TODAY’S DEVOTION (TUESDAY 3RD DECEMBER 2024)
“ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8 NIV
WELCOME TO THE 338TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF IMPACT.
The LORD God has been our keeper and refuge. He has been our sustainer and strength, a very present help in time of trouble. That is why no troubles have ever consumed us. It comes, we see it, and also see God in it, and then it goes.
As a very present help in time of trouble, one may go through the waters, and through the rivers, and everything, and find the LORD there to help. That has been our story. Yes, it is a story of God’s faithfulness, mercy and compassion. The Bible says He keeps His covenant and mercy even to a thousand generation.
The enemy attack holders of sound doctrine fiercer than holders of any other thing in the kingdom of God. If you look at Paul for example, he suffered more than the rest of the apostles because of his assignment to carry sound doctrine everywhere and document it for our age and time.
The kingdom of God is established in the hearts of men through the preaching of sound doctrine not any other word, and that of Satan is pulled down from the hearts of men through the preaching of sound doctrine as well. Prayer movements do not damage the kingdom of darkness like sound doctrine.
That is why the devil might spare a prayer movement but not a word movement – a movement of sound doctrine. Holders of sound doctrine are men and women leading a word movement.
They pray and fast as well, but the main trust of their ministries is the preaching of sound doctrine. Like wise master builders, they use it to build lives to become temples for God in the Spirit, and like powerful warriors, they use the sword of sound doctrine to pierce through atmospheres and bring generational change in moral climates.
Holders of sound doctrine are most hated because they hold one of the most lethal spiritual weapons in God’s kingdom; a weapon no demon can withstand when thrust into darkness; a weapon that transforms moral landscapes in moments.
THE BIBLE MADE IT CLEAR THAT SOUND DOCTRINE IS A WEAPON OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
It is the greatest catalyst of righteousness in God’s kingdom. In the Cry of the Spirit ministries, for example, people have been delivered from homosexuality, drugs and drunkenness, fornication, adultery, and all kinds of sexual sins and filthiness of the spirit and flesh, black witchcraft and all forms of charismatic witchcraft through the preaching of sound doctrine.
This is aside the thousands the LORD has set free via television and social media. The preaching of sound doctrine remains the most impactful kingdom advance move all through church history because of its inbuilt power to establish righteousness and neutralize lawlessness.
Satan and his demons fear righteousness more than anything else, that is why they promote sin, iniquity and trespasses.
The entire gates of the enemy can put on with most things, but not righteousness. That is why they put holders of sound doctrine into jeopardy and use whoever they can find to make life difficult for them.
Over the ages, Satan has always swayed twisted minds, hurting hearts, aggrieved souls, ignorant minds, and those who feel disappointed to blaspheme against God, Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit, by speaking blasphemous words against holders of sound doctrine. The vision has always been to neutralize them.
But holders of sound doctrine have always been designed or fortified by the LORD to remain strong in battle and never be neutralized. The LORD has always stood with them like a mighty warrior, breaking down the gates of the enemy and keeping them strong in battle.
For example, Apostle Paul the first holder of Sound doctrine to be so attacked, a pioneer leader of the apostolic word movement in the early church, went through so much for being a holder of sound doctrine, and for raising apostolic word warriors who did the same.
IN ONE OF HIS LETTERS TO THE CHURCH AT CORINTH, HE SAID;
“Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;
in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;
in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;” 2 Corinthians 6:4-8 NIV
This scripture presents few of the many things that holders of sound doctrine go through. The last line says, “genuine, yet regarded as impostors.” For me, that is one of the most painful part of the price.
Personally, I have been called a cult leader, and all kinds of dark names in Kenya. This nation is the first place in my life and ministry where people call me so. Some even confess in church how spirits transmitted blasphemous words about me to their minds, to either believe or proclaim. It’s really weird.
The aggrieved, the lawless, the disappointed, and those who came to destroy us that I expelled, including persons we returned the offerings and tithes they gave, because of the wicked lives they lived while giving them, and all kinds of people, have always been swayed by the wicked one to blaspheme.
But if you look at the life of the first holder of sound doctrine, Paul the apostle, you will count whatever we see as nothing. He suffered for holding on to sound doctrine, ran his race well, and finished it, showing us how to stand as well.
Our devotional text says,
“ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8 NIV
You might be going through similar experiences as a holder of sound doctrine in your marriage, your family, your city, your nation and etc., hold on to the faith and keep fighting the good fight. The goal should not be to have your cry on the street, but to keep fighting the good fight, running the race, and making sure you finish well.
There is something ahead of us all, that thing is the crown of righteousness, which the LORD, the righteous Judge will award those who remain string in battle and finish well.
LET YOUR HEART BE FIXED ON IT.
There are a lot of prophets, and prophetic people claiming God told them this and that, which the LORD has not sent to speak those words. They have taken the hearts of the people from the Bible to their prophecies. God wants us to stop this and other forms of end time assaults on the souls of men. The Bible says,
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the LORD.” Jeremiah 23:16 NKJV
We must keep letting the people understand that when you follow visions, prophecies, revelations or dreams from your heart or the heart of so-called prophetic people, they will make you worthless.
You will become worthless in the spirit, and come under the influence of dark powers. Yes, we must not give up but keep holding on to sound doctrine and warning the people about these false prophets and all forms of false doctrines.
By definition, a false doctrine is a teaching or an instruction that is outrightly false if placed side by side sound doctrine; the doctrine of Christ. Like the use of oil, water in prayer, salt, lawless serving holy communion, and etc. It is any form of heretic teaching.
Which brings us to another word, the word heresy.
A heresy is a teaching or an instruction that is mixed with truths and lies; in other words, a half-truth. Teachings on breaking, silencing and raising of altars of sacrifice, are heresies. Teachings that says, “if you do not tithe, you will not make heaven,” are heresies.
Teachings on the redemption of first born, giving of first fruits recklessly, evil foundations, and related teachings that are rooted in scriptures that people read out of context are all heresies. They are very dangerous to the eternal lives of people.
God’s way of exposing and delivering people from them is by raising men and women to function as holders of sound doctrine.
These men and women will be fought and resisted through blasphemies and etc., especially when the LORD is delivering people through them. But the Bible teaches that the LORD will always stand with them like a mighty warrior.
We can go on and on, but this is how far we will go on these truths. It is my prayer that the LORD will stand with you if you are one of the holders of sound doctrine. Amen and amen.
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY
For many imposters (seducers, deceivers, and false leaders) have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge (confess, admit) the coming of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) in bodily form. Such a one is the imposter (the seducer, the deceiver, the false leader, the antagonist of Christ) and the antichrist.
Look to yourselves (take care) that you may not lose (throw away or destroy) all that we and you have labored for, but that you may [persevere until you] win and receive back a perfect reward [in full]”. 2 John 1:7-8 AMPC