OPEN HEAVENS DAILY
DEVOTIONAL..
DATE : SATURDAY 11 JUNE 2016
THEME : SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS 1
Memorise :
Thou therefore endure hardness,
as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 2:3
Read : 2 Timothy 2:1-7
1 THOU therefore, my son, be
strong in the grace that is in
Christ Jesus.
2 And the things that thou hast
heard of me among many
witnesses, the same commit thou
to faithful men, who shall be able
to teach others also.
3 Thou therefore endure
hardness, as a good soldier of
Jesus Christ.
4 No man that warreth
entangleth himself with the
affairs of this life; that he may
please him who hath chosen him
to be a soldier.
5 And if a man also strive for
masteries, yet is he not crowned,
except he strive lawfully.
6 The husbandman that
laboureth must be first partaker
of the fruits.
7 Consider what I say; and the
Lord give thee understanding in
all things.
Message
One of my sons once said 'For
every new level there is a new
devil'. This is very correct in the
life of every believer. I always tell
my children that if they are not
relevant in the scheme of things,
they cannot be a target to the
devil. But, the moment you make
up your mind to obey to God, to
love God and to serve Him, you
become a target for the enemies,
both within and without. As a
soldier of the Cross, you do not
fight your battles with physical
weapons because it is the nature
of a battle that will determine
your arsenal of weapons. As a
good soldier of the Cross, you
must be able to endure hardness
in the race to heaven. You have
to fight lawfully and follow those
rules which characterise a
righteous person.
There are many factors attacking
the Christian Faith today. We
cannot just continue to be
passive; there is the need to
defend the Christian Faith against
modern and post-modern
ideologies, so that we can all lay
hold of eternal life. Any Christian
who is timid and fearful cannot
carry out the struggles of
spiritual warfare.
Put on the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:11
Those who were before us were
able to stand strong and give a
reason for the hope they had in
Christ Jesus, we cannot but do
same. Timothy as an evangelist,
did not waste any opportunity,
he constantly stood before men
and confess his faith in Christ.
Jesus Christ our master stood
before Pontius Pilate and
defended His Son-ship and
Kingship. One of the ways to be a
good soldier of the cross is to
appreciate the works of the
cross and live our lives to reflect
the sacrifices made by Jesus. This
we can achieve when we begin
to live a life of purity and godly
behaviour. We must follow the
truth that has been received in
Christ. The truth that set you free
and gave you liberty must be
passed on to others, so that they
can experience what you
experienced. This is why our
pastors need to go back to the
ancient landmark of sound
apostolic teaching. There is a
need for urgency on the part of
the clergy to feed their flocks
with the undiluted Word of life.
Hardship will come, Satan will
launch all forms of attack against
preaching of the gospel of Jesus,
yet, we must not allow all these
to divert our focus from our
primary assignment as soldiers
of the cross. Also, don't allow the
affairs of this world to make you
a victim in the battles of life. As a
messenger of Jesus, you must do
all that is within your power to
please the owner of your life and
be committed to the work of the
Kingdom. It is my prayer that
your enemies will miss whenever
they target you in Jesus' name.
Action point :
Put on the whole armour of God
that you may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : Ezra 1-3 and
Ecclesiastes 5:10-20
AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN 2: O JESUS, I HAVE
PROMISED.
O Jesus, I have promised,
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide.
Oh, let me feel Thee near me;
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.
Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
To hasten, or control;
Oh speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.
O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.
Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then to rest receive me,
My Savior and my Friend.
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