Saturday 3 August 2013

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SATURDAY 03/08/2013 - PAYING FOR SPIRITUAL SERVICES BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE




PAYING FOR SPIRITUAL SERVICES

MEMORY VERSE
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Matthew 10:8

READ
1 Corinthians 2:12-13

1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

MESSAGE
One reason many people are failing God in ministry and in their secular jobs is because they are copying methods rather than following the Lord. Another reason is that they are following after the wrong things. If you pursue the wrong things or focus on what is not needful, it will definitely affect your results. When Naaman was leaving with all the goodies he came with, Gehazi vowed to go after him. What are you running after? God sees the hearts of men. Naaman came to the man of God hoping to pay for his healing. The man of God was sensitive to the Spirit of God and so he refused to take a gift from him. There are some servants of God who have never refused a gift before. In fact, if something is not offered to them after God has used them to be a blessing, they take offence and begin to complain. Such people are following the path of Gehazi.

Romans 3:24 says we are justified freely by His grace. 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 and Romans 8:32 say that God has freely given us the things of the Kingdom. Did you pay for your salvation, sanctification or baptism in the Holy Spirit? Did you pay for the fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit that makes the miraculous possible in your life? Matthew 10:8 says,

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Today, the greed of some ministers of the Gospel makes them to compel or cajole recipients of blessings from God's grace on their life to pay in cash or in kind. In other words, the concept of free reception and free delivery is fast becoming obsolete. Some ministers will say, 'I laid hands on you and the cancer in your body disappeared. You know how much it costs to treat an incurable disease like cancer. If it is half of what you would have spent on treatment, go and bring it; after all, it is not easy to acquire the anointing'. Has the anointing suddenly gone on sale? The Lord frowns seriously at this! If recipients of miracles on their own decide to show appreciation, that is fine; but it is very wrong for them to be compelled or cajoled to 'pay' for what they have received. If they pay, they may never see the need to turn their lives over to God.

Key Point 
If you sell the gift of God which should be freely given, you will be made to pay back on the day you have nothing at hand.

9 comments:

  1. Hmn!! I Love dis message like all. Wat of some Pastors dat prays for people during a service dat dey should bring money in denominations and pray for dem denominations by denominations,do u think that is right??? I pray for more of God in my life and a listening hear and d grace and strength to do His work.

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  2. God have mercy...

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  3. Tank U̶̲̥̅̊ father 4 U̶̲̥̅̊я word dis morning i pray 4 mercy for does dat sell d̶̲̥̅̊ gift of God,in jesus name Amen

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  4. Nice one,am blessed.

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  5. Am blessed by this teaching

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  6. Well said! May d Lord help us to b sensitive t d spirit at all times IJN

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  7. When God does things for u always appreciate him n his servant..

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  8. pls i need pray to all areas of life

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