Open Heaven For Today 2024 Sunday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – In One Accord
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TOPIC: In One Accord
MEMORISE: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Psalms 133:1
READ: Psalms 133:1-3(KJV)
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 16-18
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
God loves unity; wherever He finds people uniting in His name, He will show up. You can see a good example of this in 2 Chronicles 5:13:
It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
In the above passage, as the trumpeters, singers and musicians all sang as one, God’s presence came down like a cloud and filled the temple.
God loves it when His children worship Him in one accord. This is why Jesus Christ said in Matthew 18:20,
“Where two or three people are gathered in my name, there will I be.”
At the upper room in Acts 2,
the Bible says that when the people were in one accord, the Holy Spirit filled the room with a sound like a mighty rushing wind.
Wherever believers are gathered in unity, God will show up in His glory.
Today’s Bible reading tells us that when brethren come together in unity, it is like the anointing oil that was poured on Aaron’s head which went all the way down to his feet.
Do you know what that means? It means that it is only when God’s people are united that the anointing can flow amongst them.
Without unity, the corporate anointing will not flow.
The reason many churches are not experiencing the power of God amongst them is that they are not united.
Where there is gossip, strife and backbiting, don’t expect the power of God to flow. These vices are not of God, and so, God cannot be where they exist.
1 Corinthians 12:12 says that we are all different parts of one body. If the hand is envious of the eyes and the leg is keeping malice with the head, how can the body function effectively?
When we become united in our local assembly and in the body of Christ as a whole, we will see great miracles amongst us that will amaze the whole world.
If you are a pastor reading this now, you should ensure that all forms of strife amongst workers and/or members of your local assembly are resolved today.
Action Point
Call a member of your local assembly and say, “I love you with the love of Christ.”
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]
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.
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]
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