Have You Left All

This is a morning devotion from Radio HCI. The theme is about leaving everything for the sake of the kingdom of God. It emphasizes the importance of loyalty and consecration to God. The devotion includes a scripture reading from Luke chapter 18, where Jesus talks about the rewards for those who give up everything for the kingdom. It encourages believers to let go of anything that hinders their relationship with God. The devotion ends with a prayer and a reminder to lay aside anything that slows us down in our spiritual journey. Your statues are my heritage forever, they are the joy of my heart, I have put my hope in your word. Shalom precious one, you are warmly welcome to Radio HCI today for our morning glory devotion. God bless you for partaking in a just ended prayer startup. We know that as we set time aside every morning to pray and to fellowship in his word, God is working mightily in our lives and families in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen. Today's devotion will be facilitated by Pastor and Mrs. Bruce Smith from Harvest Chapel International Community. Let us kindly share a word of prayer, Gracious Father, we thank you for the privilege to hear your word this morning, grant us an understanding heart to receive your word in the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen. Let us take a confession from Joshua 1 verse 8, Joshua 1 verse 8, This book of the law shall not depart out of my mouth, but I shall meditate in it day and night, that I may observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then I will make my way prosperous and then I will have good success, Amen. Our theme for today's devotion is, Have you left all? Have you left all? And we shall be taking our scripture reading from Luke chapter 18 verse 28 to 30, Luke chapter 18 verse 28 to 30 and I will be reading from the New Living Translation. Peter said, We have left our homes to follow you, Yes Jesus replied, and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brother or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom will be repaid many times over in this life and will have eternal life in the world to come, verse 29 and 30 again, Jesus replied, and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom will be repaid many times over in this life and will have eternal life in the world to come, this is the reading of the word, Thanks be to God. Have you left all? The Christian walk is a call to loyalty, consecration and sanctification. Jesus emphasizes this truth in Mark chapter 12 verse 30, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. Amen. God is unequivocal in his stance on taking the center stage in our lives. He is unwilling to compete with anyone or anything for our time and attention. God does not want us to be attached to anything that eventually relegates him to a secondary position drawing us away from him. Every believer will have to go through the test of loyalty throughout his journey with the Lord. In the preceding verses to our scripture reading, Jesus had a very interesting encounter with a certain rich young ruler, Luke chapter 18 verses 18 to 23, let us read together. Now a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? So Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, that is God. You know the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and your mother. And he said, All these things I have kept from my youth. So when Jesus heard these things he said to him, You still lack one thing, sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come follow me. But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. Like this young man, many believers are wondering why there is a lack of power in their lives. We may have confirmed the Lordship of Christ, but cannot seem to place our hands on the missing link when it comes to experiencing and working in the realities of eternal life. And we may be questioning, what am I not doing right? From childhood, I am always in church on Sunday, I do not commit adultery, I do not murder nor steal, I do not bear false witness. Not only do I honor my parents, but every elderly person. So why do I still feel this void? For this young man, his stumbling block to inheriting eternal life was his riches. We find this in Luke chapter 18 verses 22 and 23. What are you holding on to that has become a stumbling block to experiencing the full package of eternal life? Beloved, God wants all of you, and not just a part or a percentage of you. The demands and sacrifices he places on us is not to break us down, but to help us get rid of anything in our lives competing with him for our allegiance and attention, so that we can fully experience the realities of this divine life that we have been called to be partakers of. That specific instruction to withdraw from that friendship and association, to abstain from sports, social media, movies and series, etc. is for our own good. These activities in themselves may not necessarily be wrong, but nothing in our lives should cling on to us so much that we cannot leave it for the master. All things must be detachable. This he does so that we do not fall into idolatry. It can be difficult letting go because of how dear these things may be to us and the attachment we may have developed for them over the years, but grace abounds and God is not going to leave us to do it in our own strength. What happens after giving it all up for God? There is an assurance for all who have left behind their treasures for the sake of the kingdom of God. You shall receive many times more than what you gave up in this present time, and in the age to come, eternal life, hallelujah! God owes no man. What you leave behind or sacrifice for the sake of his kingdom, he would multiply it and let you have it back in abundance. Beloved, what are you still holding on to? What is preventing you from fully following Jesus? You can let go, for the price is worth the price and the sacrifice. Let us yield to his call and pay whatever price it takes to follow him, bearing in mind that God is a rewarder of them that do his bidding, amen. God richly bless you. Let us take our memory verse for the day. Our memory verse for today shall be taken from Luke chapter 18 verse 28. Luke chapter 18 verse 28 and we shall be reading from the New King James Version. Then Peter said, See, we have left all and followed you. Luke chapter 18 verse 28. Then Peter said, See, we have left all and followed you, amen. Let us kindly share a word of prayer. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for your keen interest in our progress and our prosperity. We are so sorry for the many times we have held on unto the things you have instructed us to let go in our lives. Please grant us the grace, the strength, and the courage to leave behind anything and anyone hindering our progress in our work with you. As we forsake all for the sake of the kingdom, may we receive the benefits and rewards you have promised us. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray with thanksgiving, amen. Amen. Beloved, nothing in our lives should clench unto us so much that we cannot leave it behind for the Master. Let us lay aside every weight that slows us down, that we may win the prize set aside for us. Amen. Amen. God richly bless you for staying tuned for today's devotion. Keep your dial on Radio HCI today as we help you sustain a spirit-filled atmosphere for your edification. Shalom.