Open Heaven For Today 2023 – Open Heavens 17 October

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Open Heaven For Today 2023 Tuesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – ARE YOU A FRESH OR STALE CHRISTAIN? 1

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TOPIC: ARE YOU A FRESH OR STALE CHRISTAIN? 1

MEMORISE: “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 18:3. (KJV)

READ:  MATTHEW 18:1-6 (KJV)

1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 10-11

Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE

When there is an evangelistic outreach, the most beautiful part of the Scripture is usually preached so that unbelievers in attendance can be won for Jesus.

The preacher would typically tell the congregation that when they come to Jesus Christ, they would find healing, deliverance, freedom, promotion and so on, and indeed, all these are true.

Once they give their lives to Christ, they become fresh Christians. Fresh Christians are however, required to remain fresh at all times, just as we see in our Bible reading today.

Yes, new converts are baby Christians who should grow into spiritual maturity, but they must never lose their freshness in Christ as they constantly renew their minds (Romans 12:2).

There are many distinct characteristics of fresh Christians. The very first thing is an insatiable hunger to know the word of God (1 Peter 2:2).

People who just genuinely gave their lives to Christ don’t go late for fellowship.

They even usually sit in front where there would be no distractions because they just have this strong desire for the word of God.

Unfortunately, you see many people who have been born again for a long time forgetting this desire they once had.

When you mature, you are supposed to advance to strong meat, but many fail to do this and rather become stale though they usually claim they have become mature.

A Christian becomes stale when he or she stops feeding on the word of God daily.

Beloved, if you no longer spend quality time studying your Bible daily, you are becoming a stale Christian.

Unless that hunger returns and you begin to feed on the word of God daily again, you are a dying Christian.

Another distinct characteristic of fresh Christians is that they cannot stop talking about Jesus. They are not ashamed of Christ at all.

A Christian who has become stale however, will see himself or herself as too big to preach the gospel to everyone, forgetting Jesus’ command in Mark 16:15 and His warning in Matthew 10:33.

Freshness or staleness in Christ is not determined by how long you have been born again, but by your attitude towards the things of God.

KEY POINT:

When was the last time you won a soul for Christ?

HYMN 15 – ONWARD, CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS

1. Onward, Christian soldiers!

Marching as to war,

Looking unto Jesus,

Who is gone before;

Christ, the Royal Master,

Leads against the foe;

Forward into battle,

See His banners go.

CHORUS

Onward, Christian soldiers!

Marching as to war,

Looking unto Jesus,

Who is gone before.

2. At the name of Jesus

Satan’s host doth Ilee;

On then, Christian soldiers

On to victory!

Hell’s foundations quiver

At the shout of praise:

Brothers, lift your voices,

Loud your anthems raise.

3. Like a mighty army

Moves the Church of God:

Brothers, we are treading

Where the saints have trod.

We are not divided,

All one body we

One in hope and doctrine,

One in charity.

4. Crowns and thrones may perish

Kingdoms rise and wane;

But the Church of Jesus

Constant will remain:

Gates of hell can never

‘Gainst that church prevail;

We have Christ’s own promise-

And that cannot fail.

5. Onward then, ye people,

Join our happy throng;

Blend with ours your voices

In the triumph song:

“Glory, praise and honour,

Unto Christ the King”,

This, through countless ages,

Men and angels sing.

Open Heavens 2023 Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Open Heaven for Today 2023

NG: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus’ name Amen.

If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to info@rccg.org, +234-1-8447340, +234-0-7098213112.

Open Heaven For Today 2023 Monday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Real Grace

Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional

TOPIC: Real Grace

MEMORISE: “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” – Romans 6:14 (KJV)

READ: Titus 2:11-12 (KJV)

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 8-9

Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE

There are many preachers today who say that once a person is saved, he or she is forever saved, so the fellow would go to heaven even if he or she keeps committing sin. That is a big lie. My own Bible says clearly in Romans 6:15: “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.”

Real grace enables you to live holy rather than permit you to commit sin. What the grace of God does is give you the ability to live above the dictates of your flesh. It is by grace that you are saved (Ephesians 2:4-5). After that, the grace of God that brought you salvation will then teach you to live holy. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world”. This is the true work of grace that the Bible talks about.

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. – 2 Timothy 1:9

Please ignore anyone who tells you that the grace of God allows you to commit sin. That is a message from the devil, carefully put together to send many people to hell. The devil knows that no sinner will enter into heaven, so he carefully crafted this message for Christians to ensure that they continue to sin even after responding to the altar call, but he will fail over you, in Jesus’ name.

I have had big men of God argue with me over this subject and each time, I tell them, “Let us assume that you are correct, and once I have given my life to Christ before, heaven is sure even if I keep committing sin. That means if rapture takes place or we both die, we will both go to heaven. But if you are wrong, that means if rapture takes place now or we both die, I will go to heaven, and you will go to hell. Either way, I am still correct. I would rather choose the safe path”. What about you?

KEY POINT

Grace is the enablement to live above sin, not permission to commit it.

HYMN 8 – I Need Thee Every Hour

1 I need Thee every hour,

Most gracious Lord;

No tender voice like Thine

Can peace afford.

Refrain:

I need Thee, Oh, I need Thee;

Ev’ry hour I need Thee!

Oh, bless me now, my Saviour,

I come to Thee!

2 I need Thee every hour,

Stay Thou nearby;

Temptations lose their power

When Thou art nigh.

3 I need Thee every hour,

In joy or pain;

Come quickly and abide

Or life is vain.

4 I need Thee every hour,

Teach me Thy will;

And Thy rich promises

In me fulfill.

5 I need Thee every hour,

Most Holy one;

Oh, make me Thine indeed,

Thou blessed Son!

Open Heavens 2023 Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Open Heaven for Today 2023

NG: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus’ name Amen.

If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to info@rccg.org, +234-1-8447340, +234-0-7098213112.

Open Heaven For Today 2023 Sunday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – The Land Of Endless Sufferings

Click HERE for Previous Open Heaven Devotional

TOPIC: The Land Of Endless Sufferings

MEMORISE: “And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” – Matthew 13:42 (KJV)

READ: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 (KJV)

Matthew 13:24-30

24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Matthew 13:36-43

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 6-7

Open Heaven For Today 2023 MESSAGE

Those who don’t end up in the City of God will end up in another place that I cannot describe as a city. I can only describe it as a place of endless sufferings because it is a land of unimaginable horrors. All the residents of this horrific place are in constant suffering for eternity. That place is called hell fire (Mark 9:47). The first thing you need to know about hell fire is that it is a place of torment. Luke 16:23 describes the experience of a man in hell as follows: “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

All occupants of hell are tormented non-stop. In Mark 9:48, Jesus tells us some of the things that torment them: “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

The passage does not say ‘the worm’ does not die, but ‘their worm’. In other words, worms will be coming out of the body of the people there, and these worms cannot be killed. They just keep eating their victims up. Also, there is an unquenchable fire there that keeps burning the occupants of hell non-stop. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus said the fire is everlasting. Revelations 14:11 says the smoke of their torment in hell goes up forever and that there is no rest day or night; the torment just goes on without stopping for eternity. A drop of water will be a luxury to the people in hell (Luke 16:24). Can you imagine such torment? There is no nightmare that can compare to the actual experience of hell fire.

There are many passages in the Bible where Jesus described hell as a place where there will be a lot of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Even assuming that the torments are the cause of their wailing, what then would make them gnash their teeth? Gnashing of teeth is something people do when they regret their actions or inactions. The people in hell will be gnashing their teeth for eternity, regretting that they did not live holy lives when they were on earth. You are still here on earth, so you have the opportunity that those people will give anything to have again. You have the opportunity to repent and start living holy now. If you delay until it is too late, you would remember this message in hell and wish you had listened. Choose wisely.

REFLECTION

Think about it carefully: are you willing to go to hell becasuse of that sin you keep committing? If not, stop it today.

HYMN 20 – Stand Up! Stand Up For Jesus

1 Stand up! stand up for Jesus,

Ye soldiers of the Cross!

Lift high His royal banner;

It must not suffer loss.

From vict’ry unto vict’ry

His army shall He lead,

Till ev’ry foe is vanquished,

And Christ is Lord indeed.

2 Stand up! stand up for Jesus,

The trumpet call obey;

Forth to the mighty conflict,

In this His glorious day;

Ye that are men now serve Him

Against unnumbered foes;

Let courage rise with danger,

And strength to strength oppose.

3 Stand up! stand up for Jesus!

Stand in His strength alone;

The arm of flesh will fail you,

Ye dare not trust your own:

Put on the gospel armor,

Each piece put on with prayer;

Where duty calls or danger,

Be never wanting there.

4 Stand up! stand up for Jesus!

The strife will not be long;

This day the noise of battle,

The next the victor’s song;

To him that overcometh,

A crown of life shall be;

He with the King of glory

Shall reign eternally.

Also Read: RCCG Sunday School Teacher Manual 15 October 2023: Biblical Description Of Sin

Open Heavens 2023 Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Open Heaven for Today 2023

NG: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus’ name Amen.

If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to info@rccg.org, +234-1-8447340, +234-0-7098213112.