12-22-2019, 04:08 PM
CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH
THE LIVING WATER {July ~ Dec., 2019}
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Sunday, December 22, 2019
- Sambisa Memorial Day
TOPIC: HALF-BAKED CHRISTIANS
Read Hosea 7:1-16
1. When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.
2. And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.
3. They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
4. They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.
5. In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.
6. For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.
7. They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
8. Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9. Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.
10. And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him for all this.
11. Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
12. When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.
13. Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
14. And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.
15. Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.
16. They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
MEMORISE: Ephraim has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake unturned (Hosea 7:8)
EXPOSITION
The tribe of Ephraim was likened to a cake not turned that is uncooked on one side and which will be burnt on the side nearest the fire. They were like pancake burnt on one side but raw on the other.
Majority of Christians nowadays are like the tribe of Ephraim. They are haughty and self-righteous who want to live as they please. They are two-faced religious leaders who talk good talks but turn around to and exploit their followers.
Romans 6:1 says that we cannot continue in sin and want God's grace to keep abounding. God is never soft on sin. The half-baked Christians are those who persist in sins in total disregard of God's efforts to reform them. They become friendly with and copy the ways of unbelievers.
Their lives profess them as Christians, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.
A half-baked Christian looks sound in some aspects of Christian commitments, but when turned around, no evidence of sanctifying grace is found in him. He is worldly-minded, carnal and ignorant; he is neither cold nor hot in the things of the Spirit. He has niceness without newness, goodness without grace (Eph. 2:8-9). He claims to be a Christian but does not display the fuit of the Spirit. He has not died to the flesh, as the works of the flesh easily overcome him. He willingly violates the laws of the Lord.
The worldliness that impacts the Church, tod
ay causes her to be half-baked. Turn to the Lord, today, for renewal of your inner mind, to be a genuine child of God.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Create in me a new heart, O Lord, I want to reflect You in all my ways.
2. Pray for those professing to be Christians but their lives are not reflecting such that God will give them a circumcised heart.
3. Lord, destroy the power of sin in our churches, and revive us, now.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Obad. 1:5 - 1:21; Jon. 1:1 - 4:9; Rev. 11:19 - 13:3
Author: C.A.C WORLDWIDE
Remain blessed!
THE LIVING WATER {July ~ Dec., 2019}
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Sunday, December 22, 2019
- Sambisa Memorial Day
TOPIC: HALF-BAKED CHRISTIANS
Read Hosea 7:1-16
1. When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.
2. And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.
3. They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
4. They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.
5. In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.
6. For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.
7. They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.
8. Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
9. Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.
10. And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him for all this.
11. Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.
12. When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.
13. Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
14. And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.
15. Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.
16. They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
MEMORISE: Ephraim has mixed himself among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake unturned (Hosea 7:8)
EXPOSITION
The tribe of Ephraim was likened to a cake not turned that is uncooked on one side and which will be burnt on the side nearest the fire. They were like pancake burnt on one side but raw on the other.
Majority of Christians nowadays are like the tribe of Ephraim. They are haughty and self-righteous who want to live as they please. They are two-faced religious leaders who talk good talks but turn around to and exploit their followers.
Romans 6:1 says that we cannot continue in sin and want God's grace to keep abounding. God is never soft on sin. The half-baked Christians are those who persist in sins in total disregard of God's efforts to reform them. They become friendly with and copy the ways of unbelievers.
Their lives profess them as Christians, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.
A half-baked Christian looks sound in some aspects of Christian commitments, but when turned around, no evidence of sanctifying grace is found in him. He is worldly-minded, carnal and ignorant; he is neither cold nor hot in the things of the Spirit. He has niceness without newness, goodness without grace (Eph. 2:8-9). He claims to be a Christian but does not display the fuit of the Spirit. He has not died to the flesh, as the works of the flesh easily overcome him. He willingly violates the laws of the Lord.
The worldliness that impacts the Church, tod
ay causes her to be half-baked. Turn to the Lord, today, for renewal of your inner mind, to be a genuine child of God.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Create in me a new heart, O Lord, I want to reflect You in all my ways.
2. Pray for those professing to be Christians but their lives are not reflecting such that God will give them a circumcised heart.
3. Lord, destroy the power of sin in our churches, and revive us, now.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Obad. 1:5 - 1:21; Jon. 1:1 - 4:9; Rev. 11:19 - 13:3
Author: C.A.C WORLDWIDE
Remain blessed!