The Redeemed Christian Church of God

The Redeemed Christian Church of God To make heaven. To take as many people with us. To have a member of RCCG in every family of all nations

03/07/2022

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY JULY 4 2022

THEME: WATCH!

MEMORISE:

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Matthew 24:42

READ:
Mark 13:33-37

33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

MESSAGE:

Jesus Christ warned His disciples to watch and to pray, because the end of this world will come suddenly. We are much closer now to the end of the world than the day when Jesus said this. Unfortunately, while we are supposed to be watching, many are sleeping.

The days we are now in can be likened to those of Noah. The Bible says in Matthew 24:38:

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark.

Until the day the trumpet will sound and our Lord Jesus Christ will take His saints away, many people in this world will be eating and drinking, appearing to be having fun though they are on the way to eternal damnation. This is very dangerous, and coming from the mouth of the Lord Jesus, it ought to get us all on our knees, pleading for help. The night of this world is far spent, the Day of the Lord is almost here. Anyone who isn’t watching will not go with the Lord. I pray you will be found watching when the Lord returns, in Jesus’ name.

Some years ago, a man of God came to visit his friend here in Nigeria. After spending a couple of days observing the comfort and prosperity in which this man was living and the kind of sermons he was preaching, he said to his friend, “It does not appear as if you are expecting the Lord to return”. Are we really preparing for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ?

In Matthew 25:1-13, we read the story of the ten virgins. Five of them were wise and five of them foolish. The foolish ones did not take extra oil for their lamps while the wise ones did. When the announcement was made that the bridegroom was around, the foolish virgins hurriedly wanted to start preparing, but it was too late. You cannot start preparing after Jesus has returned. You have to be found prepared when He returns. Don’t sleep the sleep of death! Watch and pray, because you do not know when He will return.

I pray in the name of Jesus that you will not be left behind.

KEY POINT:

In the words of Jesus, I say to you, watch!

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalms 89-90

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 9
I'VE A MESSAGE FROM THE LORD, HALLELUYAH

1 I’ve a message from the Lord, Hallelujah!
The message unto you I’ll give.
’Tis recorded in His Word, Hallelujah!
It is only that you “look and live.”

CHORUS:

“Look and live,” my brother, live,
Look to Jesus now and live;
’Tis recorded in His Word, Hallelujah!
It is only that you “look and live.”

2 I’ve a message full of love, Hallelujah!
A message, O my friend, for you.
’Tis a message from above, Hallelujah!
Jesus said it, and I know ’tis true.

[CHORUS]

3 Life is offered unto you. Hallelujah!
Eternal life your soul shall have
If you’ll only look to Him. Hallelujah!
Look to Jesus, who alone can save.

[CHORUS]

4 I will tell you how I came, Hallelujah!
To Jesus when He made me whole:
’Twas believing on His name, Hallelujah!
I trusted and He saved my soul.

[CHORUS]

28/03/2021

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY 28TH MARCH 2021.

THEME: REJOICE EVERMORE.

MEMORISE:

Rejoice evermore. 1 Thessalonians 5:16

READ: Nehemiah 8:9-10

9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

MESSAGE:

Discouragement is one major weapon the devil uses to ruin people's destinies. A fellow that is discouraged cannot have the strength to move on. Our memory verse for today says you should rejoice forever because when you let sadness into your life, it will hinder the achievement of your goals in life. The joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10) and you will need it in order to fulfil destiny.

Elijah was a great man with a great destiny to fulfil. He was going very strong until the day discouragement set in. He became so discouraged that he asked God to take his life (1 Kings19 :4). After he made that request, God sent an angel to feed him. Then the Bible says:

“And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee.” 1 Kings1 9:7

The journey had become too tough for Elijah because he had become discouraged. He had lost his joy. May you never lose your joy in Jesus' name.

In our Bible reading for today, we see Nehemiah encouraging the people after he saw them weeping because he knew that without the strength that comes from the joy of the Lord, they would not be able to build the wall.

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22

You may have many worries and problems that make it difficult for you to rejoice, but the Bible says that a broken spirit will dry your bones. Being worried cannot add a cubit to your stature (Matthew 6:27), neither can it solve any problem; it can only dry your bones.

A fellow who is always gloomy is merely giving negative energy to his or her body system and will often fall sick, but a person who rejoices always will live a long and healthy life.

Choose the joy of the Lord today and receive strength for the Journey ahead.

ACTION POINT:

Cast all your cares on Jesus today and rejoice, singing and dancing as you go through the day.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 7-8

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 3: BE GLAD IN THE LORD AND REJOICE.

Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice,
All ye that are upright in heart;
And ye that have made Him your choice,
Bid sadness and sorrow depart.

o Refrain:
Rejoice, rejoice,
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice;
Rejoice, rejoice,
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice.

2
Be joyful, for He is the Lord
On earth and in Heaven supreme;
He fashions and rules by His word—
The “Mighty” and “Strong” to redeem.

Refrain:

3
What though in the conflict for right
Your enemies almost prevail?
God’s armies, just hid from your sight,
Are more than the foes which assail.

4
Though darkness surround you by day,
Your sky by the night be o’ercast,
Let nothing your spirit dismay,
But trust till the danger is past.
Refrain:

5
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice,
His praises proclaiming in song;
Let gratefulness give all a voice,
The loud hallelujahs prolong!
Refrain:

14/11/2020

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: SATURDAY 14TH NOVEMBER, 2020.

THEME: HOLD NO GRUDGES

MEMORISE:
“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:”
Matthew 6:14


TEXT: MATTHEW 18:23-35 (KJV)

23. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

24. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

25. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

26. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.


27. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

28. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence; and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

29. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

30. And he would not; but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

31. So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

32. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me;

33. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?

34. And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

35. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

MESSAGE:
A person holding grudges can be likened to one consuming poison yet expecting another fellow to die in his/her stead.

When you hold a grudge against someone, you are killing yourself gradually. When you refuse to forgive someone who wronged you, you have only opened the door to hurt and more hurt.

While the fellow on the other hand may be living his/her life in peace, you keep hurting each time you see or remember him/her.

Many people have died of hypertension because they refused to forgive someone who offended them. It is for your own good that you forgive that fellow who offended you. Don’t give anyone a license to keep hurting you; let it go.

From our Bible reading and memory verse of today, it is evident that whenever someone is holding a grudge against another, God will bypass the offender and refuse to forgive the one holding the grudge. Imagine going to hell just because you refused to forgive someone who offended you, only for that fellow to repent and end up in Heaven.

Luke 6:37 tells us that if you condemn someone, God will condemn you too.

James 2:12-13 says:

“So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgement without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgement.”

God will neither answer the prayer nor accept the gift of anyone living in unforgiveness because the sacrifice of a sinner is an abomination to Him (Proverbs 15:8).

God wants you to forgive everyone who has offended you, because only then would you obtain mercy from Him.

“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
Mark 11:25

ACTION POINT:
Forgive anyone who has offended you today, then pray for them, blessing them also as you do.

AUTHOR: Pastor E.A Adeboye, the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Luke 24,
John 20-21

HYMN 5: DEEPER, DEEPER IN THE LOVE OF JESUS.

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

CHORUS:
O deeper yet I pray,
And higher ev’ry day,
And wiser, blessed, Lord,
In Thy precious, holy word.

2. Deeper, deeper! blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus
And His perfect will.

CHORUS:
O deeper yet I pray,
And higher ev’ry day,
And wiser, blessed, Lord,
In Thy precious, holy word.

3. Deeper, deeper! tho’ it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.

CHORUS:
O deeper yet I pray,
And higher ev’ry day,
And wiser, blessed, Lord,
In Thy precious, holy word.

4. Deeper, higher ev’ry day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.

CHORUS:
O deeper yet I pray,
And higher ev’ry day,
And wiser, blessed, Lord,
In Thy precious, holy word.

12/11/2020

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: FRIDAY 13TH NOVEMBER, 2020.

THEME: SPARE THE ROD, SPOIL THE CHILD.

MEMORISE:
Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
Proverbs 22:15

READ: Proverbs 23:12-14 (KJV)

12. Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.

13. Withhold not correction from the child; for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.

14. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

MESSAGE:
In the school I attended in my village, there were children from both affluent and poor homes.

One day, a child from an affluent home committed a misdemeanour, and a teacher meted out corporal punishment to him.

This was an approved medium of discipline in the school but the boy reported to his father who came to school the next day and beat up our teacher. Our teacher reported the assault to the local police, however the rich man had been there earlier to bribe them, so the police did not act on the report.

Our teacher, frustrated and deeply aggrieved, returned and divided the class into two. He put the children of the rich on one side and the rest of us on the other side. He vowed never to flog the children from rich homes again, but would continue to do so to those of us from poor homes.

Today, only a few among the children that were not flogged have amounted to something in life. If you love your children, you would not spare the rod when they err.

Eli’s children grew to become wayward and God held him accountable for not being firm enough with them (1 Samuel 2:29-34).

Conversely, God did not hesitate to bless Abraham because He was confident that the patriarch would command his children and household to keep His laws (Genesis 18:17-19).

The second law of thermodynamics says everything left to itself tends to disorder.

In the same vein, any child not strictly cautioned to behave properly will ultimately become spoilt.

I know using the rod on children is now considered child abuse in this generation, however you must know that there is a difference between correcting a child in love and abusing a child.

“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”
Proverbs 13:24

The rod is not just the cane, it connotes firm correction when children err. You cannot be permissive with a child all the time and expect him/her to grow up with good morals.

God expects you to compel your children and entire household to serve Him (Genesis 18:19). Don’t spare the rod.

REFLECTION:
God expects you to command your children and household to uphold his statutes, as Abraham did.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 28,
Mark 16

HYMN 6: GOD GIVE US CHRISTIAN HOMES.

1. God give us Christian homes
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught
Homes where the Master’s will is sought
Homes crowned with beauty Thy love hath wrought
God give us Christian homes
God give us Christian homes.

2. God give us Christian homes
Homes where the father is true and strong
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong
Homes that are joyous with love and song
God give us Christian homes
God give us Christian homes.

3. God give us Christian homes
Homes where the mother in queenly quest
Strives to show others Thy way is best
Homes where the Lord is an honoured guest.
God give us Christian homes
God give us Christian homes.

4. God give us Christian homes
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so
Homes where the altar fire burn and glow
God give us Christian homes
God give us Christian homes.

11/11/2020

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: THURSDAY 12TH NOVEMBER, 2020.

THEME: ACTIONS OVERSHADOW WORDS.

MEMORIZE:
For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
John 13:15

BIBLE READING:
John 13:12-15 (KJV)

12. So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

13. Ye call me Master and Lord; and ye say well; for so I am.

14. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.

15. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

MESSAGE:
Many parents complain that their children do not obey them.

Most times however, the parents are to blame. Children can see and hear more than we know; they absorb all information from their homes both consciously and subconsciously.

When there is a difference between the words and actions of a parent, the children become confused and will most likely follow the actions of their parents since Actions speak louder than words.

The best way to teach children is by example. Lead the way and they will follow. I recall an instance when my children were small.

We had a visitor who came with his child. One of my sons went into my room, wore my tie and came out to meet the little boy. He laid his hand on the boys head and said Fall down.

We all laughed, but I never forgot the lesson. The boy had observed that whenever I laid my hands on people they would fall, but even beyond that, he noted that I always had my tie on when doing so.

What attention to detail! That is how detailed children are in their observations.

Hence, you must deliberately set the right examples.

Paul, in Philippians 4:9 said:

“Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

A father who cannot get his eyes off ladies will raise a promiscuous boy. A mother who constantly gossips will raise a gossip.

Start being the right examples to your children from now. You want them to read their Bibles and pray daily? Do the same. If you want your child to be kind to others, be kind too.

When little children always see their parents punching away at their phones and hardly ever see them with books, it will take God’s grace for the children to enjoy reading.

Be deliberate about your actions, bearing in mind that your children can see everything you are doing, and they will also follow the same path. Set a worthy example; do the right things always.

KEY POINT:
Showing an example is a thousand times more effective than verbal teaching.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE.

BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR:
Luke 23,
John 18-19

HYMN 20: NEARER, MY GOD TO THEE.

1. Nearer, my God to Thee,
Nearer to Thee;
E’en though it be a cross
That raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer, my God, to Thee, (2ce)
Nearer to Thee!

2. Though, like the wanderer,
The sun gone down,
Darkness be over me,
My rest a stone,
Yet in my dreams I’d be
Nearer, my God, to Thee, (2ce)
Nearer to Thee!

3. There let the way appear
Steps unto heaven;
All that Thou send’st to me
In mercy given;
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to Thee, (2ce)
Nearer to Thee!

4. Then with my waking thoughts
Bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I’ll raise;
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee, (2ce)
Nearer to Thee!

5. Or if on joyful wing
Cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot,
Upward I fly,
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer, my God, to Thee, (2ce)
Nearer to Thee!

11/11/2020

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

DATE: WEDNESDAY 11TH NOVEMBER, 2020

THEME: CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP (4).

MEMORISE:
I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35

BIBLE READING:
1 Corinthians 9:1-11 (KJV)

1. Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?

2. If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you; for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

3. Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,

4. Have we not power to eat and to drink?


5. Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

6. Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

7. Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

8. Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?

9. For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

10. Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written; that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

11. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

MESSAGE:
I have observed that when some people say they want a coach and/or mentor, what they are actually seeking is a sponsor. Your coach and/or mentor is not under any obligation to finance you. If anything, you should be the one gifting him/her, taking his/her children out for a fun day, making yourself available to help in any way you can and so on.

You need their wealth of experience. Your relationship with your coach and mentor should not be parasitic but symbiotic – as he/she gives to you, you should also give back to him/her. Paul said in
1 Corinthians 9:11:

“If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?”

It is your responsibility to make your coach and mentor proud. Many times, I have had to answer for the actions of my children-in-the-Lord, whether I was aware or not. It would be unfair to your coach and mentor if you misbehave, because it could bring about a bad public image for him/her.

Finally, even if you become richer, greater and more popular than your coach and mentor, you must remain completely submissive to them.

Jesus said the disciple cannot be greater than the master (Matthew 10:24). If that is the fellow that God has paired you with for discipleship, no matter what they do, you must remain submissive in line with the word of God, until their death.

David became more famous than Saul, but he never lost his respect for him, not even when Saul was trying to kill him. Samuel was the one whom God sent to tell Eli about how he would fall, but Samuel never felt that because he had been chosen to replace him, the old prophet was now to be ignored (1 Samuel 3:9-21).

Never dishonour your discipler. God would not have anyone disrespect His chosen vessels (Psalms 105:14-15 ) no matter how little and inconsequential you may consider the action. Learn from the mistake of Miriam and Aaron (Numbers 12:1-15).

Yes, Jesus wants us to perform greater works than He did, but that cannot make us greater than He. Never forget: a disciple may achieve greater feats than his master, but cannot be greater than he (Matthew 10:24).

REFLECTION:
Do you have a parasitic or symbiotic relationship with your coach and/or mentor?

AUTHOR:
Pastor E.A Adeboye, the General overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 27,
Mark 15

HYMN 17: MUST I GO AND EMPTY HANDED.

1. Must I go and empty handed?
Thus my dear Redeemer meet?
Not one day of service give Him
Lay no trophy at His feet?

CHORUS:
Must I go and empty handed?
Must I meet my Saviour so?
Not one soul with which to greet Him?
Must I empty handed go

2. Not at death I shrink or falter
For my Saviour saves me now
But to meet Him empty handed
Thought of that now clouds my brow.

CHORUS:
Must I go and empty handed?
Must I meet my Saviour so?
Not one soul with which to greet Him?
Must I empty handed go

3. Oh, the years of sinning wasted
Could I but recall them now
I would give them to my Saviour
To His will I’d gladly bow.

CHORUS:
Must I go and empty handed?
Must I meet my Saviour so?
Not one soul with which to greet Him?
Must I empty handed go

4. O ye saints, arouse, be earnest
Up and work while yet ’tis day
Ere the night of death o’er take thee
Strive for souls while still you may.

CHORUS:
Must I go and empty handed?
Must I meet my Saviour so?
Not one soul with which to greet Him?
Must I empty handed go

02/11/2020

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY 2ND NOVEMBER 2020.

THEME: THE SAINTS AND THE WICKED.

MEMORISE:

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8

READ: 2 Thessalonian 1:5-10

5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

MESSAGE:

The wicked are people who do not know God and those who probably know Him but do not seek Him (Psalm 10:2-13). Their lifestyle shows that they don’t believe in the gospel of Christ and that they do not have any regard for God. On the other hand, there are saints- the people of God; these are the people who believe. Though they may suffer persecutions and afflictions for the Kingdom, they remain faithful children of God.

Paul assumes the saints who have believed and remain steadfast even in their afflictions that God will grant them relief and their afflictions would come to an end in due course. Christ will be glorified in them, and they in Him (2 Thessalonians 1:12). On the other hand, God will repay the persecutors with affliction; He will mete out justice. He says in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 that the retribution will be:
“…. everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”

The wicked would not cease to exist because of God’s final judgment, rather they would be deprived of being in God’s presence forever.

Daniel also declared:
“And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2

Jesus described the judgment thus “ Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal (Matthew 25: 41, 46). Revelation describes the fate of the wicked thus:” … and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10).

Beloved, a life without Christ is one full of crises – both when the fellow is alive, and even after death. Too many people pay lip service to following Christ but actually do not in real sense of it. Examine your life and choose to deny yourself and follow Christ daily to escape eternal damnation.

REFLECTION:

Which are you: wicked or saint?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 11
John 12

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 8: HAVE YOU BEEN TO JESUS.
1. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

o Refrain:
Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

2. Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

3. When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

4. Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
Oh, be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

20/03/2019

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY 21ST MARCH 2019

THEME: TOYING WITH SIN?

MEMORISE:
For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land? Psalm 137:3-4

READ: Judges 16:23-30 (KJV)

23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.

24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.

25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.

26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.

27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.

28 And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.

30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines . And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

MESSAGE:
A careful study of the Bible will reveal to you that it is possible for someone who God has liberated from all forms of bo***ge to return into the captivity of the enemy.
Sin is the number one instrument the enemy uses to recapture his targets ( Romans 6:16 ). After the children of Israel were set free from oppression in Egypt, they returned into captivity in
Babylon because they refused to obey God’s commandments , leading to the sad narrative in today’s memory verse. In captivity, the enemy tormented them by requiring them to sing their sacred songs. Every mockery of the enemy in your life comes to an end today in Jesus’ Name. Samson was another child of God ridiculed by the enemy because he dabbled into sin. After putting out his two eyes, the enemy mocked him and put him on display in the temple of Dagon, the god of the Philistines. They turned the great Samson into a pitiable object of sport and force him to entertain them with the power he had once used to attack them. Sadly, he died with his enemies in the temple of Dagon.
Just like Samson, some people play with sin, believing that they will have the opportunity to repent, engage in
long-term fasting and prayer and bounce back on their spiritual feet. Such people should learn from Samson and abandon this assumption. Judges 16:20 says this of Samson.
“And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sheep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.”
If you live a life that toys with sins every now and then with the hope of always bouncing back, may I announce to you that there is a journey into sin you may undertake that would be your last. This is the reason why the Bible says we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling ( Philippians 2:12 ). There are things people do today that are equivalent to singing sacred songs in Satan’s temple. As God’s own peculiar people, we must rid the Church of strange practices that conform to the way the world does its things ( 1st Peter 2:9 ). We cannot afford to destroy our uniqueness in the name of making the gospel appealing to the world. With this in mind, we must beware of singing satanic songs on God’s altar in our bid to win the world. If because we want to catch monkeys we begin to behave like monkeys, we will only end up
multiplying the number of monkeys, and the souls we are trying to win to Christ will never partake of the image of God that we have. A word is enough for the wise.

KEY POINT:
Do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces (Matthew 7:6, NIV).

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2nd Corinthians 8-10, Jeremiah 2:26-3:5

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 2 : Oh Jesus, I Have Promised

1 O Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my guide.

2 O let me feel Thee near me,
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.

3 Oh let me hear Thee speaking
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
Oh speak to reassure me,
To hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.

4 O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee,
That where Thou art in glory,
There shall Thy servant be;
And, Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.

5 Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then to rest receive me,
My Saviour and my Friend.

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Lagos

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