Sunday 28 September 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - SUNDAY- 28/09/2014 - KNOW YOUR CALLING BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE


CHILDREN OF LIGHT OR DARKNESS?

Memorise
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:15

Read
1 Thessalonians 5:4-10

4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Message
It is unfortunate to observe that sobriety is no longer a common feature in the lives of many twenty-first century believers. Instead, the characteristics of the night or darkness are the common trademarks of many so-called Christians. Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:6 does not only admonish us to be sober-minded, he also warns us to beware of the sleep of death. We should not engage in spiritual slumbering, so that the coming of the Day of the Lord may not catch us unawares. We should not engage in the works of darkness as he enjoined us in Ephesians 5:4-5:

“Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”

Why do we have thieves in the Church today? Why are harlots singing in the Choir? Why are extra-marital wanderings common among both the laity and the clergy? The answer is not far-fetched: children of light are becoming children of darkness. Also, children of darkness are disguising as children of light. Furthermore, the children of light are making the spiritual environment (the Church) too comfortable for evil doers. The love towards the ungodly that they may be saved has been over-stretched to the point of deadly compromise. Sobriety is no longer popular. If you live soberly nowadays, you belong to the “old school”. You are looked upon as an idiot if you refuse to be fraudulent to get rich. Worse still, when you cannot dole money out like those who are fraudulent, you are inconsequential. How can we get out of our spiritual black-out? The answer is simple; the Bibles says,

“Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”
Ephesians 5:7-8

The Bible also says that the night is far spent and the day is at hand. As a matter of fact, the Day of the Lord is at hand. So let us walk like children of light (Romans 13:12-14). May the second coming of the Lord not catch you unawares in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point
Father, please give me the spirit of vigilance so that the coming of the Lord may not catch me unawares.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
1 Samuel 3-5;

Proverbs 3:13-27

6 comments:

  1. Father,please give me the spirits of vigilance.so that the coming of the Lord may not catch me unawares.

    ReplyDelete
  2. father give me the spirit of vigilance so your coming will not catch me or my family unaware In JESUS NAME AMEN

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  3. Oh lord give me the spirit of vigilance so your coming wil not catch me,my family and loved ones unawares IJN AmEn

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  4. Farther help me to be vigilance for your comming so that the comming of the Lord may not catch me unprepared. Amen

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  5. Oh Lord help me to be vigilance for your coming. I and my family and my love ones. Thank u Jesus.

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  6. Lord, help me to reign with you because am not worthy by my strength

    ReplyDelete

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