Open Heaven 18 October 2023 – Are You A Fresh Or Stale Christian? 2
Open Heaven 18 October 2023 Wednesday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Are You A Fresh Or Stale Christian? 2
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Open Heaven 18 October 2023 TOPIC: Are You A Fresh Or Stale Christian? 2
MEMORISE: “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” – Psalm 34:1 (KJV)
READ: Psalm 34:1-11 (KJV)
1 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Mark 12-13
Open Heaven 18 October 2023 MESSAGE
Fresh Christians are always joyful in the house of God. When you see a fresh Christian during praise and worship, the fellow will be singing and dancing with joy, unlike some so called big men of God who have now become so familiar with the Lord that they can’t dance for Him anymore.
Also Read: Open Heaven 17 October 2023 – Are You A Fresh Or Stale Christian? 1
Many years ago, while waving my tambourine and dancing for my Maker during the praise and worship session at a Pastors’ meeting, a big man of God tapped me and said, “Look at you, a whole General Overseer, dancing like that”. I told him I would never stop dancing for the One who made me the General Overseer of RCCG. David, with all his majesty, never outgrew dancing for God. In fact, (2 Samuel 6:14) says he danced with all his might. What was the result? God kept lifting him steadily. He went from becoming king of Jerusalem to king of Israel and kept progressing until he became the father of the King of kings. Even the key of God that opens and none can shut is called the key of David. Fresh Christians never outgrow praising God even after several years of surrendering their lives to Christ. However, people who see themselves as too big to dance for God because they think they are no longer new in the faith have allowed themselves to become stale Christians.
Fresh Christians submit to the authority God has placed over them. You will always hear them say, “My Pastor said…”, and the blessings of obedience always follow them (2 Chronicles 20:20). Many years ago, my Father-in-the-Lord told all the workers that there was a need in the Church, so they should empty their bank accounts and bring the money to Church. The next Sunday, when he was meeting with us again, he said the need had been met, then he asked, “How many of you actually obeyed the instruction? Only my wife and I raised our hands. As far as we were concerned, it was God saying it, so we obeyed. The other people who had been in the Church long before us however did not obey. In return, God raised us to become the leaders of the Church.
You must never become so familiar with men of God that you begin to disobey and disrespect them. That is not a sign of spiritual maturity, but rather, of spiritual staleness and death.
Open Heaven 18 October 2023 KEY POINT
A fresh Christian never outgrows praising God and obeying Him at all times.
Open Heaven 18 October 2023 HYMN 17 – Praise My Soul, The King Of Heaven
1 Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven,
To His feet your tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore His praises sing.
Alleluia! alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King!
2 Praise Him for His grace and favour
To His people in distress.
Praise Him, still the same as ever,
Slow to chide and swift to bless.
Alleluia! alleluia!
Glorious in His faithfulness!
3 Father-like He tends and spares us,
Well our feeble frame He knows,
In His hand he gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes:
Alleluia! alleluia!
Widely yet His mercy flows!
4 Angels, help us to adore Him!
You behold Him face to face.
Sun and moon, bow down before Him,
Dwellers all in time and space,
Alleluia! alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace!
Open Heavens 2023 Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Open Heaven for Today 2023
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "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)
