DO YOU DISGRACE GOD?- Open heavems devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye

Sunday 17 January


TOPIC: CAUSING SHAME?

MEMORIZE: “For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written” (Rom. 2:24)

READ: Romans 2: 21-24

Some years ago, one of our pastors who was seeking employment with a bank, requested a letter of recommendation from me. He was to go for the final phase of the interview when the bank chairman called that it was no longer necessary for him to attend the interview because of my recommendation. Apparently, this employer was conversant with my signature and when he saw it on that letter of recommendation, he was satisfied and gave the man the job. Two years later, the man was sacked. Thereafter, the bank chairman invited me for lunch and raised the issue saying he hoped the sack would not affect our relationship because the man was not what I thought him to be. I was sad and embarrassed!

“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1 John 3: 9).Each time you live below the Lord’s testimonial about you, you embarrass and put Him to shame. It is a very painful experience when somebody looks at you and says “And you call yourself a child of God”. Even when they refuse to quit sinning, unbelievers expect you to adhere to the mould of a believer you have carved out for yourself.

Some of us have forfeited our legitimate rights to fight for ourselves just because we do not want the name of Christ blasphemed on our account. In 1981, after the burial of the founder of our church, there was a gang-up against me by the senior pastors who suspected that I was likely to succeed him even when no official announcement had been made to that effect. On my way to the pastor’s meeting from the University of Ilorin where I was lecturing, I was busy arming myself with scriptures with which to fight them. But somewhere between Oyo and Ogbomosho, the Lord intruded and asked me to tell Him the name of my Heavenly Father. As I began to mention them one after the other, He kept saying ‘Yes’, ‘Yes’, until I mentioned the Prince of Peace. At that point, He asked, “As the son of the Prince of Peace, are you supposed to fight?” That was how my plan to fight my opposers to go. And the Lord gave me victory. What battle are you engaged in today? The Lord will make you victorious. In any way you are causing shame to the Lord by your conduct, repent today.

ACTION POINT: Those who bring shame to God will be disgraced if they make it to Heaven while those who bring Him honour will be celebrated. Where do you fall?