Text: Luke 15:4-10
Memory verse:
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬

Do you know that, while your prayer, praise, worship, giving and even fasting are great before God, none of them causes jubilations and dancing in heaven? The scriptures mention only one thing that causes great joy in heaven and that is, the repentance of a sinner. “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” ‭‭(Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭7‬)
Why does the repentance cause so much joy? The sheep is no longer lost like the rest on the mountainside and no longer bound for hell. God rejoices that His sacrifice of giving His Son to die is not in vain. Jesus rejoices because He can see the fruit of His labour. “He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied..” ‭‭(Isa 53‬:‭11‬). The angels, who are in the presence of God, can’t but burst into joy when the Father and the Son are rejoicing.
A kingdom-valued believer also causes joy in heaven. He daily seeks after and labours over sinners to see them repent. He supports and joins any efforts to achieve this purpose. He gladly spends his resources and tarries in the place of prayer to see sinners rescued from sin. He knows that as every sinner who repents gives great joy to heaven, so is every sinner who gets lost in eternity in hell grieves heaven (Ezek 18:23). Thus, a kingdom-valued believer grieves when sinners close their eyes in death without repenting. He doesn’t rejoice like others because a person dies at a good old age but rejoices because the aged made peace with God before his death. What does it profit if one spends long years on earth but thereafter spend eternity in hell fire? Are you a kingdom-valued believer? Are you increasing the joy of heaven?

Prayer points
1. Father, make me a kingdom-valued believer in Jesus name.
2. Father, create a passion for souls in my heart and cause my life and works to cause joy in heaven in Jesus name.

Today’s declarations

1. Kingdom-valued believers are joyful when a sinner repents and grieve when he perishes.
2. To spend long years on earth but thereafter spend eternity in hell fire is vanity.

Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng