The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.— Psalm 19:1–3
There is a language in nature that speaks of the existence of God. It is the language of order, beauty, perfection, and intelligence. Some time ago a scientist told me that when he gave serious thought to the majestic order of the universe and its obedience to unchanging law, he could not help but believe in God. He had become aware that God was speaking through nature.
God speaks in the certainty and regularity of the seasons; in the precision of the movements of the sun, the moon, and the stars; in the regular coming of night and day; in the balance between man’s consumption of life-giving oxygen and its production by the plant life of the earth; and even in the cry of a newborn child with its ever-new dimension of the miracle of life.
Prayer for the day: The beauty of this day will be a constant reminder of the magnificence of You, God.
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.
And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick… (Isaiah 33:24).
Sometimes, you find Christians who are crying to God for healing. It’s a contradiction, because the Christian is an associate of the God-kind; he’s therefore not meant to be sick. Why then are many sick? Psalm 82:5-7 gives the answer. It says, “They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.”
Ignorance has been the bane of many, because, really, the Christian has a life that isn’t susceptible to sickness or disease. It’s for the same reason that Jesus said in Mark 16:18, “…if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them….” Nothing, absolutely nothing, is supposed to hurt you enough to make you sick, let alone take your life. This is because the life in you is indestructible.
Did you know that there’s nowhere in the Scripture where God asked that you pray for healing for yourself? The reason is that divine health is your nature; you were born with it the day you were born again. In the first level of spiritual growth, you get sick and then you get well, and then the cycle continues; you’re always “believing” God for healing.
In the second and higher level, you declare, “Divine health is mine!” Your faith works for divine health. When you feel the symptoms of sickness in your body, you don’t fret; you simply declare, “In the Name of Jesus, I command the pain to cease!” and it happens!
However, you’ve got to move to the higher class, where you don’t get sick at all or recognise sickness or disease. Our opening verse says they that dwell in Zion shall not say, “I am sick.” Who are those that dwell in Zion? It’s those of us who are born again; God’s people. The Bible says in Hebrews 12:22, “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels.” We live in Zion now; we’re at home in Christ, where sickness is illegal; it’s alien to us. If you ever feel the symptoms of sickness in your body, it’s a “lying vanity”; a mirage; shake it off in the Name of Jesus. Walk in divine health and refuse to be sick.
CONFESSION The divine life is working in every fibre of my being, every cell of my blood, and in every bone of my body! From the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, my entire being is vitalised by the Holy Spirit who lives in me, invigorating me through and through, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY: 2 Peter 1:4; 3 John 1:2; Isaiah 33:24 AMPC
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 22:1-38 & 1 Samuel 26-28
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Mark 5:21-34 & Leviticus 26
Rhapsody of Realities 26th April 2019 Devotional was written by Pastor Pastor Chris Oyakhilome (D.Sc., D.D.). President of Loveworld Inc. aka Christ Embassy Int’l.
Pastor T.D. Jakes Shares Why Periods of Pressure Can Lead to Spiritual Growth
As soon as T.D. Jakes extends his first “Hello,” you better get ready because you’re in for a rare opportunity to hear a message from the man Time Magazine dubbed “America’s Pastor.”
The Bishop, as he is called, is clear that some of the best things that come from life are being crushed and pressured into what God designed you to be.
Jakes has lived an exciting life, he’s a megachurch pastor, author and a successful film director, to name a few of his feats. Despite his many accomplishments, Jakes often reflects on his humble beginnings in West Virginia.
For a season of his life, before ministry, Jakes was a ditch digger and a failure at starting his own business.
Even after Jakes decided to answer the call to ministry on his heart, the road ahead of him would not be easy. Jakes shared that he wouldn’t get the chance to preach for seven years after he decided to pursue ministry.
Jakes did let this time go to waste, however, and during this period he would write handfuls of sermons – many of which he would end up using later in life.
In an interview with Jakes, he shared that this season of waiting is what led to the creation of his Potter’s House Church.
Jakes also shared that this time in his life showed him that in the times when it feels like God is pressuring and crushing us, God is actually teaching us how to succinctly…
Around 7am, Phil Kingston, an 83-year-old Roman Catholic, climbed on top of a train at Canary Wharf station with banners and a sandwich.
Three others joined him from Christian Climate Action and they prayed and sang ‘Praise My Soul The King of Heaven!’ to commuters.
In a video on their facebook page (posted below), it shows the group getting out of the train and immediately pulling out retractable ladders from their bags to get on the roof of the train they were on.
Phil Kingston is a retired parole officer who said he was protesting for his grandchildren’s future.
Christian Climate Action held banners saying ‘Business as usual = Death’.
Over 1,000 arrests have been made since the protests began over a week ago.
The group wrote on facebook: “We pray for all of God’s creation & for all those in a position of power to protect it. We pray for any inconvenienced by todays action.
“We’re sorry this affected you and we hope that you understand that we don’t know how else to get those in power to listen”.
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MEMORY VERSE: “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” – Matthew 22:37 (scroll down for RCCG Sunday School 28 April 2019 HYMN)
BIBLE PASSAGE: Exodus 20:3-5 KJV (RCCG Sunday School STUDENT Manual 28 April 2019)
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
LESSON INTRODUCTION:
An idol is anything that replaces the one true God in our lives. It can be anything that appeals to our own heart more than God does, and anything that takes significant amount of our time leaving us with little or no time to spend with Him. While the scriptures condemn idolatry in strong terms (Jer. 25:6: Exodus 20:5), many Christians engage in idol worshipping today without knowing it.
OUTLINES:
FORMS OF MODERN DAY IDOLATRY
CONSEQUENCES OF MODERN DAY IDOLATRY
1. FORMS OF MODERN DAY IDOLATRY
Unlike the past, where idol worship is bowing down to statues and objects typical of pagans in many cultures, modern day idol worship rather, is expressed through various insatiable pursuits and cravings of man, driven by his sinful nature. This shifts all attention to him, leaving God out of the equation (Isaiah 42:8). It is also expressed by portraying and painting God contrary to sound band total biblical precepts but revealing Him to suit personal values and ideologies (2 Tim 4:3). Quite often, modern day idolatry takes the form of self worship expressed through aggressive pursuit and realization of goals and dreams in which God is excluded. It may also include ‘materialism’- excessive regards for worldly possession (1 Cor. 7:31; Col. 3:5); ‘pride and ego’- which often takes the form of obsession with careers, business or job in order to raise social status (Eccl. 2:21-23; Prov. 8:13); ‘idolizing fellow humans’- referencing renowned individuals above God e.g. musicians, actors, footballers, ministers of God, politicians, spouse, etc.; ‘naturalism and the power of science’- this clings to the illusion that man is the lord of his world due to scientific and technological breakthroughs (2 Peter 3:10-13); ‘self indulgence’- through alcohol, drugs, excessive watching of television, excessive and abnormal use of the social media (Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, etc.), clubbing/partying, pornography, gambling among other things (1 Cor. 10:31).
2 CONSEQUENCES OF MODERN DAY IDOLATRY
Just like the conventional idolatry, modern day idolatry will incur divine curse upon the perpetrators (Daniel 4:30-33). It usually leads to a deviation from the laws and teachings of the Lord (2 Timothy 4:3-4; 3:1-4). And loss of zeal for things of God (2 Timothy 4:10). Generational departure from the one true God (Hosea 4:17) and eternal separation from God (1 Samuel 2:29-36) are other consequences to watch out for.
CONCLUSION: The worship of ‘self’, is the basis of all modern day idolatry. God warns against it (Exodus 20:30). It is a lifelong battle in Christian life that must be resisted (Eph. 6:11; 2 Tim. 2:3).
QUESTIONS:
Mention at least five forms of modern day idolatry.
What are the consequences of modern day idolatry?
For Further Reading: Genesis 35:2; Exodus 20:23; Revelations 21:8; 2 Timothy 4:4.
ASSIGNMENT: Mention ten (10) things which have gradually taken the position of God in some peoples’ lives and their consequences (either physical or spiritual).
RCCG Sunday School 28 April 2019 HYMN
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.
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.
O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Christ was Thy first teacher,
The Holy Spirit, great teacher,
Does manifest in thee.
O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
This testimony is sure,
That God, the Father Almighty,
Poured His blessing on Thee.
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.
O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
I rejoice to see Thee,
Will thou pass over me today?
Without my being blest?
Oregon Church Builds 15 Tiny Homes to Help Reach the Local Homeless Community
A Portland, Oregon church is reaching out to the homeless community in their neighborhood by building 15 tiny homes on their 11-acre property. Central Church of the Nazarene saw a need and are extending a helping hand.
“The church is in a place in Portland where we’re moving tents off the front step of the church on a regular basis,” Matt Huff, Lead Pastor at Central Church shared with the Christian Post. “We’ve got people camping all over the place. And that’s our neighbors. How do we engage them and love them and not just to kick them out?”
The idea came after Huff visited other churches in the area with similar programs. He hopes to engage other churches in the community with the village by encouraging them to adopt one of the tiny homes. “I’m just asking for them to come and be friends with the people in it,” said Huff. “And then the church can love them and give them socks if they need socks or wish them a happy birthday.”
The tiny community, called Agape Village, will provide transitional housing for the homeless to get back on their feet. Built entirely by volunteers primarily on Fridays and Saturdays, each insulated “sleeping pod” will hold a central common area, a kitchen, bathroom, and shower, as well as solar power batteries to allow residents to charge their cellphones. It won’t have electricity, plumbing or…
OPENING PRAYER: Father, please save my home and church from all forms of modern day idolatry. (Scroll down for RCCG Sunday School 28 April 2019 HYMN)
MEMORY VERSE: “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” – Matthew 22:37 (scroll down for RCCG Sunday School 28 April 2019 HYMN)
BIBLE PASSAGE: Exodus 20:3-5 KJV (RCCG Sunday School TEACHER’s Manual 28 April 2019)
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
LESSON INTRODUCTION:
An idol is anything that replaces the one true God in our lives. It can be anything that appeals to our own heart more than God does, and anything that takes significant amount of our time leaving us with little or no time to spend with Him. While the scriptures condemn idolatry in strong terms (Jer. 25:6: Exodus 20:5), many Christians engage in idol worshipping today without knowing it.
TEXT REVIEW: EXODUS 20:3-5 – “WARNING”
I. The Mosaic law refers to as “Torah” in Hebrews which means “teaching” is divided into three (3), namely:
i. The moral law dealing with God’s standard for Holy living. Exodus 20:1-17.
ii. The civil law dealing with Israel’s legal and social life. Exodus 21:1-23.
iii. The ceremonial law dealing with ceremonies of worship/sacrifices. Exodus 24:12-31.
II. God forbids idol worshipping out rightly with the following instructions:
i. Thou shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3.
ii. Thou shall not make no graven image of any likeness be it in heaven, earth or underneath the earth. Exodus 20:4.
iii. Thou shall not bow to them. Exodus 20:5a.
iv. Thou shall not serve them. Exodus 20:5b.
III. God gave reasons for these directives to show how serious they are:
i. He is the Lord thy God (Sufficient to be followed and worshipped). Exodus 20:1.
ii. He is the deliverer from bondages of Egypt (and any forms of bondages or captivities). Exodus 20:1b.
iii. He is a jealous God and would punish perpetrators who violate the commandment to the third and fourth generations. Exodus 20:5b.
iv. He is a merciful God and would show mercy to those who keep the commandments and love him. Exodus 20:6.
2 LESSON OUTLINES
LESSON OUTLINE 1: FORMS OF MODERN DAY IDOLATRY
i. Modern day idolatry is all pursuit and craving of man to leave the God out of their equation or lives. Isaiah 42:8.
ii. It is the act of portraying and painting God in unbiblical precepts to suit personal values and ideologies. 2 Tim. 4:3.
iii. Self worship expressed through aggressive pursuit and realization of goals and dreams without God.
iv. Materialism i.e. excessive regards for worldly possession. 1 Cor. 7:31; Col. 3:5.
v. Pride and ego i.e. forms of obsession with careers, business or job in order to raise social status. Eccl. 2:21-23; Prov. 8:13.
vi. Idolizing fellow humans i.e. referencing renowned individuals like musicians, actors, footballers, ministers of God, politicians, spouse, etc.
vii. Naturalism and the power of sciences i.e. illusion that man is the lord of his world due to scientific and technological breakthroughs. 2 Peter 3:10-13.
viii. Self indulgence i.e. this is expressed through alcohol, drugs, devotion to television programmes, social media, etc.
ix. Clubbing/partying, pornography, gambling and so on. 1 Cor. 10:31.
CLASS ACTIVITY 1: Differentiate between traditional or conventional idol worshipping and modern day idol worshipping.
LESSON OUTLINE 2: CONSEQUENCES OF MODERN DAY IDOLATRY
i. Divine curse on the perpetrators. Daniel 4:30-33.
ii. It leads the perpetrators away from the law and teachings of the Lord. 2 Tim. 4:3-4; 3:1-4.
iii. Those who are involved lose their zeal for things of God. 2 Tim. 4:10.
iv. It has grievous consequences of eternal separation from God. 1 Sam. 2:29-36.
CLASS ACTIVITY 2: Identify other consequences of getting involved in the modern day idolatry.
SUMMARY: Flee modern day idolatry.
CONCLUSION: The worship of ‘self’, is the basis of all modern day idolatry. God warns against it (Exodus 20:30). It is a lifelong battle in Christian life that must be resisted. Eph. 6:11; 2 Tim. 2:3.
EVALUATION: Identify forms and consequences of getting involved in modern day idolatry.
CLOSING PRAYER: Father, liberate your Children from all forms of modern day idolatry.
ASSIGNMENT: Mention ten (10) things which have gradually taken the position of God in some peoples’ lives and their consequences (either physical or spiritual).
NOTE: Flatimes.com EMPLOYS EVERYONE TO PURCHASE THE HARD COPY TO SUPPORT RCCG EDUCATION (SUNDAY SCHOOL DEPARTMENT). THE SOFT COPY (ONLINE) IS JUST TO HELP EASY ACCESS. GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU DO SO.
RCCG Sunday School 28 April 2019 HYMN
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.
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.
O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
Christ was Thy first teacher,
The Holy Spirit, great teacher,
Does manifest in thee.
O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
This testimony is sure,
That God, the Father Almighty,
Poured His blessing on Thee.
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.
O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,
I rejoice to see Thee,
Will thou pass over me today?
Without my being blest?
The Damanhur Criminal Court, north of Cairo, announced the verdict for two defrocked monks identified as Isaiah and Faltaous who can appeal.
The two were convicted of killing of Bishop Epiphanius, an abbot at St Macarius Monastery built in the fourth century, in July.
The abbot’s death shook Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church, one of the oldest in the world and the one that gave monasticism to the faith.
Following Epiphanius’ death, the church took measures aimed at instilling discipline into monastic life.
Among them was a halt in admitting novices to monasteries nationwide for a year.
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People will leave the church you pastor. It’s not a matter of if, but of when. So you need to be prepared for it when it happens. Today, we discuss four distinct times this happens.
Episode Highlights:
When members leave the church it can be very personal, and that’s what makes it so painful.
Any changes a pastor makes can be trigger people leaving the church. Just expect it.
Make changes based on the people you want to reach, not just to appease those already in the church.
Pastoral candidates need to share realistic ideas when interviewing with a church. Unrealistic ideas create unattainable expectations down the road.
The four waves we discuss are:
Arrival of the new pastor
Early changes in year one
Unmet expectations in year two
The weariness factor in years three to four
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
Revitalize & Replant is sponsored by the North American Mission Board and ChurchReplanters.com. More than 10% of churches in North America are at risk of closing and the North American Mission Board is committed to reversing this trend by decreasing the death rate of existing churches while simultaneously increasing the birth rate of new churches. To learn more about what it means to become a replanting pastor or to explore resources for replanting and revitalization in your own church, visit ChurchReplanters.com.
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