OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 17 NOVEMBER 2023 FRIDAY: FAITH

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 17 NOVEMBER 2023 MEMORIZE: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 17 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE READING DANIEL 3:16-26

[16]Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

[17]If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

[18]But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

[19]Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

[20]And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

[21]Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

[22]Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

[23]And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

[24]Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

[25]He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

[26]Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 17 NOVEMBER 2023 MESSAGE

Believing in God is a level of faith that every child of God has and is the foundation of faith.

However, other levels of faith can be attained as we grow deeper in our relationship with God.

Faith in God makes it possible to have whatever you ask from God, For instance, when in trouble, your faith will move Him to deliver you like He did for the three Hebrew boys in our text for today.

If your faith is in man, your needs might never be met because man will surely disappoint you, but faith in Christ never fails.

However, for your faith to be strong, you need to know the truth of God’s word (Romans 10:17).

As a child of God, your faith should be in God and not man.

Faith can be exercised in different unimaginable ways. When in need, just have faith, and God will supply.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 17 NOVEMBER 2023 KEY POINT

Faith in God is the only sure anchor.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 17 NOVEMBER 2023 HYMN

HYMN 18 – WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD

1. When we walk with the Lord,
In the light of His word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

CHORUS
Trust and obey!
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt nor a fear,
Not a sigh nor a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear,
Not a sorrow we share
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief nor a loss,
Not a frown nor a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey

4. But we never can prove
The delights of His love,
Until all on the altar we lay,
For the favour He shows
And the joy He bestows
Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way,
What He says we will do,
Where He sends we will go,
Never fear, only trust and obey.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 17 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: ACTS 14-15

AUTHORS: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE
PASTOR MRS FOLU ADEBOYE

 

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 16 NOVEMBER 2023 MEMORIZE: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Matthew 5:28

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 16 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE READING EXODUS 20:17

[17]Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 16 NOVEMBER 2023 MESSAGE

Lust is an emotion or a feeling of intense desire for something or someone. When a certain thing overwhelmingly entices you, then it is lust.

If you covet something or someone, it is lust and not love.

Lust is not just looking at the opposite gender in a sinful manner, it is coveting what does not belong to you.

On the other hand love is when you have compassion for others. It is what you do more than what you say or think; it is the love you have for God.

Lust can lead you into doing unimaginable evil to your neighbour. An example is David, who, because of lust, committed both adultery and murder.

James 1:15 also confirms that lust births sin. Love does not do all these, instead, it is kind, patient, slow to anger, not proud, not envious, et cetera (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

My beloved child, please love people genuinely like Jesus loved; only then will you please God.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 16 NOVEMBER 2023 KEY POINT

Lust harms, love heals.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 16 NOVEMBER 2023 HYMN

HYMN 3 – ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER

1. All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

CHORUS
I surrender all.
I surrender all:
All to Thee, my blessed saviour
I surrender all

2. All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow;
Worldly pleasures all forsaken.
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

3. All to Jesus I surrender.
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

4. All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory to His name!

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 16 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: ACTS 12-13

AUTHORS: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE
PASTOR MRS FOLU ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVEN 18 NOVEMBER 2023 MEMORISE: Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Matthew 7:16 (KJV)

OPEN HEAVEN 18 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE TEXT Matthew 7:16-23 (KJV)

¹⁶ Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

¹⁷ Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

¹⁸ A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

¹⁹ Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

²⁰ Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

²¹ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

²² Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

²³ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Be a vessel of evangelism and share these life-changing messages, prayers, and declarations with the precious people around you.

OPEN HEAVEN 18 NOVEMBER 2023 MESSAGE

Yesterday, we discussed the fact that when you are pure in heart, it will show on the outside.

The state of your heart – whether pure or otherwise, will always show on the outside.

For example, when people see you dressed like a harlot or hooligan, they would know what is inside.

Many people parade themselves as children of God but dress and talk like people of the world (1 John 2:15).

When you call yourself light but are looking, sounding and moving like darkness, we know that you are not who or what you claim to be (2 Corinthians 6:14).

2 Corinthians 5:17 says: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Right from the inside to the outside, all things become new when a person receives Christ – not all things apart from the fashion sense or speech; ‘all things’ mean everything.

When you change from the inside, it will show in every aspect of your life because the change is from the core of your being.

When you see a Chinese man and a Yoruba man, you can clearly differentiate them by how they look, their language and the food they eat.

You don’t need to be told; you just know based on the fruits you see.

When people see you, can they recognize the DNA of Christ in you?

If they have to ask whether you are a child of God or not, then check well to see if you are a true Christian.

Some Pastors think that to convert youths to Christ, they must dress and behave like them; not at all.

The youths want someone disciplined enough to challenge them.

They want to show youthful exuberance, with the expectation that their pastor would caution them.

Unfortunately, the people they are looking up to for that discipline are the same ones coming down to their level.

Check the way the seemingly unruly youths treat the disciplined ones: that will tell you that they value discipline.

Why should you now want to be like the unruly ones? That must change.

OPEN HEAVEN 18 NOVEMBER 2023 KEY POINT

Let others see Jesus in you.

OPEN HEAVEN 18 NOVEMBER 2023 HYMN

RCCG HYMN 30: When We Walk With The Lord

1. When we walk with the Lord,
In the light of His word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:
Trust and obey!
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.

2. But we never can prove
The delights of His love,
Until all on the altar we lay,
For the favour He shows
And the joy He bestows
Are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]

3. Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way,
What He says we will do,
Where He sends we will go,
Never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]

OPEN HEAVEN 18 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR; Acts 16-17

Author: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVEN 20 NOVEMBER 2023 MEMORISE: A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. James 1:8

OPEN HEAVEN 20 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE TEXT Isaiah 29:13-16

¹³ Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

¹⁴ Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

¹⁵ Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

¹⁶ Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

Be a vessel of evangelism and share these life-changing messages, prayers, and declarations with the precious people around you.

OPEN HEAVEN 20 NOVEMBER 2023 MESSAGE

To be double-minded is to be a hypocrite – one minute, you act a certain way and the next, you are someone else.

You say something here and something contrary elsewhere.

That is double-mindedness and a sign of an impure heart, according to James 4:8:

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

Matthew 5:8 says only the pure in heart will see God, so double-minded people will not make it to heaven.

To be pure means to be of a single content.

When people talk about pure cotton or pure wool, it means it does not contain any other kind of material.

Purity, therefore, implies singleness of mind and purpose.

One of the reasons I love dogs is that you can tell when they’re happy or angry. They have no pretense at all.

Unfortunately, when it comes to human beings, they can smile at you and yet plan to kill you.

To be pure means no pretense (James 5:12).

That is when your ‘yes’ is ‘yes’, and your ‘no’ means ‘no’.

If you stand for something, stand for it all the way.

In Luke 9:59-62, Jesus Christ gave us an illustration of this when He said the moment you have placed your hand on the plough, there must be no looking back.

In Luke 16:13, He puts it another way:

“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

If you are serving one master today and serving another tomorrow, you are double-minded.

Choose who your master is and stand by him or her all the way.

If you want to serve God, then don’t serve money, or visit a witch doctor in secret; serve God and God alone.

As for me, I am serving the Lord Jesus Christ and I am going with only Him all the way.

I tell you again brethren, whatever God does not do for you, no one else can do it.

Many of us have not been getting full benefits from the Lord Jesus Christ simply because we are double-minded.

James 1:6-8 says the double-minded should not even expect to get anything from God.

Don’t be double-minded.

OPEN HEAVEN 20 NOVEMBER 2023 KEY POINT

Search your heart to see if you have been a hypocrite in any way and repent if you find yourself guilty.

OPEN HEAVEN 20 NOVEMBER 2023 HYMN

RCCG HYMN 20: Stand Up! Stand Up For Jesus

¹ Stand up! stand up for Jesus!
  Ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner,
  It must not suffer loss:
From vict’ry unto vict’ry
  His army shall He lead,
Till 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 armor,
  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 20 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR; Acts 20-21

Author: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVEN 18 NOVEMBER 2023 MEMORISE: In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 1 Timothy 2:9 (KJV)

OPEN HEAVEN 19 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE TEXT 1 Peter 3:1-5 (KJV)

Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

² While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

³ Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

⁴ But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

⁵ For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

Be a vessel of evangelism and share these life-changing messages, prayers, and declarations with the precious people around you.

OPEN HEAVEN 19 NOVEMBER 2023 MESSAGE

There is a popular saying: ‘Dress the way you want to be addressed’. This means that how you look is an indicator of who you are.

In the olden days, a mad person could be recognised by his rough and unkempt look. However, these days, it is called a style.

This is deception. Simply put, it is what is inside that is coming out on the outside.

What kind of people do you see wearing torn clothes around today? Some people even cut their jeans by themselves and call them crazy jeans.

Do you now see clearly where their inspiration is from? Why have you made mad people your new role models? That in itself is worrisome.

As a parent, why would you allow your children wear things that portray them as people of the world, rather than of God?

It is clear that some parents do not regard God highly; they would rather offend Him than discipline their children.

I saw a girl dressed indecently one day; I asked her if her parents had been out when she left the house.

She said they were at home and, in fact, it was her mother who had bought the dress for her.

I said, “How can you walk through the streets like this? Don’t you know that your dress says that you are available and cheap?”.

Surprisingly, she thanked me and said she had always suspected that her parents didn’t really care about her.

Parents, teach your children to dress in a way that will glorify God.

Some husbands allow their wives to dress like harlots. I find this very hard to understand.

You cannot enter a private property without an invitation because doing so would amount to trespassing.

A wife is not for sale; she is already off the shelf, yet there are wives whose dressing proclaims them as cheap and available.

Why would a woman dress in such a way that what belongs to her husband is exposed for the whole world to see?

Some women will say they want to look ‘sexy’. Are you public property? The only fellow you should look ‘sexy’ for is your husband – no one else.

The problem is that some husbands are so ignorant that they think their wife dressing half naked in public is stylish.

May God deliver this generation from destructive mentalities, in Jesus’ name.

OPEN HEAVEN 19 NOVEMBER 2023 KEY POINT

If you are a child of the King of Kings, you should dress as such.

OPEN HEAVEN 19 NOVEMBER 2023 HYMN

RCCG HYMN 7: 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.

Refrain:
Draw me nearer, 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. [Refrain]

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! [Refrain]

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. [Refrain]

OPEN HEAVEN 19 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR; Acts 18-19

Author: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 15 NOVEMBER 2023 WEDNESDAY: RESTITUTION

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 15 NOVEMBER 2023 MEMORIZE: If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it: he shalI restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. Exodus 22:1

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 15 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE READING LUKE 19:8-9

[8]And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

[9]And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 15 NOVEMBER 2023 MESSAGE

Restitution is not a new doctrine, it has been in practice for a long time, as seen in the Bible text of today. Restitution is an avenue to make your way right with your fellow man.

It is an act of putting right what was wrongly done, just as Zacchaeus did. It is also the restoration of something stolen or lost to the proper owner.

Restitution is a command in the Bible to enable us to follow peace with all men. This is an important step for every child of God to have a clear conscience.

The act of restitution brings favour from God, speedy answers to prayers, healing, power to do exploits, and fearlessness.

My beloved child, make restitution with people you have quarrelled with in the past, and restitute for all the lies you have told to your parents and friends so you can have peace with God and man.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 15 NOVEMBER 2023 ACTION POINT

Ask God for help and make restitutions for the wrongs you have done.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 15 NOVEMBER 2023 HYMN

HYMN 3 – ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER

1. All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

CHORUS
I surrender all.
I surrender all:
All to Thee, my blessed saviour
I surrender all

2. All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow;
Worldly pleasures all forsaken.
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

3. All to Jesus I surrender.
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

4. All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory to His name!

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 15 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: ACTS 10-11

AUTHORS: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE
PASTOR MRS FOLU ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVEN 17 NOVEMBER 2023 MEMORISE: Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8

OPEN HEAVEN 17 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE TEXT Matthew 23:25-33

²⁵ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

²⁶ Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

²⁷ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

²⁸ Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

²⁹ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

³⁰ And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

³¹ Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

³² Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

³³ Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Be a vessel of evangelism and share these life-changing messages, prayers, and declarations with the precious people around you.

OPEN HEAVEN 17 NOVEMBER 2023 MESSAGE

Our memory verse today says those that are pure in heart are blessed and they will see God.

What this scripture is saying is that if your purity is not on the inside, you cannot make heaven.

Some people will probably jump at that and say, “What matters is the inside, not the outside.”

That is untrue because whatever is on the inside will also show on the outside.

When somebody is mad, he is mad on the inside, but the evidence is seen on the outside.

Many years ago, when we had just started the Redeemed Christian Bible College, I brought some Americans to teach the students, but they began to teach my people that I was too harsh and legalistic.

They said God is only interested in what is inside the heart, not outside.

When I heard this, I knew I was in trouble and sought the face of God for wisdom to handle the situation.

Thankfully, He inspired me to buy two oranges of the same size and present to the students One was yellow and the other green.

I asked them to choose one and they all chose the yellow one.

I asked why and they said it would be sweeter than the green one.

I asked them how they came to that conclusion as we had not cut it open; they said the outside shows what is inside. The message was passed.

The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 that in the last days, there will be many people who will have a form of godliness.

You may talk and dress like a Christian, but those things don’t make you one.

Christianity is being like Jesus from the inside out. Your heart must yearn to be more and more like Him. You must avoid sin in order to please God.

It is when your heart is aligned with Christ that every other thing on the outside begins to fall in place.

You must study God’s word daily with the intention of getting to know more and more of Him.

Spend quality time with Him in prayers and worship.

Tell Him you want to have an intimate relationship with Him that will change you from the inside out and you would see Him reveal Himself to you like never before.

Your purity must start from within you, but it should also reflect on the outside.

OPEN HEAVEN 17 NOVEMBER 2023 KEY POINT

Father, please help me to be pure inside and outside.

OPEN HEAVEN 17 NOVEMBER 2023 HYMN

RCCG HYMN 10: In Christ Alone

¹ In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

² In Christ alone, who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied –
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

³ There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine –
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

⁴ No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand:
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

OPEN HEAVEN 17 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR; Acts 14-15

Author: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVEN 16 NOVEMBER 2023 MEMORISE: Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48 (KJV)

OPEN HEAVEN 16 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE TEXT 1 Peter 1:13-16 (KJV)

¹³ Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

¹⁴ As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

¹⁵ But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

¹⁶ Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Be a vessel of evangelism and share these life-changing messages, prayers, and declarations with the precious people around you.

OPEN HEAVEN 16 NOVEMBER 2023 MESSAGE

Jesus Christ tells us clearly in today’s memory verse that we should be perfect like our Father in heaven.

Unfortunately, some people have believed the lie of the devil that no human being can be perfect.

That is a lie because Jesus Christ will never ask you to do something He knows you cannot accomplish.

It is painful to say, but not every Bishop, General Overseer or evangelist is going to heaven, which is why your standard for perfection must be Christ, not man (Matthew 7:22-23).

The things you do must be in line with the word of God only.

If someone says something that is not in line with God’s word, no matter who they are, reject it.

This follows that you must know God for yourself and not only through the lens of someone else.

Apostle Paul said, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

In other words, Paul was saying that the moment you notice that I am not following Christ, stop following me.

The only way to know if your spiritual leader is still following Christ is by knowing Christ yourself and you have your Bible to teach you all you need to know about Him.

The decision to be perfect is a personal matter.

It is not something you do collectively; it is personal.

You can be a part of a group of friends who fellowship with and hold one another accountable, but who knows what the others are doing in secret in the middle of the night?

Who is there in your thoughts to check you when you are conceiving the wrong ideas?

Joshua said, “As for me and my house”.

The ‘me’ comes before ‘my house’. He didn’t say ‘As for us’.

‘As for me’, I will do the will of God, not ‘as for us’.

It is written in Luke 17:34 that two people will be on a bed, one will be taken and the other left behind.

In other words, a husband may go and the wife may remain, or the wife may go while the husband remains. It is a personal affair.

Make your own decision today, let Christ be your standard and ignore what others are doing.

OPEN HEAVEN 16 NOVEMBER 2023 KEY POINT

If our Father in heaven is perfect and we are His genuine children, then we must be perfect too.

OPEN HEAVEN 16 NOVEMBER 2023 HYMN

RCCG HYMN 23: Take My Life And Let It Be

¹ Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
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,
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,
filled with messages from thee.

⁴ Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
every power 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,
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,
ever, only, all for thee. 

OPEN HEAVEN 16 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR; Acts 10-11

Author: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVEN 15 NOVEMBER 2023 MEMORISE: All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted. Psalm 75:10 (KJV)

OPEN HEAVEN 15 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE TEXT 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (KJV)

⁶ For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

⁷ I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

⁸ Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Be a vessel of evangelism and share these life-changing messages, prayers, and declarations with the precious people around you.

OPEN HEAVEN 15 NOVEMBER 2023 MESSAGE

We will progress in our study of the benefits of living holy today, as we look at how holiness can help you fulfill destiny.

Nothing can stop you from fulfilling your destiny if you live a holy life. Let us consider Joseph.

God revealed it to Joseph in Genesis 37:5-10 that he had a great destiny to fulfil.

His brothers envied him, sold him into slavery and he found himself in the house of a rich man called Potiphar, whose wife wanted to sleep with him.

Joseph refused because he did not want to do anything to offend God (Genesis 39:9).

He remained holy and at the end of the day, impossible as his dreams seemed, he fulfilled them.

One major thing that has kept me holy is the fact that I know it is only God who can help me fulfil my dreams.

If you really want to fulfil your dreams, then you must live holy.

If God Himself gave you a destiny to fulfil, then you can be sure He is on your side, willing to help you fulfil that destiny.

Romans 8:31 says if God be for you, who can be against you?

Even the devil dares not. The only fellow who can be against you is yourself.

When you start sinning, God will turn away from you and then the devil will come in to ensure that you don’t fulfil that destiny.

King Saul was destined to be a great king and God was on his side until he started to sin.

God took His spirit from him and sent a tormenting spirit to him instead.

In the end, he failed in his destiny.

Do you want to fulfil your destiny? Live holy.

Hebrews 1:9 says: Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

If you want to be great, if you know that you need the anointing that will raise you above your fellows, if you want to receive a crown of righteousness at the end of your race here on earth (2 Timothy 4:8), then you must love righteousness and hate iniquity.

There are many people I have come across with great destinies; they started well but somewhere along the line, began to commit sin and thus never fulfilled that great purpose for which God created them.

Beloved, if you love yourself at all, you would stop committing sins and start living holy.

That is the only way you can fulfil God’s plans for your life.

OPEN HEAVEN 15 NOVEMBER 2023 KEY POINT

Love righteousness and hate iniquity.

OPEN HEAVEN 15 NOVEMBER 2023 HYMN

RCCG HYMN 11: I’ve Found A Friend In Jesus

¹ I have found a friend in Jesus, He‟s everything to me; 
He‟s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul!
The Lily of the Valley, in Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow He‟s my comfort, in trouble He‟s my stay; 
He tells me every care on Him to roll. (Hallelujah)

Chorus:

He‟s the Lily of the Valley,
the Bright and Morning Star; 
He‟s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul. 

² He all my grief has taken, and all my sorrows borne;
In temptation He‟s my strong and mighty tower; 
I have all for Him forsaken, and all my idols torn
From my heart, and now He keeps me by His power. 
Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore, 
Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal: (Hallelujah)

³ He‟ll never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here, 
while I live by faith and do His blessed will;
A wall of fire about me, I‟ve nothing now to fear; 
with His manna He my hungry soul shall fill. 
Then sweeping up to glory, I‟ll see His blessed face, 
where rivers of delight shall ever roll.

OPEN HEAVEN 14 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE IN ONE YEAR; Acts 10-11

Author: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 14 NOVEMBER 2023 MEMORIZE: Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth: a stranger, and not thine own lips. Proverbs 27:2

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 14 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE READING MATTHEW 6:1-2

[1]Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

[2]Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 14 NOVEMBER 2023 MESSAGE

As a child of God, you have been commanded not to be boastful but to be humble. Do not brag about yourself to people because this can lead to envy and hate.

A mouth that sings his/her own praise will be brought down. Thus, let Your results sing your praise, not you doing so yourself.

Do your best and let others do the praising. As a student, your excellent results will announce you, not bragging about how intelligent you are.

Boastfulness is a pitfall you must avoid because it will make you think you are better than every other person.

Those who boast can sometimes get into trouble especially when they boast of the things they don’t have or cannot do.

The trouble comes when they are asked to show/do what they boasted about.

My beloved child, there is only one acceptable kind of boast – boasting about Christ.

Apostle Paul said: “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord,” (1 Corinthians 1:31) because He will lift you high when you do.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 14 NOVEMBER 2023 KEY POINT

Never blow your trumpet; let your results do.

OPEN HEAVEN FOR TEENS 14 NOVEMBER 2023 HYMN

HYMN 5 – TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE

1. Take my life and let it
Consecrated Lord to Thee
Take my moment and my days
Let them flow ceaseless 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 sliver and my gold
Not a mite would I withhold
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall 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 HEAVEN FOR TEENS 14 NOVEMBER 2023 BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR: ACTS 8-9

AUTHORS: PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE
PASTOR MRS FOLU ADEBOYE