Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye
MEMORIZE: “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven” (Matt 10:33)
READ: Matthew 10:32-33
If you are running from your enemies, you are making yourself their sitting target and that, brings shame to the Almighty. In spite of the heavy presence of idolatry, to the extent that the Lord Jesus described Pergamos as Satan’s headquarters, the church held fast to their faith and stood strong. Is the community you are in bewitched by the powers of darkness? Do not fear! Call on the Lord to manifest His powers. The truth is that wherever there is a strong satanic presence, there is by far a strong divine presence. And God is ready to manifest His power if only you will courageously invite Him. In any case, if the early church had run, there would have been no Christianity today. If you run today, you might delay the second coming of the Messiah.
Moreover the church at Pergamos was so resolute in their faith in Christ that they were prepared to die for it. To this end, Antipas was martyred, yet they held on. True believers in Christ are no cowards. They do not change their minds when it relates to their faith in Christ even in the face of persecution. In Greek, the word ‘martyr’ is ‘matheus’ which means ‘to witness’. In the days of the early Church, to witness for Christ meant one’s readiness to die. So only those who were ready to die witnessed Christ. And this they did, not afraid for their lives. Today, for fear of being ridiculed and called ‘Mother of Jesus’ or Religious fanatic‘, many keep closed lips. Even today, there are some missionaries who by virtue of their location and level of consecration are living martyrs for Christ. They are so sold out to the Lord that their lives do not count. If they can be so consecrated, at least you can witness Jesus where you reside, school or work. In Matthew 10:32-33, the Lord says one way to become popular in Heaven is by speaking to men about Him as that will make Him to reciprocate your gesture by speaking of you to the Father. The flip side is that you will toe the path of being unknown in Heaven (where all matters most). Do you want to be known and famous in Heaven? It is your choice! Choose right and lead souls to Christ on a regular basis.
ACTION POINT:
Prayerfully lead 5 souls to Christ this week. Pray that God will arrest natural disasters across the globe and save lives and property.
Bible in One year: Jer. 4-5
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