Topic: God With Multiple Names [Teens’ Open Heavens Wednesday 21st, February 2018]

Memorise: …and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince Of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6b

Read: Isaiah 9:6

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Bible In One Year: Numbers 5-6, Mark 4:1-20

MESSAGE:

It is the practice in public functions to introduce the special guests or dignitaries present. One person that may not be so easy to introduce is Jesus Christ. Each time He introduces Himself, He does it with a new name or title. If you meet Him today, He may say “I am the Word of God”. When you meet tomorrow, He may tell you He is the Lamb of God. The next time you meet with Him, He may introduce Himself as the Door. Occasionally, He may combine two and say He is the Resurrection and the Life. Sometimes, He may even roll three together and say: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”.

The God that we serve has uncountable names and it is so because God arranged it to meet each of our needs. Whatever your need, there is provision for you in one of His names and titles. In Luke 2:10 the angels introduced Him as Good tiding of Great Joy, this season, you shall receive good news in Jesus’ name.

Prayer Point: Lord Jesus, because you are the Good Tidings of Great Joy, terminate evil news coming my way and cause me to hear only good news throughout this year.

Hymn 8:

1. Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.

2. Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above,
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

3. To all life thou givest to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish, but nought changeth Thee.

4. Great Father of Glory, pure Father of Light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render; o help us to see;
‘Tis only the splendour of light hideth Thee.

5. Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise

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: Judged By The Company You Keep [Open Heavens 21 Wednesday February 2018]

Memorise: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” – 2 Corinthians 6:14

Read: 2 Chronicles 18:28-32 (KJV)

28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.

29 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle.

30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight ye not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel.

31 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

32 For it came to pass, that, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him.

Bible in One Year: Leviticus 19-20; 1 Corinthians 8:1-9:7

MESSAGE

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” – Psalm 1:1

Why does the Holy Spirit counsel us not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful? It is simply because you will be judged by the company you keep. The story in today’s text is food for thought and a lesson to all those who think they can still keep their old friends after their new birth experience. Jehoshaphat, the godly king of Judah went in the company of Ahab, the evil king of Israel, to fight a battle. Despite the warning by God’s prophet that the outcome of the battle would not be favorable, he still went ahead with Ahab to fight in this battle (2 Chronicle 18:9-16). Meanwhile, Ahab decided to disguise himself as an ordinary soldier, while he persuaded Jehoshaphat to dress in his royal robes. Unknown to Jehoshaphat, the king of Syria had instructed his soldiers to go after the king of Israel alone. So, on sighting Jehoshaphat dressed in royal apparel, the soldier went after him, thinking he was the king of Israel. He would have been killed, but for divine intervention. One lesson here is that the king of Judah would not have been attacked if he had not kept company with an evil king who was under God’s judgment (2 Chronicle 18:27). Another lesson is that keeping company with the ungodly exposes you to the dangers of a fraudulent lifestyle. Why did King Ahab disguise himself as if he was not a king? One can only assume that his motive was to set Jehoshaphat up for intense attack.

There have been stories of young school girls who have been defiled because of the promiscuous company that they kept. So-called “friends” have set friends up for gang rape. One reason why children of God must be wary of keeping company with the ungodly is that the children of this world know how to maneuver through the dangers of a sinful life, but the children of light don’t know the ways of this world (Luke 16:8). The story was told of a good boy who went out for the very first time in the company of drug addicts. Unfortunately, they were raided by law enforcement agents and this boy was arrested along with the drug addicts. His parents could not believe it when the news got to them. A Christian who keeps company with the ungodly will end up becoming a victim. It is certain that nothing good can come out of such relationships. Therefore, be careful of the people you associate or partner with.

Action Point: Check out the friends and brethren you associate with. Withdraw from any one of them who exhibits ungodly attitudes.

Hymn 5: I Have Decided To Follow Jesus

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

2. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

3. Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

4. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

5. Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.

Flatimes’ Notice Board: Please do not prolong your salvation if you have not repented. Many are going home daily and tomorrow maybe too late…There is still hope, JESUS LOVES YOU!

Open Heavens 13th February 2018, 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: Avoid Satan’s Bait [Teens’ Open Heavens Tuesday 20th, February 2018]

Memorise: Till a dart strikes through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Proverbs 7:23

Read: Judges 16:15-21

15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.

16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;

17 That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.

19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

Bible In One Year: Numbers 3-4, Mark 3:22-25

MESSAGE:

It is pretty difficult to catch an eagle because of the attitude at which it flies. If you fly high spiritually, it will be very difficult for you to be caught by Satan’s traps. Occasionally, it is possible to ensnare and capture eagles that fly overhead in the jungle. To capture an eagle that has been sighted, hunters clear a space in the jungle from which it can be monitored. This space also gives it a clear view of the bait that has been set for it. The bait is usually a robust chicken with a rope tied around its neck so that it can only move within a circle in the space that has been created. Eagles love to eat chickens, so when it sees the chicken, it will zoom downwards at a very high speed to pick it up; but the rope will not let it go with the chicken. Before it realizes what is happening, the hunters would have covered it with a net.

This is similar to how the devil gets divine eagles. He uses what they love most as bait. This is why we must be wary of anything that appears too good and yet too easy to get. It could be a bait to get you into Satan’s snare. Be very careful and watchful.

Key Point: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Hymn 16:

1. Christian, seek not yet repose
Hear thy gracious Savior say;
Thou art in the midst of foes:
Watch and pray.

2. Principalities and powers
Mustering their unseen array
Wait for the unguarded hours:
Watch and pray

3. Gird the heavenly armor on,
Wear it ever night and day;
Ambushed lies the evil one:
Watch and pray.

4. Hear the victors who o’ercame,
Still they mark each warriors’s way;
All with one sweet voice exclaim,
Watch and pray.

5. Hear, above all, hear thy Lord,
Him thou loves to obey;
Hide within thy heart His word:
Watch and pray.

6. Watch, as if on that alone
Hung the issue of the day;
Pray, that help may be sent down:
Watch and pray.

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: There Should Be No Complex [Open Heavens 20 Tuesday February 2018]

Memorise: “But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” – 1 Corinthians 12:11

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:1-12 (KJV)

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

Bible in One Year: Leviticus 17-18; 1 Corinthians 7:17-40

MESSAGE

There is one silent source of confusion in the body of Christ which must be addressed for the sake of the advancement of God’s kingdom. It is a combination of attitudes and feelings known as the “complex”. A complex is a mental or psychological state that should be alien to the Body of Christ. It manifests itself as inferiority or superiority complex. Ironically, the church has lived with this issue through the ages. Apostle Paul in today’s text warns us against the manifestation of such attitudes- whether as inferiority or superiority complex. How does the issue of “complex” operate in the Body of Christ? It is through the exhibition of spiritual gifts. There was an issue with the demonstration of spiritual gifts in the Church at Corinth, whereby some offices were considered superior and some other spiritual gifts were looked down on as inferior. Against this background, Paul wrote to the Corinthian brethren to enlighten them on the distribution and operation of the different offices and spiritual gifts in the body of Christ. The analogy of human body parts used by Paul to explain this spiritual truth is very profound. In 1 Corinthians 12:17, Paul rhetorically asks,

“If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?”

The truth is that the whole body cannot be the eyes; if this where the case there would be no movement, which is the prerogative of the legs. Therefore, if the eye cannot do without the legs and the ears cannot do without the nose, why should the eyes or ears think that they are superior to the legs or nose? Unfortunately, this was the situation in the Church at Corinth, as is the case in a typical church organization today. We must recognize this reality and work towards eradicating the anomaly by continuously teaching ourselves the truth of God’s word. The most important thing about spiritual gifts is that their recipients must use them for the edification of the Body Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13, 1 Corinthians 12:7). Another mystery of spiritual gifts is that those gifts which some consider as less important are equally as important as those held in high esteem (Corinthians 12:22-25). For example, if we ignore the ministry of intercession because intercessors are often not known or seen like the evangelist and minstrels, the Church may become a comfortable zone for demons to operate, and then the preacher and the choir will preach and sing with no effect. The Church must begin to appreciate the gifts of God in each member of the Body of Christ and celebrate them for who they are as very important and valuable. There should be no complex of any kind.

Action Point: Identify the spiritual gifts God has deposited in your life and begin to use them for the advancement of God’s kingdom in your local church assembly.

Hymn 15: Nearer My God To Thee.

Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
Darkness comes over me, my rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

There let me see the sight, an open Heaven;
All that Thou sendest me, in mercy given;
Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise;
So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee. Nearer to Thee!

Flatimes’ Notice Board: Please do not prolong your salvation if you have not repented. Many are going home daily and tomorrow maybe too late…There is still hope, JESUS LOVES YOU!

Open Heavens 20th February 2018, 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.