HOUSE FELLOWSHIP ANTHEM:

1. I Love This Family Of God,
So Closely Knitted Into One,
They Have Taken Me Into Their Arms
Andam So Glad To Be
A Part Of This Great Family

2. I Bless This Family Of God,
So Greatly Prospered By The Lord,
They Have Taken Me Into Their Arms
And ´am So Glad To Be
A Part Of This Great Family

3. I Know This Family Of God,
So Deeply Rooted In The Word,
They Have Taken Me Into Their Arms
And ´am So Glad To Be
A Part Of This Great Family

4. I See This Family Of God,
So Highly Lifted Above All,
They Have Taken Me Into Their Arms
And ´am So Glad To Be
A Part Of This Great Family

5. Come, Join This Family Of God,
So Highly Favoured By The Lord,
They Have Taken Me Into Their Arms
And ´am So Glad To Be
A Part Of This Great Family

READ >> PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY’S OPEN HEAVEN 23 AUGUST 2020

READ >> DAILY DECLARATIONS FOR TODAY 23 AUGUST 2020

READ >> RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER’S MANUAL 23 AUGUST 2020

READ >> RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENT’S MANUAL 23 AUGUST 2020

READ >> OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 23 AUGUST 2020 SUNDAY

MEMORY VERSE: For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. Luke 1:15

BIBLE PASSAGE: 1 PETER 2:9-11, 1 CORINTHIANS 3:16-17

1 Peter 2:9-11

9 But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

10 Which in time past [were] not a people, but [are] now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

11 Dearly beloved, I beseech [you] as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul

1 Corinthians 3:16-17
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.

INTRODUCTION:

Jesus said “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20.

Christians as used in this context refers to those who have invited and accepted Jesus Christ into their lives as their Lord and Saviour and on daily basis are striving to be like Jesus. They are prepared to pay the price of discipleship. Such people are referred to as born again Christians. 2 Corinthians 5:17

1. ALCOHOL AND STRONG DRINKS ARE NOT FOR TRUE CHRISTIANS

a. True born again Christians teetotalers. A teetotaler is one that abstains from alcohol. If on medical advice, some people do away with alcohol for life on health ground; how much more should Christians do for the Holy Spirit that dwells in us as His temple.

b. True Christians are separated unto God for His use – Sanctification.

c. Genuinely born again Christians should not defile the temple of the Lord which is their body so as to avoid the wrath of God. 1 Corinthians 3:17

d. Bishops or Christian leaders should stay away from alcohol. 1 Timothy 3:3

2. EVIL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL IN THE BIBLE

i. Noah, a man favoured by God was a victim of alcohol and he cursed. Genesis 9:20-25.

ii. Lot’s two daughters got him drunk on two consecutive nights in order to make him impregnate them and they achieved their dream. Genesis 30-38

iii. Nabal, Abigail’s husband drank himself to stupor regularly. 1 Samuel 25:36-37.

CONCLUSION: Christians have been called unto holiness and are to be separated unto God as the temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.

If God could instruct that John the Baptist must not be allowed to drink wine or strong drink but shall be filled with Holy Ghost because he would be a great vessel for Him; Luke 1:15.

Similarly, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people 1 Peter 2:9. As a chosen generation, we are to be filled with the Holy Ghost and not with wine or strong drinks. Ephesians 5:18.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Father, destroy all the plans of the devil involving alcohol.

2. Daddy, rescue all your children that are under the yoke of strong drinks.

3. Father, according to Your Word, let none of RCCG workers be given to wine or strong drinks in Jesus Name

4. Holy Spirit, fill to overflowing all Your vessels and use them greatly.

5. I decree and declare as it is written that sin shall have no dominion over me in Jesus Name. Roman 6:14.

GOOD MORNING BELOVED,

DAILY PERSONAL CONFESSION: Jesus bore all my infirmities in His own body; therefore, I refuse to be brought down by sickness. In Him, I live in divine health. The Name of Jesus has been named upon me, and daily, I enjoy the impact of God’s divine presence in my life! I declare that my physical body is vitalized by the power of God’s Spirit, and it is shielded and protected from all evil, in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

READ >> PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY’S OPEN HEAVEN 23 AUGUST 2020

READ >> RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER’S MANUAL 23 AUGUST 2020

READ >> RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENT’S MANUAL 23 AUGUST 2020

READ >> OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 23 AUGUST 2020 SUNDAY

READ >> OPEN HEAVENS 23 AUGUST 2020

DAILY DECLARATIONS

I decree and declare this weekend, my steps are directed by the Holy Spirit and my I will function according to God’s plan for my life, in the mighty name of Jesus

I remove from my life every spirit of resentment and unforgiveness in Jesus’ name

I decree and declare, let the spirit of kindness and generosity be found in my life today, in the mighty name of Jesus

I decree and declare, every written worries and decree about my existence that cause doubt in my spiritual walk is terminated today, in the mighty name of Jesus

I terminate every spirit of unforgiveness hoovering over my destiny and household, in the mighty name of Jesus

I terminate every spirit of unkindness, being hard on people and neglecting the needs of others, hoovering over my destiny and household, in the mighty name of Jesus

I destroy all plans set aside to keep me as a failure in any aspects of life, in the mighty name of Jesus

I decree over this nation and nations around the world that the mercy of God will speak over innocent killings and maiming seeking judgement, in Jesus’ name

I decree concerning the leaders of this nation and nations around the world that the strength of God will be made perfect in them and all weakness is removed, in Jesus’ name

I decree over(mention) I will see you no more in my life and household

I decree over the lives of many battling with any type of disease and infection the lord’s hand is putting an end to it in Jesus name

I decree, let every believer on this platform (rccgonline.org) never miss the promises of God that stands sure in our lives and our joy will never turn to sadness in Jesus’ most powerful name

I decree concerning my health, the grace of God will continue to speak for me, in the mighty name of Jesus

What A FAITHFUL FATHER!

We return all Glory to our FATHER in heaven.

Dear Holy Spirit, thank You for all the testimonies on this platform, please continue to inspire the intercessory team for more prophetic declarations on this platform, in Jesus’ name

By faith, appreciate God for answered prayers and declarations. Beloved, begin to thank God for the revival of your prayer life and your testimonies. See you here tomorrow. Bye-bye…

Somebody shout Hallelujah!

GOOD MORNING BELOVED,

DAILY PERSONAL CONFESSION: Jesus bore all my infirmities in His own body; therefore, I refuse to be brought down by sickness. In Him, I live in divine health. The Name of Jesus has been named upon me, and daily, I enjoy the impact of God’s divine presence in my life! I declare that my physical body is vitalized by the power of God’s Spirit, and it is shielded and protected from all evil, in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

READ >> DAILY DECLARATIONS FOR TODAY 23 AUGUST 2020

READ >> RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER’S MANUAL 23 AUGUST 2020

READ >> RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENT’S MANUAL 23 AUGUST 2020

READ >> OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 23 AUGUST 2020 SUNDAY

READ >> OPEN HEAVENS 23 AUGUST 2020

PRAYER POINTS

I worship and adore You, my Father, because the earth is Yours and the fullness thereof, and they that dwell therein.

Thank You, Father, for Your promise to always meet me at the points of my needs, according to Your riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Father, in anyway I have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus name.

Father, let Your fire consume in my life, every spirit of selfishness, self-centeredness and stinginess, in Jesus name.

Father, give me words that will minister grace, love and encouragement to those who are weighed down by challenges and adversities of life, in Your vineyard, in Jesus name.

Father, empower me to be able to identity and be sensitive to the needs of the less privileged in Your church and around me, in Jesus name.

Father, give me a generous heart to give to the needy and the less privileged that You have helped me to identity, even, before they open their mouth to ask, in Jesus name.

Father, give me the grace not to shut my ears to the cry of the poor, so that when I cry to You for help, You will hear me, in Jesus name.

Father, give me the grace to encourage someone today, in Your church, with a gift, in Jesus name.

Father, empower me to love You with all my heart, soul, mind and body; and, let nothing be too precious or too costly, for me to surrender for Your use, in Jesus’ name.

OUR FATHER, please uphold Your children working everyday on this platform (rccgonline.org) to prepare these prayers and declarations with Your right hand of righteousness. Give them the grace to keep up with this good work of Faith, in the name of Jesus

OUR FATHER, bless each and everyone dedicating their time to pray through these prayers & declarations at the point of their needs. Give them the grace to share/rebroadcast these prayers, in Jesus’ name.

FATHER, let every challenge, hindrance and obstacle of getting these prayer points across to Your children, timely, and on daily basis be removed, in Jesus’ name.

Your Personal petitions.
( Philippians 4:6)

In Jesus’ name I pray.
(John 14:13-14; 15:16)

Thank you FATHER for answered prayers.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

By faith, appreciate God for answered prayers and declarations. Beloved, begin to thank God for the revival of your prayer life and your testimonies. See you here tomorrow. Bye-bye…

#GodBlessOurHomes

 

SUNDAY SCHOOL HYMN

1. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
O how I love Thee well,
I am happy, it makes me glad
To rejoice at Thy birth.

2. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Thy friend friendship suits me well,
Both young and will sing Thy song,
We long for Sunday School.

3. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Christ was Thy first teacher,
The Holy Spirit, great teacher,
Does manifest in thee.

4. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
This testimony is sure,
That God, the Father Almighty,
Poured His blessing on Thee.

5. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Though the sun be so bright,
Or if the clouds be black with rain,
I’ll be in Sunday School.

6. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
I rejoice to see Thee,
Will thou pass over me today?
Without my being blest?

MEMORY VERSE: And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sister, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold’s, and shall inherit everlasting life. Matthew 19:29.

BIBLE PASSAGE: 1 Corinthians 9:16-27

[16]For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

[17]For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.

[18]What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

[19]For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

[20]And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

[21]To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

[22]To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

[23]And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

[24]Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

[25]And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

[26]I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

[27]But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

INTRODUCTION:

The Scriptures say do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain. It also says the labourer is worthy of his reward.

So, God has rewards for all that make it to the kingdom. We shall one day cross to the other side where we shall have a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (2Cor. 4:17; Psalm 37:34; Psalm 91:8).

TEXT REVIEW: 1 Corinthians 9:16-27

Apostle Paul emphasises in this passage that in order to receive eternal rewards, a believer must preach the gospel and be temperate in all things.

These he outlines as follows:

A. Preaching of the gospel.
i. The preaching of the gospel is a necessity for any believer expecting eternal reward. V. 16
ii. To receive the reward, believes must preach the gospel willingly and not by coercion. V. 17.
iii. The preaching of the gospel is not for monetary/material gain. V. 18.

B. In addition to preaching the gospel, believers expecting reward should:

LESSON OUTLINES

LESSON OUTLINE 1.TYPES OF REWARD

Teacher should explain that Jesus christ has prepared crowns for rulers (Saint) in His coming Kingdom. These crowns and their qualification are:

1. The crown of life (James 1:2). The qualification for this is that you must have endured temptation and remain faithful. Other qualifications include overcoming evil loving the Lord and being faithful unto death (Rev. 2:10).

2. The incorruptible crown (1Cor. 9:24-25). This is for those who patiently run the race to Heaven and who are temperate in all things.

3. The crown of rejoicing (1Thess. 2:19). You must be a soul winner to receive this crown.

4. The crown of glory (1Peter 5:4). A crown for true pastors, missionaries and teachers.

5. The crown of righteousness (2Timothy 4:8). It is for those expecting the Lord and earnestly waiting for His coming.

CLASS ACTIVITY 1: Students should mention the crowns they are likely to receive and what they are doing towards it.

LESSON OUTLINE 2: OTHER TYPES OF REWARD

Teacher should make the student understand that apart from crowns and leadership positions in God’s Kingdom as Kings and priests, the believer will also be privileged to:

i. Reign with Christ (Romans 8:17-18).
ii. Behold His face (Psalm 17:15; Rev. 22:4).
iii. Inherit all things (Rev. 21:7).
iv. Shine as a star (Dan. 12:3).
v. Be a pillar in the temple of God (Rev. 3:12).
vi. Have access to the tree of life (Rev. 22:1-5; Rev. 22:14).
vii. Be glorified with Christ (Galatians 4:7).

CLASS ACTIVITY 2: Class should mention other privileges awaiting faithful believers in Heaven.

SUMMARY: Believers should not be weary in well doing for they shall be rewarded in due season.

CONCLUSION: Knowing full well that we have this wonderful rewards in serving God, what manner of people should we be? (1John 3:2-3).

EVALUATION: Students should mention the qualifications are for the crowns awaiting the faithful believers.

CLOSING PRAYER: Father, please help me to do what it takes (on earth) to receive rewards from You in Heave

ASSIGNMENT: Student should carefully observe their lives, earnestly desire these eternal rewards and work at getting them.

OPEN HEAVEN 23 AUGUST 2020 MEMORIZE: Let brotherly love continue. Hebrews 13:1

OPEN HEAVEN 23 AUGUST 2020 BIBLE READING Isaiah 35:3-8

3. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.

4. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

5. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

6. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing:for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

7. And the parched round shall become a pool, and the thirsty and springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

8. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

HAPPY SUNDAY  BELOVED,

If you are visiting this platform for the first time, please save this website RCCGONLINE.ORG on your device to ease your next visit. Hymnal, Bible Reading & Other helpful clickable links below. God bless you!

READ >> OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 23 AUGUST 2020 SUNDAY

OPEN HEAVEN 23 AUGUST 2020 MESSAGE

A Christian may be smiling on the outside because he/she is accustomed to looking cheerful, whereas on the inside, the person could be going through a lot of challenges.

The ties and the hats we all wear to Church on Sunday cover the empty stomachs or the depressed thoughts of some workers in the Church.

Sometimes the Pastor is going through a marital crisis, but he still has to settle issues in the marriage of a Church member.

We need to look out for each other every now and then.

We need to pick up the phone and call that brother or sister to ask how they are doing.

We need to bring a gift, no matter how small to church once in a while to give someone.

Believe me, the one who is strengthening others also needs strengthening once in a while.

When you notice the commitment level of a particular brother or sister waning, before you accuse or judge them, find out how they are faring first.

Checking on them, whether they are in Church or not, shows that you love them.

Sometimes, the devil brings suggestions to some of the strong Christians to drop out of the Christian race, but just a word of encouragement from you, a smile or a show of love can give them strength to continue in the race. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says:

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.”

Even as General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, many years ago, I decided to resign because I thought the people I was praying and caring so much for did not care about me.

It was a little girl whom God sent to bring me a cake that He used to bring me out of that depressed state.

Even though I don’t like cake, I ate this one and ever since, l have not considered resigning again.

You don’t know the effect that a little encouragement could have on your brethren. Show kindness to one another always.

OPEN HEAVEN 23 AUGUST 2020 KEY POINT

Look for at least one person in your Church today and just encourage the person. If you can give a gift, go ahead and do so.

FROM THE TEAM: Thank you for reading today’s Open Heaven 23 August 2020 Sunday written by  Pastor E. A. Adeboye. Please, share with someone on Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram and other social media platforms using the social buttons at the beginning or scroll to the end of this post. Have a good day! #RemainRapturable

PREVIOUS DAY: OPEN HEAVENS 22 AUGUST 2020

OPEN HEAVEN 23 AUGUST 2020 HYMN

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 every 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 armour,
And watching unto 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.

OPEN HEAVEN 23 AUGUST 2020 BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: JEREMIAH 51:1-64, JEREMIAH 52:1-34

JEREMIAH 51:1-64

1 Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind;

² And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

³ Against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host.

⁴ Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets.

⁵ For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the Lord of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.

⁶ Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the Lord‘s vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence.

⁷ Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord‘s hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.

⁸ Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

⁹ We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.

¹⁰ The Lord hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God.

¹¹ Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the Lord hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance of his temple.

¹² Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the Lord hath both devised and done that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon.

¹³ O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.

¹⁴ The Lord of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillers; and they shall lift up a shout against thee.

¹⁵ He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.

¹⁶ When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

¹⁷ Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

¹⁸ They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

¹⁹ The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the Lord of hosts is his name.

²⁰ Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;

²¹ And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider;

²² With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid;

²³ I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers.

²⁴ And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the Lord.

²⁵ Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.

²⁶ And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the Lord.

²⁷ Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillers.

²⁸ Prepare against her the nations with the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof, and all the rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion.

²⁹ And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the Lord shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant.

³⁰ The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.

³¹ One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end,

³² And that the passages are stopped, and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.

³³ For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon is like a threshingfloor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come.

³⁴ Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out.

³⁵ The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say.

³⁶ Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.

³⁷ And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.

³⁸ They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions’ whelps.

³⁹ In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the Lord.

⁴⁰ I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he goats.

⁴¹ How is Sheshach taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! how is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!

⁴² The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof.

⁴³ Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth any son of man pass thereby.

⁴⁴ And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.

⁴⁵ My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the Lord.

⁴⁶ And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; a rumour shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler.

⁴⁷ Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.

⁴⁸ Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for Babylon: for the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the Lord.

⁴⁹ As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth.

⁵⁰ Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the Lord afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.

⁵¹ We are confounded, because we have heard reproach: shame hath covered our faces: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the Lord‘s house.

⁵² Wherefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will do judgment upon her graven images: and through all her land the wounded shall groan.

⁵³ Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the Lord.

⁵⁴ A sound of a cry cometh from Babylon, and great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans:

⁵⁵ Because the Lord hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered:

⁵⁶ Because the spoiler is come upon her, even upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, every one of their bows is broken: for the Lord God of recompences shall surely requite.

⁵⁷ And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts.

⁵⁸ Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.

⁵⁹ The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah into Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. And this Seraiah was a quiet prince.

⁶⁰ So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon.

⁶¹ And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words;

⁶² Then shalt thou say, O Lord, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever.

⁶³ And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates:

⁶⁴ And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

JEREMIAH 52:1-34

1 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

² And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

³ For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

⁴ And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about.

⁵ So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.

⁶ And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.

⁷ Then the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king’s garden; (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about:) and they went by the way of the plain.

⁸ But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.

⁹ Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him.

¹⁰ And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.

¹¹ Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

¹² Now in the fifth month, in the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, which served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem,

¹³ And burned the house of the Lord, and the king’s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the houses of the great men, burned he with fire:

¹⁴ And all the army of the Chaldeans, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.

¹⁵ Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive certain of the poor of the people, and the residue of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.

¹⁶ But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.

¹⁷ Also the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans brake, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon.

¹⁸ The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.

¹⁹ And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away.

²⁰ The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brasen bulls that were under the bases, which king Solomon had made in the house of the Lord: the brass of all these vessels was without weight.

²¹ And concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it; and the thickness thereof was four fingers: it was hollow.

²² And a chapiter of brass was upon it; and the height of one chapiter was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the chapiters round about, all of brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these.

²³ And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were an hundred round about.

²⁴ And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door:

²⁵ He took also out of the city an eunuch, which had the charge of the men of war; and seven men of them that were near the king’s person, which were found in the city; and the principal scribe of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the midst of the city.

²⁶ So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.

²⁷ And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death in Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.

²⁸ This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty:

²⁹ In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons:

³⁰ In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.

³¹ And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison.

³² And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon,

³³ And changed his prison garments: and he did continually eat bread before him all the days of his life.

³⁴ And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him of the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS AUGUST 2020 MEMORIZE: Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 23 AUGUST 2020 BIBLE READING 1 SAMUEL 17:44-47

44. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

45. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

46. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

47. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hands.

READ >> OPEN HEAVENS 23 AUGUST 2020

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 23 AUGUST 2020 MESSAGE

As good as it is to be confident, it is dangerous to be over confident because there’s a thin line between confidence and pride.

An overconfident person is a proud person and God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

If you read the story of how David killed Goliath, you will see that Goliath was overly confident in his stature and experience.

It was also his stature that made no soldier attempt to face him in a duel until David showed up.

Even when David stood before him, his stature gave Goliath the impression that he had already won the battle, but you know how the story ended.

God gave the young David victory over the experienced giant warrior.

My Child, your strength should not make you overconfident.

There is the story of a student who was very good in Economics.

He was so good that his teacher sang his praise after writing his Mock Examination.

So when he was about to write the WASSCE (the final exams in senior school), he prepared for other subjects except Economics with the belief that he had mastered the subject.

Eventually, he failed the subject woefully. This is what overconfidence can do to anyone.

Let your confidence be in God for by strength shall no man prevail (1 Samuel 2:9).

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 23 AUGUST 2020 PRAYER POINT

Father, please help me to always put my trust in you while I play my role to achieve greatness in life.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 23 AUGUST 2020 HYMN

MY FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE

1. My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away;
O let me from this day
Be wholly Thine.

2. May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire;
As Thou hast died for me,
O may my love to Thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire.

3. While life’s dark maze | tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.

4. When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll, Blest Saviour, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 23 AUGUST 2020 BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: PSALM 119:105-176, 1 CORINTHIANS 5:1-13

GOOD MORNING BELOVED,

DAILY PERSONAL CONFESSION: I am filled with the new life in Christ, no power of the past or old life has a hold over me. My life is daily filled with divine verities, the truth of the lord has set me free from all lies and deceit of the evil one. My ears will constantly hear, my eyes will always see the blessing and promises of God come into manifestation in and through me. I will never be disadvantaged, I will always live in abundance and grace of God is in my pace in life. Hallelujah!

READ >> PRAYER POINTS ON TODAY’S OPEN HEAVEN 22 AUGUST 2020

READ >> OPEN HEAVENS 22 AUGUST 2020

READ >> OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 22 AUGUST 2020

DAILY DECLARATIONS

I decree and declare this weekend, my steps are directed by the Holy Spirit and my I will function according to God’s plan for my life, in the mighty name of Jesus

I decree and declare, let God’s healing balm flow through my life and everywhere I go, in the name of Jesus

I decree the miracle that will draw believer and unbelievers to the knowledge of God is manifesting in my life

I terminate every power that wants to limit me in all unpleasant situations against the will of God

I decree the miracle that will turn argument to assurance and declaration of faith and salvation is taking place in and around me henceforth

I decree and declare an end to predicted or unpredicted famine and hardship in our communities and other communities around the world, by the power in the name of Jesus

I decree there is a turn around that will cause a new song and a new dawn worldwide in Jesus name

I decree over(mention) I will see you no more in my life and household

I decree over the lives of many battling with any type of disease and infection the lord’s hand is putting an end to it in Jesus name

I decree, let every believer on this platform (rccgonline.org) never miss the promises of God that stands sure in our lives and our joy will never turn to sadness in Jesus’ most powerful name

I decree concerning my health, the grace of God will continue to speak for me, in the mighty name of Jesus

What A FAITHFUL FATHER!

We return all Glory to our FATHER in heaven.

Dear Holy Spirit, thank You for all the testimonies on this platform, please continue to inspire the intercessory team for more prophetic declarations on this platform, in Jesus’ name

By faith, appreciate God for answered prayers and declarations. Beloved, begin to thank God for the revival of your prayer life and your testimonies. See you here tomorrow. Bye-bye…

Somebody shout Hallelujah!

GOOD MORNING BELOVED,

DAILY PERSONAL CONFESSION: I am filled with the new life in Christ, no power of the past or old life has a hold over me. My life is daily filled with divine verities, the truth of the lord has set me free from all lies and deceit of the evil one. My ears will constantly hear, my eyes will always see the blessing and promises of God come into manifestation in and through me. I will never be disadvantaged, I will always live in abundance and grace of God is in my pace in life. Hallelujah!

READ >> DAILY DECLARATIONS FOR TODAY 22 AUGUST 2020

READ >> OPEN HEAVENS 22 AUGUST 2020

READ >> OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 22 AUGUST 2020

PRAYER POINTS

Thank You, Father, for first loving me, in that while I was yet a sinner, You gave Your son Jesus, to die for my sin.

Thank You, Father, for making me more than a conqueror, through Christ that loved me and gave His life for me.

Father, in anyway I have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus’ name.

Father, let every spirit of lukewarmness that has crept into my life and Your church be consumed by Your fire, in Jesus’ name.

Father, rekindle the fire of Your revival in my life and in the entire body of Christ, in Jesus’ name.

Father, let me be well grounded and rooted in You, and let nothing be able to separate me from Your love, in Jesus’ name.

Father, let every chain that the devil has been using to draw me away from Your presence be consumed by fire, in Jesus’ name.

Father, uproot from my life, and remove from my way, anything that has been competing with Your glory in my life, in Jesus’ name.

Father, empower me to love You with all my heart, soul, mind and body; and, let nothing be too precious or too costly, for me to surrender for Your use, in Jesus’ name.

OUR FATHER, please uphold Your children working everyday on this platform (rccgonline.org) to prepare these prayers and declarations with Your right hand of righteousness. Give them the grace to keep up with this good work of Faith, in the name of Jesus

OUR FATHER, bless each and everyone dedicating their time to pray through these prayers & declarations at the point of their needs. Give them the grace to share/rebroadcast these prayers, in Jesus’ name.

FATHER, let every challenge, hindrance and obstacle of getting these prayer points across to Your children, timely, and on daily basis be removed, in Jesus’ name.

Your Personal petitions.
( Philippians 4:6)

In Jesus’ name I pray.
(John 14:13-14; 15:16)

Thank you FATHER for answered prayers.
(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

By faith, appreciate God for answered prayers and declarations. Beloved, begin to thank God for the revival of your prayer life and your testimonies. See you here tomorrow. Bye-bye…

#GodBlessOurHomes

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 22 AUGUST 2020 MEMORIZE: lf a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. John 15:6

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 22 AUGUST 2020 BIBLE READING EZEKIEL 3:17-21

17. Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

18. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

19. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

20. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

21. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

READ >> OPEN HEAVENS 22 AUGUST 2020

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 22 AUGUST 2020 MESSAGE

You might have heard of this Once saved, forever saved doctrine.

Several children of God have been misled by believing this doctrine, so if you have heard it, it will be in your best interest not to believe it.

They say that once you are saved, no matter what you do, you remain saved and they have supported this with Hebrews 7:25 which says:

“Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever Iiveth to make intercession for them.”

They also believe that salvation is eternal, that is, once you give your life to Christ, you can commit sin, yet you will make it to heaven.

This is a big lie. You will only get to heaven when you continue to obey Christ. Hebrews 10:38 says:

“Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

My dear, you need to continue in the faith. You have to work out your salvation with fear and trembling till the end of age.

Anyone who does the works of the flesh will not make heaven (Galatians 5:19-21).

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 22 AUGUST 2020 PRAYER POINT

Father, please save your children from the wave of false doctrines in Jesus name.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 22 AUGUST 2020 HYMN

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 every 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 armour,
And watching unto 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.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 22 AUGUST 2020 BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: PSALMS119:49-176, 1 CORINTHIANS 4:1-21

OPEN HEAVEN 22 AUGUST 2020 MEMORIZE: For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

OPEN HEAVEN 22 AUGUST 2020 BIBLE READING ROMANS 8:35-39

35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36. As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

GOOD MORNING BELOVED,

If you are visiting this platform for the first time, please save this website RCCGONLINE.ORG on your device to ease your next visit. Hymnal, Bible Reading & Other helpful clickable links below. God bless you!

READ >> OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 22 AUGUST 2020

OPEN HEAVEN 22 AUGUST 2020 MESSAGE

“And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man’s house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.” – Acts 18:7

Justus’ house joined hard to the synagogue. How attached are you to the Church?

Do you see the Church as just a part of your life or is it your entire life?

Are you only a Church-goer or are you involved in the activities of the Church?

Is Sunday the only time you think about Church or do you also attend mid-week services and other soul-lifting programmes?

Are you more joined to your secular job than you are to the Church?

Do those who you relate with everyday know you as a member of the body of Christ? How hard are you joined to Jesus?

If I have to be involved in something, I would be fully involved.

If you are truly a child of God, you would not be dormant in your Father’s house.

Get involved, join the workforce, give towards the work of God.

Years ago, we needed to fill an area of the Headquarters church in Ebute-Metta with sawdust so as to reclaim land and have more to build on.

I bore a basin of the sawdust on my head, back and forth, without any shame.

A traffic jam on the main road caused a student of mine to seek an alternative route near the church to his destination.

Seeing me, he cried out “Ah Oga” (meaning ‘Sir’). I looked at him and asked “Who is Oga? I am no Oga in the house of my God; I am merely working for Jesus my Master.” 

I am fully joined to the house of God.

There is nothing being done to advance God’s kingdom that I will not get involved in, even if it is just to pray for them.

How hard are you joined to the Church of Christ?

Those who are joined hard to the house of God always enjoy His presence in every area of their lives.

Because they are very useful in His Kingdom business, He in turn makes anything that concerns them His business.

It pays to be joined hard to the Church of Christ. I am a living witness.

OPEN HEAVEN 22 AUGUST 2020 KEY POINT

Join the workforce in your local Church, if you haven’t done so already. Be more fervent for the things of the kingdom.

FROM THE TEAM: Thank you for reading today’s Open Heaven 22 August 2020 Saturday written by  Pastor E. A. Adeboye. Please, share with someone on Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram and other social media platforms using the social buttons at the beginning or scroll to the end of this post. Have a good day! #RemainRapturable

PREVIOUS DAY: OPEN HEAVENS 21 AUGUST 2020

OPEN HEAVEN 22 AUGUST 2020 HYMN

I AM THINE O LORD

1. I am Thine O Lord
I have heard Thy voice
And it told Thy love to me
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.

CHORUS:
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2. Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord
By the pow’r of grace divine
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope
And my will be lost in Thine.

3. Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend.

4. There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.

OPEN HEAVEN 22 AUGUST 2020 BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: JEREMIAH 49:1-39, JEREMIAH 50:1-46

JEREMIAH 49:1-39

1 Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the Lord; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities?

² Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the Lord.

³ Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.

⁴ Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come unto me?

⁵ Behold, I will bring a fear upon thee, saith the Lord God of hosts, from all those that be about thee; and ye shall be driven out every man right forth; and none shall gather up him that wandereth.

⁶ And afterward I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith the Lord.

⁷ Concerning Edom, thus saith the Lord of hosts; Is wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? is their wisdom vanished?

⁸ Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will visit him.

⁹ If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough.

¹⁰ But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled, and his brethren, and his neighbours, and he is not.

¹¹ Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me.

¹² For thus saith the Lord; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.

¹³ For I have sworn by myself, saith the Lord, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.

¹⁴ I have heard a rumour from the Lord, and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle.

¹⁵ For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men.

¹⁶ Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord.

¹⁷ Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.

¹⁸ As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.

¹⁹ Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?

²⁰ Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them.

²¹ The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea.

²² Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

²³ Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.

²⁴ Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.

²⁵ How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!

²⁶ Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the Lord of hosts.

²⁷ And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.

²⁸ Concerning Kedar, and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon shall smite, thus saith the Lord; Arise ye, go up to Kedar, and spoil the men of the east.

²⁹ Their tents and their flocks shall they take away: they shall take to themselves their curtains, and all their vessels, and their camels; and they shall cry unto them, Fear is on every side.

³⁰ Flee, get you far off, dwell deep, O ye inhabitants of Hazor, saith the Lord; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath taken counsel against you, and hath conceived a purpose against you.

³¹ Arise, get you up unto the wealthy nation, that dwelleth without care, saith the Lord, which have neither gates nor bars, which dwell alone.

³² And their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil: and I will scatter into all winds them that are in the utmost corners; and I will bring their calamity from all sides thereof, saith the Lord.

³³ And Hazor shall be a dwelling for dragons, and a desolation for ever: there shall no man abide there, nor any son of man dwell in it.

³⁴ The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,

³⁵ Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.

³⁶ And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.

³⁷ For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, saith the Lord; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:

³⁸ And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the Lord.

³⁹ But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the Lord.

JEREMIAH 50:1-46

1 The word that the Lord spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.

² Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces.

³ For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.

⁴ In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the Lord their God.

⁵ They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.

⁶ My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.

⁷ All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the Lord, the habitation of justice, even the Lord, the hope of their fathers.

⁸ Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks.

⁹ For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain.

¹⁰ And Chaldea shall be a spoil: all that spoil her shall be satisfied, saith the Lord.

¹¹ Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls;

¹² Your mother shall be sore confounded; she that bare you shall be ashamed: behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.

¹³ Because of the wrath of the Lord it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues.

¹⁴ Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about: all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she hath sinned against the Lord.

¹⁵ Shout against her round about: she hath given her hand: her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down: for it is the vengeance of the Lord: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her.

¹⁶ Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

¹⁷ Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.

¹⁸ Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria.

¹⁹ And I will bring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead.

²⁰ In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.

²¹ Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod: waste and utterly destroy after them, saith the Lord, and do according to all that I have commanded thee.

²² A sound of battle is in the land, and of great destruction.

²³ How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!

²⁴ I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the Lord.

²⁵ The Lord hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord God of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.

²⁶ Come against her from the utmost border, open her storehouses: cast her up as heaps, and destroy her utterly: let nothing of her be left.

²⁷ Slay all her bullocks; let them go down to the slaughter: woe unto them! for their day is come, the time of their visitation.

²⁸ The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, the vengeance of his temple.

²⁹ Call together the archers against Babylon: all ye that bend the bow, camp against it round about; let none thereof escape: recompense her according to her work; according to all that she hath done, do unto her: for she hath been proud against the Lord, against the Holy One of Israel.

³⁰ Therefore shall her young men fall in the streets, and all her men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the Lord.

³¹ Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud, saith the Lord God of hosts: for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee.

³² And the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up: and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round about him.

³³ Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go.

³⁴ Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.

³⁵ A sword is upon the Chaldeans, saith the Lord, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men.

³⁶ A sword is upon the liars; and they shall dote: a sword is upon her mighty men; and they shall be dismayed.

³⁷ A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword is upon her treasures; and they shall be robbed.

³⁸ A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols.

³⁹ Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.

⁴⁰ As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord; so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein.

⁴¹ Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.

⁴² They shall hold the bow and the lance: they are cruel, and will not shew mercy: their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, every one put in array, like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.

⁴³ The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble: anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail.

⁴⁴ Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong: but I will make them suddenly run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?

⁴⁵ Therefore hear ye the counsel of the Lord, that he hath taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitation desolate with them.

⁴⁶ At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved, and the cry is heard among the nations.