OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: SATURDAY APRIL 19TH 2025
TOPIC: ADVERTISE JESUS
MEMORISE:
"And the Lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." - (Luke 14:23)
READ: JOHN 4:1-39 (KJV)
1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.
4 And he must needs go through Samaria.
5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
MESSAGE:
Several years ago, we used to advertise and print fliers to announce upcoming services. If we did not have enough money for fliers, we would just use our mouths. Occasionally, we would get nails, empty bottles, and empty cans and beat them together as we sing and dance through the streets, telling people about an upcoming service. Sometimes, we would write the information for an upcoming service on blackboards and place them at different crossroads. If we saw an abandoned lorry covered with dust, we would write on the lorry, informing passers-by of upcoming services. Today, God has given us more efficient and effective ways of communicating the gospel to people, and Luke 12:48 says that to whom much is given, much is expected.
I often say this: use every method you have to bring all your friends, relatives, and even enemies to Christ. I always say, "Phone them, text them, email them," then I add jokingly, "iPhone them, iPad them, Facebook them, YouTube them, blog them, tweet them, uplink them, and even download them." When you see something on the internet that you want to save to your computer, you download it, so when I say 'download them', I mean, you know where they are, and you know where you want them to be, simply save them into the body of Christ.
Beloved, let God know that you will use everything He has given you to advertise Him: your smartphone, professional network, social media influence, etc. If you truly use all that you have for Him, He will trust you with more. Therefore, go all out to make sure you download everybody you can into the body of Christ. If you don't know what to say to them, just invite them to services where you know that the Holy Ghost can arrest them. Use every means possible to bring people to Jesus.
In today's Bible reading, the Samaritan woman brought her townspeople to Jesus. She didn't use big grammar to try to convince them; she just told them, "Come and see a man who told me all the things that I ever did. Is this not the Christ?" She used her testimony to download her people into Christ. You can also use testimonies of what God has done for you to bring people to Christ. Whenever God does anything for you, use the testimony as a tool to bring people to Him. Let your life be a billboard that points people to God always.
ACTION POINT:
Plant a seed of kindness in somebody's life today.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 KINGS 4-5
AUTHOR PASTOR E A ADEBOYE
HYMN: 20 - STAND UP! STAND UP FOR JESUS
1 Stand up, stand up for Jesus
ye soldiers of the cross;
lift high his royal banner,
it must not suffer loss.
From vict'ry unto vict'ry
his army he shall lead
till ev'ry foe is vanquished
and Christ is Lord indeed.
2 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
the trumpet call obey;
forth to the mighty conflict
in this his glorious day.
Ye that are men now serve him
against unnumbered foes;
let courage rise with danger
and strength to strength oppose.
3 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
stand in his strength alone;
the arm of flesh will fail you,
ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the gospel armor,
each piece put on with prayer;
where duty calls or danger,
be never wanting there.
4 Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
the strife will not be long;
this day the noise of battle,
the next, the victor's song.
To him that overcometh
a crown of life shall be;
he with the King of glory
shall reign eternally.
