Open Heaven For Today 2024 Sunday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Who Owns You?
Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: Who Owns You?
MEMORISE: "We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error". 1 John 4:6
READ: 1 John 4:1-7(KJV)
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 28-30
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
When you read Bible verses like 1 Corinthians 6:20, which says that you have been bought with a price, you might begin to wonder, “Bought from who?
When did I consent to being owned by someone else which warranted buying me off that fellow?” This expression in itself tells us that every human being, whether they know it or not, and regardless
and until they become born again, they remain properties of the devil.
Nobody is totally independent; every single person is owned by one spirit or the other. The question now is, who owns you?
You can tell who owns a property by the way the property is being used; a property will reflect the character and personality of its owner.
That is why Matthew 7:18-20 says: A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
If you are owned by Christ, people will see the character of Christ, which is also known as the fruit of the Spirit, in you.
Does your character reflect Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness and Temperance? (Galatians 5:22-23).
If these do not define you, then it is likely that it is not God who owns you.
Since there are only two divides in the spirit realm – the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of God, anyone that God does not own, is owned by the devil.
This person will automatically engage in the works of the flesh as listed in Galatians 5:19-21.
When you read that passage, you will see that many of the people who do these things do not even know that they are acting in accordance with their owner – the devil.
For example, many people who envy think that it is just natural for humans to envy; they don’t know that envy can only stay in their hearts because they are not owned by the One who is Love Himself.
The Bible tells us in Romans 6:16: Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
When Christ becomes your owner, you will no longer behave in line with the character of the devil. Surrender your life to Him today if you are yet to do so.
Reflection
Based on the fruits of your character, who really owns you?
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Saturday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – To Be The Greatest, Serve
Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: To Be The Greatest, Serve
MEMORISE: "But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister": Mark 10:43
READ: Matthew 20:20-28(KJV)
20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 25-27
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
In God’s kingdom, to become the greatest amongst any set of people, you must be the lowest of all of them.
This does not sound logical to the natural man, but that is how God made it. The higher you want to go, the lower you must first go.
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 1 Corinthians 1:27-28
The above Scripture tells us that God does not choose people that believe themselves to be the best to lead, He chooses those that are humble enough to serve others.
I studied Jesus’ ascension into heaven and realized that God raised Him seven steps high after He had gone seven steps lower (Philippians 2:9-11).
Though His disciples called Him ‘Master,’ He was humble enough to wash their dirty feet. Can you wash the feet of those you are leading?
When there is plenty of work to be done, can you take the lowest of all the work?
There are people who somehow get to the top without serving, but before long, they will lose their position if they refuse to serve.
Some years ago, we held a camp meeting at a secondary school when the students were on holiday.
We arrived at the school, and I went to check the toilets. They were an eyesore as there were faeces everywhere.
I told my team how horrible the toilets were and that we had to wash them in preparation for those that would be attending the camp meeting.
I intentionally chose the dirtiest of all the toilets and washed it. When the rest of the team saw me washing the toilet, they were moved to wash the other toilets.
When we were building the first auditorium at Redemption City, some church members would come to the building site when they had closed from their offices to help out with the construction work as we did not have enough money to pay labourers.
Every single evening, I worked with them, carrying cement and doing every other thing that needed to be done even though I was the General Overseer. This is how I have remained at the top – by serving.
Action Point
Do something today in service of your colleagues and/or subordinates. 1 Corinthians 1:27-28
HYMN 16: "Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus
1 ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise;
Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord.”
CHORUS
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!
2 O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
Just in simple faith to plunge me
‘Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
3 Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.
4 I’m so glad Learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Saviour, Friend,
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Friday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Work
Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: Work
MEMORISE: "I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings". Jeremiah 17:10
READ: Proverbs 22:28-29 (KJV)
28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
The Bible makes it plain that God values work. Whether you’re a full-time parent, bus driver, artist, or engineer, God is concerned about your work, as long as what you do for a living is legitimate.
Work is a major component of God’s overall plan for man. In the Garden of Eden, after God made man, He told him to tend the garden (Genesis 2:15).
This means that any man that does not work is malfunctioning because man was made to work.
The value of work is inherent. Work gives pleasure, which is why some retired people are still working even after their retirement.
There is no pleasure in just sitting around from morning until night-time, doing nothing.
Many wealthy people fall into depression when they feel like they have made a lot of money and don’t need to work anymore.
There is no pleasure in accomplishing nothing. For example, when you work on a garden, you will get a lot of pleasure when you see the fruits in that garden begin to blossom.
The memory verse for today says that God will give every man according to the fruit of his doings, so if a fellow does nothing, he or she will get nothing.
This is why 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says:
For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
The reason God gave you talents is so that you can put them to work. If a believer does not use his or her talents, he or she will answer to God on the last day (Matthew 25:14-30).
God cannot condone laziness at all. John 5:17 says:
But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. If God is working, He will not allow you to be lazy.
My God is not a God of lazy people. If a believer is lazy and is asking God for blessings, He will ignore such a believer.
Working hard is a godly value, and laziness is ungodly. You cannot claim to be a Christian and yet be lazy.
Even if you are unemployed, pray to God and find something that you can do to contribute positively to the society, no matter how small it may be.
From doing this, God will open greater doors for you. You cannot afford to lie around doing nothing; it is against God’s plan for you.
Key Point
No lazy fellow can receive anything good from God.
HYMN 26: There Shall Be Showers Of Blessing
1 There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Saviour above.
Refrain:
Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need;
Mercy drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.
2 There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.
3 There shall be showers of blessing:
Send them upon us, O Lord!
Grant to us now a refreshing;
Come, and now honour Thy Word.
4 There shall be showers of blessing,
Oh, that to-day they might fall,
Now, as to God, we’re confessing.
Now as on Jesus we call!
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Thursday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Love Those Who Hate You
Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: Love Those Who Hate You
MEMORISE: "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you"; Matthew 5:44
READ: Matthew 5:38-48 (KJV)
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
For many Christians, when they are having a dispute born again. As they don’t seem to like a fellow or the fellow doesn’t like them, they treat him or her badly.
Jesus Christ said in Luke 6:35 that you must not only love your enemies, you should also be kind to them.
When you know the right things to do for people, whether you are on good terms with them or not, do it. The Bible says that it is sinful for you to know something good that you are supposed to do and not do it.
James 4:17 says:
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Don’t victimize someone with your position because the person is not your friend. Whether you are the one who is right or not does not matter, the moment you decide to victimize them, you become the one who is wrong.
In the Bible reading for today, Jesus Christ said clearly that you are not to repay evil with evil, rather, you are to repay evil with good.
The reason for this is that He does not want your heart to abhor any form of corruption or evil at all. Apostle Paul said that when you decide to avenge yourself or repay evil for evil, you are letting evil overcome you.
Romans 12:20-21 says:
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
The Scripture above says that you should love, care for, and even provide for those that hate you.
You shouldn’t relate with people based on whether they love you or not or on how they treat you; you should relate with them based on how God wants you to.
Don’t let evil overcome you in a bid to repay someone or show them how powerful you are.
If evil overcomes you, it means that you are now on the side of the devil as opposed to the side of God.
I will conclude this teaching with the words of Apostle Paul in Romans 12:18:
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Key Point
Whether you are on good terms with someone or not, be good to 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]
0 Comments
Please drop a comment. God bless you!