June 19, 2021 CAC Living Water Devotional : Topic – THE IMPORTANCE OF A PUBLIC CONFESSION.
Read previous CAC Living Water Devotionals here
CAC LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE.
Saturday, June 19, 2021.
(International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict)
Topic : THE IMPORTANCE OF A PUBLIC CONFESSION.
Read Acts 19:11-20
MEMORISE: Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their book together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver (Acts 19:19).
EXPOSITION
At Ephesus, it was said that God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them (Acts 19:11-12). The sense of awe that God’s miracles brought about led the people to faith and they openly confessed their evil deeds and publicly burned their expensive instruments of occult practices. The question is : why did those who practised magic burn their books publicly? What is the value of public Confession? When should we confess our sins publicly.
Today in our society, we see people practising horoscopy, palm-reading, and other occult practices. Paul said to the Corinthians Christians: Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covertous, or drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the Kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (I Cor. 6:9-11)
A Christian was not born a ‘saint’, but born ‘Sinner’, who practised and lived one sinful lifestyle or the other, before being ‘washed’, ‘santified’ and ‘justified’. At the time this happened, some public confession of faith was necessary. Why? Whenever Late Evangelist Billy Graham made an altar call, he said: Why did I ask you to come out publicly? First, because Jesus died on the cross publicly. Secondly, you must deny Satan publicly.”
In addition to that, we must come out publicly so that there will be accountability, for, should there be a time we are tempted to go back, there are people who have seen us publicly, and they can keep us in check. Today, God asks you: what do you need to confess and burn in order to be used by Me? Go and do so now.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Take a moment to thank the Lord for washing and purifying with the blood of the Lamb.
2. Give Him praises for the works of sanctification and justification.
3. Pray that all the evil deeds you have forsaken will never find their way back into your life.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: I Chr. 15:6 – 16:39; John 19:38 – 20:17.