CONSISTENT CHRISTIAN?
Memorise: And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with
me, to give every man according as his work
shall be. Revelation 22:12
Read: Revelation 22:11-14, 11 He that is unjust, let him be
unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is
righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy
still.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to
give every man according as his work shall be.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the
first and the last.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may
have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the
city.
Bible in one year: 2nd Kings 10:18-12:21, Proverbs
22:29-23:13
MESSAGE
At the beginning of his ministry, Paul took a ride in a
basket as he escaped for his life in Damascus (2nd Corinthians 11:32-33). But
the God who delivered him from the garrison at Damascus, allowed him to end up
in jail at Philippi (Act 16). Because God answered a particular prayer
yesterday does not mean that He would repeat another in exactly the same
manner.
In Acts 16:25, Paul conducted a worship service in prison
right in the midst of chains and bonds. He never complained. Paul learnt to
praise God in whatever circumstance he found himself. Not many people can
praise God when thrown into prison for the sake of the Gospel. He was prepared
to undertake the worst of sufferings for the Kingdom of God (Philippians
1:20-21). He was not ashamed. Are you ashamed to suffer minor ridicule,
persecutions,
denials, beatings
for His Name today? Paul could say we should become a living sacrifice to God
because he was one.
In African traditional religion, when a bird or animal is
brought as a sacrifice to an idol, the giver forfeits his right to that animal;
it becomes the property of the idol for the rest of its life. Whether it lives
or dies or is given to someone is at the discretion of the idol. That living
sacrifice may be fed so well in one moment and killed the next minute. This
explains the term living sacrifice. You should be so yielded to God to the
extent of delivering to Him the greatest pleasure in whatever you do. If dying
for the Gospel will give Him the height of pleasure, you should be prepared to
die like Stephen. The preparedness of Daniel to go into the lion’s den
demonstrates that he was a living sacrifice. But in the end, instead of death,
his faith compelled a decree for the whole world to fear Daniel’s God. If my
death can produce a United Nations decree compelling all nations of the world
to worship no other god other than my God – the true and living God, I will
gladly be on my way to Heaven. Are you a living sacrifice? And to what
extent?
Prayer Point
Father, please give me the grace to always look unto You for
everything I need in life.
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