This is RCCG Open Heaven daily devotional for adults and teens. By Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
1 John 5:3
READ: Luke 11:27-28:
27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.
28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 13 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
When God gives a commandment, many people think that it is for His own good, whereas every commandment that He gives is for our good. When you disobey God, you are actually hurting yourself;
He remains God whether you obey Him or not.
Those who choose to disobey God are the ones that are actually losing, not God.
When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son to Him, it was not because He wanted to eat the boy for breakfast; it was because He wanted Abraham’s obedience to open the door to irreversible blessings for him and his seed. If Abraham had disobeyed, he would have missed out on such a great blessing.
When Elisha told Naaman to go and wash in the river Jordan, it was not because he wanted to humiliate him, it was because he wanted him to be healed of leprosy.
Naaman almost missed his healing because of his pride. If he had not gone to wash, Elisha would not have lost anything, but Naaman would have died a leper. When God gives you an instruction, no matter how difficult it seems, you stand to gain a lot more from obeying it.
God gave man a special gift, and that is free will.
This free will is one of the things that makes us more special than all His other creations. You can decide to obey or disobey Him if you want.
However, to justify any blessing that He wants to give to you, He wants you to obey Him out of your free will. If you disobey His instruction, you are using your free will against Him, and that will disqualify you from receiving the blessings that are attached to the instruction.
When God sent Elijah to the widow of Zarephath for food, he told the woman to give him her last meal. It was not Elijah who needed a miracle; God had already been feeding him supernaturally up until that time.
God wanted to test the widow to see if she would use her free will for herself or Him. She passed the test, and in return, she had more than enough food to last her through the famine. Also, when her son died in 1 Kings 17:17-22, because she had obeyed God, Elijah was there to bring him back to life.
Beloved, obeying God is always for your good.
KEY POINT
Never miss an opportunity to show God that your free will is for Him.
He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
Matthew 10:41
READ: 2 Kings 4:8-17:
8 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. 9 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. 10 Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.
11 And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there. 12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. 13 And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. 14 And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. 16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. 17 And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 12 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
Today’s teaching may be controversial to some people, but I will share the complete truth anyway.
When there is an opportunity to serve God through a prophet that you are sure is sent by Him, no matter how small the service may be, don’t let the opportunity pass you by. When you serve or give to a prophet, because of God’s anointing on his or her life, you will receive a blessing from God.
I went to a foreign country for a programme, and throughout my stay, a very rich man drove me around. When he dropped me off at the airport, I wanted to show my appreciation, but since he was richer than me, I put some money in an envelope and said, “Please give it to your children on my behalf.” He collected the money and said, “Amen” several times.
I became embarrassed, and I turned to the other pastor who came with us. The pastor said, “He has been waiting on God for the fruit of the womb.” On hearing that, I said, “Glory be to God, I don’t have money, but I am connected to the Most High God.”
The following year, when I arrived in that country for another edition of the same programme, the man came to drive me again. This time, he had a gift with him and said that it was from his son. You might have prayed for certain things and not received them yet, but offering your service to God through a prophet could bring them to you immediately.
When you check through the Scriptures, you will see that those who served prophets genuinely got great rewards for their service. Samuel became a kingmaker and kingremover because he served Eli. Elisha got a double portion of the anointing because he served Elijah diligently.
The Shunammite woman got a child even when she had lost hope because she served Elisha. Whenever you get a chance to serve God through one of His ministers, make the most of the opportunity.
Ministers of God, however, should not take anyone’s willingness to serve God through them for granted. God shows appreciation to those that serve Him, and His ministers ought to do the same.
However, if you are serving God through one of His ministers and it seems like you are not being appreciated, as long as you are sure that he or she is a genuine minister of God, you will surely receive the rewards of your service from God.
KEY POINT
God never ignores a genuine heart of service to His representatives on earth.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Daniel 9-12
God never ignores a genuine heart of service to His representatives on earth.
Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. 2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. 3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? 4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.
5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. 6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us. 7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.
8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. 9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household. 10 So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.
11 And he called the porters; and they told it to the king’s house within. 12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city. 13 And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see.
14 They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. 15 And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king. 16 And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. 17 And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 11 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
Sometimes, God gives prophecies that sound impossible to the human mind and this makes some people doubt and miss out on them. When a prophecy seems too good to be true or difficult to believe, just keep quiet.
Don’t say anything against the prophecy because if you do, you may never see it fulfilled. In today’s Bible reading, the minister voiced his unbelief in Elisha’s prophecy.
The prophecy came to pass, but because of what he said, he did not live to experience it.
What we say and/or do after receiving a prophecy matters. God told Abraham in Genesis 17:4 and Genesis 26:3-4 that he would be a father of nations and that his children would be as many as the stars in the sky. At that time, he and his wife were already old and did not have any children.
Even though Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness (Genesis 15:6), the prophecy was not fulfilled immediately.
When it appeared as if the prophecy was not going to come to pass, Sarah got Abraham to have a child with Hagar, her handmaiden. Despite this, God told him in Genesis 17:1 to walk before Him and be perfect and repeated the prophecy.
This time, Abraham doubted in his heart (Genesis 17:17, but he did not speak out, nor did he try another alternative outside God’s will. God instructed him to circumcise all the males in his house as a sign of His covenant with him, and Abraham obeyed.
Although he doubted God in his heart, his words and actions did not express it. Later, in Genesis 18, God appeared to him, and nine months after, Isaac was born. If your mouth and actions don’t negate God’s promises for you, no matter how unbelievable those promises sound, you will see them come to pass.
When God tells me something unbelievable, I immediately begin to repeat it to those He permits me to share it with. I don’t give room for my human mind to process it and express doubts. I confess the prophecy repeatedly so that it becomes real to me.
When God told me that He would build me a city, I could not even afford to build a small house, but I announced it to everyone who cared to hear.
Today, He has fulfilled that prophecy. When He showed me trailers bringing in cows to feed the crowds that will be attending our programmes, I announced it to people, even though we did not have money to buy half a dozen cows. Today, that prophecy has been fulfilled as well.
KEY POINT:
When God says something that seems too good to be true, repeat it with your mouth, and you will see it come to pass.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Daniel 6-8
HYMN 21: STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST MY KING
Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. 2 Kings 20:5
READ: Joshua 6:26, 2 Kings 2:20-21
Joshua 6:26: 26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
2 Kings 2:20-21: 20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. 21 And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 10 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
Yesterday, I talked about rejecting negative prophecies from false prophets. However, sometimes, a real prophet can prophesy something that you are not comfortable with. God sometimes tells us things just for our information; at other times, it is so that we can do something about them. How then do you reverse negative prophecies if you receive them?
Like Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20:1-11, the first thing you can do is to cry to God to reverse the prophecy. If He listens, He will send the same prophet back to you with a new prophecy.
Secondly, you can get a prophet with a higher anointing to cancel the negative prophecy. This is what the people of Jericho did in today’s Bible reading. Joshua had placed a curse on the land, but Elisha was able to cancel the decree that Joshua made because he had a double portion of the anointing.
Years ago, a man told me that he met a prophet when he was 44 years old who told him all that would happen to him for the next 40 years and that he would die at 84. He said that everything the prophet told him had come to pass, and it was now two weeks to his 84th birthday. I asked if he wanted to serve God, and he said, “Yes,” so I told him that he will live. He insisted that everything the prophet told him had come to pass, but as a higher prophet, I replied that as long as he was willing to serve God, he would live until he was ready to die. A few weeks before his 100th birthday, he sent for me and said that he was ready to go; he died a few days before turning 100.
Sometimes, negative prophecies can come to you directly from God, either in a dream, trance, or even in an audible voice. In such instances, you can meet a prophet who is closer to God than you and ask him to help you plead with God to change it.
Years ago, a wealthy man, who had just given his life to Christ and had been of tremendous help to me in fulfilling God’s work, had a dream where God told him to put his house in order because it was time for him to be called home. He came to me, and I said, “No!” I told him, “Don’t worry, I will discuss it with my Daddy.” I told God, “Lord, I still need this man here, please don’t take him yet.” God answered me, and the man lived.
KEY POINT
Negative prophecies, even when genuine, can be reversed.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1 John 4:1
READ: Ezekiel 13:1-9:
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the Lord;
3 Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
4 O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.
5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord.
6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The Lord saith: and the Lord hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.
7 Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The Lord saith it; albeit I have not spoken?
8 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord God.
9 And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord God.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 9 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
There are all kinds of ‘prophets’ these days.
While there are genuine ones, many are false and give false prophesies that are sponsored by the devil. When a negative prophecy is from a prophet who genuinely hears from God, the fellow involved can cry to God like Hezekiah did in 2 Kings 20:1-11, and God can decide to change it.
Tomorrow, I will discuss more about what you can do concerning negative prophecies but the discussion today will be centred on false prophecies.
We don’t have many accounts of false prophets in the Bible because God said in Ezekiel 13:9 that they will not be in the assembly of Israel or written about in the books of Israel.
These days, false prophets try to plant fear in people with their prophecies. If these people allow fear to take root in their hearts, they have given those prophecies the power and permission they need to be accomplished.
This is because what a person fears is likely to come upon him or her (Job 3:25-26). As a Christian, when such prophecies come your way, don’t allow fear into your heart; God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
Rather than being afraid, meditate on the word of God that negates the false prophecy and pray to God about it. Many false prophets have told me, “Thus saith the Lord.” However, God would always tell me,
“Don’t mind that fellow; that message is not from Me.”
Not long after the great Archbishop Benson Idahosa went to be with the Lord, some investors opened a bank and invited me to pray before they commenced operations.
After praying, they asked me to open an account with them so that I will be their first customer. I told them that I didn’t have money to open the account, so they opened it for me with N50,000 of their money.
Shortly after that, some newspapers reported that I had started a bank with N50,000,000; the news was everywhere.
We had a meeting of Pentecostal pastors in Nigeria just after that, and one ‘prophet’, misled by the newspaper reports, prophesied that I would soon be called home just like the archbishop.
Others at the meeting urged me to react, but I stayed quiet because I know what the word of God says about my life. The man who made that prophecy is no more today, and I am still here by God’s grace.
KEY POINT
Fear will give room for false prophecies to be fulfilled. Believe only in God’s word concerning you.
And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Genesis 2:18
READ: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12:
9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 8 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
Today, divorce rates are as high as 50% in some countries, and some people believe that they are better off not being married. This brings up the question, is marriage a blessing or a curse?
Some people argue that marriage is a curse because if Eve was not created, and marriage was not instituted in the first place, there would be no sin in the world.
Adam also seemed to believe this theory because he blamed God for giving him Eve when he was asked why he ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:12). However, we must remember that Adam was alone, and God created Eve for his good. Everything was going well until sin came in.
So, Eve was not the problem, the problem was sin.
Marriage can either be a blessing or a curse, depending on what either of the couple allows into their union. If marriage is done in line with God’s word, it will be a blessing.
However, if either of the couple goes outside the will of God and lets sin in, there will be trouble. Today makes it 57 years since Thave been married, and I can tell you without a doubt that my marriage became a blessing when my wife and I gave our lives to Christ and started living according to His will.
Before then, we would have disagreements that would last for weeks, but these stopped when we surrendered to Christ.
I recall the story of a couple who fought every single night. One day, someone invited them to a RCCG parish in their city, and when an altar call was made, they gave their lives to Christ.
Over the next three weeks, their neighbours didn’t hear them fighting. Curious, the neighbours asked the couple why they had not been fighting. They replied that they had brought Christ into their marriage, and He was the reason they stopped fighting. If your marriage is to be a blessing, you and your spouse must truly be born again, living according to God’s word.
You and your spouse should study the Bible, pray, and evangelise together. You should both be on fire for God. When you do these regularly, you will discover how beautiful marriage is. I am enjoying my marriage, and I pray that you will enjoy yours too, in Jesus’ name.
ACTION POINT
If you are married, ensure that you surrender your marriage completely to God.
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Hebrews 4:13
READ: Psalms 139:1-19:
O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 7 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
A pastor once took a lady to a hotel room. Before they went in, they looked around to be sure that nobody could see them.
On getting inside, the lady was uneasy and said to the pastor before taking to her heels, “Before we came in, we looked left and right to ensure that nobody saw us, but we did not look up… God can see us.” Believe me, there is no place that God’s eyes do not get to.
No matter how well some people think they can hide their sins, they cannot hide even the smallest of them from God. If no one can hide sins from God, it means no one can avoid the consequences of sins. Rather than trying to hide whatever sins you might have committed, why not change your ways?
The reason many people hide their sins is that they want to appear to all as being righteous.
The question is, are they being righteous for people or for God? Is it people that will judge them on the last day or God Himself? They are like students that pretend to be studious by putting their books in front of them every time their parents are around but who never read.
When examinations come, they will fail and be termed a failure even by the same parents they pretended to. When rapture happens, the same people they pretended to will see who they really are and then their secret will be out.
Rather than pretend to people who are not important to your eternal destiny, it is better to get the real salvation so that the One who will judge you can see that you are truly born again.
If you are a true child of God and you’re hiding your sins and pretending to people, I’m sure the Holy Spirit is telling you to stop the pretence and stop committing those sins.
Don’t ignore the voice of the Holy Spirit; listen and obey. God wants to have mercy on you now, and He will give you the grace to live a truly holy life, but you have to repent genuinely from your heart.
Beloved, if you are still harbouring any form of sin in your life, make the decision now to repent and forsake them. You can say this short prayer: “Lord Jesus, I am sorry for indulging in sin, I am ready to live a truly holy life. Please help me Lord, and let me never backslide again, in Jesus’ name I pray.”
KEY POINT
It is impossible to deceive God; He sees you as you really are.
Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
Psalms 2:10
READ: 1 Timothy 2:1-4:
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 6 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY PRAYER
Father, I thank you for all the leaders in my family, church, state, country, and in every other place. Thank you for their lives, their families, and their wellbeing.
Father, I pray for wisdom for my leaders. Please, let none of them lead us in the wrong direction. Give them the wisdom to know what to do at all times, in Jesus’ name.
Father, please let it be well with our leaders. Take care of all their personal needs so that they will have peace of mind to lead us aright, in Jesus’ name.
Father, please provide all the resources that our leaders need to achieve the goals set ahead of them, in Jesus’ name.
Father, please give our leaders the strength to overcome every obstacle that may stand in the way of the glorious future they are leading us to. Help them to surmount any challenge that confronts them, in Jesus’ name.
Father, please let our leaders have a compassionate heart towards their followers. Let none of them use their position to exploit or oppress their followers, in Jesus’ name.
Father, please don’t let any of our leaders offend you and do things that will bring judgement upon themselves and their followers. Please help them to do your will at all times, in Jesus’ name.
Father, please remove any leader that refuses to do your will. Just as you replaced Saul with David, replace them with people that will do your will, in Jesus’ name.
Father, please let our leaders be good examples to us. Let their conduct and personality set good standards for us to live by, in Jesus’ name.
Father, please let there be unity and peace amongst all our leaders. Let them be united, and give them the wisdom to relate with each other peaceably, in Jesus’ name.
Father, please raise righteous leaders to occupy leadership positions so that the people can rejoice, in Jesus’ name.
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Colossians 1:16
READ: Ephesians 2:1-10:
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 5 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
No matter how long you spend on earth, you will never see a tree that eats its own fruit. Trees are planted by human beings for their pleasure, not for the pleasure of the trees.
In the same way, God made you for His own pleasure. You were not made to satisfy yourself, you were made to satisfy Him.
Therefore, when people live their lives just to give themselves pleasure, they are malfunctioning.
Having lots of money, driving good cars and owning houses does not mean that someone has fulfilled his or her destiny because all those things are for the fellow’s pleasure. Destiny is not measured by how much money you have or how powerful you become; it is measured by the degree to which you are doing the will of God for your life.
For example, someone might have seen Joseph as the Prime Minister of Egypt and said, “This guy has made it! He is fulfilling destiny because of the exalted position that he has attained,” but if Joseph did not save his family from the famine as God had created him to do (Genesis 45:1-11), he would have been a failure.
There will be many rich people who will finish their races here on earth, and rather than them being told, “Well done thou good and faithful servant,” they will hear, “Thou wicked and slothful servant.” I pray this will not be your portion, in Jesus’ name.
Beloved, it is good to be rich, famous, and powerful, but even when those things come, you will still not be fulfilled unless you do the will of God.
Don’t chase shadows; chase God’s calling for your life. It seemed foolish when I left lecturing to pastor a small church. However, because that was the will of God for my life, it was the best decision l ever made. In fulfilling His will, God gave me all that I could ever ask for and more.
A tree that bears fruits for its owner to eat will be taken care of. The owner will give it all the nutrients and care that it needs to flourish. When you pursue God’s will for your life, He will ensure that you never lack any good thing. Ask Him what His purpose for your life is and pursue it.
A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.
Proverbs 18:19
READ: Genesis 27:38-41:
38 And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;
40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 4 SEPTEMBER 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
Many Christians take people’s love and loyalty for granted. When a brother or sister in Christ loves you, be careful not to disappoint them because if you do, and the fellow is offended, they may never regain the love they had for you. If someone is willing to make sacrifices for you, take that as a challenge for you to also make sacrifices for them.
When they are loyal to you, you must also be loyal to them. The closer someone is to you, the more careful you must be not to offend them.
Many ministers of God feel that because they are the head of a ministry, they can do whatever they like without caring about the people that love them. For some, the moment they become popular, they begin to take those who started out with them for granted. Many sworn enemies today are people who were close friends yesterday.
There is an English proverb that says, “Make new friends and keep the old; one is silver, the other is gold.” Old friends are gold; they knew and loved you when you were nothing. As years pass by, your new friends will also start turning to gold. You can keep making new friends but keep the old ones.
One thing that has helped us in RCCG is that everyone who laboured with us when we were still very small is honoured and appreciated. This way, the younger ones see that if they work hard, they will not be neglected.
The worst enemy anyone can have is the enemy within his or her household. An enemy that goes in and out with someone is very dangerous.
Believers must be careful not to offend their brothers and turn them into enemies; they are likely to suffer greatly for it. When you notice that there is something that may offend your brother, call him aside and discuss it with him.
Matthew 5:23-24 says that when you go to God with an offering, and you remember that a brother has something against you, you are to leave your offering there and seek to reconcile with that brother before you come back to give the offering.
Note that the Bible does not say, “If you have something against the brother,” but, “If the brother has something against you.” Don’t put a stumbling block between yourself and God. The Bible says in Romans 12:18, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”
As much as it may be in your power, live in peace with everyone around you.
KEY POINT
A brother’s love is strong, but it must never be taken for granted.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Ezekiel 36-38
A brother’s love is strong, but it must never be taken for granted.
