Open Heaven For Today 2024 Sunday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – What Is God’s Temple? (5)
Click HERE for the Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: What Is God’s Temple? (5)
MEMORISE: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” – Hebrews 4:16 (KJV)
READ: Hebrews 4:15-16 (KJV)
15 For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 1-4
Open Heaven For Today 2024 MESSAGE
God’s temple is also a house of grace. Hebrews 4:16 calls the temple the throne of grace. It is where you can go and obtain grace and mercy in times of need.
You may need strength and grace to overcome a particular situation; the good news is that the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that God’s grace is sufficient for you, and His strength is perfect in your weakness. You receive this sufficient grace when you come into His temple. People who go to the occult for power know that they have to keep visiting the shrine regularly to renew their powers. The devil only tries to copy God’s methods; we who own the original must also always go to the temple of God to keep renewing our strength and receive fresh grace to surmount challenges that we may face daily.
There are people who, when they have sinned, avoid going to church because they feel dirty – that is wrong. At that point, they need the mercy of God, and where they can get it is at His throne of grace. That is the time they need to be in church the most. When you get to His throne of grace, go in humility. Even if you are a worker, don’t try to keep up an appearance; tell God you have erred and are sincerely sorry. Tell Him to please have mercy on you.
Many people go to the temple and keep appearances like the Pharisee in Luke 18:10-14, while others go in like the Publican in the same passage. This is why many people keep going to church and are yet filled with so much junk within them. Even if you are the church pastor, when you are before the throne of grace and in need of mercy, don’t put up a false appearance of piety; go before God pleading for mercy.
The devil knows that you can always access mercy and grace in the presence of God, so he will do everything he can to discourage you from coming unto Him. He used to have that privilege of being in God’s presence, but he lost it when iniquity was found in him (Ezekiel 28:14-16), and of course, he does not want you to enjoy what he has lost.
Beloved, don’t let anything keep you from entering God’s presence to access his mercy and grace.
KEY POINT:
Go to the house of God in humility so you can receive grace and mercy from the throne of grace.
HYMN 2 – Amazing Grace
1 Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
I was blind, but now I see.
2 Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
This grace that brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.
3 The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word, my Hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.
4 Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
5 The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine,
But God, who called me here below,
It will be forever mine.
6 When we’ve been here ten thousand years,
Bright, shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise,
Then, when we first began.
Also Read: RCCG Sunday School Teacher Manual 28 January 2024: Modern-Day Idolatry
Open Heavens 2024 Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical churches in the world, and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile, and PC. Open Heaven for Today 2024
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Saturday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – What Is God’s Temple? (4)
Click HERE for the Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: What Is God’s Temple? (4)
MEMORISE: “And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.” – 2 Kings 22:8 (KJV)
READ: 2 Kings 22:8-11 (KJV)
8 And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
9 And Shaphan the scribe came to the King and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house and has delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the Lord.
10 And Shaphan the scribe showed the King, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the King.
11 And it came to pass, when the King had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 38-40
Open Heaven For Today 2024 MESSAGE
God’s temple is also the house of knowledge; it is a house of education. In Psalm 27:4, David made it clear:
One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
In the house of the Lord, you can behold the beauty of the Almighty God. However, David went on to say that he not only wants to behold God’s beauty but also to be there to enquire of Him. In other words, if you have any questions for God, bring them to His temple; come and ask Him in the temple.
When you enter His temple, you will receive revelations; He will begin to tell you things you will not learn at Home. This is why you must always go to church with your writing materials. It is a place to go and learn new things and get new perspectives. There have been many times that I was confused about a matter, but while listening to the Word of God, the light will shine on the matter, and I will receive revelations on how to resolve the situation. This is why the psalmist said:
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. – Psalm 119:105.
The house of God is where you go to hear the Word of God, and in that Word is excellent knowledge and wisdom that you cannot get anywhere else. So, whether you need revelation for business, family issues, ministry, health, or any other field of life, you will get it in the house of God. Those who regularly attend a church where the undiluted Word of God is taught don’t stay confused for long.
You may, however, then ask, “How do I know if the word being taught in my church is genuine and undiluted?” You must emulate the Berean Christians who always returned to their homes to search the Scriptures to verify what they had been taught in church (Acts 17:10-11).
As long as you remain in the environment where tGod’sundiluted and genuine Word os preached, knowledge and wisdom will be available to you.
ACTION POINT
Always attend church services with your writing materials, and be expectant to receive new knowledge and revelation from God.
HYMN 3 – Ancient Words
1 Holy words long preserved
for our walk in this world,
They resound with God’s own heart
Oh, let the Ancient words impart.
Chorus:
Ancient words ever true
Changing me, and changing you.
We have come with open hearts
Oh, let the old words impart.
2 Words of Life, words of Hope
Give us strength, help us cope
In this world, wherever we roam
Old words will guide us Home.
3 Holy Words of our Faith
Handed down to this age.
Came to us through sacrifice
Oh, heed the faithful words of Christ.
4 Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world.
They resound with God’s own heart
Oh, let the ancient words impart.
Open Heaven For Today 2024 Friday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – What Is God’s Temple? (3)
Click HERE for the Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: What Is God’s Temple? (3)
MEMORISE: “And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:” – Deuteronomy 12:6 (KJV)
READ: Deuteronomy 12:5-6 (KJV)
5 But unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:
6 And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks:
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 35-37
Open Heaven For Today 2024 MESSAGE
Beyond being the house of prayer and healing, God’s temple is also the house of sacrifice. Anyone who wants to sacrifice anything has to take his sacrifice to a designated place. In Yoruba land, where I come from, when they want to offer to the devil, they take the sacrifice to the crossroads, and when they want to offer to witches and wizards, they put it behind an Iroko tree. For those of us who give sacrifices to the Most High God, He said in (2 Chronicles 7:12) that He has chosen His temple as the place where He will accept our sacrifices. Furthermore, Deuteronomy 16:16 says that you should not come empty-handed when coming to the temple of God because He wants to get your sacrifice.
A friend of mine used to say whenever he was taking offerings, “If you have none, borrow from your neighbor so that when the basket is going round, God will see you putting something in.” Then he would add, “It will not be long before you too will lend to others.” God takes giving a sacrifice in His temple so seriously that He always observes what people drop in the offering basket. In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus watched the offerings that people gave and weighed which were sacrifices and which were not. This tells you clearly that God is keen on accepting sacrifices in His temple.
Some people say that because they don’t trust their pastor, they will instead give to the poor than give in church. First, I don’t understand why they have a pastor they believe to be a thief. Secondly, it is good to give to the poor; Proverbs 19:17 says that when you give to the poor, you are indirectly giving to God. However, you must never refuse to offer sacrifices in the house of God itself. If somebody says he likes me and gives my children money whenever he sees them by the roadside, but he refuses to pass when he sees that there is a need in my family, despite knowing the way to my house and having money to share, I will begin to suspect such a fellow. It will be apparent that he isn’t offering to my children because he likes me but for other reasons. This might be because he wants to be seen publicly as a giver or gain undue influence over my children. It’s the same when you claim to give to the poor in the name of God but never give in the house of God itself.
KEY POINT
Make it a duty to never go to the house of God empty-handed. It is a place of sacrifice.
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 ceaseless 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 is its treasure store.
Take me, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
