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.
Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. John 20:21
READ: John 14:10-12
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 27 JUNE 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
Looking at today’s topic, I’m sure you’re asking yourself, ‘How did the Father send me?’ Acts 10:38 says that Jesus was sent to do good and to heal all that were oppressed of the devil, but then, He was anointed with the Holy Ghost and power for that assignment.
That’s why, concerning His ministers, Jesus said in Luke 24:49, “Tarry ye in Jerusalem until thou be endued with power from on high.” The condition for being a minister of God, according to Acts 6:1-3, is that you must be full of the Holy Spirit. Being baptised in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues is good.
However, other kinds of evidence must also be there. Acts 6:8 says that Stephen, a man full of the Holy Spirit, performed miracles. Where are the miracles that God has performed through you since your baptism in the Holy Spirit? In Acts 8:5-8, Philip, one of the deacons, went to Samaria and turned a whole city upside down.
In Acts 13:6-12, when Paul was preaching to a governor, and a sorcerer was trying to hinder him, Paul, full of the Holy Spirit, moved the mountain out of the way and got his victory by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We believers are dealing with a world called the New Age. They are working overtime to win our youths over with magic, and we need to demonstrate greater power to silence them so the youths do not give in to their devices. This power is available in God for all those who are willing to pay the price, but unfortunately, in a very subtle manner, the devil is pushing the church to lukewarmness.
You need to realise that whenever Jesus taught in a place, the Bible says that the power of God was always present to heal. I have discovered that when we preach about healing, God heals.
When we tag a service ‘deliverance night’, a lot of demonised people in attendance will get delivered.
We choose themes that show God that we are keenly interested in doing His works. He said that He will baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with fire (Luke 3:16). There is a difference between just speaking in tongues and having the fire behind your tongues.
When you are baptised by the Holy Spirit and fire, it will be evident; miracles will happen, souls will be won, and the whole world will bow to our Lord. Seek the fire today!
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 2 Peter 1:3
READ: Isaiah 41:10-13
10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.
12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
13 For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 26 JUNE 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
In John 20:21, Jesus Christ said, “…as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”
In Matthew 10:40, He said, “He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.” The work of ministry is an assignment from the Father, so when you are called to do something, you can be sure that God Himself is backing you up.
In John 5:30, Jesus said, “I can of my own self do nothing: …” This is good because whatever you are to do for God, you cannot do it by yourself, but the Father who sent you will back you up. It is good news because all you have to do is tell Him,
“I can’t do it Lord, but I know you can do it through me.” There is something called ‘the God Factor’.
Let God do it; however, He can only do it if you are willing to cooperate. If you believe He can do it, He will do it. If you believe that He can use you to heal the sick, you will have to pay the price, and then, He will produce the results.
Whatever assignment God gives you that seems impossible, talk to Him, do your part, and He will yield results through you.
In Yorubaland, one of the names we call God is Oronmonise faya ti. It means the one who sends a child on an assignment and backs the child up.
When God sends you on an assignment, He stays with you and empowers you to ensure that you fulfil the assignment.
Many people don’t fulfil their assignments because they hardly go to God for instructions. They start the work quite alright, but they hardly pray for direction, whereas it is in the place of prayers that God will give them instructions on each step to take.
They keep doing everything to make the work succeed, but when it is time to make decisions, they don’t ask God for the best decisions to make. After a while, when they realise that they are not fulfilling the assignment, they accuse Him of helping others and not helping them.
Beloved, you cannot do anything by yourself (John 15:5). The work God has given you to do cannot be done by your power or might but by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6).
If you really want to fulfil destiny, don’t lean on your understanding; lean on God.
OPEN HEAVEN 26 JUNE 2024 REFLECTION:
Are you depending totally on God to help you fulfil your destiny?
And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Revelation 13:17
READ: Revelation 14:9-10
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 25 JUNE 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
Yesterday, I said that the mark of the beast could be in the form of a mark, his name, or the number of his name. I also said that the mark will not be a tattoo printed on the skin but rather an implant, planted into the body of those who take it that submits their will to the government of that time, which will be headed by the antichrist.
Today, I will discuss what will really be planted into the bodies of people that receive the mark of the beast.
If you have been staying up to date with technology, you will have seen that technologies already exist to put microchips in people’s bodies so that with it, they can access the internet directly from their brains, make phone calls just by thinking, and have medical ‘miracles’ like healing a broken leg in record time, et cetera.
From the experiments conducted with these microchips, scientists can see whatever the test subjects can see and even make them raise their hands or legs by controlling the chips from a computer. These microchips are connected directly to the brain so that whoever is controlling the microchips can control the minds of the people who have them.
In other words, getting the mark means submitting yourself to the control of the government of that time. When they are in control, they can make people do whatever they want. That is why those who have the mark will be condemned because now, they cannot do the will of God as the antichrist is now in control of their minds.
Getting the microchip in their bodies will seal their fate because the antichrist will control their minds to obey only him. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Romans 6:16
The devil is aware of the Scripture above and hence knows that whomever you obey is your master. Everyone who takes the mark of the beast will become a servant of the devil.
Beloved, don’t take the risk of being around on the earth when almost everybody will become servants of the devil. It will be hell on earth, and it will be almost impossible to avoid taking the mark at that time.
Give your life to Christ and live holy now so that you will be in heaven when the antichrist takes over the earth.
OPEN HEAVEN 25 JUNE 2024 KEY POINT
Do all you can to ensure that you are in heaven when the antichrist takes over the earth.
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: Revelation 13:16
READ: Revelation 13:11-18
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 24 JUNE 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
Many have heard about the mark of the beast but haven’t taken the time to study what it really is.
The Scriptures give us a hint in our Bible reading for today.
The mark of the beast can actually take different forms; it can be a mark, a name, or the number of a name. Whichever one it is, it is a representation of the beast, and whoever receives it on his forehead or right hand will be identified as a worshipper of the beast.
Only such people will be allowed to buy, sell, or be a part of the society after the rapture has taken place. Anyone who refuses to get the mark of the beast will be hunted and killed.
Now, what really could this mark be? In the days of Apostle John, there was no technology, so he could only describe everything that he saw in his vision with the things he had seen around him.
A mark that is taken on the forehead or right hand must have been imprinted by a machine, and the imprint must be something that cannot be washed off. The reason tattoos seem permanent is that they are printed on the skin. However, they become blurred over time and can even be erased with laser surgery.
Since this mark is one that is so important to people’s identity and life, it will not be one that can fade or be erased. This means that it will go really deep into the skin. It is likely to be an implant and not an imprint.
If the mark of the beast is likely to be an implant, then it means that something will be planted into the body of those who will be left behind after the rapture, and it will be a sign of worshipping the beast (Revelation 20:4).
It will be a sign that tells everyone, “I am loyal to the beast, I obey him.” The implant will be used to control them and ensure that they obey the beast whether they like it or not.
I will discuss this further tomorrow, but I want to urge you today to surrender your life to Jesus Christ if you are yet to do so. He died for your sins so that you can reign with Him in eternity. Don’t let His sacrifice go to waste over you.
OPEN HEAVEN 24 JUNE 2024 KEY POINT
Don’t miss the rapture so that you will not become a slave to the devil.
And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. Revelation 20:9
READ: John 5:28-29
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 23 JUNE 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
After yesterday’s teaching, you may be asking,
“If Jesus will come and defeat the devil and his agents, what will happen to the people who have taken the mark of the beast that will be left on the earth?”
Revelation 19:17-21 says that when Jesus comes with His bride to fight the devil, an angel will gather all the birds of the air, inviting them to a great supper where they will eat the flesh of those who join the devil to fight against the Lord’s army.
According to National Geographic, there are between 50 billion and 430 billion birds in the world. Clearly, there will be enough birds to eat the flesh of those who dare to fight God.
While those who died without the mark of the beast are raised up to reign with Christ for a thousand years, those who died while fighting Christ and His army will not be raised until the millennial reign is over (Revelation 20:5).
After the armies have been destroyed, there will still be some people who are not soldiers but who have taken the mark of the beast on earth. These are the people that the saints will reign over for a thousand years.
After the millennial reign, the devil will be released from his prison, and he will gather a great army to fight the saints.
However, this time, the saints will not need to fight because God will send fire from heaven to devour their enemies.
Revelation 20:7-9 says: And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
When everyone with the mark of the beast must have died, their souls will be resurrected to face their own judgement. This is the second resurrection. All those who are part of the second resurrection will partake in the second death, which is condemnation to the lake of fire with the devil and his agents.
I pray that you will not partake of the second death, in Jesus’ name. However, you have a part to play by ensuring that you surrender to Jesus Christ and live a holy life.
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:6
READ: Revelation 20:4-6
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 22 JUNE 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
The first resurrection is a topic that is not often preached in churches, and that is understandable because it is not something that any pastor should encourage their congregation to be a part of.
Everyone should aim to be raptured when Jesus Christ comes to take His saints. Those that are left behind after the rapture have a very small chance of making it to heaven, so it will be foolish to risk missing the rapture. The first resurrection is the last chance that will be given to those who miss the rapture.
After the rapture has taken place and the antichrist has taken rulership over the earth, he will bring up a policy that will mandate everyone on earth to worship the beast and take the mark of the beast.
The book of Revelation is written in codes, therefore, do not assume that worshipping the beast means that a beast will be on a throne and people will be compelled to bow to it. This basically means that everyone will be forced to obey the beast. I pray that you will not be on earth to experience that, in Jesus’ name.
There will be some people who will miss the rapture and who will be determined not to worship the beast or take his mark. It will be really tough for them because the antichrist will do everything possible to break them.
They will be tortured in every way possible – emotionally, financially, physically, and so on. Worse still, almost everyone in the world will be worshipping the beast, and so they will be loners in a very perverse world. There will be no church meetings and gatherings because almost everyone in the church will have been raptured. There will be no pastor to encourage them and no brother or sister to strengthen them; it will be just them against the world and the government – it will be very tough. Many of the people who determine not to worship the beast will eventually yield and end up in hell.
Those who stand their ground will be beheaded by the antichrist. However, when Jesus comes back with his saints to defeat the devil, He will give them another chance to be judged, and they will join Him to reign over the earth for a thousand years.
Beloved, surrender your life to Jesus Christ if you haven’t and commit to living holy for the rest of your life so that when your time is up here on earth or when Jesus returns, you will be with Him without having to experience the ordeal of the first resurrection.
OPEN HEAVEN 22 JUNE 2024 KEY POINT
It will be very difficult to make it to heaven after the rapture, and as such, it is foolish to risk missing it. Live holy now to be assured of your place in heaven
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15:26
READ: 1 Corinthians 15:55-58
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 21 JUNE 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
Man has several enemies; the last one that every man will face is death. According to 1 Corinthians 15:26, the last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Death sees you dealing with other enemies and stays aside, waiting until the last moment to pounce. There is no way we can dodge death.
Hebrews 9:27 says that it is appointed unto men to die once, so, we are all going to die. Kings, presidents, pastors and General Overseers will all die. As anointed as Elisha was, he still died.
Fortunately, Jesus Christ has defeated man’s last enemy. In 1 Corinthians 15:41-57, the Bible makes it clear that death has been swallowed up in victory.
If you are a bride of Jesus Christ and you are committed to serving God in Spirit and in truth, death is merely a horse that will transport you to your glorious home above. Those who are not born again should be afraid of death because while death leads Christians to heaven, it leads sinners to the second death.
After a sinner has died on earth, he is judged and sent to hell fire (Psalms 9:17). Jesus said in Luke 12:5: But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, 1 say unto you, Fear him.
In hell, sinners will be tormented by demons while waiting for the second death. After the rapture has happened, the marriage supper of the lamb and a few more events will take place (Revelation 19:7-21), after which the devil and his agents will be cast into the lake of fire.
Those whose names are not found in the book of life will also be cast into the lake of fire with the devil and his agents (Revelation 20:14-15, Revelation 21:8) – this is the second death. This is the death that you should do everything not to experience. Everyone who dies the second death will be condemned to a lake where fire and brimstone will burn them forever.
They will be neighbours with the devil and his demons. If you have seen how terrible a demon looks, you wouldn’t want to be in a place with millions of them around you for eternity. There is no pleasure of sin that is worth ending up in the lake of fire, none at all.
OPEN HEAVEN 21 JUNE 2024 KEY POINT
It is foolishness to commit sin because it leads to eternity in the lake of fire. Don’t be foolish.
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. Psalms 89-94
READ: Joshua 7:1-22
But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.
2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.
4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
6 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.
7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!
8 O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!
9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?
10 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
14 In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; and the household which the Lord shall take shall come man by man.
15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:
17 And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:
18 And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LordGod of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.
20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 20 JUNE 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
I was invited by a chief several years ago to pray for him because he was sick. I asked if he was born again, and he said, “Yes”. This made me happy, and I assured him that he will get well.
I prayed, but nothing happened. I sent two of my prayer champions to his house to stay there; they fasted and prayed for him for seven days. Still, the man got worse.
Then, I decided to fast and pray for 21 days for the man. That was when God spoke, “Son, it is good to fast, but if it is for this man, he will not get well.” I responded, “But this man said he is your son, why don’t you want to heal him?” Then He told me to ask the chief seven questions. The next time I went to visit him, I said, “Chief, God told me to ask you some questions.” He told me to go ahead and ask.
Before I finished asking all the questions, he knew that his secrets had been exposed. I thought he would repent so we could pray together for God to heal him, but he told me never to visit him again. Is there anything that you think has been hidden away that you don’t want anyone to find out about?
The word of God says in Luke 8:17: For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.
God knows the secret sins that individuals might have, and if they refuse to confess and repent of them, He can decide to reveal them in such a way that they will be disgraced.
The fact that sin is hidden does not mean that its consequences are also hidden. The word of God is clear, whatsoever you sow, you will reap (Galatians 6:7).
Proverbs 11:21 says that no sinner will go unpunished. If you are hiding any sins, my advice to you is that you confess them to God and repent of them immediately to avoid their consequences. We have a great promise from God that if we confess our sins and forsake them, He will forgive us (I John 1:9, Proverbs 28:13).
If you have secret sins, you have a choice today to either continue in them and suffer their consequences or confess and forsake them so you can have God’s mercy. Choose wisely.
OPEN HEAVEN 20 JUNE 2024 ACTION POINT
If there are secret sins in your life, confess and forsake them today
Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 1 Timothy 3:12
READ: 1 Timothy 3:1-5
This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 19 JUNE 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
Today, I will continue my teaching on the importance of spending time with children. Many ministers of God make the mistake of putting their ministries before their families – this is not how God wants it.
Today’s Bible reading tells us that a man must first have his house in order before he takes up leadership in ministry. As far as God is concerned, your home must come first, then your ministry next. If your home is not in order, you have no business being in ministry.
If you are a minister, don’t neglect your family because you are helping to build other families.
There are many ministers’ children who have serious issues that need attention while their parents are helping other children settle theirs – this is wrong.
Do not ignore your children because you believe that you are already teaching them the word of God during family devotions and church services. Your children don’t see you only as a minister, they also need you to listen to them every now and then as their parent. When you are with them, don’t talk as a minister, talk as their parent, showing them love and care.
The reason many ministers’ children become wayward is that they are living with a minister, not their parent. Make the work of ministry something they enjoy and not something they detest because it takes their parents away from them.
I realised that I needed to be with my children during festive seasons, and as such, even when we had church programmes at those times, I always ensured that they came along with me. On our way to such programmes, I would share jokes and riddles with them so that they would have fun and be relaxed.
Whenever we arrived at the venue of the programmes, wherever I sleep is where they would also sleep. Even when things were quite tough and all l had to sleep on was a wooden bench, we would all sleep on it together. So, rather than see the programmes as things that took their father away from home during holidays, they became times of bonding and adventure for us.
When you are praying for great exploits in ministry, remember to pray for your family too. Put them first in the place of prayers. What you pray about shows what you prioritise
OPEN HEAVEN 19 JUNE 2024 KEY POINT
You must rule your home well first before taking up a leadership position in ministry
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Corinthians 2:11
READ: Proverbs 1:10-16
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
RCCG OPEN HEAVEN 18 JUNE 2024 TODAY MESSAGE
Yesterday, I started discussing the importance of spending time with children. As parents spend time with their children, they must also spend time with what and whom their children spend time with.
Parents should check the apps on their children’s phones to see what they are being exposed to.
When they are watching movies or cartoons, they should watch with them to be sure that they are safe for them. They should check the websites they visit and ask them to invite their friends over so they can know the kind of friends they keep.
They should visit their schools regularly to know the kind of people their teachers are. Parents should not see anything their children are involved in as too low or immature for them. Whatever or whomever children spend their time with will influence them, and parents must be there to ensure that they are influenced correctly.
Solomon, in today’s Bible reading, spoke to his son about the people he should interact with. He knew that even after raising him the right way, other people and things could still influence him negatively.
There are things parents teach their children that the world will try to convince them to compromise on. Today’s memory verse tells us not to be ignorant of the enemy’s devices. Parents must pay attention to whatever their children are paying attention to. It will be unwise to teach them and then leave them to the world to corrupt them.
Beyond that, parents should occupy their children with godly activities so that they can have things to spend their energy on. They should encourage them to join the workforce in their local assembly as well as Christian book clubs and associations.
School activities and excursions are good, but parents must also prioritise spiritual engagements for their children. They shouldn’t ignore their children’s spiritual growth, but rather, they should teach them to build a connection with the Holy Spirit so that they can hear His voice telling them what and what not to do, even in their absence.
If you are a parent, engage your children in conversations to know what they have in their hearts and the things that influence them.
Matthew 15:11 says that it is what comes out of a person’s mouth that defiles him or her. Talk to them about anything and everything to hear what they will say and know what is in their hearts.
I pray that you will not fail God over your children, in Jesus’ name.
OPEN HEAVEN 18 JUNE 2024 KEY POINT
Beyond spending time with children, it is also very important to spend time with the people and things that they spend their time with.
