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Showing posts from July, 2012

CHANGE Wednesday 1 August 2012

- July 31, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: And as a vesture shalt fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. Hebrews 1:12 Read: Acts 19:1-7 T he only constant thing in life is change. God’s covenant moved from the Old Testament to the New. That was a profound change that shaped the world. When Jesus came, the Old Testament was in force. He introduced the New Testament during his ministry on earth, giving men a glimpse of the change to come and reorienting their understanding. After His death, burial and resurrection, the New Testament in His blood was established. Those who fail to go with change end up blaming themselves. They will be cut off from so many benefits. For instance, during the days of the early church, when Paul travelled to Ephesus, he met some disciples who were baptised by John the Baptist. Based on what they knew, they were still expecting the Messiah who John had come to usher

ANY DIVIDEND OF MENTORING? Tuesday 31 July 2012

- July 30, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1 Read: 2 Timothy 3:14-17 A fter Elijah’s rapture to Heaven, Elisha moved on to the next phase of his life. Anyone who lives in the past will definitely experience a bleak future. One way to recognize those living in their past is that they will not have fresh testimonies. If all you can do is testify of how God used you to win several souls some years ago, or how you were used in the area of healing in time past, you are still in your past. If you have nothing to show today as an evidence of your present walk with God, you are becoming history. Move forward today! When Elisha got to the River Jordan, he smote the waters with his mantle like his father Elijah did (2 Kings 2:14). From this we see that anyone who will be great must have someone he follows – a mentor. Mentoring is not only relevant in business but also in ministry. God

PRESUMPTUOUS? Monday 30 July 2012

- July 29, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Colossians 3:23 Read: Deuteronomy 1:42-44 G od promised in Proverbs 23:18 that the expectations of the righteous shall be met, but many expectations are not granted today and people are wondering why. Why do expectations of believers fail? Expectations based on presumption will most likely fail. In other words, what you base your expectations on will determine whether it will be granted or not. When expectations are based on assumptions, disappointment is inevitable. Great expectations are founded on God’s promises which are forever settled in Heaven. Deuteronomy 1:42-44 documents an account by Moses, where he warned the Israelites not to go and fight the Amorites because God was not with them. They paid deaf ears to his warning and went into the battle and got the disgrace of their lives. God has a strategy for every battle. There ar

AVOID THIS TRAP! Sunday 29 July 2012

- July 28, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet. Proverbs 29:5 Read: 1 Samuel 18:6-11 D avid had victory over challenges he faced. His problems started not long after God gave him victory over Goliath; some devil-inspired and highly immodest women began to sing his praise … Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 1 Samuel 18:7 Immediately King Saul heard the song, he was very angry and began to see David as a threat. He saw him as someone who was out to take over his throne from him; no wonder he fought this young boy with all the military might of Israel! But how was their relationship before then? And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer. 1 Samuel 16:21 King Saul had a mental challenge and David was brought to play the harp to get him relieved. When he first saw this boy, it was l

MASTER YOUR DESIRES Saturday 28 July 2012

- July 27, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 1 Corinthians 6:12 Read: 1 Corinthians 6:11-13 I f God has blessed you with wealth and riches, be extremely cautious so that your prosperity does not become your undoing. Solomon was so blessed that because he could afford most things that came his way, he went on an acquisition spree. He bought everything money could buy and acquired all that his eyes liked. He found himself in a pit of self-indulgence. In Ecclesiastes 2:10, he said: And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. He had lost control! His money was now pushing him in every direction. Has God blessed you? Praise God! But never let it get to the point

WHICH ISRAEL IS IT? Friday 27 July 2012

- July 26, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh; Romans 2:28 Read: Romans 2:25-29 W hen it’s all been said and done, good will always have victory over evil. In Revelation 3:9, the Lord made a promise to the church in Philadelphia saying: Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. This is a powerful promise but appears somewhat controversial. How can you tell the Jews that they are not regarded as Jews before God? Earlier, God specially chose to reveal Himself to the world through the children of Israel. This started right from the Old Testament. Even when Jesus came, He said He was not sent to the Gentiles but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, hence He sent His di

LUST OR LOVE? Thursday 26 July 2012

- July 25, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: But God commandeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 Read: Romans 5:7-8 A discuss on love would normally focus on a minimum of two people – the lover and the loved. The lover is the subject while the loved is the object. In a true love situation, the subject seeks the welfare of the loved, whether the object deserves it or not. Romans 5:7-8 says Jesus Christ died for us at a point no one else could have. While we were separated from Him as sinners with enmity between us, He died for us. How many of you can die for your enemies? If anything, most people would want their enemies dead this minute. What love can be greater than that of Jesus Christ? Most times, we misunderstand the word “love”. A man telling a lady, “I love you”, might really mean “I am lusting after you”. This is a counterfeit of God’s love. Lust is selfish, self-centered and seeks to exp

VALUE GIVER Wednesday 25 July 2012

- July 24, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. Colossians 1:18 Read: Colossians 1:15-18 I f we study the lives of those who in Bible times carried the glory of God, we will understand their secrets. We can partake of the same glory by using these secrets. However, it must be stated here that the glory the Lord made available to New Testament saints by His blood far surpasses the entire glory of the Old Testament as the Old was only a shadow of and a fore runner of the New. Yet many of us are yet to manifest the glory of the Old Testament, how much more the New Testament. May you partake of this latter House glory in Jesus name. An outstanding carrier of His glory under the Old Covenant was Moses. But how did it all begin? Exodus 3:1-6 says it all started with a personal encounter with the L

LEAVE YOUR PAST! Tuesday 24 July 2012

- July 23, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, Philippians 3:13 Read: Psalms 37:23-25 W hen God uses one of His servants to bless you, you can appreciate that servant of God but appreciate God much more. Why? God is the Source of blessing while His servant is only a vessel. Never turn a vessel into your source. If you do, both you and the vessel may get into trouble with God. It was in light of this knowledge that Elisha, despite his devotion to Elijah did not forget the God of Elijah. He called for the God of Elijah and not for Elijah or his anointing at the River Jordan (2 Kings 2:13-14). Elisha faced a new reality after the departure of Elijah. It was a new phase for him. You need to walk in the understanding that life is in phases. When one phase ends, another begins. Psalms 37:

HOPE FOR RESTORATION Monday 23 July 2012

- July 22, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Job 14:7 Read: Ezra 10:2-3 S in is a cruel robber of hope. You will observe that as a believer in right standing with God, it is easy for you to express faith and hope but the moment you sin, the basis for faith and hope is eroded. Fear and doubt invade your heart. You will begin to wonder if the promise of God you have been waiting for will still be realized or not. Sin robs you of hope so you should keep away from it. After falling into sin, some people completely lose the hope of being forgiven or restored to faith. A young evangelist who faithfully won several souls to the Lord was a victim of this. He fell into fornication one day and the devil deceived him that because of that act he could never receive pardon. He believed that lie and continued to live in sin until he fell

VICTORY DEVOURERS Sunday 22 July 2012

- July 21, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. Romans 13:2 Read: Judges 14:1-3 I t is one thing to be victorious but another thing to retain the victory. Victory not retained turns a victor into a victim. In order to keep your victory and walk in it, it is very crucial to learn from those who lost their victory, the reasons why their victory was lost. May you retain your victory in Jesus name. One Bible character who got victory over his enemies was Samson. He knew what it meant to be victorious because of the mighty presence of the Holy Spirit upon him, yet he died in the prison of his enemies. What rubbished his victory? In Judges 14:1-3, Samson failed to listen to his parents. He felt they were too old fashioned in their views. He could not be under the control or authority of anyone. The elders may no

HANDLE WEALTH WITH CAUTION Saturday 21 July 2012

- July 20, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, 1 Kings 11:9 Read: 1 Kings 11:1-9 O ur God is a generous God who delights in the prosperity of His saints. He grants to them the power to get wealth. However, this wealth has eroded the faith of some while some others have turned their trust to the wealth they have. God so loved Solomon that He blessed him to a point where silver was like ordinary stones during his reign. Since he had so much material things, he began to acquire women contrary to the law of kings. He married 700 wives; as if that was not enough, he added 300 concubines. One man to 1,000 women! There are some he will sleep with once in three years! Most of his wives were non-Israelites; they were princesses from various kingdoms. Not many kings or presidents in our time can beat Solomon’s evil record. 1 Ki

NEGLECTING THIS DOOR? Friday 20 July 2012

- July 19, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Matthew 21:22 Read: Matthew 21:18-22 I n 1 Corinthians 16:8-9, Paul said God opened a door to him. God still opens door for His children. God opens door to missionary opportunities. Also, there is a door of prayer. This door is open to everyone. You do not need the permission of anyone before you pray. You are free to pray anytime and anywhere. Even when a government outlaws prayer like it happened in the time of Daniel, those like Daniel will still pray. Any government that passes such an obnoxious decree must be prepared to stay awake 24/7 because some of us may choose to start our prayers at 3am. How effective have you been using your open door in prayer? Your success in the Christian faith depends on how you utilize this door. You cannot be anything of repute in God’s Kingdom if you neglect this door. One thi

THE GENEROUS GOD Thursday 19 July 2012

- July 18, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: He that spared not his Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32 Read: Romans 8:31-32 O ur God can do anything. He has all the resources He needs. Unlike men, He is not limited in anyway. Genesis 17:1 says He is the All Sufficient God. The earth with all its fullness belongs to Him (Psalms 24:1). All the silver and gold are also His (Haggai 2:8). In 1 Kings 17:2-6, God asked birds to serve breakfast and dinner to one of His prophets on daily basis. Somebody once asked where the birds got the bread and meat from. Where did God get the bread and fish to feed the 4,000 and the 5,000? Where did he get the oil that the widow kept pouring into empty vessels until they were all filled from one bottle of oil? Asking any of these questions simply means that you have not yet known the All Sufficient God. He has been baking bread before any

FULLNESS OF JOY Wednesday 18 July 2012

- July 17, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. Acts 5:41 Read: Acts 5:33-42 G od is the giver of joy for in His presence is fullness of joy (Psalms 16:11). Romans 15:13 says: Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. It is possible to be filled with all joy. That will be your portion this season. God also wants your joy to be full, not half or quarter, hence in John 16:24, He says: Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. If some very important requests are not granted, your joy will definitely not be full. But you may ask: Why is my joy not yet full? It could just be because you are yet to meet all the requirements. 1 Peter 4:13 says; But rejoice, inasm

DOUBLE PORTION: WHERE FROM? Tuesday 17 July 2012

- July 16, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17 Read: James 1:16-18 I n the story about Elijah’s rapture recorded in 2 Kings 2:11-14, you will notice the repetition of the phrase: “The mantle of Elijah that fell from him”. This tells us that even when Elisha had paid the price in serving him for some years and in accompanying him on his last assignments, and had even crossed the Jordan with him, Elijah still took his mantle with him until the cry of Elisha’s was heard. This shows the need for patience in God’s Kingdom, particularly when you are trusting God for something very precious. If you are not ready to persist until you get it, you may be denied at the very point when you should have had it. Similarly, we learn that every good gift comes from above (James 1:17). When Elijah

BLESSED HOPE RENEWED Monday 16 July 2012

- July 15, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:18 Read: 1 Corinthians 15:15-58 T he Holy Communion is a special meal. It is a celebratory meal. As you take it, you celebrate your victory over worry and anxiety. John 14:1-3 says you should not let your heart be troubled because He is returning for us. Jesus partook of this meal before His departure and He promised to return for us. Even if you have different issues troubling you, the remembrance of the fact that He will return and that your tomorrow will be alright, should bring glorious peace upon you. 1 Corinthians 15:49-57 tells us that because He died and resurrected after His body was broken and His blood was shed, we no longer have any cause to fear death. Sometime in 1980, my father in the Lord was sick and his friend was also sick. He sent a message to his friend that he would soon be going. His friend replied “I

VICTORY: HOW PERMANENT? Sunday 15 July 2012

- July 14, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: O SING unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory. Psalms 98:1 Read: Joshua 7:1-6 E very victory God gives to you can be retained or lost depending on several factors. Many people know how to obtain victory but not how to keep them. It is better to continue in defeat than to have victory and return to defeat due to the inability to keep it. After the Israelites crossed the Red sea, Moses immediately composed a song of praise and thanksgiving that they sang repeatedly (Exodus 15:1-21). After that song of praise, every effort to cause them to return to Egypt failed; their victory was permanent. Anyone who does not know how to be grateful to God may never enjoy permanent victories. Are you grateful to God for what He has done for you? In Joshua 7 & 8, God gave the Israelites under Joshua victory which they lost

STRAY TEMPTATION Saturday 14 July 2012

- July 13, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure. 1 Timothy 5:22 Read: 2 Samuel 11:1-5 I t will shock you to know that it is easier to manage lack and hardship than to manage abundance and pleasure. If you live in a single room in a “face-me-I-face-you” building (building with multiple tenants of low-income class), it is easier for you to wake up and pray even at night than when you live in an expensively furnished bedroom with water bed in a mansion overseeing the sea. When you want to get up to pray in such a house, the comfort of the bed will motivate you to sleep some more. Before you know it, it will be dawn. Let us take the case of David as an example (2 Samuel 11:1; 12:14.) While David was being chased from cave to cave, he had no time to think of committing adultery, but after being crowned king and baptized into comfort, when he should have been at w

VICTIM OF PEER PRESSURE? Friday 13 July 2012

- July 12, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2 Read: 2 Timothy 4:9-11 U ndue peer pressure is an enemy to watch out for. Many times when we discuss peer pressure, our minds go to teenagers. Peer pressure is pronounced in that circle but not exclusive to it. Peer pressure exists within every group and assembly of people. Increasingly, and most unfortunately, many ministers of God are yielding to peer pressure. You will hear someone say: “Pastor X has just moved to his house, I too must move to mine immediately”; or “Pastor Y said he prophesied into the life of a member of his church and the fellow brought him a car, I too must prophesy to my members so that they can equally buy me a car”. Beware; peer pressure distorts vision and reorders priorities. If you mus

THE UNLIMITED GOD Thursday 12 July 2012

- July 11, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Isaiah 40:25 Read: Isaiah 40:28-31 G od is the omnipotent God. The word ‘omnipotent’ is a combination of two words Omni and potent. Omni means ‘all’ while potent means ‘power’. So the word omnipotent means the one who has all power. Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27 A major difference between God and man is in the area of limitation. Man is limited but God is unlimited. Man is limited in strength. Isaiah 40:30 says: Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. As energetic as youths are, they can still faint, and fall. Man is also limited by death hence James 4:13-14 compares a man’s life with vapour. On the other hand, God is not limited in strength as He is neither tired nor weary (Isaiah 40:28). He does not ne

GOD IS MY PORTION Wednesday 11 July 2012

- July 10, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. Psalms 16:5 Read: Philippians 1:19-21 I n the devotional of July 4, we saw from John 6:5-13, a young boy offering his lunch to Jesus. It was inferred that at the end of the day people would have helped him take home the 12 baskets of remains from what he gave. One lesson here is that while some giving may take some time to give its yield, some others can give immediate yields. This boy’s gift got immediate returns. But note that the boy’s giving was sacrificial. He had just his lunch when he went with the crowd to listen to Jesus. When the Lord needed food, he decided to fast – to go hungry so that somebody else – even if it is one person, could have something to eat. He did not share his meal; he gave it all like the poor widow did with her mite. Sacrificial giving is what brings out the extreme giving qualities

ARE YOU P.O.O.R? Tuesday 10 July 2012

- July 09, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 Read: 2 Timothy 2:14-16 W hen Elijah was parted from and taken away from Elisha in 2 Kings 2:11-13, Elisha tore away his old garment. This connotes that for you to take on a new or higher assignment, it is important to change your clothes. If you are still putting on malice, lies, anger or any work of the flesh, your new assignment will not fit you. In addition to tearing his garment, Elisha took up the mantle that fell from his departed master. This means God gave him an opportunity and he grabbed it. God will give you at least one opportunity but it is up to you to seize it. Samson was one person who knew how to seize an opportunity. When he was taken bound to the Philistines in Judges 15:14-15, the Spirit of God came upon him and he saw the jaw bone o

ENLARGING GOD’S SERVICE Monday 9 July 2012

- July 08, 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye Memorise: And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. 2 Corinthians 12:15 Read: 2 Corinthians 12:13-15 W hen God is looking for those to call, He looks for hard working people because He is not lazy. God cannot entrust things of eternal value into the hands of lazy people. One thing you can be certain about concerning the 12 apostles the Lord chose, is that they were all hardworking people. It is Peter, James, John, or Matthew the tax collector or even Judas who was their treasurer? Balancing the account is not an easy job for the lazy. How hardworking are you? Another criteria God uses in selecting those He will use is their determination to serve Him all the days of their lives. Some people serve God now just because of their present circumstance, status or location. The day there is a change in any of these, particularly in a negative sense, it will

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