SATURDAY 16TH JUNE 2018 THEME: AN EAGLE FOR CHRIST?

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: SATURDAY 16TH JUNE 2018
THEME: AN EAGLE FOR CHRIST?
MEMORISE:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the
way, which leadeth unto life, and few there
be that find it. Matthew 7:14
READ: Isaiah 40:28-31
28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not
heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD,
the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth
not, neither is weary? there is no searching
of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them
that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall
renew their strength; they shall mount up
with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not
be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
MESSAGE
I have taught my children on several
occasions to imbibe the characteristics of
eagle. One of these outstanding
characteristics is that eagles fly alone. It is
not out of pride or the empty feeling of self-
sufficiency that they do this; rather, it is
because keeping company with other birds
during flight is a form of weight and
distraction for them. A disciple of Christ
must emulate this attribute of the eagle if he
or she would safely arrive home in heaven
at the end of his or her life.
The problem with many children of God is
that they seem to have lost sight of the fact
that the path they are following is so
narrow that it cannot accommodate a
crowd (Matthew 7:14). This is the reason
why a disciple of Jesus Christ must possess
this characteristic of flying alone. In 2
Corinthians 6:14-15, Paul clearly
admonished that evil communication
corrupts good manners:
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness? and
what communion hath light with darkness?
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or
what part hath he that believeth with an
infidel?”
It is disheartening to note that there are
many wolves in sheep's clothing in the
Church today, which is why every purposeful
believer needs to have the mindset of an
eagle.
Another noteworthy characteristic of eagles
is that they are selective about what they eat
and where they live. Moreover, they never fly
against the wind. As a purposeful believer,
you also must be selective about what you
consume: what you listen to, what you look
at and what you expose your mind to. What
you regularly feed your spirit, soul and body
with will determine what you will draw on
in the day of trouble. You just be selective of
the company you keep because your
companions strongly influence what you are
exposed to. Like the eagle that never flies
against the wind, the purposeful believer
must also be mindful of the move of the Holy
Spirit and ensure that he or she is never
aligned against His work.
Beloved, I encourage you to choose to be an
eagle for Christ from today, and the Lord will
renew your strength according to Isaiah
40:31. You cannot fly by your own strength,
but the Holy Spirit wil help you if only you
give yourself completely to Jesus Christ
today.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, make me an eagle for Christ today
and cause me to fly for You.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Kings 14-15, Acts 11:19-12:5
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 5: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS
1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
2. 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.
3. Though none go with me, I still will
follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow
No turning back, no turning back.
4. 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.
5. 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.