Monday 18 February 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Monday 18 February 2013 UNVEILING THE UNKNOWN GOD By Pastor E. A. Adeboye


RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Monday 18 February 2013
UNVEILING THE UNKNOWN GOD 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.” Acts 17:23
Read: Acts 17:16-23
Bible in one year:  Joshua 16-18
Key point: Some people see artifacts, shrines and monuments as demonic and therefore avoid anyone associated with them, while others use them to evangelise to those who are associated with them.
We have seen that one great time to preach the word is when you are tired or weary. Most people would rest at such times, but the truth is: whenever your body is too tired to preach and an opportunity presents itself, there may just be a breakthrough of souls at the corner. The Lord Jesus Christ knew this and that was why He did not allow tiredness to rob Him of that great harvest. May you not lose your hidden harvest in Jesus name. Another lesson from John 4:1-42 has to  do with the location. Jesus went to a historical site that had great significance with Jewish history. It was the city of Sychar, on a piece of land that belonged to Jacob which also had Jacob’s well. When Jesus got there, He sat on a well connected with history and began to preach to the woman. From this we learn that there is hardly anything that cannot be used in evangelism. National or local historical monuments can be used in preaching the Gospel. Today, in various countries, there are historical spots or monuments that symbolize independence, democracy, or some form of common struggle for the people. Such places can become great leads into the salvation message. Even folklores, local anecdotes and humorous stories of creation and life in times past, can easily be exploited by the evangelist in order to win souls.
You can begin with an African story of how the tortoise got his wife and end up with a salvation message. Local temples, gods and goddesses are not left out. One great evangelist who could easily connect with local beliefs and tie it up with the Gospel was Paul. While in Athens, He went to observe how the Greeks worshipped their gods. They had several altars for each god, and thereafter dedicated an altar to any other god that might exist which they are yet to know. On that altar, they inscribed: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. When Paul was brought before them, he immediately told them he served that unknown God that they had a shrine for, and he used the opportunity to preach Jesus Christ to them. By the time he finished, he had converts who immediately followed him and became disciples. When you use what people are familiar with to preach the gospel of Christ to them, they will find it easier to accept the Gospel. Exploit such opportunities today!

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