Open Heavens 29 August 2016: Monday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Great Invitation

Open Heavens 29 August 2016: Monday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Great Invitation

Topic: The Great Invitation [Monday 29, August 2016]

Memorise: Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. –Isaiah 1:18

Read: Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV)

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 3:6-5:13, Psalms 44:9-15

MESSAGE:

There are numerous invitations we receive during the course of our lifetime, but there is an invitation that changes the life of a person permanently and that invitation is only found in Jesus. Sometimes, people can invite you to great occasions where you dine and wine with very important people in the society but that does not put an end to the trouble you are going through as an individual. You dine with them, but upon returning to your private closet, you carry your problems again. However, when you respond to the invitation of Jesus, He solves all your problems. This is why you cannot afford to respond inappropriately to this invitation. With this invitation, you come as you are. Present yourself to Him the way you are and let Him turn your life around. This is why the invitation of Jesus is the greatest of all invitations; it is also unique because He has all the power and the resources to turn any situation around. No matter how blessed an individual is, there is a limit to how many people he can help. No matter how buoyant your organisation is, there is no CEO that can employ everyone in a country. Jesus is the only employer who can pay everyone that comes under His government. There is no restriction, it is open to all.

This invitation is to those who live under the stress and turmoil of this world. He wants to deliver them from all their troubles. There are those who have problems with their spiritual life. Jesus is available to release grace and mercy in the state of their spiritual poverty. There are people living under the bondage of emotions and religion, Jesus wants to set them free and deliver them from all their battles both within and without. There are many people who are struggling on the inside. When you see them, they appear alright but they have troubles, fears, worries, anxieties and depression. Jesus is calling you to come to Him. He wants to remove the yoke that the devil and his agents have put on you. He wants to uproot every plant that He has not planted in your life. He wants to deliver you from the burdens of this world that causes frustration and depression. However, you must submit to Him before He can be of help to you.

It does not matter how far you have gone into the world of sin, Jesus is calling you to come. There is no sinner without a future and there is no saint without a past but in Jesus everything becomes new;

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” - 2 Corinthians 5:17

One finds peace and rest of mind by understanding that his sins are forgiven by the grace of God through the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross of Calvary, because where there is no shedding of blood there is no remission for sins. You can cast all your worries and anxiety on Jesus; it is part of your redemption right because all those troubles have been exchanged for peace through His death. However, you must know that the glory of God is His holiness. His dwelling is in holiness. His way is holy and the invitation to us is not an invitation to lawlessness but an invitation to holiness.

Key Point: There is no sin that is beyond the redemption at cross.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

Open Heavens 28 August 2016: Sunday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Unusual Messengers

Open Heavens 28 August 2016: Sunday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Unusual Messengers

Topic: Unusual Messengers [Sunday 28, August 2016]

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 17:1-5 (KJV)

1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

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.

Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 1:1-3:5, Psalms 44:1-8

MESSAGE:

Messengers are stewards often sent to speak, act, or deliver a message on behalf of their master. In addition to the angelic beings that God normally sends as messengers to speak, deliver messages, or carry our specific assignments, He also uses humans and other living or non-living beings as messengers. The purpose of God’s legitimate messengers is always to inform, enable, protect, empower, and guide the people of God. But they are sent occasionally to punish. I pray that you will never do anything to provoke divine judgment in Jesus’ name. The most prominent among God’s messengers are Prophets, humans and angelic beings. However, unusual messengers are sometimes deployed by God to carry out special assignments. 1 Kings 17:4-6 says,

“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.”

In the above passage, the most unusual messengers - ravens were the stewards sent to provide food for Elijah in the wilderness. Ravens are large heavily built carnivorous birds of the corvine family. God used a great fish, gourd plant, worm and a vehement east wind as unusual messengers to teach Jonah the lesson of his life in Jonah 4:6-8. He used another unusual messenger to play an important role in the story of Balaam inNumbers 22:19-35. Numbers 22:27-28 says;

“27…. and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. 28 And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?”

The use of supernatural beings are natural elements as God’s messengers therefore underscores God as the Lord of Hosts, with the special ability to make all things work in favour of His beloved children. Therefore, give your life to Jesus today, and become one of God’s beloved. Then you can be sure that all things will begin to work together for your good according to the Word of God in Romans 8:28.

Prayer Point: Father, please command all things to work together for my good and the fulfilment of my destiny 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, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.. DATE: THURSDAY 25TH AUGUST 2016 THEME: NOTHING GOES FOR NOTHING

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL..

DATE: THURSDAY 25TH AUGUST 2016

THEME: NOTHING GOES FOR NOTHING

Memorise:

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, Matthew 17:1

Read: Matthew 17:14-21

17:14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,

17:15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

17:16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

17:17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

17:18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

17:19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

MESSAGE

In secular environments, it takes diligence to get to the top and it takes even more diligence to remain there. There are many people who work really hard to get to the top but upon getting there, they soon begin to relax. Diligence is even more important when it comes to spiritual responsibilities. You need to work hard to have an encounter with God but you need to work twice as hard to keep your encounter intact. To get the answer to all your requests, you have to invest a lot of time before God. Many people just get born again and begin to relax. If you want to command the miraculous you must be ready to pay the price.  You have to keep running until you get to the finish line. There are people who have not given God their entire lives, yet they want God to always respond to all their requests. If you want a spiritual  transformation in your life, you have to give attention and seriousness to the business of growing daily. Following Jesus Christ could be very costly, His standards are always high and He will never compromise His standard for anyone. If you want to operate in the miraculous, you must be willing to die daily. Self-denial is a basic qualification for discipleship and there are many courses you have to register for in the school of exploits. That includes fasting while others are feasting. It includes praying while others are sleeping. You have to study the Bible while others are spending time on things that will not add significant value to their lives. It involves spiritual discipline while some people are wasting their time away. Paul testified that he kept his body under in order to win the prize. Keeping the body under is self-denial. You are deliberately doing something to achieve something. Somebody asked me how I am able to fast for many days and I replied that it is always very easy for me to do so because each time I want to start a long fast I just go to the calender and count the number of days I want to go and I tell my stomach "look at that day very well, that is the time next time we shall be taking food" it is as simple as that.
To command supernatural situations, nothing goes for nothing. You have to engage in spiritual exercises;
"Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." Matthew 17:21

If Jesus said "men ought to pray and not to faint" (Luke 18:1), it is very obvious that prayer covers a wide range of issues that should keep one very vigilant. It is in the place of prayer that there is a guarantee of continuous Open Heavens for every child of God. At the same time, there are many people who have lost many opportunities because of their understanding of the significant prayer in commanding the release of their heart desires. Fasting is not just a religious exercise as some think. When you engage in fasting, you are equipping yourself with strong weapons to counter every attack of the wicked ones and take your victory in every battle of life. When faith is actively coupled with prayer and fasting, there is nothing that can stop your prayers from being answered. Every barrier that wants to stand on your way will always give in like we observed in the case of Daniel with the prince of Persia.

Key Point :

Fasting and prayer is a combined spiritual weapon that commands the miraculous.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Isaiah 56:9-59:21
Psalms 41

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 2: O JESUS, I HAVE PROMISED.

O Jesus, I have promised,
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide.

Oh, let me feel Thee near me;
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.

Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
To hasten, or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.

O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.

Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then to rest receive me,
My Savior and my Friend.

Open Heavens 23 August 2016: Tuesday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Ultimate Goal

Open Heavens 23 August 2016: Tuesday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Ultimate Goal

Topic: The Ultimate Goal [Tuesday 23, August 2016]

Memorise: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5:3

Read: Matthew 5:1-10 (KJV)

1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Bible in One Year: Isaiah 49-51, Psalms 40:1-10

MESSAGE:

God’s eternal purpose for calling us into His kingdom is to make us a people that will be conformed to the image of His son Jesus Christ. The moment we surrender our lives to Christ, our focus must change and our goals in life must be tailored towards His ultimate purpose. You become separated from the crowd, you become a disciple of Jesus and the love of Christ becomes your preoccupation. Nothing satisfies better than the relationship you enjoy with the Father. You begin to have access to deep secrets because you are now His disciple. Your goal must change because you have become separated from sin and a worldly lifestyle. All those that encountered God had to focus on His ultimate goal for their lives. Joseph knew that he could of his own achieve nothing, so he began to follow the plan of God for his life. He focused on the ultimate goal and the Almighty God assisted him and gave him understanding, which made him to stand out. He learnt so many things as he was working towards God’s plan and purpose for his life. He became humble and grace was released into his life. Those who are always full of their achievements and accomplishments in life can never amount to anything significant before God because they will become blinded by their success. For outstanding goals to be achieved by you, there is the need to depend on the Almighty God.

An understanding of your spiritual poverty is the only gateway into entering into the provision and abundance of the Almighty God. It is acknowledging your deficiencies and realising that you are bankrupt and you need the help of Heaven to achieve the ultimate goal that God has lined up for you. King Solomon understood this and came to God to ask for help in knowing how to go about his daily business of administering the affairs of the kingdom. The moment God is removed from your life; you have nothing more to give to life. This is why you have to be meek before God. You must demonstrate meekness as you move on in life because the place that God is taking you to is a great place. You cannot afford to be proud. It is only the power of God that can guarantee your getting there, not by your own strength. Meekness is an attribute of Christ, and also one of the fruits of the Spirit. We must follow the path of meekness in our daily lives. It means your flesh must be crucified and the natural man in you must give in for the power of God to fill you.

When Joseph’s brothers were about to sell him into slavery, they thought they had gotten rid of the dreamer and his dreams, but they did not know they were only helping him in orchestrating the plan and purpose of God for his life. They became vehicles through which the young dreamer got to his ultimate destination in life. This is why you need to know that all things will always work together for good in the life of those who allow Jesus to be their personal Lord and Saviour. As long as you remain in the perfect will of God, and you are obedient to the ultimate goal that He has set for your life, you can be sure you will get to your destination. Dare to trust God and stop struggling to fight your battles by yourself. With God on your side, you will reach your goal.

Key Point: The plan and purpose of God for a man is the best that can ever happen to him.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

Open Heavens 22 August 2016: Monday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Healed through Obedience

Open Heavens 22 August 2016: Monday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Healed through Obedience

Topic: Healed through Obedience [Monday 22, August 2016]

Memorise: His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. – John 2:5

Read: 2 Kings 5:9-14 (KJV)

9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

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: Isaiah 45:14-48:22, Psalms 39

MESSAGE:

Every genuine child of God has a covenant right of divine health amongst other things. When I became born again, I did not believe in divine healing and I used to say that those pastors preaching about divine healing were looking for whom to kill. It was the testimony of an old man who shared how he challenged the devil who was mocking him in his sickness that made me to believe that divine healing is possible. In Exodus 15:26, Godsaid:

“I am the Lord that healeth thee”.

The one asking you not to fear is the original physician. The storms of sicknesses and disease are much more dangerous than any other form of attack against humanity. Diseases and sicknesses have different durations in the human body. There are some that last a few days and there are some that last for years. God’s ultimate plan for His children is to live a life that is not afflicted with sickness. He is interested in our wellbeing. Healing is possible and it can be obtained through faith and in obedience to the Word of God.

When one is suffering from one form of sickness or the other, it affects other things. It drains the finances of its victim and causes stagnation. There are many colourful dreams that have been aborted as a result of sickness. There are many wealthy people who have become poor because a sickness drained their finances. The anointing of Jesus Christ is to destroy all that God has not planted in your life. Jesus came to destroy the yoke of sickness and this is why I want you to know that your case is not impossible with Jesus. However, there are certain instructions that you may have to work with if you want your miracle to be permanent. Our Bible passage reveals that story of the Syrian army officer who was highly ranked but was suffering from a particular sickness. The man of God asked him to go and wash in the Jordan River seven times for him to be healed of his sickness. It took the intervention of a God-sent messenger for his to access his miracles. He would have lost the miracle of healing that he had been longing for. He saw the instruction as ridiculous. I have seen over and over again that instructions that look very simple are always ignored by people, yet, it is the secret required for their breakthrough. This officer thought the river was too dirty for him and he began to list many exclusive rivers, but the man of God was specific about the river and the number of times he had to enter the river.

Obedience to the instruction of God is very crucial to the release of our miracles in life. This man dipped himself into the Jordan River six times and nothing happened. It wasn’t until he entered the seventh time that his skin became changed and he received his healing. He dipped himself into the river and his flesh became like that of a baby.

Why are you still in that problem? Could it be that there are certain instructions given to you and you have not obeyed or your obedience has not been complete? You need to check yourself. The miracle you need is right beside you; just do what Jesus has asked of you and you will see your miracle being delivered without further delay.

Prayer Point: Father, remove every self-inflicted hindrance to my miracle in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

Open Heavens 18 August 2016: Thursday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – That we may be Rich

Open Heavens 18 August 2016: Thursday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – That we may be Rich

Topic: That we may be Rich [Thursday 18, August 2016]

Memorise: For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. – 2 Corinthians 8:9

Read: John 10:9-11 (KJV)

9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

Bible in One Year: Isaiah 34:1-37:13, Psalms 37:1-20

MESSAGE:

The death of Jesus was for a purpose and that purpose is to ensure that you fulfil your destiny. Jesus sacrificed Himself for your redemption. He took your place and gave you His. It is upon this arrangement that you have access to all that He provided. The death of Jesus was not in vain, it is a substitution for all your human weaknesses and deficiencies. God is not only interested in making you saved; He is interested in you having all that is available in the salvation package. I decree that whatever will not make you enjoy the full benefits of salvation shall be destroyed in Jesus’ name. Just for your sake, Jesus was born into very poor circumstances, He lived a poor life and died in poverty; and all these was that such things do not happen in your life. He voluntarily did all that, so that you might be rich. The riches even cover your divine health; by His stripes you are healed. I command every sickness and disease operating in your body to be uprooted in Jesus’ name. His death is so that you might be rich in deliverance. There are many people attending deliverance services but are yet to be free. If you appropriate the death of Jesus into your situation, there should be freedom for you.

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” - John 8:32

As believers of the new covenant, you are to be rich in the love and favour of the Almighty God. You are to be rich in the blessing and promises of the new covenant. You are to be rich in your expectation of eternal life. When you give your life to Jesus Christ, there is happiness in your life not only by the things you have but by the experience you have in Him. The Lord Jesus becomes the shepherd of your soul and He guarantees your protection so that you enjoy the riches of His divine security. Nothing scares you any longer because He that now watches over your soul does not sleep nor slumber. You become rich in abundance and the yoke of poverty becomes destroyed. You will be practically guided on how to enjoy the benefits of His riches through His goodness and mercy.

This is why you must not allow the devil see your life as being vacant. The devil is out to kill, to steal and to destroy but when you give Jesus a chance in your life, you will experience a turnaround from poverty to wealth. The devil has nothing good to offer you. In the end, his offers lead to destruction and disgrace, but the riches of God are permanent. The Joy of God is real; the peace of God is timeless. The abundance of God is not a function of economic indices. The longevity of life has nothing to do with keeping to medical prescriptions. The security of God has nothing to do with human elements. All these benefits are part of the riches He gave to you on the cross of Calvary but they become activated when you accept Him as your personal Lord and Saviour.

Key Point: If you don’t know your rights, you cannot enjoy them.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

Open Heavens 15 August 2016: Monday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – No Hindrance

Open Heavens 15 August 2016: Monday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – No Hindrance

Topic: No Hindrance [Monday 15, August 2016]

Memorise: Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it. –Zechariah 4:7

Read: Zechariah 4:7-11 (KJV)

7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

8 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.

10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?

Bible in One Year: Isaiah 24-27, Psalms 34:11-22

MESSAGE:

You must never allow anything to hinder you from becoming what God wants you to become. Don’t give in to the lies and fear that the devil is sending against you. In 1981, before I became 40 years old, I had been General Overseer for just a few months. One day, I looked at myself in the mirror and I saw grey hair all over my head. We had many problems in the church then. The Lord said I was carrying a burden that was not mine and I responded by saying that I was carrying the burdens related to the church. He said the church belonged to Him and that He could take care of it. He said He just made me the General Overseer as a front so that people will see a visible representative. I relaxed henceforth, and all my hair became black again.

There are mountains that stand between us and the things God wants us to achieve. These mountains could be issues that are hindering the actualisation of our set goals. The mountain could be people who do not see or understand what God is saying to you yet; or it could be people who are falsely accusing you, but you can be sure that God will always reduce all your mountains into plains. There are certain burdens and problems that are too big for you to carry? All you need do is to hand them over to the Burden Bearer. InNumbers 16:1-35, three men; Korah, Dathan and Abiram, came with the intention of hindering the assignments that God gave to Moses. They accused him of turning the leadership of the congregation into a family affair. They said Aaron his brother was a priest while Miriam his sister was the Choirmaster. In the midst of this mountain, Moses turned to God for intervention. The Lord told Moses to stand aside and watch Him fight against the mountains that were rising before him to hinder the work He had committed into his hand. By the time God was through with the mountains, they had all become plains.

When mountains rise against you, don’t waste your time entertaining any fear. When the Almighty God is on your side, it does not matter the problems confronting you, testimonies will be the final result in your favour. The Bible says in Psalms 30:5:

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

What is that sickness hindering you? The Almighty God will be your personal Physician. If it is poverty that wants to hinder all the great dreams that the Almighty God has given to you, do not fear the hindrance because He will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. Are there people standing up against you? Are they persecuting you and distracting you from that which God has designed you for? Just relax; God who levels all mountains knows the best judgement for your enemies. He has assured you that when the enemies come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against them. He has assured you that no weapon fashioned against you shall prosper. He will supply you with the strength to succeed when failure rises up. He will still all the storms rocking your boat and at the end you will look for the mountains but you will see them no more in Jesus’ name.

Key Point: There is no mountain that is beyond God.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

OPEN HEAVENS BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE SATURDAY 13TH AUGUST, 2016. SELF DISCIPLINE

OPEN HEAVENS BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE
SATURDAY 13TH AUGUST, 2016.

SELF DISCIPLINE

Memorise: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1st Corinthians 9:27

READ: 1st Corinthians 9:24-27, (KJV)
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 14:28-19:15 and Psalm 33:12-22

MESSAGE
Self-discipline is a personal commitment and decision to voluntarily yield every aspect of ones life to the Almighty God. This is ensuring nothing controls or influences your life outside the power of God. You must make no further provision for anything else to rule your life except the power of God. For this specific reason of desiring to be vessel unto honour, you deliberately narrow your choices to only what Jesus will have you do at any given time. When a man is self-disciplined, he will no longer entangle himself with the affairs of this life or with those things that add no significant value to his life as a Christian. Presenting your body as a living sacrifice is one of the ways to impose discipline on yourself.

“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

The fact that some people are not determined enough to pay the price of self-discipline is a major reason why things will not work for them the way they expect. In life, nothing goes for nothing. Until there is a departure from certain things, there can never be a discovery of great things. No one will amount to something great until they are ready to make certain sacrifices, which must come through self-imposed discipline.

Having been a boxer myself, I can tell you that you can never become a champion in the world of boxing if you are not programmed to be self-disciplined. When an individual is not disciplined, he or she will not be able to go far in life. A believer will have to be disciplined when it comes to certain issues like eating, sleeping, talking etc. Some people cannot do without comfort for a while. There are some that are slowed down in life because there are numerous weights that they are entangled with. When you are not self- disciplined, it will lead to your being unfruitful and unproductive in the business of God. There are people who cannot pray as they should because they cannot allow anything to deny them of their sleep. Some people will always eat when they should be fasting just because they cannot deny themselves of food.

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one recieveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain”. 1st Corinthians 9:27

Here, Paul was portraying the struggles that one must contend with in the Christian walk if one will have to make full proof of his ministry. Apostle Paul was willing to make all sacrifices and commitments required in evangelising to the world. He was obedient to the demands of the gospel because of the assurance that He who called him was faithful to reward him in due time.

As believers, there is the need to show commitment in self-discipline to the task of our calling as ministers of the gospel. Those who prepare for competitions with the mind of receiving perishable rewards still give the competition all the sacrifice required, this is a big lesson for those of us preparing for eternal rewards. One must exercise no less commitment or sacrifice. As long as we faithfully run the Christian race, we can be assured of the gift of eternal glory in Christ Jesus. No matter the difficulties we encounter, we can be rest assured that the grace of God can be relied upon.

Prayer Point:
Father, please remove anything that will hinder my greatness from my life in Jesus’ name.

OPEN HEAVENS BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE FRIDAY 12TH AUGUST, 2016. THE CHRISTIAN RACE

OPEN HEAVENS BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE
FRIDAY 12TH AUGUST, 2016.

THE CHRISTIAN RACE

MEMORISE: And if a man also strive for masteries, Yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 2nd Timothy 2:5

READ: Philippians 3:13-17 (KJV)
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

BIBLE IN ON YEAR: Isaiah 11:1-14:27 and Psalms 33:1-11

MESSAGE
Apostle Paul admonished us in his epistle to forget those things that are behind us as we journey through the pilgrimage of this earth. We should not allow the things of this world to distract us from the goal of eternal dwelling. A Christian cannot lay hold of that which he strives for if he is still distracted by the ephemerals of life.

The greater a person grows in the knowledge of Christ, the greater his desire to be with Jesus will be. This is why my hope for Heaven is strong. As a Christian who wants to dwell with Jesus, you have to deliberately submit yourself to the narrow way of Christian living. We must give our attention to those things that will endure the passing of this material world.

As a soldier of the cross, you must allow your life to be influenced by those whose minds are set on things above. We must live up to the spiritual nature of the gospel after which we are called. We must continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of God.

It is necessary to allow the Word of God to direct your life as you press on to greater spiritual heights. This is the only way you will be able to communicate the nature and character of God to the world. We have to submit ourselves to the gospel, and allow the Head of the Church (Jesus Christ) to give us direction in all our ways if we are to end as divine champions.

Those who will be champions for Christ will be people of rugged determination who have set their minds on certain goals. They will pursue these goals relentlessly until they begin to see the kind of reward they desire in Christ.

You will never find a believer who understands the nature of the Heavenly race retreating because he is being discouraged. They will never give any excuse for non-performance neither will they allow failure to be placed at their door step. They have only one life to live and they do everything to please Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of their lives.

There are many people who have lost their miracles and blessings because they stopped too soon. They were not determined enough, they gave in to certain impossibilities as they journeyed through life. This is a lie of the devil to cheat you of your blessings in Christ Jesus. Nothing is ever impossible before God according to Luke 1:37.

In my little walk with Jesus, I have met a lot of people who said what they wanted to do at some point in their lives was impossible. The moment you agree that it is impossible, it becomes impossible. There are people who believe that it is impossible to live holy and this is why holiness is not a venture for them. Unfortunately, it is a strategy of the devil to deny them the blessings of living a holy life.

There are young converts who have been discouraged by their leaders. They discovered that there is a great difference between what their leaders teach and what they practice, hence they give up their faith. This is why it is very dangerous to put your trust in any human being.

Put your trust in God because He is the only one who will never fail you. Make Jesus your Senior Partner. Know that if God is for you, nobody can be against you. Know that if God is the one backing you up, there is no amount of conspiracy against your life that will ever come to pass.

No matter the size of the enemy and the direction of the attack, you are divinely secured.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please let me finish my race without losing any battle in Jesus’ name.

HYMN 4: 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.

Open Heavens 11 August 2016: Thursday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Carnal Man

Open Heavens 11 August 2016: Thursday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Carnal Man

Topic: The Carnal Man [Thursday 11, August 2016]

Memorise: God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. –John 4:24

Read: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (KJV)

24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Bible in One Year: Isaiah 8-10, Psalms 32

MESSAGE:

If you want to do great exploits for God you have to rise above your carnal mind because no serious exploit can be done in the flesh. One of the things responsible for the miraculous events in the early church is that everything was done in atmosphere of God's Spirit. This is why we need to thirst for more of His presence in our midst if we want an outpouring of His spiritual blessings. It takes the Spirit of God for one to have access to deeper revelations of God.

“For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” - Ephesians 2:18

Anyone who wants to experience and encounter the glorious presence of God must be ready to let go of the flesh and allow the Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of Truth to take over. The carnal man is manipulated by his emotions and thinking. The carnal man is vulnerable to lust. The carnal man cannot understand the things of the Spirit. The carnal man is always a victim of strife and questionable actions. The carnal man will always be found in questionable environments and circumstances, but the man who allows the Spirit of God to dwell in him will always be sensitive to the leading of the spirit.

To effectively deal with the problem of carnality, wisdom demands you take it from the root. A tree that is cut down but not uprooted will grow again; it is only a matter of time. The only time you can be assured of permanent victory over the flesh is when you uproot the carnal man from its root. The moment you turn on the light, darkness automatically ceases. There is a need for you to turn on the Spirit man, who is nourished through a life of holiness and consecration to the Almighty God. As long as the Spirit is in charge, you cannot be defeated. You remain a champion and everything that is not of God will keep its distance from you, but the moment you give the carnal man a little attention, it begins to take over again. The best way to deal with the carnal man is to flee from every appearance of evil. One of my spiritual sons once told me that anytime it is Friday, he was always looking forward to the weekend being over because he wanted to be in the office on Monday. He was always looking forward to Monday mornings because of his secretary in the office whom he had grown fond of. I told him he was playing with a cobra in his bed and at anytime, the cobra could bite him. I asked him to kill the cobra once and for all by sacking the secretary that was unknown to him, feeding his flesh to destruction. Out of wisdom, he heeded my counsel and sacked his secretary, who in turn verbally insulted him and all those who had advised him. After she left, my son found peace in his spirit. Anything done with carnal mind will always bring problem and fear, but where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty and rest of mind. Are you toying with sin? Repent and come to Jesus for restoration. Are you in the company of those who will feed your flesh? Return to Jesus, His grace will overcome the works of the devil. Obey His Word, walk closely with Him and you will see yourself exercising victory over your weaknesses.

Prayer Point: Father, fortify every deed of the flesh in my life in Jesus' name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

Open Heavens 4 August 2016: Thursday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Believing Lies?

Open Heavens 4 August 2016: Thursday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Believing Lies?

Topic: Believing Lies? [Thursday 4, August 2016]

Memorise: Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. – Psalms 120:2

Read: 1 Timothy 4:1-6 (KJV)

1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

Bible in One Year: James 1-5, Psalms 27

MESSAGE:

There are many heresies spreading around us today, unfortunately, there are lots of people believing them. This is why true ministers of the gospel cannot just fold their hands. They have to make efforts to counter the bad philosophies around with the absolute truth of God’s Word. There is no better time for us to be aware and guard ourselves from being led astray by these erroneous teachings. The Bible warns us that if not careful even the very elect will deviate from the truth and follow after the deceptions of devious men, who, by the way, are skillful in leading men astray. Some of these teachers are popular and some of them are widely sought after; but be not deceived, the Word and Truth of God is greater than the personal profile of any minister. There are wolves in sheep’s clothing in the church today (Matthew 7:15-20). They teach one thing and practice another. They appear to be speaking the truth but they are living in error. When they talk, their words are very smooth and there is no error in their presentations. They make a lot of noise but they lack depth. If you watch closely, you will see that their conduct is contrary to the principles of godly living. They come with all sorts of theologies that have no bearing with the Word of God. They justify unholy living with the illusion that it is impossible for anyone to live holy. They explain away the truth of God’s Word just to make sinners comfortable in their sins. There is no rebuke, no reprove and no correction in their theology. They preach so much about the place of grace and give so much motivation about people’s freewill and liberty, forgetting that the Christian calling is not a call to lawlessness. They preach against the validity of the 10 commandments in the era of grace. Some teach that once saved you are forever saved and there is no need to work out your salvation with fear and trembling as the Bible says in Philippians 2:12. Some ask why you need to fast at all, since Jesus said it is finished.

As a genuine minister and disciple of Jesus, there is the need for you to teach your members to be aware of these wrong teachings. The fact that many people listen to them do not mean they are approved of God. They are liars. You need to caution those in your church concerning heretic teachings that deny the fundamental principles of Christianity. Don’t allow your members to stray away from the truth. Expose them to the truth of God’s Word very often so that they can stand against the lies of the devil. Some churches have become mere social and entertainment centres where members only gather of fantasies and entertainment purposes. You cannot see them leading salvation prayers or asking lost souls to come to the altar to forsake their sins. Many people do not want to hear the truth of God’s Word and that is why the church is saturated today with many false and fake ministers. How can you be comfortable in a church where the pastor has two wives? What will you expect such pastors to tell their members? Some members prefer to run from one prophet to another who will ‘see things’ for them and deceive them that God has spoken when God has said nothing. They are looking for prophetic declarations from ‘great men of God’ even when they don’t know the spirit behind such declarations.

Action Point: Beware of wolves in sheep clothing.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.

Open Heavens 3 August 2016: Wednesday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Are you growing in Grace?

Open Heavens 3 August 2016: Wednesday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Are you growing in Grace?

Topic: Are you growing in Grace? [Wednesday 3, August 2016]

Memorise: But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. –2 Peter 3:18

Read: Luke 2:39-40 (KJV)

39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.

40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Bible in One Year: Hebrews 11-13, Psalms 26

MESSAGE:

Show me a man that is doing great exploits in life and in ministry and I will show you a man that is growing in the grace and knowledge of the Almighty God. It is the grace of the Almighty God that makes us vessels of honour and beneficiaries of this grace; we need to continue to grow in it so that we will not run out of it. By virtue of our past, none of us will be qualified to be amongst the chosen of God, but the grace and mercy of God qualifies us. It was His grace that brought us salvation and not our works. It was the grace of God that blotted out the handwriting of the devil against all the sins we had committed. The devil stood to accuse us before the Almighty God, but His mercy stood in for us. Long ago when I was a lecturer in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, a woman brought her sick child to me for prayers as she had been told to come see me; a man of God. When she arrived and discovered that I was the man of God she was asked to see, she couldn’t hide her shock because she knew how bad I was in the past. Only the grace of God could have taken me from being a ‘great sinner’ to being a ‘man of God’. The moment we come to the truth of the gospel, there is an expectation from us. There is an expectation to live a life of holiness. A personal knowledge of God is necessary to enable us obtain His best for our lives. As God reveals Himself to us daily, we in turn, must reveal Him to others.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” -Ephesians 2:8

The grace of God is available in abundance, but must not be taken for granted. We must use the grace that we have received to be a blessing to others. The grace of God makes the forgiveness of sin possible. This is why every child of God must have a big heart to ‘let go’. You must not hold anything against anyone. Others may, but you cannot; because you are expected to be growing in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. The grace of God helps us to stand in the gap in the place of prayer. This makes it necessary for us to seek the face of God on behalf of those that God has committed to our trust. We must always remember that it is Jesus that has chosen us out of His own divine grace (John 15:16).

Despite the antecedents of Saul, God chose Him. Jeremiah was chosen and ordained even before his birth. With all these examples and stories of our time, it is wisdom to make the best choice of allowing God to have His way in our lives. We must glorify God in all we do. We must continue to grow in Him and never allow His investment to go to waste. We must justify His being interested in us by living holy and being a blessing to the Body of Christ with all the talents, abilities, endowments and gifts He has given us. Don’t allow yourself to be led astray by the immoral conduct of those who have given themselves to the lust of the flesh. It is the responsibility of every one to grow in the things of the Spirit and the motivation required for this has been given through the revelation of His grace through the cross.

Prayer Point: Father, cause me to grow daily in your grace and knowledge in Jesus’ name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.