SPIRITUAL PACESETTERS
Memorise: Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1st
Corinthians 11:1
Read: Hebrews 6:9-15, 9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and
things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour
of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to
the saints, and do minister.
11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same
diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who
through faith and patience inherit the promises.
13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could
swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and
multiplying I will multiply thee.
15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the
promise.
Bible in one year: 1st Samuel 18:17-20:42, Proverbs
6:28-7:9
There are certain spiritual
pacesetters in the Church who when a conscientious Christian takes time to
emulate, heaven would be his limit. It is unfortunate, however, that these
spiritual pace setters are very few nowadays unlike in the days of old when an
apostle wrote:
“And ye
become followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much
affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost. So that ye were ensamples to all that
believe in Macedonia and Achaia.”
1st
Thessalonians 1:6-7
When were the outstanding
Christian living standards that the early disciples lived by? Some could be
deduced in the above quoted scripture: Firstly, they received the Word with joy
despite the fact that it was hard. Today, Christianity has become a ‘bread and
butter’ affair. Any New Testament injunction that brings about a slight
affliction is thrown away as it comes from the pulpit. This has made many
post-modern preachers not to bother about preaching the hard truth any more.
They see it as an exercise in futility, so you hear them say, “don’t preach
such things; they won’t accept that from you!” At the beginning of this
apostasy, it was the modern day Christians who picked and chose what they would
accept, while they threw the rest back at the preacher. These days, it is the
preachers who ‘carefully’ select the message that will be ‘offensive’ to their
congregation. These are no spiritual pace setters. I will like to warn a
preacher using this devotional with the Words of the Lord in Ezekiel 33:7-8
“So
thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel;
therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I
say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not
speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his
iniquity; but his blood will I required at thine hand.”
Apart from warning the evil-doers
and sinners against wickedness by word of mouth, a spiritual pace setter must
practice what he preaches. A Christian, and particularly a preacher, must live
as a light in this world. The Bible says:” … of all that Jesus began both to do
and teach” (Acts 1:1). This exactly was the pattern of life of the early
apostles; the reason they were able to admonish brethren to be followers of
them as they were of Christ. In transparent faithfulness, Christians should set
the pace for the unbelievers. In godliness, believers in Christ must be
spiritual pacesetters and perfect examples of their generation. Jesus Christ
said:
“Let
your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew
5:16
Prayer Point
Father, please make me a spiritual pacesetter so that millions may
come to Your Kingdom through me.
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