RCCG OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. FRIDAY AUGUST 28 2015.

THEME : HE STILL SENDS BIRDS.

  

MEMORISE : And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook: and I have
commanded the ravens to feed thee there. 1 KINGS 17 : 4.
READ : 1KINGS 17 : 2 – 6.
2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook
Cherith, that is before Jordan.
4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the
ravens to feed thee there.
5 So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and
dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and
flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 45 – 46 AND ROMANS 1 : 1 – 17.

MESSAGE
Our God is awesome, and His ways are beyond finding out. Nobody can box God
into a pattern or regimen. He can use anything He chooses to achieve His
purpose on earth. God uses those who are lowly placed, and He also uses the
rich. Luke 8 : 1 – 3 tells of some wealthy women who ministered to Jesus from
their resources. Mary Magdalene and other women blessed by the Lord resolved
to serve Him with the resources they had. Are you rich or wealthy? Do you
serve the Lord with your substance? Experience has shown that those who have
little are the ones who dare to give their all to God. This was the case with the
widow who dropped her mites ( Mark 12 : 41 – 44 ). Usually, the rich only give a
fraction of what they have because they believe they are giving something big.
However, God does not judge by size, He judges by proportion. Hence, the poor
can give more than the rich in the sight of God, even if what they give is not as
much as what the rich have given in quantity. Justifying why the widow’s gift
was more than what the rich gave, Jesus in Mark 12 : 44 said :
“For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all
that she had, even all her living.”
Moreover, not only can God use humans to accomplish His purpose, He can also
use animals. In 1Kings 17 : 2 – 6, God sent ravens to deliver food to His
servant, and they obeyed. We have equally seen Him use birds too. When we
began to build the Redemption Camp in those early years, there were some
trees that provided shade which I instructed the workers to preserve. Some
little birds came in their hundreds of thousands to perch on these trees.
Whenever they descended on them, there would be no leaves left on the trees
the following day. They were also very noisy. I wondered if they were demonic
birds. Some of my children who had guns would enter their midst and fire some
shots; yet, they refused to go away. Some birds were hit by the fired bullets
and dropped dead, but the rest stayed on. At some point, it appeared the more
they were killed, the more they multiplied! The situation became unbearable. I
therefore called on God to help us one morning. That evening, several eagles
came and began to eat them up. Within hours, there was not a single one of
them left. God has not stopped using birds! If He needs to send birds to meet
your needs, He will do so; but you need to show Him that you can serve Him with
all He has given to you. How faithfully have you served God? To what extent
can you risk your life and all He has given to you for His service?

KEY POINT :
God can mobilise all of His resources to satisfy the needs of those who can give
Him their all.
# AUTHOR_Pst_E_A_ADEBOYE .

RCCG OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. THURSDAY AUGUST 27 2015.

THEME : WEAPONS FOR GOD’S SERVANTS.

  

MEMORISE : And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of
his words fall to the ground. 1SAMUEL 3 : 19.
READ : 1SAMUEL 3 : 19 – 21.
19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words
fall to the ground.
20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established
to be a prophet of the LORD.
21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to
Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 43 – 44 AND JOHN 21 : 15 – 25.

MESSAGE
There are some principles of God that can be used as weapons by everyone,
regardless of their faith. Divine principles relating to the natural world are
given to all to harness the power inherent in them. For example, the principle
of sowing and reaping falls into this category. However, there are some
weapons of God that are exclusively for those who have believed in Jesus
Christ. In this subset, there are some weapons designed for the use of God’s
servants; one of which is prophecy. The Bible in Amos 3 : 7 says,
“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his
servants the prophets.”
God attaches great importance to the words of His servants. In fact, if you
walk closely with God, He will personally honour your word, just as He did with
Samuel ( 1Samuel 3 : 19 ). If only you can work on your relationship with God as
His servant, He will become the backbone of your words. In other words,
whenever you speak, people will tremble because they know God will back you
up. In Ezekiel 37 : 1 – 10, God asked Ezekiel if dry bones could live, and he
replied that only God could tell. Thereafter, God told him to prophesy: to make
simple pronouncements from his mouth. He did, and God backed up his words.
The result was a mighty army raised from dry bones.
Another weapon available to God’s servants, closely linked with prophecy, is
decrees. Job 22 : 21 – 28 reveals that if a servant of God can satisfy certain
conditions, he will decree a thing and it shall be established. When you go
through Scriptures, you will discover that those who skilfully used this weapon
were mainly prophets of God. A heavily indebted widow ran to Elisha in 2Kings
4 : 1 – 7, and he gave her certain instructions, decreeing that the little oil she
had would continue to multiply until all available vessels she had were filled up.
It happened just as he decreed. Notice that He did not say “Thus saith the
Lord”. Similarly, a very rich, elderly and barren woman who had consistently
taken care of Elisha was told “Madam, nine months from now, you will have a
son.” She did not believe it, but it happened as Elisha decreed ( 2Kings 4 : 16 –
17 ). When you hear a prophecy, you need faith in order to receive it and see
its manifestation; but when it is a decree, even your doubts cannot stop it. As
a servant of God, have you been using these weapons that God has made
available to you?

ACTION POINT :
After worshipping God today, decree good things into your life, family,
workplace, ministry, etc.
# AUTHOR_Pst_E_A_ADEBOYE .

RCCG OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. TUESDAY AUGUST 25 2015.

THEME : TIME TO FAST.

MEMORISE : To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose
under the heaven: ECCLESIASTES 3 : 1.
READ : MATTHEW 9 : 14 – 15.
14 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees
fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as
long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the
bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 39 : 1 – 41 : 36 AND JOHN 20 :1 – 23.

MESSAGE
It is good to fast, but it is important to know why you should fast. One of the
reasons why we fast is so that we can be empowered to deal with demons and
forces of darkness. In Matthew 17 : 14 – 21, a demon-possessed boy was
brought to Jesus’ disciples, but they could not cast out the demon. They later
asked the Lord why. He told them that some demonic cases may not be solved by
praying alone, but by combining prayers with fasting. We fast in order to be
battle-ready, so that whenever the devil raises his ugly head, we are able to
give him a good knock. Some people are surprised and disappointed when they do
not succeed in casting out demons after quoting Luke 10 : 19. This Scripture
says :
“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all
the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
If you want this Scripture to be effective in your life, then you must learn to
fast and win souls to Christ. When you win souls to Jesus, you automatically
put on the boots of the gospel, and as a result, no demon will be able to harm
you.
Moreover, we also fast while preparing for high-powered ministrations, just
like our Master who began His ministry with a fast ( Matthew 4 : 1 – 2 ). Some
people ask God to fulfil His promise that we would do the same works Jesus did
and even greater works ( John 14 : 12 ). To those people, Jesus says “Fine,
simply start where I did – with a 40-day fast.” Many years ago, during the
centenary celebration of modern Pentecostalism in Azusa, Los Angeles, a lot of
speakers from prominent ministries were invited from across the globe. From
Africa, only two people were invited to speak, and by the grace of God, I was
one of them. There was a special room where the speakers waited before
moving to the stage. All kinds of food and drinks were available in this room.
When I got there, I saw those slated to speak eating, drinking and chatting.
An usher asked me what I would like to have, but I declined. The lady then
asked, “Won’t you take even a cup of tea?” In my heart, I knew that was not
the appropriate time for me to eat or drink. It was time to hook on to the
Spirit so that my ministration would be impactful; so, I took nothing. After
God used other speakers powerfully, when it was my turn, the fire fell. If you
truly want your sermons to be effective, feed your spirit and not your flesh.
As you wait on Him from today, you will have greater results.

ACTION POINT :
Use one to three days to wait on the Lord, just to thank, praise and worship
Him.

RCCG OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. FRIDAY AUGUST 21 2015.

THEME : RENEWED BY A LITTLE CAKE.

   

MEMORISE : 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. 1KINGS 19 : 7.
READ : JOHN 6 : 5 – 13.
5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him,
he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for
them, that every one of them may take a little.
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him,
9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but
what are they among so many?
10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down Now there was much grass in the
place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to
the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the
fishes as much as they would.
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments
that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the
fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them
that had eaten.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 31 : 1 – 32 : 21 AND JOHN 17 : 20 – 18 : 14.

MESSAGE
God uses those who make themselves available for Him. This season, may He
find you available and use you to fulfil His good purpose in Jesus’ Name. In
today’s Bible reading, when Jesus wanted to feed the crowd that came to listen
to Him, there was no food with which to carry out this assignment. His
disciples suggested that the people be sent away to take care of themselves,
but the Lord disagreed and asked them to sit them down. A little boy
volunteered his food, and the Lord used it to feed the crowd. This story is one
of the wonders of the Bible to me. If you give some biscuits, sweets or
chocolate to a little boy, and you then ask him to give you a little out of it,
what do you think will happen? He will most likely put the biscuit or sweet
behind his back and give you a stare that tells you not to come near what is his,
especially if he is hungry.
When the boy in our Bible reading left home, his parents packed him some lunch,
but when someone told him that Jesus needed his meal, he immediately released
it. May all our children never hold back from God what He has provided for them
in Jesus’ Name.
Many years ago, I woke up one morning at the Redemption Camp feeling
depressed (believe it or not, this can happen to any man of God). I had prayed
all night, and had been fasting for days. I asked myself why I was virtually
trying to kill myself praying, fasting and doing night vigils, while the very
people I was doing all these for never cared about me. It was always about
them. Each time they saw me, they would come with requests: “Daddy pray for
us”, “Daddy do this” and “Daddy do that”.
Those who were a bit nice would say, “Daddy, make sure you take some rest,
but solve my problem first.” When praying for me, they would say, “May God
preserve you for us.” Why should I kill myself over people who were only
interested in using me to reach their goals? In that state, I slept off as I laid
my head on the table. By the time I woke up, a little girl who had come with her
parents all the way from Victoria Island, Lagos, was standing by my side.
“Daddy”, she said, “I don’t know the voice of God, but this morning when I woke
up, God asked me to take this little cake to you. I know it cannot be the devil,
because he would never ask me to give my cake to a pastor.” As she was
leaving, God said to me, “I thought you said nobody cares?” With that, I
snapped out of depression and was on fire again. Are you just using your
pastor? In what way have you encouraged him or her?

PRAYER POINT :
Sweet Holy Spirit, comfort all ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ who are
on the verge of discouragement or depression.
# AUTHOR_Pst_E_A_ADEBOYE .

RCCG OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. THURSDAY AUGUST 20 2015.

THEME : THE WORD AS A WEAPON.

  

MEMORISE : For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of
the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart. Hebrews 4 : 12.
READ : MATTHEW 4 : 1 – 11.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 29 – 30 AND JOHN 17 : 1 – 19.

MESSAGE
Besides shouting, praising God, the Name of Jesus and the Blood of Jesus,
another very important weapon available to believers in Christ is the word of
God. Psalm 1 : 2 – 3 reveals that the word of God is a weapon against physical
and financial dryness. Psalm 1 : 3 says :
“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth
his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth
shall prosper.”
This is simply great. The word of God fights against every anti-progressive
element it comes in contact with. If you delight in God’s word and meditate
daily on it, you create the opportunity for it to work for your prosperity. How
often do you spend quality time feasting on God’s word? Some people think they
are doing other people a favour by reading the Bible. No! You are only doing
yourself a favour. If you fail to create time for the word, you are only doing
yourself a disservice.
Moreover, the word of God is a very powerful weapon against the devil. When
the devil came to tempt the Lord Jesus, He overcame him using the word of God.
He kept saying “It is written…”. Whenever you engage the devil, use the
word. Some people think that the Bible is becoming too old-fashioned to combat
modern schemes of the devil. That is a lie from the devil himself! The Bible is
ever relevant and never loses its power, message and effectiveness,
irrespective of the times. Always apply the word; it always works! After
becoming the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God
(RCCG), I went on a familiarisation tour. The youths rejoiced over God’s choice
to place me in that position.
One day during the tour, we were heading towards my village when the devil
said to me, “You are now very popular; it is better you die when you are popular
than when you become unpopular.” Immediately, this word of God in Psalm 118 :
17 came out of my mouth: “I shall not die but live, and I will declare the works
of the Almighty God.” Five minutes later, we narrowly escaped a horrible
accident. At that time, the entire congregation of the RCCG was below 1000.
If the word of God had not come forth to deal with the devil, he would have had
me for breakfast. He could anticipate an explosion of God’s move in the church
and he wanted to stop it, but the word of God stopped him. Never neglect
opportunities to know more of the word.

ACTION POINT :
Know the word, believe it, apply it and expect it to work, and it will work
wonders.
AUTHOR : # Pst_E_A_ADEBOYE .

RCCG OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. WEDNESDAY AUGUST 19 2015.

THEME : STEALING FROM YOUR EMPLOYER?

   

MEMORISE : Not with eye-service, as menpleasers; but as the servants of
Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; EPHESIANS 6 : 6.
READ : EPHESIANS 6 : 5 – 8.
5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh,
with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the
will of God from the heart;
7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive
of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 27 – 28 AND JOHN 16 : 16 – 33.

MESSAGE
One aspect of Christian character that is often neglected is our attitude to
our place of paid employment. Some people out-rightly steal things kept in
their care by their employer; such should not even be mentioned among
Christians. However, there are other subtle ways people steal from their
employers. When you accept to work for an organisation, there is an
understanding or even a written agreement regarding your working hours. If
you are to resume at 7:30 AM but you get late to work, you are stealing time
from your employer. If you are to close at 5:00 PM but you leave at 4:00 PM,
you are a thief. There are even situations where an employee will resume and
close at the normal time, but while in the office, instead of concentrating on
the assignment at hand, he or she will spend a good portion of time browsing
the internet for personal leisure, watching television or videos, or just
gallivanting and gossiping from desk to desk. If you are engaged in any of
these, you are equally stealing time from your employer. In addition, taking or
using for personal purposes any material or property that belongs to your
organisation with permission amounts to stealing.
“Not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing
the will of God from the heart;” Ephesians 6 : 6.
Another way employees steal from their employers is by pretending to work
when the boss is around but dumping the work or doing a shoddy job when the
boss is not there. Today’s reading says that there should be a difference
between a Christian employee and his or her non-Christian counterpart. While
unbelievers may work just to be seen, believers should work as if they are
doing that official assignment as a service to Jesus Christ. To this end,
realising that the Lord is ever present, you will do your woek as to the Lord
from your heart. A Christian employee will work conscientiously because he or
she knows that by doing his or her secular work to please God and to glorify His
name, not only will the organisation pay for this service, God will equally give
the fellow a good reward for a job well done. It means that you can actually
earn double for doing a particular job once. If the effort you put into your job
does not glorify God, you will be paid only by your employer, but if it does, you
will be paid by your employer and by God. How do you handle your official
assignments today?

KEY POINT :
How can you win your employer to Christ if you cheat or steal from them?
# AUTHOR_Pst_E_A_ADEBOYE .

RCCG OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. FRIDAY AUGUST 14 2015.

THEME : HE USES FISHERMEN.

  

MEMORISE : Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be
more feeble, are necessary: 1 CORINTHIANS 12 : 22.
READ : LUKE 5 : 1 – 11.
1 AND it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of
God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of
them, and were washing their nets.
3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that
he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the
people out of the ship.
4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep,
and let down your nets for a draught.
5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and
have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and
their net brake.
7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that
they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so
that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from
me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the
fishes which they had taken:
10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners
with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt
catch men.
11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed
him.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 17 – 18 AND JOHN 13 : 1 – 30.

MESSAGE
When the time comes for God to fulfil a plan He has predestined to happen, He
looks out for those He can use for this purpose. God does not discriminate in
His choice of persons to use to accomplish His mission. He can use the great or
the small. When the time came for Him to choose those who would serve and
learn under His Son, He chose some raw fishermen. Our God is awesome, and
His ways are past finding out! In today’s Bible reading, when Jesus found
Peter, He told him that from that day, he would no longer catch fishes from
the sea, but human souls from the world. If God can use a raw uneducated
fisherman like Peter, He can use you more. You are very useful to God.
However, do you make yourself available for His use? Ironically, as the number
of ministers is increasing, the number of those who are available for God’s use
is decreasing. As a result of this, many people bear the title of minister, but
they are not available to perform their assignments. Have we forgotten the
acronym F.A.T., which stands for Faithfulness, Availability and Teachability?
If God will use you, these three must be the code you live by. Today, because
the people we consider more suitable for kingdom assignments are either too
busy or giving too much excuses, God is moving to those who have made
themselves available to do His work, even when those people appear less
suitable for the work, even when those people appear less suitable for the
work. Are you available to serve God? If you can create time to do your secular
work that you will have to leave someday, why can’t you create time to serve
your Maker who can reward you for your service in eternity?
There are some people who feel God cannot use them, because they have not
yet bagged a degree, amassed some wealth or become famous. Oh, how
mistaken they are! Do you know that God can use you just as you are? He can
use you even in your limited state, if you will only turn your life over to Jesus.
Do not wait to get your miracle first before telling others about the love of
God. In any way you can share the gospel with the unsaved, go on and do so.
Lead others to Christ. Use your influence to motivate people to do the right
thing. Be a positive, holy influence on your peers. Remember, if you bear fruit
for God’s kingdom, it will be His responsibility to do what He can to make you
more fruitful.

ACTION POINT :
You are very important to God. If you fail to play your role in the Body of
Christ, it could bring losses to God’s kingdom. Determine to play your role
today.

RCCG OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. THURSDAY AUGUST 13 2015.

THEME : PLEAD THE BLOOD.

  

MEMORISE : And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of
their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. REVELATION
12 : 11.
READ : EXODUS 12 : 12 – 13.
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the
firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of
Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and
when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you
to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 14 – 16 AND JOHN 12 : 27 – 50.

MESSAGE
The Blood of Jesus Christ is an expensive weapon made available to every
believer in Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ paid such a high price to secure this
weapon for us; a price so high that the Bible refers to this weapon as precious.
1 Peter 1 : 19 says :
“But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot:”
As you understand the worth of this weapon, you will appreciate the power it
can unleash on the enemy. Little wonder the kingdom of darkness cannot stand
the Blood of Jesus. To eliminate all doubt, a loud voice expressly declared from
Heaven the victory of the saints over Satan himself through the Blood of Jesus,
in Revelation 12 : 11 :
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
The Blood of Jesus is not only there to cleanse you from sin but also to protect
and defend you. However, if you are not a Christian, although the Blood is
available, it is not for your use. If you belong to the devil as described in John
8 : 44, you cannot use the Blood to overcome him. The Blood must first
translate you to the kingdom of light by cleansing and washing away your sins
before it can become a weapon in your arsenal.
A particular couple wondered how their money kept disappearing from their
house. The man suspected it was his wife who was stealing his money.
However, his wife also began to experience the loss of her money as well. At
some point, she began to wonder the kind of husband she had, who would give
her housekeeping money and later sneak in to steal it. When they could not
bear it anymore, they both accused each other of stealing the other’s money.
It was then they discovered that something strange was happening to them,
and they came to me. Realising that it was the devil at work on their finances,
I told them to always say “I cover this money with the Blood of Jesus” before
keeping it in any part of their house. It worked! From that moment, there was
no incident of strange disappearance of their money. Cover the baby in your
womb with the Blood of Jesus. Cover all your children at home and abroad with
the Blood of Jesus. Cover your business and customers with the Blood of Jesus.
Remember to always plead the Blood of Jesus. It is a weapon the devil cannot
resist.

KEY POINT :
If you are in right standing with God, anything you cover with the Blood of
Jesus is truly safe.
# AUTHOR_Pst_E_A_ADEBOYE .

RCCG OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. WEDNESDAY AUGUST 12 2015.

THEME : LOOK BEYOND THE BUS STOP.

  

MEMORISE : For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners
against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. HEBREWS 12 : 3.
READ : HEBREWS 12 : 1 – 3.
1 WHEREFORE seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset
us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy
that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set
down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself,
lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 11 – 13 AND JOHN 12 : 9 – 26.

MESSAGE
From Hebrews 12 : 1, we understand that a race has been set before us as
Christians. We did not initiate the race, but our decision to fellow Jesus Christ
automatically signed us in as partakers. Moreover, this race is an unusual
marathon. If you lack patience, you cannot run the race. If you want to run it
like a spirit, you would only be wasting your time, because God will not redesign
the race for you; rather, you are the one who needs to adjust to His
programme.
The Christian life is a process and not a single event. As a process, you are
expected to move from one stage to another. You must be like a traveller who
goes from one bus stop to another, continuing his journey until he reaches his
final destination. In the course of the journey, you may be required to stop
over at the bus stop of lack. This is meant to test your faith and ability to
trust God for provision. No matter how long you stay there, never turn that
bus stop into your destination. God may allow you to stop over at the bus stop
of ridicule, to test whether you will continue the race in spite of belittlement.
Those who overinflated egos and those who hold themselves in high esteem may
have problems here. Do you know that some people have called off their trip to
Heaven just because they were mocked, ridiculed and laughed to scorn? Never
truncate your journey to Heaven because of any unpleasant experience
encountered at any bus stop. The very Author and Finisher of this race also
went through this bus stop. People mocked Him and seriously ridiculed Him, but
He overcame it all with the weapons of prayer, patience and quietness, and he
finally reached the finish line. He got to the end because He focused on the joy
that was set before Him ( Hebrews 12 : 2 )
How you see the race that is set
before you will definitely affect your attitude to it. While many people see
what is before them as a worrisome race, Jesus saw the same as a joyous
event. Therefore, one way you can run this race victoriously is by ignoring the
challenges on the way and focusing on the rewards that await you on the other
side. If your heart is on what you will receive in Heaven, you will not turn your
bus stop into a destination by building a tent there. How are you handling this
race? After the present unpleasant experiences comes the glorious, eternal
experience of joy, awaiting you on the other side. Don’t miss out on it!

KEY POINT :
If you do not focus on the silver lining at the end of the marathon race to
Heaven, you will grow weary along the way.

RCCG OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. TUESDAY AUGUST 11 2015.

THEME : SPIRIT, NOT FLESH.

MEMORISE : Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us,
and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto
the Father of spirits, and live? HEBREWS 12 : 9.

READ : ISAIAH 40 : 6 – 8.
6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all
the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD
bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand
for ever.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 8 – 10 AND JOHN 11 : 45 – 12 : 8.

MESSAGE
Man is limited because he is confined to a body made from dust ( Genesis 3 :
19 ). He is also limited because even at his best, he is comparable to the flowers
of the field ( Isaiah 40 : 6 – 8 ), which grow, glow, fade and die. Sometimes,
because they are glowing so beautifully, they are cut and used either for play
or for decoration, after which they die. Unlike man, God is not limited, because
He is Spirit and He is not made of dust. Jesus in John 4 : 24 revealed the nature
of God to us when He said :
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in
truth.”
Not only is God a spirit, He is the Father of spirits ( Hebrews 12 : 9 ). All spirits
derive their powers from Him. If you can appreciate how powerful angels are,
then you can begin to comprehend this God who created and empowered billions
of angels and has the power to command them to cease to exist in a moment.
Imagine that one angel alone, razed down the entire army of a mighty nation
in just one night ( 2 Kings 19 : 35 ). This should give you a little insight into
how great and mighty the Father of spirit is.
To break away from our limitations as humans, we must move towards
becoming more of spirit by becoming more like God. Man is a tripartite being
made up of spirit, soul and body. All three components must be developed in that
order. Your spirit must be given the greatest priority in development, followed
by your soul. Your body should not be developed to the detriment of your spirit
and soul. If you are not born-again, your spirit is dead, and the soul is heading
for Hell. In the unsaved state, the flesh is in charge of an individual’s life. The
flesh is a servant of sin and therefore, a slave to Satan. Wherever the flesh
rules, Satan is in control. If your body is what dictates to you when you pray,
how you pray, how often you eat, what to do with your passions and how you
relate with God, you can be sure that it will never draw you closer to God. It
will do everything possible to separate you from God and keep your spirit-man
dead or weak. The longer you live in the flesh by gratifying it lusts, the weaker
you become in the spirit. But if you can be born-again and develop your spirit-
man by feasting regularly on God’s word, praying in the Holy Spirit, walking in
obedience to God and worshiping Him in spirit and in truth, your limitations will
give way to your empowered form. Decide to grow your spirit-man in all you do
from today!
ACTION POINT :
Whenever you worship God, always engage your spirit-man.
# AUTHOR_Pst_E_A_ADEBOYE .

RCCG OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. MONDAY AUGUST 10 2015.

THEME : NORMAL & ASSISTED PROGRESS.

  

MEMORISE : He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
PSALM 78 : 70.
READ : GENESIS 27 : 1 – 10.
1 AND it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that
he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and
he said unto him, Behold, here am I.
2 And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:
3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and
go out to the field, and take me some venison;
4 And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat;
that my soul may bless thee before I die.
5 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the
field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.
6 And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father
speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,
7 Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee
before the LORD before my death.
8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command
thee.
9 Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats;
and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:
10 And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless
thee before his death.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : GENESIS 5 – 7 AND JOHN 11 : 28 – 44.

MESSAGE
On the scale of progress, after the state of retardation comes the state of
normal promotion. This refers to a state of progress where growth occurs at a
normal rate or at a generally acceptable pace. A person operating on this level
moves step by step and from stage to stage. In some organisations, it is
normal to be promoted from one level to another once in four or five years.
However, the problem with this kind of promotion is that it is ordinary; there is
nothing exceptional about it. It is at variance with the abundant life Jesus
came to give us ( John 10 : 10 ). Normal promotion is not exactly what God has
planned for you as a child of destiny. It is crowded at this level of progress. In
all their lifetime, some people have never experienced any type of progress
beyond the normal. If you are in this category, the Lord is moving you to
something higher this season in Jesus’ Name. From a crowded school of
prophets and teachers in Antioch, the Holy Ghost separated Paul and Barnabas
to an exceptional life in ministry ( Acts 13 : 1 – 2 ). The Lord will separate you
from the crowd and make you exceptional in Jesus’ Name.
Beyond the state of normal promotion is a state known as assisted promotion.
This is experience when someone is personally interested in your welfare and
choose to assist you by taking you to a level you are not yet due for. The three
Hebrew boys Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego experienced this in Daniel 2 : 49 :
“Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the
gate of the king.”
After their friend, Daniel, was made a great man, they were assisted to the
top based on his recommendation. Note however that this state of progress
still requires hard work, as this may even be the reason why you were
considered for elevation in the first place. Another example of assisted
progress can be found in the story of Isaac and his family. Isaac called his
beloved son and firstborn, Esau, and instructed him to go hunt and prepare him
a delicious meal so that he could transfer the generational blessing to him. As
he left to do so, his mother, who overheard her husband’s instructions, decided
to arrest the blessing from Esau and pass it over to Jacob, her own beloved
son. She therefore designed a plot to assist him, and she schooled him on what
to do. In the Name of Jesus, the Lord will raise people to assist you into a level
you were not expected to attain. Human and divine assistance shall work in
your favour this season in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT :
Father, let human and divine assistance relocate me to the top.
# AUTHOR_Pst_E_A_ADEBOYE .

RCCG OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 5 2015.
THEME : ASK, DON’T TAKE

MEMORISE : Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no
transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer. PROVERBS 28 : 24.

READ : MATTHEW 7 : 7 – 12.
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him
that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a
stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how
much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that
ask him?
12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye
even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : ESTHER 1 – 3 AND JOHN 8 : 48 – 9 : 12.

MESSAGE
It is common for people to rebrand a particular evil act by giving it a more
tolerable name. They do this so that the full weight of that evil act is not felt
by their conscience. However, rebranding prostitutes as commercial sex
workers or calling sexually transmitted diseases “gentleman’s disease” does not
change them from being what they are before God. In the same vein, describing
stealing as “taking” does not stop it from being an evil act. Anything you take
without the permission of its rightful owner, especially with the intent of
keeping it, is stealing, irrespective of who you took it from. If you take
something with the consent of the owner under a mutual understanding not to
return it, you can call it a gift. If there is a mutual agreement that the item
is to be returned, that is borrowing. Do you know that many items have moved
from being borrowed to being stolen, because the one who borrowed the item
has failed to return it? If you have treated any item like that, you are a thief.
Return the item to its owner today.

It’s a pity that some people do not know the difference between gifts and
borrowed items on the one hand and stolen items on the other hand. One area
where people commonly flout such rules is in family relationships. Some
children take it for granted that because something belongs to their parents,
they are free to take it without their permission. Also, spouses take
advantage of each other in this area. The wife may say since the money belongs
to her husband, and what is his is also hers, she can take his things whenever
she likes without his consent and without feeling guilty. If you have not
deliberately discussed this and jointly agreed that it should be so, your action
can amount to stealing. God expects you to live with a sense of accountability,
responsibility and honesty. The reason some people steal from their spouses,
parents or children is because they know that if they ask for the item, their
request would be turned down. If you want something that belongs to your
spouse or family member, simply ask. If the fellow turns down the request,
pray to God to touch his or her heart, then go and ask again and again. Never
take something unless you have the approval of the owner to do so. Otherwise,
you are a thief, and no thief will enter Heaven.

ACTION POINT :
Cultivate the habit of seeking permission before taking or using whatever
belongs to others.

# AUTHOR_Pst_E_A_ADEBOYE .

RCCG OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. TUESDAY AUGUST 4 2015.

THEME : HOLD ON TO THE TRUTH.

   

MEMORISE : Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. JOHN 17 : 17.
READ : JOHN 17 : 13 – 17.
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they
might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they
are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou
shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : NEHEMIAH 12 : 27 – 13 : 31 AND JOHN 8 : 31 – 47.

MESSAGE
Hosea 4 : 6 reveals that that knowledge is an indispensable commodity if one is
to become relevant in God’s scheme of things. It also tells us that contrary to
what some people believe, what is responsible for the destruction of God’s
people is not the devil; rather, it is their ignorance. This means that the enemy
capitalizes on what you do not know to plunder you. If you fail to recognize
and act on your kingdom rights for instance, the devil will definitely take
advantage of you. If you do not recognise that good health is your right, Satan
will definitely shove sickness down your throat. The devil loves those who rob
themselves of their rights through a false sense of humility, because they are
helping him to do his dirty work. If you believe that poverty is part of
godliness, or that you do not need to fight or resist the evil plans of the
enemy, or that being sick is part of the cross you are to bear in the Christian
faith, Satan will definitely celebrate your ignorance. To this end, the devil will
do everything to keep such a fellow in the dark concerning the truth.
Do you know that there is a difference between stating the facts and knowing
the truth? The facts are what can be physically perceived in a given situation.
Facts are a product of the natural human senses. Satan tries to control his
victims using the prevailing circumstances. Most times, he controls
manipulates and distorts the things we can see. As long as you choose to
believe what you can see, you may likely end up as a victim of sight and a
prisoner of the devil. This is why 2 Corinthians 5 : 7 says : “(For we walk by
faith, not by sight)”
On the other hand, the word of God is truth ( John 17 : 17 ). Facts can easily
change, hence, it is wrong to base your victory or joy on them. Rather, base it
on God’s word which is settled in Heaven forever. For instance, when you have
prayed for healing and you are standing in faith to receive it, you must be
prepared to discountenance the facts that sight brings to you. You must be
ready to ignore or resist the pains, discomfort and weakness you can still feel.
You must confess the healing and good health which the word of God has
promised you, even if you are yet to experience it. As you keep on insisting on
what God’s word says, eventually the truth will swallow up the facts.

KEY POINT :
Every situation that confronts you introduces a conflict between facts and
truth; what prevails is a function of your choice.
# AUTHOR_Pst_E_A_ADEBOYE .