ON ETERNAL DESTINATIONS Saturday 17 September

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

MEMORIZE: “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Dan. 12:2).

READ: Daniel 12:1-3

To have a purposeful life, it is important to know your potentials. Every one who is born of God has the potential of doing greater works through the power of the Holy Spirit. However, it is possible to see your potential but be unable to achieve it. In 2 Kings 5:20-27, Gehazi could see, feel and smell a very great future. He had the potential of being the recipient of a double portion of anointing on his master Elisha, but he exchanged it for money. Today, money, women, power and sin have robbed many of their great potentials. You will not miss your potential in Jesus name.

Another vital question you must ask yourself is: “Where am I going?” This relates to destiny. Ask yourself: ‘Where will I end?’ Everything that has a beginning also has an end. Speaking of eternal destiny, Daniel said, “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:2). If you ask many people where they are going, they would say they are heading for Heaven. But how can you take a hell-bound bus and end up in Heaven? Impossible! In other words, it is not enough to sing, confess or profess: ‘I am glad, I am going to Heaven’. Confessing this is good but certainly not enough. You cannot enter into Heaven by just confessing your way through without necessarily satisfying the heavenly requirement. Entering Heaven is serious business. It is beyond mere wishes and thoughts. According to Daniel, many who died thinking they would make it to Heaven will find, to their utmost dismay, that they have been hurled into everlasting hell.

On issues of eternal destination, you must be very careful and proactive. To enter hell, you may not be required to do anything. No sacrifice is required from you. You are free to do as you like, live and behave as you like, eat and drink whatever you like. You can engage your flesh as often as you like. To enter Heaven, however, you cannot do what you like. If an acknowledged terrorist wants visa to the United States, would he be given? No way! In the same way, you must be prepared to sacrifice as well as satisfy all of Heaven’s requirements before being taken seriously as one who wants to go to Heaven. Where are you headed?

ACTION POINT:

Many want to go to Heaven but are not prepared to satisfy the conditions. Pray for guidance by the Holy Spirit.

 

Bible in One year: Num. 15-17