Sunday, 11 August 2013
Friday, 9 August 2013
Wednesday, 7 August 2013
RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Wednesday 7th August 2013
GET INTIMATE WITH GOD
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye
MEMORISE: How sweet as thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to
my mouth! Psalm 119 :
103
“While we look not
at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the
things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4 : 18
Worldly things
are temporary while heavenly things are eternal. In other words, earthly things
like wealth, material possessions, earthly achievements and goals, position and fame are
all for earth and therefore short lived. One day, they shall all cease. On the
other hand, spiritual things like things about God and His Kingdom, serving God
at whatever capacity, doing God's will and spiritual goals are heaven- bound
and have eternal consequences. The average believer is torn between focusing on
the physical and the spiritual. Where is your focus
today?
Your focus will
be determined by your level of spiritual maturity. The joy of growing old in
the Lord is that it opens your eye to seeing more of the unseen than what is
commonly seen. More intimacy with God gives you sharper spiritual vision and a
keeper spiritual audio ability. One of the ways God speaks is through the still
small voice according to 1 King 19 : 11
-13. To be able to hear Him by
this very low voice, you must completely down play noise and seek him in
absolute quietness. This may require you finding a very quite place for God and
you, and He will speak to you. When you deliberately draw closer to God, you
will hunger and pant after His word. You will go beyond reading to studying and
digesting God’s sweet Word (Psalm 119
:103).
Moreover, how can you prolong your days on earth? This
is a function of what you do and what you don’t do. Stop cheating on others! Deuteronomy 25 : 15 says
“But thou shalt
have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have:
that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth
thee.”
If you are into
manufacturing, and make a product on whose packet you write 10 grams, let it
not be less than what you declared. It is your duty to ensure that whatever you
use for measurement is right. Do not employ false measure. Some traders would
beat in their measuring cans, tins and containers so that they can save
something for themselves every time they sell their goods. A true believer in
Christ cannot do this because he or she fears God. How
honest are you in your dealings?
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Psalm 103 – 105
PRAYER POINT: Father, as I grow older in Christ, help me move closer to you
and be more like you.
Tuesday, 6 August 2013
RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Tuesday 6th August 2013
SOW TOWARDS YOUR NEXT LEVEL
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye
MEMORISE: Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth
thither the feet of the ox and the ass. Isaiah 32 : 20
BIBLE READING: Isaiah 32 : 15 – 20
Everyone has a next level. As successful as you
may consider yourself to be, there is a level you have not attained, a height
you have not climbed, a feat that has not been achieved. No matter how anointed
you are, there is a level of anointing you have not reached. The earlier you
realize and accept this, the better for you. Many people like Moses saw their
next level but could not enter in. May you never be a victim of seeing but not possessing your
blessing in Jesus name.
To enter your next level, you must be prepared
to sacrifice your Isaac. The next level comes by sacrifice. How much are you
willing to give to enter into your next level? Similarly, you can enter
into your next level by sowing. In Genesis 26 : 2 -14, we see how
Isaac entered into his next level through sowing the seed he had at a
period of famine. There are seeds and there are fruits.
Seeds are meant to be sown while fruits are meant to be eaten. Seeds are
for the future while fruits are for today. If you are wise like Isaac, you will
never convert the seed that should give you a tomorrow into a fruit that should
sustain you for the moment. Isaac virtually starved when he sowed what others
should have eaten. He suffered a while but when the yield came, he became
greater than the nation which ate their seeds. Those who sow their seeds will always be
greater than those who eat their seeds. In The Redeemed Christian
Church of God, there is a track record of meaningful sowing. It is the sowing
of the past that has brought us to our present location. In Port Harcourt, a
woman sowed three of her houses and landed property. Sometimes, some people
would empty their pockets for the work of the Lord. I have had to sow my car
too. What are you
willing to give to move to your next level? If what you are prepared
to sow is far from what God expects you to sow, your seed will be unable to
deliver your next level.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 100 -102
KEY POINT: No matter how high you have gone, there is still a height you
have not reached.
Monday, 5 August 2013
RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Monday 5th August 2013
LOSING YOUR BEARING?
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye
MEMORISE: Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your
own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you,
except ye be reprobates? 2 Corinthians 13 : 5
“Either make the
tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit
corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.”
Matthew 12 : 23
Any one in
autthority that lacks the fear of God is of great danger to the populace. Going
by the above scripture, we have an obligation to such persons – be they in the
church or in the secular world – to lead them to Christ. There are some of us
who have those in authority as friends, relations, spouses, etc. Ensure you
pray and lead them to Christ because, as you make a tree good, the fruit will
also become good.
You may not believe
this but i discovered a long time ago that it is possible to become a General Overseer or District Overseer without
even knowing Christ. I once preached in a church on what it means to be
born-again, after which I made an altar call. The pastor approached the altar
followed by everyone else. Surprised, I said, “Sir, this is not an altar call
for transfer of the anointing or power”. He replied, “Now that you have
explained what it is to be born – again, I have realized the need to return to
the altar”. Thank God for people who are honest who are ready to amend their
ways when they realize they have missed it. Even today, many ministers will
need to pay a visit to the Cross of Calvary, because this is an era of holiness. How can you be holy if you are not born-again? Some
people gave their lives to Christ but presently, they have withdrawn their
commitment to Him. Are you still saved? To lie is
the easiest sin for some ministers and their wives but they have forgotten that
just one lie is enough to drown a soul in eternal hell. One lie a couple told in Acts 5, led to their untimely death. If you
are a bonafide minister of God, your mouth will feel very heavy if you want to
tell a little lie. But if you say it with nothing pricking you, it shows your
heart is already hardening. Run to the Cross and begin again. Some people think
they are still running the race but they have lost their bearing.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 97 – 99
PRAYER POINT: Father, in any way I have lost my bearing, in your mercy,
bring me back to the right path.
RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sunday 4th August 2013 A Joyous Ending By Pastor E. A. Adeboye
RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sundayday 4th August 2013
A JOYOUS ENDING
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye
MEMORISE: For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not
be cut off. Proverbs 23 : 18
BIBLE READIND: Luke 7 :11 – 15
Every part of the
human body is important and is given to us for some reason. The mouth particularly
is given to us to protect against any contrary condition we may be
experiencing. If you fail to cry out when you should, you may be prolonging the
negative situation you are in. I was out for a prayer walk one night and did
not really care if anybody else was around. I had a very crucial issue to
settle with God so I laid prostrate on the road. Then one fellow came to me and
called Daddy. In my heart I wondered, ‘What is his business about this?’ Who is
daddy when there is trouble? According to
Luke 11 : 9 -10, we are instructed to ask, seek and knock but the duration
for making the request is not stated; in other words, we are to continue to
ask, seek and knock until we receive our desire – till our joy is full (John 16 : 24). How are you asking today?
Moreover, another
lesson from the Shunammite woman of 2
King 4 : 18 – 26 is that all is well that ends well. When you go through
the scriptures, you will see several people who encountered problems but at the
end, they had a pleasant, glorious ending. How a given situation ends is more
crucial. In Mark 2 : 1 – 12, we read
of a man who was paralyzed. He was borne by four people because the situation
had made him heavier, but at last he walked home by himself. In Mark 5 : 1 – 20, we see how a notorious mad man became an
evangelist. Similarly, in Luke 7 : 11 –
15, we read of a woman who was happily married and had a son. At some
point, she lost her husband then her son, and was embarking on a journey to
bury him when she encountered Jesus. At the end, her trip into lasting sorrow
became a trip into permanent joy and comfort when the Lord raised up her son
from the dead. Are you
in a particular sorrowful situations? The Lord will step in and your end shall
be glorious. Fear not, the problem you think will kill you. The problem will be
terminated so that your joy might be full. You shall end in joy.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 94 – 96
PRAYER POINT: Father, irrespective of what I am going through today, let my
end be glorious.
Saturday, 3 August 2013
RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Thursday 3rd August 2013 Pay for Spiritual Service By Pastor E. A. Adeboye
RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Thursday 3rd August 2013
PAYING FOR SPIRITUAL SERVICE
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye
MEMORISE: Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out
devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Matthew 10 : 8
BIBLE READING: 1 Corinthians 2 : 12 – 13
One reason many
people are failing God in ministry and in their secular jobs is because they
are copying methods rather than following the Lord. Another reason is that they
are following after the wrong things. If you pursue the wrong things or focus
on what is not needful, it will definitely affect your results. When Naaman was
leaving with all the goodies he came with, Gehazi vowed to go after him. What are you running after? God sees the
hearts of men. Naaman came to the man of God hoping to pay for his healing. The man of God was
sensitive to the spirit of God and so refused to take a gift from him. There
are some servants of God who have never refused a gift before. In fact, if
something is not offered to them after God has used them to be a blessing, they
take offence and begin to complain. Such people are following the path of
Gehazi.
Romans 3 : 24 says we are justified freely by His grace. 1 Corinthians 2 : 12 -13 and Romans 8 : 23 say that God has freely
given us the things of the Kingdom. Did you pay for your salvation,
sanctification or baptism in the Holy Spirit? Did you pay for the fruit and
gifts of the Holy Spirit that makes the miraculous possible in your life? Matthew 10 : 8 says,
“Heal the sick,
cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received,
freely give.”
Today, the greed
of some ministers of the Gospel makes them to compel or cajole recipients of
blessings from God’s grace on their life to pay in cash or in kind. In other
words, the concepts of free reception
and free delivery is fast becoming obsolete. Some minister will say, ‘ I laid hands on you and the cancer in your body
disappeared. You know how much it cost bto treat an incurable disease like
cancer. If it is half of what you would have spent on treatment, go and bring
it; after all, it is not easy to acquire the anointing’. Has the
anointing suddenly gone on sale? The Lord frowns seriously at this! If
recipient of miracles on their own decide to show appreciation, that is fine;
but it is very wrong for them to be compelled or cajoled to ‘pay’for what they
received. If they pay, they may never see the need to turn their lives over to
God.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Thessalonians 1 – 3
ACTION POINT: If you sell
the gift of God which should be freely given, you will be made to pay back on
the day you have nothing at hand
Friday, 2 August 2013
RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Friday 2nd August 2013
WHO DO YOU FEAR
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye
MEMORISE: The fear of man bringth snare: but whosever putteth his
trust in the LORD shall be safe. Proverbs 29:
25
BIBLE READING:
Proverbs 29:25 – 27
The favourites of
God often share similarities with the eagle. One outstanding trait of the eagle
is its ability to see its enemy coming
long before it arrives and as a result, decide on how to deal with it. Usually,
when a snake is about to penetrate the nest of an eagle, the latter would have
seen it earlier. The eagle would wait for the right moment to strike. Without
warning, it will strike by grabbing it by the neck, take it to a great height
and drop it from there. This will lead to the death of the snake. As a favourite of God, when the
enemies are planning their evil attack, the Lord will reveal it to you so that
you will know how to handle your enemies. How often does God forewarn you of the plan of your
enemies? When Herod was seeking the life of baby Jesus, Joseph was
warned. If
you hardly ever get divine warning about the schemes of your enemies, it is doubtful if you are God’s favourite. It
simply means you need to work on your relationship with God.
In addition, the
favourite of God enjoys divine security which leads to unusual boldness. Hence,
Proverbs 28 : 1 says such believers
have the boldness you find in lions. If you are a divine favourite, you will
fear no man but God.
According to Proverbs 29 : 25; Whenever you are
afraid of a man, you will definitely fall into pit. There is a link between
the fear of man and snares. If you carry out a fact – finding quest on those
who found themselves in one trap or another, you will discover that majority of
them got there because they were afraid of somebody or some persons. The fear
of the Israelites made King Saul to be rejected. If you are afraid of offending men because you do not want to be sacked,
spoken against or persecuted, you will definitely offend God. Men
are not to be feared but loved, respected and honoured. God is the only One you
should fear. God’s favourites do not care about the opinions of men but about
what God thinks about them. Who do you fear?
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Lamentation 3-5
ACTION POINT: Ask God
to help you grow in love and in the fear of God.
Thursday, 1 August 2013
RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Thursday1st August 2013
POWER IN THE BLOOD
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye
MEMORISE: For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed
for many for the remission of sins. Matthew 26:
28
BIBLE READING:
Matthew 26: 26-28
Wrong use of the
tongue can be so destructive that it can forever severe one’s link with the
saviour in a situation such as blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. May this
never be your portion in Jesus name. However, avoid everything that attracts
you into sin as they are targeted at breaking your link with the vine. Just
feeding your eyes lustfully for a few minutes on pornographic material and
websites could have the end result of
breaking the tree-branch relationship that exists between Jesus and you.
At the first Holy
Communion service with the disciples, the lord said,
“For this is
my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of
sins”
Matthew 26: 28
In other words,
He was saying that if you have been detached from the vine and already withering, when you
reconcile with God and receive the blood, you will be revived. The blood is so
powerful that it can flush out every stranger hibernating in your body. Matthew 15: 13 says
“ But he
answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted,
shall be rooted up.”
The doctor will
tell you that one reason you bleed after cutting your skin is because the blood
system recognizes that once there is an opening in the body, strangers can come
in; so the blood rushes out to prevent strangers from coming in. Is there any
contamination in your system? It shall be uprooted. Every virus, germ or
bacteria herbanating in your system shall die and be flushed out as you partake
of the blood of Jesus Christ made available through the Holy Communion. Revelation 12 : 11 says the blood of
Jesus can give you victory over the devil. As you partake of the Holy
Communion, key into it in faith and receive your victory receive your victory
over forces of darkness. As soon as the sick branch is healed, it begins to
bear fruit again (John 15: 5). Are you a sick branch? Or have you become detached
through compromising with sin? Repent from your heart, dump that sin that broke
you away from the vine and reconnect today. If you are not yet born-again, it
means you have never been connected to the lover of your soul. Confess your
sins, forsake them and invite Jesus Christ into your heart and confess your
sins, forsake them and invite Jesus Christ into your heart and confess him as
your Lord. As you do so, you will be
attached to the vine.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Lamentations 1 - 2
Action
Point: the blood of Jesus is under
utilsed by believer today. Apply this blood on every area of life, using it to
attack every opposition you are facing
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