Memorise: To reveal his Son in
me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with
flesh and blood. Galatians 1:16
Read: Acts 9:1-6 (KJV)
9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and
slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
9:2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues,
that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might
bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly
there shined round about him a light from heaven:
9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto
him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am
Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt
thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city,
and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Bible in one year: 2nd
Chronicles 7-8, Ezekiel 36:1-15, Hymn: Sing hymn 14
MESSAGE:
Salvation
is great, but you must ensure you are genuinely saved. After having a definite
encounter with the Lord that leads to salvation, there are some signs that will
confirm to you that your salvation is genuine. One of these signs is that your
emphasis would no longer be on what Jesus can do for you, but what you can do
for the Lord. The realisation of how close you were to Hell before God’s mercy
reached out to save you will birth a heart of gratitude in you the moment you
are genuinely saved. You will then feel the urge to serve God wholeheartedly in
order to reciprocate His love. Genuine salvation births heartfelt service. If
you say you are born again and nothing ever prompts you on the need to work for
Jesus, that salvation is questionable. In Acts 9:6, as soon as Saul had an encounter
with Jesus on his way to Damascus, he asked the Lord, “What do you want me to
do?” Today, after people say they are saved, they only bombard heaven with
their petitions and prayer requests. God will definitely meet your needs, but
have you ever said, “Lord, thank You for the salvation of my soul. How can I
show my gratitude for Your love? What can I do for the One who loved me and
died for me? “If you ask the Lord these questions, He would most probably tell
you the same thing He said in Mark 5:19b to the erstwhile mad man
of Gadara:
“Go home to thy friends, and tell
them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on
thee.”
Genuine
salvation makes you more responsible and responsive to God. After I was saved,
I wanted to know what I could do for Jesus, because God had opened my eyes to
see how close I was to Hell, and He made me realise I was now on my way to
Heaven. This is why I find it distasteful to hear that some people who have
been saved for three years have never witnessed Jesus Christ to anyone. After I
was saved, I could not keep it to myself. I was ready to tell all who cared to
listen that I was saved. I was also ready to serve. On one of such occasions,
one of my ex-students drove by me and saw me carrying a big basket of sawdust
on my head, and he screamed in surprise that his lecturer could be doing that
in a church at Ebute Metta, Lagos. The location of our church at this time was
like a slum. However, that did not change anything about my desire to serve my
Saviour and Redeemer. Does the realisation of the great things God has done for
you motivate you to go the extra mile for Him in witnessing and giving? How
committed are you to the expansion of God’s Kingdom on earth? I urge you to
become a responsible member of God’s Kingdom today.
Action Point
As a mark of genuine
appreciation for your salvation, lead some souls to Jesus today!
Open Heavens Daily Devotional lessons
was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed
Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Church in the world and
also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
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