Open Heaven For Today 2024 Monday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Content Vs Container
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TOPIC: Content Vs Container
MEMORISE: "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away". 2 Timothy 3:5
READ: Titus 1:15-16 (KJV)
15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 32-34
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
We live in a world where people have learnt how to ‘package’ themselves to look a certain way, whereas they are not who they package themselves to be.
Many years ago, when The Redeemed Christian Church of God was not as big as it is now, my mother-in-law said that it was difficult to differentiate between the pastor who was a mechanic and the one who was a lecturer in the university because they all looked alike in their suits on Sundays.
However, the secret comes out on Mondays when everyone goes to their places of work. Some people know how to dress like Christians and even speak and pray like fervent Christians, but deep within them, they are unbelievers.
Being in this world is like their Sunday; no one can tell the difference now. However, Monday is coming at rapture; then, the difference will be clear.
Believe me, it does not matter if everyone in the world thinks that a fellow is the closest person to Jesus Christ. If he or she is not truly born again, Jesus will deny the fellow on the last day.
Jesus Christ said in Luke 5:37-38 that if you put new wine in an old wineskin, both the content and the container will be lost forever.
And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.
You cannot call Jesus ‘Lord’ and keep on obeying the devil. If you do so, you are trying to put new wine (the Holy Spirit) into an old wineskin (your sinful heart), which will only result in destruction at the end of the day.
Some people can deceive the whole world with their container, but that will only put them in more trouble because it will become more difficult for them to get on the right track with God.
Many pastors have gone to hell because when they realised that they should genuinely give their lives to Christ, they were too ashamed to come out for an altar call or make restitution for the things they had done while they were pretending.
Don’t pretend to be a Christian; genuinely give your life to Christ if you haven’t done so and live a holy life henceforth.
Key Point
Make your inside clean first, and then the outside will be clean as well. It is not the other way around.
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 Sunday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Elders Are Wise
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TOPIC: Elders Are Wise
MEMORISE: "With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of day’s understanding". Job 12:12
READ: Exodus 18:13-24 (KJV)
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: Isaiah 29-31
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
If you have elders around you, you have rare wisdom around you, and you should learn from their wealth of wisdom.
There are certain things that elders know that Google, as vast as it is, does not know.
The elders have some alternative treatments for sicknesses and diseases that modern science has not caught up with yet.
There are some experiences that they have when it comes to relating with other people that you cannot learn in any book or university.
If you take care of your elders and learn from them, there is a lot you will know and have as an advantage over your peers.
In Yorubaland, when we see a child behaving wisely, we call him or her Omo Agba meaning the child of an elder, because we know straight away that he or she must have learnt a lot from an elderly person.
With all of Moses’ education in Egypt, the greatest nation in those days, his father-in-law, Jethro, was the one who taught him a valuable lesson about delegation.
Moses got the best leadership education in the world and thought he was a good leader until he was exposed to an elder’s wisdom.
Jethro’s counsel showed him that he was not that wise after all. You may think you are wise because you are educated and have the internet at your fingertips, but if you listen to the elders, you will discover a lot of truth that will really help you in life.
When an elder advises you, take that advice dearly because what you do with it could be the difference between success and failure.
In 1 Kings 12:6, King Rehoboam met with elders on how to rule the people. They gave him advice which was filled with wisdom.
However, he went to meet his younger friends for advice, and because theirs seemed more exciting, he pushed aside the advice of the elders.
Rehoboam’s actions caused a civil war, and he lost the kingdom of Israel, as we see in verses 18 and 19:
Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died.
Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
Never despise the advice of godly elders.
Action Point
Write a list of godly elders that you have around you, and start taking care of them and spending time with them from now. You will learn a lot from them before they go to be with the Lord.
HYMN 27: What A Friend We Have In Jesus
1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer!
2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge–
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he’ll take and shield you;
you will find a solace there.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Saturday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Honour Elders
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TOPIC: Honour Elders
MEMORISE: "Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord". Leviticus 19:32
READ: 1 Timothy 5:1-3(KJV)
1 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;
2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.
3 Honour widows that are widows indeed.
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Nowadays, many young people think that they are superior to elders because they believe they are more sophisticated. An elder is an elder, regardless of their educational, financial, and/or social status.
People must always honour elders if they don’t want curses on their heads (Deuteronomy 27:16).
Today’s memory verse says that when you see an elder coming, you must rise up in honour of the elder.
Don’t let an elder pass by you without greeting them. If an elder is carrying something, you must run to them and help with whatever they are carrying.
When an elder is talking to you, don’t talk back immediately; let the elder finish speaking before you speak. Take a cue from Elihu in Job 32:4:
Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he.
Furthermore, in Job 32:6, Elihu did not just share his opinion; he spoke with honour to the elders, telling them that he was afraid to speak because he was before them. In verse 8, you will see that Elihu was the one who spoke the words that we often quote,
“There is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty gives him understanding.”
Clearly, he was wise and had understanding from God. You cannot claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit and dishonour your elders; that would be a lie.
Now you may say, what if an elder has done something terrible that is not expected from elders? The Bible says in 1 Timothy 5:1-3 that you must never rebuke an elder.
It may surprise you to know that when Elihu did the things I referred to in the previous paragraph, he was very angry with the elders. He was angry with Job because Job was self-righteous, justifying himself rather than God.
Yet, he waited for him to finish speaking before sharing his opinion with honour. Don’t say you have holy anger and speak to an elder disrespectfully.
Don’t claim to be fighting for God and dishonour an elder. No matter how wrong an elder is, you must share your opinion respectfully and never dishonour them.
Key Point
A true child of God always honours elders, regardless of his or her status.
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 Friday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Your Arrows
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TOPIC: Your Arrows
MEMORISE: "As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth". Psalms 127:4
READ: Psalms 127:3-5 (KJV)
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Today’s memory verse says that children are like a young man’s arrows. Young men can shoot arrows far ahead of them to ward off the enemy or any dangerous animal in their path.
Likewise, your children are to go ahead of you into your future to make it more pleasurable.
If you train your children well, when they are older, they will take care of you in your old age.
My mother and father did not have formal education. My family was called poor, even by the poor people in our village. The day my father bought an umbrella, we all celebrated in our house; that is how poor we were.
However, even though we were very poor, my parents managed to send me to school. They sold their properties till there was nothing else to sell.
That was the best decision they ever took because sending me to school brought the family out of poverty.
Today, the name ‘Adeboye’ is known around the world because my parents used the money from selling their properties to pay my school fees.
Spend your money wisely; invest in your children because they are the arrows you will send to your future.
They will be there for you when you are old, and when you are long gone, the results of your investment in them will still be obvious.
There is an adage in Yorubaland that says that if you decide to build a house rather than build your child, the child you refused to build will sell off the house you built.
Choose to send your children to the best schools you can afford. Choose to spend quality time with them to teach them the basic principles of life and God’s word. No investment in your children ever expires.
Ecclesiastes 7:8 says that better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof. It is better to wear rags now and train your children than to wear! the best clothes and leave your children untrained.
It doesn’t matter what you wear today; if your children are well-trained, they will buy you the best clothes and cars and even build houses for you when they get older.
Beloved, training your children well is important if you want to enjoy long-term prosperity and peace of mind.
Reflection
Are you doing your best when it comes to training your children?
HYMN 28: Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah
1 Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.
2 Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell’s Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Thursday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Flee Fornication
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TOPIC: Flee Fornication
MEMORISE: "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body". 1 Corinthians 6:18
READ: Ephesians 5:3-8 (KJV)
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
The above passage says that God destroys fornicators; He destroys them Himself. If a believer does not want God to destroy him or her, he or she must avoid fornication by all means. When fornication comes knocking on the door of your heart, you must flee!
How do you flee fornication? First, stay away from anything that can lead to fornication. Don’t stay in secluded places alone with someone of the opposite sex. Don’t have immoral conversations with that fellow who claims to be your friend because evil communication corrupts good manners (1 Corinthians 15:33).
If someone is making sexual advances at you, run! Don’t give room for the fellow to try and convince you at all. When Potiphar’s wife was trying to get Joseph to sleep with her, he ran for his dear life (Genesis 39:7-12).
Beloved, there is no point in Christians entering into romantic relationships if the mutual intention is not marriage – a relationship like that is a time bomb, waiting to blow up its participants.
If you cannot tell your pastor that you want to go into a relationship with someone, then you must not go into that relationship. A child of God should not have casual romantic relationships, rather, he or she should have a fiancé or fiancée.
If you are mature enough to get married, and the desire to have sexual relations is getting so much that it is difficult to cope, then get married.
God sanctions sexual relations only within the confines of marriage. To avoid the destruction that comes with fornication, it is better that you get married.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 7:9,
“But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.”
There is absolutely nothing worthwhile to gain or enjoy from fornicating; the result is always destruction. If you don’t believe me, ask Samson or Reuben. They will tell you that if they could reverse time, the only thing they would change about their lives is that they would avoid fornication.
Key Point
There is absolutely nothing worthwhile to gain or enjoy from fornicating; the result is always destruction.
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 Wednesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Purpose Of Marriage
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TOPIC: The Purpose Of Marriage
MEMORISE: "And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him". Genesis 2:18
READ: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12(KJV)
9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Our memory verse tells us clearly that marriage was established primarily for companionship. God made a help meet for Adam, not a competitor.
Any marriage where the husband and wife compete against each other will not stand because Mark 3:25 says that a house divided against itself shall not stand.
Husband, your wife is a gift from God to help you achieve His purpose for your life. You must create the environment that encourages her to help you rather than compete with you.
If not for my wife’s help and the grace of God, I would not have achieved all I have achieved in ministry today.
Ask God to give you the wisdom to know what to do to get your spouse to help you.
I always encourage and give room for my wife to help me. I don’t hide things from her, rather, I hand some things over to her to handle.
After major programmes like our annual conventions, I buy her gifts to say,
“Thank you for your support.”
This encourages her to help me more in subsequent programmes.
Wives, stop trying to compete with your husbands.
Don’t follow the recent worldly trend that is seeking to overturn the roles of husbands and wives in marriages. Don’t turn your marriage into a competition where there is a winner and a loser.
One person’s win is a win for both of you. The more impact your spouse makes, the prouder you should be. In Proverbs 31:23, the Bible says that a good wife makes her husband proud.
Husband, if your wife is making an impact in places of authority, you should hold your head up high; it does not reduce you as a man; it enhances you. It shows that you know how to nurture talent well, and things flourish in your hands.
Let all involved parties play their part in ensuring a successful home.
If every footballer on a field tries to be the striker so that they can boast of the number of goals they score, who will be the goalkeeper and ensure that the opponent doesn’t score against them? The fact that you are a defender does not make you any less valuable than the striker. Play your part, and you will both enjoy the rewards of success.
Don’t leave your duty post to compete with your teammate and end up losing in life entirely. Handle your role, support your spouse, and your entire family will win at the end of the day.
Key Point
It is better to be a defender in a winning team than to be a star player in a losing team.
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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