TOPIC: Gideon [Sunday, 13th May 2018]

MEMORY VERSE: “And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.” – Judges 6:12 (scroll down for SUNDAY SCHOOL HYMN)

BIBLE PASSAGE: Judges 6:11-16

11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

INTRODUCTION:

Gideon, also called Jerubbaal (Judges 6:29,32), was of the tribe of Manasseh. He was the son of Joash, of the family of Abiezer (Judges 6:11). He was a valiant and prudent judge of Israel, particularly the eastern and northern tribes, (B. C. 1249 to 1209). He resided in Ophrah, east of the Jordan, a region often ravanged in harvest-time by the wandering tribes on its eastern border. Being called of God to deliver his people, and encouraged by signs from Heaven, he defeated the Midiantites, and caused Israel to dwell in safety for many years. Gideon had many wives and seventy sons (Judges 8:30). He also had a son named Abimelech by a concubine in Shechem (Judges 8:31). Died in “a good old age, and was buried in the sepulcher of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites” (Judges 8:32).

LESSON OUTLINES
1. Character and achievements
2. Lessons from his life

CHARACTER AND ACHIEVEMENT
Gideon was a humble man who did not believe he was capable of saving Israel because his family was poor and he was the least in his father’s house (Judges 6:15). An angel of the LORD appeared to him and delivered God’s commission to him – he was a “mighty man of valour; God was with him, and would “save Israel”. (Judges 6:12,14). Gideon as reluctant to believe that God would be with him and asked for a sign, which God gave (Judges 6:16-24).
Gideon gathered an army of 22,000 men to fight the Midianites, but God cut it to 300 so all would know that it was God that won the battle (Judges 7:2-4).

LESSONS FROM HIS LIFE
1. Christians must always be ready. God may call you at any time to accomplish His purpose (Isaiah 6:8).
2. You must always remember that God “gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
3. God gives us the power to do whatever He tells us to do, no matter how difficult it may seem to be (Philippians 2:13; 3:14).
4. Courage in the face of adversity can accomplish great things (Deuteronomy 31:6).
5. Victory over the battles of life is not achieved through human ability but through divine interventions (Zechariah 4:6; Exodus 14:13-14; 2 Chronicles 20:17).

CONCLUSION:
Often times, when God wants to accomplish a great task, He does not call the qualified but qualifies the called.

QUESTIONS:
1. Identify the character of the man, Gideon.
2. What are the lessons to learn from the life of Gideon?

Click to read previous RCCG Sunday School STUDENT Manual May 6th, 2018 Lesson 36 — Nehemiah

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?

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Topic: You are the Builder of Your Home (1)

Dear Reader,

Greetings in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. By the special grace of God, all through this month, I shall be discussing on You are the Builder of your Home. This week, I shall be discussing one of such vital keys, which is wisdom.

Wisdom:

Wisdom is hearing the sayings of our Lord Jesus Christ and doing them. It is the correct application of knowledge. It demands that you take correct steps in line with all you will learn from God this month concerning your home. Only then, can you begin to reap the fruits of a sweet and a successful home. The Bible says: Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock (Matthew 7:24). The place of wisdom in building a successful home cannot be overemphasized. The Word of God says: Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding (Proverbs 4:7).

Wisdom is the principal thing on which all other things rest. A home is meant to be built for it to be successful. The Bible says: Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established (Proverbs 24:3). Therefore, to build a successful home, wisdom is required. A wise man said, “Courtship brings out the best, marriage brings out the rest.” That is why you need the God-given wisdom to know your spouse, adapt to him or her, and bring out the best that God has designed for your home.

Accept your responsibilities: You are the builder of your home. Stop wishing! Work on making your home a success and you will reap the fruits of your labour! Expectation is the mother of manifestation. What do you expect your home to be? Success or failure, stressful or stress-free, full of troubles or peace? Then, get down to work.

If you expect success in your home, then apply the wisdom of God. Be a doer of the Word! Do whatever He tells you to do. This is wisdom. When you do your part, God is committed to making your home a success. He can never fail. The Bible instructs all husbands to dwell with their wives according to knowledge (1 Peter 3:7). Understand her nature. When a man understands the nature of his wife and works according to that understanding, problems are less likely to arise in that home. Realise that she is a wife, mother, and homemaker all at once, and these place demands on her. Be considerate towards her and be available to minister to her needs. Don’t wait for her to play her part first. Live by example. Wives are not to be treated as slaves or inferior human beings, rather they should be held in respect. This is the wisdom of God! Men who beat their wives exhibit folly and sin against God.

God has placed the building of the house into your hands. The Bible says: Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands (Proverbs 14:1). Don’t operate in foolishness. Don’t pluck down your home, operate in the wisdom of God. Abide with God’s instructions. They are not grievous. Even if you happen to be married to a man whose level of understanding is lower than yours; remember Abigail. Through her wisdom and understanding, she saved her home even though she had a foolish husband.

Identify your husband’s weaknesses and help him to work on them. Learn to appreciate his good points, point out his mistakes in a kind and loving manner. This is God’s wisdom. Embrace it! If you abide by God’s instruction, it will make your home precious before God and before men. Here is the testimony of a sister who wisely applied God’s Word as she was taught and obtained a positive result.

As husband and wife, you are the builders of your home. Marriage can be likened to a physical house. Houses in the physical don’t just happen, they are consciously built. You don’t just wake up one day and see a physical house grow up somewhere. It takes conscious effort and input to make it happen. In the same manner, and even much more, a good marriage doesn’t just happen, it is consciously made to happen. The Word of God says, Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established (Proverbs 24:3).

You have the duty to build it the way you want it to be. Stop shifting your responsibilities to God! As my husband would always say, “Any faith that makes God absolutely responsible for the happenings of your life is an irresponsible faith”. The act of building is your responsibility. You must fulfill your own part for God to fulfill His own.

Look at this sister’s testimony:

“My husband did not attend any programme throughout the Breakthrough Seminar. I did not know what was wrong, but I put it in prayers. When the Bishop asked us to write a list of what we don’t want again, I said my husband must come back and give his life fully to Christ. He used to attend services before, but all of a sudden, he stopped participating in the prayer we hold at home.

I knew I am more than conquerors. I said, ‘You this devil, you must get out of this home, there is no room for you here’. I believed God to grant all my desire. The following Sunday my husband came to church; and since then, he’s the one that wakes us all up for prayers!

-Okorie, T.

I see God giving you your own testimony!

You need wisdom to build your home and God is the source of that wisdom. If, peradventure, you are not born again and you want to accept Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour, then 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: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building A Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored)

“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 You are the Builder of Your Home (Part 1) by Pastor Faith Oyedepo appeared first on Flatimes.

Topic: Persevering with Peace [Our Daily Bread 11 Friday May, 2018]

Read: Psalm 3, Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 13–14; John 2

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. Psalm 3:5

As I continue trusting God through my struggles with chronic pain, even the simplest setback can feel like a fierce enemy attacker. Problem One jabs me from the right. Problem Two shoves me from behind. Problem Three punches me square in the nose. During these times, when my strength wanes and immediate relief evades me, running and hiding can seem like a good idea. But since I can’t escape my pain, change my circumstances, or ignore my emotions, I’m learning slowly to rely on God to carry me through.

When I need encouragement, comfort, and courage, I prayerfully read through the songs of the psalmists, who honestly bring their situations to God. In one of my favorite psalms, King David flees from Absalom, his son who wanted to kill him and take his kingdom. Though David lamented his painful situation (Psalm 3:1–2), he trusted God’s protection and expected Him to answer his prayers (vv. 3–4). The king didn’t lose sleep worrying or fearing what could happen, because he trusted God to sustain and save him (vv. 5–8).

Physical and emotional pain can often feel like aggressive adversaries. We may be tempted to give up or wish we could escape when we’re weary and can’t see the end of our current battle. But, like David, we can learn to trust that God will hold us up and help us rest in His constant and loving presence.

Prayer: Lord, thanks for giving us rest in the peace of Your constant presence and assuring us of the victory You’ve already won.

God offers us peace as He holds us up and carries us through every trial.

Insight:

In addition to the Psalms, the New Testament has a lot to say about perseverance through trials. The book of Acts tells the account of the apostle Peter who was preparing to stand trial after being unjustly imprisoned by King Herod for eight days. Undoubtedly he would be executed. But Peter didn’t lose any sleep over his impending death. In fact “the night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep” (Acts 12:6 nlt). Peter experienced peace—peace that can come only through trusting God—because the church was earnestly praying for him (vv. 5, 12).

The apostle Paul wrote about tranquility in his letter to the Philippians: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7).

When we can’t sleep because we’re troubled by the trials of life, instead of counting sheep we can talk to our Good Shepherd. Jesus promised, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 14:27).

What worries keep you awake at night? Ask God to help you find the peace you need. K. T. Sim

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

This message was written By Xochitl Dixon [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

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