OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - TUESDAY - 17/12/2013 - HOW PERSUADED? BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

HOW PERSUADED?

MEMORY VERSE

And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Romans 4:21

READ

Psalm 82:2-4

Psalm 82:2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.

Psalm 82:3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.

Psalm 82:4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

MESSAGE

In 2 Timothy 4:10, Demas, a co-labourer with Paul was floored by his love for the world. He became a victim of comfort. Today, many people are also becoming prayerless and shifting their faith or trust from God to uncertain riches. They are now tending towards believe that money can fix everything. If you are in such a situation, repent fast before it is too late. It is certain that, anyone who served God with his heart while poor, but could not sustain it after wealth and comfort came, is not fully persuaded of his or her faith in Christ. In Romans 8:38-39, Paul says,

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If you go through Paul's list, you will observe a man who is completely sold out to God. He has nothing to look back to having burnt his bridges. Many people still operate a plan B with God. Such people say: let me try God 80% and still put my leg in something else 20% so that should God fail, I will not lose out completely. Do not waste your time! If that is how your commitment is to God, He will definitely fail you. Any time you share your trust in God with someone else or something else, it is no longer God you are trusting in. If wealth can separate you from God, it shows you have not truly decided to follow Jesus. You are not persuaded. Paul says if he is threatened with death he will not deny Christ. He declares that even if all the angels in Heaven were to revolt against God today (which is not possible) and they talk him into denying Christ, they will simply be wasting their time. He says forces of darkness no matter how vicious, cannot make him stop loving Jesus. He says no present or future technological advancement can take his faith in Christ away from him. He says no promotion or demotion can rob him of Jesus. No love for anything can break him away from Christ. That is a man who is fully persuaded! If any of these things can break you from Christ, you are not persuaded. How persuaded are you?

ACTION POINT

The internet has become a major stumbling block to many believers. If you are a victim of this, break off and redefine your relationship with it today