Open Heaven For Today 2024 Saturday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Bible Gender, And Sexuality 3
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TOPIC: The Bible Gender, And Sexuality 3
MEMORISE: Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Ephesians 4:25
READ: Romans 1:20-32 (KJV)
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 14-15
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
In conclusion of the teaching I started two days ago on gender and sexuality, I will like to share an experience I had with you.
Some years ago, I was in one of the Western nations to preach, and a journalist interviewed me about my views on same-sex marriage.
I told the fellow interviewing me that God made men and women to reproduce after their kind.
Then I asked,
“Is it possible for people of the same gender to produce offspring?”
I concluded by telling the interviewer that if everyone was getting married to someone of the same sex, the world will come to an end in this generation.
As a child of God, whenever you have the opportunity to speak about homosexuality, don’t beat around the bush.
The reason evil thrives is that good people are too afraid to say the truth. Don’t keep quiet when people say that they are sexually attracted to people of the same gender as them.
Don’t judge or condemn them, rather, tell them the truth with love. Condemning them will only make them put up a fight, and our God is not a God of condemnation, but of love.
Speak to them in love, but still show them from the Scriptures that what they are feeling is not from God because He clearly speaks against it.
Tell them that you are willing to pray with them and help them overcome that feeling.
Today’s Bible reading tells us what happens to people when they are left to their reprobate minds; such people cannot end well unless they repent.
Stand firm against homosexuality and do everything you can to show people that are sexually attracted to individuals of the same sex the right way to live from the Scriptures.
Lot stood firm against homosexuality in Genesis 19:1-7, even when he was under severe pressure. He did not allow the men of Sodom to come into his house to have sexual relations with the angels that he invited in, even though they pressed on him greatly and were going to break into his home.
Beloved, I know that in some countries, the government has made it illegal to speak the truth as regards homosexuality.
However, we have a greater government in Christ, and we must represent Him everywhere we go.
Do not stand by and do nothing while people are on their way to destruction; you have a responsibility to save as many as you can (Jude 1:17-23).
Key Point
Speak the truth in God’s word about homosexuality whenever you have the opportunity.
HYMN 20: Standup! Standup! For Jesus
1 Stand up, stand up for Jesus
ye soldiers of the cross;
lift high his royal banner,
it must not suffer loss.
From vict’ry unto vict’ry
his army he shall lead
till ev’ry foe is vanquished
and Christ is Lord indeed.
2 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
the trumpet call obey;
forth to the mighty conflict
in this his glorious day.
Ye that are men now serve him
against unnumbered foes;
let courage rise with danger
and strength to strength oppose.
3 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
stand in his strength alone;
the arm of flesh will fail you,
ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the gospel armor,
each piece put on with prayer;
where duty calls or danger,
be never wanting there.
4 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
the strife will not be long;
this day the noise of battle,
the next, the victor’s song.
To him that overcometh
a crown of life shall be;
he with the King of glory
shall reign eternally.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Friday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Bible Gender, And Sexuality 2
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TOPIC: The Bible Gender, And Sexuality 2
MEMORISE: Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Leviticus 18:22
READ: Leviticus 18:22-30 (KJV)
22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.
24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.
26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:
27 (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)
28 That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.
29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.
30 Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the Lord your God.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 12-13
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Today, I will continue my teaching on what the Bible says about gender and sexuality.
The Bible makes it clear in today’s memory verse, that it is an abomination to have sexual relations with someone of the same gender.
Homosexuality might have been painted as normal in some societies, but anyone who engages in it is committing an abomination.
Today’s Bible reading says that if people who engage in homosexuality do not repent, their souls will be cut off from amongst the people.
It says further that the nations and places in which such acts are encouraged will be punished and will not know peace.
Do not imbibe these ideologies from such societies; the word of God is ‘yea’ and ‘amen’. God’s word says that such people and societies will be punished, so we must stay away from their ideologies and intensify our prayers for them.
When you read about Sodom and Gomorrah, the cities that God destroyed with fire and brimstone, you will see what can happen to societies that are defiled by homosexuality (Genesis 19:1-25).
Even though they were initially said to be flourishing and seemed like the perfect places to live in (Genesis 13:8-12), they were eventually destroyed due to the wickedness and immoral acts of their inhabitants.
Even after they were invaded by enemies and Abraham came to their rescue in Genesis 14:1-16, they continued proudly in their abominations, and this eventually led to their destruction.
In Isaiah 3:9, the Bible says: The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.
Beloved, do not partake of such evil rewards. Don’t believe the lie that some people are born homosexual.
Homosexuality is an abomination before God because it was not part of His original design; it is a devilish act that is intended to destroy the lives of people and tamper with the work of God.
If you have been engaging in homosexuality, pray to God for deliverance from the manipulation of the devil, and see a genuine minister of God to pray with you.
Beloved, God loves you and brought this message to you so that you can either be delivered or be used to deliver others.
Prayer Point
Father, please deliver everyone who is involved in homosexuality today, in Jesus’ name.
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 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.
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.”
They told him that not all of them were ladies or gentlemen. When I heard this, I wondered,
“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.
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