November | 2012 | Open Heavens

Open Heavens: Better Things Are Above

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RCCG Open Heaven Devotion 2012 – Pastor E. A. Adeboye (ISBN: 978-36079-4-4)
Download Open Heaven – iOpenHeaven , www.m.openheavensportal.net
(Previously available online @: http://www.rccgna.org/Resources/BibleStudy/Devotionals.aspx)

Friday 30 November

Bible in one year: Psalms 127-132

BETTER THINGS ARE ABOVE

Memorise: Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2

Read: Colossians 3:1-3

After John wrote the letters Jesus dictated to him, he looked up and saw a door open in Heaven. He was invited to come and see certain things. From the first chapter of the book of Revelation to Revelation 4:1, we see three doors. Revelation 3:8 talks about an open door of prayer, missionary activity, etc. The second door is in Revelation 3:20 which speak of the door of choice. The third door in Revelation 4:1 speaks of heavenly revelation. When heavenly doors are open, you will see beautiful things. Heaven is a super planet crafted with the best architecture, building construction, beautification, engineering, etc. The beauty of Heaven is indescribable. What we can only do is to search for things that come a little close to what is there. If you are a lover of beautiful things, well- crafted and highly designed houses, well planned streets and other magnificent things, wait until you get to Heaven. There is simply nothing to be compared to this planet! Somebody who visited said the gold and precious stones on earth are incomparable to those in Heaven.

When you look at Heaven, you see the glory of God. You see God’s unbeatable taste in beauty and yet in all of Heaven, you cannot find anywhere a single sin is being committed. Who says you cannot be wealthy and live in affluence without staining your garment of righteousness? Heaven is full of beauty. Many of us are so busy about earthly things that we may never have the opportunity of seeing a vision of open Heavens. This is why Colossians 3:1-3 says you should set your love and attention on heavenly things. If you look to the earth, you will only see and receive from the earth. Change your focus today. There are better things above. There is better news above. There are more glorious sights above. Turn your eyes up and see what God sees. As you look to the Lord from today, He will open your eyes to see what you never saw. The Heavens will open to you this season.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, open my eyes to see visions of Heaven.

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Open Heavens: Forceful Reconciliation

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Thursday 29 November

Bible in one year: Psalms 120-126

FORCEFUL RECONCILIATION

Memorise: And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee; Genesis 26:28

Read: Genesis 26:27-31

On their way to the Promised Land, the children of Israel faced several threats and dangers from contrary situations but God’s presence protected them from all evils. Moses knew how valuable God’s presence was so he insisted that if God was not going anywhere with them, they were going to stay where His presence was (Exodus 33:14-15). From today, as you bask in God’s presence at home, school, church or work place, you will enjoy His full protection in Jesus name. Similarly, God’s presence gave them victory over their enemies. God had to overthrow stronger, larger and more powerful nations for their sake before they could inherit Canaan (Deuteronomy 4:37-39).

In addition to these, God’s presence also gives prosperity as can be seen in the life of Joseph (Genesis 39:2-3). It is easy to prosper when God’s presence goes with us. When God is the only missing ingredient in an arrangement that has the best brains, failure may result. He makes all the difference. Is God with you today? Is God in your business? Is He in that project you have been planning? If you have the capital, idea, personnel but God is not there, you are not yet ready to start. Let Him always be in your boat. Moreover, the presence of God can compel our enemies to reconcile with us when they realise they cannot overcome us in battle. That was the experience of Isaac in Genesis 26:27-31. The same people that sent Isaac away went to look for him in his new location. They observed that through God’s presence with him, he prospered everywhere he turned. They were afraid that he could become so mighty that he may become allied with their enemies to destroy them. So to forestall that, they came to make peace with him. Are your enemies still fighting with you? If you can allow God’s presence to be mighty in your life, your enemies will be forced to be at peace with you.

KEY POINT:

It is very dangerous to fight anyone carrying God’s presence as defeat is guaranteed!

Open Heavens: Habakkuk Also Waited

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Wednesday 28 November

Bible in one year: Psalms 119

HABAKKUK ALSO WAITED

Memorise: Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. Hebrews 2:1

Read: Hebrews 2:1-3

While going through his trial, Job waited on the Lord. At long last, God sent His Word and solution came into his situation. Beloved, wait on His Word in every situation you find yourself. Habakkuk learnt to do so. In Habakkuk 2:1-3, he said before he will do anything at all, he will wait to hear from God on the matter. Why? It is because that is the most important event on which subsequent actions would be based. Has a brother proposed to you in marriage? Do not tell him “Yes” or “No”. Tell him, ”give me time to pray about it”. If he comes again while you are yet to hear from your Father, tell him, ”I need more time to hear from God”. If he is too much in a hurry, let him go. All brothers in Christ cannot possibly be your husband. When the right person comes, one way you will know he is not a “hit and go” is that he will tell you he has reached his last bus stop and is prepared to wait as long as it takes. Patience is one good criterion for sieving who is serious and mature from the one who thinks marriage is all about sex.

Moreover, the fact that we are waiting does not indicate that God has shelved His responsibilities towards us as mortals do. When some people ask you to wait, they mean that you should forget about your expectation. Those kept on their waiting list would have waited so long before they realise they were only wasting time. When God says wait, He will surely respond to you. After Habakkuk had earnestly prayed against the evil of his days, he expected God to do something especially since He disapproves of their evil deeds. But when God’s judgement on the wicked appeared delayed, even though Habakkuk could not understand it, he resolved to wait. Are you in similar situation where you have done all that God expects for a particular promise to be fulfilled, yet no answer appears in sight? Just wait. His answer will surely come and when it does, if you consider its timing, it could not have been better timed.

KEY POINT:

If you move on when the spiritual traffic light turns red, you will infringe on spiritual laws of motion and will pay for it.

Open Heavens: Expensive Exchange

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Tuesday 27 November

Bible in one year: Ezekiel 46-48

EXPENSIVE EXCHANGE

Memorise: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1 Peter 5:8

Read: Luke 4:1-6

From Luke 6:38 we understand that it is when you give that something will be given back to you. This is a divine principle that works for anyone. The devil knows this and has applied this same principle and obtained results from it. For instance, when he took the position and authority of being god of this world from Adam, what did he do? Did he say: Relinquish your position and authority over the earth to me so that I can now be in charge of your domain? No! All he did was to offer him the forbidden fruit. As soon as Adam received and ate the fruit, he sinned against God. The devil jumped up and started to quote that since he is now a sinner, he could no longer retain what he got in holiness. And since he had already given to him, he has a right to receive his harvest. What could Heaven do about this? The devil had smartly played his card and so he quietly collected from Adam the authority God had bestowed upon him. From that moment, the devil began to use Adam’s authority to torment, trouble, terrorise, humiliate and destroy both Adam and the whole of the human race.

And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. Luke 4:6

From the time of scoring this victory over Adam, the devil has been dangling Adam’s power before men and taking over their souls. The only way that power could be regained was either forcefully by God, which will make the devil to accuse God of arbitrariness or by engaging the Devil on a level playing field and defeating him. This was why Jesus had to come as a man to rescue mankind. When He came, the devil dangled the same power before Him and the Lord said, “I have come to recover what you stole from Adam”, but Satan said, ”I did not steal it. Adam willingly relinquished it to me”. When did he do that? It was during the exchange – when he accepted the forbidden fruit. If you don’t want to lose anything, never accept anything from Satan. Anything you receive from him gives him the authority to take precious things from you in return. Any exchange programme with the devil will always leave the human side the worse for it. Have you been receiving from the devil? He will have his pound of flesh. Be wise.

KEY POINT:

If the devil gives you one Naira, he will attempt to collect one million Naira in return.

Open Heavens: A Sinner’s Special Offer

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Monday 26 November

Bible in one year: Ezekiel 43-45

A SINNER’S SPECIAL OFFER

Memorise: Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. Luke 7:47

Read: Luke 7:36-50

The wealthy woman of 2 Kings 4:8-17 got her desired change through giving. If you can correctly use the powerful tool of giving, there is hardly any door it cannot open to you. The question is: Are you ready to give what can deliver your desired change? Not only was the woman changed from barrenness to fruitfulness, her family name that was to become extinct was preserved by the birth of a baby boy! Another person that effectively used giving was Cornelius. In Acts 10:1-48, he was told that his prayers and alms giving have been remembered by God and as a result, salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was granted him and his household.

A sinful woman once came to Jesus and wept much at His feet, washing them with her tears and wiping them with her hair. This was what nobody had done to Him before. Usually, it was their custom to provide water to wash the feet of your visitor but she felt water was just too cheap so she used her tears and instead of a towel to wipe, it was her hair which God gave her for glory. Then she kissed His feet severally instead of His hands and brought her alabaster box of ointment and began to anoint His feet instead of His head. By the time the Lord compared his host Simeon the Pharisee with the sinner, it was evident that what His host did not give to Him, she offered willingly to Him and this paved way for her. She got forgiveness of all her many sins. Also from this story we learn that to stand out and receive something great from the Lord, you must not just give what all others are giving but give in a different manner. Be creative in your giving. Give what no one else will ordinarily give. If you can prayerfully think of it, the Holy Ghost can give it to you. Through her special giving, she got what many could not buy. She entered Simeon’s house a chief sinner but left a saint. Initiate your change today!

KEY POINT:

Giving to God in an unusual manner uncovers God’s extraordinary benevolence.

Open Heavens: It Shall Come to Pass

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Sunday 25 November

Bible in one year: Nehemiah 10-13

IT SHALL COME TO PASS

Memorise: For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. Ecclesiastes 9:4

Read: Romans 4:20-21

Many years ago, while I was still struggling to pay my school fees, an old man met me and said: “One day, you will travel abroad as often as a woman goes to the market”. I looked at him and received it. “Yes sir, thank you”. Although it appeared too incredible to me then but today, I spend more time abroad than I do in Nigeria. I prophesy into your life that every good prophesy concerning your life will come to pass, no matter how incredible they are. After a promise, there might be some delay but as you wait patiently maintaining your right-standing with God, you will experience the joy of fulfilment.

I have personally benefited from this. There were several prophecies concerning the work the Lord had given me to do when I newly became the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God. On the 24th of December, 1974 at Orimolusi College, Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State (South-West Nigeria), the Lord said to me that He was going to build me a great army which I would lead into the battle. But in 1981 when I assumed office as the General Overseer, the entire membership of the Redeemed Christian Church of God was below 1000. To actualise that promise, I prayed, fasted, held special programmes every month. I also conducted seminars and outreaches which people attended but left immediately the programme was over. I later travelled to some other places but I did not see it, so I kept asking: “Where is the great army?” Suddenly, the turning point came and here we are today. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says God’s promises are Yes and Amen in Christ. Hold on to that promise the Lord has made to you because in due season, He will bring it to pass. Ecclesiastes 9:4 says as long as you are alive there is hope. As long as God is on your side, no matter the opposition, hindrance or difficulty, you will reach where the Lord is taking you to. The God who has been bringing His promises to pass in my life will also fulfil His promises in yours as long as you stand in the place of holiness, obedience and faith.

KEY POINT:

It may not follow your expectations and time, however, God’s promises will surely come to pass.

Open Heavens: Secret Sins

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Saturday 24 November

Bible in one year: Nehemiah 7-9

SECRET SINS

Memorise: Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. Psalms 90:8

Read: Psalms 19:12-14

Besides expressing faith in God, the righteous is identified by consistent right-standing with God. According to Ezekiel 3:21, the righteous is expected not to live in sin, but to continue to do what glorifies God. Righteousness is not something you engage today and disengage tomorrow like some people think. You do not abstain from sin only when those you respect are around, but also when they are not around. The righteous does not only abstain from public sins but also from secret ones. The challenge of most believers is not how to avoid open sins but how to stay righteous in their thought realm and to keep away from touching the unclean thing when they are all by themselves. That is a major challenge and for the righteous, this is the area he or she devotes more attention and prayer to.

David was one person who had a challenge in this area. Through the knowledge of God’s Word, he understood that secret sins, which nobody else is privy to, is fully exposed to God. In Psalms 90:8, he says our sins which were shrouded in secrecy of darkness and ignorance are exposed by the light of His presence. Your secret sins are not covered at all! God knows everything about your secret deeds. The devil or his agents who were present when you indulged in those evil acts also have the records. It is either God exposes your secrets, or the devil does. What you have buried in the earth or locked up in a safe, which you think is safe, is not safe at all. It can be exposed at anytime. The only secrets that can truly be secrets are the ones you confess to the Lord and hand over to Him. If He covers your faults, nobody can uncover them. When David realised this, he therefore asked God to deliver him from secret sins. Are you still living in sin secretly? Do you secretly masturbate, lust after same sex or the opposite sex? Do you secretly steal or bribe to influence decisions? Repent today and hand your secrets over to God.

KEY POINT:

The secret sins you fail to expose to Him today will be exposed before everyone and then nobody and nothing can cover your shame.

Open Heavens: He is Knocking

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Friday 23 November

Bible in one year: Nehemiah 4-6

HE IS KNOCKING

Memorise: Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20

Read: Romans 13:1-2

The Lord is standing and knocking at your heart today. He may be knocking on the door asking you to repent but will not force Himself in. He may be knocking on the door asking you to obey a particular directive He gave you but He will not compel you to obey. He may also be knocking on the door asking you to make restitution in certain areas of your life. Have you opened the door to the Lord? It is either you open to Him or keep Him out, pretending not to hear. Just remember that one day, you too will knock on the gates of Heaven and it will be His turn to open to you or not. On that day, who you know on earth, your academic qualification, your wealth, status and achievements on earth will not be able to help you. Jesus Christ holds the key to the pearly gates of Heaven so if you want Him to open to you then, open you heart to Him now.

Moreover, the Lord gave a wonderful promise to overcomers in Revelation 3:21. He says if you overcome, you will sit with Him in His throne just as He overcame and is presently sitting with His Father on His throne. The Father and the Holy Spirit have their thrones. Surrounding them are four living creatures and 24 elders. In Heaven, some people may sit about a million miles to God’s throne while some will sit near the throne but the overcomers will sit in the throne itself. You cannot be an overcomer without fighting and winning. Matthew 11:12 says God’s Kingdom allows spiritual violence. To be an overcomer, be born again, sanctified and baptised in the Holy Spirit, obey God’s Word and every instruction the Lord gives to you. Exact the victory that Christ has given you over your fleshly desires, Satan, worldly attractions and temptations. To be an overcomer, you cannot afford to be lukewarm. Let the Lord revive you and be on fire for Him. Is your heart open to the King of kings today?

PRAYER POINT:

Father, in any way I have shut my heart to You, I repent in dust and ashes, and open up my heart to You today.

Open Heavens: Benefits of His Presence

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Thursday 22 November

Bible in one year: Nehemiah 1-3

BENEFITS OF HIS PRESENCE

Memorise:But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Read: 1 Chronicles 26:4-8

Obededom was used as a guinea pig to test if there was any further judgement from God with regards the Ark of the Covenant. But instead of judgement, his blessing became overwhelming. In the ministry, there are some people I know that would prosper irrespective of where they are sent. In 1Chronicles 26:4-8, the presence of God in the house of Obededom turned his children into mighty men of valour. No more did they continue as people who did not matter. This is one reason family altars which bring down God’s glory should be maintained in every home. Some men pray apart from their wives or leave the children to pray alone. No! It must include the whole family. It is not enough to have a family altar but you must ensure your relationships are right and that there is peace at home so that the glory of God can come down. If there was any misunderstanding, at prayer time, ensure it is resolved before you pray. The family that praises and worships God frequently to the point of bringing down His glory into their house is a wise family. The more God’s glory comes upon a house, the less habitable it becomes for powers of darkness.

Children who regularly bask in the glory of God will be able to express their full potentials in life. God’s presence takes away hindrances to progress. It also brings about fruitfulness as we can see in the family of Obededom. Not only were his children honourable, they were also people who were fit; they were physically strengthened to serve God. None of them was a weakling as they ably served God wherever they were. They were people you could depend on. The presence of God therefore strengthens those under it to serve God. If you come under the cover of God’s glory, you will have your strength renewed. In God’s presence is divine strength to serve God. If you can access His presence, you will not lack the energy to serve Him or the grace to live for Him. It is wonderful to be in His presence.

PRAYER POINT:

Father, let the benefits of being in Your presence manifest in my life as I come into Your presence.

Open Heavens: Job Waited

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Wednesday 21 November

Bible in one year: 2 Corinthians 10-13

JOB WAITED

Memorise: If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Job 14:14

Read: Job 14:11-14

Between expectations and fulfilment, there is need to wait. The duration however is dependent on the size of what is being expected. Job was one person who successfully waited. In Job 14:14, he says:

If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

During his trial of faith, he suffered terribly. He lost virtually everything apart from his wife who asked him to curse God and die. He had obviously lost her to the world. He had no inkling as to why the evil occurrences around him happened, yet he believed that if he could hear God speak, all would be well. He was not only prepared to wait for one day, a week, a month or a year, but rather to wait as long as it takes to effect a change in his situation. Unlike many of us today, Job did not give God an ultimatum or threaten him by saying: “If you do not give me this blessing by such and such a time, I will backslide.” It is spiritual babes that threaten God in the midst of a trial. Sometimes the way they relate with God during such a period reveals a mindset that God is the problem. They attack God instead of facing the reality of their need.

From Job, we learn to be patient in tribulation. A time of trial is a time to exercise great restraint and tread with care for the following reasons: Most decisions taken during such a period may be rash, so there is need to have a clear head before arriving at any conclusion; also, it is not advisable to take any step without hearing from God because even when you may not be responsible for the problem you are presently going through, you will be accountable for anything you do wrong during the period of your trial. It is very important to sustain a personal relationship with God during the time of trial because He is all you’ve got. At such a time, men may disappoint or despise you. Everything else may be against you except God. All you may be required to do will be to wait on Him in spite of what your senses are urging you to do. Learn to hear and recognise God’s voice. This can be relatively easy to learn during a trial of faith period. Are you going through a period of trial? The Lord will make a way for you in Jesus name.

ACTION POINT:

Every second you spend waiting on the Lord is an investment that will come back to you.

Open Heavens

Open Heavens Devotional

Monthly Archives: November 2012

Open Heavens: Better Things Are Above

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Open Heavens: Forceful Reconciliation

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Open Heavens: Habakkuk Also Waited

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Open Heavens: Expensive Exchange

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Open Heavens: A Sinner’s Special Offer

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Open Heavens: It Shall Come to Pass

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Open Heavens: Secret Sins

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Open Heavens: He is Knocking

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Open Heavens: Benefits of His Presence

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Open Heavens: Job Waited

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