Open Heaven For Today 2024 Thursday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Christianity Is Personal
Click HERE for the Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: Christianity Is Personal
MEMORISE: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” – Jeremiah 1:5 (KJV)
READ: John 10:3-4 (KJV)
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.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 22-24
Open Heaven For Today 2024 MESSAGE
Whenever God wants to talk to a congregation, no matter how large, He will address individuals. Revelations 3:20 was written to an entire Church, but He said, “If any man…” John 3:16 says, “God loved the whole world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever…”
We came into this world one at a time. Genesis 25:21-26 makes it clear that even when twins are born, they come out one at a time. Even if the twins are to be delivered by a Caesarean operation, the doctor will bring one out first before the second. Romans 14:12 says that we are all going to give an account of ourselves before God. The messages you read in this devotional are not for everybody, they are for you in particular.
Whenever David wants to talk about something very serious, he personalises it. In Psalm 23:1, he said, “The Lord is MY shepherd; I shall not want.” He didn’t say, “The Lord is our shepherd.” Whenever some brethren want to close a service, they will say, “Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives, and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” I always wonder where they got that from because it is not written in my Bible. What is written is, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever” (Psalm 23:6). Goodness and mercy are not for us they are for me. The result of my dwelling is for me, not for us.
In Psalm 27:8, David said, “When you said, seek my face, my heart says, thy face will I seek.” I don’t know what others are thinking, how far they want to go in the Lord, and how hungry and thirsty for God they are. I cannot thirst and hunger for God on their behalf. Don’t let someone else’s lack of hunger for God affect you, even if he is your pastor. Your walk with God is personal. When you come face to face with God in judgement, you will give an account of yourself individually. So, if you see someone who does not take his Christian life seriously, don’t let it bother you; Christianity is an individual matter.
Seek the face of God and encourage others to do so, but don’t let their laxity influence you.
REFLECTION
Christianity is completely personal. Don’t let anyone’s behaviour hinder your individual walk with God.
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.
Chorus
Draw me 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.
3 O 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!
4 There are depths of love that I yet may know
Ere Thee face to face I see;
There are heights of joy that I yet may reach
Ere I rest in peace with Thee.
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 church 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 Wednesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Thou Shall Not Steal
Click HERE for the Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: Thou Shall Not Steal
MEMORISE: “Thou shalt not steal.” – Exodus 20:15 (KJV)
READ: Ephesians 4:27-28 (KJV)
27 Neither give place to the devil.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 19-21
Open Heaven For Today 2024 MESSAGE
The lust of the eyes, the pride of life, and the lust of the flesh are reasons many take what belongs to other people. The obsession to have it all without working for them and being controlled by material things will eventually lead to stealing. God wants you to have everything you truly need but in His own way and at His own time. He is willing to give you everything you need and more, but you must seek Him and His righteousness first.
Nobody can bless you more than God, so it is better to wait for God’s blessing because it will make you rich without any form of sorrow being added to it (Proverbs 10:22). Don’t let the devil deceive you with flashy things. Mark 8:36 says that all the material gains in the world will profit you nothing if you lose your soul. Beloved, please do not trade your soul for material gains by stealing. Nothing at all in this world is worth your soul.
God frowns strongly at stealing. If you desire to have more, work more. Do not take from those who have laboured for their possessions. Some people try to categorise and rationalise stealing. For example, some people will say corruption is not stealing. Some will even try to explain why internet fraud is different from stealing. Beloved, the moment a person takes something that does not belong to him or her without the permission of the owner or under false pretences, that fellow has stolen.
In 1 Corinthians 6:10, the Bible makes it clear that no thief will enter heaven. The devil is the father of thieves because, according to John 10:10, stealing is his first assignment in any man’s life. My father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, used to say that your father will take care of you with whatever he has. If your father is God, then He will take care of you with healings, blessings, and long life, but if your father is the devil, he will take care of you with sicknesses, marital problems, death, and the like. Thieves should never expect God to answer their prayers because God is not their father.
In Leviticus 6:4 and Exodus 22:1-4 God said that if you have stolen something, you are to return it to the fellow you stole from in double fold. Don’t keep stolen property in your possession. Finally, let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth (Ephesians 4:28).
KEY POINT
Stealing puts you in the camp of the devil and gives him lordship over you. Don’t steal.
HYMN 31 – Yield Not To Temptation
1 Yield not to temptation,
For yielding is sin;
Each vict’ry will help you,
Some other to win;
Fight valiantly onward,
Evil passions subdue;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.
Refrain:
Ask the Savior to help you,
Comfort, strengthen and keep you;
He is willing to aid you,
He will carry you through.
2 Shun evil companions,
Bad language disdain;
God’s name hold in rev’rence,
Nor take it in vain;
Be thoughtful and earnest,
Kindhearted and true;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.
3 To him that o’ercometh,
God giveth a crown;
Through faith we will conquer,
Though often cast down;
He who is our Savior,
Our strength will renew;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.
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 church 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 Tuesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Learn From Leaders
Click HERE for the Previous Open Heaven Devotional
TOPIC: Learn From Leaders
MEMORISE: “Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:” – Exodus 18:19 (KJV)
READ: Exodus 18:1-24 (KJV)
1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt;
2 Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,
3 And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:
4 And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:
5 And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:
6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
7 And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.
8 And Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord delivered them.
9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the Lord had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
10 And Jethro said, Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.
12 And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father in law before God.
13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
14 And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?
15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:
16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
17 And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.
23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 17-18
Open Heaven For Today 2024 MESSAGE
Many young people these days see their elders as ‘old school’ and think that they can do without them – they are making a big mistake. I know there’s a lot of advancement in science and technology these days, and that the youth have more access to information than ever before, but no matter how many resources they have, there is one thing the elders have that they do not, and that is experience.
The elders have walked the path you are walking now and can tell you the outcome of whatever you are doing, even before you start. They have experienced far more than internet search engines can show you. Some of them have made mistakes in the past that you don’t have to make if only you let them guide you. The problem, however, is that many youths think that they are very wise, and such thoughts can put them in trouble.
There is a popular saying in Africa that what an elder sees while sitting on a chair, the child cannot see it, even if he climbs an iroko tree. I learnt a lot from the Late Pa S.G Elton though there were bits of advice he gave at the time that I thought were wrong. Today, I now know he was totally right. Thank God I listened to him. There are things about yourself that you don’t know and cannot see, but an elder will see them and advise you appropriately. Proverbs 30:12 says:
There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
You could think that your talent and knowledge are enough to make you successful, but an elder will point your attention to a character flaw that you must get rid of if you really want to be successful.
When you’re employed in an organisation, respect those who have been there long before you. In church, give ears to what the elders have to say. At home, don’t neglect the advice of your parents, grandparents, uncles and aunties. When you do this, they will share some of their valuable experiences with you, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom (Isaiah 11:2), you will be able to put all their bits of advice together wisely. This will give you an unparalleled advantage over your peers in the journey of life.
KEY POINT
The elders in your life are there to guide you with their experiences. Listen to them and honour them.
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 Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]
3 But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]
4 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 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 church 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
