Sunday 8 September 2013

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY - 08/09/2013 - FREE FROM HARM BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE



FREE FROM HARM

MEMORISE
And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.
Acts 28:5

READ
Acts 28:1-6

Acts 28:1 And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.

Acts 28:2 And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.

Acts 28:3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

Acts 28:4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

Acts 28:5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

Acts 28:6 Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

MESSAGE
While some servants of God are becoming cold, a few others are remaining hot, steaming hot. May you be hot for God! Sometime ago, there was this particular physician who became a missionary. Where he went to preach the Gospel soon experienced a plague which killed people like flies. Through the plague, germs were transferred to others and they too soon became victims. The doctor was busy treating the victims of the plague but he did not die. This amazed some scientists who decided to carry out a test. They took the saliva of one of the plague victims full of deadly germs and placed it on the hand of this physician, and watched the reaction under a microscope as instructed by the doctor. Then they saw that a few second after the germ landed on his skin, they died. That is an example of a firebrand!

Many of us are not what we ought to be because we have failed to carry the divine fire we were designed to carry. Some time in 1977, we went to Ilorin (Nigeria) for a Redeemer’s Congress. There was scarcity of pipe-borne water at that time. The brethren went to a river in the town and fetched me a bucket of water which was green in colour as that was the best they could find. Then they brought a disinfectant to apply to the water. As I opened it, I heard God saying, “My son, which is more powerful – my blood or the disinfectant?” I replied, “Your blood”. So He asked me to put back the disinfectant and cover the water with His blood because he would send me to a location with water challenges and there would be no disinfectant to apply. Beloved, germs are supposed to die when they come in contact with you but what is the situation today? Is your body harbouring sicknesses? Are germs developing inside your body that was created to destroy them? If there is one thing you need now, it is the fire of the Most High God. Ask for it until you truly become a firebrand like Paul that no snake bite could harm.

KEY POINT
According to Mark 16:18, believers are free from harm, but this does not include situations where somebody becomes foolish or presumptuous by tempting God.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
2 Samuel 16-18

1 comment:

  1. God. Please make me your fire brand, such that sicknesses and diseases will have no effect on me any longer.

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