OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
WEDNESDAY 11 MAY 2015
CONSISTENT CHRISTIAN?
Memorise:
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Revelation 22:12
Read: Revelation 22:11-14
11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Message
At the beginning of his ministry, Paul took a ride in a basket as he escaped for his life in Damascus (2ndCorinthians 11:32-33). But the God who delivered him from the garrison at Damascus, allowed him to end up in jail at Philippi (Act 16). Because God answered a particular prayer yesterday does not mean that He would repeat another in exactly the same manner.
In Acts 16:25, Paul conducted a worship service in prison right in the midst of chains and bonds. He never complained. Paul learnt to praise God in whatever circumstance he found himself. Not many people can praise God when thrown into prison for the sake of the Gospel. He was prepared to undertake the worst of sufferings for the Kingdom of God (Philippians 1:20-21). He was not ashamed. Are you ashamed to suffer minor ridicule, persecutions, denials, beatings for His Name today? Paul could say we should become a living sacrifice to God because he was one.
In African traditional religion, when a bird or animal is brought as a sacrifice to an idol, the giver forfeits his right to that animal; it becomes the property of the idol for the rest of its life. Whether it lives or dies or is given to someone is at the discretion of the idol. That living sacrifice may be fed so well in one moment and killed the next minute. This explains the term living sacrifice. You should be so yielded to God to the extent of delivering to Him the greatest pleasure in whatever you do. If dying for the Gospel will give Him the height of pleasure, you should be prepared to die like Stephen. The preparedness of Daniel to go into the lion’s den demonstrates that he was a living sacrifice. But in the end, instead of death, his faith compelled a decree for the whole world to fear Daniel’s God. If my death can produce a United Nations decree compelling all nations of the world to worship no other god other than my God – the true and living God, I will gladly be on my way to Heaven. Are you a living sacrifice? And to what extent?
Prayer Point:
Father, please give me the grace to always look unto You for everything I need in life.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 2 Kings 10:18-12:21 and Proverbs 22:29-23:13
HYMN 2: O JESUS, I HAVE PROMISED.
O Jesus, I have promised,
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide.
Oh, let me feel Thee near me;
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.
Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
To hasten, or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.
O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.
Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then to rest receive me,
My Savior and my Friend.