Topic: There Should Be No Complex [Open Heavens 20 Tuesday February 2018]

Memorise: “But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” – 1 Corinthians 12:11

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:1-12 (KJV)

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

Bible in One Year: Leviticus 17-18; 1 Corinthians 7:17-40

MESSAGE

There is one silent source of confusion in the body of Christ which must be addressed for the sake of the advancement of God’s kingdom. It is a combination of attitudes and feelings known as the “complex”. A complex is a mental or psychological state that should be alien to the Body of Christ. It manifests itself as inferiority or superiority complex. Ironically, the church has lived with this issue through the ages. Apostle Paul in today’s text warns us against the manifestation of such attitudes- whether as inferiority or superiority complex. How does the issue of “complex” operate in the Body of Christ? It is through the exhibition of spiritual gifts. There was an issue with the demonstration of spiritual gifts in the Church at Corinth, whereby some offices were considered superior and some other spiritual gifts were looked down on as inferior. Against this background, Paul wrote to the Corinthian brethren to enlighten them on the distribution and operation of the different offices and spiritual gifts in the body of Christ. The analogy of human body parts used by Paul to explain this spiritual truth is very profound. In 1 Corinthians 12:17, Paul rhetorically asks,

“If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?”

The truth is that the whole body cannot be the eyes; if this where the case there would be no movement, which is the prerogative of the legs. Therefore, if the eye cannot do without the legs and the ears cannot do without the nose, why should the eyes or ears think that they are superior to the legs or nose? Unfortunately, this was the situation in the Church at Corinth, as is the case in a typical church organization today. We must recognize this reality and work towards eradicating the anomaly by continuously teaching ourselves the truth of God’s word. The most important thing about spiritual gifts is that their recipients must use them for the edification of the Body Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13, 1 Corinthians 12:7). Another mystery of spiritual gifts is that those gifts which some consider as less important are equally as important as those held in high esteem (Corinthians 12:22-25). For example, if we ignore the ministry of intercession because intercessors are often not known or seen like the evangelist and minstrels, the Church may become a comfortable zone for demons to operate, and then the preacher and the choir will preach and sing with no effect. The Church must begin to appreciate the gifts of God in each member of the Body of Christ and celebrate them for who they are as very important and valuable. There should be no complex of any kind.

Action Point: Identify the spiritual gifts God has deposited in your life and begin to use them for the advancement of God’s kingdom in your local church assembly.

Hymn 15: Nearer My God To Thee.

Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
Darkness comes over me, my rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

There let me see the sight, an open Heaven;
All that Thou sendest me, in mercy given;
Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise;
So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

Flatimes’ Notice Board: Please do not prolong your salvation if you have not repented. Many are going home daily and tomorrow maybe too late…There is still hope, JESUS LOVES YOU!

Open Heavens 20th February 2018, 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.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.

Topic: Unity Of Purpose [DCLM Daily Manna Tuesday February 20th, 2018]

Text: 1 Chronicles 12:23-40 (KJV)

Key Verse: “All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king” (1 Chronicles 12:38)

MESSAGE:

A story is told of a man who, on his dying bed, desired to teach his three sons a lesson in unity and cooperation. He asked for a bunch of broom which he demanded they should break. Each of them tried but could not break the bunch. He then told them to untie the broom and attempt to break them stick after stick. This they did very easily and the lesson was not lost upon his sons, who vowed to their father that they would always stick together.

David’s route to the kingship of all Israel had been a chequered one. He ran from Saul’s fury and wrath, hiding in caves, mountains and forests. But God’s time for the fulfilment of His plan had come at last for him to be crowned. Being a man of war, so made by the circumstances of his time, he had a well-organised army with an astonishing number of brave and fearless soldiers. Everything was provided for a successful coronation.

Our text is about the gathering of men of war at Hebron (verse 40) for the singular purpose of installing David as king. They came from all the tribes of Israel, including the “children of Issachar which were men that had understanding of the times” (verse 32). These men of war that could keep rank came with a perfect heart (verse 38). The lessons here are on unity and perfect commitment for a good and noble cause.

There is a noble cause which has been committed to the Church and that is reaching the whole world with the gospel. Jesus is coming soon; the church should be busy evangelising to get sinners into the Kingdom. Are you involved in this good cause? There must be unity of purpose if we are going to be successful in this great task.

Thought For The Day: God is honoured when we unite for a noble cause.

Bible Reading in a Year: Leviticus 22-23.

Flatimes’ Notice Board: Please do not prolong your salvation if you have not repented. Many are going home daily and tomorrow maybe too late…There is still hope, JESUS LOVES YOU!

DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.

Topic: Avoid Satan’s Bait [Teens’ Open Heavens Tuesday 20th, February 2018]

Memorise: Till a dart strikes through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Proverbs 7:23

Read: Judges 16:15-21

15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.

16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;

17 That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.

19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

Bible In One Year: Numbers 3-4, Mark 3:22-25

MESSAGE:

It is pretty difficult to catch an eagle because of the attitude at which it flies. If you fly high spiritually, it will be very difficult for you to be caught by Satan’s traps. Occasionally, it is possible to ensnare and capture eagles that fly overhead in the jungle. To capture an eagle that has been sighted, hunters clear a space in the jungle from which it can be monitored. This space also gives it a clear view of the bait that has been set for it. The bait is usually a robust chicken with a rope tied around its neck so that it can only move within a circle in the space that has been created. Eagles love to eat chickens, so when it sees the chicken, it will zoom downwards at a very high speed to pick it up; but the rope will not let it go with the chicken. Before it realizes what is happening, the hunters would have covered it with a net.

This is similar to how the devil gets divine eagles. He uses what they love most as bait. This is why we must be wary of anything that appears too good and yet too easy to get. It could be a bait to get you into Satan’s snare. Be very careful and watchful.

Key Point: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Hymn 16:

1. Christian, seek not yet repose
Hear thy gracious Savior say;
Thou art in the midst of foes:
Watch and pray.

2. Principalities and powers
Mustering their unseen array
Wait for the unguarded hours:
Watch and pray

3. Gird the heavenly armor on,
Wear it ever night and day;
Ambushed lies the evil one:
Watch and pray.

4. Hear the victors who o’ercame,
Still they mark each warriors’s way;
All with one sweet voice exclaim,
Watch and pray.

5. Hear, above all, hear thy Lord,
Him thou loves to obey;
Hide within thy heart His word:
Watch and pray.

6. Watch, as if on that alone
Hung the issue of the day;
Pray, that help may be sent down:
Watch and pray.

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.