OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL - THURSDAY - 16/10/2014 - READY TO OCCUPY? - BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

READY TO OCCUPY?

Memorise

And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

Luke 19:13

Read

Luke 19:11–27

11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.

12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.

19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.

25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)

26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

Message

No tree can grow except on the root from which it sprang. In the gospels, we see the personal life of our Lord laid bare for us. He spoke frequently of His relationship with the Father, of the motives guiding Him, and His consciousness of the power of the Spirit at work in Him. Jesus, as man, subordinated Himself and gave the Father all honour and glory due to Him. He was the embodiment of humility and did nothing on His own (John 5:30). Jesus as man was the greatest of all teachers and greatest of all prophets. He was crystal-clear in all His predictions (Luke 21:20–24, Matthew 24:6–37). This same Jesus, when He was leaving the earth, promised His disciples that He would return, and He commissioned them to occupy till His return.

The word ‘occupy’ is a military term that means to take charge or take full control of already conquered territories. Christians are combatants engaged in the fight of faith against Satan, sin, the world and the flesh. Ours is a victorious battle. When He said, “It is finished”, our Captain and Lord Jesus Christ, gained complete victory over all these enemies for us. Satan has been destroyed (Hebrews 2:14–15), sin has been put to death (Romans 6:2), the world has been overcome (John 16:33) and the flesh has been crucified (Galatians 5:24). These enemies are therefore engaged in a lost cause, and our responsibility as Christians is to hold the fort by resisting them in faith (1 Peter 5:8-9, Hebrews 12:4). Are you a Christian? Are you a child of God? You can live above the devil in your day to day life and manifest the victory of Christ over Satan, sin, the world and the flesh. To take charge of the already conquered territories and subdue the enemy, you should understand your adversary, understand the nature of our fight and use the right weapons. In addition, you should have the mind of Christ and focus on the right objectives. Satan is your enemy. He is unseen (Ephesians 6:12). He is the ruler of wickedness, with other fallen angels (demons) under his control. All the unsaved are also under his dominion (Ephesians 2:2). Note also that your enemy - Satan, is not foolish. Satan is cunning. He is full of dangerous and destructive wisdom. Your enemy was perfect in beauty and wisdom when God made him (Ezekiel 28:12–15). He was made of precious stones. Know therefore that, not all beautiful things are wholesome and holy (Proverbs 31:30). Satan loves jewellery. Lucky stones are the habitations of Satan. Some so called lucky stones are objects of the occult. To occupy effectively, leave the objects of the enemy alone.

Action Point

Satan loves worldly music. To devastate the enemy, remove all worldly music from your home and replace them with gospel music.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

2 Samuel 16-17

Proverbs 12:15-28