OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Tuesday 28 January 2014 "EVERYONE NEEDS A MIRACLE" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Tuesday 28 January 2014 "EVERYONE NEEDS A MIRACLE" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memory Verse: Psalm 55:16
As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.


Read: Mark 5:22-23

22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, 

23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. 


Message

Some years ago, I was invited to be the guest speaker at a garden party in an exclusive, highbrow residential area. Because I arrived at the venue quite early, I was made to sit for a while in the house of my host. The house was an exquisite parade of wealth and splendour. I had never seen such brazen display of wealth in my life. The house contained six living rooms. I was kept in one of them. From where I was, I could see five other living rooms in ascending order of affluence. It was as if prosperity was on parade. After surveying the entire environment, I decided to change the topic of my message. Initially, I had wanted to preach on the topic: “Your miracle is around”. I concluded: “These people do not need a miracle”. 
I decided to change my topic to: “What the Lord has done for me, I cannot tell it all” or “Bless the Lord, O my soul”. While I was still thinking of changing the message, the Holy Spirit nudged me: “Son, these people need a miracle more than you could ever imagine”. With every opportunity the Lord gives me to minister to men and women of substance, I have always leant that even they need miracles. All human beings need miracles irrespective of race, status or social standing. The Bible is a complete book. There is no aspect of human life that is not addressed in God’s word. There is something in the Bible for all.

The story in today’s reading centres on an eminent personality. Jairus was a man of uncommon achievement by all standards. He was a man of whom it could be said: “he has made it in life”. In spite of his great achievements, however, he had one problem which money could not solve. His only daughter was at the verge of death. In his seemingly hopeless situation, Jairus sought help from the Lord and the Lord met him at the point of his need. The Lord will meet you at the point of your need today in Jesus’ Name. 
Like the case of Jairus, the man whose house I described above had one problem money could not solve. After the programme, the man pleaded passionately with me to pray over the case of his son who was then a drug addict. The fact that the man was respected in the society did not grant him immunity from the storms of life. Before the intervention of God, this son was busy ruining the fortunes of the family; but I thank the Lord who touched him. The good news is that he has remained responsible and sensible since he received the touch of God. If you feel you don’t need a miracle for yourself, you may need it for your family and children. It is possible that you may not need a miracle for your children but someone else who is precious to you might need a miracle. I pray that that your long-awaited miracle shall come to you today in Jesus’ Name. Only believe, and you shall see the glory of God.

Prayer Point:

Father, give me a miracle today that will turn my life around for the better in Jesus’ Name.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: HEBREWS 11 - 13 and PSALM 26

GOFAMINT VICTORY MONTH PRAYER POINTS FOR DAY 27: RENEWED VISION, GRACE AND ANOINTING UPON ALL GOFAMINT KEY-MINISTERS

THE GOSPEL FAITH MISSION INTERNATIONAL (GOFAMINT)

DAY 27: Tuesday 28th January 2014

FOCUS: RENEWED VISION, GRACE AND ANOINTING UPON ALL GOFAMINT KEY-MINISTERS

TEXT: ISAIAH 43:19-21

INSIGHT FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYING

There is a tendency for a person to get weary or tired after working for a length period. This can also happen to servants of God in the vineyard. 

Moses’ example on the mountain in Exodus chapter 17 is a good one. He raised his hands up as a spiritual back-up to ensure the victory of the army of Israel. As long as his hands were up, Israel army were on the winning side. At a time, however, his hands were wearied and he held them down and the tide turned, the enemies started prevailing. His supporters had to make an arrangement whereby his hands were held up perpetually which led to permanent victory for Israel.

We are concerned about the key-leaders of our Church today. They are humans. They can be wearied or tired. We have a responsibility to raise their hands up as Moses followers did for him. When we pray for them, there will be renewal of grace, strength and anointing. The Bible says, “He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength” (Isa. 40:29). As we pray for them, God will do a new thing in their lives in Jesus name.

LET US PRAY

1.    Thank You Lord, for the increase of offices and officers at the top level of our Church because of our growth.

2.       Key-leaders in our Administrative office: Lord, lay Your hand upon all the key administrative officers and let them be operating by nothing but Your Spirit.

3.    Exco members: Let every member of the Executive Council of the Church have an encounter with You so that they can work in partnership with You while taking  decision on vital and sensitive issues affecting the life of the Church.

4.    Regional and Inspectorate Pastors: These peculiar officers are in charge of our Regions: Dear Lord, lay Your hand upon these men of God that they may operate under Your anointing not in the flesh or in their senses in the Regions.

5.      Assistant General Overseers: Help these servants of Yours not only to work closely with the General Overseer but also with the Holy Spirit that their works will have positive impact upon the Church.

6.      National Overseers: These ministers represent the General Overseer and GOFAMINT in their different nations. Dear Lord, fill them with Your fullness that their presence and ministrations in their different countries will manifest Your glory and power to the fullest.

7.      H.O.Ds: These set of ministers operate at the national level of the Mission. Help each of them Lord to make a full proof of their calling for significant achievements which will be felt all over the Mission.

8.          District/Area Pastors: Work with each of these ministers by sharing with them the formula that they need to use for the growth of their various districts/areas.

9.      National Committees: The Mission has many National Committees and Boards, saddled with the responsibilities of making the programmes and projects of the Church functional and effective Dear Lord, bless the chairmen and members of these various Committees and Boards with wisdom and other endowments to get these programmes and projects to greater heights.

10.        Dear Father, help the leaders to discern redundant officers occupying sensitive offices and the needed wisdom to replace them with capable hands.

11.    We ask for renewal of strength for all those who are weak and healing for all who have sustained one injury or the other in the battlefield in Jesus’ name.

12.    Dear Lord, let Your grace be sufficient for all our retired ministers and let the latter end of their lives be more glorious than the beginning.

13.       District Excoms: Pray that members of your District may live above board and work consciously for the progress of the District.

Sports: U.S., Russia at odds over Olympics safety

Rep. Peter King: No guarantee of security for athletes

Icy relations between United States and Russia haven’t warmed enough to ensure a safe Winter Olympics in Sochi next month, federal lawmakers said Sunday.

The former Cold War rivals are sparring over the best way to swap intelligence —  or at least how much to share —  less than two weeks before the festivities begin.

“The fact is that these are going to be very much threatened Olympics,” more so than previous games, Rep. Peter T. King, New York Republican and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee’s subcommittee on counterterrorism, told ABC’s “This Week.”

He said he cannot give American athletes a “100 percent guarantee” that the 17-day event will be secure, and other lawmakers have said they wouldn’t want their families to attend the games.

Tensions over the competition in Sochi, a Black Sea resort town west of the restive North Caucasus region, have been exacerbated in recent months by December bombings in the southern Russian city of Volgograd and taped threats to the games by local Muslim extremists.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and Russian governments have engaged in finger-pointing over their counterterrorism efforts, even as both nations say they want to secure the games in the spirit of Olympic cooperation.

“We’ve offered, I think, to be more helpful than they’ll allow us to be,” Rep. Adam B. Schiff, California Democrat, told NBC’s “Today Show.” “And part of that is they probably don’t want to share all the threat information they have with us because of the distrust between our two intelligence agencies.”

One point of contention is whether or not the U.S. should share its secretive “jamming” technology that can disrupt signals that set off improvised explosive devices, or “IEDs,” which were common during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The U.S. and Russia have performed a diplomatic tango for years, but the current climate has been clouded by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden’s decision to seek refuge in Moscow after leaking a trove of secret data about the government’s surveillance programs.

An April bombing at the Boston Marathon’s finish line didn’t help, either, after it became clear that the perpetrators — two brothers influenced by radical Islam — had roots in the Dagestan region of Russia.

Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Sergey Ivanovich Kislyak, rejected the idea that Sochi is in a fundamentally unsafe region.

“There is no war zone in Russia … wherever you are, you might become a target of a terrorist,” Mr. Kislyak told CNN’s “State of the Union with Candy Crowley.”

Others aren’t so sure.

“The environment, the past history, the frequency of attacks in Sochi, all of that mean that, no matter how we frame this, it is a much higher threat environment than any Olympics than we’ve had in the past ever,” Michael Leiter, former director of the U.S. government’s National Counterterrorism Center, told NBC.

But Mr. Kislyak said Russian authorities are more than capable, downplaying the threat to Sochi and reported tensions with the U.S.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jan/26/lawmaker-says-no-guarantee-olympics-will-be-safe/#ixzz2rZfOAhYv 

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Monday 27 January 2014 "WHO SHALL GO FOR US?" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Monday 27 January 2014 "WHO SHALL GO FOR US?" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memory Verse: Isaiah 6:8
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.


Read: Mark 16:15-16

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 


Message

God needs men and women who have found the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to go out in search of lost souls. He laid down an example for us in Genesis 3:9 where He went looking for Adam in the Garden of Eden after the fall. God is looking for people to win street boys and girls, pimps, hardened criminals, robbers, social miscreants, drug dealers, prostitutes, etc. God is looking for those who are highly anointed to bring these unreached groups into His kingdom. We must target people who are the brains behind insecurity in our societies if we really desire security of lives and property. 


God, like in the days of Isaiah the prophet, is looking for highly anointed people to send to nations that are resistant to the gospel. We need people who can minister in societies that are dominated by atheists, hard-core Muslims, secularists, humanists as well as those who are sold out to the occult. God needs missionaries who are powerfully anointed to go for Him and rescue perishing souls around the world. 
The Church needs believers who have what it takes to go out there and heal the sick, cast out demons and deliver the oppressed in the Name of Jesus Christ. God is asking passionately, “Who shall I send, who shall go for us?” Are you highly anointed? If your answer is yes, then say to Him: “Here am I, send me”. The anointing which God is bringing your way through this devotional is not meant for frivolities, it is meant to meet the needs of the assignment God has for you.

When my birthday approaches, people ask me time and again: “What do you desire as a gift for your birthday?” I have always replied: “Souls”. The greatest gift anyone can ever give me is the salvation of multitude of souls. The salvation of souls not only brings joy to me but also to my Daddy. Go all the way to win souls if you want to please God. The Bible in Ezekiel 3:18 says,

“When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.”

The implication of this scripture is that some believers may be in danger of hell, not because they directly commit the so-called popular sins, but because of the sin of omission. Failure to go all out to evangelise is a sin of omission. The Lord consistently is asking: “Who will go for us?” Let your answer be: “Here am I, send me”. You shall be mightily rewarded for it.

Action Point:

Draw out a personal soul-winning programme for yourself and better still, for your family and work out its execution without further delay.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: HEBREWS 9 - 10 and PSALM 25

GOFAMINT VICTORY MONTH PRAYER POINTS FOR DAY 26: COMMENSURATE ANOINTING FOR THE G.O. AND THE D.G.O. OF GOFAMINT

THE GOSPEL FAITH MISSION INTERNATIONAL (GOFAMINT)

Day 26: Monday 27th January 2014

FOCUS: COMMENSURATE ANOINTING FOR THE G.O.

AND THE D.G.O. OF GOFAMINT

TEXT: ACTS 13:1-12

INSIGHT FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYING

The success or otherwise of any community or organization depends largely on the leadership. That is why the Bible is unequivocal in its injunction for us to pray for our leaders. The life of our G. O. as well as his deputy is compatible with the gospel. They are the leaders that we can be proud of. Christians of other denominations as well as non-Christians in the community recognize them as exemplary Christian leaders and we are proud of that.  We are not saying that they are perfect but they are above board in the way they conduct their lives.

Like the Church in Antioch, we want to pray specially for these leaders today. The Antioch Church fasted and prayed for Paul and Barnabas for the work God had called them unto. Reading through our Bible passage today, it would be discovered that these two ministers were confronted with the power of darkness in their ministerial journey. They overcame the opposition because of the prayers that were done on their behalf by the Church. The power of God was also demonstrated in a great measure through their ministrations. We also want to pray for our leaders for the work that God has called them unto that they may also make a success of their ministries for the progress of the Church.

LET US PRAY

1.     Thank You Lord, for the lives of our leaders, for what You have done for them and through them.

2.         Thank You for guiding and leading the G.O. to lead this Church thus far.

3.     We pray for these our leaders for new grace, vision and renewed energy to lead this Church to the next level in Jesus’ name.

4.     Release upon them a fresh anointing that they may not be weary or tired in Jesus’ name.

5.     As the burden and the responsibility of the Church is increasing in proportion with the growth of the Church, let Your power increase in them to meet all the challenges in Jesus’ name.

6.      Grant unto the G.O. the seeing eyes and the hearing ears to see and to hear clearly what the Lord is saying to the Church.

7.      Grant also to the D.G.O. the vision of “men of Issachar vision” to know what the Church ought to do to move forward.

8.      We stand against all opposing forces and powers contending with their successes in Jesus’ name.

9.      Grant them insight into divine agenda for the Church and the grace and power to follow the agenda.

10.    Grant them the wisdom to untie all the knotty issues and to proffer solutions to them in Jesus’ name

11.    Meet their own needs and solve all their personal and family problems that they may serve You more with their whole heart in Jesus’ name.

12. You started with them, continue with them and perfect the great works You have been doing in their lives oh Lord.

13.    We lift Matron Felicia Abina before the throne of grace today, let the time of refreshing come upon her to make her totally whole.

14.    Help our G.O. And the D.G.O. to continue to live blameless lives in Jesus’ name.

15.    Grant them the spirit of unity and the grace to affect lives of the entire ministers of the Church for Christ.

16.    Grant the duo the very desires of their hearts in Jesus’ name.

3 Dead in Shooting at US Shopping Mall

Police in the eastern U.S. state of Maryland say three people were killed in a shooting Saturday at a shopping mall, including the suspected gunman, who appeared to have killed himself.

The mall in the Baltimore suburb of Columbia, Maryland, is just under 50 kilometers north of Washington.

Authorities say they were alerted to the shooting by an emergency phone call in the late morning.

Howard County Police Chief Bill McMahon told a news conference the shooting occurred outside of a store on the upper level of the Mall of Columbia near the food court. He said the two people killed by the shooter were employees of the store, one male and one female, both in their 20s.

Media reports have indicated the shooting may have been a domestic incident. McMahon said authorities have no knowledge of that but are investigating. He said the suspect used a shotgun and had a "large amount" of ammunition. Five people were injured, but only one is reported to have suffered a gunshot wound.

Moe Moe Htun, an employee with Voice of America's English Web desk, was at a Starbuck's in the mall with her husband when the shooting took place.

"I heard bang, bang, bang, you know, very, very loudly, three times, and I thought, 'Oh, you know, it's from the construction,' because there's construction going on in that parking lot," she said. "So it was really, really very loud, and then it sounded like it came just across from where I was standing in Starbuck's in the mall. So then, just a few seconds later, there is a lady, and then she was running and then screaming 'someone is shooting!'"

Htun, originally from Burma, which is also known as Myanmar, described a chaotic scene.

"People were so scared. You [could] see it on everybody's faces. People were just running out of the mall and grabbing the hands of their kids and just running out of the mall. People did not look back, just getting out of the mall as fast as you could."

Htun says she and her husband ran out of the mall and hid behind parked cars in case the shooter emerged outside.

"When I started running, I did not think twice, and I did not look back. I just ran, I was so frigthened."

Police were soon there to help clear people from the mall and announced on Twitter a little more than an hour after the emergency call that the shopping center was believed to be secure.

But that is little consolation to witnesses like Htun, who says she shops at the Columbia mall often.

"Now, I don't feel safe to go to the mall," she said.  "It's like wherever you go, you have to keep your eyes and ears open, and then if you hear something, just don't think twice, just run because you can be a target."

Source

Eagles Applauded for a Stunning Come-Back Victory Over Morocco in ongoing African Nations Championship

President Goodluck Jonathan heartily congratulates the Super Eagles of Nigeria on their exhilarating come-back victory over their Moroccan counterparts this evening in Cape Town in the quarter-finals of the ongoing African Nations Championship.

The Minister of finance and  coordinating minister of economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala congratulates the Super Eaglesof Nigeria saying  "Congratulations to our Super Eagles! That was a spectacular comeback. The victory typifies the Nigerian spirit of Never-say-Never"

President Jonathan applauds the indomitable spirit with which the Super Eagles fought back from being three goals down to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and win a most memorable victory with almost the last kick of the match.

The President commends the courage, patriotism, determination and dedication to national service exhibited by the Super Eagles today to all other Nigerians.

He urges the team to maintain their exemplary commitment to national duty until ultimate victory in the continental soccer championship for home-based players is achieved.

President Jonathan assures the team and its handlers that they will continue to receive the fullest possible support from the Federal Government and all Nigerians as they strive to add the African Nations Championship trophy to the African Nations Cup which Nigeria won last year.

He joins all other patriotic and proud Nigerians in praying for the success of the team in the semi-finals and finals of the tournament.
 

GOFAMINT VICTORY MONTH PRAYER POINTS FOR DAY 25: GOFAMINT PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS IN 2014

THE GOSPEL FAITH MISSION INTERNATIONAL (GOFAMINT)

DAY 25: SUNDAY 26TH JANUARY 2014

TEXTS: HAGGAI 2:8-9; LUKE 2:49; JOB 22:28

FOCUS: GOFAMINT PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS IN 2014

INSIGHT FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYING

GOFAMINT symbolizes a living organism within the body of Christ. There is always an inflow and outflow within a system. The inflow is the spiritual in-take that keeps the body afresh. The outflow is the impact within and without.

The Church caters for the spiritual and physical wellbeing of the populace, starting with her members. Therefore, the success of GOFAMINT programmes and projects will enhance the global vision of the Church.

LET US PRAY

1.  Lord, let Your Holy Spirit take-over all GOFAMINT programmes afresh and use them for the expansion of Your kingdom.

2.  Let the annual victory month prayer of January each succeeding year, usher in fresh unction and anointing of the Holy Spirit that will reinforce all members of GOFAMINT for effective ministry.

3.   GOFAMINT Sunday Bible School is a teaching platform in all assemblies of The Gospel Faith Mission International; use it to build members spiritually and make members willing tools for evangelism in Jesus’ name.

4.   Lord, let the monthly Hour of Salvation and Miracle (HOSAM) programme being held at GospelTown, Ibadan; become a healing balm for all participant and viewers in Jesus’ name.

5. The Annual Convention is the largest gathering of Church members and some non members; let the power of God be demonstrated through the General Overseer and other anointed ministers in Jesus’ name.

6. Heavenly Father, make GOFAMINT Annual Ministers’ Conference a turning point for all Ministers and renew their strength in Jesus’ name.

7. Lord, let the biennial National Conference of Christian Education continue to live up to expectation; affirming the teaching ministry of GOFAMINT to the world.

8.  GOFAMINT Students Fellowship is a gap bridging ministry; help the leaders to inculcate the virtue of loyalty in the hearts of the students in Jesus’ name.

9.   The Youth Ministry is to harmonize the interest of the youth to enable them utilize their potentials for Christ, Lord deliver them from youthful exuberance and sabotage in Jesus name.

10.   Lord, help Men Fellowship to rekindle the fire of evangelism in their various assemblies in Jesus’ name.

11.   Lord, send divine assistance to enable the Mission move faster on the newly acquired land at “Ogunmakin” and make it the long awaited GospelCity in Jesus’ name.

12.   Lord, visit every family project in GOFAMINT and make 2014 a landmark year for every member.

13.   Lord, let divine blessing come upon all faithful supporters of GOFAMINT projects

14.   Lord arise, make year 2014 a year of great achievements on all GOFAMINT programmes and projects.

15.   In the name of Jesus, all our programmes and projects shall witness tremendous success in 2014.

16.   In the name of Jesus, year 2014 shall be a year of abundant blessings for all members of GOFAMINT.

17.  Lord, let GOF.TV makes tremendous impact on the Mission and all our viewers world-wide in Jesus’ name.

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Sunday 26 January 2014 "THE NECESSITY OF THE MIRACULOUS" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL For Sunday 26 January 2014  "THE NECESSITY OF THE MIRACULOUS" BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

Memory Verse: Psalm 77:14
Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.


Read: John 2:9-11

9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 

10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 

11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. 


Message

Miracles are desperately needed in the world today as multitudes have found themselves in situations that require divine intervention. Have you ever wondered what would have happened if there were no miracles in the world? Of course, many lives would have been destroyed. 

Thank God, we serve a miracle-working God. In Psalm 136:4 the Bible calls Him the God that does wonders. Wherever God finds human needs, He manifests His power to perform miracles, signs and wonders if invited. There is no need on the face of the earth that God cannot meet. It was the miraculous deed of Jesus that saved the bridegroom in the story of John 2 from life-time shame when the wine finished half-way into his reception party. 

People have asked: Why do we need miracles? The answer is very simple. To live without miracles is to live at the average or below average level. It is very dangerous to be at the average level. It is unfortunate that most Christians have decided to live and die averagely. You don’t need miracles, if all you want to be is an average achiever. However, if you make up your mind to be outstanding, you need the miracles of God to achieve your desires in this hostile world.

You need to grasp the meaning of average for you to better understand the necessity for the miraculous. When you survey the entire spectrum of wealth, you will discover that there are various categories. At one extreme, you will find the Poor who can never make ends meet. Next to the poor is the Comfortable. He is the one who makes ends meet but has no savings. 

After this comes the Rich. In this category you have people whose needs are met with added luxury of some savings. Next to the rich are the Wealthy. How can we identify the wealthy? Such people do not only have some savings, but they are so rich that they can afford to put their surplus in fixed deposits. At the extreme end of the spectrum of wealth are the Flourishing. This group of people are so rich that they can lend to nations. Based on this spectrum, average is defined by the rich. God is willing to take many of us to the realm of the flourishing if we believe in miracles (Psalm 92:12-14). 

God’s plan for your life is to make you fat and flourishing. However, when you look at the situation of man since the fall in the Garden of Eden, you will clearly see the necessity of the miraculous in returning man to God’s original plan. This plan is expressed in the fact that God had prepared all that man would need before man’s creation (Genesis 1:28). I pray that the miracle that will lift you from the level of the average to the level of the flourishing will come your way this season in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point:

Like Jabez, pray that God would bless you, enlarge your coast and cause you to flourish.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : HEBREWS 5:10, 8:13 and PSALM 24