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Table of Contents

2003
2004
2005
2006

January '03
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5

February '03
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9

March '03
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13

April '03
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Week 17

May '03
Week 18
Week 19
Week 20
Week 21
Week 22

June '03
Week 23
Week 24
Week 25
Week 26

July '03
Week 27
Week 28
Week 29
Week 30
Week 31

August '03
Week 32
Week 33
Week 34
Week 35

September '03
Week 36
Week 37
Week 38
Week 39

October '03
Week 40
Week 41
Week 42
Week 43
Week 44

November '03
Week 45
Week 46
Week 47
Week 48

December '03
Week 49
Week 50
Week 51
Week 52

Key Passage: Ezekiel 3: 20-21

"Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul."

It is interesting to note that God’s warning against sin is not only to the sinful and the unconverted, but also to the righteous. God knows that it is possible for a person who had been walking with Him to turn away from His ways. That is why He has given us the responsibility, as His oracles, to warn the righteous of the consequences of backsliding and sinning.

King Joash of Judah served God faithfully in his younger days when Jehoiada his spiritual mentor was priest. But when Jehoiada died, he and his princes forsook God and served groves and idols. That brought God’s judgment upon him and his kingdom (2 Kg 12:2; 2 Chron 24:18-19). Also King Uzziah did right in the sight of the Lord in the days of Prophet Zechariah, and God prospered him. But when he became strong and established, his heart was lifted up and he sinned against God by defiantly going into the temple to perform priestly functions. He was struck with leprosy which was on him till his death (2 Chron 26:4-5, 16-21). Paul wrote about one of his companion, Demas, who deserted him because he loved the things of this present life (Phile 1:24; 2 Tim 4:10).

There is that danger of a person falling away from the faith after serving the Lord faithfully (Heb 10:26-31; 6:4-6). That is why the Scripture says, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinth 10:12). The fact that a person is a Christian does not guarantee him eternity with God except he continues faithfully with Him and departs from sin. Therefore the need to warn the righteous to fear God and depart from sin (Ps 19:11).

Paul exhorted Timothy to take this responsibility seriously in his ministry. He said, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Tim 4:2). And where a believer becomes overtaken in a sinful act, Paul admonished that the spiritual ones should gently and humbly help him back to the right path (Gal 6:1). When we apply these principles in our lives we help establish fellow believers in the faith, and thereby be our brother’s keepers indeed.

Pray, Lord, give me the wisdom and grace to live my life for your glory and use me to direct someone to the pathway of truth

 

Written by – Evangelist Oguazi Onyemobi

Copyright © Jesus Power Outreach Ministries Inc., Lagos Nigeria