OPEN HEAVENS Devotional – Tuesday February 16th 2016
TOPIC: TIME TO
FIGHT I
Memorize:
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the
Read: 1st
Timothy 4:1-6,
1 Now the Spirit speaketh
expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving
heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having
their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding
to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving
of them which believe and know the truth.
4 For every creature of God is good,
and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
5 For it is sanctified by the word of
God and prayer.
6 If thou put the brethren in
remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ,
nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast
attained.
Bible in
one year: Luke 4:16-6:16, Job 22:12-30
MESSAGE
Fighting
means to engage in a struggle against a perceived enemy or enemies either
defensively or offensively. Most human beings, irrespective of who they are,
what they know, where they have been, and their level of spiritual maturity,
have something they would fight for. We fight for our fundamental human rights,
we fight for possessions, we fight for our family, and we fight for our job.
We
are sensitive to criticism and insults, and sometimes we even fight for things
we don’t really own. The question is, should a true Christian fight for anything?
And if you were to write a list of things worth fighting for, what would that
list include? In this respect, Ecclesiastes 3:1&8, says:
“To
every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…. A
time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”
Conflicts
come in different categories. Though we have the right of self defence,
Christians are not called to take up arms against their offensive or aggressive
neighbours because our weapon is not physical. However, God is under attack in
today’s world because His creative order, His principles and commandments are
being maliciously attacked by heretics. Surprisingly, some of these enemies of
the gospel of Jesus Christ have managed to rise to enviable positions of authority
both in the Church and civil government. This has emboldened them and their
supporters to intensify their evil attacks on the Christian faith. Do we fight
for our Lord? Do we stand aloof or fight whenever these attacks occur around
us? 1st Timothy 6:12, says:
“Fight
the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also
called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”
Christians
do not have any choice in this matter; we do not have the luxury of a personal
decision on this one. In reality, the battle of the heretics and false prophets
is raging right now and our Commander in Chief, the Lord of hosts, has
commanded us to fight, and we must fight. The above passage started out by
qualifying the kind of fight that Christians could engage in as the good fight
of faith. It is a good fight because it prevents the rapid spread of heretic
teachings, and delivers people from ignorance and false doctrine. It is good
because we are on the winning side, we can never lose because we are more than
conquerors. It is good because we will be handsomely rewarded for our efforts
here on earth and when we get to heaven. It is a good fight because we are well
fitted with the most potent weapon in the universe – the Word of God.
Above all,
though we are saved by grace, our performance in this battle will ultimately
determine our rank among the host of heaven and the manner of our reward.
Apostle Paul seems to have discovered this truth as reflected in his final
declaration in 2nd Timothy 4:7:
“I have
fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith”
Only a
general in the army of God who had fought valiantly for the truth could say
this.
Prayer
Point
Father,
please let me finish well and be able to say that I have fought a good fight.
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