Topic: Don’t Misuse Your Tongue [Open Heavens 17th June 2018, Sunday Daily Devotional]

Memorise: Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: – Numbers 14:28

Read: Numbers 14:20-29 (KJV)

20 And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:

21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;

23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:

24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

26 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

27 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.

28 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:

29 Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me,

Bible in One Year: 2 Kings 16-17, Acts 12:6-25

MESSAGE:

Apostle James gave a profound description of the power embedded in the tongue. In James 3:5-6, he wrote:

“5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”

In Numbers 14:20-29, we see in practical terms the evil effect of misusing the tongue. Moses had sent out some men to spy out the Promised Land. Ten out of the twelve spies that were sent out returned with an evil report driven by unbelief. They said many things which showed their lack of confidence in the God of their fathers, despite the fact that He had severally demonstrated His mighty power to them in the course of their journey through the wilderness. They seemed not to know their own worth and hence they described themselves as grasshoppers and the inhabitants of the land as giants (Numbers 13:33). The testimony of the faithless spies angered the Lord and He gave this verdict contained in Numbers 14:28:

“Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:”

This outcome, caused by the evil reports of the ten spies, establishes the truth of Proverbs 18:21, which says:

“21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

We all will be accountable to God for every word that we say. It is therefore crucial that we are conscious of the pronouncements and confessions that proceed from our mouths. Beloved, you need to exercise more caution in times of distress and anger to avoid making negative pronouncements against yourself, your situation, your children and everything that concerns you. When you find yourself in difficult situations, ensure that the words you speak profess your faith in God that He is able to do what He says He will do, in spite of the prevailing circumstances around you. I pray that as you open your mouth today, the Lord will fill it with words that will bring glory to His Name. I pray that you will be able to see the hand of God in every situation around you through the eyes of faith from now on in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point: After you have worshipped God today, take out time to prophesy good things into your life.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click HERE to read Open Heavens 16 June 2018 – An Eagle For Christ?

Hymn 12: Take My Life, And Let It Be

1.Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2.Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3.Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.

If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

Topic: Insure Your Identity

Many believe in heaven but don’t believe in the one who is the resurrection and life Himself. To have access to heaven, you must believe in the one who paid the price for your sins. It is of no value if you believe in heaven without believing in the one that created the heaven.

Death is the end of life on earth but the beginning of eternal life in heaven with God or everlasting torment in hell. After your time on earth is over, you must spend your eternity either in heaven or in hell. Therefore, it is crucial to respond to Christ while you are still living.

Matt.11:28 – Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Jesus’ invitation is for everyone including you. Irrespective of who you are: good, bad or ugly; Jesus wants you to come to Him. The only GPS that can give you a flawless direction is the Gospel Plan f Salvation.

John 14:6 -Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus is the only way to God.

2Peter 3:9 -The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

God does not want anyone to perish; including you. In Christ, there is heaven to gain and hell to shun. Do not die unsaved so as to escape hell. It is my responsibility as a child of God to let you know that there is a place called heaven which you can only get to through Jesus Christ and there is another place called hell meant for satan and all who reject Christ; which you don’t need to go to.

Rom.10:9-10 -That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

If you accept Jesus and confess Him as your Lord and Savior, you will be saved and become a candidate for heaven.

Matt. 24:13 – But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

After confessing Christ Jesus as your Lord and savior, you should also strive to be like Christ by finding a living church where you will be taught the undiluted word of God and where you will serve God faithfully.

Every person on earth will face eternity one day. Men are not like animals that die with no life thereafter; man is created in the image of God and his life continues after his physical body drops.

Therefore my beloved, choose wisely and accept Jesus today and insure your eternity.

God bless you

Click HERE to read other Inspiring Messages by Pastor David Ibiyeomie

Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.

If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

Topic: Be Conservative [Teens Open Heavens 16, June 2018]

Memorise: Then the Lord an whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. 2 Kings 7:2

Read: Matthew 12:36-37 (KJV)

36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Bible In One Year: Nehemiah 1-3, Acts 2:1-13

MESSAGE:

In these days when everybody is trying to gain attention in social media, in the bid to create content, we are sometimes tempered to post anything that is a happening to us on our social media platforms. This is very wrong. The reason the diamond has higher value than water, is that you have to search hard to find just a little of it, whereas water is available every where, even though water is essential to life and diamond isn’t. It is not everything about you that you should put for the whole world out there to see and know. In fact, those who are always talking about themselves are less valued and viewed as not very disciplined people.

It is also not everything you know that you must say. Learn to only say what is necessary per time. Think before you speak, ask yourself, “do I have to say this?” if you keep saying everything you know at all times, you are courting trouble, nobody will trust you with information, and your running mouth may put you in trouble very soon.

Key Point: The internet never forgets, be careful about what you post online, the words you say and the things you do.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Teen Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor Adeboye’’ 

Hymn 2
1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Chorus:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

4.But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Daily Devotional for Teen’s guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.

TOPIC: Essentials of Follow Up [Sunday, 17th June 2018]

OPENING PRAYER: Father, let me be an example of believers who will follow up souls until all souls are won for Christ. (Scroll down for SUNDAY SCHOOL HYMN)

Bible Passage: Colossians 4:7-8 (KJV)

7 All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:

8 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts;

MEMORY VERSE: “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” – 2 Timothy 2:2

LESSON INTRODUCTION: It is an established fact that fruit bearing is a must for the believers and that abiding fruit is God’s command. We must, therefore, proceed to discover some methods of follow-up in order to have fruits that will abide in the kingdom forever.

TEXT REVIEW: COLOSSIANS 4:7-8

Tychicus possessed the following attributes which endeared him to Paul.

i. He had knowledge of the ministry and the minister in charge. Colossians 4:7a
ii. He was beloved brother to Apostle Paul. Colossians. 4:7b
iii. He was a faithful minister. Colossians 4:7c
iv. He was a fellow servant in the Lord. Colossians. 4:7d
v. He was reliable enough to be sent by Paul to the people. Colossians 4:8a
vi. He was matured enough to handle their affairs and their situations. Colossians 4:8b
vii. He was vast and knowledgeable to comfort the weary hearts through the Holy Spirit. Colossians 4:8b.
What a partner Paul had in Tychicus. There are great possibilities of success when true friends, team or true brethren team together to work for God. There will be increase. Amos 3:3,1Cor. 3:6-9.

Lesson Outline 1: SOME METHODS OF FOLLOW UP MINISTRY

The following methods can be adopted as a follow up to a crusade, revival, special visit, Holy Ghost services, etc, where many souls are won for Christ.

i. Baptismal class. Matt. 28:20
ii. Organizing gender specific instruction or special teaching or training session. I Timothy 5: 1-2O
iii. Home cell/ Bible study/ House fellowship centres. Acts 2:46; Acts 16:40 and Romans 16:3-5
iv. Presentation of literature on specific subjects as gift to the new converts.
v. Presentation of the Holy Bibles to the converts.
vi. Writing of letters, or messages to the converts. Col. 4:16.
vii. Sending text messages on phone and computers.
viii. Making calls through various social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, etc.

Class Activity 1: Students should mention which methods of follow up were used for them and which ones they are using too to follow up souls.

Lesson Outline 2: PAUL AND TIMOTHY TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP EXAMINED.

Relationship or follow up which Paul adopted for Timothy could be described as follows:

i. It is a personalized method of follow-up.
ii. This method places emphasis on Christian living, Bible doctrines and winning others. 2 Tim 2:2; I Tim. 1:15-18, 4;12-13, 2:1-15.
iii. Timothy enjoyed the grace of being followed up in the basic Bible doctrines and was instructed to teach others too in the same way. I Tim. 1: 3-4
iv. Follow up on the basis of biblical doctrines would prevent emergence of false doctrines and heresies and false teachers. 1 Tim. 1:19-20; 4:1.7, 2 Tim. 2:15-16; 3:1-12;4:1-5
v. Personalized follow-up method prevents possibility of backsliding and apostasy. 1 Tim. 6:20-21; 2 Tim. 4:10.
vi. Personalized follow-up of souls strategy prevent, curbs or controls evil association. 2Tim. 4:14.15.

Class Activity 2: How can believers in Christ create adequate time to engage in effective personalized follow-up of souls strategy despite their tight schedules?

SUMMARY:
Believers must engage in soul’s follow-up to prevent loss of souls.

CONCLUSION:
The essence of learning some follow-up techniques is that we shall do them. Remember, the doer of the word is more blessed than the hearer only (James 1:22-25). If our fruits abide, we shall be rewarded. Here, we shall be full of joy and hereafter we shall shine forever. 1Thess. 219-20; Dan. 12:3.

EVALUATION:
What are the methods of follow-up of souls available to believers?

CLOSING PRAYER:
Do not let any sinner pass through me to hell.

ASSIGNMENT:
Mention five dangers of young soul’s neglected.

Read previous RCCG Sunday School Teacher’s Manual Here

SUNDAY SCHOOL HYMN

1. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
O how I love Thee well,
I am happy, it makes me glad
To rejoice at Thy birth.

2. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day, Thy friendship suits me well,
Both young and old will sing Thy song,
We long for Sunday School.

3. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Christ was Thy first teacher,
The Holy Spirit, great teacher,
Does manifest in thee.

4. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
This testimony is sure,
That God, the Father Almighty,
Poured His blessing on Thee.

5. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Though the sun be so bright,
Or if the clouds black with rain,
I’ll be in Sunday School.

6. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
I rejoice to see Thee,
Will thou pass over me today?
Without my being blest?

TOPIC: Essentials Of Follow-Up [Sunday, 17th June 2018]

MEMORY VERSE: “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” – 2 Timothy 2:2 (scroll down for SUNDAY SCHOOL HYMN)

BIBLE PASSAGE: Colossians 4:7-8

7 All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:

8 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts;

INTRODUCTION:
It is an established fact that fruit bearing is a must for the believer and that abiding fruit is God’s command. We must, therefore, proceed to discover some methods of follow-up in order to have fruits that will abide in the kingdom forever.

LESSON OUTLINES
1. Some methods of follow-up ministry
2. Paul and Timothy type of relationship examined

SOME METHODS OF FOLLOW-UP MINISTRY
Following an evangelistic/crusade, a nursery/baptismal class is convened to provide specific help to those who are young in faith (Matthew 28:20). Age or gender-specific instructions or teachings may also be organised (1Timothy 5:1-20). Home Bible study groups or home fellowship centres are good follow-up programmes (Acts 2:46; 16:40; Romans 16:3-5). The use of Christian literatures could be of tremendous use, the best of which is the Holy Bible. Other biographies could be of value. Paul, for example, insisted that the teaching letter to the Colossians be read also to the Laodicean church and vice-versa (Colossians 4:16). In modern days, we should take advantage of technology especially the communication gadgets (mobile phones, computers etc), to send short messages, e-mails, etc. New converts can also be followed up through the platforms of the social media networks (Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, etc).

PAUL AND TIMOTHY TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP EXAMINED
This is a closer personalised method of follow-up. It is virtually the most effective (2 Timithy 2:2). During this type of relationship, emphasis is placed on Christian living, Bible doctrine and winning others. Paul emphasised this greatly in his personal follow-up and discipling of Timothy, his son in the Lord (1 Timothy 1:15-18; 4:12-13; 2:1-15). Timothy was brought up in basic Bible doctrines and also instructed to teach others likewise (1 Timothy 1:3-4), especially as it is so easy to make shipwreck or become victim of false teachers and heresies (1 Timothy 1:19-20; 4:1-7; 2 Timothy 2:15-16; 3:1-12; 4:1-5). The personal approach also warned on possibility of backsliding or even apostasy (1 Timothy 6:20-21; 2 Timothy 4:10), and the need to beware of evil association (2 Timothy 4:14-15).

CONCLUSION:
The essence of learning some follow-up techniques is that we shall do them. Remember, the doer fo the word is more blessed than the hearer only (James 1:22-25). If our fruits abide, we shall be rewarded. Here, we shall be full of joy and hereafter we shall shine forever (1Thessalonians 2:19-20; Daniel 12:3).

QUESTIONS:
1. List at least three methods of follow-up.
2. In few words, describe Paul-Timothy type of relationship with reference to follow-up.

Click to read previous RCCG Sunday School STUDENT Manual June 10th, 2018 Lesson 41 — Bearing Fruits That Will Abide

SUNDAY SCHOOL HYMN

1. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
O how I love Thee well,
I am happy, it makes me glad
To rejoice at Thy birth.

2. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day, Thy friendship suits me well,
Both young and old will sing Thy song,
We long for Sunday School.

3. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Christ was Thy first teacher,
The Holy Spirit, great teacher,
Does manifest in thee.

4. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
This testimony is sure,
That God, the Father Almighty,
Poured His blessing on Thee.

5. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Though the sun be so bright,
Or if the clouds black with rain,
I’ll be in Sunday School.

6. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
I rejoice to see Thee,
Will thou pass over me today?
Without my being blest?