Open Heaven For Today 2024 Monday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Judging The Anointed?
Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: Judging The Anointed?
MEMORISE: "Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand". Romans 14:4
READ: Numbers 12:1-16 (KJV)
1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
2 And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it.
3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
4 And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.
5 And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.
10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
11 And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.
12 Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb.
13 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.
14 And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.
15 And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.
16 And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 1-2
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Yesterday I made it clear that the anointed is not to dishonored for any reason.
Now, the question someone may have in mind is, “What do we do with ministers of God who we believe to be erring?”
This is a very delicate situation that requires God’s wisdom and direction.
For example, in our Bible reading today, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of something they believed he did wrong.
At the end of the day, Miriam became leprous, and Moses had to pray to God for her to be healed.
It is not in your place to judge God’s servants; leave their judgments to their Master.
In Romans 12:19, the Bible says clearly that vengeance is His, just report the matter to God, and He will deal with His anointed as He pleases.
Anointed ministers of God cannot hide under the canopy of being God’s anointed and begin to treat His sheep the way they like.
Hebrews 10:31 says that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; believe me, a fellow should not experience God dealing with him or her Himself.
The reason we discipline erring workers is to shield them from God doing it Himself.
When a pastor misbehaves, and the General Overseer suspends him, it is so that the Consuming Fire Himself will not be the one to do it.
So, if a pastor overlooks a fellow’s wrongdoings because of his or her contributions to the church treasury, that pastor is doing more harm than good because God Himself will come in, and nobody wants to fall into the hands of the living God.
In 2 Samuel 11, David used his position to snatch another man’s wife and also got him killed.
Nobody could punish him as there was no one who was superior to the king. God had to step in to punish him.
From that point on, there was no peace in David’s home. Not long after, one of his sons, Amnon, raped his half-sister, and then another son, Absalom, killed him.
Later, Absalom rose up against his father. To date, the sword has not departed from Israel on account of the Lord’s judgement over David (2 Samuel 12:9-10).
When a person is anointed by God and uses that anointing to cheat others, when God punishes that fellow, the punishment might last throughout his or her lineage from generation to generation.
Key Point
No matter how anointed you are, never dishonor another anointed fellow.
HYMN 31: Yield Not to Temptation
1 Yield not to temptation,
For yielding is sin;
Each vict’ry will help you,
Some other to win;
Fight valiantly onward,
Evil passions subdue;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.
Refrain:
Ask the Savior to help you,
Comfort, strengthen and keep you;
He is willing to aid you,
He will carry you through.
2 Shun evil companions,
Bad language disdain;
God’s name hold in rev’rence,
Nor take it in vain;
Be thoughtful and earnest,
Kindhearted and true;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through. [Refrain]
3 To him that o’ercometh,
God giveth a crown;
Through faith we will conquer,
Though often cast down;
He who is our Savior,
Our strength will renew;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through. [Refrain]
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Sunday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Anointed VS The Anointed
Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: The Anointed VS The Anointed
MEMORISE: "And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord". 1 Samuel 24:6
READ: 1 Samuel 24:1-6(KJV)
24 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.
2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.
4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.
5 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
6 And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 23-24
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Yesterday I talked about how dangerous the anointing can be when it is not properly handled.
However, many anointed people believe that the caution to be careful with the anointing does not apply to them. This is not true.
The fact that you are anointed does not give you permission to cause another anointed man of God harm.
This is one of the major killers of some ministers of God; they speak evil of their colleagues, and when the repercussions come, they go to God complaining and wondering why things are not going well with them.
In 1 Samuel 24:1-6, a rare opportunity presented itself for David to kill King Saul, who had been seeking ways to kill him.
David’s followers were happy about the opportunity, but David refused to kill him.
However, so that Saul would know that he came close enough to kill him, he cut off a small part of his clothes.
The Bible says his heart smote him, meaning that he was uncomfortable with what he did.
Even though God had forsaken Saul, David still acknowledged that he could not lift his hand against him because he was anointed.
I remember when I was ordained a pastor and got anointed, for three days after they poured the oil on my head, I didn’t take my bath because I treasure the anointing.
It took me a while to realise that no amount of soap can wash away the anointing.
Once a person has been anointed, the fellow remains anointed even when he or she backslides.
Even in that backslidden state, you must be careful of how you treat the person because of the anointing.
I have never said anything negative about pastors who have left The Redeemed Christian Church of God dis-honourably.
The reason is that the oil is still on their head, and I don’t want any trouble with God.
The only exception is when God Himself authorizes the action.
For example, God may use the vessel that He used to anoint a man of God to deal with the same man of God.
In this case, the vessel is acting as a representative of God.
In 1 Samuel 15:27-29, Samuel refused to worship with Saul, and because Saul didn’t want to be embarrassed in front of his cabinet, he pulled Samuel back and tore his clothes.
Samuel turned around and said, “Your kingdom is torn from you.”
He made it clear that the reason he was making that decree was that the Lord who sent him to anoint Saul was pronouncing judgement on him.
Key Point
No matter how anointed you are, never dishonor another anointed fellow.
HYMN 5: Blessed Assurance
1 Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.
Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
2 Perfect communion, perfect delight,
visions of rapture now burst on my sight.
Angels descending bring from above
echoes of mercy, whispers of love. [Refrain]
3 Perfect submission, all is at rest.
I in my Savior am happy and bless’d,
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with his goodness, lost in his love. [Refrain]
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Saturday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Anointing Can Be Dangerous
Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: The Anointing Can Be Dangerous
MEMORISE: "Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm." Psalms 105:15
READ: 2 Kings 1:9-12 (KJV)
9 Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.
10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.
12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 20-22
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
When the anointing is handed positively, it’s effect are similar with handling electricity positively.
When electricity is handled properly, it can produce light and heat just like with the microwave, but when handled carelessly, it can destroy.
When handled the right way, the anointing can destroy yokes, according to Isaiah 10:27. However, when it is handled wrongly, it can kill. If a fellow messes around with electricity, he or she will get roasted.
In 2 Kings 1:9-12, a king sent some soldiers to arrest Elijah, and the captain met the man of God sitting on a hill. The captain ordered, “Man of God, come down.” Elijah answered,
“So you know l’m a man of God, and you are talking to me like that? Roast!”
Immediately, fire came down from heaven and burnt the captain and his soldiers. When the king waited, and those 51 soldiers didn’t come back, he sent another 50 soldiers with their captain. When the captain got there, he saw ashes on the floor.
Speaking to Elijah, he was even more rude and said,
“Man of God, come down quickly.”
Again, Elijah roasted them. When people disdain the anointing, it may cost them their lives.
Years ago, when the military was ruling in Nigeria, the then-military head of state wanted to become a democratic ruler. His spiritual advisers told him that what he wanted to do would not succeed because of a man called Adeboye, who was always praying for the country in the Redemption Camp (now Redemption City).
I was in the camp when one of my children who was privileged to hear the information came and said,
“Daddy, you have to travel quickly, they are coming for you.”
Although I am anointed, I was troubled.
Fortunately, my wife wasn’t there when the message was delivered.
Later that night, I told her that I wanted to go and pray. While I was praying, God spoke. He said,
“Don’t worry about him, I have taken care of the situation.”
Though it was the month of June, God told me to tell people to wish each other a happy new year during the Holy Ghost service.
The Holy Ghost service held on a Friday, and by Sunday, the military dictator had been removed permanently.
Don’t joke with the anointing. One of the biggest mistakes we make as Christians is that we tend to get too familiar with the anointing. When people find an anointed man of God who is humble, there is a tendency to get overfamiliar with him, and this can be dangerous.
Key Point
Never get too familiar with the anointing.
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.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Friday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – What The Anointing Do?
Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: What The Anointing Do?
MEMORISE: "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." Acts 10:38
READ: Judges 15:10-16 (KJV)
10 And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us.
11 Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.
12 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.
13 And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.
14 And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.
15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.
16 And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 17-19
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
An electric iron is really just a piece of iron until it is connected to electricity. When you connect an electric iron into electricity, it becomes something you can smoothen your rough clothes with.
A television basically is a screen with some components and wires attached to it. When there is no electricity, it is just there, capable of nothing.
However, the moment you connect it to electricity, you will be able to see what is happening in another part of the world in real time. This is how the anointing works, it changes the ordinary to the extraordinary.
In Judges 15:14-15, when they brought Samson before the Philistines, and they began to rejoice, the Bible says that the Spirit of God came mightily upon him and the ropes binding him were burnt as with fire.
Then, he grabbed the jawbone of a dead ass, and as soon as the jawbone came in contact with the anointing, it became a weapon of mass destruction. The anointing turns the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Electricity, in its raw form, is like fire. You may not see it that way because it is controlled before it is passed into your house.
In the same vein, the anointing is fire. When the Holy Ghost fell on the people at the upper room, they could see cloven tongues of fire on each person’s head.
The difference between a bicycle and a motorcycle is fire. You can ride up to 100 kilometres on a bicycle using your physical strength, but by the time you are done, they may need to pour water on you.
However, if you are on a motorcycle, you will cover the same distance in less time and without stress.
That is what the anointing does. When you see a man working like ten men put together, and instead of getting tired, he remains fresh, the anointing is the difference.
So, whenever you are anointed, what you are receiving is the firepower to achieve things that are beyond your normal capacity.
The anointing is not only for pastors. An anointed doctor will successfully handle medical cases that other doctors cannot handle. An anointed businessman will achieve greater feats than his normal capacity can achieve.
When the anointing comes upon you, you are empowered to do more than you can ever imagine. For example, the anointing made Elijah outrun Ahab’s chariot (1 Kings 18:46).
Beloved, I encourage you to seek God’s anointing; it will give you tremendous speed and turn your life around for good.
Key Point
When the anointing comes on you, you become extraordinary.
HYMN 15: Pass Me Not O Gentle Saviour
1 Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry,
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Refrain:
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
2 Let me at a throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief. [Refrain]
3 Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace. [Refrain]
4 Thou the Spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in heav’n but Thee? [Refrain]
0 Comments
Please drop a comment. God bless you!