God-appointed roles in the family, when they have all committed their lives to Christ and to His service, then peace and harmony will reign in the home. But if we try to have a good Christian family without Christ as Head, or without adhering to the biblical principles the Lord has lovingly provided for us, we will fail.

Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-family.html#ixzz3XeT6zuld

Open Heavens 18 April 2015: Saturday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Give Wisely

Open Heavens 18 April 2015: Saturday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Give Wisely

Memorise: The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. - Proverbs 11:25

Read: Genesis 23:12-14

12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.

13 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,

Bible in One Year: Joshua 22, Matthew 23:1-28

MESSAGE:

There are certain things people don’t know about sowing and reaping. This lack of knowledge has denied some people their harvest. There is a need therefore to always ask God for the wisdom of sow and reap rightly in every area of life. It is one thing to know what to sow and it is another thing to know how to sow it. Of importance also is the need to know where to sow and how to water what has been sown to produce the desired harvest. Ask any farmer who understands natural farming principles, he will tell you that reaping a good harvest is usually a walk in the park once the correct principles are followed. There are people who will sow today and want to reap today. According to Scripture, such an expectation is not applicable to great harvests. There was a time I was sowing a particular item into the life of people and I was worried because the harvest was taking time. I therefore asked God what was happening and He said “Son, if you plant maize, you can harvest it within three months, but if you plant yam, you will have to wait a little longer.” The greater the quality of seed sown, the longer you will have to wait to enter into your harvest.

Entering into your ultimate financial breakthrough may not come as easily as you think. It may involve sowing at a time most inconvenient; it may even involve seemingly endangering your today and tomorrow through a selfless seed. I have discovered that it is not poverty that stops some people from giving but their unwillingness to give. The good news for those who sow in tears is that they will always reap in joy. Many people have lost their harvest because of impatience. If you have sown quality seeds, give them enough time to mature so that you can enter into your desired harvest. Also, it is important for you to know that God does not expect you to meet every need out there. You have to be sensitive to locate the grounds that will give you your desired results. The ability to offer something big is a choice. Stop limiting yourself. When God has brought you ton a level where you can give a =N=10,000 offering and you are dropping =N=1,000, what you are indirectly telling God is that you don’t deserve to be on the level He has placed you. Don’t demote yourself by your attitude to giving to kingdom projects. Do you complain that you cannot give because you are poor? That is the excuse the devil uses to deny many from entering into their breakthrough. You may not sow money all the time, but you can offer your commitment to the work on ground. All those volunteered their services at no cost towards various projects at the Redemption Campground have been mightily blessed of the Lord. All the artisans who had only their skills to sow at that time have now become channels of blessings to others.

Key Point: Whatever you sow may leave your hand, but it cannot leave your life.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. 

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. FRIDAY 17 APRIL 2015. THEME : KEEP YOURSELF HUMBLE.

MEMORISE : Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that
he may exalt you in due time. 1PETER 5 : 6.

READ : 1 SAMUEL 15 : 17 – 19.
17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not
made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over
Israel?
18 And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the
sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly
upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JOSHUA 19 : 40 -21 : 45 AND MATTHEW 22 : 15 – 46.

Several years ago, I was on a visit to a parish of our church in Ilesha (a town
in southwest Nigeria) on the same day that a Bible Study service was to take
place. Because I wanted to be blessed, I sat down in the congregation waiting
for the Bible Study teacher to commence the lesson for the day. However, an
overzealous usher announced that I was around, and so the Bible Study teacher
refused to teach while I was sitting in the congregation. When he insisted, I
offered to interpret the message for him. In spite of this, he still would not
teach. I then ordered, “As the General Overseer, I command you to teach.” Not
wanting to disobey me, he started teaching, though he was uncomfortable
having me as his interpreter. It was a humorous scene, but we had a wonderful
time.

One great undoing of present-day minister is pride. Humility can be discerned
from your relationship with your superiors and subordinates. When you respect
your subordinates as though they were your superiors, you are beginning to
learn the principles of a humble life. There is nothing good that can come out of
arrogance and pride: only destruction. Some people are humble when their
ministry is still modest, but the moment they gain publicity and popularity,
they become so proud and see themselves as infallible. The same Saul that was
hiding when he was being made king started disobeying God without remorse
when he became settled. Do you know that a simple “I am sorry, Lord” from Eli
could have saved him from being rejected and destroyed by God? Instead, his
response to the situation at hand showed that he was not bothered about God’s
judgment (1 Samuel 3 : 18 ). Rather than asking for God to show mercy, he told
God to “do as He pleases.” May God not “do as He pleases” in your life in Jesus’
Name. If God is to do as He pleases, nobody will be able to stand ( Psalm 130 :
3 ). When you clothe yourself with humility, your life becomes blessed and
favoured ( James 4 : 6 & 10 ), and you become a channel of blessing to everyone
around you. Jesus Christ, our Master and King, humbled Himself to die a
shameful death ( Philippians 2 : 8 ). Let the mind of Christ be in you always. He
made himself of no reputation. He took the posture of a servant through the
spirit of humility. It is against this backdrop that God decided to exalt Him
highly and gave Him a Name that is above every other name. Pride usually goes
before a fall. Pride is excessive self-esteem. It brings about the misconception
that one is better than others. This is dangerous because God is the only one
who can help you in the fulfilment of your destiny. With humility, you can
conquer the world.

KEY POINT :
It is better for you to humble yourself than for God to humble you.

AUTHOR : Pst. E . A ADEBOYE.

Open Heavens 16 April 2015: Thursday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Money & The Love Of It

Open Heavens 16 April 2015: Thursday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Money & The Love Of It 

Memorise: For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. - 1 Timothy 6:10

READ: 1 Timothy 6:6-11

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Bible in One Year: Joshua 18:1-19:39, Matthew 21:33-22:14

MESSAGE:

God knows no lack, and He expects His children to reach a height of financial greatness where lack will be forgotten forever. The one whose name is El-shaddai can provide for all of your needs. Gathering wealth by honest means is the path to increase. Those who get rich quick by bribing their way or engaging in fraudulent means are only digging their own pit. Wealth gotten by vanity will diminish. Many are secretly envying unbelievers because of their wealth. This is foolishness. You have to wait upon the Lord to show you your source of wealth so that you don’t overrun yourself. Wealth from the Almighty God is supposed to be a blessing, but when the search for wealth is taken to the extreme, it becomes a curse. You must never pursue wealth to the detriment of your soul. There are many people looking for wealth for the wrong reasons. Some want to be rich because they feel wealth commands respect. For some others, it is to satisfy the thirst of belonging to a certain social class. Some people want wealth so as to use it as an instrument of oppression or revenge. God will not support such motives. The devil is always out to exploit your insincerity. He will give you options of getting fast wealth outside the will of God. Once you fall for it, you may never come out of his trap except God decides to have mercy on you.

Many rich people are never satisfied. There is something in them that pushes them to want to accumulate more wealth for reasons they can’t explain (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Contentment is a virtue that cannot be bought with money (1 Timothy 6:6). If you have contentment, you can never be trapped in the deceitfulness of riches. Do you know that there are many people out in search of wealth, struggling in places where God has not put them? Isaac thought of escaping to Egypt to avoid famine or scarcity, but God asked him to remain in Gerar (Genesis 26:1-2). He obeyed God and sowed his seed right where he was, and there was a great harvest for him. He became so great that the natives of the land envied his wealth. All you need to do is to cultivate the right relationship with God, and He will always direct you to where your blessing will locate you. Another problem for the wealthy is the temptation of using their money to buy what will destroy them. You need to know how much the devil is taking from many through the medium of cigarettes, alcohol and hard drugs. Some people never planned to have extra-martial affairs until they started having money. The kind of wealth that will disconnect you from God will never come into your hands in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point: Father, keep me from wealth that will lead to my destruction.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. 

Why did Jesus fold the Napkin?

Sherry L Merideth

I learned this in church today!! I did not know about the napkin!

INTERESTING
Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? I never noticed this....
The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed separate from the grave clothes.
Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!' Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see.. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.
Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side.
Was that important? Absolutely!
Is it really significant? Yes!
In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.
When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it..
The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished. Now, if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.
The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done'.
But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table,
because........... The folded napkin meant,
'I'm coming back!'
HE'S COMING BACK!!!!

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. WEDNESDAY 15 APRIL 2015: RESPECT THE ANOINTING. 

MEMORISE : Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
PSALM 105 : 5.

READ : 1 SAMUEL 24 : 1 – 6.
1 AND it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines,
that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.
2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to
seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went
in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.
4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said
unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest
do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the
skirt of Saul’s robe privily.
5 And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had
cut off Saul’s skirt.
6 And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my
master, the LORD’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing
he is the anointed of the LORD.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : JOSHUA 15 – 17 AND MATHEW 21 : 18 – 32.

There is a saying that the anointing you don’t respect will never work for you.
When Elisha was following Elijah from one point to the other, the fifty sons of
the prophet who were at Jericho were waiting to see the outcome, expecting
that relationship would end hopelessly. They even confronted Elisha and
reminded him that his shine would soon be over because his master would soon
be taken away. In 2 Kings 2 : 15, after they saw that a superior anointing had
been transferred to Elisha, voluntarily, they all bowed before him. When the
Holy Spirit comes upon an individual, he is no longer the same, irrespective of
his age, status or qualifications. Despite all the activities of Saul in trying to
destroy David, David still respected the anointing on Saul’s life, even though his
activities were incongruent with the word of God. For those who respect the
anointing, God has a way of changing death to life for them. He has a way of
making their enemies to become their servants. The same sword that Goliath
wanted to use in eliminating David was what David used to eliminate him.

Another lesson from the life of David is this : David fought only the battles he
could win. When you rebelling against the leader God has put over you because
of his firmness, you are already fighting a battle you can’t win. You cannot
fight against the anointed of God and win because God has already decreed it.
God fought for David throughout his sojourn. Whenever God decides to fight
for someone, the battle is always very short and victory is assured. The person
that God is fighting for may not even need to do anything at all other than
just wait for victory. In one of our monthly Holy Ghost services held at the
Redemption Camp, some agents of darkness lined themselves up around the
place from which I ascend to the pulpit. I knew of this opposition because of
the spiritual gift of discernment. In the midst of being lost in the thought of
what I do, I committed the message to the Lord in prayer. The Lord told me to
go ahead and preach despite the opposition. He told me that His anointing upon
my head is able to make my cup run over in the presence of my enemies. To the
glory of God, the Lord took control of everything and His people were mightily
blessed on that day. When the anointing comes upon your head by faith, you
will never be the same again. This cup of this unction and power of the Lord will
overflow on your head in the presence of your enemies. This uncommon
anointing will break every yoke, heal sickness, cure the incurable, set the
captives free, raise the dead and enable you rule in the midst of your enemies.

ACTION POINT :
Have you partaken in rebellion against the anointed of God in any way ‘ Repent
and be converted today’

AUTHOR : Pst. E . A ADEBOYE.

Open Heavens 14 April 2015: Tuesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Tear That Garment!

Open Heavens 14 April 2015: Tuesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Tear That Garment! 

Memorise: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; Ephesians 4:22

Read: Colossians 3:8-10

8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Bible in One Year: Joshua 12:7-14:15, Mathew 20:29-21:17

MESSAGE:

After experiencing salvation, the heart cry of every child of God should be to live above sin. The Bible teaches that glorious victory over sin is available for every believer (Romans 6:14). The moment we are serious about tapping into the grace that Christ has made available to us, all that was evil in us will remain permanently buried. Some Christians have never even heard of the victorious life of holiness, so they continue sinning and confessing their sins from day to day. You need to know that God has made us triumph always in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 2:14). However,recognise the fact that despite the provision of victory over sin, you still have your own free will. You can choose to accept or reject a life of victory over sin. If you yield to christ, you will be free from the power of sin (Romans 6:7-8), but if you yield to sin, you will go down from iniquity to iniquity (Romans 6:19). Temptation is one of the most familiar experiences of a true child of God, and no one can totally escape from it. This is why the Lord taught us in Mathew 6:13a to include this petition in our daily prayer:

'And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:'

Temptation is not sin until you yield to it. When Joseph found himself cornered by Potiphar's wife, he ran away, tearing his garment (Genesis 39:12). Thank God his destiny was not torn. Tear off the garment of those things that can cause you to backslide.

The salvation of your soul is worth more than all the wealth of this world. The devil is aware of this and that is why he wants you to lose your salvation. From 1 John 2:15-17 we understand that, the root of all besetting sins is the love of the world. This is expressed through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Lust runs against God's expectation. Lust will not allow us to see the One leading the way. Concerning pride, the Bible says that those who exalt themselves shall be abased (Matthew 23:12). We must be wary of gossip and those who make it their past time. There is danger in idle words. God is not against laughter and humour as some wrongly believe, but he frowns at jestings, which are unholy jokes (Ephesians 5:4). Following in the Lord's footsteps requires self- denial, which is an exercise that must be done daily. We must acknowledge that we are helpless and hopeless without the mercy of God, and confess our sins no matter how numerous and terrible they are (Proverbs 28:13). We must seek God's face for pardon to give room for the Blood of Jesus which alone can do the cleansing.

Prayer Point: Father, as I yield myself to your Spirit, tear away every garment that makes me susceptible to sin.'

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. 

Open Heavens 13 April 2015: Monday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Reward of Unrighteousness

Open Heavens 13 April 2015: Monday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Reward of Unrighteousness

Topic: The Reward of Unrighteousness [Monday April 13, 2015]

Memorise: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. -Romans 6:23

Read: Acts 5:1-11 (KJV)

1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.

7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.

8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.

9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.

10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

Bible in One Year: Joshua 10:16-12:6, Mathew 20:1-28

MESSAGE:

In our Bible reading, we find a couple, Ananias and Sapphira, who were gravely judged and punished because they lied. Just like this couple, there are some Christians who give God 5% of their income and label it as tithe.Galatians 6:7 says,

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

Anyone who changes the word of God is a son of perdition, and the end of such is not to be desired. Jesus Christ said that of all the people given to Him by God, He did not lose anyone except the son of perdition (John 17:12). At the time He made this statement, Judas Iscariot was still going around as a disciple. However, as far as Jesus was concerned, he was already lost. Although judas cast out demons and also went on evangelism with other disciples, his final place was perdition. He had no lot in the Kingdom of God. Something very frightening is that some people even steal what others have given to God. When all has been said and done, some very devoted people in church will miss it because of the impure motives behind their service.

Do you know that some people assist the tempter? You may wonder how this can be. After they have fed their eyes with lust including items and activities during the day, they recline to ponder over them later. Before long, they may find themselves practicing such ungodly acts. This was the undoing of Samson. Everywhere he went he had issues with women. He was supposed to be God's answer to the enemies of Isreal, and the power of God was mighty upon his life. He moved from killing a ferocious lion with his bare hands, to killing one thousand men with the jaw bone of an ass. Nevertheless, after he failed to heed God's several warnings, he received the reward of unrighteousness, and judgment was unleashed on him. He experienced an unpleasant turning point: the man who was once unconquerable became the conquered, and the victor became the victim. Bound and blinded, he was taken into captivity and became a slave who was forced to grind corn in the enemy's prison. In Jesus' Name, your case will not be like that of Samson. God has been warning a lot of people, saying ' get away from the side of the world and follow the path of righteousness ', but such people often think they can outsmart God. They think that because everything seems to be alright, they are still safe, not knowing the wrath of God is awaiting them. It is a dangerous thing to continue to resist the Almighty.

Action Point: In any area you have erred, open your ears and your heart to yield to God in repentance.'

Open Heavens Daily Devotionalwritten by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God