OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: THURSDAY, AUGUST 2ND 2018- ARE YOU IN THE NUMBER?

Memorise: confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter in to the kingdom of God. Acts 14:22
Read: Revelation 19:5-9
5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both[a] small and great!”
6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the[b] Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”
8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”
Bible in one year: Esther 8 – 10, Matthew 12:33-50

AS REVEALED BY PASTOR E.A ADEBOYE IN TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL

1. Based on an erroneous understanding of the scripture in Revelation 7:4, a certain religious group claims that only one hundred and forty-four thousand people will qualify to be in heaven. This cannot be further from the truth because the Bible says in verse nine of that same chapter: “After this I behold, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds and people, and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;”
2. Further debunking this wrong teaching, Apostle John in today’s Bible reading heard the voice of a great multitude shouting Alleluia in worship of the omnipotent God. They were rejoicing because they were numbered among the participants at the marriage supper of the Lamb.
3. The question for our consideration today is, what qualified them to be numbered among these very important guests at the marriage supper of the Lamb? The answer to this question is found in Revelation 7:13-14: “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
4. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to shed His blood for the remission of our sins, so that we can qualify as citizens of heaven and be numbered among the saints.
5. What is required of us is to accept the offer of his atonement and live by the articles of the new covenant, which He sealed with His Blood.
6. Doing this will surely attract persecution and tribulation in this world.
7. The challenge with some contemporary Christians is that they don’t want to experience persecution or undergo tribulation for the sake of their faith in Christ. They want the world to accept them, and so they adjust their message to what the world likes.
8. We often forget these words of Jesus in John 15:20: “If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”
9. In other words, just as the world did not like the teachings of the Master, they will also not like ours. However, when we introduce gimmicks not found in the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus Christ and His apostles into our message, the message loses its power. How shall we be numbered among the guest at the marriage supper of the Lamb?
10. The answer lies in these words from Acts 14:22: “we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” There is no other way.

SHORT REFLECTION BY THE LIGHT POINTERS

Prayer Point: Father, please grant unto me the grace to endure tribulations.
Hymn
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.

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