TUE. 08/05/2012 - UNHEALTHY REWARDS - OPEN HEAVENS - KINGDOM 28

Tuesday 8 May

UNHEALTHY REWARDS

Memorise: Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. Proverbs 16:5

Read: Proverbs 16:5-6

God is not happy with the proud and He treats them with disdain. Unfortunately, many of God's children celebrate the proud and treat them with respect and great honour. No! They don't deserve it!

Blessed, is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respected not the proud, nor such as aside to lies. Psalms40:4


God does not expect you to feed the emptiness of the proud fellow or else you may lose the blessing He pronounced above. If we relate with the proud the way we should, they will get the message and retrace their evil steps. How are you relating with the proud today? According to Psalms 31:23, God has lots of reward for the proud fellow but what kind of reward is it? It is shame, disgrace, demotion, disappointment and ultimately destruction.

If you are humble, you are at a location that God can easily reach you. But if you are proud, you are so far from God that it becomes difficult for God to reach you.
Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly, but the proud he knoweth afar off. Psaims138:6


Pride keeps the proud at a great distance from God; no wonder God may never hear the voice of the proud. Are you proud? Take it away and bridge the gap between you and God! Proverbs 15:25 says:

The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow. If you want God to establish you, humble yourself in His presence. Everything the proud fellow is doing, including his home, is meant for destruction. It is very dangerous to be the spouse of a proud individual because all the family is labouring for may be destroyed through the pride of the fellow. The proud challenges God to a duel by his or her haughty stance. The devil did it and he fell from grace to grass. If Satan could not survive the repercussion of pride, neither can man. Why are you resisting your Maker? "you are postponing the day of salvation, you are proud. If during a sermon, your mind keeps pointing at those who the sermon should correct other than yourself, you are proud. If you cannot be corrected by your pastor because you are a director of an establishment or because you are very wealthy, you are proud. Repent and adjust today!


ACTION POINT:
God has no business with the proud. Pray that you will not receive the reward of the proud..

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Open Heavens Daily Devotional
Written by: Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Open Heavens Online
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Kingdom 28
RCCG Lagos Province 28.

MON. 07/05/2012 - FULFILLING HIS PURPOSE? - OPEN HEAVENS - KINGDOM 28

Monday 7 May

FULFILLING HIS PURPOSE?

Memorise: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. Ephesians 1:12

Read: Ephesians 1:3-5

The sun and the moon have their different sphere of influence. Unlike the moon, the light of the sun influences those under it to stay awake and work. It gives life, while the light of the moon -which is a reflection - influences those under it to close shop and sleep. What does your light do - cause drowsiness or alertness? From Genesis 1:26-28, we understand that man was created for a purpose - to dominate everything God had made including the sun, moon and stars. You were created for a purpose, even if you were conceived by mistake, you are not an accident. Were you a product of rape? Even then you still have to fulfil God's purpose on earth. God needed a particular man and a specific woman to come together in order to have you. If your father just impregnated your mother and disappeared, it could just be that he has finished his assignment. Before you were created, God knew you and He knows your worth to Him even when people think you are of no value because you lack education, money, skills or intellect.

God knows you and has ordained you for a purpose from your mother's womb even without her knowledge or consent (Jeremiah 1:4-5). Physical ordination is only an outward manifestation of what God had already done before your birth. You were born for a great purpose (Jeremiah 29:11) and were chosen by God before the foundations of the earth (Ephesians 1:3-5). You were chosen to be holy, blameless and in love. Anytime you dabble into sin, you contradict the purpose for which you were created, is your life blameless like Daniel's? If you find it difficult to do something perfectly, or people always find fault with your work, it could be that the spirit of error is operating in your life. Each time you fail to walk in love towards those who offended you, you contradict God's purpose of calling you. As seen in our memory verse for today, you were created to glorify God; that your life may praise God. Is your life praising God today? Are you fulfilling God's purpose for creating you?.

PRAYER POINT:
Pray that God's purpose shall stand in every area of your life.

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Open Heavens Daily Devotional
Written by: Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Open Heavens Online
Powered by:
Kingdom 28
RCCG Lagos Province 28.

SUN. 06/05/2012 - HE IS AT WORK - OPEN HEAVENS - KINGDOM 28

Sunday 6 May

HE IS AT WORK

Memorise: For It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

Read: Isaiah 49:24-26

We understand from 2 Timothy 3:16 that the Bible is a work of God's inspiration. Some people think that such inspiration ended with the Bible but how wrong they are. Job 32:8 says:

But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.


God inspired King Solomon into his breakthrough and is still inspiring many today. This season, the Lord will inspire you into your blessing in Jesus name. The Shunnamite woman was another beneficiary of God's inspiration. When she saw the man of God passing by her house in 2 Kings 4:8-17, she invited him to come and eat in her house but he refused. She could have left him with the excuse that she had already tried. But God inspired her not to let him go. So she applied more pressure on him until she finally convinced him to do so. God inspired her not to stop there but to host him regularly, so she told him to always stop by whenever he passed that way. The Lord inspired her to take a further step of building an extension to their house and providing minimal furniture for the man of God and she obeyed. Why? It was because God had already made up His mind to give her a child so He had to inspire heron the path to that miracle. When God inspires you to do something, He will keep nudging you until you complete the process and get your miracle.

As Jesus passed by Jericho in Mark 10:46-52, God inspired blind Bartimaeus to find out who was passing by. As a beggar, all he was expected to do was ask for alms from passers-by; but instead of that, he asked for who the crowd was following. The Spirit of God further moved him to begin to cry out: "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me". When the crowd shouted him down, God inspired him to shout out the more and he got his miracle. Hence, Philippians 2:13 says:
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.


You may not know how you took the right step into an opportunity but God is the One at work. This season, the Lord will inspire you to take the right steps to the right place, at the right time for that great expectation to be met in Jesus name.


PRAYER POINT:
Father, reorder my steps in line with the path to my breakthrough.

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Open Heavens Daily Devotional
Written by: Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Open Heavens Online
Powered by:
Kingdom 28
RCCG Lagos Province 28.

SAT. 05/05/2012 - DEATH OVERRULED! - OPEN HEAVENS - KINGDOM 28

Saturday 5 May DEATH OVERRULED! Memorise: O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 1 Corinthians 15:55. Read: Isaiah 49:24-26 The Most High God being the President of presidents can overrule any earthly president, sickness and situation. He can also overrule death. When the Most High arrived at the tomb of Lazarus, he was already stinking. If there was one victory death was sure of, it was that he had already conquered Lazarus. The Lord did not command death to release Lazarus. He was too high to be discussing with death. He simply asked Lazarus to come (John 11:39-44). When He came in contact with Jairus's late daughter, all He said was, "Little girl, I say to you, arise". At the bedside of the late son of the widow of Nain He said: "Young man, I say to you, arise". Have you been programmed for death by your enemies? I cancel that appointment with death in the name of Jesus Christ You shall not die. Are you already battling with death on your sick bed? In the name of Jesus Christ, that death is annulled. Receive fresh life now! Every spirit of death sent against your family is overruled now. That barren womb, receive life now! That dying business, receive life now! That business shall boom again. That dull, lifeless brain, be replaced with a brand new brain now in Jesus name. When you are connected to the Most High God, you do not fear death or his agents -armed robbers, hired assassins, demons, witches and wizards, accidents, stray bullets, etc. Wherever the agents of death have met to plan your destruction, their evil plan shall boomerang in Jesus name. In this vein, Isaiah 49:24-26 says when God has decided to set a man free and some people team up to stop God's move, He will cause them to feed on their own flesh and be drunk with their own blood as if drinking sweet wine. In other words, it is who the Most High releases that death can take. Anyone He has not released to death Cannot be killed. The Lord has not released you to death and so you shall not die. Since the Spirit of God dwells in you, He shall quicken every part of your body to life now. Receive life now! It is well with you. ACTION POINT: Rejoice and thank God for giving you victory over death.

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Open Heavens Daily Devotional
Written by: Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Open Heavens Online
Powered by:
Kingdom 28
RCCG Lagos Province 28.

FRI. 04/05/2012 - DIVINE SUPPORT SYSTEM (PART 1) - OPEN HEAVENS - KINGDOM 28

Friday 4 May

DIVINE SUPPORT SYSTEM (PART 1)

Memorise: For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Psalms 91:11

Read: Psalms 91:10-13

When a child is born, what happens to the child depends on the available support system. Princes and princesses benefit from the servants of their father. The stronger the support system, the more fortified that child is for success in life. Within our Father's support system are angels. Psalms 91:10-13 says it is the duty of our Father's angels to ensure no harm befalls us. The angels as instructed by God therefore, are our personal bodyguards, going with us wherever we go. If the children of kings are going out, they don't go alone. If they are going to school, they are chauffeur-driven whereas, children of ordinary people trek even through the woods or bush paths unaided. From this day, you shall go on angelic ride in Jesus name.

There is this testimony a brother shared concerning his trip by air. He said while air borne, the first two engines suddenly stopped. The pilot panicked saying that except something reverses that situation, if the third engine follows suit, the plane would crash. Then the third engine also stopped. The whole place was in pandemonium but there was this child of God sitting by the window. He turned to look through the window on his left and saw a huge angel smiling at him and whispering to him that he was carrying the plane. To the surprise of everybody else the plane landed safely an hour later at the nearest airport. The brother saw the three angels there. Nobody could explain how they managed to land except this brother but he said if he told them what happened, they would not believe. In the Bible, when Daniel was thrown into the den of lions, an angel went ahead of him and stopped their mouths. Similarly, when Peter was locked up in prison, an angel came to him, woke him up and led him out. This season, you shall receive the full compliments of the support system of your Father in Jesus name.

PRAYER POINT:

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Open Heavens Daily Devotional
Written by: Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Open Heavens Online
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Kingdom 28
RCCG Lagos Province 28.

THU 03/05/2012 - MORE THAN CONQUERORS - OPEN HEAVENS - KINGDOM 28

Thursday 3 May

MORE THAN CONQUERORS

Memorise: Nay, in oil these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Romans 8:37

Read: Romans 8:36-37

Someone once said the phrase "more than conqueror" could mean that you are greater than the conqueror. He cited the case of a boxer who goes into the ring, fights and defeats his opponents, receives the prize and returns home to handover the prize to his wife. According to this fellow, the wife is the one who is more than a conqueror. Her husband is a conqueror because he endured some beating and bruises, but the wife did not suffer anything yet the prize was given to her on a platter of gold. In the same way, Jesus Christ our Bridegroom engaged the devil in a duel. He was beaten, wounded, spat upon, crucified and thirsted before He won and thereafter- handed over the prize to us.

Being more than conquerors could also connote someone that has scored multiple victories from several battles or wars. There are several enemies that accost us in the battles of life. One of such enemies is generational curses. This is a curse pronounced on someone from a family even before his birth and it keeps affecting descendants of that family. For instance, in Genesis 49:1-4, Jacob pronounced a curse on Reuben that he will never excel and this affected his lineage years after. Some people are still suffering from a similar curse. In spite of all their talents, natural endowments and qualifications, they never get to the top. It is not because they are not making enough effort; in real terms, they are making more than enough effort, yet certain forces, in response to earlier curses, frustrate them or make it impossible for them to move to higher levels. Generational curses must not be allowed in your life. In the Name that is above every other name, generational curses operating in your life shall come to nothing in Jesus name. The family of Eli that should have produced priests forever became one of beggars through a divine curse (1 Samuel 2:30-34). Gehazi was also cursed with leprosy together with his generation (2 Kings 5:20-27). Are you seeing signs of generational curses in your life? Ask God to destroy today. Also find out if there is anything you are doing that makes such a curse

KEY POINT:
A believer is an agent of change. If what affects unbelievers in your lineage affects you, it shows you have not fully appropriated Christ's victory on the Cross.

WED. 02/05/2012 - BE HOPEFUL - OPEN HEAVENS - KINGDOM 28

Wednesday 2 May

BE HOPEFUL

Memorise: Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God. Psalms 146:5

Read: Psalms 146:3-7

In the midst of hopelessness, God commands you to be hopeful.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Matthew 6:30.


But sometimes, you may ask yourself if it is worth it hoping against hope. Yes, it is worth it if your hope is anchored on the Creator of Heaven and earth. In Luke 5:1-5, Peter was in the pit of hopelessness having exhausted ail his wisdom, business expertise and strength without having anything to show for it. He was already calling it quits when the Master of the universe stepped in and told him to hope for a catch of fishes from the same water that was unproductive throughout the night. One lesson from this is that God uses different methods to meet the needs of His children. In 2 Kings 8:1-2, the Lord asked the woman facing famine to relocate elsewhere with her household, but in the case of Peter, He asked him to make another effort in the same river; and both cases yielded good results.

When some people meet with difficulties in a particular business, they abandon it for another. This may not necessarily be the best thing to do. Even when it appears hopeless, just grab God's Word concerning the situation, obey and wait for the result. To solve a particular problem or challenge, it is not necessarily the number of attempts made that matters, but who is aiding your attempt. Peter had tried so many times without a catch that night but the only attempt he made that had the backing of the Lord delivered to him a harvest beyond expectations. The major challenge believers going through the path of hopelessness face is that unlike Peter, they lack the Word from God on their situation. When there is nothing from God on an issue, the state of hopelessness will be worse. But if God has spoken a word on the matter, the case is as good as closed in your favour. Are you in a hopeless situation? Take time to read and study the Bible, asking God to give you a word for that situation. God always has something to say about your situation but are you ready to hear it?


KEY POINT:
Whatever happens, never give up your hope for a better tomorrow. Life without hope is not worth living.

TUE 01/05/2012 - CONTENDING WIH GOD - OPEN HEAVENS - KINGDOM 28

Tuesday 1 May

CONTENDING WITH GOD

Memorise: Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom. Proverbs13:10

Read: James 4:6-7

Apart from impure thoughts arid cravings of the body, another area you must exert your victory over the flesh is pride. As stated in the memory verse, a proud person is always in contention - fighting with those he thinks he is better than; such a fellow will do everything to show that he is better than them. The proud is always in competition with those who appear better off, just to prove a point that he or she is superior. In doing this, the proud will make derogatory statements about such people and cut them to size just to show that he knows it better or can do it better. The proud finds it difficult to acknowledge the sincere work or effort of others because he thinks such will displace him from being on top. The proud sees himself or herself as number one in all things. Apart from contending with men, the proud also contends with God. Anyone who is proud or haughty and is speaking so much about God is only a pretender. By reason of their contention with God, they have enthroned self as number one in their lives, making God their running mate. Are you finding it difficult to recognise the efforts of those that are better than you in certain areas? You are simply proud.

Psalms 73:6 says some people are compassed with pride. This implies (hat it is possible for pride to be visibly glaring in the life of someone that is full of it. You can be clothed in pride just as you can be clothed in humility. You can identify a proud person from his or her looks, carriage, dressing, speech, behaviour, giving, prayer, Christiansen/ice, work, attitude, etc. Unfortunately, Isaiah 13:11 says the same reason that makes the proud fellow haughty is the reason that will make him fall. Every proud individual is headed for a fall and proud people end up being destroyed (Proverbs 16:18). Some people are proud but they don't know it. If you exalt yourself by your words and conduct, you shall be abased Matthew 23:12). James 4:6 speaks of something quite frightening: It says God resists the proud which confirms that God is always contending with the proud, s there pride in your heart? Ask God for forgiveness and to uproot every trace of "from your life today.

KEY POINT:
The humble is more powerful than the proud because whereas the humble has access to unlimited grace, the proud may not access an iota of grace.

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Open Heavens Daily Devotional
Written by: Pastor E.A. Adeboye
Open Heavens Online
Powered by:
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RCCG Lagos Province 28.

Mon. 30/04/12 - Sun or Moon?

Monday 30 April SUN OR MOON? Memorise: And God made two greet fights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. Genesis 1:16 Read: Genesis 1:14-18 Before God created you, He knew He was going to make somebody called you with all your antecedents Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. Acts 15:18 This is possible only because He is the Alpha and Omega. Revelation 1:8 says: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. In other words, He is the eternal past, the present and the eternal future. Existence in its totality is wrapped up in Him. Everything meets together in Him hence, Colossians1:17says: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. Moreover, our God is a God of purpose and order. For instance, in Genesis 1:16-18, He created the sun to rule the day and the moon to rule the night. Do you know God did not make a mistake in arranging it in that order? The sun was assigned day while the moon was appointed night. Everything on earth revolves around light. If you follow the creation story carefully, you will observe that before God started creating anything, He first said: "Let there be light". He wanted to see what He was doing. As He continued, He made more lights - sun, moon and stars. No wonder God is light. The sun was assigned the day so that it can help people perform effectively. When you see the moon, if you were not thinking of sleeping before, you will desire to retire to bed. Some dull lights have a way of causing you to sleep while some other Iights stir you into greater consciousness. That is one purpose of the sun. The sun is an encourager. When it is shinning, you are encouraged to do your work. If you are at home and there is power outage at night, it will take great courage for you to still read or engage in activities. But immediately power is restored, you will be encouraged to work. The sun enables everyone under it see clearly. The sun inspires. Nothing can be hidden under the sun as it exposes everything. The sun affects everything under its influence. Jesus said you are the light of the world and therefore, you should affect everyone under your dominion for good. How are you shinning forth? Like the sun or like the moon? PRAYER POINT: Lord, since you are the Sun of righteousness, help me to shine like You.

Sun. 29/04/12 - Open Heavens

Sunday 29 April DIVINE INSPIRATION Memorise: But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty givetf) them understanding. Job 32:8 Read: Job 32:7-9 Our God is not only great but He is also merciful, gracious, slow to anger and rich in mercy (Psalms 103:8). When He stands, the earth trembles. Romans 9:10-15 says He decides who to extend mercy to and who to deny His mercy and nobody can query Him. He does as He pleases. When Peter and Judas were to go through tough trials of faith, He prayed for the former but told the latter to go ahead with His evil plot (Luke21:21-33). From 2 Samuel 12:24-25 I believe that when-Solomon was born, God loved him and as a result, God determined to make him great. That was why God prompted him to do what nobody else had done so-that He could have a reason to give him a level of wisdom that nobody else had got. When the God of Grace is about to be gracious to an individual, to give no room for Him to be accused of being partial, He would inspire the fellow to do what nobody else had done before so that He can give the fellow what He has never given to anyone before. That way, people will say it was what you did that provoked God's action. It is all about His grace! I once met a man who was so inspired. The first time 1 went to a meeting in Tulsa, USA, when it was time to give a special offering for the Bible College, this man stood up and asked for permission to speak. He challenged us that whatever we all gave would be the offering he and his wife would give. There were 17,000 of us in the meeting so we thought he was nuts to think he can out give us. At the end, a total offering of $3 million dollars was announced. And he asked, "Is this all you can do?" After the programme, t went to ask him his secret and he said five years earlier, he started a business with $500 dollars but told God that instead of tithing, he will take 10 percent and give God 90 percent of his profits. Within five years, his business grew from $500 to $50 million. Who inspired him to do so? It was God. Ask God for a divine inspiration that will trigger your breakthroughs today! PRAYER POINT: The ideas that will make me to provoke an uncommon blessing, Father give it to me.