READ: 1 Timothy 6:6-11
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Bible in One Year: Joshua 18:1-19:39, Matthew 21:33-22:14
MESSAGE:
God knows no lack, and He expects His children to reach a height of financial greatness where lack will be forgotten forever. The one whose name is El-shaddai can provide for all of your needs. Gathering wealth by honest means is the path to increase. Those who get rich quick by bribing their way or engaging in fraudulent means are only digging their own pit. Wealth gotten by vanity will diminish. Many are secretly envying unbelievers because of their wealth. This is foolishness. You have to wait upon the Lord to show you your source of wealth so that you don’t overrun yourself. Wealth from the Almighty God is supposed to be a blessing, but when the search for wealth is taken to the extreme, it becomes a curse. You must never pursue wealth to the detriment of your soul. There are many people looking for wealth for the wrong reasons. Some want to be rich because they feel wealth commands respect. For some others, it is to satisfy the thirst of belonging to a certain social class. Some people want wealth so as to use it as an instrument of oppression or revenge. God will not support such motives. The devil is always out to exploit your insincerity. He will give you options of getting fast wealth outside the will of God. Once you fall for it, you may never come out of his trap except God decides to have mercy on you.
Many rich people are never satisfied. There is something in them that pushes them to want to accumulate more wealth for reasons they can’t explain (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Contentment is a virtue that cannot be bought with money (1 Timothy 6:6). If you have contentment, you can never be trapped in the deceitfulness of riches. Do you know that there are many people out in search of wealth, struggling in places where God has not put them? Isaac thought of escaping to Egypt to avoid famine or scarcity, but God asked him to remain in Gerar (Genesis 26:1-2). He obeyed God and sowed his seed right where he was, and there was a great harvest for him. He became so great that the natives of the land envied his wealth. All you need to do is to cultivate the right relationship with God, and He will always direct you to where your blessing will locate you. Another problem for the wealthy is the temptation of using their money to buy what will destroy them. You need to know how much the devil is taking from many through the medium of cigarettes, alcohol and hard drugs. Some people never planned to have extra-martial affairs until they started having money. The kind of wealth that will disconnect you from God will never come into your hands in Jesus’ Name.
Prayer Point: Father, keep me from wealth that will lead to my destruction.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional 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.
Topic: Respect the Anointing [Wednesday April 15, 2015]
Memorise: Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. - Psalm 105:5
Read: 1 Samuel 24:1-6
1 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.
2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.
4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.
5 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
6 And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.
Bible in One Year: Joshua 15-17, Mathew 21:18-32
MESSAGE:
There is a saying that the anointing you don't respect will never work for you. When Elisha was following Elijah from one point to the other, the fifty sons of the prophet who were at Jericho were waiting to see the outcome, expecting that relationship would end hopelessly. They even confronted Elisha and reminded him that his shine would soon be over because his master would soon be taken away. In 2 Kings 2:15, after they saw that a superior anointing had been transferred to Elisha, voluntarily, they all bowed before him. When the Holy Spirit comes upon an individual, he is no longer the same, irrespective of his age, status or qualifications. Despite all the activities of Saul in trying to destroy David, David still respected the anointing on Saul's life, even though his activities were incongruent with the word of God. For those who respect the anointing, God has a way of changing death to life for them. He has a way of making their enemies to become their servants. The same sword that Goliath wanted to use in eliminating David was what David used to eliminate him. Another lesson from the life of David is this: David fought only the battles he could win. When you rebelling against the leader God has put over you because of his firmness, you are already fighting a battle you can't win. You cannot fight against the anointed of God and win because God has already decreed it.
God fought for David throughout his sojourn. Whenever God decides to fight for someone, the battle is always very short and victory is assured. The person that God is fighting for may not even need to do anything at all other than just wait for victory. In one of our monthly Holy Ghost services held at the Redemption Camp, some agents of darkness lined themselves up around the place from which I ascend to the pulpit. I knew of this opposition because of the spiritual gift of discernment. In the midst of being lost in the thought of what I do, I committed the message to the Lord in prayer. The Lord told me to go ahead and preach despite the opposition. He told me that His anointing upon my head is able to make my cup run over in the presence of my enemies. To the glory of God, the Lord took control of everything and His people were mightily blessed on that day. When the anointing comes upon your head by faith, you will never be the same again. This cup of this unction and power of the Lord will overflow on your head in the presence of your enemies. This uncommon anointing will break every yoke, heal sickness, cure the incurable, set the captives free, raise the dead and enable you rule in the midst of your enemies.
Action Point: Have you partaken in rebellion against the anointed of God in any way ' Repent and be converted today'
Open Heavens Daily Devotional 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.
Topic: Tear That Garment! [Tuesday April 14, 2015]Memorise: Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. - Psalm 105:5
Read: 1 Samuel 24:1-6
1 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.
2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.
4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.
5 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
6 And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.
Bible in One Year: Joshua 15-17, Mathew 21:18-32
MESSAGE:
There is a saying that the anointing you don't respect will never work for you. When Elisha was following Elijah from one point to the other, the fifty sons of the prophet who were at Jericho were waiting to see the outcome, expecting that relationship would end hopelessly. They even confronted Elisha and reminded him that his shine would soon be over because his master would soon be taken away. In 2 Kings 2:15, after they saw that a superior anointing had been transferred to Elisha, voluntarily, they all bowed before him. When the Holy Spirit comes upon an individual, he is no longer the same, irrespective of his age, status or qualifications. Despite all the activities of Saul in trying to destroy David, David still respected the anointing on Saul's life, even though his activities were incongruent with the word of God. For those who respect the anointing, God has a way of changing death to life for them. He has a way of making their enemies to become their servants. The same sword that Goliath wanted to use in eliminating David was what David used to eliminate him. Another lesson from the life of David is this: David fought only the battles he could win. When you rebelling against the leader God has put over you because of his firmness, you are already fighting a battle you can't win. You cannot fight against the anointed of God and win because God has already decreed it.
God fought for David throughout his sojourn. Whenever God decides to fight for someone, the battle is always very short and victory is assured. The person that God is fighting for may not even need to do anything at all other than just wait for victory. In one of our monthly Holy Ghost services held at the Redemption Camp, some agents of darkness lined themselves up around the place from which I ascend to the pulpit. I knew of this opposition because of the spiritual gift of discernment. In the midst of being lost in the thought of what I do, I committed the message to the Lord in prayer. The Lord told me to go ahead and preach despite the opposition. He told me that His anointing upon my head is able to make my cup run over in the presence of my enemies. To the glory of God, the Lord took control of everything and His people were mightily blessed on that day. When the anointing comes upon your head by faith, you will never be the same again. This cup of this unction and power of the Lord will overflow on your head in the presence of your enemies. This uncommon anointing will break every yoke, heal sickness, cure the incurable, set the captives free, raise the dead and enable you rule in the midst of your enemies.
Action Point: Have you partaken in rebellion against the anointed of God in any way ' Repent and be converted today'
Open Heavens Daily Devotional 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.
Memorise: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; Ephesians 4:22
Read: Colossians 3:8-10
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Bible in One Year: Joshua 12:7-14:15, Mathew 20:29-21:17
MESSAGE:
After experiencing salvation, the heart cry of every child of God should be to live above sin. The Bible teaches that glorious victory over sin is available for every believer (Romans 6:14). The moment we are serious about tapping into the grace that Christ has made available to us, all that was evil in us will remain permanently buried. Some Christians have never even heard of the victorious life of holiness, so they continue sinning and confessing their sins from day to day. You need to know that God has made us triumph always in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 2:14). However,recognise the fact that despite the provision of victory over sin, you still have your own free will. You can choose to accept or reject a life of victory over sin. If you yield to christ, you will be free from the power of sin (Romans 6:7-8), but if you yield to sin, you will go down from iniquity to iniquity (Romans 6:19). Temptation is one of the most familiar experiences of a true child of God, and no one can totally escape from it. This is why the Lord taught us in Mathew 6:13a to include this petition in our daily prayer:
'And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:'Temptation is not sin until you yield to it. When Joseph found himself cornered by Potiphar's wife, he ran away, tearing his garment (Genesis 39:12). Thank God his destiny was not torn. Tear off the garment of those things that can cause you to backslide.
The salvation of your soul is worth more than all the wealth of this world. The devil is aware of this and that is why he wants you to lose your salvation. From 1 John 2:15-17 we understand that, the root of all besetting sins is the love of the world. This is expressed through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Lust runs against God's expectation. Lust will not allow us to see the One leading the way. Concerning pride, the Bible says that those who exalt themselves shall be abased (Matthew 23:12). We must be wary of gossip and those who make it their past time. There is danger in idle words. God is not against laughter and humour as some wrongly believe, but he frowns at jestings, which are unholy jokes (Ephesians 5:4). Following in the Lord's footsteps requires self- denial, which is an exercise that must be done daily. We must acknowledge that we are helpless and hopeless without the mercy of God, and confess our sins no matter how numerous and terrible they are (Proverbs 28:13). We must seek God's face for pardon to give room for the Blood of Jesus which alone can do the cleansing.
Prayer Point: Father, as I yield myself to your Spirit, tear away every garment that makes me susceptible to sin.'
Open Heavens Daily Devotional 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.
Topic: The Reward of Unrighteousness [Monday April 13, 2015]
Memorise: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. - Romans 6:23
Read: Acts 5:1-11 (KJV)
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
Bible in One Year: Joshua 10:16-12:6, Mathew 20:1-28
MESSAGE:
In our Bible reading, we find a couple, Ananias and Sapphira, who were gravely judged and punished because they lied. Just like this couple, there are some Christians who give God 5% of their income and label it as tithe. Galatians 6:7 says,
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."Anyone who changes the word of God is a son of perdition, and the end of such is not to be desired. Jesus Christ said that of all the people given to Him by God, He did not lose anyone except the son of perdition (John 17:12). At the time He made this statement, Judas Iscariot was still going around as a disciple. However, as far as Jesus was concerned, he was already lost. Although judas cast out demons and also went on evangelism with other disciples, his final place was perdition. He had no lot in the Kingdom of God. Something very frightening is that some people even steal what others have given to God. When all has been said and done, some very devoted people in church will miss it because of the impure motives behind their service.
Do you know that some people assist the tempter? You may wonder how this can be. After they have fed their eyes with lust including items and activities during the day, they recline to ponder over them later. Before long, they may find themselves practicing such ungodly acts. This was the undoing of Samson. Everywhere he went he had issues with women. He was supposed to be God's answer to the enemies of Isreal, and the power of God was mighty upon his life. He moved from killing a ferocious lion with his bare hands, to killing one thousand men with the jaw bone of an ass. Nevertheless, after he failed to heed God's several warnings, he received the reward of unrighteousness, and judgment was unleashed on him. He experienced an unpleasant turning point: the man who was once unconquerable became the conquered, and the victor became the victim. Bound and blinded, he was taken into captivity and became a slave who was forced to grind corn in the enemy's prison. In Jesus' Name, your case will not be like that of Samson. God has been warning a lot of people, saying ' get away from the side of the world and follow the path of righteousness ', but such people often think they can outsmart God. They think that because everything seems to be alright, they are still safe, not knowing the wrath of God is awaiting them. It is a dangerous thing to continue to resist the Almighty.
Action Point: In any area you have erred, open your ears and your heart to yield to God in repentance.'
Open Heavens Daily Devotional 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.
Topic: When the Fire Falls II [Sunday April 12, 2015]
Memorise: And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. - Acts 4:31
Read: Acts 2:1-4 (KJV)
1. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Bible in One Year: Joshua 8:30-10:15, Matthew 19:13-30
MESSAGE:
Many Christians are frustrated, defeated and fruitless. Many of them are wallowing in spiritual poverty and helplessness because they are unaware of the power behind their calling. The wonderful truth is: every Christian has the potential to live supernaturally. The Holy Spirit is the Commander-in-Ch ief of the army of Christ. He is the enabler of revival, evangelism and every other Christian endeavour. The Holy Spirit is the secret of the supernatural – the secret behind healing, miracles and every other spiritual gift. Beyond experiencing salvation and sanctification, the Lord wants to take you further with the fire of the Holy Spirit. He said in Acts 1:8 that:
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”In the days after I receive Christ into my heart, I desired to pray but I found it very difficult until the Holy Spirit came upon me. The power of God took over my life and I joined the league of those who could pray non-stop for hours.
In the days of the early church, Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, came to Peter and lied to him about how much they sold a parcel of land. Peter was not with them when they sold the land. However, through the Holy Spirit, he knew that they were telling lies. He confronted them for attempting to deceive the Holy Spirit, and this led to their death. When you have the Holy Spirit, you will succeed in your business. He will tell you what to buy and what not to buy. He will tell you things to come. He will show you those who are false friends pretending to be real. He will reveal to you those who are committed to seeing you fail. When you are a carrier of this fire, you will accomplish great things in your life within a short time. No matter how long a period of dryness will come to an end and your rainy season will emerge. The presence of the divine fire in your life is a confirmation of the fact that you have entered your season of breakthrough. Divine fire announces the presence of the Almighty. God has promised to surround you with the type of fire which the enemy cannot penetrate. When this happens, enemies whether hidden or visible, will be prevented from causing you any form of havoc or harm (Job 1:10)
Prayer Point: Father, set my life ablaze with the Holy Spirit’s fire and quicken me in the Name of Jesus.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional 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.
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