Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL

DATE: THURSDAY MAY 16TH 2024

THEME: DO NOT STEAL

MEMORISE: Nor thieves, nor covetous, drunkards, nor revilers,

nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.     1 Corinthians 6:10

READ: Joshua 7:13-26 

13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.

14 In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man.

15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.

16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:

17 And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:

18 And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.

19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.

20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:

21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.

23 And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.

24 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.

25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.

26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

MESSAGE

Exodus 22:2-3 says that the death penalty is appropriate for a thief. Proverbs 29:24 also says that if you partner with a thief, you hate your soul. You are not allowed to steal as a child of God. Stealing means taking that which does not belong to you without the permission of the owner or using that which is not yours as if it were.

When I was a lecturer, I wrote a personal letter and wanted to use an official envelope. Then, God said, "Don't!". I replied, "Why not?" He said, "That's for official letters, not personal letters." responded, "Lord, how much does an envelope cost?" and He said, "lf you know an envelope is that cheap, go and buy yours."

Jeremiah 17:11 tells us:

As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

The scripture above is saying that if a person acquires wealth by fraudulent means, it will not last, and the fellow will eventually regret his or her actions. For example, in 2 Kings 5:20-27, Gehazi fraudulently sought to amass material possessions from Naaman but ended up becoming a leper.

Several years ago, I was chairman of a high school's board of governors. I decided to help the school by building a boys' and girls' hostel, a school hall, and the principal's quarters. The principal decided that it was also an opportunity for him to build a small house in his hometown with some of the resources provided for the school's building project. So, as the school l was building were being constructed, he was also building his little mansion. When he finished, somebody surfaced and said, "Who built on my land?" He said, "l bought this land from so and so, and the real landowner replied, You bought it from the wrong fellow." The principal said, "Okay, let's not argue, how much do you want for the land?" The man said he was not selling the land and asked him to remove his house. The house is still there today, uninhabited. The landowner didn't bother using the land, he clearly didn't even need it. All the principal's efforts were wasted, and his dreams were dashed because the word of God is clear.

The life of a thief is a terrible one. His days are full of curses, and there is no peace for him at all. Beloved, it is only the blessing of God that comes without adding sorrow (Proverbs 10:22)-

KEY POINT

Thou shalt not steal.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 35-36

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD 

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.

o Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

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 Heavens Prayer Points

Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heaven 

Tuesday, 15  May 2024

God Hates Divorce 

Special Note.

These prayer points are not written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, but by one of his, disciples, of Christ, who was inspired and mandated by the Holy Spirit, effective, January 1st, 2015, to start writing these prayer points, based on the Open Heavens Daily Devotional see authored by Pastor E. A. Adeboye.

Some of the prayer points are deep spiritually and may not be understood by carnal minds.

If you want to be blessed from these prayer points, you must first, surrender Your life, to the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, by saying this prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I come to You with a deeply repentant heart, please, forgive me all my sins. I surrender my life to you, today, and, I accept You, as my personal Lord and Saviour. Please, come into my life and save my soul from eternal destruction in hell fire. In Jesus name, I pray.”

Prayer Points

I worship and adore You, my Father, You're the author and finisher of my faith and there is nothing impossible for You to do

Thank You my Father, for establishing the marriage institution as a one man, one wife, institution that should last for- ever, without an option of divorce.

3.Father, in anyway I have fallen short  of Your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me; let Your mercy prevail over judgement of sin in my life, in Jesus name.

Father, as the author of  the holy matrimony, You hate divorce,  we therefore ask for Your divine intervention to make every christian marriage work, as You intended it to be, in Jesus name.

Father give couples forgiving spirit and empower them to imbibe Your word that the sun must not set on our anger, in Jesus name.

Father, let the holy spirit remind married couples that even in cases of marrital or sexual infidelity that the  sin of sexual infidelity is not against any of the couple but against God and punishment for it will be personally supervised by God Himself which is described as very severe.

Father,  divorce is even a violation of the oath taken during solemnization of marriage that will usually work against the divorcees. please don't let me be in violation of the oathl vows that I took during my wedding, in Jesus name.

Father, please give me the grace to  always keep my marriage  vows and confession of ,"for better for worse and until death do us part", in Jesus name.

Father please come and rescue and restore every troubled marriage that are heading towards dissolution presently, and the ones that have already crashed, in Jesus name.

10.Father, bless your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye;  grant him divine health and long life; and, bless his ministry, home, and family (biological and spiritual), forever, in Jesus name.

11..Father, bless Your son that You have been using to prepare these prayer points, beyond measures, and all those who have been rebroadcasting them, in Jesus name.

12..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.

13..Your Personal petitions.

( Philippians 4:6)

14.In Jesus name I pray.

(John 14:13-14; 15:16)

15.Thank You Father for answered prayers.

(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

#GodBlessOurNation

These prayers have no expiry dates! Please, pray them, irrespective of the time they get to you. Remain blessed, in Jesus name.

Kindly, purchase your own hard copy or online version of the Open Heavens devotional & buy for your friends too, as a potent evangelism tool. God bless you, as you sow, into Pastor E.A. Adeboye's, books ministry.

Note:

You may not add, subtract or rearrange these prayer points. The Holy Spirit is the author, though He used someone, who, out of humility has refused to take glory for it, by not putting his name. It is plagiarism to use, or pass as your own, someone else writing or work. The original author of these prayer points is the Holy Spirit. So, share, but don't share His glory with Him in the process.

Remain blessed, as you obey, in Jesus name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: WEDNESDAY MAY 15TH, 2024.

THEME: GOD HATES DIVORCE

MEMORISE: 

For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covere the violence with hisngarment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.   

Malachi 2:16

READ: Mark 10:2-12 

2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

MESSAGE

These days, many people have tried to water down the standards of God because of modernization. However, the Bible clearly states in 2 Timothy 2:19 that God's foundation stands sure. God said clearly in Malachi 2:16 that He hates divorce. Mark 10:9 also says clearly:

What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

The moment a man and a woman are joined together in holy matrimony, they are no longer two people but one flesh. Just as you cannot decide to cut yourself into two and continue living, a married couple should never be divorced - God hates divorce. They are joined until death separates them. This is why my late Father in the Lord used to say to brothers who were about to get married in the church, "Once you carry her, you have carried her for life." Luke 16:18 says that if you divorce to marry someone else, you are committing adultery. The court may give you papers of divorce and a new marriage certificate; however, in heaven, you are recognized as an adulterous fellow. If you are married, know this very well, God does not intend for you to ever get divorced; marriage is a lifetime commitment.

Knowing that the moment you are married, you are joined to your spouse for life, you must take extra caution to marry the right person if you are yet to be married. If you have not heard from God with several confirmations, don't get married yet. It is better to be single and make heaven than to be married and have your marriage lead you to hell. Believe me; you will be doing yourself a lot of good if you wait on God to lead you before you get married.

If your marriage is troubled, getting a divorce is not the solution. You have already made a vow before God that you will be with your spouse until death separates both of you, and you must uphold that vow (Ecclesiastes 5:5). Rather than considering divorce, go to God, the One who created the institution of marriage and cry to Him for help. Is there anything too hard for Him to do? (Jeremiah 32:27). The answer is ‘No’, for nothing is impossible for Him to do (Luke 1:37), and this includes providing a solution to the problem in any marriage.

God hates divorce, and if you are truly His child, you will not want to do anything your Father hates.

KEY POINT

Marriage is a lifetime commitment. Getting a divorce is not an option.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 32-34

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

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 Heavens Prayer Points

Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heaven 

Tuesday, 14 May 2024

DON’T DESTROY YOURSELF

Special Note.

These prayer points are not written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, but by one of his, disciples, of Christ, who was inspired and mandated by the Holy Spirit, effective, January 1st, 2015, to start writing these prayer points, based on the Open Heavens Daily Devotional see authored by Pastor E. A. Adeboye.

Some of the prayer points are deep spiritually and may not be understood by carnal minds.

If you want to be blessed from these prayer points, you must first, surrender Your life, to the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, by saying this prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I come to You with a deeply repentant heart, please, forgive me all my sins. I surrender my life to you, today, and, I accept You, as my personal Lord and Saviour. Please, come into my life and save my soul from eternal destruction in hell fire. In Jesus name, I pray.”

Prayer Points

1.Thank You Father for the gift of life and for Your daily sustainance upon my life.

2.Thank You, Father for Your mercy that endures forever over my life.

3.Father, in anyway I have fallen short  of Your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me; let Your mercy prevail over judgement of sin in my life, in Jesus name.

4.Father, please lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil..For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen, in Jesus name.

5.Father, please let Your Kingdom come  and let Your will be done in my life, and on earth as it is done heaven, in Jesus name.

6.Father, please, give me this day and everyday, my daily bread, in Jesus name.

7.Father, please give me a forgiving spirit,  and   forgive me all my debts as I have forgiven those  who are indebted to me, in Jesus name.

8.Father, please, keep me holy and chaste, please don't let me fall into the traps ot the Fowler, in Jesus name.

9.Father, please, uphold me by Your right hand of righteousness and by Your grace that I do not fall into temptations; and  give me the grace  not to commit  fornication and adultery, in Jesus name.

10.Father, please, don't chastise me in Your wrath and in Your wrath, let mercy prevail, and whenever, temptation comes knocking at my door, please, quickly make a way of escape for me, in Jesus name.

11.Father, please don’t let me destroy myself please, empower me by Your grace to be holy as You are holy in heaven and let me never take You for granted as to abuse Your grace upon my life, in Jesus name

12.Father, bless your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye;  grant him divine health and long life; and, bless his ministry, home, and family (biological and spiritual), forever, in Jesus name.

13..Father, bless Your son that You have been using to prepare these prayer points, beyond measures, and all those who have been rebroadcasting them, in Jesus name.

14..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.

15..Your Personal petitions.

( Philippians 4:6)

16.In Jesus name I pray.

(John 14:13-14; 15:16)

17.Thank You Father for answered prayers.

(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

#GodBlessOurNation

These prayers have no expiry dates! Please, pray them, irrespective of the time they get to you. Remain blessed, in Jesus name.

Kindly, purchase your own hard copy or online version of the Open Heavens devotional & buy for your friends too, as a potent evangelism tool. God bless you, as you sow, into Pastor E.A. Adeboye's, books ministry.

Note:

You may not add, subtract or rearrange these prayer points. The Holy Spirit is the author, though He used someone, who, out of humility has refused to take glory for it, by not putting his name. It is plagiarism to use, or pass as your own, someone else writing or work. The original author of these prayer points is the Holy Spirit. So, share, but don't share His glory with Him in the process.

Remain blessed, as you obey, in Jesus name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: TUESDAY MAY 14TH, 2024.

THEME: DON'T DESTROY YOURSELF

Memorise 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 

Matthew 6:13

READ: MATHEW 6:9-13

Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Matthew 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.

Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

MESSAGE

In Matthew 6:9-13, the Lord was teaching the disciples to pray. He said in verse 13 that they should cry to the

Father, "Lead us not into temptation and in case we have already fallen into trouble, then deliver us from evil." This part of the Lord's prayer bothered me for a while. Can God really lead someone into temptation? Then I read in Proverbs 22:14:

The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.

This means that when someone is abhorred of God, such a person will be pushed into the mouth of a strange woman so that he can be destroyed completely. You will understand this better when you read 1 Corinthians 3:17:

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

So, if you notice that it is becoming very difficult to overcome any temptation, you should go on a retreat for some days and cry to God for mercy. He has promised that He will always make a way of escape for you (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Watch your steps. Don't get yourself into a situation where God will say, "I have had enough of you. Go ahead and do as you like, and we will see the result of your actions." Have you toyed with sin and said to yourself, "There was no repercussion for the things I did in the past, so all is still okay?" Don't deceive yourself; everything you do on earth is recorded in heaven, even your idle words (Matthew

12:36). If you don't stop, one day, God will open that book and say, "Is this person taking me for a fool? I will show him that l am not a fool and cause him to destroy himself." May that not be your portion, in Jesus' name.

Now, I know there might be someone reading this now Who is sill not willing to stop sinning. This is the kind of fellow described in 1 Timothy 4:2.

The truth is, your holiness does not help me in any way; it helps you. I am not asking you to live holy so that I can make it to heaven, I am asking you to live holy so that you will not spend eternity in hell. I have done my duty by bringing this message to you. A word is enough for the wise.

PRAYER POINT :

Father, please don't let me destroy myself.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 29-31

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

HYMN31 : YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION 

1 Yield not to temptation,

For yielding is sin;

Each vict’ry will help you,

Some other to win;

Fight valiantly onward,

Evil passions subdue;

Look ever to Jesus,

He will carry you through.

Refrain:

Ask the Savior to help you,

Comfort, strengthen and keep you;

He is willing to aid you,

He will carry you through.

2 Shun evil companions,

Bad language disdain;

God’s name hold in rev’rence,

Nor take it in vain;

Be thoughtful and earnest,

Kindhearted and true;

Look ever to Jesus,

He will carry you through. 

3 To him that o’ercometh,

God giveth a crown;

Through faith we will conquer,

Though often cast down;

He who is our Savior,

Our strength will renew;

Look ever to Jesus,

He will carry you through.

Open Heavens Prayer Points

Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heavens 

Monday, 13 May 2024 

OLD SOLDIER

Special Note.

These prayer points are not written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, but by one of his, disciples, of Christ, who was inspired and mandated by the Holy Spirit, effective, January 1st, 2015, to start writing these prayer points, based on the Open Heavens Daily Devotional see authored by Pastor E. A. Adeboye.

Some of the prayer points are deep spiritually and may not be understood by carnal minds.

If you want to be blessed from these prayer points, you must first, surrender Your life, to the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, by saying this prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I come to You with a deeply repentant heart, please, forgive me all my sins. I surrender my life to you, today, and, I accept You, as my personal Lord and Saviour. Please, come into my life and save my soul from eternal destruction in hell fire. In Jesus name, I pray.”

Prayer Points

1.Thank You Father, for the salvation of my soul and for calling me out of  the pit of this world,  into Your marvelous light in Christ Jesus.

2.Thank You, Father, for the abundance of Your grace upon my life and destiny 

3.Father, in anyway I have fallen short  of Your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me; let Your mercy prevail over judgement of sin in my life, in Jesus name.

4.Father, for all that I have achieved sofar in my journey with You, please take all the glory and empower me to  go on to achieve more for you, in Jesus name.

5.Father the grace to press forward as a soldier of Christ no matter my present achievements, please release upon my life, in Jesus name.

6.Father, let me never rest on my oars, but give me the grace to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

7.Father, I have laid my hands on the plough, please, let me never look back, release more grace upon me, to continue to achieve  more now, than in the past for you and Your Kingdom, in Jesus name.

8.Father, please let me never become an irrelevant old soldier in Your Kingdom rather let me even be more relevant today in my old age than, yesterday in my youth, in Jesus name.

9.Father, please let me be on fire for You in season and out of season, when it  is convenient and not convenient, in Jesus name.

10.Father, please renew my zeal for You and rekindle the fire of Your revival in my life, in Jesus name.

11.Father, please take me to those days when I used to place doing Your will and purpose above my personal comfort and convince, in Jesus name 

12.Father, please give me the grace not to dwell on my past glories,  please renew my strength to  cover new grounds and achieve more for You and Your Kingdom, in Jesus name.

13.Father, bless your son, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye;  grant him divine health and long life; and, bless his ministry, home, and family (biological and spiritual), forever, in Jesus name.

14..Father, bless Your son that You have been using to prepare these prayer points, beyond measures, and all those who have been rebroadcasting them, in Jesus name.

15.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.

16..Your Personal petitions.

( Philippians 4:6)

17.In Jesus name I pray.

(John 14:13-14; 15:16)

18.Thank You Father for answered prayers.

(1 Thessalonians 5:18).

#GodBlessOurNation

These prayers have no expiry dates! Please, pray them, irrespective of the time they get to you. Remain blessed, in Jesus name.

Kindly, purchase your own hard copy or online version of the Open Heavens devotional & buy for your friends too, as a potent evangelism tool. God bless you, as you sow, into Pastor E.A. Adeboye's, books ministry.

Note:

You may not add, subtract or rearrange these prayer points. The Holy Spirit is the author, though He used someone, who, out of humility has refused to take glory for it, by not putting his name. It is plagiarism to use, or pass as your own, someone else writing or work. The original author of these prayer points is the Holy Spirit. So, share, but don't share His glory with Him in the process.

Remain blessed, as you obey, in Jesus name.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: MONDAY MAY 13TH, 2024.

THEME: OLD SOLDIER

MEMORISE: 

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.      

Philippians 3:13

READ: Philippians 3:12-15 

12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

MESSAGE

Many people dwell on their past achievements in the kingdom of God. They talk about the days they were on fire for God, how they used to pray for long hours, and how they used to win souls for God. Currently, however, you cannot see any sign of that same zeal they talk about in them. These are the kind of people we call 'old soldier' where I come from in Nigeria.

An old soldier in this context is someone who used to be very active in the army but who, after a while, became old, unfit, and irrelevant. Old soldiers, in this sense, are Christians who used to be very vibrant, win souls for God, heal the sick, and perform many wonders in Jesus' name. However, somehow, they started to lose their zeal and became unfit, so that now, when people are talking about zealous Christians, they hardly mention them. Such Christians have moved from hot to cold in the things of God. If this describes you, then you need to retrace your steps and return to your first love.

You need to go back to the days when you put God's will above your comfort and convenience; the days when the things of this world were not enticing to you and all you cared about was doing the will of God. You need to go back to those days because being an old soldier in the body of Christ is a very dangerous thing. Jesus Christ said in Luke 9:62 that if anyone places his hand on the plough and looks back, he is not fit for the kingdom of God. To God, past glory is gone; what is more relevant to Him is your current spiritual state. In Ezekiel 18:24, He said that someone has been righteous all his life but turns around and starts sinning, if that fellow dies in sin, he or she will be condemned. As far as God is concerned, the path of the righteous will shine brighter every day until the perfect day which is the day he sees Jesus in glory.

Like Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:13, forget those old days of glory and begin to seek God afresh. Make your Bible your best friend more than ever before. Intentionally set out quality time to pray daily. Look for a vibrant fellowship of believers that you can associate with regularly and ensure that your zeal for God's kingdom keeps growing.

KEY POINT

In the body of Christ, old soldiers are fallen soldiers. Don't be one.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Chronicles 25-28

AUTHOR: PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 12: ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS

Onward, Christian soldiers!

Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus going on before.

Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;

Forward into battle see His banners go!

Refrain:

Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus going on before.

At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee;

On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!

Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise;

Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.

Like a mighty army moves the church of God;

Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.

We are not divided, all one body we,

One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.

Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,

But the church of Jesus constant will remain.

Gates of hell can never ’gainst that church prevail;

We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.

Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,

Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.

Glory, laud, and honor unto Christ the King,

This through countless ages men and angels sing.