Open Heaven 30 June
MEMORISE: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” – (Mark 8:36).
BIBLE READING: Revelation 3:14-19 (KJV)
14. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither [c]cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.[d] Therefore be [e]zealous and repent.
Read yesterday’s Open Heaven Devotional here
Many times in the Scripture, Jesus warns believers against the lust of the world. As Christians, we are enjoined to set our affections on heavenly things so that we would not be drawn into covetousness. Our memory verse today poses a great question that every believer must reflect on.
Beloved, what is your spiritual state today? In today’s Bible reading, our Lord accused the Church in Laodicea of being lukewarm; they were neither hot nor cold. What could have been responsible for this? The answer is simple: They had been carried away by their material prosperity. Unfortunately, the Church today is just like the one in Laodicea; services have now become jamborees and we have ministers who are not genuine. Jesus described the Church in Revelation 3:17 as “…wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” This tells us one thing: if not properly managed, material prosperity could be very dangerous.
It may be easier for a person to fast when he barely has something to eat, than when his or her kitchen is loaded with all sorts of food. I remember many years ago when my meal was one finger of plantain per day. In those days if I dared eat two in a day, I would have to fast the following day. It takes the grace of God and strong determination to fast when your storehouse is full of assorted food. In the same vein, it may not take a longtime for a woman to dress up for Church service on Sunday morning when all she has is just two pairs of shoes. However, when she has to choose matching shoes among many pairs, she may end up struggling to get to Church on time. If King Solomon could ask God to take away the vanity of riches from him, how much more should we (Proverbs 30:7-9).
God called on Adam after he had sold himself to Satan and the three main temptations in history – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. He responded by saying he was hiding because he realised that he was naked. He right: riches without God is spiritual nakedness. Beloved, don’t be deceived. Only Jesus Christ can satisfy; nothing else can – not even the possession of the whole world.
ACTION POINT: Father, please set me on fire for You so that I may remain hot even until Your second coming.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nehemiah 9-10
Thank you for studying today’s Open Heaven – Material Prosperity is Unreliable – written by Pastor Enoch A.
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Open Heaven 30 June 2021
