“Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.” – 1 Samuel 16:13 KJV
David was the successor to Saul; the son of Kish and the first king of Israel. Saul had disobeyed God. Each time God instructed him to do something, he would rather do what he wanted. For this reason, God rejected him and said He had found for Himself a man in Jesse’s house, after His heart. David was busy minding his business, not even counted among the potential kings. He didn’t smell like a king. He didn’t talk like one nor behaved like one. But he was chosen. His father didn’t even want to call him up because he didn’t see him as qualified. Have you been there? You were not among the chosen, yet you are now chosen?
David was at the back side of the desert, tending his father’s sheep and the Holy Ghost zeroed in on him and brought him out while others were parading and presenting themselves. You had better not show up until the Holy Ghost shows you up. Anytime you show up when the Holy Ghost has not shown you up, get ready for a fall, and a woeful fall for that matter. That is the challenge with so many people who go about parading themselves for what they are not. I have found out that people who are ‘something’ hide. It is people who are ‘nothing’ that parade themselves.
All of David’s brothers came to Samuel, putting down their heads for the anointing, but the oil refused to flow. Beloved, you don’t need to struggle to become. When it is your time, God will show you up. I learnt that longest time in ministry, that if God does not give it to you, you don’t have it. What God has not given to you, you cannot keep. But if He gives it to you, He also gives you the keeping grace.
Further Reading: 1 Samuel 16:1-13; 2:8
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- 2 Samuel 19-20; Evening- Luke 18:1-23
Written by Dr. Mike Okonkwo; Is the Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM); a versatile man of God with over 30 years of dedicated service unto the Lord.
Don’t Give Life to a Complaint by Joel and Victoria Osteen
Topic: Don’t Give Life to a Complaint
It’s interesting that soon after the people of Israel had been freed from slavery in Egypt, they started complaining about their hardships in the wilderness. One of their complaints was that they were tired of the manna, the bread that God provided supernaturally for them every single day. They grumbled, “Now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” (Numbers 11:6). That complaint got them thinking about “the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic” they used to eat in captivity. They let the food they had become tired of become more important than their freedom from slavery.
God is taking all of us somewhere, and like the people of Israel, we have everything we need right now to get to where He’s taking us. But that’s where the Israelites missed it. They were only looking at their circumstances and what they thought they didn’t have. They forgot to look to their God! It’s so easy to see out of natural eyes that look for problems rather than see out of supernatural eyes that behold the hand of God working behind the scenes, the almighty God who’s providing for all our needs.
Today, you’re going to have many opportunities to find faults because there’s no perfect friend, no perfect spouse, and no perfect job. Life is filled with imperfections, so we can’t escape the fact that there will be much to criticize. What I want to suggest is that rather than enter into faultfinding that we figure out a way to be the solution to problems rather than complain about problems and find a way to act properly when we feel negative.
You can’t stop all the negative thoughts you have about people and situations, but you can stop giving those thoughts life by speaking them out. You can watch what you say by stepping back and reminding yourself that complaining only finds the worst in situations and other people, never the best, and speaking them out only makes things worse. Don’t give it life! Don’t ruin relationships and situations.
So what should you do? The apostle Paul says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29). Let’s keep our mouths closed, stay the course, and be grateful to God. Let’s not be faultfinders. Let’s be those who “rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).
For personal Christianity, the resurrection is all-important. There is a vital interrelation to the existence of Christianity itself, as well as to the individual believer, in the message of the Gospel. The Swiss theologian, Karl Barth, said, “Do you want to believe in the living Christ? We may believe in Him only if we believe in His corporeal resurrection. This is the content of the New Testament. We are always free to reject it, but not to modify it, nor to pretend that the New Testament tells something else. We may accept or refuse the message, but we may not change it.” Christianity as a system of truth collapses if the resurrection is rejected. That Jesus rose from the dead is one of the foundation stones of our faith.
Prayer for the day: Lord, let me live today with the constant thought that You are alive!
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.
Topic: It Is A Privilege [Open Heavens for Teens 24 April 2019]
Memorise: “And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.” – Genesis 14:20
Read: Hebrews 7:1-10.
1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:
6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.
10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
Bible In One Year: 2 Samuel 10-12, Luke 19:29-48
MESSAGE:
As teenagers, you are not too young to pay your tithe. Tithing is paying tenth of your income, or in case, any money you get that is to be spent on whatever you want. Unfortunately, tithing, which is a clear injunction in the Holy Bible, has become a controversial issue in Christendom. This ought not to be, Children of God are by lineage also sons of Abraham. In Genesis 14, Abraham returned from a battle with great spoils, and he paid the tithe to Melchizedec. If you claim to be a child of Abraham, one of the works of Abraham that you will carry out is tithing. If you do not tithe, you have no claim to being a child of Abraham. In Genesis 28:22, Jacob, resolving to right and realising what he has neglected earlier, vowed to pay tithes from then onwards.
Tithe is one of the obligations you must perform as a citizen of the heavenly Kingdom. Tithes are never expected or requested of sinners or unbelievers. It is because God has a relationship with you that he has a share in every blessing He gives you. It is a great privilege, never abuse it.
Prayer Point: Thank God for making you a shareholder in His holdings.
1 When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Chorus: Trust and obey, for there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
2 Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.
3 Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.
4 But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
5 Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.
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: Purging Ungodly Foundations (Mountain Of Fire and Miracle Ministries, MFM Daily Devotional 24 April 2019)
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 19-20; Luke 18:1-23
FIRE SCRIPTURE: Luke 4:31-37
MEMORY VERSE: “And I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem you out of the hand of the terrible.” – Jeremiah 15:21
The MESSAGE:
The revelation given in this scripture concerning this man, who was delivered by Jesus Himself, is a kind of case that abound all over the place, in a similar way, these days. The man was right inside the church where Jesus was teaching, yet he was possessed by evil spirits.
A demon-possessed person cannot serve God adequately, for his life will be controlled by those evil forces against the will of God. Evil spirits lead their victims into ungodly acts against their will.
Just like Jesus did to that man, a lot of people inside the church today need to purge their foundations from such evil forces to enable them serve God in a Godly manner. Go for deliverance today to be set free!
Beloved, even after your deliverance, I advise you to avoid sin and anything that can put you in bondage again. There is still deliverance on Mount Zion
MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE: THE CONTINUAL PRESENCE OF GOD IN YOU, AROUND YOU AND ALL OVER YOU, WILL KEEP AWAY ALL EVIL PRESENCE.
PROPHETIC WORD: At the name of Jesus, the powers saying you will not have rest shall flee from you.
PRAYER POINTS:
MORNING
I release myself now unto deliverance from every evil possession, in the name of Jesus.
Foundational evil force, release me and die, in the name of Jesus.
Fire of God, enter me now, eject all strange forces inside of me, in the name of Jesus. EVENING
Evil strangers in my life, hear the word of the LORD, jump out now! In the name of Jesus.
I challenge my life with the fire of the Holy Ghost! In the name of Jesus.
Blood of Jesus, purge my foundation, in the name of Jesus.
Power from on High, fall upon me now for total deliverance, in the name of Jesus.
MOUNTAIN TOP LIFE is a daily devotional by Dr. D.K Olukoya (General Overseer, Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries, Worldwide)
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.
Key Verse: “But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten” (Jeremiah 20:11).
MESSAGE:
On December 10, 1914, there was a massive explosion in West Orange, New Jersey in USA that engulfed and destroyed Thomas Edison’s entire life’s work. Calmly, Edison told his astonished 24 year-old son, Charles “our entire factory has been burnt to ashes, but all the mistakes we made so far have been burnt with the factory; we will start all over again afresh tomorrow”. He was 67 years old at that time. The next day was a fresh beginning for the inventor and his son.
In the text, Prophet Jeremiah was also in despair, having been mocked, derided, confounded, discouraged and terrorised. His agony almost took the better of him to the extent that he accused God of deceiving him into seemingly difficult and arduous ministry. For a moment, he even decided not to preach or deliver God’s messages again because of the contents and repercussions of the messages. But the Lord never abandoned him. Through divine succour, sustenance, enablement and reassurance, he was able to pull through his travails and continue his ministry successfully.
Sometimes, we go through times we wish never existed! One may go through difficulty where one might wish that one should die! Only a strong desire to fulfil one’s God-given mission will propel one forward. Great people do not cry; they try to rebuild their dreams. They do not give up but live up to the challenges life throws to them. They start all over again with great hope, ardour, determination, zeal and resilience!
Be assured that the Lord will never forsake you, no matter what your travails are. Look beyond the setback and visualise the loving God, who is always close by to succour the courageous.
Thought For The Day: No challenges, no success; know challenges know success.
The Bible In One Year: Romans 10-12
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: Caring for the Shepherd (Open Heaven 24 April 2019)
Memorise: “If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?”- 1 Corinthians 9:11
Read: 1 Corinthians 9:6-14 (KJV)
6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?
9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
Bible in One Year: Genesis 29-30, Jeremiah 23:33-24:10
Open Heaven 24 April 2019 Wednesday MESSAGE:
The word “shepherd” is commonly used by Christians to describe pastors, evangelist, missionaries and others who play leadership roles in the body of Christ. God expects members of the body of Christ to provide all that is necessary for the health and welfare of Church leaders, as they labour to see to the spiritual wellbeing of the flock of Jesus Christ. Caring for the shepherd can take the form of gifts or voluntary service from individuals or organized groups. Care can also come in the form of wages from the ministry or church through which the shepherd serves God. In this sense, wages can be defined as any form of economic compensation received in exchange for labour or service rendered. This may also include accommodation, provisions and additional benefits in cash or kind. The Holy Spirit revealed God’s mind on the matter, saying in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14:
“13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? 14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.”
The Bible clearly teaches the right of pastors and spiritual leaders to receive care and wages in any form considered appropriate by members of the Body of Christ they are serving. Galatians 6:6 says:
“Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.”
Also, in 1 Timothy 5:17-18, the Bible instructed that the elder who rules well and labours in teaching the word and doctrine should not only be appropriately compensated but should also be counted worthy of double honour. Above all, our Lord Jesus Christ repeatedly hammered on the fact that the workman in God’s vineyard deserves whatever care or wages he or she receives (Matthew 10:10, Luke 10:7).
Moreover, caring for shepherds ordained by God is a route to irreversible blessings. Some ignorantly see this as a means to making pastors rich, but the Bible and life experiences speak for themselves: the widow of Zarephath, the woman of Shunem, the words of Jesus in Mark 9:41, and testimonies too numerous to mention all serve as examples to follow in this regard.
Open Heaven 24 April 2019 Wednesday Prayer Point:
Father, grant me grace to consistently take care of Your shepherds in Jesus’ Name.
Open Heaven 24 April 2019 Wednesday Hymn 4: Take My Life, And Let It Be
1 Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6 Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Open Heaven 24 April 2019 Wednesday 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 24 April 2019 Wednesday 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.
Oklahoma Governor to Consider Abortion Pill Reversal Law
A bill that would require doctors to tell patients that a medically-induced abortion may be reversed is going before the Oklahoma governor for consideration.
SB 614 would require signs to be posted in facilities where abortions are performed. Doctors would be required to tell women that the abortion can be reversed after they take one of two abortion-inducing pills.
“If you continue to perform the abortion without the signage posted, without the notice, then there are penalties and fines associated,” said House bill author Rep. Mark Lepak, R-Claremore. “If it’s a doctor, you could be charged with a felony. If it’s facility, then you could be charged $10,000 a day.”
Lepak said the bill would give women one more chance to reconsider their decision for an abortion.
“A number of women have regret after the abortion. They may have a regret during the process but, if they don’t know there may be a way to reverse the process, then they just don’t know,” Lepak told News 4. “There are a lot of things in this world that, once you make a decision, you can’t undo. This is perhaps one that you can change your mind and you still have some hope that you could deliver a happy, healthy baby.”
Meanwhile, opponents of the bill say there’s no guarantee the abortion can be “reversed.”
“We like to see a sample group of thousands of patients,” said Dr. Melinda Cail with Primary…
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. – 2 Corinthians 3:18
Have you ever thought about the fact that man is the only creature God created who has to wear clothing to cover himself? All the other creatures grow their own coverings. Some grow fur, some feathers, others scales or leathery hide. But all are clothed from the inside out!
Most people don’t realize it, but in the beginning, man was clothed that way too. He was made in the image of God. And, if you’ll look in Ezekiel 8:2, you’ll find that God is clothed in fire from the loins up and from the loins down. That fire is His glory emanating outward from His innermost being.
When man was first created, he was like that too. He was covered with the very glory of God. It radiated from his inner being outward. That’s why he had no sense of nakedness until after he sinned and the glory departed from him.
It was a tragic day when man lost that glorious covering. But I want you to know something today. It’s not lost forever. The Word of God says we can gain it back.
You see, when you put your faith in the blood of Jesus and were born again, the glory of God once again took up residence in you. It may be well-hidden right now, but believe me, it’s in there.
And the Bible says that as you gaze into the Lord’s face by studying the Word and fellowshiping with Him, as you renew your mind to understand who you are in Christ, you’ll be changed into His image on the outside as well. As you learn to hear His voice and obey it, you’ll start giving outward expression of the glory within you. Little by little, you’ll be turned inside out!
Instead of simply staring into your closet every morning, spend some time gazing at Jesus and beholding His Word. Let Him clothe you in His radiant presence. Once His glory starts shining through, anything you wear will look beautiful on you.
Scripture Reading: Psalm 8
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.
Luke 8:50, ‘But when Jesus heard it, he answered him saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.’
Matthew 9:23-31; Mark 5:35-43; Luke 8:49-56
Jesus told Jairus to ‘believe only,’ implying that faith and fear can operate in us at the same time. This is also the reason James tells us not to be double-minded, or to waiver (Jas. 1:5-8). Fear will negate faith. We can have both thoughts of faith and thoughts of unbelief at the same time.
Fear and faith are opposing forces. Fear is actually faith in reverse. Fear is believing something or someone other than God. Therefore, fear makes us subject to Satan and his death just as faith makes us recipients of all that God has to offer. This is the reason Jesus told Jairus, ‘Fear not.’ Jairus’ fear would have sealed his daughter’s death.
Instead of trying to build huge amounts of faith to overcome our fears and unbelief, a simpler method is to remove our fears by cutting off their source. Then, our simple ‘child-like’ faith that remains will do the job. It doesn’t take big faith – just pure faith.
Where does fear come from? Second Timothy 1:7 says, ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love, and of a sound mind.’ It doesn’t come from God. The way that fear is able to come upon us is that we take our attention off of Jesus and put it on our situation.
Fear or doubt cannot ‘just overcome’ us. We have to let it in. In the same way that faith comes by hearing the Word of God, fear comes by hearing or seeing something contrary to God’s Word. We would not be tempted with fear or doubt if we didn’t consider things that Satan uses to minister that fear and doubt.
Satan tries to distract us with thinking about our problems. No problem is too big for God. We should cast our concern about the problem over on God and just keep our eyes on Jesus, the Word.
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).
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
