Open Heaven For Today 2024 Wednesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Harden Not Your Heart 2
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TOPIC: Harden Not Your Heart 2
MEMORISE: I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God. Jeremiah 31:18
READ: Hebrews 12:5-11(KJV)
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: John 13-15
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Sometimes, when you hear from God, it may be a rebuke. However, you must still open your heart to Him despite the rebuke. In any case, l would rather God rebuke me than stay silent.
If a Christian only wants to hear sweet things from God but never wants to listen to His rebuke, he or she will eventually stop hearing from Him. You should be glad when God rebukes you because Hebrews 12:6 says that it is the child the father loves that he chastens.
When David was rebuked in 2 Samuel 12:1-14. he did not harden his heart, rather, he repented, and God continued to walk with him.
How do you react when you hear a rebuke from your pastor? Do you harden your heart or do you make amends immediately? No matter how influential a believer is in ministry, or how gifted the fellow is in the Holy Spirit, if such a person hardens his or her heart against God’s rebuke, God can reject such a believer (Samuel 16:1). Psalm 51:17 says:
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
If you want God to keep walking with you and speaking to you, you need to have a broken spirit and a contrite heart. God is not moved by mere religious activity; He is most interested in a relationship with you. However, just as it is impossible to have a good relationship with someone that you cannot correct when he or she offends you, God will not dwell with hard-hearted individuals. He said in Isaiah 57:15:
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Beloved, when God rebukes you, whether through His word, a fellow believer, or directly by Himself, never harden your heart.
Hardening your heart against His rebuke will only lead to destruction as we see in Proverbs 29:1:
He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
Do not despise rebuke from God, rather, embrace His correction as evidence of His love for you.
Prayer Point
Please Lord, help me to yield to Your corrections at all times.
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 Tuesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Harden Not Your Heart 1
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TOPIC: Harden Not Your Heart 1
MEMORISE: Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: Psalm 95:8
READ: Hebrews 3:7-11 (KJV)
7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
God talks to His people; the only problem is that many do not listen to Him. Psalm 95:6-8 says that if you want to hear His voice, you should not harden your heart.
If God has been talking to you and you have been disobedient, He will keep quiet, and you won’t hear Him again.
You need to hear God so that He can guide you. The primary way to hear from God and be guided by Him is to study your Bible.
However, what should you do when the situation you need guidance about is not specifically addressed by the Bible?
Whenever you need to make decisions on such matters, you need to hear from God directly.
There are times when you can clearly see what God wants you to do in the Scriptures.
However, you still need to hear from Him on how to go about what He wants you to do. For example, when Paul wanted to go to Asia in Acts 16:6-7, the Spirit of God forbade him.
You might ask,
“How can the Spirit of God stop Paul from going to preach since it is written in Matthew 28:19 that we should go into the world and teach every nation?”
Some years ago, I wanted to hold a crusade in Benin, a state capital in Southern Nigeria.
We had prepared everything for the crusade, but to my surprise, when I went to ask God about it, He said that we should go to Ede, a town in South-West Nigeria instead.
I told Him that we had just concluded a crusade in llesha, another town in the same state as Ede and that the inhabitants of Ede would have most likely been in attendance.
However, since God is my Commander-in-chief, I obeyed Him.
During the crusade in Ede, the king was in attendance, and when he got on the stage to speak, he announced that he would be gifting the church with whatever quantity of land we desired.
We initially decided to ask for 50 acres of land, however, when I went back to hear from God, He told me to ask for 500 hectares, and I obeyed.
Today, that portion of and is where Redeemer’s University and The Redeemed Christian School of Missions are situated.
If I had hardened my heart, I wouldn’t have gone to Ede, and I wouldn’t have received the blessing.
Beloved, when you are dealing with God, don’t harden your heart. Listen to Him with an open mind, be committed to obeying Him, and He will speak to you.
Key Point
If your heart is hardened, God will not speak to you.
HYMN 7: I Am Thine O Lord
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
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Monday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Learn From The Elders
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TOPIC: Learn From The Elders
MEMORISE: With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding. Job 12:12
READ: 1 Kings 12:1-19 (KJV)
1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)
3 That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,
4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.
5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.
6 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?
7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.
8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:
9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?
10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.
11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;
14 And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
15 Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16 So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
17 But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
18 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.
19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: John 9-10
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Elderly people carry valuable gems of wisdom.
No matter how educated you are, some lessons cannot be learnt in classrooms; they are only taught in the ‘classroom of life’ and are learned by experience.
Even though I have a PhD, I have learnt to defer to the wisdom of the elders from time to time.
This is why you will always hear me say,
“The elders have a saying,”
because there are valuable things that I have learnt from the elders that all of my formal education did not give me.
I was privileged to sit at the feet of my Father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi.
Every week, I would visit him to ask questions, and he would teach me valuable lessons.
I was also privileged to learn from Pa S.G Elton. Every two weeks, I would travel to llesha to sit at his feet.
He taught me many things, even though I didn’t agree with some of them initially because I felt that they were incorrect.
However, as I grew older, I began to realise that he was correct.
One of the things he taught me was that I should always remember that I am not God, irrespective of the level of the anointing that I operate in.
He also taught me that God does whatever He pleases, and all that I have to do is to take my burdens to Him in prayer and go to bed.
This is why, if you ask those close to me, they will tell you that I have no difficulty sleeping.
No matter how big the problem is, once I have prayed, I go to sleep.
Beloved, even if your parents and the elders around you are not as educated or sophisticated as you are, listen to them.
Whatever things you disagree with or that seem hard for you to understand, keep them in your memory regardless.
One day, when you are wiser, you will likely refer to them.
Do not joke with the moments you have to spend with elders, whether they are related to you or not. Tell them to teach you some of the things they know and do.
Some natural remedies to sicknesses died with some elders because the generation after them did not learn about them when they had the opportunity.
Some important principles of life have also been lost in this manner.
Learn all you can from the elderly ones, especially the Christian elders that you still have around you, before they go to be with the Lord.
Key Point
Spend quality time with the elders around you; there is a lot of wisdom to gain from them.
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
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Saturday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Hearing From God
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TOPIC: Hearing From God
MEMORISE: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21
READ: John 10:2-5 (KJV)
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
Hearing is critical to all humans. For example, you will immediately know that you need to get out of the way when you hear the blare of a car’s horn behind you. Beyond hearing in the physical, it is also critical for believers to be able to hear from God as we see in our memory verse.
Due to my training as a mathematician, I have learnt to delve into things that are not obvious. For instance, many Christians miss out on the fact that Elisha and Elijah were talking as they walked together in 2 Kings 2:11. When I studied that Scripture, I wondered what their discussion was about. Also, in Daniel 3, when the three Hebrew men were with the fourth man in the fire, what were they talking about?
What did Jesus discuss with Moses and Elijah in Matthew 17:1-9? What was so crucial that they came down from heaven to discuss with Jesus?
In 2 Corinthians 12:1-4, Paul said that he heard words that were not lawful for a man to speak.
What were those words? In Revelation 10:4, John heard some things and wanted to write them down, but the angel told him they were not to be written; they were for his ears alone.
What did he hear? I am really curious about these and many more of such conversations.
God made the world with words. Words are very powerful, especially when they come from God. The Bible says that the entrance of His word always brings light to the hearer and to situations (Psalm 119:130). You cannot live an effective Christian life if you do not hear from God. The Bible teaches that if you believe, you will see the glory of God (John 11:40). However, this faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). Psalm 107:20 says, “He sent His word, and He healed and delivered them.” The question is, how do you receive God’s word?
To receive God’s word effectively, ensure that nothing distracts you and that you are totally focused on listening to His word. Move away from distractions, so that you can hear exactly what God wants to say to you in that moment.
Also, pray for God to open your spiritual ears so that you can understand what is being said.
In Revelation 2:29. Bible says that those that have ears should hear what the spirit is saying. You have spiritual ears; ensure that they are not deaf to what the Spirit of God has to say to you at every point in time.
Prayer Point
Father, please open my spiritual ears and let me hear from You always.
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]
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Friday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Mystery Of Our Faith
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TOPIC: The Mystery Of Our Faith
MEMORISE: And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3
READ: Matthew 18:1-5 (KJV)
1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE
The Christian walk is very unique. This is because Christianity is dependent on an individual’s ability to believe. As a result of this, Christians are generally called ‘believers’.
A scientist might say,
“Prove it to me, and I will believe you,”
but in Christendom, God says,
“Believe Me, and I will prove it to you.”
This is the mystery of Christianity.
To an unbeliever, our faith is proof that we, as Christians, are not wise. This is because a natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14).
However, in 1 Corinthians 1:27, the Bible tells us that God uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.
For example, it does not make sense to unbelievers when we say that a virgin gave birth to Jesus Christ. Most times, they think to themselves,
“How can a virgin give birth?”
Jesus said something very important in our memory verse for today. He said that only those who are like children will inherit the kingdom.
In other words, you must believe Him like a child believes his or her parents, whether what they say makes sense or not. Many people make the mistake of trying to relate with God logically.
This is impossible because the Bible says that God’s ways and thoughts are beyond human comprehension (Isaiah 55:8-9).
There are people who argue against Christianity with logic. Do not argue with such people because you cannot explain Christianity logically.
Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:23-25 to avoid unnecessary arguments with people concerning the truth of God’s word.
The way to prove that God is real is not through arguments but by the display of power as Elijah did in 1 Kings 18. Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:20:
“For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.”
Furthermore, John 4:48 says,
“..Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.”
No matter how hard you try, you cannot win anyone to Christ by an argument.
Once you have shared the gospel of Christ with unbelievers, commit their hearts to God, as it is only the Holy Spirit that can convict and convert them.
Do not argue with them about your Christian faith, rather, ask God to use you for signs and wonders so that when they see the power of God, they will surrender without any argument.
Beloved, I pray that the power of God will be evident in your life and that He will use you to lead many people into His kingdom, in Jesus’ name.
Prayer Point
Stand firm in your godly beliefs.
HYMN 21: Standing On The Promises Of Christ My King
1 Standing on the promises of Christ, my King,
Through eternal ages let his praises ring;
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God, my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.
2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail.
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
3 Standing on the promises of Christ, the Lord,
Bound to him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
4 Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning ev’ry moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
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