Open Heavens 22 June 2016: Wednesday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Acceptable Sacrifice

Topic: Acceptable Sacrifice [Wednesday 22, June 2016]
Memorise: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. – Romans 12:1
Read: Isaiah 66:1-5 (KJV)
 1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
 2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
 3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.
 4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
 5 Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.
Bible in One Year: Esther 8-10, Ecclesiastes 11
MESSAGE:
 Every disciple of Jesus Christ must realize that their bodies have become a living sacrifice to God. This should be the natural response of every spiritually minded individual in appreciation to the grace of salvation in Christ Jesus. No doubt, God’s grace was poured out for our salvation; our response should be obediently comply with the instructions of the One who had given His life for the remission of our sins.
 There is so much deposited in us to be effective weapons in God’s hand for this generation, but the problem is that we have to remove those little foxes in our lives. Men and women who have not been purged cannot give acceptable sacrifices unto the Lord. From the scriptures, we understand that the reason the offerings of the Levites were not accepted by God was because there were issues they needed to settle with Him. Until we are purified and sanctified, our sacrifices of offering and service in the vineyard will not receive heaven’s attention. What are those things or who are those people in your life that have made your life unstable in Christ.
“11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;” - Titus 2:11-12
 We are to offer our lives in sacrificial worship and service to Him. As a vessel in the hand of God, we should no longer center our thoughts and actions on those things that pertain to this world. We should no longer engage in matters that will divert our attention from eternity. Our God is holy and He expects us to be holy. For our sacrifices to be acceptable before Him, we have to be like Him in every sphere of our lives. When you are holy, miracles will begin to happen in your life and the power of God will begin to flow in you and through you to other lives. This will enable us to continue the mission of destroying the works of the devil.
 Many Christians are unable to access the reward of a new life because they are still tied to the culture of this world. They are still entangled with the ideas, principles and concepts of this world, and this has denied them the opportunity to manifest as children of God. You have to make a deliberate choice to be useful and acceptable before your Maker. Remove everything that has the ability to deprive you of your spiritual stature.
Prayer Point: Father, make me a vessel unto honour in Your hands.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
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