OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL JUNE 19TH 2023

MEMORISE:

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” – (Luke 2:10)

READ: Acts 8:1-8 (KJV)

1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.

8 And there was great joy in that city.

MESSAGE:

There is yet a more concentrated type of energy drink that comes from heaven to man called ‘Great Joy’. Luke 2:8-16 tells of how the angels, at the birth of Jesus Christ, told the Shepherds that they had brought good news of great joy. Nehemiah 8:10 says the joy of the Lord shall be your strength. When you have great joy, you will be able to do anything your heart desires for God.

When we started building the camp, because of the great joy of having our own campground at last, we did things that people would consider impossible-like building and completing a house and then furnishing it within seven days! As the Lord lives, you will experience great joy today, in Jesus’ name.

Now, what are the things that can bring you great joy? (3 John 1:4) says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” You experience great joy when you are making disciples for Christ, when you are seeing people being saved from the horrors of darkness into the light of God. In the example I gave above where we built a house in seven days, we were not joyful because we now had a place to sleep, but rather because we now had a bigger platform through which we could win more souls to Christ. If you have not been winning souls to Christ, you don’t know what joy you have been missing. Jesus said there is joy in heaven whenever one sinner repents (Luke 15:7). So, if God wins a soul through you, and there is rejoicing in heaven, don’t you think that you would also be a partaker of that joy?

This great joy is majorly fuelled by the knowledge of how much Jesus loves us. Philemon 1:7 says there is great joy in love. When we consider how much God’s love has done for us, we are strengthened to do anything just to make sure that His will is done on earth. He has no greater need than for souls to be saved.

ACTION POINT:

Make sure you win a soul to Christ today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: PSALMS 78-80

AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE

HYMNAL: 2 – AMAZING GRACE

1. Amazing grace! How sweet the sound!

That saved a wretch like me!

I was once lost, but now am found;

Was blind, but now I see.

2. Through many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come;

‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

3. The Lord has promised good to me,

His Word my hope secures;

He will my Shield and Portion be,

As long as life endures.

4. Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease,

I shall possess, within the veil,

A life of joy and peace.

5. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,

The sun forbear to shine;

But God, who called me here below,

Will be forever mine.

6. When we’ve been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun,

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise,

Than when we’d first begun.