Open Heavens for Teens Tuesday 31 July 2019 Daily Devotional was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Topic: Having Pleasure In Sinners?

Memorise: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” – 2 Timothy 4:2

Read: Psalms 1:1-3

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Bible In One Year: Psalm 62-64, Romans 1

MESSAGE:

God likes His children to be His mouth piece. When He sees people living in sin, He is always looking for one of His children that He can use to tell them to change their ways. Jonah, Jeremiah, Elijah and others are examples of God mouthpieces.

When you, as a Christian, is hanging out with sinners, yet not telling them to change their ways, you are grieving God. You may say “But Jesus hung out with Zaccheaus, a sinner”. Check the result of Jesus’ hanging out with him, you will see that Zaccheaus repented by the end of the time they spent together. If you have friends that are having sex, smoking, stealing or committing any other sin, you are not only failing in your kingdom duties but also threading the dangerous path of becoming like them. The true and popular saying goes “birds of a feather flock together”. If you are not constantly sounding it in their ears that Jesus loves them and He wants to change their ways, then stop being their fiend because soon, they will influence to be like them.

Key Point: If you are not sowing seeds of repentance into the life of sinners around you, then they are sowing seeds of sin into your life.

Hymn 7: I am Thine O Lord, I have heard Thy voice

1 I am Thine O Lord, I have heard Thy voice, 

And it told Thy love to me; 

But I long to rise in the arms of faith

And be closer drawn to Thee.

Chorus:

Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord

To the cross where Thou hast died;

Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,

To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,

By the pow’r of grace divine;

Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,

And my will be lost in Thine.

3 Oh, the pure delight of a single hour

That before Thy throne I spend,

When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God

I commune as friend with friend!

4 There are depths of love that I cannot know

Till I cross the narrow sea;

There are heights of joy that I may not reach

Till I rest in peace with Thee.