OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR MONDAY 5 MAY 2014 " FISHERS OF MEN - PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR MONDAY 5 MAY 2014 " FISHERS OF MEN BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

MEMORY VERSE:   Matthew 4:19

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

READ: JOHN 1:40-42

40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.


MESSAGE

Soul-winning is a must. Few are called to be preachers or evangelists, but every child of God is called to be a fisher of men. Every committed Christian has the opportunity to witness and lead sinners to Christ. Fishing for a soul is a definite effort to lead a particular person to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. In our Bible reading for today, Andrew brought Peter to Jesus Christ. This same Peter grew in his relationship with Jesus and became a great preacher and the leader of the Apostles. Soul-winning is mandatory. You should be involved. You may be the means by which a future world preacher would be brought to Christ. Why not start today?

You may ask, ‘why must I fish for the souls of men?’ There are several reasons why you should. One reason is the worth of a soul (Mark 8 :36-37)? A soul is worth more than the whole universe. Another reason is the reality of Hell. Whether you believe it or not, the final abode of an unsaved soul is eternity in Hell-fire. Hell is a place of torment, darkness, pain and anguish forever. The third reason why you must fish for men’s souls is because of the suffering of Christ on the Cross for each sinner. 

"WHAT REALLY ARE THE MARK OF THE BEAST 666?"

Post by Shobayo Olumuyiwa.

(VIDEO) PAT UWAJE-KING: HE'S DONE ME WELL

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Wednesday 2 April 2014 "DIVINE INSURANCE" BY PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Wednesday 2 April 2014 "DIVINE INSURANCE" BY PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

Memory Verse: Isaiah 26:3

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 

Read: Isaiah 26:1-3

1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.

2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.

3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Message

The promises of God in Christ are yea, and in Him, Amen. This means that any promise that God makes to all believers in Christ will definitely come to pass (2 Corinthians 1:20). Some promises of God to His genuine children include: the assurance of eternal salvation, safety in the face of imminent calamities and perfect peace of mind. In our Bible reading for today, the Lord made some wonderful promises concerning peace of mind that comes from dwelling in a place secured by God. For a fellow to enjoy these benevolent benefits, some conditions must be met. First and foremost, you must be righteous. Righteousness is a gift you receive from the Lord Jesus Christ when you give your life to Him (Romans 5:17), this gift then empowers you to live a life of righteousness. Simply put, you must be born-again (John 3:3&5). Secondly, you must believe every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. It is the word of God that you believe that can work for you. How can you prove that you believe God’s word? Simply, by doing according to what the word says.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Tuesday 1 April 2014 "VESSEL OF HONOUR" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Tuesday 1 April 2014 "VESSEL OF HONOUR?" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memory Verse: 2 Timothy 2:21

If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

Read: 2 Timothy 2:20-21

20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

Message

Our God is a God of purpose and plan. He does not do anything just for the sake of doing it. When He wanted to create man in Genesis 1:26 He said:

“...Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

Also, when God sent His only begotten Son to the world, it was for this purpose:

”…for he shall save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21c

In the same vein, when God saved you and called you to Himself, it was for a purpose. You are not in Church just to add to the numbers. Every child of God must find out the purpose of God for his or her life within the community of believers. Also, every child of God must ensure that he or she is qualified to perform such duties as required of honourable vessels. While some vessels are shameful and ignoble, there are others that are glorious and majestic. The striking thing about this truth is that it is inevitable to have both honourable and shameful vessels in the Church! The task before every sincere child of God is to ensure that he or she is a vessel of honour.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Monday 31 March 2014 "SHEPHERD OR WOLF?" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For  Monday 31 March 2014 "SHEPHERD OR WOLF?" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memory Verse: 1 Peter 5:2

Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

Read: Lamentations 4:1-5

1 How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.

2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

3 Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.

5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

Message

Our Bible reading for today is a grim lamentation of Prophet Jeremiah. It concerns both the spiritual and physical state of affairs of the people of God of his time. This state of affairs sadly reflects the current state of affairs of God’s people in our time. The Bible says that all these were written as examples for those upon whom the ends of the world are come (1 Corinthians 10:11). This state of affairs is therefore indicative of the times we live in; these are the end-times. Let us learn one or two lessons from this lamentation to deliver our soul from impending doom. In this end-time, many pastors and preachers are no longer building with precious stones on the Sure Foundation – Jesus Christ. Rather, they are building with rubble, i.e. the philosophy of men and modern ideologies in order to make Christianity “intelligible” to a 21st century audience. 

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Sunday 30 March 2014 "BE GRATEFUL" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL ForSunday 30 March 2014 "BE GRATEFUL" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memory Verse: Luke 17:15

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

Read: Luke 17:12-19

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Message

It is not a big deal for God to perform miracles in the life of anybody. The problem that hinders the working of miracles lies with the children of men and is multifaceted in nature. It has to do with ignorance of what the Almighty is capable of doing and lack of faith among others. However, there is one problem that seems insignificant to many people but is a big hindrance to the manifestation of God’s power: It is ingratitude! Many times I have to compel people to clap in praise of the Almighty God when fantastic testimonies are being given during our big meetings. This problem is evident in the story of the ten lepers. Jesus in Luke 17:17b-18 asked in dismay:

“Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.”

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Saturday 29 March 2014 "PRAYER: IN WHAT DIRECTION?" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Saturday 29 March 2014 "PRAYER: IN WHAT DIRECTION?" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memorise: Psalm 5:2 

Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

Read: Psalm 5:1-3

1 To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David. Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Message

The Holy Spirit inspired men to write accounts of some of their experiences and of events that occurred in time past for a reason. The reason He did this is stated in 1 Corinthians 10:11:

“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

It is however unfortunate that those things written as examples to make us wiser are often not adhered to. The Psalmist discovered something fundamental to being victorious in life which is the power of prayer. Not only the power of prayer but also the right direction we should channel our prayers to. In 2 Kings 6:26-27, we read about a woman who misdirected her prayer to the king of Israel when she was in distress:

“And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?”

The Psalmist got it right when he said: “unto thee will I pray”. In Luke 18:1-8, we see a clear picture of why we should direct our prayers to God. It took the judge an unknown number of days, months or even years, to heed the request of this helpless widow. He decided to help the woman only because she did not relent. Jesus Christ said:

“Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

An often overlooked truth in this parable is that, if this woman had directed her prayers to God, she would not have gone through the pain of insensitivity she suffered.

Beloved of the Lord, to whom are you directing your prayers? When you discuss your problems with people as though they have the solution, you are making a god out of them. This is why you meet with disappointment more often than not. The Bible placed a curse on people who put their trust in men and whose hearts have strayed from God in Jeremiah 17:5:

“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.”

Let us put our trust in the Almighty God who gives liberally without upbraiding (James 1:5).

Action Point:

From now on, redirect your prayers from men to God. You will not be disappointed.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 28:1-30:19 and PSALM 72

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Thursday 27 March 2014 "BE PATIENT" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Thursday 27 March 2014 "BE PATIENT" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memory Verse: Hebrews 6:12; That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Read: Matthew 4:1-4

1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Message

One common point of weakness in the life of many believers today is impatience. It is unfortunate that this weak point is being exploited by the devil to prey on believers. The tempter sometimes capitalises on the fact that a believer is hungry, to tempt him or her to “turn stone into bread”. At such moments, the believer should react like his Master did in Matthew 4:4c by saying this in response:

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

But what do we see today? Some couples go all out in search of the fruit of the womb when there is an apparent delay. This they do in spite of numerous scriptural passages that enjoin us to patiently run the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1). The Bible in Genesis 41:1 says:

GOFAMINT VICTORY MONTH PRAYER POINTS: GRACE OF CONNECTING GOD IN THE CLOSET AND MANIFESTING HIS GLORY OPENLY

THE GOSPEL FAITH MISSION INTERNATIONAL (GOFAMINT)

Day 21: Wednesday 22nd January 2014

Focus: GRACE OF CONNECTING GOD IN THE CLOSET AND MANIFESTING HIS GLORY OPENLY

Texts: Matthew 6:6; II Corinthians 10:6-7a

INSIGHT FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYING

In our world, the spiritual controls the natural. The earlier the believers know and act on this, the better. Many of those things we see that happen during the daylight  are always being decided and hatched in the spirit realm in the night. Activities in the natural realm are largely controlled in the spiritual realm, either positive or negative.

The incident in Exodus chapter 17 was an example. Joshua the great warrior and the entire host of Israel were engaged in battle by Amalekites’ Army. Surprisingly, as the soldiers went to the battlefield, Moses and his co- ministers went to a different place, which was the mountain of the Lord. There and then, whenever Moses raised his hands up, the Israelites army prevailed but whenever he let his hands down, the enemies prevailed. The raising up of hands typifies prayer. Simply put, Moses was raising up his hand and praying on the mountain. Through the prayer action and inaction on the mountain, the outcome of the battle on the battlefield was being determined.

Unknown to many of us, agents of darkness are busy day and night operating in the dark to determine people’s fate on earth. Sufficeit to say that Christians are not meant to be indolent or inactive, no! We have been instructed to meet our God in the secret place of prayer so that we, in conjunction with God, can determine what will happen in our world. How many of us are conscious of the fact that we can do and undo in prayer? “In God, we can do valiantly”. That is the great opportunity that presents itself to us on a platter of gold this victory month.

When we meet God in prayer, in the secret place, the way we are supposed to do it; things take an upward turn in our lives. We move from natural to supernatural; from human to divine level; from carnality to spirituality; from sickness to healthiness; from victimization to victory; from nobody to somebody; from slavery to dominion etc. That is what we are in for this month, especially today.

LET US PRAY

1.     Thank You, Lord because you are in control of the whole earth and in our individual lives.

2.     Thank You dear Lord, for Your readiness and willingness to meet us at the point of our needs today.

3.     We are here today Lord, whatever is there that may hinder Your presence from us, let the blood of Jesus nullify them.

4.     We stand on the covenant of the blood of Jesus Christ and we ask for Your presence in our lives today in Jesus’ name.

5.         You promised that You will walk and work in our midst, we are here today for that purpose, works in our lives, touch and transform our lives in Jesus’ name.

6.     We have come to the secret place of the Most High today, hover upon us and cover our lives with Your healing and miracle working wings in Jesus’ name.

7.     Dear Lord, release upon my life, Your healing virtue that will destroy any negative work of darkness that might have been deposited into my life in Jesus’ name.

8.     Let Your hand of miracle touch every life that needs Your touch in every area of our lives today in Jesus’ name.

9.     Tokens of evil and weapons of the power of darkness are destroyed in everyone’s life in Jesus’ name.

10.   Let all old and evil things disappear and let new and good things ensue in our individual lives in Your presence today in Jesus’ name.

11.   We command that every bondage in the lives of everyone be loosed in Jesus’ name.

12.   We pray that every evil power that works against anyone’s life among us be broken and all things begin to work together for good in Jesus’ name.

13.   All evil pronouncements and effects of curses be nullified in everyone’s life in Jesus’ name.

14.   Lord, by Your power, change our lives from what it is at present to what it should be in Jesus name.

15.   Let Your anointing that breaks yokes and solves problems come upon our lives in Jesus’ name.

16.   Dear Lord, my life must not remain the same again, I assume Your power and my life embrace Your glory in the mighty name of Jesus.