DAILY GUIDE DEVOTIONAL: Preaching Christ at What Cost?

Text: Acts 5:32-42

We should consider answering the theme's question. What length would you go to ensure the gospel is preached? What are you ready to sacrifice? Your money, time, family life, freedom? We need to sit down and take stock. Jesus asked; a man who wants to build a house will he not first sit down and take the cost lest he run out of resources and people laugh at him. Have you really decided if you will be able to bear the cost of this discipleship up which you have said yes.

 In Mark 8:34-35 "when he had called the people to himself, with his disciples also he said to them whoever that desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will loose, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it" Beloved, this is the condition and cost of following Christ. Have you decided to go with it totally? To not love yourself at the detriment of expanding Christ's kingdom? 

I thank God for the faithful ones amongst us. There are still some men and women who jeopardize their lives on a daily basis to ensure that the world hear and keep hearing about God's kingdom and Jesus' saving grace. But the question is: are you part of the number? How committed are you to the kingdom business. No disciple in Bible history who came in contact with this word of God handled it with levity, except for few who were headed towards destruction. 

The apostles stood tall and resilient before the highest ruling council. God did not let them down. He used Gamaliel, a man he knew that his words would silence the Sanhedrin and delivered the apostles. Yet they were still beaten but they counted it all joy. Warned not to preach, yet they went house to house preaching about Christ. If we are struggling, we have not yet struggled up to this level. If we are having challenges our lives have not yet been threatened for preaching Christ. Ruth said to her mother in law; "where you go I go, where you die, I die, your people shall be my people and your God my God"

Can you renew your commitment to God this morning. Can you examine yourself and cry out to him to rekindle the fire of his love in your heart. May God grant us grace to treasure him above our best treasures, Amen!