OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL-FRIDAY-08/04/2016-SPIRITUAL PACESETTERS-BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
SPIRITUAL
PACESETTERS
Memorise
Be
ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1st Corinthians
11:1
Read
Hebrews 6:9-15,
9 But,
beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany
salvation, though we thus speak.
10 For
God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have
shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do
minister.
11 And
we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full
assurance of hope unto the end:
12 That
ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience
inherit the promises.
13 For
when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he
sware by himself,
14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and
multiplying I will multiply thee.
15 And
so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
KJV
MESSAGE
There are certain spiritual pacesetters in
the Church who when a conscientious Christian takes time to emulate, heaven
would be his limit. It is unfortunate, however, that these spiritual pace
setters are very few nowadays unlike in the days of old when an apostle wrote:
“And ye become
followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction,
with joy of the Holy Ghost. So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in
Macedonia and Achaia.”
1st
Thessalonians 1:6-7
When were the outstanding Christian living
standards that the early disciples lived by? Some could be deduced in the above
quoted scripture: Firstly, they received the Word with joy despite the fact
that it was hard. Today, Christianity has become a ‘bread and butter’ affair. Any
New Testament injunction that brings about a slight affliction is thrown away
as it comes from the pulpit. This has made many post-modern preachers not to
bother about preaching the hard truth any more. They see it as an exercise in
futility, so you hear them say, “Don’t preach such things; they won’t accept
that from you!” At the beginning of this apostasy, it was the modern day
Christians who picked and chose what they would accept, while they threw the
rest back at the preacher. These days, it is the preachers who ‘carefully’
select the message that will be ‘offensive’ to their congregation. These are no
spiritual pace setters. I will like to warn a preacher using this devotional
with the Words of the Lord in Ezekiel 33:7-8
“So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman
unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and
warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely
die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall
die in his iniquity; but his blood will I required at thine hand.”
Apart from warning the evil-doers and
sinners against wickedness by word of mouth, a spiritual pace setter must
practice what he preaches. A Christian, and particularly a preacher, must live
as a light in this world. The Bible says:” … of all that Jesus began both to do
and teach” (Acts 1:1). This exactly was the pattern of life of the early
apostles; the reason they were able to admonish brethren to be followers of
them as they were of Christ. In transparent faithfulness, Christians should set
the pace for the unbelievers. In godliness, believers in Christ must be
spiritual pacesetters and perfect examples of their generation. Jesus Christ
said:
“Let your light so
shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father
which is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16
Prayer Point
Father, please make me a spiritual pacesetter so that millions may come
to Your Kingdom through me.
Bible in one year
1st Samuel
18:17-20:42, Proverbs 6:28-7:9
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