OPEN HEAVENS (TUESDAY, 17TH DECEMBER 2013)

TOPIC: HOW PERSUADED?

Memory Verse: Romans 4:21….And being
fully persuaded that, what he had
promised, he was able also to perform. Bible Reading: Psalm 82:2-4 2. How long will ye judge unjustly, and
accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. 3. Defend the poor and fatherless: do
justice to the afflicted and needy. 4. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them
out of the hand of the wicked. Message:
In II Timothy 4:10, Demas – a co-
labourer with Paul was floored by his
love for the world. He became a victim
of comfort. Today, many people are also
becoming prayerless and shifting their faith or trust from God to uncertain
riches. They are now tending towards
the believe that money can fix
everything. If you are in such a situation,
repent fast before it is too late. It is
certain that anyone who served God with his heart while poor, but could not
sustain it after wealth and comfort
came, is not fully persuaded of his or her
faith in Christ. In Romans 8:38-39, Paul
says,
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor things to
come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord.” If you go through Paul’s list, you will
observe a man who is completely sold
out to God. He has nothing to look back
to having burnt his bridges. Many
people still operate a plan B with God.
Such people say: let me try God 80% and still put my leg in something else
20% so that should God fail, I will not
lose out completely. Do not waste your
time! If that is how your commitment is
to God, He will definitely fail you. Any
time you share your trust in God with someone else or something else, it is no
longer God you are trusting in. If wealth
can separate you from God, it shows you
have not truly decided to follow Jesus.
You are not persuaded. Paul says if he is
threatened with death he will not deny Christ. He declares that even if all the
angels in Heaven were to revolt against
God today (which is not possible) and
they talk him into denying Christ, they
will simply be wasting their time. He
says forces of darkness – no matter how vicious, cannot make him stop loving
Jesus. He says no present or future
technological advancement can take his
faith in Christ away from him. He says
no promotion or demotion can rob him
of Jesus. No love for anything can break him away from Christ. That is a man
who is fully persuaded! If any of these
things can break you from Christ, you
are not persuaded. How persuaded are
you? ActionPoint:
The internet has become a major
stumbling block to many believers. If
you are a victim of this, break off and
redefine your relationship with it today.