Topic — Fruit of the Spirit; Temperance [Open Heavens for Teens 18 December 2018]
Memorise:But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: 1 Corinthians 9:27a
Read: Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)
Bible In One Year: Jonah 1-4, Revelation 9
MESSAGE:
Temperance is best described with one word; self-discipline. It is a constant demonstration that Jesus is the Lord of your life and He is in charge. Discipline is an important part of the Christian walk. If people had self-discipline, many of the atrocities in this world would not exist. Also, many of the failures of the children of God would have been successes if they had exhibited self-discipline.
You have to consciously watch your tongue, as a Christian you can’t use dirty, harsh or hurtful words. As a Christian you can’t be talkative, you have to learn to bridle your tongue. Also, you have to put a constant watch on your thoughts. You have to bring your thoughts under the control of the Word of God. You also have to watch your temper; things shouldn’t aggravate or hurt you enough to make you lose your anger in public or even in private. Finally, you have to watch your cravings; what are the things you hunger for? Are they carnal, and worldly or spiritual and uplifting?
Prayer Point: Sweet Holy Spirit, please teach me self-discipline with the use of my tongue, my thoughts, my temper and my thirst.
Is your life a channel of blessing?
Is the love of God flowing through you?
Are you telling the lost of the Savior?
Are you ready His service to do?
Chorus:
Make me a channel of blessing today,
Make me a channel of blessing, I pray;
My life possessing, my service blessing,
Make me a channel of blessing today.
Is your life a channel of blessing?
Are you burdened for those that are lost?
Have you urged upon those who are straying
The Savior who does on the cross
Is your life a channel of blessing?
Is it a daily telling for Him?
Have you spoken the word of salvation?
To those who are dying in sin?
We cannot be channels of blessing
If our lives are not free from sin;
We will barriers be and a hindrance
To those we are trying to win
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: Just Recompense [DCLM Daily Manna 18 December 2018 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: Isaiah 24:1-23 (KJV)
Key Verse:“The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant”(Isaiah 24:5).
MESSAGE:
God is just. He rewards piety, faithfulness, dedication, commitment and righteousness. In His faithfulness, He does not spare the unrepentant sinner, the unrighteous, the wicked and all who repay kindness with evil and wickedness.
God’s indignation and fearful judgment is always towards the ungrateful: the rich, poor, freemen, bondmen, educated, illiterate, religious and irreligious “because they have transgressed the laws, changed ordinance and broken the everlasting covenant”. Every unrighteousness is sin. God is not a respecter of person or nation. “The wicked shall be turned into hell; and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17).
God’s severe judgment is hanging on the neck of all who defy Him in spite of His goodness, mercies and loving kindness to them. Surely, He is good to all and in His magnanimity, He has endowed both man and land with rich deposit of His goodness. All those who therefore dare God and use what He has given to them – material wealth, mineral resources, intellect, wisdom, knowledge, positions – in ways that desecrate His name and promote ungodliness are courting His fierce judgment.
Every human being is a free moral agent. God gave all liberty to use whatever He has given to us, including our life, in the way we choose. Our response to God’s unquantifiable kindness will determine the kind of reward we should expect from Him now and in eternity. However, God’s anger and indignation can be avoided by turning from all wicked ways, repenting from all known sins and turning to God through Jesus Christ.
Thought For The Day: What a man decides ultimately determines his destiny.
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 Great Awakening [Our Daily Bread 18 December 2018 Devotional]
Read: Deuteronomy 34:1–8, Bible in a Year: Obadiah; Revelation 9
God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 1 Thessalonians 4:14
I have a treasured memory of gatherings with family friends when our boys were small. The adults would talk into the night; our children, weary with play would curl up on a couch or chair and fall asleep.
When it was time to leave, I would gather our boys into my arms, carry them to the car, lay them in the back seat, and take them home. When we arrived, I would pick them up again, tuck them into their beds, kiss them goodnight, and turn out the light. In the morning they would awaken—at home.
This has become a rich metaphor for me of the night on which we “sleep in Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:14 kjv). We slumber . . . and awaken in our eternal home, the home that will heal the weariness that has marked our days.
I came across an Old Testament text the other day that surprised me—a closing comment in Deuteronomy: “Moses . . . died there in Moab, as the Lord had said” (34:5). The Hebrew means literally, “Moses died . . . with the mouth of the Lord,” a phrase ancient rabbis translated, “With the kiss of the Lord.”
Is it too much to envision God bending over us on our final night on earth, tucking us in and kissing us goodnight? Then, as John Donne so eloquently put it, “One short sleep past, we wake eternally.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, because Your arms carry us, we can sleep in peace.
For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity. —William Penn
INSIGHT Deuteronomy gives us the last written words of Moses. Speaking with the warmth of a father who is about to leave his children, he reminisces about how the Lord, who rescued them from Egypt, miraculously fed, led, and protected the Israelites in an uninhabitable wilderness (1:1–4:40). He reminds them of what the Lord had said to them at Sinai (5:1–26:19). Then he describes how wonderful or terrible their life would be depending on whether or not they continue to remember and trust the God who had led them to the threshold of a promised homeland (chs. 27–30). Moses’s heart must have ached as he expressed what the Lord had told him—that the people he loved would eventually suffer greatly for forgetting the God who had done so much for them (31:29). With a song (ch. 32) and words of blessing (ch. 33), Moses entrusted Israel to God and to the leadership of Moses’s assistant, Joshua (34:9). Mart DeHaan
Topic: The Benefits of Dedicated Worship [Seeds of Destiny 18 December 2018 Devotional]
Scripture: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; Philippians 3:10
Thought For The Day: The glory of God travels in the direction of worship; the Presence of God travels in the direction of praise.
One of the marks of our dedication to God is the depth of our praise and worship. The pursuit of God is directly proportional to the worship and praise of God. The depth of our relationship with God is what fuels our depth in worshipping God. When you come around dedicated worshippers, you feel God.
Paul the apostle, without a doubt, was one of the most dedicated men in Scriptures. Paul speaking passionately in Philippians 3:10 said, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering…
As dedicated as Paul was, he was also a deep worshipper of God (Philippians 4:4); he had a heart of consistent worship. The deeper your dedication to God, the deeper your praise and worship.
Praise and worship keep dedicated people in the Presence of their Maker. They are fully aware of God’s Presence and will do anything to keep themselves in God’s Presence. The glory of God travels in the direction of worship; the presence of God travels in the direction of praise.
Today, I decree greater manifestations of God’s glory and Presence on your life in this season, in Jesus’ Name.
Remember This: The glory of God travels in the direction of worship; the Presence of God travels in the direction of praise.
Assignments:
Make praise and worship a lifestyle, not just a duty.
Ensure that you live a life free of guilt in order to access the Presence of God.
Prayer: O Lord, I praise You at all times. Let the fragrance of Your Presence flow out of my life at all times, Lord in Jesus’ Name.
FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: YOUR PRAISE (WORSHIP) AND YOUR DEDICATION
Quote: When we worship Him from our hearts, He hears us, not minding our earthly language. Culled from ALABASTER BOX by Dr Becky Paul-Enenche
Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 26:12 to 27:34, Romans 4:13 to 5:5, Psalm 14:1 to 7, Proverbs 19:17.
Amazing Fact: The sun is 400 times larger than the moon but is 400 times further away from the earth making them appear the same size.
Today In History: 18/12/1956 – Japan was admitted to the United Nations.
Today’s devotional was written by Pastor Paul Enenche of the Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), headquartered at Abuja, Nigeria, with Pastor Paul and Becky Enenche, as the Senior Pastors. It is a power-packed arena where God’s Presence, Principles and Power are at work for the salvation, healing and restoration of human destinies and dignities
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: Extremely Blessed [Kenneth Copeland Devotional 18 December 2018]
A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth. –Proverbs 17:8
If I could give you a gift this Christmas, the Word is what I’d give you. I’d rather give it to you than a check for a million dollars. Because you can run through a million dollars real quick, but the truth of God’s Word never quits—and it will get you out of situations a million dollars can’t get you out of.
Ken and I are just ordinary people. But when we latched on to God’s Word, we latched on to something out of the ordinary, something that changed our lives. Every area of our lives.
Nothing that’s happened to us has happened because of us. It’s happened because of God’s Word. In fact, I don’t even have to know you to promise you this: If you’ll give God’s Word your full attention—and not be afraid of His will for your life—you’re going to be happier and more prosperous than anything you could ever dream up.
Of course, if you do that, people may call you extreme. They say that about us all the time. But we don’t mind. We are extreme. And if you’ll set your faith on the Word of God, you can be extreme too. Extremely well. Extremely prosperous. And extremely blessed. Merry Christmas!
This message was written by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, the leader of the Kenneth Copeland Ministries (www.KCM.org) that specializes in teaching principles of bible faith – prayer, healing, salvation and other biblical topics.
One of the great mistakes of the modern church is to think that evangelism is something done within the four walls of the church building. Acts 8:1-4 makes it apparent that evangelism was not done by the pastor or clergy but by believers that went everywhere preaching the Word (Acts 8:4).
Some methods of evangelism mentioned in scripture are: (1) House to house evangelism – “…and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ” (Acts 5:42). (2) Personal one-on-one evangelism – Philip ministered to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-38), Paul to Sergius Paulus (Acts 13:7), Jesus to Mary Magdalene, Nicodemus, the woman at the well, the thief on the cross, and others.
There are around 35 such instances recorded in the Gospels alone. (3) Evangelism to large crowds – Peter ministered to the crowds in Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 2) and Paul at Lystra (Acts 14:8-18). (4) Evangelism to entire cities – “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them” (Acts 8:5). (5) Public debate and preaching – Paul disputed in synagogues and market places (Acts 16:17), Peter and John preached in the temple (Acts 3:11-26), Paul declared, “And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you PUBLICKLY and from HOUSE TO HOUSE, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:20-21). (6) Tract evangelism – The first tract evangelism with ink and pen are the Gospels. John in his gospel stated, “These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His Name” (Jn. 20:31).
Christians are to be wise in the way they act and speak to unbelievers. We are to make the most of every opportunity. The Christian’s speech should be gracious with answers that meet the needs of each person they encounter.
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).
Topic: The Finished Work [Billy Graham Devotional 18 December 2018]
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. —John 3:3
A person is saved by trusting in the finished work of Christ on the cross, and not by bodily sensations and religious ecstasy. But you will say, “What about feeling? Is there no place in saving faith for feeling?” Certainly, there is room for feeling in saving faith. But we are not saved by it. Whatever feeling there may be is the result of saving faith, but feeling never saved a single soul. Love is feeling. Joy is feeling. Inward peace is feeling. Love for others is a feeling. Concern for the lost is a feeling. But these feelings are not conversion. The one experience that you can look for and expect is the experience of believing in Christ.
Prayer for the day:Thank You, Lord, for Your gift of redemption, which does not fluctuate like my feelings.
Written by Billy Graham, Founder of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association(BGEA). BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.
Open Heaven 18 December 2018 Tuesday Daily Devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – When the Devil Strikes
Topic: When the Devil Strikes (Open Heaven 18 December 2018)
Memorise:“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”- 1 Peter 5:8
Read: Ephesians 5:14-17 (KJV)
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Bible in One Year: Amos 1-3, John 13:1-30
Open Heaven 18 December 2018 Tuesday MESSAGE:
For you to be triumphant in warfare, you need to know your adversary well so that you can checkmate his or her every move. 1 Peter 5:8 makes it clear that the devil is our adversary; you would therefore be wise to understand his character and modus operandi in order not to be ensnared by his wily crafts. The devil is a doomed fellow, and he is a slave beneath every true Christian (Matthew 25:41, Ephesians 1:21-23, Ephesians 2:6). Since the day iniquity was found in him, there has not been any good in him at all (Ezekiel 28:15). Having known this, it will be dangerous to assume that the devil is a fool. He is no fool, but rather cunning and with a lot of experience. The devil is very studious and diligent. When he sets a goal, he does everything possible to ensure he meets his target. This is why we have to watch and pray against his moves. We also have to be as gentle as doves, but as wise as serpents. Furthermore, we have to be guarded with our armor always, because our adversary never rests, always going around looking for whom to devour.
Now, when does the devil strike? He first studies his target by watching for any weakness in that target. When he finds a weakness, he begins to hit at that weakness, so much so that if the fellow does not brace up and strengthen that weak point, it could trigger his or her fall. This was the case with Moses. When he killed the Egyptian for flogging a Hebrew, the devil noticed that he had a problem with anger. Having discovered this, the devil constantly influenced the Israelites to provoke him, but Moses held on strong until the day when out of anger he struck the rock he was supposed to speak to. Beloved, you cannot afford to be lackadaisical at any time, and neither can you indulge a weakness for the slightest moment, because the devil is working overtime to make you fall. Moses was careless just once, and the result was that he couldn’t enter the Promise Land.
Another time the devil strikes is after a victory. David experienced this. After he killed Goliath, the devil raised an enemy against him in King Saul. Similarly, immediately after Jesus fed, men with five loaves of bread and two fishes, the devil tried to use a storm to swallow His boat. It was also after Jesus had finished an impactful-day fast that the devil came to tempt Him (Luke 4:1-13). The devil knows that everyone tends to relax and celebrate after a victory, and so he uses the opportunity to strike. Note that the devil attacks by putting something tempting right in front of you so that you will constantly see it. He adopts this method because he knows that no matter how strong a rock is, if water keeps dropping continually, it will eventually give way. What is that source of temptation the devil is constantly throwing your way? It’s time to get rid of it. May God help you in this regard in Jesus’ Name.
Open Heaven 18 December 2018 Tuesday Action Point:
Open Heaven 18 December 2018 Tuesday Hymn 18: Conqueror And Overcomers Now Are We
1. Conquerors and overcomers now are we, Thro’ the precious blood of Christ we’ve victory If the Lord be for us we can never fail, Nothing ‘gainst His mighty power can e’er prevail.
Chorus:
Conquerors are we, thr’o the blood of Jesus
God will give us victory, thro’ the blood of Jesus
Through the Lamb for sinners slain,
Yet who lives and reigns again,
More than conquerors are we,
More than conquerors are we.
2. In the name of Israel’s God we’ll onward press, Overcoming sin and all unrighteousness; Not to us but unto Him the praise shall be, For salvation and for blood bought victory.
3. Unto Him that overcometh shall be given, Here to eat of hidden manna sent from Heaven, Over yonder He the victors palm shall bear, And a robe of white, and golden crown shall wear.
4. 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!
5. 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!
6. 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!
Open Heaven 18 December 2018 Tuesday 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 18 December 2018 Tuesday 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.
Anne Graham Lotz Says God Is Giving Her a Message about Israel through Her Cancer
Anne Graham Lotz wrote on her website this week that she believes that God may be using her cancer, to give her a message about Israel.
Lotz starts the blog post by noting that for many years she believed her life was somehow entwined with Israel and its history. She wrote, “For years I have believed that my life was entwined with the nation of Israel. I was born one week to the day after her rebirth. We are both 70 years old. Could it be that God has given me a message for her that I am living out in my own experience?”
CBN News reports that Lotz noted how God would often have his spokespersons live out what he was trying to communicate. She said, “God often had His spokespersons live out the message He gave them…before they delivered the message to the people.” She then offered the examples of Hosea, who married an unfaithful wife, this Lotz said represented the broken heart of God over an “unfaithful Israel.”
The evangelist also gave the examples of Jeremiah and Isaiah, whose stories paralleled things happening in Israel.
Lotz wondered if she too could be a living example of what is to happen to Israel.
She said, “This is what I seem to see… In her 70th year…
…just as my cancer is a potentially fatal disease, is Israel also in danger of being attacked in a potentially fatal way?
Christian Mother, Pastor Face Death Threats in Uganda
NAIROBI, Kenya, December 17, 2018 (Morning Star News) – Shakira Wanyenze, a 31-year-old Muslim woman, had no idea that missing a ride back to her town in eastern Uganda from Kampala would change her life.
That day, June 17, Wanyenze decided to stay the night at the home of a relative in Kampala. She thought the relative, whose name is undisclosed for security reasons, was a Muslim. The relative told her she had put her trust in Christ for her salvation, and after a discussion that lasted late into the night, Wanyenze decided to do the same.
“After many hours of resisting the Christian faith, something convicted me that my life was heading for destruction, and therefore I need to put my faith in Jesus,” Wanyenze told Morning Star News by phone. “I was prayed for that night and had an overwhelming peace after accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior.”
Mother of four children between the ages of 5 and 9, for months Wanyenze managed to keep her faith a secret from her husband, Ismail Kawanguzi, when she returned home to Buyaga town council, Bulambuli District nearly six hours by car from Kampala.
Her husband began to become suspicious on Nov. 30 when he came home to find her praying with her children.
“My husband arrived home at around 8 p.m. on the 30th and heard me concluding the prayers using the name of Jesus,” she said. “When he interrogated me to give reasons why I…
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