Luke 8:11, ‘Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.’
Text: Luke 8:11-15
It is through the reading of the Word and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit that Christ in His fullness is known. What a privilege it is today to have God’s Word in our own language. Six hundred years ago there was no English translation of the whole Bible. Thanks to the efforts of John Wycliffe (1384) and William Tyndale (1523), today we are able to read and understand the writings of the apostles for ourselves. Men gave their lives to bring us God’s Word. We should take advantage of this wonderful privilege.
The piece of armor known as the ‘sword of the Spirit’ is the only piece of armor that has the ability to cut, wound, and hurt our enemy, the devil. It’s not the Bible lying on your coffee table that makes the enemy flee, but it is the Word of God hidden in your heart, activated by the power of the Holy Spirit, and spoken in an appropriate situation. It’s similar to what is spoken when Jesus said in John 6:63, that ‘…the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.’ The Word by itself doesn’t make us free. It is the Word we know and speak that will deliver us (Jn. 8:32).
Why is the Word so effective? It’s because it is the WORD of God. It has authority, because it is indeed the WORD of God. God’s Word supersedes all authority of the church, of reason, of intellect, and even of Satan himself.
It is the Holy Spirit that wields this Word as it is spoken in faith. Speaking God’s Word in faith brings the Holy Spirit into action. In Luke 4, when Jesus was tempted of the devil for forty days, it was the Word of God, that Jesus used to defeat the enemy in the time of His temptation. Jesus constantly met His temptation by quoting from God’s Word as He repeatedly stated the phrase, ‘It is written.’ Likewise, the Christian soldier must avail himself of God’s Word by placing it in his heart, so that the Holy Spirit may bring it forth at the appropriate time to accomplish a complete and total victory. It’s yours!
This message was written by The Association of Related Ministries International (ARMI) is an extension of Andrew Wommack Ministries (AWM). ARMI is a unique partnership committed to providing resources to help like-minded ministers succeed in a spirit of excellence and to draw from the experience and expertise of both the AWM and Charis Bible College staff. (www.awmi.net).
For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another {and} spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing {and} even favor upon favor {and} gift [heaped] upon gift (John 1:16 AMPC).
God’s grace is supernatural! It brings favour, prosperity, health and supernatural increase. It’s the manifestation of the love, compassion and power of God; the outward reflection of a divine influence in the human spirit. This supernatural grace, which the Apostle John speaks about in our opening scripture, has been bestowed upon you.
Grace brings acceptability, honour and dignity; it attracts the right people, circumstances and resources in line with God’s purpose, into your life. Even in challenging situations, grace gives you the advantage and causes you to rise above every adversity.
Grace differentiates you in the world; it sets you apart for glory and excellence. There’s absolutely nothing in this world, including its fame or fortune, that could be compared with what the grace of Jesus Christ has delivered to you. No wonder Paul the Apostle counsels in 2 Corinthians 6:1, “We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain” ; but rather, “…be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1).
To be strong in the grace of God is to walk in the fullness of His grace. Being the seed of Abraham, the grace for prosperity is working in you too. That grace puts you ahead and positions you for success like it did for Isaac, who sowed in a time of famine and reaped a hundredfold harvest in the same year (Genesis 26:12-13).
PRAYER Dear Father, I rejoice for the grace that you’ve greatly lavished upon me, and declare that my life is the manifestation of your glory, virtue, excellence and greatness as I walk in your love. Your grace and peace are multiplied in my life through the increased revelation of your Word granted me, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY: 2 Corinthians 13:14; Zechariah 4:7 TLB; Romans 5:17
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 11:14-36 & Judges 3-4
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Matthew 27:55-66 & Leviticus 7
Rhapsody of Realities 7th April 2019 Devotional was written by Pastor Pastor Chris Oyakhilome (D.Sc., D.D.). President of Loveworld Inc. aka Christ Embassy Int’l.
Key Verse: “And the west border was to the great sea, and the coast thereof. This is the coast of the children of Judah round about according to their families” (Joshua 15:12).
MESSAGE:
According to the Oxford dictionary, boundary is a real or imagined line that marks the limit or edges of something and separates it from other things or places; a dividing line. A careful study of today’s text reveals that the description of the boundaries for the division of the Promised Land was very specific and clear. This is an indication that God was giving each tribe exactly what it needed and the portion it had capability to conquer and possess. They were to, without excuse, drive out the enemies of God and inhabit their varioius portions as the Lord had given them.
The tribe of Judah was apportioned the southern part of Canaan. Judah’s lot had various borders in it like the other tribes and was shared according to their families. This implies that the larger portion given to each tribe was subdivided to each family and household within the tribe according to their numbers.
The world, like Canaan and other surrounding nations, was in darkness and was condemned for judgment, but God made provision for the salvation of the world by giving His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as the sacrificial Lamb. He has therefore sent us (believers) into the whole world like Israel to Canaan to possess it for Him, although not by driving out the inhabitants but by being His witnesses through the preaching of the good news of God’s love (Mark 16:15). Where you are now, including your home, work and business places, is your boundary in God’s plan for the evangelisation of the world.
Therefore, like Paul the apostle, we must do all in our power through effectual praying, result-oriented fasting coupled with aggressive and tenacious witnessing so that we can, by all means, save souls among those within our boundaries.
Thought For The Day: Prayerfully persuade those within your boundary so they do not perish.
The Bible In One Year: John 19-21
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.
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: The Enemy of Guaranteed Victory (Mountain Of Fire and Miracle Ministries, MFM Daily Devotional 7 April 2019)
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Samuel 7-9; Luke 9:18-36
FIRE SCRIPTURE: Joshua 7:2-5
MEMORY VERSE: “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” – Joshua 1:5
The MESSAGE:
God commissioned Joshua to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land with a guarantee of victory over all the enemies that may come his way in the course of his ministry. Joshua definitely has unwavering faith that God would defeat all the enemies and in this conviction, he sent his men against the small town Ai. Unfortunately, he received the greatest shock of his life as his men came back battered by the men of Ai. Why would a small fry “Ai” easily defeat the great warriors who had the confidence of being led by Jehovah, the Man of War? Joshua’s protest revealed the reason for this disgraceful defeat despite divine guarantee of victory over the enemies.
The Lord bluntly told Joshua that the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies because they have become doomed to destruction by having the accursed thing in their possession. This was a problem caused by the disobedience of one man that now rubbed off on the entire nation. God made it clear that it was Israel that had sinned and not just Achan alone. Why would God blame the whole nation for the disobedience of only one soldier? This shows that you can never underestimate the amount of damage one man’s disobedience can do to several other people associated with him.
We are therefore compelled to realise that any weakness or infection in one part of the human body contributes to weakness and infection in the other parts. So it is also with the body of Christ. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it. God told Joshua: “Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.” Joshua was to figure out the enemy within the camp or else he would continue to live a defeated life despite provision of victory. Indeed, God assisted Joshua to figure out the culprit from the assembly, but he first took a bold step as a leader to thoroughly examine his congregation in order to detect the man that had defiled the assembly. Israel was able to regain their victory as soon as the assembly was purged of the sin in the camp.
As believers, we must continually bear in mind the scripture in Isaiah 59:1-2. Of a truth, the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save, nor His ear heavy that it cannot hear. It is sin that has caused separation from God and made prayers to become abomination to God. In such a situation, unless there is complete repentance and turning away from sin, God will not hear and such people will remain defeated by the enemy. It is therefore apparent that the greatest enemy of guaranteed victory is sin in the life of the believer and the church in general. Spiritual leaders must constantly seek the Lord’s face and determine what His will is for each new challenge whenever things seem not to be working according to the promises of God. You are admonished to take a bold step today by carefully examining areas of defeat in your life and apply the balm of repentance and forsaking of sins so that you can access the balm of Gilead and walk in victory thereafter. May God help you, in Jesus’ name.
MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE: RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTS A NATION BUT SIN IS A REPROACH TO ANY PEOPLE.
PROPHETIC WORD: Let the fire of God destroy every garment of shame in your life.
PRAYER POINTS:
MORNING
Anointing of Achan in my life, dry up by fire, in the name of Jesus.
Every accursed thing in my possession, be consumed by the Holy Ghost fire, in the name of Jesus.
Powers sponsoring rebellion in my life, I bury you now, in the name of Jesus. EVENING
Holy Spirit, pass through my life with Your purifying fire, in the name of Jesus.
Blood of Jesus, cleanse every defilement in our church, in the name of Jesus.
Power of God, move mightily in our midst, in the name of Jesus.
O God my Father, enlarge my coast by Your mighty power, in the name of Jesus.
MOUNTAIN TOP LIFE is a daily devotional by Dr. D.K Olukoya (General Overseer, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries, Worldwide)
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: Having Eyes Full of Adultery (Open Heaven 7 April 2019)
Memorise: “Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:”- 2 Peter 2:14
Read: Proverbs 6:27-35 (KJV)
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
Bible in One Year: James 1-5, Jeremiah 13:1-14
Open Heaven 7 April 2019 Saturday MESSAGE:
When you glance through the news headlines today these days, you will realize that we live in perilous times where the sanctity of marriage means nothing to a lot of people. We are daily inundated with news of men and women committing adultery on an unprecedented scale. However, as children of God, we should not be surprised, because the Holy Spirit already warned us that this would happen. While teaching on the perilous times that would come in the last days, He said to us in 2 Timothy 3:6:
“For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,”
The increase in adultery is therefore a pointer to us that we are indeed in the last days. The reason why the Holy Spirit forewarned us of this is not just to keep us informed, but also to keep us in check from falling into the snare of the devil in this area. Speaking of God’s standard on marriage for us, the Holy Spirit says in Hebrews 13:4:
“Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”
Be warned that God’s standard is not the same as the standard of the world, and what is acceptable to the world is not acceptable to God.
Adultery is the result of character erosion that does not happen in one day. It is the product of hidden lust in the heart which were not dealt with. No wonder the Lord said in Matthew 5:28:
“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
Adultery always start as a suggestion from the devil or his agents, which if harbored in the heart of a fellow, snowballs into events with catastrophic consequences. One of the means by which the devil deposits such evil suggestion into the heart of a person is through the eye. This is the reason why today’s memory verse speaks of having eyes full of adultery, which refers to wearing a look that projects a promiscuous identity. It also means communicating sexual attraction, unholy intention or immoral interest with the eyes or face. It could also mean having a warped mind that reads sensual or erotic desires into members of the opposite sex, no matter how modestly dressed they are. Irrespective of the form it takes, the key thing is that a child of God should never yield to the suggestions of the devil (1 Peter 5:8- 9). How are you faring in this regard?
Open Heaven 7 April 2019 Saturday Action Point:
Cut down every tree of adulterous lust in your heart before it cuts off your destiny.
Open Heaven 7 April 2019 Saturday Hymn 4: 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 Heaven 7 April 2019 Saturday 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. Open Heaven 7 April 2019 Saturday Daily Devotional.
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.
‘Unplanned’, which is being screened across 1,059 theatres in the United States, was made by Pure Flix – the company behind the ‘God’s Not Dead’ film series.
Chief executive officer, Michael Scott said: “We are very happy for the success of this film.”
Pure Flix had expected the picture to gross $3 million during its first days in cinemas.
The film tells of how Abby Johnson left her post at Planned Parenthood to campaign for the rights of unborn babies.
Children under the age of 17 must be accompanied by an adult to see ‘Unplanned’, which has been awarded an R rating by inspectors.
According to Deadline Hollywood, several US cable television networks refused to grant the film air-time for advertising – but Fox News and religious broadcaster TBN did.
‘Unplanned’ received the backing of US Vice President Mike Pence who described it as “deeply inspiring.”
So good to see movie theaters across the country showing @UnplannedMovie — a deeply inspiring new pro-life film based on the best-selling book by @AbbyJohnson. More & more Americans are embracing the sanctity of life because of powerful stories like this one. #Unplanned
Michael Scott continued: “To bring the story of Abby Johnson to audiences and have them show up in such large numbers shows how the topic of abortion is so important to bring to audiences.
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Bosnia’s capital city made Iron Maiden lead singer Bruce Dickinson an honorary citizen Saturday for a concert he performed while Sarajevo was under siege during the 1992-95 war.
Mayor Abdulah Skaka presented the award at a ceremony in Sarajevo City Hall, which was badly damaged during the long Bosnian Serb siege of the city and since restored.
“The arrival of Mr. Dickinson in Sarajevo in 1994 was one of those moments that made us in Sarajevo realize that we will survive, that the city of Sarajevo will survive, that Bosnia-Herzegovina will survive,” said Skaka.
Saturday was Sarajevo Day, which marks the city’s 1945 liberation during World War II and the start in 1992 of the Bosnian Serb siege that killed more than 11,000 people, including 1,600 children.
Dickinson, who also walked through the city center greeting people and signing autographs, said that “it’s a great honor to be given the honorary citizenship of Sarajevo.”
“In a world where things only last for about five seconds on social media … people are still remembering it. That’s really quite something,” he told The Associated Press. “This is a brilliant day, a lovely day and it’s great to be back.”
The day-long event in Windsor Baptist Church in Belfast was organised by the True Freedom Trust.
Demonstrators held a peaceful picket outside the church, branding the conference a form of gay conversion therapy. But the True Freedom Trust said the protesters had misunderstood its message.
It insisted it did not provide therapy or counselling, rather “pastoral support” for Christians who find themselves attracted to members of the same sex but who want to adhere to the Biblical definition of sex as between a married man and woman.
Around 25 to 30 people gathered outside the church in south Belfast on Saturday morning to highlight their opposition. They waved rainbow flags and held placards proclaiming that “love needs no cure”.
The demonstration was largely silent, with no songs, chants or speeches. A number of police officers maintained a low key presence, monitoring the event from the other side of the road.
Director of the True Freedom Trust, Stuart Parker
The protest was organised by LGBT health advocacy group the Rainbow Project.
Rainbow Project director John O’Doherty said the conference was engaging in “quackery”.
“The True Freedom Trust is a reparative therapy organisation that believe that there is something wrong with being gay and people should move away from being gay,” he said.
Sometimes, giving to a church can feel like you are placing money in a black hole—clueless as to how it is being used. As a former church staffer and current church volunteer, I can pretty much assure you—God is using your generosity in amazing, eternity-changing ways. Whatever you give, God is multiplying it like he multiplied the bread and fish on earth.
Forget what you call your Bible study ministry—Sunday school, small groups, community groups, connect groups, or something else—it is the place your church has chosen as a primary means of making disciples. Growth happens in groups, so we must be intentional about creating a pathway for people to become involved in the church’s most important ministry.
When individuals tell you that they were sexually abused or raped, often those victims are terrified, full of shame, and sure that you are going to think less of them. However, they have also given you great honor and privilege because they have decided that you may be a safe person in their most unsafe place. But ministering to men and women who are victims of sexual abuse can be tricky; there are several common mistakes that people in the Church make. By being aware of these pitfalls, you can be better prepared the next time an incident…
The Church’s interim safeguarding director has began a complaint process against Dr Peter Forster under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM).
Such procedures can usually only be filed within twelve-months of alleged misconduct but it is understood Sir Roger Singleton is seeking an exception. The complaint has not yet been lodged.
The complaint would focus on Dr Peter’s (pictured) response to a letter sent to him in 2009 by Warrington vicar Charles Gordon Dickenson who, in the note, confessed to child abuse.
Despite the admission, Mr Dickenson was permitted to stay on as a retired clergy member and hold services for another five years.
The 89-year-old was jailed last month after admitting eight counts of sexual assault against a boy during the 1970s.
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