DOING THE RIDICULOUS: OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL 15TH SEPTEMBER 2018

MEMORISE:

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 1:6

READ: Hebrews 11:17-19


17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

MESSAGE

As a mathematician, when I first gave my life to Christ, the paying of tithes to God was ridiculous to me, and I saw it as a subtle way through which pastors wanted to swindle me of my hard-earned money.

Prior to this time, my 100 percent was not enough; by the middle of any month, I had to borrow money from my driver to buy fuel. I then wondered within myself that if 100 percent was not enough, how then could 90 percent be? Thanks be to God that the Holy Spirit won this argument, and today, I am a living testimony of the faithfulness of God to every person who pays tithes.

Hebrews 11:6 reveals that without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith in God enables a person to do the ridiculous. God asked Gideon to go to the battlefield with a “ridiculous” number of soldiers (three hundred) as against the thousands of Midianite soldiers opposing them.

As if that was not enough, even the three hundred soldiers were not to carry any weapon of war, but rather an earthen vessel each (Judge 7:7-25)! Gideon complied with these instructions in faith and he got a miraculous victory.

Moreover, concerning the salvation of our souls, it takes believing the “ridiculous” before the miraculous can be experienced. The Bible in John 3:16 says,

“ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The Bible further states that the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). That scripture says “all sin” and not just a few sins! This truth is what the unbelieving people of this world cannot understand. In fact, nobody can explain it. It belongs to the realm of faith. In addition, many of those who have ever experienced the miracle of healing have a testimony of doing the ridiculous before they got the miraculous.

An example of this is the story of the ten lepers (Luke 17:12-19). In spite of the fact that leprosy was still visible on their skin, Jesus told them to go and present themselves to the high priest to show that they were healed of their leprosy, because they needed to be certified as being free of leprosy before they could be reintegrated into their communities.

They proceeded to show themselves to the high priest. In order to get the miracle of healing, they confronted the risk of being stoned to death for coming out of isolation as lepers. However, they got healed on their way; their “ridiculous” faith earned them miraculous healing! My experiences in my Christian walk and particularly as a minister of the gospel have taught me that unless you agree to do whatever God ask you to do, however ridiculous it may sound, you cannot experience the miraculous.

Beloved, as you exercise faith in Jehovah-Rapha today, your healing shall be made manifest in Jesus’ Name.

PRAYER POINT:


Father, increase my faith to the level of being able to do the ridiculous in order for my miracle to manifest.



BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Proverbs 20-22, Mark 8:11-30

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 4:  TRUST AND OBEY.

1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

o Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

4. But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.