Open Heavens Daily Devotional Messages, By Pastor E.A Adeboye. |
- SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS III – Monday June 13th 2016
- SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS II – Sunday June 12th 2016
- SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS I – Saturday June 11th 2016
| SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS III – Monday June 13th 2016 Posted: 10 Jun 2016 03:38 PM PDT SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS III Memorise: But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1st Corinthians 9:27 Read: Ephesians 6:10-18, (KJV) 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;  Bible in one year: Ezra 6:13-8:23, Ecclesiastes 6:10-7:8 MESSAGE One of the girdles to use as a Christian soldier is truth, and Jesus is the Truth. Every Christian soldier must live by the truth of the Word of God. When Jesus came face to face with the devil in the wilderness, the devil was unable to bring anything against Him. In boxing there are three major blows: the jab, the hook and the uppercut. The ultimate goal of any boxer who is in the ring is to hit the head of the opponent. While the opponent is making efforts to see that his head is properly covered against the punches of the opponent, his stomach is exposed and the boxer throws the hook on the stomach. Once the stomach is affected, the opponent tilts forward and the boxer gives the uppercut because he now has access to the head. The spiritual implication of this is that the enemy concentrates on the weak points of a Christian soldier. This is the strategy he applies in dealing with many Christians. The devil has got you the moment he discovers your weak point. Therefore, the easiest way to win the battle against the enemy is to win the battle against yourself. Let there be a separation between you and those things the enemy can use to condemn you. Don't ever allow the devil to bring you into captivity. You have to keep your body and bring it into subjection. This you can do by crying to the One who has recruited you as a soldier, to help you win the battle over yourself. This battle is not the type you win at once. The flesh will always try to rise again, but you have to continue to fight so that you can maintain your victory. The person, who will win a race, will only be crowned if he runs according to the rules. Therefore, you need to live holy. External forces intend to slow you down so that you don't get to the finish line, some may try to stop or pull you back, but what is inside of you should be strong enough to overcome every resistance. You cannot afford to stop running until you are called up into glory because the devil will never take a break. Endure unto the end. "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" Matthew 24:13 It is not the one who was leading at the beginning that gets the crown but the one that leads to the end. You need to be disciplined as a Christian soldier. Without discipline, one will soon become an ex-champion. The Christian soldier must not allow the lusts of the flesh to distract him from the race to heaven. "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting" Galatians 6:7-8 Prayer Point Father, help me not to miss my reward as a faithful Christian soldier. Open Heavens Daily, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye |
| SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS II – Sunday June 12th 2016 Posted: 10 Jun 2016 02:11 PM PDT SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS II Memorise: I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 2ndTimothy 4:7Read: 2nd Timothy 4:7-8 (KJV) 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Bible in one year: Ezra 4:1-6:12, Ecclesiastes 6:1-9 MESSAGE Once Paul found out what his destiny was, he was never deterred from it. He never allowed the mandate and ministry given to him by our Lord Jesus to be frustrated. He was determined to fulfil his God-given vision amidst all odds. He fought the good fight of faith and finished his mission. The Christian life is a life of continuous warfare that won't end until we get to heaven. This is why you must see yourself as a soldier of the cross who is under constant attack from the devil. The mission of the devil is to kill, to steal and to destroy. None of these tragedies should happen to a child of God. You are to be defended against the wiles of the devil. There are many people who have lost their lives cheaply to the devil. The dreams and aspirations of some people have been stolen by the enemy of their souls. There are many people who are come church but are being destroyed through the deceit and lies of the devil. Our Lord is the Commander-in-Chief of the Hosts of Heaven. After Jesus Christ finished His assignment on earth, He formed the nucleus of an army here on earth, and by extension, you are in that army too. The mission of these soldiers is to resist the devil and his works. For anyone to be a soldier of the Cross and not become a casualty, there are conditions to be met. The soldiers of the cross have just one enemy; the devil. To beat the devil and defeat all his strategies, there is the need for one to be trained to fight; a spiritual civilian cannot win a battle against the devil. Paul kept the faith of sound doctrine despite the false teachers and instructors of his days. He preached the absolute Word of God without minding who was affected. He did not allow the culture of his time to override the Word of God. He was obedient to the heavenly vision that God gave him. When God sends His soldiers on an errand, He does not tolerate a report that the mission is impossible. This is why I never fret anything He asks me to do something; because I know He will provide the strength to accomplish the mission. A soldier of the Cross must be ready at all times to preach the Word and defend it against post-modern attacks and philosophies of men. There is the need to watch carefully to ensure that there is no lapse on our part. Till the final moment of Apostle Paul, he did the work of an evangelist and made full proof of his ministry. We need to seek the power of God and be committed to seeing the effect of that power in our lives. This is why we need to get serious with God. No one joins the army and does whatever he likes. Prayer Point I refuse to be disqualified from my spiritual rank in Jesus' name. Open Heavens Daily, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye |
| SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS I – Saturday June 11th 2016 Posted: 10 Jun 2016 02:07 PM PDT SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS I Memorise: Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2ndTimothy 2:3Read: 2nd Timothy 2:1-7, (KJV) 1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. 7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.  Bible in one year: Ezra 1-3, Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 MESSAGE One of my sons once said 'For every new level there is a new devil'. This is very correct in the life of every believer. I always tell my children that if they are not relevant in the scheme of things, they cannot be a target of the devil. But, the moment you make up your mind to obey God, to love God and to serve Him, you become a target for the enemies, both within and without. As a soldier of the Cross, you do not fight your battles with physical weapons because it is the nature of a battle that will determine your arsenal of weapons. As a good soldier of the Cross, you must be able to endure hardness in the race to heaven. You have to fight lawfully and follow those rules which characterise a righteous person. There are many factors attacking the Christian faith today. We cannot just continue to be passive; there is the need to defend the Christian faith against modern and post-modern ideologies, so that we can all lay hold of eternal life. Any Christian who is timid and fearful cannot carry out the struggles of spiritual warfare. "Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" Ephesians 6:11 Those who were before us were able to stand strong and give a reason for the hope they had in Christ Jesus, we cannot but do same. Timothy as an evangelist, did not waste any opportunity, he constantly stood before men and confesses his faith in Christ. Jesus Christ our master stood before Pontius Pilate and defended his Son-ship and Kingship. Hardship will come, Satan will launch all forms of attack against the preaching of the gospel of Jesus, yet, we must not allow all these to divert our focus from our primary assignment as soldier of the cross. Also, don't allow the affairs of this world to make you a victim in the battles of life. As a messenger of Jesus, you must do all that is within your power to please the Owner of your life and be committed to the work of the Kingdom. It is my prayer that your enemies will miss whenever they target you in Jesus' name. Action Point Put on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Open Heavens Daily, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye |
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