TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL (Friday 30th July 2021)
“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept my word, and have not denied My name.
Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie — indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Revelation 3:8-19 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 211th DAY OF OUR YEAR OF HIGHER HEIGHTS!
This is the day the LORD has made, we shall rejoice and be glad in it. We give God the glory for keeping us all through this year and for sustaining our lives and helping us to stand strong in the seasons of life.
I also thank Him for giving us a word in season every day. I believe today will not be an exception.
If you look at the word of the LORD revealed in the Holy Scriptures, you will discover that God has a plan and program for every human on the face of the earth. From Genesis to Revelation, you see men and women in God’s plans and programs sometimes rejected on earth and going through a lot but gloriously accepted by Heaven.
You find them riding on the wings of divine help and uncommon favor.
There is also one thing you will discover if you study the scriptures. You will also discover that Satan’s greatest fear is to see the entire human race step into God’s plans and programs. All hell may come against you if you step into God’s plans and programs for your life but hell itself knows that it can do you nothing.
It knows that it can only bark but not bite.
That is why if you are in God’s plans and programs for your life, one of the common rhema word you will always hear from the Spirit is the word “Be strong and very courageous.” If you are strong and courageous, the barking of hell at you will not make you shift an inch, leading to its defeat. Joshua was one of the first to be told that in the days of the Bible.
Moses had died. He was the one chosen by Heaven to take the assignment to the next level. There were terrible kings to conquer and indisputable strong armies to destroy. There were many lands to possess for the kingdom of God. So, the LORD looked at him and said to him;
“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.” Joshua 1:5-7 NKJV
ONE THING YOU FIND REPEATING ITSELF HEAR IS THE COMMAND TO BE BOLD, STRONG AND VERY COURAGEOUS.
Satan will not want anyone to step or remain in God’s plans and programs. He will bark at the people or persons until they abandon God’s plans and program for them. Now, apart from barking, he also invents things to take men and women away form God’s plans and programs.
One of the major things he invents is counterfeits of everything God has. He will even invent counterfeit plans and programs of God for a people and make them step into it. You see that especially in the area of marriage. So many who got married to people that were not God’s plan and program for their lives are either single today or groaning to make their marriage work.
Now, apart from the counterfeits we see in the area of marriage, there is also counterfeits churches. Jesus calls them in our devotional text synagogues of Satan. The text says;
“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept my word, and have not denied My name.
Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie — indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.” Revelation 3:8-19 NKJV
Often times when this scripture is read in the mentality of a need based gospel, people do not see what Jesus refereed to the day He spoke these blessed words to one of His imminent apostles – John the revelator.
Long before that day He had stirred Apostle Paul to warn of the rise of heretic teachers and false ministers of the gospel – people described as wolves.
He said they will bring in damnable heresies like the ones we have today on the doctrines of eternal salvation, first born, first fruits, evil foundations and all that – things that look true but are not from the Spirit of truth Himself.
APOSTLE PETER WILL LATER WRITE AND SAY;
“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.” 2 Peter 2:1-3 NKJV
The bible did not say few will follow their destructive ways; it says many will follow their destructive ways! The reason is obvious. They will tailor their eternally destructive ministries around the immediate need of the people. They will lead bless clubs calling them Churches. Prophecies and prayers will be for sale in the guise of seed sowing. And the people will keep buying since they will be told it will solve all their problems.
They will lead a prophetic, deliverance or teaching ministry that will promise the people all kinds of liberty while they themselves (the preachers) are servants of corruption. They will comfort the hands of sinners and make them comfortable in their wickedness by giving them a false sense of forgiveness for their sins.
Friend, the most destructive person on earth today is a killer spiritual leader – a spiritual leader without the grace and truth to prepare mankind for the next life! It is saddening.
SO MANY TAKE EVERYONE WHO STANDS BEHIND A PULPIT AS MAN OR WOMAN OF GOD!
It’s dangerous to treat everyone in God’s garment as man of God. You will not know when you are calling a demon “man” or “Woman of God,” God needed to make things clear hence sending us with that word!
Calling the wrong person man or woman of God is blasphemy against God. Though Jesus said it can be forgiven but it will shortchange your destiny until you wake up from your spiritual blindness.
Sadly, the Bible warned that many will follow killer spiritual leaders. The many that will follow them will constitute another kind of Church Jesus calls “Synagogue” or “Assembly of Satan.” There are so many Assemblies of Satan today called assemblies of God. So many synagogues of Satan in our generation – sending a great spiritual stench to God’s nostrils and opening portals of hell over entire cities.
The synagogue of Satan is the false Church mixed with the current Church. Just as there were two babies in Rebekah’s womb and two women with seed from Abraham in one roof, so are there two Churches in the present Church! Everyone must know that!
You are either a part of the false church or the true church; there is no middle ground.
If what is in Christ is not in you as one who profess born again, you are part of the false Church. If the Holy Ghost is not in you, you are part of the false Church. If the Holiness we find in Christ is not in you, you are part of the false Church.
If you do not feel anything about sin as a Christian, especially sexual sins and other deep sins, when you find yourself in them, you are not part of the body of Christ. If you are comfortable with preachers who sale prophecies, prayer and other deliverance materials like Oil, salt, holy water, incense and etc in the guise of seed sowing – you are not part of the true Church.
If you hate preachers who preach righteousness and urge us to live a Christian life with eternity in view, calling them names and seeing them as extremist and etc, you are not part of the body of Christ.
IF YOU CALL CONVICTION CONDEMNATION OR SEE ONE WHO REBUKES YOU FOR YOUR SINS AS “JUDGING YOU” IT’S A SIGN THAT YOU ARE PART OF THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN.
If you are moving from sin to sin, one form of spiritual problem to another, one terrible act of wickedness or the other, it’s a sign that you are yet to be integrated into the true Church. What flows in Christ is not flowing in you yet. And since there is no middle ground, you belong to the false Church. Point blank!
If you cannot walk in truth and make the Bible your standard, the Holy Ghost your friend and Heaven your ultimate goal, you belong to the synagogue of Satan. If there is not Godliness in your character and God’s manifest presence in your prayer, you are yet to be made part of the true Church.
If you are a preacher, and to you no service is complete without collecting money from people, or no prayer will work without receiving money, you are not part of the true Church. If your ministry is run as a money-making machine, especially making people without an offering look stupid and useless, you are leading a department of the synagogue of Satan.
You may reject this but do not forget what our devotional text said. It says,
“Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie…”
From this scripture it’s clear that members of the synagogue of Satan will never accept that they do not belong to the true Church. They will do everything possible to convince you that they belong to Jesus.
They are quick at changing their names to sound more “GOD.” They engage sorcery and divination in spiritual matters and cannot expound the word of truth and righteousness.
They move from title to title and are not interested in content, because they know men look at the outward appearance and not the heart. And since their drive is to appear perfect before men, they do everything that will make them look so perfect before the undiscerning.
Sadly, they forget that “the judge of all” looks at the heart because what goes on in our hearts is what really tell who we are.
There is so much to chew from our devotional text, but this is not a book. I trust God that the message of today has been passed.
There are two Churches in the present Church. When the rapture will take place, the true Church will be taken and the false Church left behind with the lost world.
Secure your place in Christ by using His grace upon your life to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, making sure you are not part of the synagogue of Satan in the present Church!
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDIATION FOR YOU TODAY!
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.