Memorise: Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. - Hebrews 4:16
Read: Luke 1:5-13 (KJV)
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
Bible In One Year: Exodus 1-3; Romans 3:9-31
MESSAGE:
Prayer unleashes great possibilities to anyone who is given to it. Looking at the experience of Zacharias in today's Bible reading, we can see some of the things made possible through prayer. First, when you pray, you attract angelic visitations into your situation. In other words, prayer brings the supernatural into the natural. Any time you are tired of the ordinary, pray, and you will see the supernatural. Are you tired of seeing ordinary results? Pray, and you will soon receive results that are beyond your imagination.
In addition, when you pray, your fear is substituted with calmness. Prayer causes fear to dissipate, because it is linked with faith, just as fear is linked with unbelief. While intensive prayers were going on in the temple, Zacharias heard an angel say "Fear not". When you hear "fear not", don't jump up in excitement until you have found out the source of that command. For instance, if a man tells you not to be afraid, there may still be reasons to accommodate some elements of fear, because of man's several limitations; but if God tells you not to be afraid, then you can rest assured there is nothing to fear.
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." - Hebrews 4:16
Are you afraid? Pray! As you engage the prayer gear, boldness will surge into you, and before long, fear would have disappeared. If you are constantly tormented by fear, it is an indication of the absence of an effective prayer life. If you pray often, you will always be looking up at the sunny side of life. You will be optimistic. You will have hope for the future and easily accept that your tomorrow will be alright. On the other hand, if you seldom pray, you will always see the bleak side of life. You will be easily discouraged. You will be full of fear, worry and anxiety. You will equally be filled with suspicion. With fear in your heart, it will almost be impossible to do what you should do, go where you should go and be all you were created to be. Fear paralyses, don't give room to it.
Key Point: Prayerlessness ensnares the prayerless fellow in the trap of fear. Only a fervent, vibrant and consistent prayer life can set him free.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
Monday 31 August 2015
Sunday 30 August 2015
Open Heavens 30 August 2015: Sunday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Understanding The Abrahamic Blessing
e received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. -Numbers 23:20
Read: Genesis 27:27-29 (KJV)
27. And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:
28. Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
29. Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.
Bible In One Year: Genesis 49-50; Romans 2:12-3:8
MESSAGE:
When God called Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, he instructed him to do certain things, while He promised to bless him in specific ways. One of the articles of this blessing in Genesis 12:3 was:
"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
We can infer from this Scripture that when a man is operating under the blessing of Abraham, his friends will also be blessed, and his enemies will most likely be cursed. Thank God we have access to the blessing of Abraham through Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:14). When a man is blessed, his children are also blessed. The blessing of God on an individual can affect the genealogy of that fellow. Your generations can be blessed because of you. God did not just promise to bless Abraham, He actually fulfilled it. The testimony of Abraham's servant in Genesis 24:34-35, clearly shows God's faithfulness to Abraham. Every good promise the Lord has made to you shall be fulfilled in Jesus' Name.
Now, how can we define blessing? There is a generic definition of blessing and a spiritual definition for it. When all of your needs are being met and you still have extra resources left, generically, you can be said to be blessed. In other words, you cannot be said to be blessed when you are living from hand to mouth or you are begging. To be considered as blessed, there must be an overflow of resources. David in Psalm 23:5 spoke of his cup running over. After you have had enough for yourself and your immediate family, and you still have surplus, generically, you can be said to be blessed. It is good to be healed from a sickness, but it is better to be healthy. You are considered blessed when, instead of just being healthy, the healing virtue flows through you. This shall be your portion in Jesus' Name. On the other hand, the spiritual definition of being blessed is the attainment of a state in which all the forces on earth, in heaven and under the earth are summoned to come to the aid of a person in his or her bid to succeed or excel.
This was exactly what happened to Jacob. Isaac commanded the heavens, the earth and all people to help Jacob succeed (Genesis 27:28-29). In the Name of Jesus, the dew of heaven will favour you, the earth will yield her fatness to you, people and nations will willingly serve you, and you shall remain head everywhere you go.
Prayer Point: Father, release the dew of heaven to me, grant me the fatness of the earth and let nations, situations and circumstances bow down to me.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye,the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
Read: Genesis 27:27-29 (KJV)
27. And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:
28. Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
29. Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.
Bible In One Year: Genesis 49-50; Romans 2:12-3:8
MESSAGE:
When God called Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, he instructed him to do certain things, while He promised to bless him in specific ways. One of the articles of this blessing in Genesis 12:3 was:
"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
We can infer from this Scripture that when a man is operating under the blessing of Abraham, his friends will also be blessed, and his enemies will most likely be cursed. Thank God we have access to the blessing of Abraham through Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:14). When a man is blessed, his children are also blessed. The blessing of God on an individual can affect the genealogy of that fellow. Your generations can be blessed because of you. God did not just promise to bless Abraham, He actually fulfilled it. The testimony of Abraham's servant in Genesis 24:34-35, clearly shows God's faithfulness to Abraham. Every good promise the Lord has made to you shall be fulfilled in Jesus' Name.
Now, how can we define blessing? There is a generic definition of blessing and a spiritual definition for it. When all of your needs are being met and you still have extra resources left, generically, you can be said to be blessed. In other words, you cannot be said to be blessed when you are living from hand to mouth or you are begging. To be considered as blessed, there must be an overflow of resources. David in Psalm 23:5 spoke of his cup running over. After you have had enough for yourself and your immediate family, and you still have surplus, generically, you can be said to be blessed. It is good to be healed from a sickness, but it is better to be healthy. You are considered blessed when, instead of just being healthy, the healing virtue flows through you. This shall be your portion in Jesus' Name. On the other hand, the spiritual definition of being blessed is the attainment of a state in which all the forces on earth, in heaven and under the earth are summoned to come to the aid of a person in his or her bid to succeed or excel.
This was exactly what happened to Jacob. Isaac commanded the heavens, the earth and all people to help Jacob succeed (Genesis 27:28-29). In the Name of Jesus, the dew of heaven will favour you, the earth will yield her fatness to you, people and nations will willingly serve you, and you shall remain head everywhere you go.
Prayer Point: Father, release the dew of heaven to me, grant me the fatness of the earth and let nations, situations and circumstances bow down to me.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye,the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
Saturday 29 August 2015
Open Heavens 29 August 2015: Saturday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – When He Beckons To You
Memorise: In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. - John 7:37
Read: Exodus 3:3-4 (KJV)
3. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
Bible In One Year: Genesis 47-48; Romans 1:18-2:11
MESSAGE:
When a king beckons to you, it means you have caught his attention. InEsther 5:1-3, when King Ahasuerus saw Esther standing in the inner courts of the palace, he immediately raised his sceptre towards her. By so doing, he was inviting her to come nearer. When God beckons to you, you can be assured that things are definitely taking a new turn from that moment. This was the experience of Moses. For 40 years, Moses was at the back side of the desert looking after his father-in-law's sheep; but one day, this well-read and once very promising heir to the throne of Egypt (now turned shepherd boy) encountered the burning bush which was not consumed. He heard God beckon to Him saying "Moses, Moses". From that very moment, his story was never the same. God beckons to you when the day of your favour dawns. There is a user of this devotional: you have invested so much time and money in acquiring several degrees but you have not been able to use them. It appears God has forgotten you for some years, and you have been wondering when the opportunity will ever come for your certificates to work for you. Rejoice! Your time of favour has just dawned. God has just remembered you and is presently beckoning to you. Within the next three months, your life will go through a transformation, to the extent that it will be difficult for you to believe this is happening to you. When the Lord does this for you, do not forget to appreciate Him and testify of it.
In 1969, while doing my postgraduate programme in Mathematics, a friend of mine was doing his research on the coastlines of Lagos, and so he needed to visit all the coastlines and take samples from them. He decided to go to Ebute Metta, Lagos, for some samples. Because we were friends and I was available, I accompanied him. At Ebute Metta, we saw a very large signboard which read "The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)". Looking to see what the big signboard was referring to, we only saw a very little church. I turned to my friend and said "The big name killed a small dog!" We laughed and left. Four years later, somebody invited me to the same RCCG for the first time, saying "There is a small church at Ebute Metta where God is performing miracles." I told him I had seen that church before - the small church with the big signboard. Imagine what God is doing today after beckoning to me. May you heed God's beckoning in Jesus'Name.
Action Point: What you look down on today may be your saving grace tomorrow. Ask for divine guidance in all you do.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
Read: Exodus 3:3-4 (KJV)
3. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
Bible In One Year: Genesis 47-48; Romans 1:18-2:11
MESSAGE:
When a king beckons to you, it means you have caught his attention. InEsther 5:1-3, when King Ahasuerus saw Esther standing in the inner courts of the palace, he immediately raised his sceptre towards her. By so doing, he was inviting her to come nearer. When God beckons to you, you can be assured that things are definitely taking a new turn from that moment. This was the experience of Moses. For 40 years, Moses was at the back side of the desert looking after his father-in-law's sheep; but one day, this well-read and once very promising heir to the throne of Egypt (now turned shepherd boy) encountered the burning bush which was not consumed. He heard God beckon to Him saying "Moses, Moses". From that very moment, his story was never the same. God beckons to you when the day of your favour dawns. There is a user of this devotional: you have invested so much time and money in acquiring several degrees but you have not been able to use them. It appears God has forgotten you for some years, and you have been wondering when the opportunity will ever come for your certificates to work for you. Rejoice! Your time of favour has just dawned. God has just remembered you and is presently beckoning to you. Within the next three months, your life will go through a transformation, to the extent that it will be difficult for you to believe this is happening to you. When the Lord does this for you, do not forget to appreciate Him and testify of it.
In 1969, while doing my postgraduate programme in Mathematics, a friend of mine was doing his research on the coastlines of Lagos, and so he needed to visit all the coastlines and take samples from them. He decided to go to Ebute Metta, Lagos, for some samples. Because we were friends and I was available, I accompanied him. At Ebute Metta, we saw a very large signboard which read "The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)". Looking to see what the big signboard was referring to, we only saw a very little church. I turned to my friend and said "The big name killed a small dog!" We laughed and left. Four years later, somebody invited me to the same RCCG for the first time, saying "There is a small church at Ebute Metta where God is performing miracles." I told him I had seen that church before - the small church with the big signboard. Imagine what God is doing today after beckoning to me. May you heed God's beckoning in Jesus'Name.
Action Point: What you look down on today may be your saving grace tomorrow. Ask for divine guidance in all you do.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
Friday 28 August 2015
Open Heavens 28 August 2015: Friday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – He Still Sends Birds
Memorise: And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook: and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. - 1 Kings 17:4.
Read: 1 Kings 17:2-6 (KJV)
2. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
3. Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5. So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
Bible In One Year: Genesis 45-46; Romans 1:1-17
MESSAGE:
Our God is awesome, and His ways are beyond finding out. Nobody can box God into a pattern or regimen. He can use anything He chooses to achieve His purpose on earth. God uses those who are lowly placed, and He also uses the rich. Luke 8:1-3 tells of some wealthy women who ministered to Jesus from their resources. Mary Magdalene and other women blessed by the Lord resolved to serve Him with the resources they had. Are you rich or wealthy? Do you serve the Lord with your substance? Experience has shown that those who have little are the ones who dare to give their all to God. This was the case with the widow who dropped her mites (Mark 12:41-44). Usually, the rich only give a fraction of what they have because they believe they are giving something big. However, God does not judge by size, He judges by proportion. Hence, the poor can give more than the rich in the sight of God, even if what they give is not as much as what the rich have given in quantity. Justifying why the widow's gift was more than what the rich gave, Jesus in Mark 12:44 said:
"For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."
Moreover, not only can God use humans to accomplish His purpose, He can also use animals. In 1 Kings 17:2-6, God sent ravens to deliver food to His servant, and they obeyed. We have equally seen Him use birds too. When we began to build the Redemption Camp in those early years, there were some trees that provided shade which I instructed the workers to preserve. Some little birds came in their hundreds of thousands to perch on these trees. Whenever they descended on them, there would be no leaves left on the trees the following day. They were also very noisy. I wondered if they were demonic birds. Some of my children who had guns would enter their midst and fire some shots; yet, they refused to go away. Some birds were hit by the fired bullets and dropped dead, but the rest stayed on. At some point, it appeared the more they were killed, the more they multiplied! The situation became unbearable. I therefore called on God to help us one morning. That evening, several eagles came and began to eat them up. Within hours, there was not a single one of them left. God has not stopped using birds! If He needs to send birds to meet your needs, He will do so; but you need to show Him that you can serve Him with all He has given to you. How faithfully have you served God? To what extent can you risk your life and all He has given to you for His service?
Key Point: God can mobilise all of His resources to satisfy the needs of those who can give Him their all.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
Read: 1 Kings 17:2-6 (KJV)
2. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
3. Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
5. So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6. And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
Bible In One Year: Genesis 45-46; Romans 1:1-17
MESSAGE:
Our God is awesome, and His ways are beyond finding out. Nobody can box God into a pattern or regimen. He can use anything He chooses to achieve His purpose on earth. God uses those who are lowly placed, and He also uses the rich. Luke 8:1-3 tells of some wealthy women who ministered to Jesus from their resources. Mary Magdalene and other women blessed by the Lord resolved to serve Him with the resources they had. Are you rich or wealthy? Do you serve the Lord with your substance? Experience has shown that those who have little are the ones who dare to give their all to God. This was the case with the widow who dropped her mites (Mark 12:41-44). Usually, the rich only give a fraction of what they have because they believe they are giving something big. However, God does not judge by size, He judges by proportion. Hence, the poor can give more than the rich in the sight of God, even if what they give is not as much as what the rich have given in quantity. Justifying why the widow's gift was more than what the rich gave, Jesus in Mark 12:44 said:
"For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."
Moreover, not only can God use humans to accomplish His purpose, He can also use animals. In 1 Kings 17:2-6, God sent ravens to deliver food to His servant, and they obeyed. We have equally seen Him use birds too. When we began to build the Redemption Camp in those early years, there were some trees that provided shade which I instructed the workers to preserve. Some little birds came in their hundreds of thousands to perch on these trees. Whenever they descended on them, there would be no leaves left on the trees the following day. They were also very noisy. I wondered if they were demonic birds. Some of my children who had guns would enter their midst and fire some shots; yet, they refused to go away. Some birds were hit by the fired bullets and dropped dead, but the rest stayed on. At some point, it appeared the more they were killed, the more they multiplied! The situation became unbearable. I therefore called on God to help us one morning. That evening, several eagles came and began to eat them up. Within hours, there was not a single one of them left. God has not stopped using birds! If He needs to send birds to meet your needs, He will do so; but you need to show Him that you can serve Him with all He has given to you. How faithfully have you served God? To what extent can you risk your life and all He has given to you for His service?
Key Point: God can mobilise all of His resources to satisfy the needs of those who can give Him their all.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
Thursday 27 August 2015
Open Heavens 27 August 2015: Thursday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Weapons for God's Servants
Memorise: And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. - 1 Samuel 3:19
Read: 1 Samuel 3:19-21 (KJV)
19. And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
20. And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
21. And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
Bible In One Year: Genesis 43-44; John 21:15-25
MESSAGE:
There are some principles of God that can be used as weapons by everyone, regardless of their faith. Divine principles relating to the natural world are given to all to harness the power inherent in them. For example, the principle of sowing and reaping falls into this category. However, there are some weapons of God that are exclusively for those who have believed in Jesus Christ. In this subset, there are some weapons designed for the use of God's servants; one of which is prophecy. The Bible in Amos 3:7 says,
"Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."
God attaches great importance to the words of His servants. In fact, if you walk closely with God, He will personally honour your word, just as He did with Samuel (1 Samuel 3:19). If only you can work on your relationship with God as His servant, He will become the backbone of your words. In other words, whenever you speak, people will tremble because they know God will back you up. In Ezekiel 37:1-10, God asked Ezekiel if dry bones could live, and he replied that only God could tell. Thereafter, God told him to prophesy: to make simple pronouncements from his mouth. He did, and God backed up his words. The result was a mighty army raised from dry bones.
Another weapon available to God's servants, closely linked with prophecy, is decrees. Job 22:21-28 reveals that if a servant of God can satisfy certain conditions, he will decree a thing and it shall be established. When you go through Scriptures, you will discover that those who skilfully used this weapon were mainly prophets of God. A heavily indebted widow ran to Elisha in 2 Kings 4:1-7, and he gave her certain instructions, decreeing that the little oil she had would continue to multiply until all available vessels she had were filled up. It happened just as he decreed. Notice that He did not say "Thus saith the Lord". Similarly, a very rich, elderly and barren woman who had consistently taken care of Elisha was told "Madam, nine months from now, you will have a son." She did not believe it, but it happened as Elisha decreed (2 Kings 4:16-17). When you hear a prophecy, you need faith in order to receive it and see its manifestation; but when it is a decree, even your doubts cannot stop it. As a servant of God, have you been using these weapons that God has made available to you?
Action Point: After worshipping God today, decree good things into your life, family, workplace, ministry, etc.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
Read: 1 Samuel 3:19-21 (KJV)
19. And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
20. And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
21. And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
Bible In One Year: Genesis 43-44; John 21:15-25
MESSAGE:
There are some principles of God that can be used as weapons by everyone, regardless of their faith. Divine principles relating to the natural world are given to all to harness the power inherent in them. For example, the principle of sowing and reaping falls into this category. However, there are some weapons of God that are exclusively for those who have believed in Jesus Christ. In this subset, there are some weapons designed for the use of God's servants; one of which is prophecy. The Bible in Amos 3:7 says,
"Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."
God attaches great importance to the words of His servants. In fact, if you walk closely with God, He will personally honour your word, just as He did with Samuel (1 Samuel 3:19). If only you can work on your relationship with God as His servant, He will become the backbone of your words. In other words, whenever you speak, people will tremble because they know God will back you up. In Ezekiel 37:1-10, God asked Ezekiel if dry bones could live, and he replied that only God could tell. Thereafter, God told him to prophesy: to make simple pronouncements from his mouth. He did, and God backed up his words. The result was a mighty army raised from dry bones.
Another weapon available to God's servants, closely linked with prophecy, is decrees. Job 22:21-28 reveals that if a servant of God can satisfy certain conditions, he will decree a thing and it shall be established. When you go through Scriptures, you will discover that those who skilfully used this weapon were mainly prophets of God. A heavily indebted widow ran to Elisha in 2 Kings 4:1-7, and he gave her certain instructions, decreeing that the little oil she had would continue to multiply until all available vessels she had were filled up. It happened just as he decreed. Notice that He did not say "Thus saith the Lord". Similarly, a very rich, elderly and barren woman who had consistently taken care of Elisha was told "Madam, nine months from now, you will have a son." She did not believe it, but it happened as Elisha decreed (2 Kings 4:16-17). When you hear a prophecy, you need faith in order to receive it and see its manifestation; but when it is a decree, even your doubts cannot stop it. As a servant of God, have you been using these weapons that God has made available to you?
Action Point: After worshipping God today, decree good things into your life, family, workplace, ministry, etc.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
Wednesday 26 August 2015
Open Heavens 26 August 2015: Wednesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Cruelty, Exploitation & Stealing
Memorise: Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. - Ephesians 4:28
Read: Ephesians 4:25-29 (KJV)
25. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27. Neither give place to the devil.
28. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Bible In One Year: Genesis 41:37-42:38; John 20:24-21:14
MESSAGE:
Although God loves the sinner, He hates their sins. For example, because God hates stealing, He commanded us not to steal (Exodus 20:15). In spite of God's commandment however, there is still so much stealing going on at workplaces these days. One way employees steal from their employers is by inflating the cost of items they are sent to buy in order to make some profit for themselves. If you were sent on an errand and you have some money leftover, it is your duty to return that money to the one who sent you. Today, many people corner such money into their pockets. This is wrong! It is stealing for a chauffeur to be given N2000 for petrol and he buys N1500 worth, pocketing the rest. It is also wrong for you to ask for a bribe from your clients or customers before carrying out a task you are paid for. If you do so, you are stealing from your organisation's reputation, goodwill and position as a credible workplace. What the organisation stands to lose is far worse than what you stand to gain from such a bribe. Are you a thief?
On the other hand, some employers are cruel, exploitative and they steal from their employees. If you detain your employee beyond the normal closing hours and you fail to pay them the stated amount for extra hours of work done, you are a thief. If you pay your workers below a liveable wage, you are exploitative. If you fail to pay salaries when due, it is cruel. If you take advantage of your staff by paying them peanuts just because there are no jobs around, you are exploiting them. If you fail to keep promises made to your staff, you are a thief. Organisations that fail to give their staff at least one day off from a week of work are cruel and exploitative. If you are using your workers without caring about their welfare, family and even the time they have to serve God, you are cruel. When you fail to promote hardworking staff at the pre-agreed time, you are a thief. An employer who goes into an extra-marital affair with a member of staff is exploitative and is a thief. There are some employers or top company executives who recruit young ladies only after they agree to sleep with them. This is cruel, exploitative and amounts to stealing. Are you cruel to your staff or are you stealing from them? Do you exploit your employees or subordinates? As a pastor, are you abusing your ecclesiastical authority over the inheritance of God under your care? It's time to repent of these before the judgement of God comes knocking.
Action Point: Examine your relationship with your employer or employee(s). Carry out restitution on any act of cruelty, exploitation or stealing.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
Read: Ephesians 4:25-29 (KJV)
25. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27. Neither give place to the devil.
28. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Bible In One Year: Genesis 41:37-42:38; John 20:24-21:14
MESSAGE:
Although God loves the sinner, He hates their sins. For example, because God hates stealing, He commanded us not to steal (Exodus 20:15). In spite of God's commandment however, there is still so much stealing going on at workplaces these days. One way employees steal from their employers is by inflating the cost of items they are sent to buy in order to make some profit for themselves. If you were sent on an errand and you have some money leftover, it is your duty to return that money to the one who sent you. Today, many people corner such money into their pockets. This is wrong! It is stealing for a chauffeur to be given N2000 for petrol and he buys N1500 worth, pocketing the rest. It is also wrong for you to ask for a bribe from your clients or customers before carrying out a task you are paid for. If you do so, you are stealing from your organisation's reputation, goodwill and position as a credible workplace. What the organisation stands to lose is far worse than what you stand to gain from such a bribe. Are you a thief?
On the other hand, some employers are cruel, exploitative and they steal from their employees. If you detain your employee beyond the normal closing hours and you fail to pay them the stated amount for extra hours of work done, you are a thief. If you pay your workers below a liveable wage, you are exploitative. If you fail to pay salaries when due, it is cruel. If you take advantage of your staff by paying them peanuts just because there are no jobs around, you are exploiting them. If you fail to keep promises made to your staff, you are a thief. Organisations that fail to give their staff at least one day off from a week of work are cruel and exploitative. If you are using your workers without caring about their welfare, family and even the time they have to serve God, you are cruel. When you fail to promote hardworking staff at the pre-agreed time, you are a thief. An employer who goes into an extra-marital affair with a member of staff is exploitative and is a thief. There are some employers or top company executives who recruit young ladies only after they agree to sleep with them. This is cruel, exploitative and amounts to stealing. Are you cruel to your staff or are you stealing from them? Do you exploit your employees or subordinates? As a pastor, are you abusing your ecclesiastical authority over the inheritance of God under your care? It's time to repent of these before the judgement of God comes knocking.
Action Point: Examine your relationship with your employer or employee(s). Carry out restitution on any act of cruelty, exploitation or stealing.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
Sunday 23 August 2015
Open Heavens 23 August 2015: Sunday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Heaven at Last
Memorise: In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so l would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. -John 14:2
Read: Revelation 21:1-8 (KJV)
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Bible in one year: Genesis 35-36; John 18:33-19:16
MESSAGE:
You may have wondered in your heart, "Of what benefit is it to me to deny myself the pleasures of sin by living a holy life?" I have good news for you: it is of great benefit. One major benefit of living a holy life is the assurance of making it to Heaven. Our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:8 said:
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God"
Many people are being deceived today by the doctrine that says you can still make it to Heaven even when you live in sin, so far as you have confessed Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Don't be deceived; Heaven is not for everyone. It is not for sinners, nor is it for the wicked; it is for the pure in heart. Heaven is not for souls confessing salvation but still living in sin. Nothing that is defiled or tarnished with sin can be allowed into Heaven (Revelation 21:27). It is a prepared place for a prepared people. Nobody can get there by wishful thinking. The Lord Jesus Christ has gone ahead of us to prepare a place for us, and He will definitely return to take us there (John 14:1-3).Will you be among those who will be welcomed into Heaven? Beloved, many people are fast shifting their focus away from heaven to earth. In fact, Satan is giving some people a very comfortable piece of the world so that they will forget about Heaven. Is comfort or wealth eroding your faith in Christ? Are wealth and earthly pleasure replacing God in your heart? Don't let anything good or bad hinder you from making it to Heaven!
Living a life of holiness is also of benefit to your life on earth. One of such benefits is the anointing. Hebrews 1:9 says:
"Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows:
"Oil" in this Scripture symbolises the Holy Spirit. If you want the anointing, you must live a holy life. If you want the power of God to move freely through your life and ministry, you must be holy. In fact, the degree to which you are holy will determine the extent of the anointing upon your life. Based on this, you can easily tell that those ministers of the gospel who appear to be highly anointed but lack holiness must have gotten their power from some other source and not God. If you want power from God, you cannot get it by Compromising with sin. Are you living a holy life?
Key Point: God can only entrust you with His power if you are living a life of holiness.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
Read: Revelation 21:1-8 (KJV)
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Bible in one year: Genesis 35-36; John 18:33-19:16
MESSAGE:
You may have wondered in your heart, "Of what benefit is it to me to deny myself the pleasures of sin by living a holy life?" I have good news for you: it is of great benefit. One major benefit of living a holy life is the assurance of making it to Heaven. Our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:8 said:
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God"
Many people are being deceived today by the doctrine that says you can still make it to Heaven even when you live in sin, so far as you have confessed Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Don't be deceived; Heaven is not for everyone. It is not for sinners, nor is it for the wicked; it is for the pure in heart. Heaven is not for souls confessing salvation but still living in sin. Nothing that is defiled or tarnished with sin can be allowed into Heaven (Revelation 21:27). It is a prepared place for a prepared people. Nobody can get there by wishful thinking. The Lord Jesus Christ has gone ahead of us to prepare a place for us, and He will definitely return to take us there (John 14:1-3).Will you be among those who will be welcomed into Heaven? Beloved, many people are fast shifting their focus away from heaven to earth. In fact, Satan is giving some people a very comfortable piece of the world so that they will forget about Heaven. Is comfort or wealth eroding your faith in Christ? Are wealth and earthly pleasure replacing God in your heart? Don't let anything good or bad hinder you from making it to Heaven!
Living a life of holiness is also of benefit to your life on earth. One of such benefits is the anointing. Hebrews 1:9 says:
"Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows:
"Oil" in this Scripture symbolises the Holy Spirit. If you want the anointing, you must live a holy life. If you want the power of God to move freely through your life and ministry, you must be holy. In fact, the degree to which you are holy will determine the extent of the anointing upon your life. Based on this, you can easily tell that those ministers of the gospel who appear to be highly anointed but lack holiness must have gotten their power from some other source and not God. If you want power from God, you cannot get it by Compromising with sin. Are you living a holy life?
Key Point: God can only entrust you with His power if you are living a life of holiness.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
Saturday 22 August 2015
Open Heavens 22 August 2015: Saturday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Recovering Your Health
Memorise: Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. - 2 Kings 5:14
Read: 2 Kings 5:14 (King James Version (KJV)
14. Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
Bible In One Year: Genesis 32:22-34:31; John 18:15-32
MESSAGE:
"And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives. And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all." - 1 Samuel 30:18-19
From David's experience outlined above, we understand that it is possible to recover every good thing that was lost. God is no respecter of persons; what He did for one, He can do for all(Acts 10:34-35). However, for you to experience a recovery, you must first believe that it is possible (Mark 9:23). It does not matter how long ago the devil stole your health from you, by faith in Jesus Christ, you can recover it. The woman with the issue of blood lost her health for 12 solid years (Luke 8:43). For that whole period, she kept on bleeding. But one day, in a decisive encounter with Jesus Christ, she recovered her health. The fountain of her problem dried up and she was made whole. Naaman also had a case that was considered to be incurable by the specialist physicians of his day, and yet when he brought the matter to God, he recovered his health completely. The leprous skin on his body was replaced with brand new skin like that of a baby. What have you lost to the enemy? You shall recover all in Jesus' Name. Have you lost your health for so long? Are the doctors saying that your case is incurable? Are the specialists saying you must be prepared to live with that particular disease? Never! The same God who did it for Naaman and the woman with the issue of blood will do it for you. Hebrews 13:8 says He never changes: whatever He has done before, He can do again. Every incurable disease affecting your body shall be healed today in Jesus' Name!
Were you once enjoying good health before the devil struck you with a particular sickness? The Lord will return you to the era of healthy living! It is possible you strayed from God's holy path before the sickness came. If that is the case, the mercy of God will locate you for healing and recovery. God's mercy will triumph over judgement concerning your situation. Perhaps your sickness is a spiritual attack by your enemies; the Lord shall return it back to them, and you shall recover fully. Today, you are completely healed of all sicknesses in the mighty Name of Jesus.
Prayer Point: Father, right now, I recover the good health the devil stole from me, in the Name of Jesus.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
Read: 2 Kings 5:14 (King James Version (KJV)
14. Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
Bible In One Year: Genesis 32:22-34:31; John 18:15-32
MESSAGE:
"And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives. And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all." - 1 Samuel 30:18-19
From David's experience outlined above, we understand that it is possible to recover every good thing that was lost. God is no respecter of persons; what He did for one, He can do for all(Acts 10:34-35). However, for you to experience a recovery, you must first believe that it is possible (Mark 9:23). It does not matter how long ago the devil stole your health from you, by faith in Jesus Christ, you can recover it. The woman with the issue of blood lost her health for 12 solid years (Luke 8:43). For that whole period, she kept on bleeding. But one day, in a decisive encounter with Jesus Christ, she recovered her health. The fountain of her problem dried up and she was made whole. Naaman also had a case that was considered to be incurable by the specialist physicians of his day, and yet when he brought the matter to God, he recovered his health completely. The leprous skin on his body was replaced with brand new skin like that of a baby. What have you lost to the enemy? You shall recover all in Jesus' Name. Have you lost your health for so long? Are the doctors saying that your case is incurable? Are the specialists saying you must be prepared to live with that particular disease? Never! The same God who did it for Naaman and the woman with the issue of blood will do it for you. Hebrews 13:8 says He never changes: whatever He has done before, He can do again. Every incurable disease affecting your body shall be healed today in Jesus' Name!
Were you once enjoying good health before the devil struck you with a particular sickness? The Lord will return you to the era of healthy living! It is possible you strayed from God's holy path before the sickness came. If that is the case, the mercy of God will locate you for healing and recovery. God's mercy will triumph over judgement concerning your situation. Perhaps your sickness is a spiritual attack by your enemies; the Lord shall return it back to them, and you shall recover fully. Today, you are completely healed of all sicknesses in the mighty Name of Jesus.
Prayer Point: Father, right now, I recover the good health the devil stole from me, in the Name of Jesus.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
Friday 21 August 2015
Open Heavens 21 August 2015: Friday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Renewed By A Little Cake
Memorise: And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. - 1 Kings 19:7
Read: John 6:5-13 (King James Version (KJV)
5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
Bible In One Year: Genesis 31:1-32:21; John 17:20-18:14
MESSAGE:
God uses those who make themselves available for Him. This season, may He find you available and use you to fulfil His good purpose in Jesus' Name. In today's Bible reading, when Jesus wanted to feed the crowd that came to listen to Him, there was no food with which to carry out this assignment. His disciples suggested that the people be sent away to take care of themselves, but the Lord disagreed and asked them to sit them down. A little boy volunteered his food, and the Lord used it to feed the crowd. This story is one of the wonders of the Bible to me. If you give some biscuits, sweets or chocolate to a little boy, and you then ask him to give you a little out of it, what do you think will happen? He will most likely put the biscuit or sweet behind his back and give you a stare that tells you not to come near what is his, especially if he is hungry. When the boy in our Bible reading left home, his parents packed him some lunch, but when someone told him that Jesus needed his meal, he immediately released it. May all our children never hold back from God what He has provided for them in Jesus' Name.
Many years ago, I woke up one morning at the Redemption Camp feeling depressed (believe it or not, this can happen to any man of God). I had prayed all night, and had been fasting for days. I asked myself why I was virtually trying to kill myself praying, fasting and doing night vigils, while the very people I was doing all these for never cared about me. It was always about them. Each time they saw me, they would come with requests: "Daddy pray for us", "Daddy do this" and "Daddy do that". Those who were a bit nice would say, "Daddy, make sure you take some rest, but solve my problem first." When praying for me, they would say, "May God preserve you for us." Why should I kill myself over people who were only interested in using me to reach their goals? In that state, I slept off as I laid my head on the table. By the time I woke up, a little girl who had come with her parents all the way from Victoria Island, Lagos, was standing by my side. "Daddy", she said, "I don't know the voice of God, but this morning when I woke up, God asked me to take this little cake to you. I know it cannot be the devil, because he would never ask me to give my cake to a pastor." As she was leaving, God said to me, "I thought you said nobody cares?" With that, I snapped out of depression and was on fire again. Are you just using your pastor? In what way have you encouraged him or her?
Prayer Point: Sweet Holy Spirit, comfort all ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ who are on the verge of discouragement or depression.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
Read: John 6:5-13 (King James Version (KJV)
5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
Bible In One Year: Genesis 31:1-32:21; John 17:20-18:14
MESSAGE:
God uses those who make themselves available for Him. This season, may He find you available and use you to fulfil His good purpose in Jesus' Name. In today's Bible reading, when Jesus wanted to feed the crowd that came to listen to Him, there was no food with which to carry out this assignment. His disciples suggested that the people be sent away to take care of themselves, but the Lord disagreed and asked them to sit them down. A little boy volunteered his food, and the Lord used it to feed the crowd. This story is one of the wonders of the Bible to me. If you give some biscuits, sweets or chocolate to a little boy, and you then ask him to give you a little out of it, what do you think will happen? He will most likely put the biscuit or sweet behind his back and give you a stare that tells you not to come near what is his, especially if he is hungry. When the boy in our Bible reading left home, his parents packed him some lunch, but when someone told him that Jesus needed his meal, he immediately released it. May all our children never hold back from God what He has provided for them in Jesus' Name.
Many years ago, I woke up one morning at the Redemption Camp feeling depressed (believe it or not, this can happen to any man of God). I had prayed all night, and had been fasting for days. I asked myself why I was virtually trying to kill myself praying, fasting and doing night vigils, while the very people I was doing all these for never cared about me. It was always about them. Each time they saw me, they would come with requests: "Daddy pray for us", "Daddy do this" and "Daddy do that". Those who were a bit nice would say, "Daddy, make sure you take some rest, but solve my problem first." When praying for me, they would say, "May God preserve you for us." Why should I kill myself over people who were only interested in using me to reach their goals? In that state, I slept off as I laid my head on the table. By the time I woke up, a little girl who had come with her parents all the way from Victoria Island, Lagos, was standing by my side. "Daddy", she said, "I don't know the voice of God, but this morning when I woke up, God asked me to take this little cake to you. I know it cannot be the devil, because he would never ask me to give my cake to a pastor." As she was leaving, God said to me, "I thought you said nobody cares?" With that, I snapped out of depression and was on fire again. Are you just using your pastor? In what way have you encouraged him or her?
Prayer Point: Sweet Holy Spirit, comfort all ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ who are on the verge of discouragement or depression.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
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