MEMORIZE: “Thou, therefore, endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” – (2 Timothy 2:3).

READ: 2 Corinthians 11:22-33 (KJV)

22. Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
23. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

24. Of the Jews, five times received I forty stripes save one.
25. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

26. In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27. In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
29. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?

30. If I must need glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
31. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32. In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me;

33. And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.

Speaking in several passages of the Bible, the Holy Spirit makes it clear that anyone who will follow Jesus must possess a single-minded desire, characterized by faith, loyalty, enthusiasm and devotion to God (Luke 9:62, Acts 14:22, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 6:12).
In other words, as true disciples of Jesus, we are to be filled with unrestricted and single-minded zeal for God and live our lives completely sold-out to Him.
Indeed, God expects us to love Him above everything else in this world (Deuteronomy 6:5).

Our Lord says in Mark 8:34b-35;

Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it

This simply means that anyone who will follow Jesus Christ must deny self by refusing to satisfy personal interests or desires.

As a child of God, you are expected to deny yourself of personal interests and desires that are in conflict with God’s commandments or ways of His kingdom.
God’s will must have priority above all other interests in your life, and His laws should be your yardstick for measuring what is right or wrong.
Jesus further warned His followers against working to gain people’s approval, promising that those who run the risk of displeasing men for his sake will end up gaining everything.

“Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” – Matthew 22:37-38.

When we love God with our heart soul and mind we naturally develop great passion and zeal for anything that concerns Him.
This kind of zeal propelled the heroes of faith in the bible to accomplish great thing we read about today being totally sold out to God.
Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son, David confronted a lion, a bear, and Goliath, the three Hebrew boys defied the fiery furnace, and Daniel boldly went into the lion’s den.
Driven from pure zeal for God, Stephen faced death with unwavering boldness, and the apostles did great exploits for Him. By the grace of God, Christians are still doing great things for God’s today, especially in the least expected places’.

Notwithstanding this, the Bible warns against zeal without knowledge, which breeds religious fanaticism and bigotry.
From today onward, be zealous for God, and you will see Him move heaven and earth just for you.
I pray for GRACE on anyone who is ready and zealous to serve God; receive Grace to go far, in Jesus Name.

PRAYER POINT:
Father, please grant me the grace to declare Your word with boldness and zeal to all those around me, in Jesus’ Name.

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

OPEN HEAVEN 11 JUNE 2019 HYMN 10:

I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

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.