ALWAYS A REMNANT Friday 11 November

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

MEMORIZE: “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19:18)

READ: 1 Kings 19:13-18

The letter the Lord wrote to the church in Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6 was a very sad one. Unlike the previous letters, there was barely anything good to say about them, except that there were a few who did not defile themselves. One lesson here is that the Lord Jesus is the most objective person you can think of. He calls a spade a spade, not an axe. If there is nothing good about you, He will say it with love to provoke you to do something about it. Church leaders, unlike Jesus have become so subjective. When an incident occurs, many ministers will do all they can to avoid calling it exactly what it is. This could be due to fear, favouritism, or tribal sentiments. One virtue that should distinguish you as a man or woman of God is your commitment to truth. If you cannot tell the truth at all times, irrespective of who is affected, you are a disgrace to the Christian Community. Do you take sides when judging a matter? How impartial is your judgement? Remember, Jesus says it is the way you judge, you will be judged yourself. If you denied someone justice, expect that you will be denied justice where it matters most. Be like Jesus – The Truth.

This passage also reminds us that no matter how polluted a people are, there is always a faithful remnant. They may be one, two or just a few; yet there are those who will always strive to meet the Master’s standards. This is why you must not allow anyone to deceive you. If people generally tell you that holiness is impossible, leave them alone. Look for the remnant few who believe God’s Word completely. In Sardis, there was a remnant few. At a time the Israeli captives taken to Babylon compromised their faith and joined with the rest of Babylon to bow down to the golden image of Nebuchadnezzar, the remnant three stood for the God of Israel (Dan. 3). At a time the nation of Israel backslid and began to worship idols during the days of Jezebel, there was a faithful remnant – Elijah and the 7000. In your generation, there is a remnant of God-fearing, heaven-bound saints. You have a choice to either be part of those who shall be saved, or the crowd that will be damned. Make your choice today!

PRAYER POINT:

Father, let me be a part of Your faithful remnant.

Bible in One year: Psa. 55-57