TOPIC: Death [Sunday, 8th July 2018]

OPENING PRAYER: Father, help me to believe on your word. Let me pass from death to life. (scroll down for RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL 8TH JULY, 2018 HYMN)

Bible Passage: John 5:17-27 (Sunday School STUDENT Manual July 8, 2018)

17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

MEMORY VERSE: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” – John 5:24

LESSON INTRODUCTION:

What is death? Death is the opposite of life, the departure of life and the cessation of life. To humans, death is the separation of body, soul and spirit. The body goes to the grave and disintegrates while the spirit goes back to God. (Ecc. 12: 7) and the soul goes to one of two places: the soul of the wicked to hell, Lk. 16: 23, and the soul of the righteous to paradise (Abraham’s bosom). Lk. 16: 22.

LESSON AIM:
To study the origin, causes, description and remedy for death.

TEACHING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

i. Discover the origin and causes of death.
ii. Discover death and remedy for death.

TEXT REVIEW: John 5:17-27
The Bible wrote significantly about death. From Genesis to Revelation, death is common. Both great and small would die, even the oldest man in the Bible which was Methuselah who lived nine hundred and sixty nine years still died. Genesis 5;27. I know this is not a cheering news. However, the cheering news is the hope for the dead which is contained in the Bible passage for today. John 5:17-27.

i. John 5:17 states thus, “My father worketh hitherto, and I work”.
ii. John 5:21, “My father raised up the dead and quickeneth them even the son quickeneth who he will”.

The role of “Faith” in the quickening procedures of the dead cannot be over emphasized. Romans 4:17. The Lord Jesus quickens whom He will simply means, the Lord will raise from the dead/to eternal life, those who have faith in Him. These are the ones the Bible called the “dead in Christ”. I Thess. 4:16. I think this good news should be spread by all believers that Jesus is the hope of the dead. However, those who did not believe in Him in their life time also have Him to contend with when all the dead, good and bad, will hear His voice from whichever grave they are. “For the hour is coming in which ALL that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation- John 5:28-29. God has given to Jesus the authority to execute judgment because He has life in Him. The one that will judge the dead must have life in Him. Jesus has life in Him. John 5:26-27.

LESSON OUTLINES

Lesson Outline 1:

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN AND CAUSES OF DEATH?

A. ORIGIN OF DEATH
i. There are two kinds of death and both came from the Garden of Eden.
ii. Spiritual death- separation from God. Gen. 2:17. It came from eating forbidden fruit.
iii. Physical death- Cessation of life. Genesis 3:19.
iv. The first examples of spiritual death were Adam and Eve. Gen. 3:24, while the first example of physical death was Abel, son of Adam. Gen. 4:8

B. CAUSES OF SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL DEATH
i. Disobedience to God. James 1:5
ii. Sin. Ezekiel 18:4
iii. Diseases, calamities, etc have their root cause in sin. Rom. 6:23; Ezk. 18:20; Deut. 28:61-62

Class Activity 1:
Mention causes of death according to medical scientist or societal knowledge.

Lesson Outline 2:
HOW CAN WE DESCRIBE DEATH? WHAT IS THE REMEDY FOR DEATH?

A. DESCRIPTION OF PHYSICAL DEATH
i. As sleep. John 11:11
ii. Requiring of soul. Luke 12:20
iii. Putting off this earthly house. 2 Cor. 5:1
iv. Going to place of no return. Job 16:22
v. Going down into silence. Psalm 115:17
vi. Yielding up the ghost. Act 5:10

B. DESCRIPTION OF SPIRITUAL DEATH
i. Banishment from God.
ii. Everlasting destruction. 2 Thess. 1:9
iii. Alienation from God. Eph. 4:18

C. REMEDY FOR DEATH
i. All men may die physical death. Heb. 9:27
ii. Men / women can avoid/escape spiritual death by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. John 5:24
iii. Some people may escape physical death through rapture. These are holy people who are alive when the Lord will come at the second time. I Thess. 4:17.
iv. Resurrection is the hope for the believers who died in Christ. John 14:1-3
v. Those who have Jesus as their shepherd will not be afraid of death. Psalm 23:4

SUMMARY:
There is sufficient life in Christ for every option of death. You can choose life. 4.

CONCLUSION:
Why did Jesus die on the cross? Was it an accident? Certainly not. God’s word said that someone must die for sin. Jesus volunteered to be the One to die. He died that you and I may live. (Heb. 2: 9). He tasted the bitter dregs for you and me. Do not let His death be in vain over you. Reconsider your stand today. 5.

EVALUATION:

What is death? What is life in Christ?

CLOSING PRAYER:
Father, let me live with you forever.

ASSIGNMENT:

Find five differences between physical death and spiritual death.

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: Dirty Politics [DCLM Daily Manna Saturday July 7, 2018]

Text: 1 Samuel 20:24-34 (KJV)

Key Verse: “So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame” (1 Samuel 20:34).

MESSAGE:

Politics is said to be a dirty game because of how it is played. A lot of scheming, diplomacy and intrigues are employed to attain desired goals. Some even involve in character assassination, deceit, fetish practices or even gruesome murder of opponents to secure positions.

From our text, we saw the dangerous and dirty politics Saul played. He wanted David killed so that the kingship could be retained in his family. Whereas the king was surrounded by sycophants and yes-men who would rather allow injustice to prevail in order to benefit from it, Jonathan, Saul’s son, was not afraid to declare his mind that David was innocent. He proved to be a true friend of David and a man who lived by his conscience. All along, he thought David’s fears of his father intention to kill him were unfounded. To confirm this, David arranged to be absent from dinner for a few days to see how Saul would react. When Saul eventually discovered that David was permitted by Jonathan to take a few days off, it offended him greatly. In his anger, he threw a javelin at Jonathan because his support for David was detrimental to the succession plan.

In politics, self-serving interests, not truth, bring people together. When evil men, like Saul, begin to appeal to tribal and family sentiments to justify their wrongdoing, Christians should have nothing to do with it. Like Jonathan, we must rise to defend the truth and oppose injustice and oppression no matter how much benefits we stand to gain. We must adopt our choices in life with eternity in view. Our lives must never be predicated on self-interests, however enlightened. We must be strictly governed by eternal and heavenly values only.

Thought For The Day: Incorporating eternity into one’s plans and ambitions is wisdom.

Bible Reading In One Year: Jonah

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Deeper Christian Life Ministry, DCLM Daily Manna HERE 

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: God’s Promise For Supernatural Abundance And Wealth [Seeds of Destiny Saturday July 7, 2018]

Scripture: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. Isaiah 45:3.

Thought For The Day: The door of supernatural abundance brings stupendous resources and grants access into the realm of unimaginable, unbelievable, incomprehensible dimensions of financial flows.

The Scriptures make it clear that our God is the God of supernatural abundance and wealth; He owns the heavens and the earth, and everything in it (Psalm 24:1, Haggai 2:8).

Now, it is important to know that God does not own this great wealth just for mere show; His desire is to enrich His children with this great wealth and riches so they can reach out to lost souls and advance His Kingdom. His Kingdom is spread abroad through prosperity (Zechariah 1:17). That is why He promises to open the door of supernatural abundance and wealth.

The opening of the door of supernatural abundance and wealth ushers a person into the realm of accessing the treasures of darkness and the hidden riches of secret places; the door of supernatural abundance brings stupendous resources and access into the realm of unimaginable, unbelievable, incomprehensible dimensions of financial inflows.

When God grants a man this access, that man becomes an enviable personality in his generation like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is because God’s dimension of wealth is immeasurable. No government or system can suppress or corrupt it. It is an unstoppable dimension of wealth.

Beloved, the opening of this door enables a person to combine prosperity with spirituality like Job.

My counsel is, make demands on God for the opening of this door in your life; connect to this opening by the practice of the covenant.

Remember this: The door of supernatural abundance brings stupendous resources and access into the realm of unimaginable, unbelievable, incomprehensible dimensions of financial inflows.

Assignments:

1. Make demands on God for the opening of the door of supernatural abundance and wealth.
2. Connect to this wealth by the practice of the covenant.

Prayer: O Lord, I make demands on Your Power for the opening of the door of supernatural abundance and wealth. Give me the grace to connect to this opening by the practice of the covenant, Lord, in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: DIMENSIONS AND DEMANDS OF OPEN DOORS (PART 2).

Daily Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 4:5 to 5:17, Acts 25:1 to 27, Psalm 5:1 to 12, Proverbs 18:19

Amazing Fact: Grasshoppers have white blood.

Today In History: 07/07/1920 – A device known as the radio compass was used for the first time on a U.S. Navy airplane near Norfolk, VA

Quote: God wants the church to be unusually wealthy so that the lost can be rescued through evangelism. He wants the church to be unusually wealthy, so that the poor can be lifted. Culled from 21 UNCOMMON KEYS TO FINANCIAL OVERFLOW by Dr. Paul Enenche.

Don’t Forget To Attend: The six over flooded Destiny Recovery Services tomorrow by 6 am, 7:20 am, 8:40 am, 10 am 11:20 am & 12:40 pm; Invite someone to church.

“If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Seeds of Destiny by Pastor Paul Enenche“

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: Satanic Delicacies [Open Heavens 6th July 2018, Saturday Daily Devotional]

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: Luke 4:1-8 (KJV)

1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Bible in One Year: 2 Chronicle 7-8, Acts 23:12-35

Open Heavens 7 July 2018 MESSAGE:

Delicacies are rich, luxurious or expensive food enjoyed by royals and the wealthy. Satanic delicacies symbolize worldly goodies and pleasures that appeal to the eyes and are deemed good for the body, which Satan and his agents craftily offer in exchange for a man’s soul. Such delicacies could be anything that feeds the ego, such as fame, power and access to wealth. They are labeled “satanic” because the Bible contains several instances of the devil using them as bait while tempting children of God. For example, Adam and Eve fell because the devil convinced them that the forbidden fruit was delicious, beautiful to behold would inspire knowledge and wisdom (Genesis 3:4-6). In the same way, the devil offered beautiful women to Samson in exchange for his great anointing, and unfortunately he fell for it (Judges 16:18-20). Similarly, the man of God from Judah was tempted to eat bread and drink water, in direct disobedience of God’s directive, and this ended his ministry abruptly (1 Kings 13:11-22). In today’s Bible reading, the devil offered tantalizing delicacies to our Lord Jesus Christ, but glory be to God, He triumphed over the devil by the power in the word of God. I pray that you will not become a victim of satanic delicacies in Jesus’ Name.

Satanic delicacies are often offered in attractive packages to simple minded people. However, full disclosure on the true contents of such packages and the consequences of accepting them are usually withheld. The same scenario plays out in every temptation- a person will only discover the consequences of his or her choices when it is virtually too late. I pray that you will not discover the truth about the satanic delicacies that are set before you when it is too late in Jesus’ Name. The good news is that despite the craftiness and deceptive schemes of the devil, the Bible has provided the means to overcome his wicked devices. Watchfulness, intensive prayers, total submission to God and resisting the devil are all key elements of this provision (Matthew 26:41, James 4:7). Abstaining from all appearances of evil is another effective means of overcoming satanic delicacies (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Satanic delicacies are usually offered to seduce, persuade or cajole gullible people into sin. A Christian should never fall for this old trick or agree with the devil under any circumstance. Proverbs 1:10 says:

“My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.”

Above all, the Bible tells us that victory is assured because the devil is only fighting a lost battle (1 John 4:4). I pray that you will never lose the victory that Christ has won for you in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point: Think over any satanic delicacy that is set before you and apply the appropriate divine provisions to overcome them.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click HERE to read Open Heavens 6 July 2018 – Functioning As Light

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.

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.