Topic: Child’s Training (4)

Dear Reader,

I know that God has opened your eyes to something new concerning your children, He will yet add to you as I round up in this edition on teenagers. Last week we discussed the puberty stage. In this edition, we shall be examining the adolescent stage.

Adolescence is a term used to describe the period of life between childhood and adulthood. It is usually between ages 14 and 19. It is the final stages of childhood before adulthood sets in and is similar to the pupal stage of growth in a butterfly before the cocoon finally breaks forth into a beautiful butterfly. Now we have two main groups in this stage namely:The Early Teens which occurs between the ages of 12 and 15 and The Late Teens which occurs between the ages of 16 and 18.

Early teens (12-15)

As children gradually moves into the teen years, the sexual appetite within them begins to awaken. They prefer to stay more with those of opposite sex, and this culminate into a desire for spending their life time together.

During this period, certain emotional changes take place. They tend to be given to different changes of mood and are withdrawn at time. They long for association with children of their rank.

Late teens (16-18)

Here, there is an increase in their sexual urge. They have a prevailing movement towards having sexual relationships. The emotional changes in their lives become much more pronounced than any other changes that they might be experiencing. They sometimes become emotionally unresponsive and detached, remote and not too friendly.

Parental Responsibility

Now, it is your duty as a parent to help your children understand, that all these feelings and changes in their bodies are normal. Explain to them that this transformation is normal. Help them to be relaxed about it. There is no basis for any negative actions or response. They are not to give in to fear. Get helpful materials to help them understand this stage of their development and establish them with the Word of God that will help them through this stage unscratched.

The adolescent stage is very crucial to teenagers and their parents too. One issue that requires great attention is that of sex. It is important for you to properly educate your children about it. Let them have a mental view of it. Help them to appreciate it from a godly perspective. If you refuse to do this, some other persons, outside, will acquaint them with it and the end result will not be pleasant. The home is the best place for it to be taught. Remember, charity begins at home.

Now, see what lack of proper education on puberty did to someone: “A girl already in secondary school was told by her friends, that, when you sleep with a man, you start bleeding and that is called menstruation. Now, when her menstruation started, she cried for three hours, thinking her mother will kill her for losing her virginity. She kept hiding from her mother each time she menstruates, until four years after. She discovered some books and had an understanding of what had happened to her and so refused to forgive her mother. She uses only one sanitary towel per day, and if not for the grace of God she would have contacted some venereal diseases due to lack of proper hygiene.

Endeavour to explain sex to your children with all simplicity and in all godliness. Don’t modify it, tell the whole truth about it as found in God’s Word. Give them a correct scriptural perspective of sex. Sex is a scriptural injunction, but it must only be in the context of marriage. Sex outside marriage is fornication. Fornication is a sin against your body which is the temple of the Holy Ghost. The Bible says:

Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (1Corinthians 6:18-20).

Also let them know that pre-marital sex is first and foremost a sin against God and the consequences could cause high damages to their physical bodies and their future (Proverbs 6:32-33). It could result in;

• Unwanted pregnancy, which could hinder their progress in life.
• Abortion, which could lead to loss of life or irreparable damages to the reproductive organs.
• Venereal diseases, like AIDS., gonorrhea, etc.
• Guilty conscience and self-condemnation which often hinders one’s freedom in relating with God and other Christians.

I pray that the Lord will grant you help from above to undertake this task in Jesus mighty. In this year of laughter, you shall have every cause to laugh over your children in Jesus mighty name. You shall not fail. It is well with you and your family.

To effectively give godly counsel to your children, you must be born again. You must accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour of your life, for this is where the wisdom for godly counsel is derived. To be born again, you should say this prayer in faith: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.

Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are now born again and a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).

With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ Name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Raising Godly Children, Understanding Motherhood, Building a Successful Family and A Living Witness.

“Please click to read other inspiring articles by Pastor Faith Oyedepo”

Pastor Faith Oyedepo is the wife of Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide a.k.a. Winners’ Chapel, and Senior Pastor of Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria.

The post Child’s Training (Part 4) by Pastor Faith Oyedepo appeared first on Flatimes.

Topic: Keep Walking on the Water! [Joyce Meyer’s Devotional Thursday May 31, 2018]

Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in. — Galatians 6:9

Let’s focus for a moment on this part of a well-known New Testament story. The disciples were in the middle of the Sea of Galilee at midnight when they looked up and saw Jesus walking on the water. That is amazing, but as the story continues, Matthew wrote of the boisterous winds, yet Jesus kept walking on top of the waves. The disciples were afraid—and that makes sense. Who would expect to see anyone walking on top of the water, even under the best of conditions?

Then Jesus cried out and told them, Take courage, it is I! Do not be afraid! (v. 27). This is the powerful moment in the story. What will happen now? Do they move over and give Jesus a place to sit in their boat? Should they get out and join Him on the waves? Do they huddle in fear, reminding themselves that human beings can’t walk on top of water?

Peter was the only one who responded in true faith. And let’s make no mistake here. For Peter to say, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water (v. 28) was a tremendous act of faith. You’ll notice that he was the only one who spoke that way.

That was a powerful moment of faith. It was a defining moment that pointed out Peter’s great faith and belief in Jesus, the Anointed One of God. He was so convinced that Jesus truly was the Son of God that he was ready to get out of the boat and walk on top of the water with Him.

How many of you would get out of the boat? I emphasize this because it would be easy enough to say, “Lord, I see You walking on the water, and I believe I could walk on the water alongside You.” But would you? Do you have the kind of faith that would enable you to step out of the boat? Of the twelve disciples, Peter was the only one who took that step of faith.

I’m not citing this example of faith to discourage you or to make you feel that your faith is somehow lacking. I’m simply pointing out the great triumph of a man who dared to believe! Peter believed so strongly that he took a step of faith over the side of the boat and started walking toward Jesus.

Most of us know the rest of the story. Some might even smirk, saying, “Big deal! He got out of the boat, started walking on the water, got scared, and began to sink. And he also received a rebuke from Jesus: ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’” (v. 31). But think about it—Jesus didn’t say those words to the other disciples. He directed the words “you of little faith” to Peter. The implication is the others had no faith at that moment.

Think of these words not just as words of rebuke, but also as words of encouragement to Peter, the one who had enough faith to step out of the boat and begin walking on the water. But when he saw [the effects of] the wind, he was frightened, and he began to sink, and he cried out, “Lord, save me!” (v. 30).

What if you saw this as Jesus’ great encouragement, not just to Peter, but also to you? What if you looked at this event as Jesus saying to you, “You started so well. You believed Me, and got out of the boat. You did it! You walked on water just as I did. But then you allowed doubt to enter, and when that happened, you began to sink.”

This powerful story is a wonderful reminder that Jesus is always with you, and He will suspend natural laws to reach out to you and care for you.

Prayer Starter: Lord Jesus, please forgive my lack of faith. Increase my faith in Your Word, and help me to trust You enough to follow Your leading. When the circumstances around me threaten to pull me into deep waters of doubt, help me to focus on You. I ask these things in Your holy name. Amen.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Joyce Meyer Daily Devotional HERE’’

From Joyce Meyer’s Ministries.

The post Joyce Meyer’s Daily 31 May 2018 Devotional — Keep Walking on the Water! appeared first on Flatimes.

Topic: Get Wisdom

Prov.4:7-9 – Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. 9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

When one fails a principal course in school, he/she will not be able to graduate. That is why students invest more time in their major/principal courses. Therefore, the wisdom question is the greatest question that you must solve in your Christian journey.

Wisdom is the most important asset you need to excel in life; you need it to make the most of your life here on earth. There are all kinds of wisdom like common sense, intellectual wisdom and diabolical wisdom but the wisdom of God is above all.

John 3:31 –He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

James 3:17 – But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Intellectual wisdom is no guarantee for success in life and destiny. There are so many people with all kinds of degrees and they are still failures in life. Diabolical wisdom is seen when people subscribe to all kinds of occultic powers but when you get the wisdom of God, it announces you to your world.

Wisdom for above puts you above all life situations and circumstances. It makes you stand out far above all your peers and that is divine wisdom.

1 Cor.2:6-8 –Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Your glory is hid in the wisdom of God. When the wisdom of God is at work in your life, the glory of God on your life will be unfolded for all men to see. In Gen. 41: 39-45, God’s wisdom went through a prisoner {Joseph}, and they could not find a match in that city. The wisdom of God showed up in Joseph and humbled the pride of the wise in the city. Joseph did not only have understanding of the dream but he also prescribed a sound solution to dealing with the situation.

To get this divine wisdom, you must be ready to pay the price because there is nothing of value without a great price. There are spiritual parameters you must put in place if you must enjoy the wisdom from above. First, you must pant for knowledge of God’s word which is the source of wisdom and knowledge is the raw material for wisdom. It takes knowledge to walk in wisdom. That is why God said that my people are destroyed for lack of Knowledge.

Hosea 4:6 –My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Today, as you begin to thirst for the knowledge of God’s word, the wisdom of God will announce you to your world! You will take over far above all your peers in the name of Jesus! For ever stagnation you have experienced in the past, you will enjoy double restoration in the name of Jesus the Christ –Amen!!!

God bless you

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.

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Topic: Interrupted Fellowship [Our Daily Bread 31 Thursday May, 2018]

Read: Matthew 27:32–50, Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 13–14; John 12:1–26

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Matthew 27:46

The loud, sorrowful cry pierced the dark afternoon air. I imagine it drowning out the sound of mourning from friends and loved ones gathered at Jesus’s feet. It must have overwhelmed the moans of the dying criminals who flanked Jesus on both sides. And surely startled all who heard it.

“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” Jesus cried out in agony and in utter despondency as He hung on that cross of shame on Golgotha (Matthew 27:45–46).

“My God,” He said, “my God, why have you forsaken me?”

I cannot think of more heart-wrenching words. Since eternity, Jesus had been in perfect fellowship with God the Father. Together they had created the universe, had fashioned mankind in their image, and planned salvation. Never in the eons past had they not been in total fellowship with each other.

And now, as the anguish of the cross continued to bring devastating pain on Jesus—He for the first time lost the awareness of God’s presence as He carried the burden of the sins of the world.

It was the only way. Only through this time of interrupted fellowship could our salvation be provided for. And it was only because Jesus was willing to experience this sense of being forsaken on the cross that we humans can gain fellowship with God.

Thank You, Jesus, for experiencing such pain so we could be forgiven.

Prayer: Jesus, we again stand in awe at Your sacrifice. We kneel in Your presence and with gratitude acknowledge what You did for us on the cross. Thank You for making it possible to have fellowship with the Father forever.

The cross reveals God’s heart for the lost.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Our Daily Bread Devotionals HERE”

This message was written By Dave Branon [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

The post Our Daily Bread Devotional 31 May 2018 – Interrupted Fellowship appeared first on Flatimes.

Topic: Interrupted Fellowship [Our Daily Bread 31 Thursday May, 2018]

Read: Matthew 27:32–50, Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 13–14; John 12:1–26

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Matthew 27:46

The loud, sorrowful cry pierced the dark afternoon air. I imagine it drowning out the sound of mourning from friends and loved ones gathered at Jesus’s feet. It must have overwhelmed the moans of the dying criminals who flanked Jesus on both sides. And surely startled all who heard it.

“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” Jesus cried out in agony and in utter despondency as He hung on that cross of shame on Golgotha (Matthew 27:45–46).

“My God,” He said, “my God, why have you forsaken me?”

I cannot think of more heart-wrenching words. Since eternity, Jesus had been in perfect fellowship with God the Father. Together they had created the universe, had fashioned mankind in their image, and planned salvation. Never in the eons past had they not been in total fellowship with each other.

And now, as the anguish of the cross continued to bring devastating pain on Jesus—He for the first time lost the awareness of God’s presence as He carried the burden of the sins of the world.

It was the only way. Only through this time of interrupted fellowship could our salvation be provided for. And it was only because Jesus was willing to experience this sense of being forsaken on the cross that we humans can gain fellowship with God.

Thank You, Jesus, for experiencing such pain so we could be forgiven.

Prayer: Jesus, we again stand in awe at Your sacrifice. We kneel in Your presence and with gratitude acknowledge what You did for us on the cross. Thank You for making it possible to have fellowship with the Father forever.

The cross reveals God’s heart for the lost.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Our Daily Bread Devotionals HERE”

This message was written By Dave Branon [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

The post Our Daily Bread Devotional 31 May 2018 – Interrupted Fellowship appeared first on Flatimes.

Topic: Live in Power [Kenneth & Gloria Copeland, Thursday May 31, 2018]

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. – Romans 6:4

As a believer, you actually have residing in you the same new life God gave Jesus when He raised Him from the dead. The old sinner you once were has died. You’ve become a new creation on the inside.

You are full of the resurrection life of God!

But sin, disobedience and living a selfish, carnal life will keep that resurrection life from flowing out. Sin will separate you from the power of God, even though you’re born again. Resurrection life will lay dormant in you if you walk in sin.

You can’t overcome sin by trying to stop sinning, however. You overcome it by walking after the new life God has put within you, by spending time in the Word and in prayer. As you do that, the Spirit of God will strengthen you and enable you to put that sin under your feet.

Remember, though, the Holy Spirit will not subdue those old fleshly habits of yours on His own. He’ll wait on you to take the initiative. Then He will strengthen you to follow through with your decision. He will teach you how to walk in the new life that is on the inside of you.

Take the first step today by asking for His help. Say, “Lord, I desire to experience the power to live by this new life every day. By a decision of my heart, I put down the dictates of sin. I declare myself dead to sin. In Jesus’ Name, I will spend time in prayer and in the Word today. As I do, I believe I’ll receive a Holy Ghost refreshing in my life. I believe I’ll begin to live out the resurrection power that You’ve placed in me!”

Scripture Reading: Romans 7:1-6

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Kenneth and Gloria Copeland’s Daily Devotional Here’’

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.

The post Kenneth & Gloria Copeland Devotional 31 May 2018 – Live in Power appeared first on Flatimes.

Topic: Live in Power [Kenneth & Gloria Copeland, Thursday May 31, 2018]

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. – Romans 6:4

As a believer, you actually have residing in you the same new life God gave Jesus when He raised Him from the dead. The old sinner you once were has died. You’ve become a new creation on the inside.

You are full of the resurrection life of God!

But sin, disobedience and living a selfish, carnal life will keep that resurrection life from flowing out. Sin will separate you from the power of God, even though you’re born again. Resurrection life will lay dormant in you if you walk in sin.

You can’t overcome sin by trying to stop sinning, however. You overcome it by walking after the new life God has put within you, by spending time in the Word and in prayer. As you do that, the Spirit of God will strengthen you and enable you to put that sin under your feet.

Remember, though, the Holy Spirit will not subdue those old fleshly habits of yours on His own. He’ll wait on you to take the initiative. Then He will strengthen you to follow through with your decision. He will teach you how to walk in the new life that is on the inside of you.

Take the first step today by asking for His help. Say, “Lord, I desire to experience the power to live by this new life every day. By a decision of my heart, I put down the dictates of sin. I declare myself dead to sin. In Jesus’ Name, I will spend time in prayer and in the Word today. As I do, I believe I’ll receive a Holy Ghost refreshing in my life. I believe I’ll begin to live out the resurrection power that You’ve placed in me!”

Scripture Reading: Romans 7:1-6

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Kenneth and Gloria Copeland’s Daily Devotional Here’’

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.

The post Kenneth & Gloria Copeland Devotional 31 May 2018 – Live in Power appeared first on Flatimes.

Topic: His Purpose Revealed [Andrew Wommack Thursday May 31, 2018]

Matthew 16:21, “From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”

Text: Matthew 16:20-28

Despite the abundant and clear prophecies about His death and resurrection, Jesus’ disciples didn’t understand or remember Jesus’ words until after His resurrection (Lk. 24:5-9). Luke records twice that Jesus’ sayings about His resurrection were hidden from the disciples. It is interesting to note, however, that the chief priests and Pharisees remembered Jesus’ prophecies about His resurrection (Mt. 27:63) when His disciples didn’t.

One of the great truths of the Bible is that Jesus died for our sins, not for His own. Jesus was totally sinless. This is one of the major differences between Christianity and the religions of the world. No other religious leader has ever claimed to be sinless, therefore no other religious leader is even in the same class with Jesus. Also, no other religious leader has ever given his life in sacrifice to atone for the sins of others. It wouldn’t have done any good if one had. Since the religious leaders were sinners themselves, their lives weren’t worth any more than any other sinner. But, since Jesus was the sinless Son of God, His life was worth more than all of humanity throughout the ages.

Every detail of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection was already prophesied in scripture before it happened. All the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection had fulfilled scripture. God’s Word is the ultimate authority and only through His Word can we receive faith to be born again. We must preach the Word, not experiences. Experiences are only useful to illustrate that God’s Word is true. Jesus is alive from the dead. His tomb is empty. Jesus provided us with the ultimate verification of His authority. He arose from the dead.

“If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Andrew Wommack’s Daily Devotional HERE

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).

The post Andrew Wommack’s Devotional 31 May 2018 – His Purpose Revealed appeared first on Flatimes.

Topic: His Purpose Revealed [Andrew Wommack Thursday May 31, 2018]

Matthew 16:21, “From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”

Text: Matthew 16:20-28

Despite the abundant and clear prophecies about His death and resurrection, Jesus’ disciples didn’t understand or remember Jesus’ words until after His resurrection (Lk. 24:5-9). Luke records twice that Jesus’ sayings about His resurrection were hidden from the disciples. It is interesting to note, however, that the chief priests and Pharisees remembered Jesus’ prophecies about His resurrection (Mt. 27:63) when His disciples didn’t.

One of the great truths of the Bible is that Jesus died for our sins, not for His own. Jesus was totally sinless. This is one of the major differences between Christianity and the religions of the world. No other religious leader has ever claimed to be sinless, therefore no other religious leader is even in the same class with Jesus. Also, no other religious leader has ever given his life in sacrifice to atone for the sins of others. It wouldn’t have done any good if one had. Since the religious leaders were sinners themselves, their lives weren’t worth any more than any other sinner. But, since Jesus was the sinless Son of God, His life was worth more than all of humanity throughout the ages.

Every detail of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection was already prophesied in scripture before it happened. All the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection had fulfilled scripture. God’s Word is the ultimate authority and only through His Word can we receive faith to be born again. We must preach the Word, not experiences. Experiences are only useful to illustrate that God’s Word is true. Jesus is alive from the dead. His tomb is empty. Jesus provided us with the ultimate verification of His authority. He arose from the dead.

“If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Andrew Wommack’s Daily Devotional HERE

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).

The post Andrew Wommack’s Devotional 31 May 2018 – His Purpose Revealed appeared first on Flatimes.

Topic: Need for Inner Change [Billy Graham’s Devotional Thursday May 31, 2018]

Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. — 2 Corinthians 5:17

The world says that all we need to do is be decent, respectable, and reasonable. True, that is all one needs to do to be a member of the Great Society, but to be a member of the Kingdom of God, there must be an inner change. A Communist in Hyde Park, London, pointed to a tramp and said, “Communism will put a new suit on that man.” A Christian standing nearby said, “Yes, but Christ will put a new man in that suit!”

Prayer for the day: Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the change that came deep within me when I received You.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Billy Graham’s Daily Devotional HERE

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.

The post Billy Graham Devotional 31 May 2018 – Need for Inner Change appeared first on Flatimes.