OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4TH 2017- IN NEED OF TENDER LOVING CARE

Memorise: Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth lest, I make my brother to offend. 1st Corinthians 8:13
Read: 1st Corinthians 8:8-13
8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
Bible in one year: Romans 11-13, Daniel 2:46-3:7

1. God redeems us from the unfaithful works of darkness through His mercy and grace.
2. When people become newly saved, though they have genuinely surrendered their lives to God and are committed to going all the way in pleasing Him, they are often not immediately well grounded in the things of God.
3. These young converts need special care and attention from mature believers.
4. It is the responsibility of those who have grown deeper in Christ to encourage those who are making efforts to have their faith established in Him.
5. As their predecessor in the faith, young converts are watching and following you as an example. They must be followed up with love and shown good examples of how to live out their faith in Christ.
6. As an older believer, you must show them compassion and understanding, remembering that Christ came to save us all because of His compassion for us.
7. Mature believers have certain roles to play by deliberately denying themselves of certain things that are lawful but not helpful to the growth of these young converts.
8. Like Paul who became all things to all people so that he might win many to Christ, mature believers must also be willing to become all things for the sake of those they want to establish in the knowledge of the truth. 1st Corinthians 9:22 says, “To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might be all means save some.”
9. If you are grounded in Christ, you are not to use your liberty to harm those who are growing in the faith. Some of these people have already experienced a lot of disappointments outside the Church of God. Some of them have been defrauded, while some others have been unduly taken advantage of because of their vulnerability. Some lost precious things before coming to the knowledge of Christ. The moment they give their lives to Christ, they are full of great expectations because they’ve heard that the Name of the Lord is a strong tower. They believe the brethren will care for them, unlike what they experienced in the hands of unbelievers.
10. We must therefore do all that is within our power not to make them regret their decision to come to Christ, which will be the case if we don’t extend hands of love to them.
11. We must not give them occasion to stumble; neither should we allow them to stray away by our actions.
12. We must avoid all circumstances that will grieve our fellow brethren and ensure that the word of God remains our standard in our dealings with them.
13. Let us be careful not to offend the weak ones or lay a stumbling block on their way, because we are going to be accountable to God for all those He brings across our path.

We shall give account of every act that lead to discouragement of a new convert. As believers, our light should shine so bright that others will see through it. Let take heed lest we make anyone fall. God bless Pastor E.A Adeboye in Jesus name.

Prayer Point
Father, deliver me from errors that will cause others to stumble.
HYMN
1. My faith looks up to thee, 
thou Lamb of Calvary, 
Savior divine! 
Now hear me while I pray, 
take all my guilt away, 
O let me from this day 
be wholly thine! 
2. May thy rich grace impart 
strength to my fainting heart, 
my zeal inspire! 
As thou hast died for me, 
O may my love to thee 
pure, warm, and changeless be, 
a living fire! 
3. While life’s dark maze I tread, 
and griefs around me spread, 
be thou my guide; 
bid darkness turn to day, 
wipe sorrow’s tears away, 
nor let me ever stray 
from thee aside. 
4. When ends life’s transient dream, 
when death’s cold, sullen stream 
shall o’er me roll; 
blest Savior, then in love, 
fear and distrust remove; 
O bear me safe above, 
a ransomed soul! 

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