Wednesday Open Heavens Devotional - For Christ’s Sake Don’t!

For Christ’s Sake Don’t! - 19 November 2014

Memorise: Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1. Continue...

Read: Psalm 137:1-4

1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
4 How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 CHRONICLES 16:8-18:17 and PROVERBS 28:14-25

Message

A negative change is generally abhorred by men. Everyone craves progress. We always desire to keep ascending the ladder of success. No one wants to make a u-turn in the journey of greatness. The greatest journey whose end has the greatest significance is the journey to Heaven. This journey is only made in Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life. Only through Him does man have access to God.

Some individuals, who have truly started this glorious and wonderful journey to heaven, handle the race too leisurely and with levity. Otherwise, what shall we say of a Christian sister or brother who toy with sins like fornication, lying, dishonesty and fraudulent practices. Some sisters and brothers still in courtship are already having sex. This is an example of making a u-turn while on the journey to the greater glory above. In line with today’s scripture reading, the implication for such people is that they will fall prey to the enemy. Such people lead themselves into the captivity of the enemy, contrary to the admonition of today’s memory verse. Such individuals become like Samson who when God’s presence was with him, he was a terror to the enemy, but by the time he pushed God away from him through his unabated lust, he became a laughing stock with his two eyes gone. Why, why, why would you allow such regrettable acts to cause you such pain? Such was the condition of the entire nation of Israel in Psalm 137. They went into captivity in the hands of their enemies. Hear their wailing in Psalm 137:3-4:

“For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?”

Some people deceive themselves or allow the devil to deceive them. They live in sin and they claim they can always confess their sins; it is either such people are not saved at all, or they have already backslidden. What a dangerous thing it is for a child of God to toy with sin. Five to six years ago in Lagos - Nigeria, the case of a pastor was reported in the newspapers. A portion of a wall fell on him while he was on top of a woman; they died together on the spot, what judgment! Where would the destination of such a pastor be in eternity? For Christ’s sake don’t toy with sin!

Action Point: Flee every appearance of evil. Don’t say I will do it only once; your “only once” escapade could lead you to an eternity in hell.