Topic: Rising From Temptation to Testimony [Sunday November 19, 2017]

Scripture: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Thought For The Day: Do not let your condition determine your confession; let your confession swallow your condition, and your condition must vomit your portion.

A temptation is simply a test that qualifies a person for the next level (mostly spiritual). The way a student writes a test or an examination to be promoted to the next class is the same way temptations serve as the examinations that qualify a person for the next level in life.

That is why whatever you pass through in life is because of what will pass through you. Out of your mess comes a message; out of your misery comes your ministry; inside your insult is your result.

The truth is, the more terrible the things you pass through, the more terrific your testimonies.

Note that, many times, whatever you suffer in life is because of what you will offer to life. The pain you feel may be the pain you can heal.

Thus, never give up on God or yourself because of your condition. Never let your condition determine your confession, rather, let your confession swallow your condition.

I prophesy to you today, you are rising from the realm of temptations to the realm of testimonies. Your shame is giving way to your fame. Your pain shall be replaced with your gain, and your story is changing today, in Jesus’ Name.

Remember This: Do not let your condition determine your confession; let your confession swallow your condition, and your condition must vomit your portion.

Assignment(s):

1. Never give up on God because of your condition.

2. Keep making positive confessions consistently in times of travails or trials.

Prayer: O Lord, I connect the power to overcome every temptation or trial that comes my way in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: WISDOM FROM THE LIFE OF JOSEPH- PART 3

Quote: Do not allow your error to erode your effort; let your limitation prepare you for a lifting. Culled from 365 WISDOM CAPSULES by Dr Paul Enenche

Daily Reading: Ezekiel 39:1 to 40:27, James 2:18 to 3:18, Psalm 118:1 to 18, Proverbs 28:2

Amazing Fact: Dogs have been trained to sniff out bed bug locations.

Today In History: 19/11/1863, US President Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg address beginning; “Four score & seven years ago…”

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.

Topic: Listen To Elders — Sunday 19, November 2017.

Memorise: I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom. – Job 32:7

Read: 1 Peter 5:1-5 (KJV)

1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 17-21, Amos 9, Hymn: Sing Hymn 16 – God Give Us Christian Homes!

MESSAGE:

One way of avoiding mistake is to learn from the experience of those who have gone ahead of you in faith, business, career or family life. If you learn from the fall of other, you will not meet with the same tragic end that befell them. This is why you need to listen to the advice of elders. Piglets are expected to learn from the mother pig. For this reason, Job 32:7 says,

“I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.”

Coming up next: Open Heavens 20 November 2017: Monday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Fasting Boosts Faith

It is also commonly said that experience is the best teacher. There are several things you will be taught from the school of life when you listen to what the elders the Lord has placed around you have to say. There is a Nigerian proverb that says, “A child may have as many clothes as an elder, but he cannot have as many rags as he.” Learn from those who have trod on the path you are walking on.

I had the opportunity of delivering a sermon at the wedding of the daughter of a country’s president not too long ago. I observed that both the girl and her husband were highly educated. I therefore said to them, “Looking at you, I can tell you are both brilliant people, but you are just starting a journey into marriage, a journey I have been engaged in for about 47 years, and as a result, I have one or two things to teach you”. It is very important that you listen to your elders. Are you newly married? I have two equations to keep you going- one: love is blind, and two: marriage is a miracle-worker with special anointing for opening blind eyes. When you solve these two equations simultaneously, the answer you will get is this: Love is blind but marriage will open its eyes.

Beloved, never shun the advice of an elder! Apart from your biological elders, your pastors and senior pastors are also elders. Except when they ask you to veer off the path of righteousness, please listen to them and follow their good advice. If you have a godly, humble heart, it will be easy to listen to elders. Can you believe that some people do not listen to their elders because they want to be in-charge of their lives? They erroneously believe that if they listen to elders, they will lose control of their lives. Righteous elders will want to guide you on God’s holy path and ensure you reach your goal. Be wise today!

Prayer Point: Father, thank you for all the elders in the body of Christ; please use theom to provide righteous counsel for our youths, so that together we can all make Heaven

Hymn 16: God Give Us Christian Home!

1. God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master’s will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty Your love has wrought;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

2. God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the father is true and strong,
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong,
Homes that are joyous with love and song;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

3. God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the mother, in caring quest,
Strives to show others Your way is best,
Homes where the Lord is an honored guest;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

4. God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

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.

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

TOPIC: THE ANOINTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT [SUNDAY, 19TH NOVEMBER 2017]

OPENING PRAYER:

Father, please anoint me with the Holy Spirit and power. Help me to heal those who are oppressed by the devil.

BIBLE PASSAGE: ACTS 4:5-20

5: And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,

6: And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

7: And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?

8: Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

9: If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;

10: Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

11: This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

12: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

13: Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

14: And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

15: But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,

16: Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.

17: But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

18: And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

19: But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

20: For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

MEMORY VERSE:

Acts 10:38: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

LESSON INTRODUCTION:

We have studied how to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the actual baptism. We also gave considerations to the Baptiser and the evidence of baptism. Today, by the special grace of God, we shall be looking at the anointing, what it is exactly and the conditions for maintaining the flow.

LESSON OUTLINE 1: WHAT EXACTLY IS THE ANOINTING?

What is Anointing?

i. Anointing is the outflow of the Holy Spirit through a sanctified vessel

ii. Anointing is likened to rain of power of God. Zech10:1; Joel2:23

iii. It is the overflowing power of God which brings about an outflow in man. Luke4:18-19

2. What is not anointing?

i. it is not the natural rain

ii. it is not well or spring of water. John4:14

iii. It is not a flowing river

3. What does the anointing do?

i. It determines the level of spiritual assignment which an individual can do at every point in time. For example, the number of souls that could be won. Acts2:41; Acts4:8-32

ii. Through the anointing, the fame of the Lord went abroad. Through the anointing the fame of a true servant of God can be advertised. Acts 10:38

iii. The anointing helps believers to produce results in the ministry

iv. The anointing enthrones the believers. John14:12; 1Pet2:9; Rev.1:6

v. The anointing breaks yokes and destroys mountains of problems. Isa10:27.

CLASS ACTIVITY 1:

Members should identify the role of the anointing in their local parish.

LESSON OUTLINE 2: CONDITIONS FOR MAINTAINING THE FLOW

1. What are the conditions for maintaining the flow?

i. Love for righteousness

ii. Hatred for iniquity/sin

iii. Love for God, love for the ministry work and the /church. John11:35, 43-44; Mark6:34-41

iv. A life of praise. Ex15:11

2. Why is righteousness essential to maintain the flow of the anointing?

i. God is righteous. Those who want His power must be righteous. Heb1:9

ii. The Lord hates sin [sin is a barrier to the anointing]. The devil did not find sin in the Lord. John14:30

iii. It is God’s commandment to be righteous. 1John3:7

3. Why should a believer avoid complain and murmur? Ex 15:11

i. Murmuring keeps the anointing from flowing in the believers

ii. Murmuring provokes God to anger and to destroy the people. 1Corin10:10; Phil2:14

CLASS ACTIVITY 2:

Mention people in the Bible who enjoyed constant flow of the anointing without fail. You may support your answers with biblical references.

SUMMARY:

The anointing can be obtained and maintained

CONCLUSION:

The lesson focused on the true meaning of the anointing and the conditions for maintaining the flow. It is hoped that students are truly prepared to abide by the conditions to retain anointing.

CLOSING PRAYER:

Father, do not let your anointing cease from flowing in my life.

ASSIGNMENT:

Identify 5 people in the Bible who once enjoyed the flow of the anointing but lost the flow. Mention what they did.