Open Heavens 10 March 2015: Tuesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - Benefits of Patience

Open Heavens 10 March 2015: Tuesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - Benefits of Patience

Topic: Benefits of Patience [Tuesday March 10, 2015]

Memorise: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; - Romans 4:20

Read: [Genesis 17:1-5 KJV]

1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 41:1-43:12; Revelation 18:19-19:10

MESSAGE:

There are lots of benefits awaiting those who are patient in receiving God's promises.

"For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him." - Isaiah 64:4

It is always to our advantage when we wait on His word. It is the only guarantee we have for securing victory, success and the breakthroughs we crave for. For so long, God wanted to enter into a covenant with Abraham, but Abraham was just not ready. It was only after 24 years of self-dependence and self-government by Abraham that God felt He was ready. There are many generational blessings that God wants to give to you. There are also many exploits that He wants you to accomplish, but as long as you are not ready to do it according to His time-table, there will always be unnecessary delays. Any time God calls for a partnership with us, He is simply looking for an opportunity to bless us. He wants to provide divine direction and turn our nothingness to something. He wants to make a message out of our mess, and He wants to bring a testimony out of our tests.

When the Lord called His disciples apart in Mark 6:30-31, it was for the purpose of waiting on Him. If you are the type always running up and down, you cannot get the best from God. Those who wait on Him in patience are usually rewarded. It is very important to wait on Him for direction in your projects, relationships and programmes. If you learn to be patient, situations and circumstances will always be within your control. In the place of waiting, there is no room for unbelief and doubt. Abraham did not stagger at God's promises, and his faith was rewarded (Romans 4:20). Peter toiled all night without catching anything (Luke 5:3-7). The Lord decided to choose his boat for a kingdom assignment and he did not refuse or complain; he just waited for his miracle. At the end, he rejoiced. Have you been waiting on God's promises for so long? Keep your cool. Don't be discouraged. If you become impatient, you may lose the benefits meant to transform your life. At the end of Peter's waiting, his story changed. The Peter who caught nothing became the Peter who needed the assistance of others to handle the blessings of God in his life. I say to a user of this devotional, in that Name that is above every other name, your joy, blessing, breakthrough, healing and anointing will overflow to generations yet unborn. Waiting upon the promises of God requires faith. When you wait patiently on God for anything, you save time, and in the end, nothing will be lost.

Prayer Point: Dear Lord, please continue to be my focus as I wait on You.

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

Open Heavens 09 March 2015: Monday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - Don’t Be Disconnected

Open Heavens 09 March 2015: Monday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - Don’t Be Disconnected

Topic: Don’t Be Disconnected [Monday March 09, 2015]

Memorise: Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. - John 15:4

Read: (John 15:1-5 KJV)

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 39:25-40:49, Revelation 18:1-18

MESSAGE:

There are many people who started well in life but ended very badly. If only you can look around you, you will see the giants of yesterday who have become the weaklings of today. This is not the design of God but that of the devil. God calls the weak and foolish so that He can demonstrate His power and ability through them. The Almighty God specialises in bringing the hopeless out of a horrible pit. For those who put their absolute trust in God, He is always ready to set their feet upon the rock; the devil on the other hand, is all out to disconnect man from his source of relevance. He is still busy today doing what he knows how to do best ; (John 10:10 ). The more you relate to God as weak and foolish, the more He put in you the strength and wisdom required to live victoriously on earth. The more you yield yourself to Him, the more He is committed to seeing you bear fruits. The moment there is a disconnect between you and God, you will begin to struggle and experience fruitlessness.

When God called Joshua to step into the shoes of Moses, He promised to be with him. He also promise that throughout his life, no man would be able to stand before him (Joshua 1:1-5). But along the line. The chain of connection was broken because someone touched an unclean thing. This resulted in defeat, contrary to the promised of God (Joshua 7:5-6). Anytime we get disconnected from the source of our strength, we get exposed to danger and become victims in the hand of those who should not be able to stand before us. Obedience to the word of God always generates the required strength for our assignment. Sustained obedience is a basic requirement for sustaining our connection with the source of our strength. Connection to our father is necessary to maintain open doors. If you continue to obey and refuse to give in to any disconnection ploy, the Lord will constantly supply all you need to be fruitful in this life. If you give room to the devil, do not expect God to intervene. This is why you must vehemently resist the devil, stand on God's word and continue to please God in every situation.

One way of ensuring that there is no disconnection between you and the source of power is by preaching the Gospel (John 15:2). Apostle Paul all through his missionary journey never got disconnected, because he was an addicted soul- winner. Paul won several souls to the Lord in Ephesus despite the stiff opposition (Acts 19:7-10). One way God reward soul winner is by creating more opportunities to witness. Do not deceive yourself that you are connected to God when you are not winning souls. When you don't win souls, you are on the easiest route to experiencing a separation from God, your source.

Prayer Point: Father, help me to remain connected to you at all times.

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

MEMORISE : Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 1THESSALONIANS 5 :
21.

READ : 1CORINTHIANS 3 : 10 – 14.
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder,
I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take
heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood,
hay, stubble;
13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it
shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it
is.
14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a
reward.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 38 : 1 – 39 : 24 AND REVELATION 17.

It is rather unfortunate that many who started their Christian journey on the
foundation of apostolic faith and teachings have abandoned the faith and are now
living in error. There are many who have even become heretical in the name of
“Pentecostalism”. It is not everything you hear from the pulpit of the 21st
century preacher that is healthy for a Christian who is heaven-bound. There are
many good Christians who had taken to a life Christian modesty, but suddenly
backslid on getting to a foreign country, all in the name of modernism. Today,
several genuine blessings of God have been replaced with counterfeit. Many today
have replaced a lifestyle of thanksgiving, fervent prayers, intense worship and
deep, regular Bible study with that of occasional indulgence in a social gospel. No
wonder many of our worship centres have become so comfortable for unbelievers.
They come and they remain the same because there is no genuine fire on the
altar. The Church has become entertainment-focused rather than salvation-drive
n.

“And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked;
and they sewed fig trees together and made themselves aprons” Genesis 3 : 7.
Before this experience, Adam and Eve had the glory of God as their genuine
covering, but after they disobeyed God, they were exposed to a counterfeit
covering. There is nothing you can get elsewhere that can be better than what
God has to give. Go for His gold and not for bronze. Adam and Eve lost their
heavenly garment and continued to struggle in sin, rather than cover themselves in the ashes of humility and sober repentance. The glory of God that had been covering them disappeared and they became exposed to man-made coverings. May the covering of God over your life not be removed in Jesus’ Name. No matter how wealthy a man is, without the genuine protection of the Almighty, one will realise
that his life is not safe. There are many believers today who have lost the genuine
power of the Holy Spirit and are resigned to faking it. It takes the enlightenment
of the Almighty for the very elect not to be deceived or carried away by the
counterfeit gospel which is popular but not real. The love of many has waxed cold
as prophesied by the Lord Jesus Christ ( Matthew 24 : 12 ). The quality of some
people’s service in the vineyard has dropped, and the commitment level of many
needs to be reappraised. Like the prodigal son, you can repent today after
comparing the peace of genuine salvation to the struggle of pretence. Satan is all
out to deny people of genuine salvation. He is introducing counterfeits dressed
as salvation to people. It is my prayer that you will never suffer loss in Jesus’
Name.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, help me not to be a victim of any form of end –time deceit.

AUTHOR : Pst. E . A ADEBOYE

Open Heavens 07 March 2015: Saturday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - Spiritual Guidance

Open Heavens 07 March 2015: Saturday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - Spiritual Guidance

Topic: Spiritual Guidance [Saturday March 07, 2015]

Memorise: The meek will he guide in judgement: and the meek will he teach his way. - Psalm 25:9

Read: (Exodus 4:12-15 KJV)

12. Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

13. And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.

14. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.

15. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.

Bible in one year: Ezekiel 36:16-37:28, Revelation 16

MESSAGE:

It brings great pain to God when His children refuse His guidance. There are many believers still living in bondage because they refused the guidance of God. There are many in wrong relationship, wrong businesses, wrong careers, wrong locations and wrong vocations simply because they have refused to trust the ability of God to guide them. Many pray for God’s guidance, but they refuse this guidance when the way of God is showing them seems different from what they want. Some years ago, a brother was asked to relocate from his company’s branch in western Nigeria to the northern Nigeria branch. The Lord further revealed to him that he would not stay in the north for long but that he should relocate first. On hearing that he would still return to the west, he began to question God on why it was necessary for him to go up north at all, but he obeyed. Little did he know that the Lord wanted to exonerate him from a disaster that was about to happen. After this event, he appreciated the love of God. The scripture says inIsaiah 30:21,

“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”

If you partner with God, He will guide you in every area of your life for your own good. He will remove from your path those things that looks good but the end of which is utter destruction. If you are in partnership with God, He will warn you of danger zones. He will warn you against “blessings” that will lead to your destruction. He will guide you against marrying someone who will cause you irrecoverable loss in the journey of life. He will show you opportunities that people despise but which possess great potentials. There are many people experiencing loss everyday simply because they have not trusted in the guidance of the Almighty God who knows everything (Proverbs 3:5-6).

There are times God will say “No” to a beautiful request. When this happens, the one asking feels disappointed. But to the One who has all power, there are great things compared to what is being asked for. In spite of all the prayer efforts you have invested in certain requests, God can still say “No” if He has something great in the offing for you. Have you been trusting God for a particular blessing for so long? I have good news for you. Do not be discouraged; God has something better for you because you are a child of covenant and because you have no appointment with failure. The best is reserved for you as you trust His guidance and submit to His will for your life.

Prayer Point: Father, please remove every communication gap between us that hinders me from knowing your will.

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

Open Heavens 06 March 2015: Friday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - A Chance for Good

Open Heavens 06 March 2015: Friday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - A Chance for Good

Topic: A Chance for Good [Friday March 06, 2015]

Memorise: Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; -Acts 3:19

Read: (Isaiah 55:6-7 KJV)

6.Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

7.Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto
the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Bible in one year: Ezekiel 34:11-36:15, Revelation 14:14-15:8

MESSAGE:

After God has done something spectacular in your life, there is a need to give quality thanks to Him. You need to appreciate God for His faithfulness and blessings over your life, home and career, as well as for the peace of mind that money cannot buy. Never allow anything to limit your thanksgiving, and always colour your thanksgiving with praise and testimonies. After surviving the flood, Noah and his household offered quality thanks to God for preserving them in the midst of the destruction that came upon the earth. Some years ago, one of my daughters praised God like never before during a New Year cross-over service. Many were curious to know the reason for her uncommon thanksgiving and praise. In response, she said she was thanking God for preserving her life to see the New Year despite all that had happened to her in the previous year. In the previous year, she lost her job, lost her car to robbers and lost her flat to a fire incident. But when there is life, there is hope. There is a user of this devotional, every good thing you have lost before now will be restored in Jesus’ Name.

Many people only thank God when things are going well, but for some, thanksgiving has become their lifestyle irrespective of what is happening around them. Do you remember to thank God at those times when you have enjoyed uncommon grace to do the right thing, when ordinarily the devil would have wanted you to do otherwise? It is one thing to know how to do the right thing, and it is another thing to receive the grace to do it.

The Lord wants everything to change for your good. He wants you to experience the times of refreshing. Change can be positive or negative. If a man gets promoted in the office to an enviable position, it is a change. This change attracts other changes; for example, the one who has been receiving orders becomes the one issuing them. The one who has been driving himself becomes the one with an official driver. This year, the Lord will surprise you and surprise your enemies by what He will do in your life. This is why you cannot afford to be unserious with God. While things change for good for His children, for those who are not on the Lord’s side, the change will not be positive. When the Lord set the children of Israelfree from the hands of their slave masters, it was a change to freedom, but on the side of the Egyptians, it was the beginning of destruction and self-service. I am speaking to the life of someone: a change is coming to you now. It shall be a change for good that will affect every area of your life and bring uncommon blessings to your life, family, ministry, business and career.

Key Point: Change happens to those who are prepared to handle it.

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

Open Heavens 05 March 2015: Thursday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - Losing Your Relevance?

Topic: Losing Your Relevance? [Thursday March 05, 2015]

Memorise: Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. - Mathew 5:13

Read: (John 15:1-2 KJV)

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 33:1-34:10,Revelation 14:1-13

MESSAGE:

The presence of God is very crucial in the life of anyone who wants to be influential in the things that pertain to righteousness. Any child of God who does not carry the presence of God will fail because he will be struggling when he is supposed to be shining. In the reign of King Solomon, he observed that all those who could have easily refused to obey his commands submitted to him instead. Only the presence of God guarantees such. 1 Chronicles 29:25says that,

‘And the LORD magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.'

Are your subordinate rebellious of despising you? Go and receive the power of God's presence. Are you hiding instead of manifesting? Are your children refusing to submit to your instructions? It means you need more of God's presence.

There are many people who have lost their relevance because they are too choosy. Many people struggle for kingdom assignments that feed their ego, while they run away from other tasks. Some people will give God a list of why what He is asking them to do cannot be done. Making excuses to God can place you on the wrong side of His judgement. ( Luke 9:61-62 ). Excuses can move an individual from relevance to irrelevance. As a genuine Christian, wherever you find yourself, you must be concerned about impacting lives (Mathew 5:16 ). While David was in the cave of Adullam, all kinds of people with all sorts of problems come to him ( 1 Samuel 22:1-2 ). With the presence of God in life of David, the problems of these people were solved and their status changed. Your success would be measured to a large extent by the number of lives that changed in your ministry. If your ministry cannot impact lives for good, it is either you are not salt, or you have lost your savour. Several years ago, I visited a friend. During my visit, I observed that his youngest daughter was carried on the back of her mother. This girl would just not allow anyone else to carry her expect her mother. As I arrived at the house, the baby stretched forth her hands for me to carry her, and I did . Afterwards, I prayed for her and left. Months later, the mother of this girl confessed that on the day I visited, plans had been concluded to take the life of the baby, but this plans failed. You must pray earnestly so that your life, your ministry and your family can have more relevance In the Body of Christ. When many fall in the midst of trials, temptations and pressures, it is not because the grace of God is not there; rather it is due to a gradual loss of relevance.

Prayer Point: Father, remove everything that is hindering my relevance in this generation.

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

Open Heavens 4 March 2015: Wednesday daily devotion by Pastor E. A. Adeboye - No Room for Laziness

Topic: No Room for Laziness [Wednesday March 4, 2015]

Memorise: Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: - Proverbs 6:6

Read: (2 Thessalonians 3:6-12 KJV)

6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

8 Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:

9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.

10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

Bible in one year: Ezekiel 31:32, Revelation 13

MESSAGE:

If there is one truth every believer must know in this present age, it is that God hates laziness. God set an example of hard work for us through the creation of the heavens and the earth. Without the hard work of God, this world wouldn’t be a beautiful place. He did not rest until He had finished with creation. His hard work resulted on the excellence we can see in the beautiful world around us. Whenever God is looking for people to commit serious assignment to, He looks for people who will never give excuses for not delivering. He looks for hardworking people because He has no business with lazy bones. God is in search of diligent and resourceful people who will use all of their strategy to ensure that the work of God suffers no loss. One of the secrets behind the success of Paul’s ministry is this: he went above winning souls with the same zeal with which he was persecuting the Church before he met Christ.

“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:” Proverbs 6:6

There are certain truths we cannot ignore from this passage. This passage is meant for those who are lazy and for those in need of wisdom. Though ants are small, there are lots of lessons that can be learnt from them. There are lessons parents can learn from their children, just as there are lessons leaders can learn from their followers. But this can only happen in the absence of pride. The more humble you are, the greater the things that will be committed to your hands, because you have learnt the secret of hard work. Through hard work, Paul achieved more than his peers. He even direct disciples of Jesus Christ. The epistles he wrote are still positively affecting generations far more than you can ever imagine. Paul never gave room for excuses in the course of reaching his goals. Little wonder he emerged a great success in the early Church.

Today, I see a lot of people wasting their time. They have no goals for their lives. They are not after anything because success is not a desire for them. They are just comfortable with the normal routine of the average person, and that is why there is nothing significant about them. No performance, no achievement. Some people are so lazy that they are not consulted wherever performance is expected because people already know what to expect. May this not be your story in Jesus’ Name. Beloved, you must decide to take the path of greatness. No great thing comes easy. You must aim high even if you are starting small. You have no barrier, limitation or excuses for not achieving greatness in life. The seed of God is in you. You must say no to those things that are slowing you down from the fulfilment of your God-given destiny.

Action Point: List out all the possible excuses for your non-performance and pray against them.

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