Stand Out – RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Friday 23rd August 2013

STAND OUT! BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memorise:

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 2 Corinthians 6:17

Read:

Acts 19:11-12
And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: Acts 19:11

So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. Acts 19:12

Open Heavens Devotional Message
There are people who have gone through the best of theological institutions and have been certified and recognised by men, but they are nowhere to be found among God’s favourites because they have not drawn closer to God as He expects of them. May you be among the divine eagles! However, among eagles, there are stand-out eagles. Acts 5:12-16 says special miracles were performed by the hands of some eagles while others only experienced ordinary miracles. All the apostles were eagles but only Peter had his shadow healing the sick.

One of my very young children returned from Sunday school one day and asked: ‘Dad, do you really know the Bible?’ ‘I know the Bible very well I replied’. Then he said ‘Who is Prochorus?’ I told him I don’t know that person. ‘What about Nicanor?’ Then I asked, ‘Is that in the Bible?’ He further asked, ‘what about Timon?’ ‘Do you mean Simeon?’ He said no. so I said ‘I don’t know what you are talking about’. ‘But Dad, I thought you said you know the Bible; these are among the seven deacons in the early church’. I said, ‘God have mercy on them because I only know Stephen and Philip’. I obviously lost sight of the others because they were hardly ever mentioned afterwards, whereas Stephen and Philip were shinning stars as God’s favourites.

Believe it or not, some Christians may never taste of the level of special miracles that Paul saw God doing through him in Acts 19:11-12. To become a divine favourite, there is a price to pay. First, you must be prepared to separate from every unclean thing (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). Nobody can become outstanding if he or she is unwilling to stand out. While pigeons gather together, eagles fly alone. You cannot afford to do things the way others are doing them if you want to become God’s favourite. Others may overeat or oversleep but you cannot afford such luxury because of where you are going. Are you ready to pay the price to become His favourite?

Bible In One Year:

Revelations 10-12

Prayer Point
Father, everything that will work against my standing out, separate them from my life today.




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Beyond The Bargain – RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Thursday 22nd August 2013

Beyond The Bargain – RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Thursday 22nd August 2013

BEYOND THE BARGAIN BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memorise:

Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. James 1:15

Read:

John 12:1-6

Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. John 12:1

There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. John 12:2

Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. John 12:3

Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, John 12:4

Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? John 12:5

This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. John 12:6

Open Heavens Devotional Message
Gehazi was being prepared to be a highly anointed man of God but he was busy chasing after wealth and riches. He got what he wanted and even beyond it. If you are pursuing wealth, you will get more than you bargained for. It is one thing to acquire wealth but another thing to live to spend it. The only blessing that will make you rich without adding sorrow is the blessing that comes from God. If you are stealing or doing illegal business, even before you die, it will take its toll on you. Gehazi got the money but he also got the disease that Naaman was prepared to pay any amount to get rid of. He could not enjoy his reward of iniquity and he brought leprosy to his generation.

You cannot tell where that seemingly little sin could lead you. All that David wanted to do that day as he saw Uriah’s naked wife, was just to have sex, but he got more than he bargained for. That sin was just the beginning of several more sins and it brought a lasting curse upon David’s family. You can tell the beginning of a sin but you may not be able to tell its end. When Judas Iscariot was pursuing money, little did he know that it could make him to sell his master, lead to suicide and cause him to be abhorred eternally. Be mindful of your steps.

Are you thinking of stealing from the offerings of the church? You will be biting more than you can chew! Are you secretly planning to commit fornication or adultery? Did you say it will only be once and you will never try it again? The truth is, that single act of sin will surely attract others in quick succession and each will come with their repercussions. When you avoid committing a sin, you keep yourself from several unpleasant consequences. If you do not want an evil harvest, steer clear of sin – no matter how small, seemingly hurt free or secretive it appears. You cannot effectively hide sin no matter how smart you are.

Bible In One Year:

Acts 10-12

Key Point
Behind sin are terrible consequences. Every sin you avoid, you save yourself, family and generations multitudes of evils.



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How Profitable Are You? – RCCG Open Heavens of Wednesday 21st August 2013

How Profitable Are You? – RCCG Open Heavens of Wednesday 21st August 2013

HOW PROFITABLE ARE YOU? BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memorise:

Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. Matthew 25:28

Read:

Matthew 25:24-30

(Matthew 25:24) Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed

(Matthew 25:25) And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

(Matthew 25:26) His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

(Matthew 25:27) Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

(Matthew 25:28) Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

(Matthew 25:29) For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

(Matthew 25:30) And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

Open Heavens Devotional Message
Believers have different endowment of grace from God. God has given us different talents. It is one thing to have a talent and another thing to use it. In Acts 8:5-8, Philip shone for the Lord and brought joy to a city. How many individuals, families or communities have you delivered joy to? If one man with the same Holy Spirit you have can deliver joy to a city, you have no excuse for not being a source of joy to others. On the other hand, if light fails to shine, darkness will take over. If you consider the aftermath of not trading with the talent given in the parable of the talents, no believer in his or her right mind will like to go through such (Matthew 25:28-30). Instead of a commendation, the unprofitable servant received a rebuke. May the Lord not rebuke you for neglecting your talent!

Besides rebuke, the servant who received one talent lost it to his colleague who traded with his. Do you now that apart from eternity, some believers can lose their talents to fellow believers on earth? This is one reason to use whatever God has given you in a most productive way to glorify Him. If God is totally glorified in the way you use the resources He has given you, there will be no need to give it to someone else. Today, there are many believers who once had certain talents or abilities but because they failed to use them well, the grace to operate such divine endowments was withdrawn; they can only point to other people they see using the talents they once had. That shall not be your portion in Jesus name!

The servant was tagged an unprofitable servant. Can God call you a profitable servant? What kind of profit has your presence and involvement brought to the Kingdom of God? Finally, the servant has to share eternity with unbelievers. In other words, if your salvation through the blood of Jesus cannot benefit God’s Kingdom, one can still end up in hell. May you end up in Heaven! Rise up, dust your talents and begin to use them from now.

Bible In One Year:

Acts 6-9

Key Point
If your life can truly generate profits for God’s Kingdom, you stand to benefit from God both now and in eternity.



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On Motion – RCCG Open Heavens of Tuesday 20th August 2013

On Motion – RCCG Open Heavens of Tuesday 20th August 2013

ON MOTION BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memorise:

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Read:

Isaiah 40:28-31

(Isaiah 40:28) Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

(Isaiah 40:29) He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

(Isaiah 40:30) Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they (Isaiah 40:31) shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Open Heavens Devotional Message
There are seven categories of motion. The first is total stagnation which indicates a state of no motion. In Mark 2:1-12, we read of a paralysed man who could not do anything for himself except someone else helped him. He was in a state of total stagnation. This is the worst state of motion. Some people are in that state. No matter their efforts, their situation remains the same. In other words, it appears there is nothing they can do to change the situation.

If you are in this state, the Lord will reach out to you in Jesus name. That force or power that is keeping you on the same spot is paralysed now. For some people, the evil people spiritually manipulated their destinies never to leave where they have been. No matter how old some people become, they keep dreaming of their primary or secondary school days, or see themselves serving in the hose of a particular uncle, aunt, or relation where they lived many years ago. They have been tied to their past and are not meant to leave their past. Every evil tie to your unpleasant past is destroyed today in Jesus name. You are set free to fulfil your destiny.

Crawling is the next category of motion after motionlessness. In John 9:1-7, we read of a man who was born blind. Whenever he had to go somewhere, he could not move fast for lack of sight. At this stage, there is motion but it is very limited and slow. Are you experiencing slow progress? If you labour so much but have little result to show for it, then you are crawling. If what is taking others one year to achieve is taking you 10 years, you are crawling. Today, in the name of Jesus, I speak forth divine speed into your motion! You shall make quick progress henceforth.

Bible In One Year:

Acts 3-5

Prayer Point
Every evil tie to my negative past, be broken in Jesus name.



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He Judges His Ministers – RCCG Open Heavens Of Monday 19th August 2013

He Judges His Ministers – RCCG Open Heavens Of Monday 19th August 2013

HE JUDGES HIS MINISTERS BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memorise:

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10

Read:

Numbers 12:1-10

(Numbers 12:1) And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

(Numbers 12:2) And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.

(Numbers 12:3) (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

(Numbers 12:4) And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.

(Numbers 12:5) And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.

(Numbers 12:6) And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

(Numbers 12:7) My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.

(Numbers 12:8) With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

(Numbers 12:9) And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.

(Numbers 12:10) And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

Open Heavens Devotional Message
Many people view wisdom from different angles. But if we were to use the fear of God as the yardstick for measuring wisdom, then you can be very certain we have quite a number of foolish people among us. Psalm 111:10 says,

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.”

Not many of us fear God – even ministers of God! We fear our bosses in our work places. We fear those who approve contracts for us. We fail to fear the One who should be our fear and dread (Isaiah 8:13). Can you believe that some ministers of God find it difficult to join the congregation in praising God? At praise or worship time, you will find some of them standing straight and looking in a sanctimonious way as if they have forgotten that the day they became ministers of God, they were placed right in God's palms. If God wants to deal with His ministers, He does not need to search for them; all He needs to do is close His hands.

Do you say you are a worker or minister and you still tell lies? Do you steal? Do you falsify reports or approve reports that you know are not true? Remember God is seeing you. Do you know that many titled orthodox ministers fear God more than we so called Pentecostals; this is why many scandals are rife in our midst than theirs. If you do not know anything about God, do know that He is a Consuming fire. He is quiet because He is so powerful.

When a river is shallow, it makes a lot of noise. In Numbers 12:1-16, when Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, God summoned the three of them and asked the offenders why they were not afraid to speak against His faithful servant. God left in anger without doing anything, yet as soon as He left, Miriam was covered with leprosy. What if He had decided to do something, would Miriam have survived it? Ministers of God, God still judges His servants. Tread carefully and fear Him.

Bible In One Year:

Key Point
Like any of God's children, ministers of God will give account to God, but God will use a higher standard for them as much is expected of them.

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Let Your Hope Arise – RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sunday 18th August 2013

Let Your Hope Arise – RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Sunday 18th August 2013

LET YOUR HOPE ARISE BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memorise:

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Hebrews 6:19

Read:

1 Samuel 1:9-18

(1 Samuel 1:9)  So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.

(1 Samuel 1:10)  And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

(1 Samuel 1:11)  And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

(1 Samuel 1:12)  And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.

(1 Samuel 1:13)  Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

(1 Samuel 1Sa 1:14)  And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.

(1 Samuel 1:15)  And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.

(1 Samuel 1:16)  Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

(1 Samuel 1:17)  Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

(1 Samuel 1:18)  And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

Open Heavens Devotional Message
Certain events take place at some point in one's life which causes one's hope to soar. This season, your hope will soar. In 1 Samuel 1:9-18, Hannah had been going to Shiloh and had been praying without receiving any change in her situation. She was probably never noticed. But one day, while praying, the man of God noticed her but misjudged her – taking her for a drunkard; by the time she explained herself, the man of God asked God to grant her request. From that moment, Hannah was no longer sad; she was free with everybody and happy because suddenly her hope began to rise. Even though she was yet to see the manifestation of her miracle, she had however experienced an incident that had convinced her beyond reasonable doubts that the tide will surely turn.

Similarly, in Mark 10:46-52, blind Bartimaeus had been staying at the same road side begging for years without receiving the help he so much needed, until one day, the Helper of the helpless passed by. As he began to shout out the name of Jesus, he heard someone say, 'Be of good cheer, Jesus is calling you'. On hearing that good news, his hope arose. The king of glory was about to pass judgment on his problem of many years. Yes, his hope soared high even though he was not yet healed. He threw away his garment and headed for the Lord because something told him that at last, his tide was about to turn.

Also, in Acts 3:1-8, the lame man had begged from the same location for several years until he gave up hope of ever receiving any healing other than alms. But one day, the same men who had always given him alms came by and as usual, he asked and they said to him, 'Focus on us'. As he looked on them, he saw the glory of God. At that point, hope arose in his heart to receive something of them. It does not matter how long you have been at that particular bus stop of your life, the Lord is passing your way this season. Let your hope arise today, be full of expectation of his touch because the tide is about to turn in your favour.

Bible In One Year:

Action Point
Worship the Lord throughout today and thank Him for your expected turn around.




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Do Something To Be Something – RCCG Open Heavens of Friday 16th August 2013

Do Something To Be Something – RCCG Open Heavens of Friday 16th August 2013

DO SOMETHING TO BE SOMETHING BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memorise:

Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured. Proverbs 27:18

Read:

2 Kings 2:1-8

(2 Kings 2:1) And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

(2 Kings 2:2) And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

(2 Kings 2:3) And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

(2 Kings 2:4) And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

(2 Kings 2:6) And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

(2 Kings 2:7) And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.

(2 Kings 2:8) And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

Open Heavens Devotional Message
Do you know that you can go through this world without your impact being felt? Surprisingly, this is the experience of most people all through their lives; they lived without being noticed. If you look at the scriptures, you will find quite some names which were mentioned once or twice in the bible which never amounted to anything in God’s Kingdom. May that not be your portion! During state functions, while special attention is given to important dignitaries such as governors, ambassadors, ministers, commissioners, etc. every other person will be classified and received in the common place. For such people, it really does not matter to the organisers of the function whether they are entertained or not.

The reason some people will never become God’s favourite is that even when they have the potential, they refuse to develop it. They have the wings but just refuse to fly. In 2 Kings 2:1-15, it was common knowledge that Elijah, the nation’s prophet and spiritual head was about to be taken to Heaven. All the sons of the prophets in the prophetic school knew of this, yet they refuse to fly. Only Elisha acted on that information and he became a divine eagle. Before that transition, many sons of the prophets in the prophetic school looked down on Elisha. They saw him no more than a servant that he was. He was not schooled in theology like they were. He was not certified like they were.

They were recognized as prophets-to-be but he was only a messenger. Even on the day of Elijah’s transition, when they saw Elisha, they flaunted the spiritual information at their disposal: ‘Hi messenger, do you know that you are about to be separated from your master today?’ it is not impossible that some of them really desired to take over from Elijah but they did nothing about it. At the end, after a receipt of the double portion of the spirit upon Elijah, they bowed to Elisha having seen the evidence that he was now carrying twice what his master once carried. Doing nothing simply takes you nowhere.

Bible In One Year:

2 Kings 15-17

Key Point
What separates achievers from non-achievers is the price they have prepared

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