04/16/2023
RHAPSODY OF REALITIES- PASTOR CHRIS OYAKHILOME
SUNDAY 16 April 2023
TOPIC: ✨ GUARD YOUR HEART WITH THE WORD ✨
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness (2 Peter 3:17)
Notice some cautions and exhortations to the saints, given by the Spirit through the Apostle Peter in the verse we just read. When you study this same verse from the New International Version, it says, “Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.”
Peter, by the Spirit, calls it the error of the lawless. The Living Bible renders it slightly differently. It says, “I am warning you ahead of time, dear brothers, so that you can watch out and not be carried away by the mistakes of these wicked men, lest you yourselves become mixed up too.” Here, it’s called the mistakes of the wicked: their miscalculations because of their ignorance.
Then, the Bible also talks about an evil heart of unbelief which comes from disobedience: *“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12). The Greek word for unbelief is “Apistia” which means disbelief or arising from disobedience.
Then it says in the 13th verse, exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” How do we exhort one another daily? It’s with the Word. The Word is the only material to help us grow and be shielded from the error of the lawless and the miscalculations of the wicked.
With the Word, you can diligently guard your heart against unbelief and anything that tries to change or destroy the excellence that God already programmed in you. Study and meditate on the Scriptures until your whole spirit, soul and body are programmed to only think God’s thoughts and influenced only by His ideas and opinions. Hallelujah!
CONFESSION
Dear Lord, I delight in your Word and yield to it for exhortation, doctrine and counsel. In your Word, I’ve found life, peace, righteousness and everlasting joy. As I live in your Word, your glory is revealed in my life; I’m constantly transfigured from glory to glory, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Colossians 3:16
2 Peter 3:18
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Luke 15:11-32 & Ruth 1-4
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Mark 2:23-28 & Leviticus 16
𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
We trust you have been blessed by this devotional. We invite you to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life by praying the following:
“𝐎 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐈 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐒𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐨𝐝. 𝐈 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐦 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝. 𝐈 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲. 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐇𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞, 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞; 𝐈’𝐦 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥! 𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝. 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐥𝐮𝐣𝐚𝐡!”
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