OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: MONDAY 5TH APRIL 2021.
THEME: GOD DEFENDS HIS ELECT.
MEMORISE:
And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? Luke 18:7
READ: Colossians 3:12-17
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
MESSAGE:
An elect is a chosen or preferred person. In terms of Christianity, an elect is someone who God, by His grace, has chosen to be qualified as righteous before Him. The Bible says in Romans 8: 33- 34 :
“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”
God watches over His elect. He is not ashamed of them even among His holy angels because they are doing Him proud in this perverse generation and according to the Scripture:
“But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” Hebrews 11:16
In light of the above Scripture, therefore, the elect of God have both a moral and spiritual obligation to live in accordance with the commandments of God.
The elect should be mindful more about eternity than the temporal things of this life. At times they suffer trials of poverty because they refused to sell their conscience, suffering bonds, imprisonment and in extreme cases, martyrdom. This made Jesus Christ assure His audience in Luke 18:7 as we have it in our memory verse of today that God will always take care of His own elect. This is one of the numerous rewards of being an elect of God. In this verse, Jesus Christ is reassuring the elect of God who have turned their backs on all forms of godlessness and wickedness of sin. The Almighty God will always be there for all the elect, provided they cry to Him in the day of trouble, because He said:
“call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” Psalms 50:15
Beloved, are you an elect of God? If not, it takes just the acceptance of Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and savior to be one. Repent of your sins and begin to live your life as approved of Jesus Christ in the gospels. I pray that the benefits of the elect shall be your portion in Jesus' name.
ACTION POINT:
Act upon John 3:3-5 and pray that God should make you one of His elect.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 21-22.
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 12: IN CHRIST ALONE.
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone! - who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
Amen and Amen
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