OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: FRIDAY 3RD APRIL 2020.
THEME: THE AGONIES OF SPIRITUAL DEATH.
MEMORISE:
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Genesis 2:17
READ: 1 Samuel 3:1-15
1And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.
MESSAGE
Spiritual death, described in the Bible as separation from God is a consequence of sin. It ultimately leads to eternal death if there is no repentance before physical death or the second coming of Christ. People who are spiritually dead are often ignorant of their status because when a person die spiritually. He or she may continue to live a normal life physically. Such people may be intelligent and successful in their chosen professions; they may even be morally upright and committed to ‘good works.’ Spiritual death is characterized primarily by a lack of communication between God and man. It is a state of complete severance of communion with God.
The Bible in Matthew 4:16, tells us categorically that the two major symptoms of spiritual death are darkness and the shadow of death. A man/woman that has been separated from God is living in darkness and totally unaware of the imminent dangers surrounding him/her. Often, calamities suddenly envelop such a man with neither warning nor remedy. Unless such a person retraces his or her steps to God in genuine repentance, the agony of spiritual death becomes a real experience. I pray for anyone that may be experiencing this: The Lord will deliver you today in the mighty name of Jesus.
To be spiritually dead is to live without God’s counsel and guidance. The Bible further hinted at the symptoms of spiritual death in Ephesians 4:18 by saying:
“ Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:”
Most human beings have come to accept a life of “suffering and smiling” as normal. However, John 10:10 tells us that Jesus came for us to have life in abundance. Therefore, you can confess your sins to God in true repentance and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Backsliders should also retrace also retrace their steps to God. Jesus in His love and mercy will reconnect with you and your life will never be the same again.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please deliver me and my family from the agony of spiritual death, in the mighty name of Jesus.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judges 13-15
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 20: MY GOD TO THEE.
1. Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee.
o Refrain:
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
2. Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
Darkness be over me, my rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee.
3. There let the way appear, steps unto Heav’n;
All that Thou sendest me, in mercy giv’n;
Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee.
4. Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise;
So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee.
5. Or, if on joyful wing cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I’ll fly,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee.
6. There in my Father’s home, safe and at rest,
There in my Savior’s love, perfectly blest;
Age after age to be nearer, my God, to Thee.
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