Open Heavens 17 November 2017: Friday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Service and Friendship

Topic: Service and Friendship — Friday 17, November 2017.

Memorise: Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? – 2 Chronicles 20:7

Read: Genesis 18:17-22 (KJV)

17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 1-8, Amos 7, Hymn: Sing Hymn 14 – Take My Life

MESSAGE:

When you read through 2 Kings 2:1-7, you will notice that Elijah, Elisha and the sons of the prophets in Bethel, Jericho and Jordan were all very much aware of Elijah’s transition to glory and the day it was scheduled to take place. In fact, they even treated the knowledge of this event like an open secret. One lesson from this is that if you walk in the Spirit, significant events will be common knowledge to you. God has secrets (Proverb 25:2). There are certain things known only to Him, which He may want to share with men once in a while.Daniel 2:22 says,

“He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.”

Coming up next: Open Heavens 18 November 2017: Saturday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Only An Honour

In as much as God wants to share His secrets with men, if He looks around and finds no one qualified by His grace for such secrets, He will simply keep it to Himself.

"Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." - Amos 3:7

When you have a closely guarded secret, do you tell everyone on the street about it? I very much doubt you would do that. Rather, you will want to keep it to yourself, and even if you would tell anyone at all, it will be someone who is not only close to you but who is also trustworthy enough in keeping secrets. Who are those God will share His secrets with? It is His servants! If you are not getting divine information regarding crucial future events, it is most likely that you need to correct certain aspects of your service. When you serve the Lord, He will share some of His secrets with you. The more you serve Him, the more you have future information ahead of time. Also, you must be his friend. Abraham was God’s friend, and so, when God was about to destroy Sodom and He realised that Abraham’s nephew, Lot, and his family were there, the Lord told Abraham about it. This gave Abraham the privilege and opportunity to intercede for them. Are you a friend of Jesus Christ? What is the level of closeness you share with Him? Friends communicate a lot. Do you often hear God’s voice? How often does He speak to you using various means of communication? You become His closest friend by serving Him like never before, and He will not leave you in the dark concerning your tomorrow and that of your family.

Key Point: When your relationship with God moves up to the friendship level, access to divine secrets will become a regular benefit to you.

Hymn 14: Take My Life

1. Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2. Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3. Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Open Heavens 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.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Nigeria Inflation update

The continuous effort of the Federal Government to rein in on consumer prices has started yielding results.

The Consumer Price Index, which measures inflation rate rose 15.91 percent year-on-year in October, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report released on Wednesday. This was lower than the 15.98 percent recorded in September and represents the ninth consecutive decline in the headline inflation.

Also, while average yearly inflation number for the first five months of the year stood at 17.45 percent, average headline inflation from June to October 2017 improved to 16.01 percent. Indicating that pace of price increase is gradually slowing down in relation to the fairly stable foreign exchange market.

On a monthly basis, inflation surged 0.76 percent in October, also 0.02 percent better than the 0.78 percent recorded in September. Making it the fifth consecutive month-on-month inflation headline is contracting.

However, despite the noticeable improvement in the headline inflation, the Food Index surged by 20.31 percent year-on-year in October, down slightly by 0.01 percent when compared to the 20.32 percent recorded in September.

Still, this is high and has continued to erode consumers’ buying power, especially when the average price of the first five months (18.67%) of the year is compared with the June-October average of 20.22 percent. Meaning, headline inflation is merely aided by the surged in forex liquidity due to rising global oil prices.

In April, the Federal Government had introduced series of forex policy to rein in on high foreign exchange and better stimulate the economy. While the Investors and Exporters forex window has been helpful in easing economic gridlock it has failed to curb rising food prices.

The Federal Government released its 2018 proposed budget of N8.6 trillion in November, saying the budget would consolidate on previous accomplishments.

The Naira remained fairly stable against the US dollar, trading around N363 per dollar.

http://investorsking.com/nigerias-inflation-declines-nine-consecutive-months/ 

Open Heavens 15 November 2017: Wednesday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Time For Consultation

Topic: Time For Consultation — Wednesday 15, November 2017.

Memorise: And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. – Genesis 1:26

Read: Genesis 1:26-27(KJV)

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Bible in One Year: Job 36-38, Amos 5:1-17, Hymn: Sing Hymn 9 – On The Hill Far Away

MESSAGE:

From the creation story, the fact that man was the last of God’s creation, though he is the most significant, indicates that God can give you the very best at the end. From this we understand that the end of believers is glorious. No wonder Ecclesiastes 7:8 says,

“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”

Coming up next: Open Heavens 16 November 2017: Thursday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Fulfilling Destiny

You might have started on a shaky note, but I want to assure you that you will end up being well established. Your faith may be very weak now, but it will become great faith at the end. Never judge your future by the limitation of your present! God will help you overcome those obstacles and limitations, and He will safely take you to your glorious end. Indeed, Job 8:7 says you might have started small but you will end with great increase, provided you sustain a blossoming relationship with God.

In addition, we observe from the account of creation in Genesis chapter 1 that when God was making all other things, He did not call a council meeting, but when it came to the creation of man, a council meeting of the Godhead was called. They all had to be in agreement for man to be created. The implication of this is that to get the best from God, man must be in total unity and alignment with Him. Also, we will be wise to follow the pattern demonstrated by the Godhead in all our decisions. Some issues are more sensitive and volatile than others. There is a time to take a unilateral decision on issues, and there is also a time to consult widely and take a joint decision. Lastly, when it comes to the issue of human management, you would need to go to God for help. Why? Human beings are the most difficult resources to handle. They are very diverse in thought, knowledge and understanding, and so their responses to issues are so divergent and vast. Human beings are also unreliable; it’s no wonder, Jesus did not commit Himself to any man.John 2:24-25 says,

“24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”

If you will succeed in leading men and women, you must involve God to a large extent. How well are you managing fellow men?

Key Point: To effectively lead men, you must be connected to the One who made man.

Hymn 9: On The Hill Far Away

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.

2. Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
Refrain:

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
Refrain:

4. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.
Refrain:

Open Heavens 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.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. 

Open Heaven 14 November 2017

Open Heavens 14 November 2017: Tuesday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Vessels: How Prepared?

Topic: Vessels: How Prepared? — Tuesday 14, November 2017.

Memorise: If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. – 2 Timothy 2:21

Read: 2 Timothy 2:19-21 (KJV)

19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

Bible in One Year: Job 33-35, Amos 4:4-13, Hymn: Sing Hymn 6 – Deeper, Deeper

MESSAGE:

In Isaiah 6:1-8, Isaiah saw the Lord and this opened his eyes to see himself the way he truly was before God. As the brightness of God’s presence illuminated every aspect of his life, he had no choice but to seek divine assistance, and as he cried for help, God sent an angel to purify his unclean lips with a coal of fire. When you see Jesus, you will become a candidate for purification. Purification is essential because without being purged by God, your fruitfulness will be hampered (John 15:2). In other words, the more God refines you, the more likely He will use you for greater works. Many of us quote John 14:12 and claim that because we believe in Jesus, we automatically qualify for greater works. However, the truth is, there can be no greater works without divine refinement. God does not use unclean vessels for His work. If He has chosen you for an assignment and you come to the realization of how unfit you are for the work, it is because He wants you to be challenged, and He also wants you to ask for His purging and cleansing.

“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.” - 2 Timothy 2:20

Coming up next: Open Heavens 15 November 2017: Wednesday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Time For Consultation

It is not enough to be a vessel unto God. You should ensure that you are a vessel for honourable purposes. Beyond this, 2 Timothy 2:21 tells us that being purified is crucial to being used of God, and that although God may have His ways of purifying us, we also have a personal responsibility to purge ourselves. You have to put considerable effort to purge yourself. Those carnal habits you have must go! Little lies must go! Get rid of hypocrisy! Fruitlessness in soul-winning must go! The more you purge yourself, the more you will be a candidate for more and greater works. Don’t ever think that there is no more work to be done in the Kingdom. There is so much work yet to be done, and although the labourers are increasing in number, those purified and set apart for God’s use are few. Are you prepared to make yourself ready for God’s use? There are a few believers who have purged themselves and are prepared for any assignment God has for them; God will use such vessels to do just about anything, even as He bypasses many other vessels that are not pure enough for His use. Do all you can to be a pure and prepared vessel for God!

Key Point: Purity makes a vessel usable for any assignment.

Hymn 6: Deeper Deeper

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
Refrain:

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Refrain:

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
Refrain:

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.
Refrain:

Open Heavens 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.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

MTV Awards feed back

MTV EMAs which opened with Best Hip Hop winner Eminem doing a thrilling orchestra-backed performance, along with guest artist Skylar Grey, of his newly dropped track “Walk on Water,” taking the mic in a London pub before joining the EMA stage at The SSE Arena, Wembley.

Not long after, the audience saw global pop star and hometown hostess Rita Ora run through London’s streets to get to the show, with UK radio crew Kurupt FM of British sitcom “People Just Do Nothing” and a cameo from the Mayor of London himself.

Best Pop winner Camila Cabello’s captivating and elaborate musical production featured a hugely choreographed routine that moved through three scenes and incorporated soaring overhead shots, ending in a Havana-style swimming pool.

Liam Payne got hearts racing with a steamy performance of “Strip That Down” featuring dancers in streetwear moving across an LED disco floor, while perched on hydraulics set to a spectacular LED light  show.

Shawn Mendes was crowned Best Artist and rocked his Best Song-winning track “There’s Nothing Holding Me Back” in an ever-evolving light box.

Host Rita Ora’s performance featured more than 50 dancers in an over-the-top medley of songs from her new album, “Your Song” and “Anywhere.”

David Guetta closed the show with an electrifying performance of his new single “Dirty, Sexy, Money” with guests French Montana, and Charli XCX.

Later, Rita Ora was presented with the first-ever “MTV EMA Power of Music Award” honoring the charitable efforts on behalf of all the artists who responded to Grenfell. At the close of show, Ora announced that the 2018 MTV EMAs would be held in Bilbao, Spain.

See complete list of winners and performances below.

BEST SONG

Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back

BEST ARTIST

Shawn Mendes

BEST LOOK

ZAYN

BEST NEW

Dua Lipa

BEST POP

Camila Cabello

BEST VIDEO

Kendrick Lamar – HUMBLE.

BEST LIVE

Ed Sheeran

BEST ELECTRONIC

David Guetta

BEST ROCK

Coldplay

BEST HIP HOP

Eminem

BEST ALTERNATIVE

Thirty Seconds To Mars

BIGGEST FANS

Shawn Mendes

BEST PUSH

Hailee Steinfeld

BEST WORLD STAGE

The Chainsmokers – Live from Isle of MTV Malta 2017

WORLDWIDE ACT WINNERS

Lil’ Kleine – The Netherlands

Tangana – Spain

BabyMetal – Japan

ALMA – Finland

Davido – Nigeria

Stormzy – UK & Ireland

Lali – Argentina

REGIONAL LOCAL ACT WINNERS:

Best UK & Ireland Act – Louis Tomlinson

Best Spanish Act – Miguel Bosé

Best Swiss Act – Mimiks

Best Swedish Act – Zara Larsson

Best MTV Russia Act – Ivan Dorn

Best Portuguese Act – Overule

Best Norwegian Act – Alan Walker

Best New Zealand Act – TAPZ

Best Polish Act – Dawid Kwiatkowski

Best LatAm Central Act – J Balvin

Best LatAm South Act – Lali

Best LatAm North Act – Mon Laferte

Best Dutch Act – Lil’ Kleine

Best Japan Act – BABYMETAL

Best Italian Act – Ermal Meta

Best Israeli Act – Noa Kirel

Best German Act – Wincent Weiss

Best Greater China Act – Huo Zun

Best India Act – Hard Kaur

Best Brasilian Act – Anitta

Best Danish Act – Christopher

Best French Act – Amir

Best Australian Act – Jessica Mauboy

Best Adria Act – Nicim Izazvan

Best African Act – DaVido

Best Hungarian Act – Magdolna Rúzsa

Best US Act – Fifth Harmony

Best Finnish Act – ALMA

Best Belgian Act – Loic Noittet

Best Canadian Act – Shawn Mendes

Best Korea Act – GFRIEND

Best SE Asia Act – James Reid

LIB

Open Heavens 11 November 2017: Saturday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Wounds Leave Their Scars

Topic: Wounds Leave Their Scars — Saturday 11, November 2017.

Memorise: If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. – 1 Corinthians 3:17

Read: 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (KJV)

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Bible in One Year: Job 21-24, Amos 1:1-2:3, Hymn: Sing Hymn 11 – I Have Decided To Follow Jesus

MESSAGE:

God is both the God of love and a consuming fire (1 John 4:8, Hebrews 12:29). He is extreme in His love for mankind, and He can also be extreme in His judgment. This is why you must never take Him for granted. All over the world, there is a resurgence in the doctrine of eternal security. This doctrine says that once you are saved, no matter what you do, your salvation is forever intact. This is one of the deceptive pills that the devil uses to drown souls forever in Hell in these last days. You shall not fall victim to this in Jesus’ Name! Today, many people are not taking the totality of God’s word into consideration while interpreting scriptures that talk about God’s grace. Such people believe that grace is devoid of responsibility.Ephesians 2:8 says we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and I am in total agreement with this. Also 1 Corinthians 15:10 says that whatever we are and whatever we become is by the grace of God, and I also totally agree with this. But beyond these, some people further believe that works are not necessary any more or else it won’t be grace. This is a lie!Philippians 2:12 says after being saved by grace, you must work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Did 2 Timothy 2:22 not command us to flee from youthful lust? In fact, 1 Corinthians 3:17 says,

“If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

Coming up next: Open Heavens 12 November 2017: Sunday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Does Our Worship Benefit God?

In other words, after being saved, you become a holy temple for God to dwell in. If you then go back to sin, God will bring His judgment on you. This too was written by the apostle of grace.

Beloved, never play with sin! Don’t joke with backsliding! Wounds can heal but the scars would remain as a reminder. The scarred flesh is never like the original. A scar is a dent on the body. It disfigures and distorts the fine form and beauty of the body. If you have a scar somewhere on your body and somebody looks at you there, the scar will be the very first thing they will see. When the prodigal son returned home, he was well received, and a feast was held in his honour, but he had lost his inheritance! He returned as a disenchanted son. After David sinned with Bathsheba and killed her husband, he later realized his evil, confessed it and was forgiven and restored to full fellowship with God; yet, the sword never departed from his house ever since! You can avoid scars! Live right before God and obey Him in all you do, and He will guide you to avoid the pits the devil has dug to orchestrate your fall.

Key Point: Foolish people bring avoidable and unnecessary sufferings on themselves. Father, please give me a wise heart to avoid pitfalls.

Sing Hymn 11: I Have Decided To Follow Jesus

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow
No turning back, no turning back.

3. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
4. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

Open Heavens 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.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. 

Oyemekun Festival Holds November 11 2017... Akure oooooiiii.. Ooooyeee

OYEMEKUN FESTIVAL HOLDS THIS WEEK


The Deji of Akure Kingdom Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, Odundun II will on Saturday 11th November, 2017 install the immediate past Commandant of the National Defence College Abuja, Rear Admiral Samuel Ilesanmi Alade as the Balogun of Akure Kingdom.


The installation which is part of the activities scheduled for the Oyemekun festival 2017 will hold at the Ojukoto’s court of the Deji’s Palace at 10:00am


Details of the other activities of the Oyemekun festival 2017 includes;
Prayer service at Akure City Hall on Wednesday 8th, 2017 at Akure City Hall by 10:00am

Public Lecture to be delivered by Prof. Kole Omotoso on 8th November, 2017 at Akure City Hall by 2:00pm

Cultural Day will hold at the Ua Lila’s court of the Deji’s Palace on Thursday 9th November, 2017.

Jumat service at the Akure central Mosque by 1:00pm and a football match later by 3:00pm at the Akure Sports stadium on Friday 10th November, 2017

Akure carnival Day will hold on Saturday 11th November, 2017 by 11:00am at the MKO Abiola Democracy Park, Akure.


The festival will rounded off with a thanksgiving service at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Redemption Court, opposite Akure South Local Government Headquarters, Akure by 10:00am.

The Saturday event will be chaired by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II while the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III CFR will be the Royal father of the Day.

 Other expected Royal fathers include the Osemawe of Ondo, Ewi of Ado, Attah of Ayede Ekiti, Olukare of Ikare, Abodi of Ikale, the Oloyin of Oyin Akoko, Oba Olusola Bamishile amongst others.


The Governor of Ondo State Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN is expected as the Special Guest of Honor.

Other dignitaries expected includes; the former Governor of Ondo State, Col. Ahmed Usman (Rtd), the Minister of Mines and Steel, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Senator (Dr.) Iyiola Omisore, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, Mr. Femi Falana SAN amongst others.

Open Heavens 9 November 2017: Thursday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – You Will Face Mockers

Topic: You Will Face Mockers— Thursday 9, November 2017.

Memorise: And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. – 2 Kings 2:3

Read: 2 Kings 2:1-3 (KJV)

1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.

3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.

Bible in One Year: Job 13-16, Joel 2:18-32, Hymn: Sing Hymn 7 – Oh Jesus I Have Promised

MESSAGE:

God allows you to go through tests before giving a prize. Unfortunately, some people do well for a while, but when it comes to the crucial tests of life, they fail. May you never fail in the tests of life in Jesus’ Name! One lesson that is evident in today’s Bible reading is that to get to your higher glory, you may meet with discouragers, mockers, and dream killers. Even the Lord Jesus Christ faced mockers in His own family. Most members of His family did not even believe in Him until after His resurrection (John 7:5, Acts 1:14). In John 7:4, they scoffed at Him saying:

“For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.”

Coming up next: Open Heavens 10 November 2017: Friday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Losing A Deal

Some people will not want you to dare that great height because they have tried it several times and failed. They cannot stand you achieving what they could not achieve. Some others will mock you just to discourage you and weaken your faith. Beloved, a lot of the distractions you will encounter from people on your way to the higher glory God has for you will be borne out of envy. Just look at what Elisha went through with the sons of the prophets on his way to his promotion. Regardless of their motives, every ministry of discouragers and mockers organized against the fulfillment of your destiny shall fail and be completely frustrated this season!

Moreover, it is glaring that there is so much work to be done for you to enter your higher glory. In other words, higher glory is not meant for everyone. It is especially not for the idle or lazy folks. It is not for procrastinators. Higher glory is not for wishful thinkers. It is for those who are diligent. It is for those who work extra hard, those who can burn the midnight oil. It is for those who can make sacrifices and be focused on the set goal until it is realized. Are you prepared for this? I pray that you will be successful in all the assignments you need to perform in order to enter your greater glory in Jesus’ Name! It is not just enough to work hard: you must also be ready and be able to take up more or higher responsibilities. Some people limit themselves in this area. Are you capable of handling higher assignments? If you are wise, while you are on a particular level, you can open yourself to learn more things – particularly those things above your current level. You must be teachable. Are you willing to learn?

Key Point: Learning should be continuous. After graduating from formal school, you should enrol yourself in the school of self-development.

Sing Hymn 7: Oh Jesus I Have Promised

1. O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my Guide.

2. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking in accents clear and still,
I dare not trust my judgment: Thy way shall be my will;
Oh, speak to reassure me, to hasten or control;
Oh, speak, and help me listen, Thou Guardian of my soul.

3. O Jesus, Thou hast promised to all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory there shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end—
Oh, give me grace to follow, my Master and my Friend.

4. Oh, let me see Thy footprints, and in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly is in Thy strength alone;
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me, uphold me to the end;
And then in Heav’n receive me, my Savior and my Friend.

Open Heavens 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.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Lekan Fatodu writes on tithing in church

Nigerian journalist, Lekan Fatodu who writes from the UK has weighed in on the controversial topic of 'tithing' that's been made popular by OAP, Freeze. According to him, 'no matter how long you cry against tithing these people will not stop paying tithes'.

Read his full article below...

I don't get this. Those who are not paying and will never pay tithes are those very agitated and bitter that those who have chosen to pay and will continue to pay tithes based on their personal choice, conviction and beliefs are exercising that free will.

Listen, contrary to that warped assumption and conclusion, the poor are not the biggest tithe payers in churches in Nigeria. Get this, the richest churches in Nigeria are not made of poor congregation and are not also domiciled in poor neighbourhoods.

In fact most of the worshippers in the mega and financially-formidable churches in Nigeria are amongst the most successful, educated, gifted and influential amongst us. Go and check again. So they are not the poor. And these people, according to their regular testimonies, have seen the biblical concept of increase and multiplication which is said to be parts of the gains of tithe-payment work tremendously in their finances, businesses, services and other significant endeavours.

So no matter how long you cry against tithing these people will not stop paying tithes.

I wonder how your ranting would suddenly change or move against a scriptural principle which a massive number of educated, enlightened and mature people have professed to have been tested, proven and adopted as the source of their continuing prosperity and well-being. Never! Or do you think your cry against tithing will stop an oil mogul from dropping his tithe at the City of David in Oniru or an accomplished banker from giving his at Olive Tree in Banana Island?

You've not succeeded in dissuading the masses from accepting "stomach infrastructure" in exchange for their choice of candidates at elections which will bring about an all-inclusive infrastructural development, yet you are busy crying over the convictions of an enlightened group on tithing. Even the poor who pay in some churches believe the increase in their petty trades is as a result of their voluntary compliance to the tithe payment. You can see you've got a more spirited campaign to launch against tithe payment and may God help you.

That said, if the ostentatious lifestyles of many of the pastors of these mega churches are a major concern for you with their little impact on the lives of the poor in the society, that’s fair enough. In that case, leading a strategic campaign on the role of faith leaders in eradication of poverty and national development would surely be well appreciated.

And by extension, conducting a rigorous research on the big donors and tithe-payers in churches against their tax payments to government will help to expose the insensitivity, hypocrisy and impropriety of some of the rich.

Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun just stated that over 800,000 companies have never paid tax in Nigeria. But don't be surprised to discover that some of the owners of these companies are amongst the huge tithe-payers in many of these mega churches.

So reset your thought.

Bobrisky speaks on his arrest

Bobrisky has spoken out for the first time since he was arrested in Lekki, Lagos on November 7th, 2017.

Speaking to LIB exclusively, Bobrisky revealed that serial entrepreneur Toyin Lawani was the one who called for his arrest stating that she accused him of stealing his customers.

He revealed that the case was reported in Abuja and that he is currently on his way to Abuja to resolve the issue. He said;

Toyin Lawani asked her lawyer to write petitions against me that I worked for her and I'm selling cream to all her customers. Which was a fat lie. I never worked for Toyin. She was my friend. I can't remember ever working for Toyin or learning how to make cream from her.

Then she also said I threatened her. So we are going to Abuja cos that was where the case was reported. Before she wrote petitions against me, she had already threatened me that she is giving me 7 days to go to the internet and apologize to her which I said no way because she offended me. I think because I refused to apologize, she got the police involved

Speaking about what transpired at the police station yesterday, Bobrisky said his phones were taken from him and he was told that he needed to wait until morning in order to go to Abuja.

Yesterday at the police station, I was sitting at the counter and I was told I needed to wait until morning to go to Abuja.  My phone was taken from me so I couldn't talk to anyone. I'm trying to get in touch with my lawyer and all the people I know.