Monthly Archives: January 2023

January 21, 2023 In Devotionals No Comments

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL SUNDAY JANUARY 22ND 2023 FLAMES OF FIRE II

MEMORISE: And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2

READ: 2 Corinthians 6:14 -18

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

MESSAGE

Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment.
Exodus 23:2

Fire does not follow trends, it remains the same all the time. Fire is fire. It is not frozen today, liquid tomorrow and vapour the next day; fire is always fire and remains in one state. It does not copy anything or anyone else – it remains in its own state.

I remember a time when the custom amongst men of God in Nigeria was to wear a flowing robe – Agbada. It was their way of proclaiming, “We have arrived”. I don’t have anything against the Agbada. It is the traditional attire in many Nigerian cultures and I do wear it now and again. However, I refused to follow the trend of wearing it all the time. One man of God said to me then, “l like you, but l don’t like the way you dress like a hunter” – apparently referring to the conservative French suits l often wear, l to,d him l was not a hunter, but rather, a soldier of Christ. Fire does not blend in with its environment, rather, it affects it.

You must stand apart. You cannot afford to do something simply because others are doing it. Fire does not yield to peer pressure. Proverbs 1:10 says when sinners entice you, don’t consent. It doesn’t matter how enticing the new trend is, if it is not in line with the word of God, reject it. In 1 Kings 18:22, Baal was worshipped across the land of Israel but Elijah set himself apart. He did not blend with the others around him because He was fire. It doesn’t matter if everyone is doing what is against God’s will, because you are fire, you cannot.join them. 2 Corinthians 6:16-17 urges us to come out from amongst unbelievers.

Matthew 5:16 says that we should let our light shine before men, that they may see our good works and glorify our father in Heaven. How will they see the works of God in you when you are always trying to blend with people who are doing the works of the devil?

REFLECTION

Check yourself: have you been following worldly trends.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 21-23

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 23: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE

1. Take my life and let it be
Consecrated Lord to Thee
Take my moment and my days
Let them flow ceaseless praise.

2. Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for thee

3. Take my voice and let me sing
Always only for my king;
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my sliver and my gold
Not a mite would I withhold
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall no longer mine:
Take my heart, it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for thee.

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January 20, 2023 In Uncategorized No Comments

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL SATURDAY JANUARY 21ST 2023 FLAMES OF FIRE

 

MEMORISE: And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. Hebrews 1:7

READ: Luke 6:43 -45

43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

MESSAGE

The teaching series of flames of fire’ is meant for everyone; however, l’ll encourage youths to pap extra attention.

There are four basic elements in the world – water, earth, air and fire, each of which is very important to human existence. As important as all these elements are however, it is interesting that God chose to make His ministers flames of fire.

Let us discuss some characteristics of fire. The first thing about fire is that it is distinct. When you see fire, you recognize it immediately. In 2 Kings 1:-8, the king was sick and sent his servants to enquire from some idol worshippers whether he would recover or not, only for them to meet a man on the way who sent them back to the king with a message that he would die. Once the messengers described the man, the king said, “That is Elijah”. Fire is uniquely distinct and you cannot mistake it for anything else.

People should be able to see a child of God and say, “This is a child of God”. These days, many people say, “Oh, it’s not about the outward appearance, God is only interested in what is on the inside”. One day while teaching at the Bible College, l brought two oranges – one green and one yellow, and asked the students to identify the ripe one. They all pointed to the yellow one, explaining that, from the way it look, it was clear that it was the ripe one.

Fire has a distinct look, when you see it, you would know it. Don’t believe the lie that God is not interested in your outward appearance – He is. While it is true that He cannot be deceived by your outward appearance as He said in 1 Samuel 16:7, His word says that what you are on the inside will show on the outside. Matthew 23:26 says:

Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

You cannot claim, as a minister, that you are a flame of fire when you don’t look it. You cannot claim you are a child of God, yet dress and look like people of the world. If you need to tell people that you are a child of God before they believe it, you are not yet a flame of fire.

KEY POINT

If you need to tell people that you are a child of God before they see you as one, you are not yet a flame of fire.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 17-20

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 20: STAND UP,STAND UP FOR JESUS

1 Stand up, stand up for Jesus

ye soldiers of the cross;

lift high his royal banner,

it must not suffer loss.

From vict’ry unto vict’ry

his army he shall lead

till ev’ry foe is vanquished

and Christ is Lord indeed.

2 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,

the trumpet call obey;

forth to the mighty conflict

in this his glorious day.

Ye that are men now serve him

against unnumbered foes;

let courage rise with danger

and strength to strength oppose.

3 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,

stand in his strength alone;

the arm of flesh will fail you,

ye dare not trust your own.

Put on the gospel armor,

each piece put on with prayer;

where duty calls or danger,

be never wanting there.

4 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,

the strife will not be long;

this day the noise of battle,

the next, the victor’s song.

To him that overcometh

a crown of life shall be;

he with the King of glory

shall reign eternally.

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January 19, 2023 In Devotionals No Comments

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL FRIDAY JANUARY 20TH 2023 SET THE RIGHT EXAMPLE

MEMORISE: But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 2 Timothy 2:20

READ: 2 Timothy 2:19 -21

19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

MESSAGE

Following our discussion which started yesterday, the second question that you should ask yourself is “What kind of example am l going to be for those coming behind me?” You see God can raise somebody and promote him or her greatly, but when the fellow makes a mistake and crashes, he or she becomes an example for others to learn from, so as not to make the same mistake. If you read l Corinthians 10:11 carefully, you would see that verses 1-4 were dedicated to describing the investments that God had made in the people of Israel, then the rest of the passage goes on to list how many of them became examples for those of us coming after. God is making investments in you now. He is making sure that you read and hear certain messages, He is promoting you and doing miracles for you now; what will be the outcome of all these? Will you be used as a good example later in future or a bad one?

But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

1 Corinthians 10:5

The verse above says God was not pleased with many of them. The truth is that not many people will end up as good examples,; most will end up as bad ones because only a few will be violent enough to take the Kingdom of God by force (Matthew 11:12). The devil will throw a lot of temptations your way. Some of them will come as harmless suggestions, but you have to be fully ready to submit to the Lord and resist the devil so that he would flee (James 4:7).

As we see in our Bible reading of today, purge yourself of all unrighteousness so you can set the right examples for those coming behind you. Ask the Holy Spirit for help. You must never get to the point where you feel you have enough of the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can keep you from falling; embrace Him like your life depends on it, because it actually does.

PRAYER POINT

Father, don’t let me end up as a bad example to those coming after me.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 14-16

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 28: WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY SIN

1 What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

2 For my cleansing this I see—

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

For my pardon this my plea—

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

3 Nothing can my sin erase

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Naught of works, ’tis all of grace—

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

4 This is all my hope and peace—

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

This is all my righteousness—

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

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January 17, 2023 In Devotionals No Comments

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL WEDNESDAY JANUARY 18TH 2023 SACRIFICES CAN AVERT DISASTERS

MEMORISE: And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel. 2 Samuel 24:25

READ: 1 Kings 17:8 -16

8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.

15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

MESSAGE

I In our Bible text for today, we read about the widow of Zarephath who had only one meal left. She and her son were going to eat and die. She sacrificed that one meal and she and her son lived on. In Psalm 50:14-15, the Bible says if you offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and pay your vows, God will deliver you in the day of trouble. In 2 Samuel 24: 11-25, seventy thousand men had died from a pestilence that arose in lsrael due to David conducting a census that displeased God. This was a big disaster and something had to be done immediately to stop it. They had prayed and, although God had stopped the angel that was spreading the plague, He did not recall him, the angel remained at the threshing place of Araunah the Jebusite. This still mean trouble, so David’s seer – Gad decided that they should apply a principle to avert the disaster.

And Gad came that day to David, and said unto Him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.
2 Samuel 24:16

When David wanted to make the sacrifice, Araunah tried to give everything needed to him for free, but he refused. He insisted that he had to bear the cost. He gave the sacrifice and the disaster was immediately averted.

And David built an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was untreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from lsrael.

2 Samuel 24:25

The funny thing is that many non-Christians know this principle: that, in the face of impending doom or disaster, a really big sacrificial offering can avert it (2 Kings 3:26-27). We as children of the living God should follow David’s example and be ready to give a sacrificial offering, especially in trouble times.

May God help us – the true children of God to apply this principle in order to avert looming disasters in Jesus’ name.

PRAYER POINT

Father, when a disaster seems to be looming around me, teach me what to do and give me the grace to do it.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 8-10

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 19: ROCK OF AGES CLEFT FOR ME

1 Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee;

Let the water and the blood,

From Thy riven side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure,

Save me from its guilt and power.

2 Not the labor of my hands

Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;

Could my zeal no respite know,

Could my tears forever flow,

All could never sin erase,

Thou must save, and save by grace.

3 Nothing in my hands I bring,

Simply to Thy cross I cling;

Naked, come to Thee for dress,

Helpless, look to Thee for grace:

Foul, I to the fountain fly,

Wash me, Savior, or I die.

4 While I draw this fleeting breath,

When mine eyes shall close in death,

When I soar to worlds unknown,

See Thee on Thy judgment throne,

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee.

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January 16, 2023 In Devotionals No Comments

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL TUESDAY JANUARY 17TH 2023 THE LIVING SACRIFICE

MEMORISE: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1

READ: Matthew 16:24 -27

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

MESSAGE

The sacrifice that pleases God the most is your life. You become a living sacrifice the day you surrender your life to Jesus. From the day you genuinely surrender your life to Him, He can send you wherever He wants, set the direction of your life and use you to fulfil His plans. God knows, l never wanted to be a Pastor, talk less of a General Overseer, but l am a living sacrifice. I had wanted to retire at the age of seventy, so that l could then begin to live a normal life – sleep when others sleep, eat when others eat and so on, but God said “No”. Since l am a living sacrifice, my response was “Yes, Daddy”.

God expects your entire life to be a sacrifice to Him. You are to go wherever He sends you. When He says witness – you witness, sit-you sit, pray- you pray.

The moment God knows that He has you as a living sacrifice, whatever offering you give becomes acceptable because it would be given under His guidance. Some of us, even before coming to Church, have made up our minds on the offering to give. For the fellow who is a living sacrifice, God will tell them what to give.

When l became a General Overseer, things were hard. We could hardly pay the staff on the church’s payroll and many a time, there would be nothing left to pay the General Overseer. Having left paid employment for full-time ministry after working for government for several years, l received my gratuity, with plans to save some, invest some in shares and so on. However, since l am a living sacrifice, l asked God, “What do l do with this money?” He responded that l should divide it into three parts and give each to a different ministry while retaining nothing for myself. As painful as this was, l was comforted when He said further, “l will be your source”. When you become a living sacrifice, God will become your source. The day you become a living sacrifice, you became His property, so He will take care of you. Things may be hard at first, but He will make sure that your tomorrow will be alright (Colossians 1:27).

REFLECTION

Are you a living sacrifice for God? Can HE decide to do whatever HE pleases with you and all you have.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 5-7

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 23: TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE

1 Take my life, and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

2 Take my hands, and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love;

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee,

Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3 Take my voice, and let me sing

Always, only, for my King;

Take my lips, and let them be

Filled with messages from Thee,

Filled with messages from Thee.

4 Take my silver and my gold;

Not a mite would I withhold;

Take my intellect, and use

Every power as Thou shalt choose,

Every power as Thou shalt choose.

5 Take my will, and make it Thine;

It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart; it is Thine own;

It shall be Thy royal throne,

It shall be Thy royal throne.

6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure-store.

Take myself, and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee,

Ever, only, all for Thee.

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January 15, 2023 In Devotionals No Comments

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL MONDAY JANUARY 16TH 2023 RAISING AN ALTAR UNTO GOD

MEMORISE: The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out. Leviticus 6:13

READ: Genesis 28:11 -19

11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.

17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.

19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

MESSAGE

Abraham was a man who raised many altars for God (Genesis 13:4, Genesis 13:18, Genesis 22:9). Little wonder why he had transgenerational blessings. An altar is a meeting place between God and man. In our Bible reading for today, we see how, even when Jacob was unaware that he was at an altar, he saw in a dream that the place was a meeting point between heaven and earth. For example, an altar can be a corner of your room, if you are living in a one-room apartment. You could set aside a corner in your room with a commitment to meet with God there regularly. You must treat the place as holy; because that is the altar of the Almighty God. The moment you set aside that place as an altar to God, any time you go there, God would be waiting.

When man goes to an altar, he does so to offer sacrifices to God and to worship Him. In Genesis 22:1-14 when God asked Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. He asked him to go to a particular place, raise an altar there and present a sacrifice. When visiting a great man, because of how much you honour him, you don’t go empty-handed, so why do so when going to meet with the Most High God? Don’t go to God empty handed. If you don’t have anything at all, He will accept a sacrifice of praise (Jeremiah 17:26).

When God comes to meet man on the altar, He comes to bless. (Psalm 67:5-7) tells us that when praises go up blessings come down. In Genesis 22:15-18, when Abraham brought Isaac to the altar to be offered, God stopped him and said, “You have done your part, let me do mine, in blessing l will bless You, in multiplying, l will multiply your seed”. God meets with His children during services to bless them, especially those who come with a sacrifice. I raised an altar in a small room inside the first house l lived in the Redemption Camp well over 29 years ago. The house is now called the ‘Open Heavens International Centre’. Since the place was marked out as an altar, up to today, people who go there to pray in faith receive mighty miracles from God that even l find amazing.

ACTION POINT

Identify a specific part of your house or environment that you will mark out as your altar and ensure you meet God there regularly.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 1-4

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 16: PRAISE HIM PRAISE HIM, OUR BLESSED REDEEMER

1 Praise him, praise him! Jesus, our blessed redeemer!

Sing, O earth, his wonderful love proclaim!

Hail him, hail him! Highest archangels in glory!

Strength and honor give to his holy name!

Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard his children.

In his arms he carries them all day long.

Refrain:

Praise him! Praise him! tell of his excellent greatness.

Praise him! Praise him! ever in joyful song.

2 Praise him, praise him! Jesus, our blessed redeemer!

For our sins, he suffered, and bled, and died.

He our rock, our hope of eternal salvation,

hail him, hail him! Jesus, the crucified.

Sound his praises, Jesus who bore our sorrows,

love unbounded, wonderful, deep, and strong. [Refrain]

3 Praise him, praise him! Jesus, our blessed redeemer!

Heav’nly portals loud with hosannas ring!

Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever!

Crown him, crown him! prophet, and priest, and king!

Christ is coming, over the world victorious.

Pow’r and glory unto the Lord belong. [Refrain]

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January 13, 2023 In Devotionals No Comments

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL SATURDAY JANUARY 14TH 2023 ONLY BY GRACE

 

MEMORISE:
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” – (John 15:16)

READ: Romans 9:15-26 (KJV)

15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

MESSAGE:

Some people think that God is doing great things for them because they deserve it. They think because of all that they do for God, then it is only expected that He would bless them as He does. Believe me honestly, everything that God does, He does for His name’s sake – not for you, but that His name will be glorified (Psalm 106:7-8).

Don’t become arrogant, God could use anyone else. There are people who pray, study the Bible and are even more talented than you, but God chose you; you should be grateful for that. In any case, if we were to count iniquity, who will stand? (Psalm 130:3). When people see the things God is doing in The Redeemed Christian Church of God, they think I must be special. The only thing special about me is that God chose me, because even from as far back as when I was a little child, God had promised my Father-in-the Lord that The Redeemed Christian Church of God would go round the world. It had nothing to do with me at all; God just decided to glorify Himself through this Church and it is only by grace that He chose me to be the General Overseer. He could have chosen anyone else. There are people far more qualified than I, but it is by grace that I was chosen.

When you see people still drowning in sin, don’t judge them because you are on your way to heaven; rather, pray that God will save them by His grace. It is by His grace that you are not the one on the way to hell. Never forget that it is He who is working something out for His name’s sake. You are only graced to be a recipient of God’s blessings. The people of Israel may have thought that God parted the Red Sea and drowned Pharaoh and his army because they were so special. He did it for His name’s sake. They were only graced to be the ones He did it for. Romans 9:17 testifies to this:

For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, thank You for Your grace over my life. Please don’t let me ever stop enjoying help from Your throne of grace.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 44-46

AUTHOR: PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 2 – AMAZING GRACE

1 Amazing grace (how sweet the sound)
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.

2 ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!

3 Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come:
’tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.

4 The Lord has promised good to me,
his word my hope secures;
he will my shield and portion be
as long as life endures.

5 Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease:
I shall possess, within the veil,
a life of joy and peace.

6 The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
the sun forbear to shine;
but God, who called me here below,
will be forever mine.

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January 12, 2023 In Devotionals No Comments

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FRIDAY JANUARY 13TH 2023 KILL PRIDE

 

MEMORISE:
“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” – (James 4:6)

READ: Proverbs 16:5 (KJV)

Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

MESSAGE:
More often than not, the people who provoke God do so through pride. The most junior staff in an organisation would typically be humble and submissive. However, the day the person begins to feel overly important, he or she will start provoking some people. The moment you become proud, you begin to provoke God. Never forget that no matter how high you go, God is still the Most High.

God usually deals with proud people in two ways. The first way is by recalling such a person suddenly and in a disgraceful manner. In Acts 12:20-24, king Herod’s pride made him consent to being compared to the Most High. This made God order worms to eat him up alive. The Lord said, “Oh, you think you are big because you are the Commander-in-Chief of some armies? I have armies that don’t carry guns – ordinary worms”. One moment Herod was sitting on the throne, the next moment, he was being eaten by worms. However, the Lord could also decide to disgrace the fellow openly while preserving his or her life. That is what He did to Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:28-37.

Nebuchadnezzar was the greatest king of his time. He built a city called Babylon, which had one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. At a point, God saw that he was becoming proud and sent him a warning through a dream. Unfortunately, one year after the message came, he had forgotten it, so God said, “Okay, you think you are big? Go and eat with animals for seven years”. Nobody removed his royal robes from him; he removed them with his own hands. If there is something that must leave your life permanently today, it is pride.

Be careful as you rise, so as not to begin to feel like you are overly important. The elders say that when the cockroach falls, nobody hears the sound; when an ant falls, the ground doesn’t tremble, but if an elephant falls, the tremors would be felt both near and far. If God is elevating you, be weary of pride so that it doesn’t become a case of Him raising up an elephant so that when it falls everyone would pay attention, like in the case of Pharaoh (Romans 9:17).

KEY POINT:
If there is something that must leave your life permanently today, it is pride.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 42-43

AUTHOR: PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

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January 11, 2023 In Devotionals No Comments

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL THURSDAY JANUARY 12TH 2023 DO YOU HATE GOD?

 

MEMORISE: There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD. Proverbs 21:30

READ: 2 Chronicles 13:9 -12

9 Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.

10 But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business:

11 And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him.

12 And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.

MESSAGE

Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Apostle Paul said that because Christ loves Him, He gave Himself for him. We can infer a theorem from this – that when God loves you, He will give you His life. In mathematics, whenever we establish a theorem, there always has to be the corollary – something that follows as such a result of what just established. The corollary to our new establishment theorem is in Proverbs 8:36

But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

Herod was a man who hated God; he did everything he could to hinder the work of the Lord and he died a shameful death. After his death, the Bible says, “But the word of God grew and multiplied” (Acts 12:24). Anyone who tries to stand in the way of the Most High God hates Him and is calling for death.

Some time ago, in another country, we wanted to dedicate a new parish, but in the process of trying to get the necessary approvals, a government official swore to prevent it. My children called me to report the incident and, believe me honestly, l didn’t even bother to pray about it. On the day of the meeting at which this government official was planning to have our application rejected, he put both feet into one trouser leg. While struggling with the trouser, he fell, hurt himself and was rushed to the hospital. He died with both legs still in one of the trouser.

You may claim not to oppose the work of God as directly as that. Do you discourage other people from submitting to the authority of your Pastor and the Heads of Departments? Do you steal money from the Church’s purse, thereby making it more difficult for God’s work to be done? You are hindering the work of God and anyone who does so is toying with death. A word is enough for the wise.

REFLECTION

Is there anything you are doing to hinder the work of God in your local church or environment? Desist from it now to avoid sudden death.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 39-41

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: I AM SO GLAD THAT OUR FATHER IN HEAV’N

1 I am so glad that our Father in heav’n

Tells of His love in the Book He has giv’n;

Wonderful things in the Bible I see:

This is the dearest, that Jesus loves me.

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,

Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me;

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,

Jesus loves even me.

2 Though I forget Him and wander away,

Still He doth love me whenever I stray;

Back to His dear loving arms would I flee,

When I remember that Jesus loves me.

3 Oh, if there’s only one song I can sing,

When in His beauty I see the great King,

This shall my song in eternity be:

“Oh, what a wonder that Jesus loves me.”

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January 10, 2023 In Devotionals No Comments

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL WEDNESDAY JANUARY 11TH 2023 STAND UP FOR CHRIST EVERYWHERE

MEMORISE: If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. Psalms 137:6

READ: Daniel 1:8 -20

8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.

11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.

15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.

16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

18 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.

20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

MESSAGE

In our Bible reading for today, we see how Daniel, Hananiah, Mishel, and Azariah rejected the king’s food so as not to defile themselves. Though they were slaves in a strange land, these boys were determined to maintain their consecration to God.

Unfortunately, there are many Christians who begin to behave like the people of the world the moment they get to a land where nobody know them. We see several examples of such in the Bible. Let us consider Lot. He was Abraham’s nephew and must have been trained according to the instructions of God, but when the Angels got to Sodom and Gomortah, who did they find at the gate of the city (Genesis 19:1). He ended up losing all that he had amassed, including his wife.

Whenever you find yourself, you must live by the standard of the Most High God. Some Christian students resume in the University and dump all the consecration they maintained while at home. They start mixing with ungodly friends and join them to lead sinful lives. Some others travel to a different country or state and begin to misbehave.

Be warned! When Daniel got to a strange land, he ensured he kept the company with fellow believers. When you get to a strange land, locate other believers – people who are on fire for God – and befriend them. Join a Bible- believing church where you can continue to serve God as you used to back at home. When you refuse the king’s meat and wine in that strange land so as to stay pure, God will defend you at all times.

When Hananiah, Mishel, and Azariah (now renamed Shadrach, Meshac, and Abednego by their captors) were thrown into fiery furnace, the fire could not burn them because they took a stand for God (Daniel 3). When Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den, the lions could not eat him because he had not defiled himself by indulging in the sinful lifestyle of the inhabitants of the land (Daniel 6). Stand out for Christ anywhere you find yourself and Christ will stand up for you too.

KEY POINT

Maintain your consecration unto God every where you find yourself.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Genesis 36-38

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 20: STAND UP,STAND UP FOR JESUS

1 Stand up, stand up for Jesus

ye soldiers of the cross;

lift high his royal banner,

it must not suffer loss.

From vict’ry unto vict’ry

his army he shall lead

till ev’ry foe is vanquished

and Christ is Lord indeed.

2 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,

the trumpet call obey;

forth to the mighty conflict

in this his glorious day.

Ye that are men now serve him

against unnumbered foes;

let courage rise with danger

and strength to strength oppose.

3 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,

stand in his strength alone;

the arm of flesh will fail you,

ye dare not trust your own.

Put on the gospel armor,

each piece put on with prayer;

where duty calls or danger,

be never wanting there.

4 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,

the strife will not be long;

this day the noise of battle,

the next, the victor’s song.

To him that overcometh

a crown of life shall be;

he with the King of glory

shall reign eternally.

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