Open Heaven For Today 2024 Thursday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Bible Gender, And Sexuality 1
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TOPIC: The Bible Gender, And Sexuality 1
MEMORISE: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Genesis 1:27
READ: Genesis 7:1-3 (KJV)
1 And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
3 Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 10-11
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
We live in a world today where many are confused about their sexuality and gender.
Some Christians are also confused about what to believe concerning the topic. Over the next few days, I will be digging deep into the Scriptures to explain the truth about sexuality and gender.
First of all, I will like to emphasize that God created man in His own image, and He created them male and female (Genesis 1:27); anything outside this is not God’s design, neither is it His will. When an artist creates a masterpiece, the artist puts his or her signature on it.
Every human being is God’s masterpiece and is uniquely made, such that no two people in this world have the same fingerprints. If someone takes a masterpiece and decides to change something about it, it immediately ceases to be a masterpiece. People who decide to change their gender are destroying the essence of their creation. They are telling God – their creator – that they can do a better job at creating.
One thing I know is that my God does not make mistakes. Therefore, when someone says that she feels like she is a male trapped inside a female body for instance, l immediately know that the devil is at work and is trying to manipulate her to destroy her body which is God’s masterpiece.
Changing God’s original design concerning our bodies can be disastrous because the Bible warns that our bodies are God’s temple and that God will destroy whoever defiles His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). There are records of many people who have altered their genders admitting that they are suffering serious health and emotional trauma as a result of their decisions. A person cannot tamper with God’s masterpiece and not suffer the consequences if he or she does not repent.
One of our pastors was arrested because he addressed a group of people as,
“Ladies and gentlemen.”
“How many genders did God create?”
Your body is the temple of God, and any advice to disfigure it is from the devil. If you feel confused about your identity, draw closer to God, study your Bible, and pray more than ever before. Also, speak to a Christian counsellor who holds firmly to God’s position about gender and sexuality. God will show you who you really are in Him and His purpose for your life. He had a plan for you, even before you were formed in your mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5).
Key Point
You are fear fully and wonderfully made by God; anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to 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.
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 Wednesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Dead Man Walking
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TOPIC: Dead Man Walking
MEMORISE: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. Philippians 3:19
READ: 2 Timothy 3:1-4 (KJV)
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. 1 Timothy 5:6
Even though people who live for pleasure appear to be living a normal life, the reality is that they are actually dead. This particular kind of people seek worldly pleasures only and have no self-control. As a matter of fact, they can be likened to zombies. A zombie is a fictional entity that does not have a mind of its own. It is controlled by a basic urge to feed and is literally a dead man walking.
If you are always lured by things that give your flesh pleasure, it means that your flesh is ruling over your spirit. This also implies spiritual death. You must gain full control over yourself. Do not let the urge to sleep overcome the need to work. Do not let the urge to eat overcome the need to fast. The key to remaining in control of your life is to be disciplined. The price of discipline far outweighs the cost of indiscipline. A fellow who always gives in to pleasure will die poor. This is what the Bible tells us in Proverbs 21:17:
He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.
Nobody ever achieves anything great by giving in to pleasure all the time. Anyone who does this will come into this world and leave unnoticed.
Being a lover of pleasure is so dangerous that the Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 that you should not associate with people who only seek the pleasures of life. It says that you must turn away from people who love pleasure and themselves more than they love God. A tree does not eat its own fruit. It exists to cater for the needs of others. In the same vein, people are created to impact others and contribute positively to society. They are not created to only serve themselves.
When some people talk about self-love, what they are actually talking about is selfishness.
If you want to really live, then you must make an impact on those around you. Anyone who is only living for himself or herself is already dying. The best way to impact those around you is to bring them out of darkness into the light of Christ. This is the true essence of living as a Christian, as you were chosen to bear fruits (John 15:16).
Beloved, ensure that you remain truly alive by not only seeking your own good but also the good of others.
Key Point
You are not truly living if you are not making a positive impact on the people around you.
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 Tuesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – A Kiss Of Fire
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TOPIC: A Kiss Of Fire
MEMORISE: And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. Exodus 19:18
READ: Exodus 3:2-6 (KJV)
2 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
The lips are a very sensitive part of the human body. In Isaiah 6:6-7, when the angel wanted to help Isaiah, he put a coal of fire on his lips. Even though that must have been very painful considering how sensitive the lips are, the experience ensured that Isaiah became a changed person.
Nothing touches fire and remains the same. In Acts 2:1-14, Peter stood boldly to address and preach to a large crowd of people after the Holy Ghost had descended on the Upper Room congregation like cloven tongues of fire. This was the same Peter that denied Jesus three times out of fear. From the day a believer gets a kiss of fire, everything about him or her changes completely; the impact of the fire will abide with him or her forever.
When you see someone who is always ready to do the will of Christ and go all out for Him, that fellow has been kissed by fire. This is why after Isaiah received that kiss of fire, all he could hear was God saying,
“Whom shall we send, who will go for us?”
and his response was,
“Lord, send me” (Isaiah 6:1-8).
When you are kissed by fire, you will begin to hear the heartbeat of God concerning the nations of the world, and your response will be,
“Lord, send me anywhere to do your work, and I will go.”
Paul did God’s work with great zeal. That zeal came upon him in Acts 9:3-6 when Jesus appeared to him in a great light on his way to Damascus. That light was not from an electric bulb; it was from the fire of God, and the moment Paul’s body touched it, he was kissed by fire and was changed forever.
From that moment, he went to every length to do the will of God. The reason many Christians find it difficult to do great exploits for God is that they have not been kissed by fire. Some of them want to serve God in greater capacities, but they lack the required zeal because they have not been kissed by fire.
If you are a pastor, and you want to have an army that is willing to join you in doing great exploits for the kingdom, pray for them to be kissed by fire. The moment they are kissed by fire, the zeal of the Lord will take over their hearts and all they will long for is to do His will at all times.
Prayer Point
Father, please give me a kiss of fire today, in Jesus’ name.
HYMN 8: I Need Thee Every Hour
1. I need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior!
I come to Thee.
2. I need Thee every hour,
Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their power
When Thou art nigh.
3. I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.
4. I need Thee every hour,
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfill.
5. I need Thee every hour,
Most Holy One;
Oh, make me Thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Sunday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Hold Fast To Your Vision 2
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TOPIC: Hold Fast To Your Vision 2
MEMORISE: Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2
READ: Matthew 6:19-22 (KJV)
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 1-3
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Today, I will continue the teaching I started yesterday on vision. Beloved, I want you to know that your future depends on what you can see today. If you see a glorious future, you can have it (Genesis 13:15).
When we acquired The Redemption Camp in Texas, USA, God told me,
“As far as you can see, it is yours.”
I walked as far as I could that day and today, everything I saw has become ours – I wish I had walked farther! God has put so much power in your vision that it attracts whatever it is focused on.
Therefore, you must be very conscious about what you set your eyes on. The Bible says in Colossians 3:2: Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Your eyes must be set on things above, and not on worldly things. Even when flashy things surround you, your vision must remain glued to things above.
My wife and I visited a wealthy man, and he showed us a house he was building. That was the first time that I saw a tap made of gold in a bathroom.
Right there, my wife heard God say,
“Daughter, heaven is far more beautiful.”
In 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Apostle Paul was joyful about the crown of righteousness that was laid up for him.
While other people saw death, he saw a coronation. This is why he said in 2 Corinthians 11:22-33 that he endured beatings, hunger, and all manners of sufferings; it was because of the things He had seen.
Beloved, don’t put your focus on earthly possessions and titles. If all you see are perishable things, all you will get will be perishable.
This is why the Bible tells us in Matthew 6:19-20 that we should lay our treasures in heaven where they cannot be destroyed.
On the other hand, if you see beyond perishable things, you will get both the perishable things and things that are imperishable. This is what the Bible says in Matthew 6:33:
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
The only limit to what you can lay hold on in the future is what you can see today. The things you can see will drive you to take all the necessary steps to attain them.
Beloved, there is nothing better than setting your eyes on God because when you have Him, you have everything else.
Reflection
What are your eyes focused on?
HYMN 10: In Christ Alone
1 In Christ alone, my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand
2 In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live, I live
3 There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
4 No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Saturday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Hold Fast To Your Vision 1
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TOPIC: Hold Fast To Your Vision 1
MEMORISE: And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. Habakkuk 2:2
READ: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (KJV)
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Proverbs 29:18 says that people perish without a vision. If a fellow has no vision of the future, he or she will live recklessly and will likely end up in ruins.
In today’s Bible reading, Paul said that he had an end goal, and that was why he always kept his body under control. When I see a fellow’s lifestyle, I can tell if he or she has a vision or not.
I recall a time in the 1980s when I was about to conclude a 40-day fasting exercise and a pastor visited my office. He met me lying on a mat because I was very weak from not eating for over a month.
At this time, RCCG had an auditorium that was 100 x 50 metres. When he saw me in that state, he said,
“Why are you fasting so much when you already have the biggest auditorium in Africa? What else are you looking for?”
l ignored him because he could not see what I was seeing.
To him, I had reached the height of success. However, I was seeing an auditorium that was as big as a city, and I needed to subdue my body to achieve my vision.
Joseph saw the future, and that was why in Genesis 39:1-12, when his master’s wife asked him to lie with her, he said,
“I cannot offend the One who gave me dreams about my future. I know where God is taking me, so I must practice restraint.”
Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus endured the cross because of the joy that was set before Him; the joy of seeing many souls being reconnected to God.
Many of my relatives and friends thought that I was crazy when I moved my family to the place that is now Redemption City many years ago.
They said, “How can you, a senior lecturer in a university that was living in a mansion, relocate to this jungle without electricity?”
They were seeing a jungle, but I saw a city.
Hebrews 11:8-10 says that Abraham was living in tents because he saw a city whose maker and builder is God.
What have you seen about your future? How are you living your life today so you can achieve your dreams?
If you really have a vision for your life, that vision should drive you to be awake while others are sleeping and keep going while others are giving up.
Don’t lose sight of your vision of the future; keep your focus on God, the author and finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Reflection
Does your lifestyle reflect that you have seen a great vision for your life?
HYMN 28: Guide Me, O thou Great Jehovah
1. Guide me, O thou great Jehovah
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
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