Open Heaven For Today 2024 Saturday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – He Did It All For You 2
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TOPIC: He Did It All For You 2
MEMORISE:-"For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself". Hebrews 9:26
READ: Matthew 26:37-45(KJV)
37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 28-31
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Jesus knows the end from the beginning, so He knew that what was going to happen to Him on the cross would be very terrible.
This made Him pray in Matthew 26:39, saying,
“…O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
The Bible recorded that while He was saying this prayer, His sweat was like blood. This tells us that He took that prayer very seriously. Yet, Jesus still decided to go through with the suffering.
Jesus did not lay down His life out of compulsion. He said clearly in John 10:18 that He laid down His life willingly.
That statement is heavy, and it made me ask,
“What kind of love will make a man surrender Himself to be humiliated and slaughtered like this?”
I saw the perfect answer to my question in John 15:13 which says:
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
This is the greatest kind of love in the world. Jesus loves you more than anyone in the world can ever love you, and He showed it by laying down His life for you.
Again, I asked myself,
“What will make a man surrender His life like this?”
I saw the answer to this question in John 10:11-12. The Good Shepherd never deserts the sheep when He sees a wolf coming.
He stays and protects the sheep from being devoured because of the love He has for the sheep.
The devil is the wolf that tries to steal, kill and destroy, while Jesus is the Good Shepherd that laid down His life for you to have eternal life.
Jesus is the only genuine protection you can get from the claws of the wolf – the devil.
If you believe in Him, and surrender your life to Him, the wolf will have no power over you because Jesus has already died for you.
The wolf, however, is free to devour anyone that is not following Jesus or believers that stray away from Him.
Beloved, if you don’t want to be prey to the devil, give your life to Jesus Christ now. Commit to following Him and Him alone.
He paid the ultimate price for you, and He is the only One that can lead you into everlasting life.
Key Point
Only those who are in the flock of the Good Shepherd are safe from the claws of the wolf
HYMN 19:– Hymn: 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 wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.
2 Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law’s demands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.
3 Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the 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.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Thursday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Christainity Is Personal
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TOPIC: Christainity Is Personal
MEMORISE:-"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations". Jeremiah 1:5
READ: John 10:3-4(KJV)
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Whenever God wants to talk to a congregation, no matter how large, He will address individuals.
Revelations 3:20 was written to an entire Church, but He said, “If any man…” John 3:16 says, “God loved the whole world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever…”
We came into this world one at a time. Genesis 25:21-26 makes it clear that even when twins are born, they come out one at a time. Even if the twins are to be delivered by a Caesarean operation, the doctor will bring one out first before the second.
Romans 14:12 says that we are all going to give an account of ourselves before God. The messages you read in this devotional are not for everybody, they are for you in particular.
Whenever David wants to talk about something very serious, he personalises it. In Psalms 23:1, he said,
“The Lord is MY shepherd; I shall not want.” He didn’t say, “The Lord is our shepherd.”
Whenever some brethren want to close a service, they will say,
“Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives, and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
I always wonder where they got that from because it is not written in my Bible.
What is written is, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever” (Psalms 23:6).
Goodness and mercy are not for us they are for me. The result of my dwelling is for me, not for US.
In Psalms 27:8, David said,
“When you said, seek my face, my heart says, thy face will I seek.”
I don’t know what others are thinking, how far they want to go in the Lord, and how hungry and thirsty for God they are.
I cannot thirst and hunger for God on their behalf. Don’t let someone else’s lack of hunger for God affect you, even if he is your pastor.
Your walk with God is personal. When you come face to face with God in judgement, you will give an account of yourself individually.
So, if you see someone who does not take his Christian life seriously, don’t let it bother you; Christianity is an individual matter.
Seek the face of God and encourage others to do so, but don’t let their laxity influence you.
Reflection
Christianity is completely personal. Don’t let anyone’s behaviour hinder your individual walk with God.
HYMN 7:– I am Thine, O Lord
1 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine. [Refrain]
3 Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend! [Refrain]
4 There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee. [Refrain]
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Wednesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Thou Shall Not Steal
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MEMORISE:-"Thou shalt not steal." Exodus 20:15
READ: Ephesians 4:27-28(KJV)
27 Neither give place to the devil.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 19-21
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
The lust of the eyes, the pride of life, and the lust of the flesh are reasons many take what belongs to other people.
The obsession to have it all without working for them and being controlled by material things will eventually lead to stealing.
God wants you to have everything you truly need but in His own way and at His own time. He is willing to give you everything you need and more, but you must seek Him and His righteousness first.
Nobody can bless you more than God, so it is better to wait for God’s blessing because it will make you rich without any form of sorrow being added to it (Proverbs 10:22).
Don’t let the devil deceive you with flashy things. Mark 8:36 says that all the material gains in the world will profit you nothing if you lose your soul.
Beloved, please do not trade your soul for material gains by stealing. Nothing at all in this world is worth your soul.
God frowns strongly at stealing. If you desire to have more, work more. Do not take from those who have laboured for their possessions. Some people try to categorise and rationalise stealing.
For example, some people will say corruption is not stealing. Some will even try to explain why internet fraud is different from stealing.
Beloved, the moment a person takes something that does not belong to him or her without the permission of the owner or under false pretences, that fellow has stolen.
In 1 Corinthians 6:10, the Bible makes it clear that no thief will enter heaven. The devil is the father of thieves because, according to John 10:10, stealing is his first assignment in any man’s life.
My father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, used to say that your father will take care of you with whatever he has.
If your father is God, then He will take care of you with healings, blessings, and long life, but if your father is the devil, he will take care of you with sicknesses, marital problems, death, and the like.
Thieves should never expect God to answer their prayers because God is not their father.
In Leviticus 6:4 and Exodus 22:1-4 God said that if you have stolen something, you are to return it to the fellow you stole from in double fold.
Don’t keep stolen property in your possession.
Finally, let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth (Ephesians 4:28).
Key Point
Stealing puts you in the camp of the devil and gives him lordship over you. Don’t steal.
HYMN 31:– Yield Not To Temptation
1. When we walk with the Lord,
In the light of His word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and obey!
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.
2. But we never can prove
The delights of His love,
Until all on the altar we lay,
For the favour He shows
And the joy He bestows
Are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]
3. Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way,
What He says we will do,
Where He sends we will go,
Never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Tuesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Learn From Elders
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TOPIC: Learn From Elders
MEMORISE:-"Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:" Exodus 18:19
READ: Exodus 18:1-24(KJV)
1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt;
2 Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,
3 And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:
4 And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:
5 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:
6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
7 And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.
8 And Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord delivered them.
9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10 And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.
12 And Jethro, Moses' father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father in law before God.
13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
14 And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?
15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:
16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
17 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.
23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 17-18
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Many young people these days see their elders as ‘old school’ and think that they can do without them – they are making a big mistake.
I know there’s a lot of advancement in science and technology these days, and that the youth have more access to information than ever before, but no matter how many resources they have, there is one thing the elders have that they do not, and that is experience.
The elders have walked the path you are walking now and can tell you the outcome of whatever you are doing, even before you start. They have experienced far more than internet search engines can show you.
Some of them have made mistakes in the past that you don’t have to make if only you let them guide you. The problem, however, is that many youths think that they are very wise, and such thoughts can put them in trouble.
There is a popular saying in Africa that what an elder sees while sitting on a chair, the child cannot see it, even if he climbs an Iroko tree.
I learnt a lot from the Late Pa S.G Elton though there were bits of advice he gave at the time that I thought were wrong. Today, I now know he was totally right.
Thank God I listened to him. There are things about yourself that you don’t know and cannot see, but an elder will see them and advise you appropriately.
Proverbs 30:12 says:
There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
You could think that your talent and knowledge are enough to make you successful, but an elder will point your attention to a character flaw that you must get rid of if you really want to be successful.
When you’re employed in an organisation, respect those who have been there long before you. In church, give ears to what the elders have to say.
At home, don’t neglect the advice of your parents, grandparents, uncles and aunties. When you do this, they will share some of their valuable experiences with you, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom (Isaiah 11:2), you will be able to put all their bits of advice together wisely.
This will give you an unparalleled advantage over your peers in the journey of life.
Key Point
The elders in your life are there to guide you with their experiences. Listen to them and honour them.
HYMN 30:– When We Walk with the Lord
1. When we walk with the Lord,
In the light of His word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and obey!
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.
2. But we never can prove
The delights of His love,
Until all on the altar we lay,
For the favour He shows
And the joy He bestows
Are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]
3. Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way,
What He says we will do,
Where He sends we will go,
Never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]
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