Table of Contents
OPEN HEAVENS FOR 16TH JUNE 2026
TOPIC: THE LIVING DEAD
MEMORISE:
I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. — Psalm 16:8
READ: 1 Corinthians 11:24-26 (KJV)
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
MESSAGE:
In John 6:53, Jesus Christ said that only those who partake of His flesh and blood will have life in them. This implies that anyone who does not accept Him as his or her Lord and Saviour is as good as dead. Such people may seem to be alive, but really, there is no life in them, and it would be correct to refer to them as the ‘living dead’.
As we see in today’s Bible reading, Jesus Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper, also known as the Holy Communion, to illustrate the eating of His flesh and drinking of His blood. He shared bread and wine with His disciples that night, describing it as the new covenant in His blood. Partaking of the flesh and blood of Jesus gives us life as Christians, and this is why the Holy Communion is such a powerful meal.
The Lord Jesus also commanded His disciples to continue having the meal in remembrance of Him until His return. So, as often as we believers partake of the Holy Communion, we bring the sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour to remembrance.
This has several benefits for us believers, one of which is that it helps us to keep Him before us at all times. This means that as a believer, when Christ is always before you, satan has no chance to attack you.
As we see in today’s memory verse, David said that he had set the Lord always before him, and because He was at his right hand, he would not be moved. This was the confidence David had that nothing could shake him since the Lord was always before him. When you partake of the Holy Communion often and worthily, you will be secured from evil and surrounded by favour because the Lord will always be before you.
Apart from those who do not partake of the flesh and blood of Jesus, those who do so while wallowing in sin can also be referred to as the ‘living dead’. This is because, as they partake of the Holy Communion, God is right before them, and they incur His wrath because they are living in sin. This can also make such persons sickly and even cost them their lives (1 Corinthians 11:29-30).
Beloved, don’t be among the ‘living dead’. Accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour if you haven’t, stay away from sin, and always make the best of the privilege to sit at the Lord’s table as often as you can.
KEY POINT:
Those who reject the sacrifice of Jesus are the living dead.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Psalms 62-68
HYMN: ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER
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.
All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow;
Worldly pleasures all forsaken,
Take me, Jesus, take me now.All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Saviour, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.
About RCCG and Open Heavens
The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is a global Pentecostal denomination founded in 1952 by Reverend Josiah Akindayomi and now led by Pastor E. A. Adeboye as General Overseer. Headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, RCCG has spread to over 200 countries with millions of worshippers worldwide.
Open Heavens is the daily devotional of RCCG, written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye. First published in 2003, it has become one of the most widely read daily devotionals in the world. Each edition includes a memory verse, Bible reading, message, prayer point, and hymn. The devotional is known for its practical, Bible-based teachings that address everyday Christian living, spiritual warfare, and faith.
The devotional for 16th June 2026 contrasts those who have life in Christ with the “living dead”—those who are physically alive but spiritually dead—and emphasises the power and importance of the Holy Communion.
BRIEF COMMENTARY
Based on Open Heavens 16th June 2026 – “The Living Dead”
The Living Dead: Those Without Christ
In today’s devotional, Pastor Adeboye begins with a startling declaration from Jesus in John 6:53: only those who partake of His flesh and blood will have life in them. This implies that anyone who does not accept Him as Lord and Saviour is as good as dead. Such people may seem to be alive—breathing, walking, talking, functioning—but really, there is no life in them. They are the ‘living dead’.
The world looks at an unbeliever and sees a vibrant, active human being. God looks at the same person and sees a corpse—walking, talking, but dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). The only remedy is partaking of Christ’s flesh and blood, which happens first through faith and then through the Holy Communion.
The Holy Communion: The Meal of Life
The memory verse from Psalm 16:8 says, “I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” The word “always” means continuously, unceasingly. David had cultivated a lifestyle of constant awareness of God’s presence. Because the Lord was at his right hand, he could declare with confidence: “I shall not be moved.”
As seen in today’s Bible reading, Jesus Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper to illustrate the eating of His flesh and drinking of His blood. He shared bread and wine with His disciples, describing it as the new covenant in His blood. Partaking of the flesh and blood of Jesus gives us life as Christians, which is why the Holy Communion is such a powerful meal.
The Holy Communion is not a mere memorial service or a sad ritual. It is a life-giving meal. When you partake worthily, you are not just remembering something that happened 2,000 years ago. You are spiritually feeding on Christ, and His life flows into you.
The Command: Remember Until He Comes
The Lord Jesus commanded His disciples to continue having this meal in remembrance of Him until His return. As often as believers partake of the Holy Communion, they bring the sacrifice of the Lord and Saviour to remembrance.
The Communion serves multiple purposes. It is a conscious recall of Christ’s sacrifice, preventing it from becoming distant or abstract. It is a proclamation, as we “show the Lord’s death till he come”—a visible sermon to the world and to the spiritual realm. It is anticipation, looking forward to His return when we will feast with Him in the kingdom. And it is communion, fellowshipping with Christ and with other believers around His table.
How Communion Keeps Christ Before You
One of the benefits of the Holy Communion is that it helps us to keep Him before us at all times. As a believer, when Christ is always before you, satan has no chance to attack you.
David said that he had set the Lord always before him, and because He was at his right hand, he would not be moved. This was the confidence David had that nothing could shake him since the Lord was always before him. When you partake of the Holy Communion often and worthily, you will be secured from evil and surrounded by favour because the Lord will always be before you.
Notice the phrase “often and worthily.” Frequency matters. The early church broke bread daily (Acts 2:46). The Communion is not just for Easter, Christmas, or monthly memorial services. It is a frequent, even regular, means of grace.
The Danger: Partaking Unworthily
Pastor Adeboye issues a second warning. Apart from those who do not partake of the flesh and blood of Jesus, those who do so while wallowing in sin can also be referred to as the ‘living dead’. This is because, as they partake of the Holy Communion, God is right before them, and they incur His wrath because they are living in sin.
This can also make such persons sickly and even cost them their lives (1 Corinthians 11:29-30). Paul says that because some Corinthians were partaking of the Communion without examining themselves, without discerning the Lord’s body, the consequences were weakness (spiritual and physical), sickness (illness as divine discipline), and even death.
The Communion is powerful—for blessing or for judgment. Approached rightly, it brings life, health, and protection. Approached casually, with unconfessed sin, it brings sickness and even death.
What It Means to Partake Worthily
Worthy partaking requires self-examination: “Let a man examine himself” (1 Corinthians 11:28). It requires discerning the Lord’s body—recognising the significance of what you are receiving. It requires repentance from known sin, not wallowing in sin while partaking. It requires forgiveness of others, as holding grudges makes your partaking unacceptable (Matthew 5:23-24). It requires faith in Christ’s sacrifice, trusting that His body was broken and His blood was shed for you.
The Benefits of Frequent, Worthy Partaking
When you partake of the Holy Communion often and worthily, you receive life, for “he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life” (John 6:54). You receive protection from Satan, as with Christ always before you, the enemy has no opening. You receive immovable stability: “I shall not be moved” (Psalm 16:8). You receive favour, being surrounded by God’s favour. You receive healing, as healing flows from His broken body (1 Corinthians 10:16). You receive remission of sins, for “this is my blood… shed for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). And you receive union with Christ, abiding in Him and He in you (John 6:56).
Conclusion
Pastor Adeboye closes with a solemn appeal: don’t be among the ‘living dead’. Accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour if you haven’t, stay away from sin, and always make the best of the privilege to sit at the Lord’s table as often as you can.
If you are an unbeliever who has never accepted Christ, accept Jesus today. Without Him, you have no life. The Communion cannot help you until you are first united to Christ by faith. If you are a believer living in unrepentant sin, repent today. Stop wallowing. Examine yourself. Come back to the table with a clean heart. If you are a believer who rarely partakes, make the best of this privilege. Sit at the Lord’s table often. Let the Communion keep Christ always before you.
Key Point from the Devotional:
Those who reject the sacrifice of Jesus are the living dead.
Action Steps
The pre-Communion examination – before your next Communion service, spend 10 minutes in silence. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any unconfessed sin. Write it down. Confess it.
The frequent partaking commitment – commit to partaking of the Holy Communion at least weekly. If your church does not offer it that often, consider setting aside time each week at home (with proper understanding and reverence) to take the bread and cup.
The “set the Lord always before you” practice – each morning, before you check your phone or begin your day, say aloud: “I set the Lord always before me. He is at my right hand. I shall not be moved.” Let this become your daily declaration.
