ANCHOR OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
WEDNESDAY, 7TH DECEMBER, 2022.
Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer
Topic: AWAKE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS AND SLEEP NOT
MEMORIZE: "But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way." (Matthew 13:24).
SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 13:24-30
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
EXPOSITION:
1. Sowing the seed by the Saviour
In the story of sower, as our Lord Jesus Christ tells it in our today's Scripture reading, the seed planted are the human beings that are transformed by the seed of the word of God, vv 24, I Peter 1:23. It means no genuine righteousness without the word of God.
b. The sower is Jesus Christ, vv 24, 37.
c. The good seed, being the children of the kingdom, implies that there is no truly righteous person in the world since creation without the impartation of Jesus, vv. 37,38, John 1:4,9.
d. Any supposed righteous person, from ages past till now, without the imparted righteousness of Christ, is fake. It is either you are planted by Christ or the devil.
e. He was and is the Sole giver of righteousness to all saints that ever lived even before His incarnation, John 1:4,9.
Question: Are you sure you have the righteousness of Christ?
Note: No religion, creed, person or way of life can impart true righteousness into any man.
2. Satan's deceptive wiles
a. Satan's wile is to target and corrupt anything God has done. He is called the enemy of God, vv25, 39. Always note this.
b. Every person without the righteousness imparted by Christ is a child of the devil, no matter how religious, vv25,28,39, I John 3:8.
c. Satan is a smart deceiver and corrupter that in many cases, it is difficult to differentiate the children of God from the children of Satan in most organisations including churches, vv26,29.
d. The similarities will be so much that God has committed the work of separation into the hands of angels, v30.
e. Don't ever be surprised if leaders could not discern them right in the house of God. It may be by divine permission.
3. The sleep giants and its consequences
a. The wicked were able to subtly and deceitfully pose as the righteous or corrupt the good doctrines and Christian standards when "men slept", are silent, become cold, distracted or nonchalant v25.
b. Spiritual sleep kills vigilance, blinds discernment, causes distraction from heavenly focus, weakens the power of resistance against evil and destroys spiritual fervency.
Question: Are you still spiritually sharp, fervent and discerning? Has the children of darkness not multiplied in your assembly?
PRAYER POINTS
1. Surrender your life to Christ and ask Him to fill you with His righteousness
2. Pray for spirit of awakening upon all believers in the Church
3. Ask for the full light of Christ to shine in your church and expose all workers of iniquities
4. Pray that believers will have the Spirit of discernment to limit the operations of darkness in the Church
5. Pray that you will not be ashamed to be called a Christian irrespective of where you find yourself
6. Pray that you will distinguish yourself in the midst of *tares*
DAILY BIBLE READING IN A YEAR – 1 Thessalonians 1-5.
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