OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SATURDAY 13TH JULY 2024

THEME: THE LAW OF UNITY

MEMORISE: Now beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 1 Corinthians 1:10

READ: Genesis 11:1-8
1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

MESSAGE
The law of unity is one of the most amazing laws that God set up on the earth. The Bible states that one will chase a thousand and two will chase ten thousand (Deuteronomy 32:30). This doesn't make any sense mathematically, but I have found it to be true.

Jesus said in Matthew 18:19 that if two people shall agree concerning a thing, it shall be done by His Father in heaven. In other words, if you have prayed and are yet to get an answer, find someone to agree with you in prayers, and you will receive the answer. In Psalm 133:1-2, the unity amongst brethren is likened to the anointing. Unity is a very powertul force; it is so powerful that even the Holy Spirit did not descend until the disciples were in one accord in the Upper Room (Acts 2:1-4). There are certain things you will never achieve until you apply the law of unity to it. A husband and wife who are always fighting are denying themselves of many great things. If they can only humble themselves, resolve their differences, and agree as one, they will become a great force against all their problems, and there will be nothing beyond their reach. Church members who are always gossiping about each other or quarrelling amongst themselves don't know what they are losing.

In our Bible reading for today, some people came together to build a tower that would reach heaven. God saw them and said that they would achieve their goal because they were united. This was thousands of years ago when there was hardly any technology. In other words, God was saying that even without adequate resources, unity alone was enough for those people to build such a tower.

In the early days of RCCG, we had no money. We didn't even have money to pay all the staff, but we were very united. As a result, we did many great things, including building the biggest auditorium of that time. There is absolutely no gain in being divided. Matthew 12:25 says a house divided against itself shall not stand. Whenever the devil wants to destroy a move of God or hinder Christians from achieving something, he sows discord amongst them.

One of the many reasons I bless God for the wife He gave to me is that she is always facilitating unity everywhere she goes. She is always bringing people together; never allowing disunity in any group she belongs to. Even with my extended family, she is a binding force. She will never allow anybody to carry a long face around her, whatever the problem is must be solved before anybody goes to bed that day. That quality is a divine gift that has been a great blessing to my life and ministry.

Never give room for disunity. Don't let the devil win; don't allow disunity.

PRAYER POINT
Please pray for my wife that the Lord will continue to bless and use her mightily, as she celebrates her birthday today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Song of Solomon 5-8

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

Don't be mean with anyone...
Trust me, God can seize your grace

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY JULY 14TH2024

TOPIC: THE LAW OF ASSOCIATION

MEMORISE:
“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” - (1 Corinthians 15:33)

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 6:14-18 (KJV)

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

MESSAGE:

The law of association is a very powerful law that every human being on earth must understand and apply correctly. This law is subtle in its operation, and many people don’t realise when it is working on them. They don’t realise that the people they often speak to, greatly influence the way they think and act. This law states that an individual becomes like the people he or she associates with. In other words, if a fellow associates with wise people, he or she will become wise. Likewise, if the fellow associates with foolish people, he or she will become foolish. It is stated clearly in Proverbs 13:20:

He that walks with the wise shall be wise but the companion of fools shall be destroyed.

The elders in Yorubaland usually say, “When a leaf stays long with a soap, it will also become a soap.” You must carefully choose the people you associate with. If your friend is not someone you admire and want to be like, you should unfriend that fellow immediately. Be friends with wise people that can challenge you, people you can discuss great ideas with. Don’t be friends with people who gossip and are only interested in entertainment when you are together.

Another form of association is with the media. Some people spend a lot of time watching television and scrolling through social media. Whatever you read or watch has a great influence on who you become. If you read and watch inspiring things, they will inspire you to become great. Anyone who reads and watches immoral content will eventually become corrupt, as we can see in our memory verse for today.

What kind of content do you constantly consume? Whose content are you consuming on social media? Whose music do you listen to? These things are a pointer to who you are becoming. When you want to change something about yourself, change the people you associate with. If you want to get better with your academics, keep company with brilliant people and learn from those who have excelled academically, and you will see your grades get better. If you want to be more fervent in your Christian life, find friends who read their Bibles, and pray regularly. Soon, you will also be doing the same.

Examine the kind of friends you keep and the kinds of content you consume. Are they a reflection of who you want to become? If they are not, change them now.

KEY POINT:
Who and what you associate with will greatly influence your life.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 1-3

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 28 - GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH

1 Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.

2 Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.

3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell's Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.

*OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

*AUTHOR : PASTOR ENOCH ADEJARE ADEBOYE*

*TOPIC : MONDAY JULY 15 2024*

*TOPIC : THE LAW OF RIGHTEOUSNESS*

*MEMORISE:*
“He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.” - Proverbs 21:21

*READ: DEUTERONOMY 28:1-15*

1. And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
2. And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
3. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
4. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
5. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
6. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
7. The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
8. The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
9. The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.
10. And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.
11. And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
12. The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
13. And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
14. And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
15. But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

*MESSAGE:*
The law of righteousness is one law that many people know but hardly comply with. It is simple; obey God, and you will excel Deuteronomy 28:1. Jesus put it this way in Matthew 6:33:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

If you seek God’s righteousness and seek to do things that are right in His sight, without a doubt, the material things that other people are seeking will begin to pursue you and overtake you. This is a law that cannot be broken.

When my father in the Lord, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, was alive, he used to say that it is what your father has that he will use to take care of you. Romans 6:16 says that whomever a person yields himself or herself to obey is that fellow’s master. This means that if someone obeys the devil and commits sin, the devil will take care of the fellow with what he has. Also, if the fellow obeys the Lord and lives righteously, God will take care of him or her with what He has. The devil has nothing else to offer than to kill, steal, and destroy John 10:10; if anyone obeys him, that is what he or she will get. If you obey Christ and live in righteousness, the same John 10:10 says that what He has to offer you is abundant life.

Beloved, there is absolutely no gain in sin. The things that look like the gains of sin are actually baits of the devil. When a hunter is trying to catch an animal in the forest, he puts the animal’s best food inside a trap. When the animal tries to grab the food, it gets trapped. Beware of whose food you are eating. If you have to compromise on God’s word to get that food, it is only a trap for the devil to destroy your soul. Whatever hunters use to feed their catch is nothing compared to what they will take from the catch.

The devil will never give you anything without collecting more from you. Obey the law of righteousness, and you will enjoy the blessings of God.

*KEY POINT:*
Righteousness exalts you, while unrighteousness debases you. Choose wisely.

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 4-8*

Good evening to each, everyone & world @ Large