TODAY’S DEVOTION (Monday 25th November 2019)
“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” 1 John 5:19 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 328th DAY OF OUR YEAR OF GOING FORWARD.
This scripture is one major scripture that the eyes of every end time believers must be on! We read it from time to time at the Cry of the Spirit Ministries here in Nairobi. Indeed, the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
It’s important that we refresh our memories on certain truths.
Few people know that the fall of man handed over all delegated control of the earth that god gave to man to the devil until Jesus came. Even at that, the whole world is still under his sway. The devil has not stopped killing, stealing and destroying despite the first coming of Christ. We can only hide from his evil works since the whole is still under his sway.
Now, where can we hide? Is it under our beds or the sea? Where can we really hide from the evil one? That is the subject of the word of the LORD to us today.
Day unto our God has been uttering wisdom to us through these devotionals. Being our month of “deep intimacy” Heaven has been our hearts towards becoming deeply intimate with Our LORD and savior Jesus Christ.
Intimacy with Jesus Christ is one major blessing that many do not have in the Church today. The reason is simple. One can be intimate with who he or she do not know. The revelation of Jesus Christ is not known. In so many places, Jesus has been reduced to a prosperity charm by many in the Church today. As a result, everything about God, the Bible and Christianity is all about money to them.
Others take fame as the reason for serving God. They want to be flying to the best places of the world to display how faithful their God is.
ALMOST EVERYONE IN CHURCH TODAY HAS A CARNAL REASON FOR SERVING GOD.
We go to Church to get married, be saved from witches and wizards, be free from poverty, become famous in the land etc. Eternity is not actually the treason for serving God. Gaining earth is!
We go to Church for earthly reasons hence becoming gullible and falling into the hands of wolves and mediums called prophets and prophetesses. When God prosper us, we start using the money for pleasure rather than for God. Paul indeed wrote;
“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,” “unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” 2 Timothy 3:1-6 NKJV
There has never been a time the Church has loved pleasure more than now. We love pleasure more than God; hence living very powerless lives on the face of the earth. We run after the earthly at the expense of the eternal.
EVERYONE WANTS TO FLY OUT TO SOME COUNTRIES AND EXPLORE THE WORLD.
And these are born again Christians who God has called to be soldiers of the cross. But we disqualify ourselves from the call by entangling ourselves with the affairs of this life.
A generation that runs after the earthly at the expense of the eternal will always run into the prepared attacks of their enemies. That is why lovers of pleasure in the Kingdom do not last long. They get easily cut down by the evil one. You find them running senselessly into the satanic due to their carnal crave for worldly pleasures.
Our devotional text today said the whole world lies under the sway of the evil one. If you love pleasure more than God, the evil one will successfully sway people to destroy you. The easiest way to set yourself up for sudden destruction is to replace pleasures with countless hours with God.
In fact, those who truly spend countless hours with God do not have time for pleasure. Their taste buds and feelings will be so fine-tuned with God’s eternal glories that earthly pleasure will look like filth to them.
That is why I wonder what on earth is happening to our so called preachers who love going all over the world to spend the people’s tithes and offerings on pleasure trips salted with few gospel meetings as a cover up! Obviously, we have lost the glory like the devil and have been confined to the anointing. That is why we do that.
MEN WHO CARRY THE GLORY DO NOT GO FOR PLEASURE TRIPS. THEY GO FOR PROPHETIC TRIPS.
While Satan is busy creating more pleasurable sites on earth and stirring the world towards a deep love for pleasure, the Holy Ghost is busy calling on us the elect to get intimate with Jesus Christ. The question ow is, whose call will you heed to?
The Call you heed to will determine how well you will live in this devil infested world. Don’t forget what we started this devotional with. Since the whole world lies under the sway of the evil one where can we hide from the devil and his evil works? The answer lies in Deep intimacy with Jesus Christ. That is the only place to hide. That is where the Psalmist called “the secret place of the Most High.”
He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the almighty. But he that dwells in the secret place of earthly pleasure shall abide under the shadow of sudden destruction. The Choice is yours!
Again I ask, will you heed the call to be deeply intimate with Jesus or you will respond to the call to be one of those who love earthly pleasure more than God?
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR TODAY.
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
“Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.”
“You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.”
“A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked. Psalms 91:1-8 NKJV