Grow in God's Love Each Morning!

Word Of God:

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,” - 2 Timothy 1:9

Daily Devotion:

Messengers without Message

"We are not, as so many, adulterate the Word of God, but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God" (2 Cor 2:17)


"The Word of the Lord was rare in those days!" (1 Sam 3:1). This was one of the darkest periods in the history of the people of Israel. I am afraid those days are upon us again. We have more preachers and hear more sermons now than any time in the history of the Church. But where is the "message" of the Lord?

The rarety of the message of the Lord in our modern pulpits can be first attributed to money. The message of God in general is clearer and more definite from the mouths of preachers who are materially poorer than those who are affluent. Three snares which have fatally trapped many servants of God are gold, girls and glory. Riches top the list of these three. Manipulating people to milk money from them has become commonplace. A young boy swallowed a coin. A little girl standing nearby shouted, "Send him to that preacher. He can get money out of anybody!" Matthew Henry (1662-1714) that great Bible Commentator warned, "Preachers must not be afraid of the rich!"

Excessive desire for miracles is another reason which hinders the message of God. For many centuries the traditional Christian ministry literally excluded miracles of healing. The renewed interest in the gifts of healing has taken us to the other extreme. This overemphasis of the healing ministry has corrupted the content of the pure gospel. The loss is dual. We neither have miracles (as expected) nor the message. Both in His own ministry and while commissioning His disciples the Lord Jesus stressed healing the sick. But we shall do well to notice that it was FIRST preaching the gospel and only then healing the sick. A leper saved but not healed can go to heaven; but a sinner healed but not saved cannot!

Billy Graham (1918- ) does not pray for the sick in his Crusades. But there's little doubt that more people have made decisions for Christ in his meetings than collectively from scores of healing crusades. The secret? He has a message. Of the greatest prophet who had the spirit and power of Elijah it was said that, "John performed no SIGN—and many believed him there" (Jn 10:41,42). He had a message! Thomas Walker who laboured in Tirunelveli, Amy armichael in Dohnavur, Thomas Ragland in Sivakasi and Mother Teresa in Calcutta were not outstandingly miracle workers. But their message stays resounding to generations.

Prayer:

Show us your mercy, O Lord; And grant us your salvation. Clothe your ministers with righteousness; Let your people sing with joy. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world; For only in you can we live in safety. Lord, keep this nation under your care; And guide us in the way of justice and truth. Let your way be known upon earth; Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. Create in us clean hearts, O God; And sustain us by your Holy Spirit. Amen!