OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL...

DATE: FRIDAY 26TH AUGUST 2016

 
THEME: THREE DIMENSIONAL WICKEDNESS

Memorise:
And when the woman saw that the tree was good
for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and
a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of
the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto
her husband with her; and he did eat. Genesis 3:6
 
Read: 1 John 2:15

2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that
are in the world. If any man love the world, the
love of the Father is not in him.

MESSAGE

The title of today's devotion invites us to have a
three dimensional view of wickedness as we
consider today's Bible reading and memory verse.
 
If we only glance at this passage superficially, we
will not see what God is showing us or get a
good enough grasp of the message it contains.
According to our memory verse, you will notice
that Adam and Eve based their decision squarely
on feelings to the exclusion of the Spirit of God
that was resident in them. 

They found the
forbidden fruit to be good for food and therefore
for the nourishment of the body. Since it was
pleasant to the eyes they thought it will satisfy
the longing of the soul, and make one wise,
hereby satisfying a human's egoistic ambition to
be like God. These are indeed the three
dimensions of wickedness that led to the fall. The
first human beings abused their God-given
freedom by these rebellious acts against God.

 The
Word of God in 2 Corinthians 11:3 says;
"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent
beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds
should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in
Christ."

The above passage shows that the fall of Adam
and Eve was not out of ignorance, but due to
carelessness and a carefree attitude towards the
devil. First, they were familiar with the devil to the
point of having a rapport with him. Secondly, they
were reasoning with the devil on his terms
without any recourse for God or His
commandments. 

Thirdly, they were so relaxed,
they didn't realize they were being setup for
destruction by the devil. Unfortunately, the Church
of the 21st century seems not to have learnt any
lesson from this example, as we currently exhibit
worse simplicity and complacency than that
which got Adam and Eve into trouble. Christians
now accommodate and even defend those sins
that were specifically condemned in the Bible. Will
you dance with the devil or STAND FOR JESUS?

Prayer Point:

Father, I refuse to fall for any form of three
dimensional wickedness, please help me to stand
firm in You.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Isaiah 60:1-63:14
Psalms 42

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE