| SURRENDERED LIFE |
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Memorise: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Read: Philippians 1:19-22 |
| A brother who heard me preach on consecration one Sunday met me after the service. He said, ‘Sir from now on I have surrendered all to Jesus’. I said ‘That is wonderful and added, ‘This means we are going to use your car for the journey we shall be undertaking tomorrow’. Then looking surprised, he asked: ‘What will I take to work?’ So I told him we are not going anywhere and would not need his car. He failed the test of consecration. Many Christians have never gone beyond ‘mouth consecration’. To surrender all entails surrendering your wife, children, husband, reputation, assets and everything else. When I became the General Overseer, it was quite unpopular for a university lecturer to quit his secular job for full time ministry. In those days, lecturing was still lucrative as lecturers were highly respected in the society and had access to cars and lived in flats. Today, students readily beat up the Vice-Chancellors of universities. Pastors were very impoverished people in those days hence when some people learnt I left my job to become a pastor, they said they were not surprised as Mathematics turns people’s heads upside down. An Evangelist went to Ghana and preached about God’s love for the world that made Him to give Jesus to die for sinners and how Jesus willingly gave His life. A very poor woman heard the message and was touched that somebody could love her to the point of dying for her even when she had wronged Him. She gave her life to Christ and continued to meditate on how to reciprocate Christ’ love. On the last day of the crusade, during the time of offering, she dropped a gold coin in the plate. The Evangelist wondered how this poor woman could drop so much money and concluded she had stolen it. When he called her to find out, she confessed she did not steal the money but sold herself to slavery for the rest of her life to be able to afford that coin and reciprocate her love for the One who died for her. What have you done or given in appreciation of Christ’ sacrificial love? To what extent have you surrendered to the Master who gave up everything- His Godship, heavenly throne and life for you? What do you consider too costly to be given to Him? |
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