Topic: TAKE A STAND FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE – Bishop Mike Okonkwo Devotional September 6 2019 [The Redeemed Evangelical Mission]

“Then Jesus told his disciples, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Matthew 16:24 NKJV

Some years ago, the Soviet Union used to be a communist bloc. What they had then were state controlled churches. Those churches were just for ceremony, they did not preach salvation. The real churches were underground. There were thousands of people who were born again who were underground. They met secretly and there were no signs to indicate who they were. They had a system to indicate where to meet. They did not meet in the same place at the same time because they were afraid.

Then, it was not like here where we have Bibles. Some of these underground churches numbered two or three thousand. And in an entire church, they may have just two or three pages which after the man of God had finished preaching on Sunday, he would give to the members to share among themselves. On Saturday they would return it to him to prepare his message for the next Sunday. When you are in a society like ours, you may not understand what you are enjoying.

One day, a major in the military was sent to go and close a home church. When he got there, almost everyone was on the run. Suddenly he said ‘stop, if you move I would shoot you. Sit down,’ and they all sat. They were giving one excuse after the other. The man said ‘Okay, we do not want to make a mistake. Every one that is not a member of this group should leave now.’ Many fled. Only very few were left with the pastor. When they had left, the major said to the pastor, ‘I was sent to close this church, but I am a Christian. I did what I did to show you that majority of these people who are clapping hands and jumping are not part of the church. These ones left are your members and your disciples.’ Beloved, make it your prayer today that ‘Lord, I want to follow you to the end.’

Further Reading: Matthew 16: 24- 28, Daniel 3:1-29
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Psalms 148-150; Evening- 1 Corinthians 15:29-58

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