OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : Tuesday 14 October 2014 THEME : THE OLD TIME RELIGION

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...
DATE : Tuesday 14 October 2014
THEME : THE OLD TIME RELIGION

Memorise:
Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing
this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
1 Timothy 4:16

Read: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 2 SAMUEL 12-13 and PROVERBS 11:18-31

Message
In a world of confusing and conflicting messages, there is need from time to time to check your foundation and the core of your faith as a Christian. You need the ‘old-time religion’ (Jeremiah 6:16). Ours is not dead religion as practised by the world, but rather, a way of life in the Spirit that has its foundation on belief in the Bible as the word of God. We believe in the Trinity,
the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His atonement and resurrection, the need for repentance, new birth, justification, sanctification, the Holy Spirit, grace (and the possibility of falling from it), the rapture, the second coming of Christ, the judgments, Heaven and Hell. The believers of old were sticklers to the word of God. They knew that the word of God was good enough and sufficient for them.
Joshua 1:8 says,
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou
shalt have good success.”
It is imperative that you believe and obey the word of God. If only the children of God would believe His word and obey it, the blessings they would get from God would not only grant them material success, but also eternal life. In addition, they will enjoy good health and safety from evil men and women. The word of God is a Book of Redemption. It has the inspiration (breath) of God in
it. God had the Bible written by revelation; it was transmitted through a method free of error and mistakes. The word of God is authentic because every word in
the Bible is inspired (Matthew 5:18). All the written words of God are immortal, infallible, and indestructible (2 Timothy 3:16, 1 Peter 1:23). Has God made you
a promise in His word? Believe and hold on to it. That promise will definitely come to fulfilment. The Bible is also a supernatural revelation from God. As
such, it has supernatural effects upon the heart, soul (mind) and will of man. It is a dynamic revelation from God which has dynamic quality. The word of God
is effectual (Isaiah 55:10-11) and powerful (Hebrews 4:12), having the power to save, heal, deliver, and to set free. It cleanses (Psalm 119:9), gives wisdom and understanding (Psalm 19:7) and brings comfort and peace (Romans 15:4).
It is only through obedience to the word of God that we can remain holy and preserved from sin and error. Do you want to be fulfilled on earth? Do you want to enjoy peace of mind? Do you want to be victorious? Do you want to make it to heaven? Read, meditate on and obey the word of God.

Action Point:
Have you read your Bible today? Begin to study the word of God on daily basis from today.

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

Categories: Devotionals

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : Tuesday 14 October 2014 THEME : THE OLD TIME RELIGION

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...
DATE : Tuesday 14 October 2014
THEME : THE OLD TIME RELIGION

Memorise:
Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing
this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
1 Timothy 4:16

Read: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 2 SAMUEL 12-13 and PROVERBS 11:18-31

Message
In a world of confusing and conflicting messages, there is need from time to time to check your foundation and the core of your faith as a Christian. You need the ‘old-time religion’ (Jeremiah 6:16). Ours is not dead religion as practised by the world, but rather, a way of life in the Spirit that has its foundation on belief in the Bible as the word of God. We believe in the Trinity,
the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His atonement and resurrection, the need for repentance, new birth, justification, sanctification, the Holy Spirit, grace (and the possibility of falling from it), the rapture, the second coming of Christ, the judgments, Heaven and Hell. The believers of old were sticklers to the word of God. They knew that the word of God was good enough and sufficient for them.
Joshua 1:8 says,
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou
shalt have good success.”
It is imperative that you believe and obey the word of God. If only the children of God would believe His word and obey it, the blessings they would get from God would not only grant them material success, but also eternal life. In addition, they will enjoy good health and safety from evil men and women. The word of God is a Book of Redemption. It has the inspiration (breath) of God in
it. God had the Bible written by revelation; it was transmitted through a method free of error and mistakes. The word of God is authentic because every word in
the Bible is inspired (Matthew 5:18). All the written words of God are immortal, infallible, and indestructible (2 Timothy 3:16, 1 Peter 1:23). Has God made you
a promise in His word? Believe and hold on to it. That promise will definitely come to fulfilment. The Bible is also a supernatural revelation from God. As
such, it has supernatural effects upon the heart, soul (mind) and will of man. It is a dynamic revelation from God which has dynamic quality. The word of God
is effectual (Isaiah 55:10-11) and powerful (Hebrews 4:12), having the power to save, heal, deliver, and to set free. It cleanses (Psalm 119:9), gives wisdom and understanding (Psalm 19:7) and brings comfort and peace (Romans 15:4).
It is only through obedience to the word of God that we can remain holy and preserved from sin and error. Do you want to be fulfilled on earth? Do you want to enjoy peace of mind? Do you want to be victorious? Do you want to make it to heaven? Read, meditate on and obey the word of God.

Action Point:
Have you read your Bible today? Begin to study the word of God on daily basis from today.

AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

Categories: Devotionals

TOPIC: JUDAH [Monday October 13, 2014

TOPIC: JUDAH [Monday October 13, 2014

MEMORISE: Judah, thou art he whom thy
brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the
neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall
bow down before thee. Genesis 49:8

READ: Isaiah 1:1-6
1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days
of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of
Judah.
2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the
LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought
up children, and they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his
master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my
people doth not consider.
4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a
seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters:
they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked
the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone
away backward.
5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will
revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and
the whole heart faint.
6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head
there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and
bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been
closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with
ointment.

MESSAGE:
The name ‘Judah’ means praise. Judah was chosen to be the chief and ruling tribe of the twelve tribes of Israel ( Genesis 49:8-12 ). The
sceptre of a king and the office of a lawgiver were all allotted to Judah. Genesis 4:10 says:
“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a
lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come;
and unto him shall the gathering of the people
be.” Judah is a similitude of the church. In Judah, we can see a shadow of the things to come with
respect to the church. Just like Judah, believers are the royal priesthood, expected to show forth
the praises of God ( 1 Peter 2:9-10 ).
The prophet Isaiah was sent with a message primarily to Judah and Jerusalem – the seat of
Judah’s power ( Isaiah 1:1 ). This message contained instructions, reproof, warnings, comfort and encouragement from God to His people. At the time of Isaiah’s prophecy, the kingdom of
Israel had become divided and weakened through civil wars and conflicts with other nations. This
same situation applies to the present-day church.
The Church today engages in several battles.
There are fights within and wars without ( 2Corinthians 7:5 ). Judah was rebellious and
ignorant ( Isaiah 1:2 ).
They were corrupt, degenerated, depressed, and laden with iniquity; having backslidden, forsaken
God and provoked Him to anger. Just like Judah,
many modern-day Christians live in ignorance and sin. In this deplorable state, the demand of God on Judah in Isaiah 1:16-18 was:
“Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do
evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the
widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be
red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
This speaks of repentance and total consecration.
As a Christian, God expects that you present your body as a living sacrifice which must be holy and
acceptable to Him ( Romans 12:1 ). Your consecration to God should be personal, voluntary and sacrificial. How committed are you to God? Is
your consecration total? Examine yourself.

ACTION POINT: Do a thorough self–assessment today. Repent of the short comings you identify.

BIBLE IN A YEAR: 2 Samuel 8:15-11:27

Open Heavens Daily Devotional written
by PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE, the General Overseer
of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of
the largest evangelical church in the world and
also the President of Christ the Redeemer's
Ministries.

Categories: Devotionals

Soldier of the cross

OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL...
DATE : Monday 6 October 2014
THEME : A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS
Memorise:
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 2:3
Read: 2 Timothy 2:1-7
1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the
same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he
may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he
strive lawfully.
6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.
7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 SAMUEL 21-23 and PROVERBS 7:10-27
Message
I believe that knowledge and wisdom are crucial to our greatness in life.
Simply put, knowledge is information that is censored by intelligence, while
wisdom is the right application of knowledge. One piece of knowledge every
child of God should have is the fact that every sincere Christian is a soldier
of the cross. Christians are combatants, and we are expected to be equipped
for battle. Ephesians 6:11 says,
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil.”
The first group of enemies Christians wrestle against are principalities,
powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high
places (Ephesians 6:12). It is our duty as soldiers of the cross to earnestly
contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints (Jude 3). A saint
is holy, and the faith delivered to the saints is of great value. Therefore, no
evil conduct must be found or even mentioned among soldiers of the cross.
How should a soldier of the cross live? We are to resist the devil (James
4:7). Resisting an opposing force is serious business. Whoever will resist
the devil should first and foremost submit himself or herself to God.
Prioritise only the needful in your life and let God be your first priority. As
soldiers of the cross, the principle of proper prioritisation is relevant to our
growth in Christ. Someone once said the reason most major goals are not
achieved is that we spend our time doing second things first. Many
Christians find it difficult to make God their first priority because petty and
mundane matters steal much of their time. Unfortunately, many are living for
the wrong things. They fail to know that part of being wise is to know what to
overlook. If God will be your Number One, there are many things you will
have to flee from or refuse to touch. One of such things is sexual immorality.
The scripture enjoins us to flee fornication (1 Corinthians 6:18). In the same
vein, we should flee idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14). A Christian soldier
knows, as Paul did, that all things are lawful, but not all things are
expedient. As a soldier of the cross, it is your duty to be sober, vigilant and
watchful. You should set your affection on heavenly things, not on the
mundane (Colossians 3:2). Soldiers of the cross are the elect of God and
should therefore put on the attributes of mercy, kindness, humbleness of
mind, meekness and longsuffering. We should learn to bear with one another
and to forgive one another. Finally, every soldier of the cross is expected to
demonstrate the true love of God. You should also be thankful and allow the
peace of God to rule in your heart.
Action Point:
Spend quality time in worship and in singing spiritual songs with grace in
your heart to God.
AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

Categories: Devotionals

A professional or amateur

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL... DATE : Sunday 5 October 2014 THEME : A PROFESSIONAL OR AN AMATEUR? Memorise: And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment. 1 Chronicles 12:32 Read: 1 Chronicles 11:11-25 11 And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had; Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, the chief of the captains: he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain by him at one time. 12 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighties. 13 He was with David at Pasdammim, and there the Philistines were gathered together to battle, where was a parcel of ground full of barley; and the people fled from before the Philistines. 14 And they set themselves in the midst of that parcel, and delivered it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great deliverance. 15 Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 16 And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem. 17 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate! 18 And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD, 19 And said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing: shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest. 20 And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a name among the three. 21 Of the three, he was more honourable than the two; for he was their captain: howbeit he attained not to the first three. 22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he slew two lionlike men of Moab: also he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day. 23 And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear. 24 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had the name among the three mighties. 25 Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard. BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 SAMEUL 18:17-20:42 and PROVERB 6:28-7:9 Message Success in life, business and ministry does not come easy. Success is realising God’s desires for you and responding obediently in order to reach your maximum potential. Attainment of success is determined by multiple factors, but it takes a combination of drive, patience, energy, a ‘can do’ attitude, efficiency and toughness to be successful. Slothfulness is one of the worst enemies of success. Proverbs 18:9 says: “He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.” Do you want to be successful in your chosen field? Be professional and avoid slothfulness. The two things that differentiate a professional from an amateur in any discipline are: thought patterns and the order of prioritisation. Though there is no single behavioural characteristic alone that can be said to lead consistently to success, there appears to be quite a consistency of behavioural patterns among successful people. For one, all successful people are intensely interested in their ventures. They are disciplined, focused and sincere disciples of their trade. Moreover, a very successful person has a feeling of personal adequacy. They all have the attribute of “I can do it if I try hard enough”. In addition, successful people are hardworking people. A sense of direction is another secret of success. A sense of direction urges action, shapes action, allows the value of action to be assessed and allows decisions to be made more easily. All highly successful people are both effective and efficient. They do things right and manage their time and resources very efficiently. They never stand still and expect things to fall into place. It must be said also that there can be no success without the personal attribute of honesty, sincerity and integrity. All successful people are goal-setters and go-getters. They set short term goals but more importantly, long term goals. Another important trait of successful people is that they are creative. Success comes as a result of generating new ideas, seeing things differently, and mobilising profitable ideas to get results. Finally, production, enthusiasm and commitment to make things happen are critical to success. A lethargic person who is not interested in innovation and production cannot be successful. Who are you, and how prepared are you for good success? Are you a professional or an amateur? Action Point: Outstanding success is of God and mediocrity is not righteousness. Pray and plan to be successful in your chosen profession. AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

Categories: Devotionals

SOCIAL DEVIANT

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...
DATE : Saturday 4 October 2014
THEME : SOCIAL DEVIANTS!
Memorise:
Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of
riot, speaking evil of you:
1 Peter 4:2
Read: Acts 17:5-9
5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain
lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city
on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out
to the people.
6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto
the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down
are come hither also;
7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of
Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard
these things.
9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them
go.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 SAMUEL 17:1-18:16 and PROVERBS 6:16-27
Message:
A Christian can be described as a little Christ. While on earth, Christ
exhibited integrity in all His utterances and actions. He said His children
would do greater works. Are you born-again? Are you a true child of God?
With self-discipline and appropriate preparation, you can become effective
in exhibiting integrity. Integrity as a way of life and our effectiveness in
every field depends on the measure of our preparation. The more prepared
we are, the more effective we become. Therefore, to become effective in
exhibiting integrity, you must be prepared.
God’s standard for His children is perfection (Matthew 5:48). It is pathetic to
note that many societies lack integrity. In a society where integrity has
become a scarce commodity, a person of integrity is sometimes seen as a
social deviant. Occasionally, efforts are made by bad elements of such
societies to neutralise his or her influence. This can be by subtle or outright
persecution, imposition of sanctions, or by a collective effort to undermine
his or her personality. History confirms however that a person of integrity is
always a winner. Why? He or she is consistent and credible. Are you a
person of integrity? Credibility defines integrity. The benefit of integrity is
confidence and the ability to influence others positively. The more credible
you are, the more confidence people place in you, thereby granting you the
privilege of influencing their lives. The contrast is also true. The less
credible you are as a person, the less confidence people place in you, and
the more quickly you lose your position of influence. Are you a Christian
leader? The secret to rising and not falling is integrity. Integrity is germane
to your success in ministry. There is no denying the fact that the more
credible you are, the longer your staying power and the more successful
your ministry will be. In the same vein, the less credible you are, the
shorter your staying power and the less successful your ministry will be.
Every leader needs integrity because it builds trust. A man must have
followers in order to be a leader. In order to have followers, a leader must
have their confidence. Hence, the supreme quality of a leader is
unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, whether it
is in a church, on a football field, in an army barrack or in an office. If a
man’s associates find him guilty of being a phony, if they find out that he
lacks forthright integrity, he will fail. Your teachings and actions must
square up with each other. Society may see them as deviants but the first
great need of a Christian leader is integrity and high purpose. Are you
viewed as a social deviant? Don’t lose your integrity.
Key Point:
A man’s character determines the character of his organisation. Be a person
of integrity.
AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE

Categories: Devotionals

A call to commitment

Sermon:
A Call to Commitment
Romans 12:1-2
I want to introduce you to a mythical church member that I am going to call Kenny.
When we first meet Kenny he is attending services at First Church but he left
because the services were too formal, every one on the platform wore a tie. He and
his family then wandered over to Grace Church because they had a great choir. But
before long, we hear they are “happy” at the
Christian Worship Center. But before long they move
their membership to the Community Church because
of the great bible teaching. After that the youth
program at New Hope catches their eye. Now at least
for the moment, they are at the church uptown, at
least until something else catching their roving eye.
What ever happened to commitment?
Why do you suppose that there are close to 100
million church members in America yet they are not
making more of a moral and spiritual impact? Why is
that on Sunday morning thousands of churches have
more empty pews than full? Why is it that the
average Sunday School in America has less than 66 in
attendance and that the average worship service has
84? Why is it that only 50% of the number on any
church membership roll can be expected to attend?
If Christians really believe in a real heaven and a
real Hell, how can we be so silent? . . . The answer to
all of these questions is tragically simple! God’s
people have made a decision about Jesus….but have
never made a commitment to Him.” [Charles Stanley.
Confronting Casual Christianity. (Nashville: Broadman
Press, 1985) pp. 23-33.]
There is of course a difference between a decision
and a commitment. Perhaps this cannot be seen any
clearer than it is in the failure rate of marriages in
America. According to statistics at least 50% of all
marriages will end in divorce. Why do you suppose
that is happening? Charles Stanley in his book,
Confronting Casual Christianity, says that it is
because these couples made a decision but did not
make a commitment. Every person who married made a decision! They stood before a
preacher and made promises and recited vows. They made a decision, they kissed each
other and walked out together to live but not necessarily “happily ever after” and
not necessarily together. So why did they divorce? The answer is that they made a
decision, but they did not truly commit their lives to each other. But when a couple
marries and makes a commitment to one another that is a different story. (Stanley.
pp. 25-27)
The same is true in the church. The reason that the church is not making more of an
impact in our society is that many church members made a decision about Christ, but
have not made a commitment to Christ.
When the pilot of a giant airline is speeding down the runway, there is a certain point
where it staying on the ground is no longer an option. When he crosses that line, he is
committed to the air, he will take off or a disastrous crash is imminent. At the pilot
the pilot can no longer change his mind he is committed.
Unfortunately churches are filled with members who have never got off the ground.
They have been sitting there gunning their engines, making noise but getting
nowhere. They have been planning on it, meaning to, wanting to, trying to, going to,
aiming to, hoping to. But tragedy of tragedies, they have never got off the ground.

Categories: Devotionals