Sunday, 14th August, 2023
By Pastor Chris Oyakhilome
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16 KJV).
As a teenager, I was compelled to share the message of Jesus Christ and His saving power with everyone. I would pray with a resolute heart, wailing and travailing in prayer for the sick, the afflicted, and crying out for the salvation of the lost. In my prayer times, I often thought, “How can we reach them? What more can we do?”
This burning desire led me to hit the streets, going from house to house, and from door to door, preaching the Gospel. Some people got furious and warned me never to return. But I was undeterred. I visited hospitals and schools, preaching wherever I could—in buses, taxis, and any place where people gathered.
All I wanted to do was to tell the untold about Jesus Christ and reach the unreached. Yet, it never felt enough. I sought to motivate my friends to join me in this endeavour. I would talk to them about going out to preach, and we did. Still, it felt insufficient. We organised crusades from place to place. But even then, it didn’t seem enough.
The more I preached, the more I realized the immense need to reach the unreached and snatch many out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s Love-Son. The Bible says, “…This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14).
Those are the words of Jesus; they were personal to me. They must be personal to you. They must be your motivation to do more for the Gospel. Be passionate about spreading the message of the Gospel, not just in your catchment but also to the regions beyond. Take the Lord’s mandate seriously: He said, “…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
PRAYER/CONFESSION
"Dear Father, I’m conscious of my calling as a minister of reconciliation, stirred and inspired by the words of the Lord, and motivated by the plight of the lost. I pray that today, the eyes of many around the world who are in darkness will be open to the light of the Gospel, and they are turned from darkness to light, and into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, in Jesus’ Name. Amen."
FURTHER STUDY
1 Corinthians 9:16 (KJV); Mark 16:15 (AMPC); Matthew 28:19 (KJV)
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Romans 15:14-33 & Psalms 99-101
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Luke 16:1-12 & Ruth 1-2