Open Heaven For Today 2024 – Open Heavens 13 April

Open Heaven For Today 2024 Saturday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Whom Are You Serving?

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TOPIC: Whom Are You Serving?

MEMORISE: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Matthew 6:24

READ: Colossians 3:23-24(KJV)

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 13-15

Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. John 9:4

The above passage says, 

“The works of Him that sent me,” 

not the works of your pastor.

This was why I laughed when I heard someone say to me some time ago, 

“I’ve been serving you all these years.”

I was amazed, so I responded, “Serving me?!” I thought we were serving God together on the same platform.

You need to really know whom you are serving. Are you serving God, your pastor, or your Head of Department in church?

If you are serving God, you won’t only behave well when your pastor or Head of Department is around, but you will do so at all times because the One you claim to be serving can see you all the time.

For some people, they are serving their Neighbours. They want their Neighbours to see them as fervent Christians, but, in secret, they keep committing sins.

If you really know you are serving God, you will care more about being holy in His eyes than looking holy in public.

Revelations 4:11 says,

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

You are to please God irrespective of the people around you.

Lastly, some people claim to be serving God, but they are actually serving their needs; they come to Him only because they need something from Him.

Everything they do for God is motivated by what they want to get from Him.

For example, this is why there are people who reduce their commitment in church or even stop going altogether once they get the job that they have been praying about.

For some, they are only in church because they are looking for a godly husband or wife to marry.

In John 6:24-26, Jesus sent the people who were coming to Him because of bread and fish away.

Such people’s service is not acceptable to Him; He can see their real intentions and does not count them among His children.

Are you serving God, people or your needs?

Beloved, you need to be very clear about whom you serve. Serve God for who He is, and not for anything else.

Reflection

Are you serving God for who He is or for what you can get from Him?

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 endless praise,

let them flow in endless 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 Heaven For Today 2024 Friday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Gains Of Total Surrender

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TOPIC: The Gains Of Total Surrender

MEMORISE: "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God". Hebrews 12:2

READ: Philippians 2:5-11 (KJV)

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 10-12

Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE

In my studies on this topic, I noticed that apostle Paul who said in Philippians 4:7 “but what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ,” was promoted so highly that in 2 Corinthians 12:11, he said, “I’m not behind the greatest apostles.”

When we talk about promotion, many of us think about titles. Titles are beautiful, but I will rather be a deacon that can raise the dead than be a National Pastor that cannot heal a fly.

I preached a message on total surrender one day in church. In those days, only a few members had cars.

After the service, a young man came to me and said, “Daddy, from now on, I surrender all to Jesus.” I said, “Really?” He said, “Yes”.

I then said, “Good. So, we will now be able to borrow your car tomorrow for a church assignment.” He replied, “But I have to go to work tomorrow”.

I laughed and said, “I just wanted to show you that you haven’t surrendered all.” I only asked about the church borrowing his car, and that was difficult for him to agree to. What if I had asked for something bigger?

What could make an individual surrender totally to God and even serve Him without pay?

I found the reason in Philippians 2:5-11 which is our Bible reading for today.

It started by saying, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” It further told us how great Jesus was and how He humbled Himself unto the point of death, even the death on the cross.

Then verse 9 says, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him..” At that point, I knew that the gain always outweighs the pain.

Hebrews 12:2 says:

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

When you seek the things of God first, the other desires of your heart will also be granted unto you according to His will.

When you lay your life down for God, He will surely honour you in return.

There is great joy awaiting anyone who surrenders totally to God. If you surrender all that you have to Him, He will give you more in return.

Beloved, surrender all to God and He will bless you far beyond your imagination.

Prayer Point

Lord, help me to surrender all to You today, in Jesus’ name.

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 Thursday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Challenges of Being Anointed 2

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TOPIC: The Challenges of Being Anointed 2

MEMORISE: "But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more". Luke 12:48

READ: Mark 6:31-34 (KJV)

31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

33 And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.

34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 8-9

Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE

In continuation of my discussion yesterday, one of the challenges of being anointed is that anointed people are perceived to be stronger than they really are.

Because they pray and God answers immediately, people think that they don’t need prayers themselves.

Also, because they lay hands on the sick and the sick get healed, people think that they are superhuman and can never be weak or tired.

Because they preach and souls get saved, there is a tendency to think that they never get tempted, whereas they probably face temptations more than other people.

Moses made just one mistake in 40 years of leading the Israelites, but God said he would not get to the promised land.

He had been interceding for Israel whenever they did terrible things, and God had been forgiving them.

Now, in his own case, there was nobody to plead for him.

Do you want to be heavily anointed? Be ready to work endlessly. When I discovered that the Bible says that we should earnestly covet spiritual gifts, I was happy.

I asked for double the anointing on Elisha, Peter, Paul and Jesus Christ when He was on the earth and then asked that all should be combined and doubled again.

God warned me then that I was asking for a dangerous thing because people would not let me rest.

When people see that you are anointed, they will bring all their problems to you. Even after you minister to them from the altar, they will still want to see you personally.

You cannot send them away because the purpose of the anointing is to serve.

When I employed a personal assistant, and he asked, 

“What are our work hours?” 

I said, 

“We start the day at 5am and only God knows when we will close.” 

This is why raising other people who will also become anointed is necessary.

RCCG is in over 190 nations in the world. How will I cope if every member comes to me with their problems?

This is why each local assembly has anointed pastors that can pray for the members; only the cases they can’t handle come to me.

God has also made things easier by making it possible for me to pray from the altar and anoint handkerchiefs, which are used to perform the miracles that people would have called the General Overseer to pray about in the past.

A lot of responsibilities and challenges come with being anointed, so if you desire to be anointed, you should be ready to embrace them.

Key Point

The anointing comes with challenges and responsibility.

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 endless praise,

let them flow in endless 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 Heaven For Today 2024 Wednesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Challenges of Being Anointed 1

Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional

TOPIC: The Challenges of Being Anointed 1

MEMORISE: "And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them". 2 Kings 2:24

READ: Numbers 20:1-13(KJV)

1 Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

2 And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

3 And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord!

4 And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?

5 And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them.

7 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

9 And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him.

10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

12 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

13 This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 6-7

Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE

Do you want to be heavily anointed? The one who generates the anointing has more than enough for everybody.

Psalms 23:5 says, 

“Thou anointed my head with oil, my cup runneth over.”

He has more than enough for everybody, but are you willing to pay the price?

Are you willing to go through the challenges that come with being anointed?

Hebrews 1:9 says that if you love righteousness and hate iniquity, God will anoint you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.

Yesterday, I mentioned some benefits of being anointed, but it is also important to note that the anointing also comes with some challenges.

The major challenge with being anointed is that power can corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The more anointed you are, the more careful you must be because of the tendency to misuse the power.

In Numbers 20:1-13, especially verse 10, Moses said to the people, 

“Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?”

Only a few minutes before then, he was on his face before God, asking for a solution to the problem.

The moment God told him what to do, he turned to the people who had been provoking him, called them rebels, and spoke as if the power to bring water out of the rock was from him and not from God. In verse 12, God said that because he did not sanctify Him in the eyes of the people, he will not enter the promised land.

I have always told pastors in The Redeemed Christian Church of God that no one must ever feel as if he healed anybody.

Left alone, you cannot even heal a rat! It is God who heals, and you are only a vessel through which the healing takes place.

You must always see that as a privilege. Since the power to perform miracles is not yours, God can use anyone else to do it.

A man of God once said that if you remove God from him, there will be little left.

I was surprised because, in my own case, if you remove God from me, there will be absolutely nothing left.

Beloved, never forget that without God, you are nothing. Anyone who thinks that he or she can be something without God is clearly on a path to destruction.

No matter how anointed you are, never allow yourself to think that you are all-powerful. Ensure that you remain humble.

Key Point

Never forget that it is God who works miracles, not you.

HYMN 1: All Hail The Power Of Jesus’ Name

1 All hail the power of Jesus’ name!

Let angels prostrate fall.

Bring forth the royal diadem,

and crown him Lord of all.

Bring forth the royal diadem,

and crown him Lord of all!

2 Let highborn seraphs tune the lyre,

and as they tune it, fall

Before His face Who tunes their choir,

and crown Him Lord of all.

Before His face Who tunes their choir,

and crown Him Lord of all.

3 Crown Him, ye morning stars of light,

Who fixed this floating ball;

Now hail the strength of Israel’s might,

and crown Him Lord of all.

Now hail the strength of Israel’s might,

and crown Him Lord of all.

4 Crown Him, ye martyrs of your God,

Who from His altar call;

Extol the stem of Jesse’s Rod,

and crown Him Lord of all.

Extol the stem of Jesse’s Rod,

and crown Him Lord of all.

5 Ye seed of Israel’s chosen race,

ye ransomed from the fall,

Hail Him who saves you by his grace,

and crown Him Lord of all.

Hail Him who saves you by his grace,

and crown Him Lord of all!

6 Hail Him, ye heirs of David’s line,

Whom David Lord did call,

The God incarnate, Man divine,

and crown Him Lord of all.

The God incarnate, Man divine,

and crown Him Lord of all.

7 Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget

the wormwood and the gall,

Go spread your trophies at His feet,

and crown Him Lord of all.

Go spread your trophies at His feet,

and crown Him Lord of all.

8 Let every tribe and every tongue

before Him prostrate fall,

And shout in universal song,

and crown him Lord of all.

And shout in universal song,

and crown him Lord of all.