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Topic: Bend Or Break
[DCLM Daily Manna 13 November 2019 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: Jeremiah 13:15-27
Key Verse: “Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness” – (Jeremiah 13:16).
Justin has just finished his message as he travelled in a commercial bus with others. Then, a fellow passenger asked him, “Wasn’t your message too harsh?” “How do you mean?” Justin returned. “I mean that your message was too hard. In our church, we try to preach the positive message to encourage the people rather than condemning them for their sins” he said. “Well, then you must be more loving than Jesus who told the people that “except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish” Justin asserted.
Prophet Jeremiah’s message to Judah and Jerusalem was very clear. They must repent or face the judgment of God. They must renounce their pride and give God His rightful place as God. The king and the queen were to lead in this repentance by humbling themselves, otherwise Judah shall be carried away captive. The Chaldeans were pictured as already on their way to Jerusalem. And their judgement in captivity is imminent if they don’t repent. They either bend or be broken.
Forthrightness in declaring the truth – the whole counsel of God is His requirement from all His faithful servants. Many modern-day preachers have excluded repentance from their messages. They only ask people to confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. But all genuine ministers of God emphasise repentance as a necessary step to obtaining forgiveness. Our Lord Jesus Christ started His message by calling on all to repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:14,15). And all the apostles and writers of the New Testament followed suit. Jesus emphasised that “repentance and remission of sins” must be preached in His Name (Luke 24:47).
True believers must not be apologetic while declaring the truth of God. There is no better way of demonstrating true love other than telling the truth.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Genuine repentance leads to genuine salvation.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ezekiel 6-8
