TOPIC: Rise to Defend
TEXT: Acts 20:28-38(NKJV)
28. “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
29. “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
30. “Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
31. “Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
32. “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
33. “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel.
34. “Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me.
35. “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
36. And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
37. Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him,
38. sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.
STUDY: Paul, in his exhortation to the Ephesian elders admonished them to take heed to themselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit had made them overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. He also warned them that savage wolves would come among them, not sparing the flock.He told them to ‘watch’ (vs. 28-31).
READ ALSO: Our Daily Bread Friday 7 August 2020 Devotional – Letting Go
When we look at the church today, we discover that what Paul warned the elders to take heed of is already manifesting. Consider the issues of homosexuality, bi-sexuality and lesbianism that are already tearing the church apart; doctrinal differences and church proliferation, to mention just afew. Wolves have entered the church drawing away disciples after themselves. Instead of using the platform of social media and other avenues to attack one anothethereby creating an avenue for Satan to turn many away from the truth, what God expects from you is to take heed, and contend for the faith (Jude 3-4), remembering that the church is purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ. We all need to defend the faith of the risen Lord through prayer and intercession.
PRAYER: Lord, use me as a vessel to defend your church.
DAILY QUOTE: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)
Daily Fountain Devotional 7 August 2020 – The Church of Nigeria is the Anglican church in Nigeria. It is the second-largest province in the Anglican Communion, as measured by baptized membership, after the Church of England. It gives its current membership as “over 18 million”, out of a total Nigerian population of over 200 million.
