The government of Quebec has introduced legislation to ban certain public sector staff in positions of “authority” from displaying items such as a Christian crucifix, Muslim hijab, Jewish kippah or Sikh turban.
Notes accompanying the bill – entitled ‘An Act respecting the laicity of the State’ – said: “The purpose of this bill is to affirm the laicity of the State and to set out the requirements that follow from it.
“The bill proposes to prohibit certain persons from wearing religious symbols while exercising their functions.
“However, the prohibition does not apply to certain persons holding positions at the time the bill is introduced, subject to the conditions specified by the bill.”
The proposed law is expected to win enough support from politicians to become law.
Provincial governments in Quebec have sought in previous years to clampdown on religious symbols, in order to promote their vision of secular society.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association say they intend to fight “by every means available” a secularism bill introduced by the Quebec government https://t.co/Sr4DqeSu3o
— Canadian Civil Liberties Association (@cancivlib) March 29, 2019
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association said it was joining forces with the National Council of Canadian Muslims to challenge “by every means available” the…
Hope can be fleeting for those in ministry—and even more so for those focused on revitalization. Today, we discuss six specific sources of hope for pastors.
Episode Highlights:
“Find your affirmation in ministry in what Jesus has accomplished for you and what He will continue to accomplish for you.”
“Pastors, if the only time you’re in the Word is for sermon prep, that’s a problem.”
“The Lord often uses relationships in our lives to encourage us.”
Learning brings hope when you go into things with your eyes open.
The six places we discuss are:
Acts 6:4.
In a peer community.
With a mentor.
By continuing to learn.
With an intercessory prayer team.
With a long-term perspective.
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.
Small Town’s Prayers in Jesus’ Name Come Under Fire
A small Ohio town is being criticized for opening its council meetings with prayer – with some of them being distinctly Christian prayers.
At one recent council meeting in Mount Sterling, Ohio, Dortha Ross, associate pastor of Mount Sterling Church of the Nazarene, prayed: “We are thankful that, God, you are our creator, and that you sent your Son, Jesus, as our Redeemer.”
The Columbus Dispatch reported that Councilman David Timmons ended another prayer by saying, “In Jesus’ wonderful name, Amen.”
Mount Sterling’s population is about 1,700.
Chris Line, an attorney with the Freedom From Religion Foundation, said the group may not file a lawsuit but that the prayers are troubling.
“If you’re giving a Christian prayer, and only a Christian prayer, that’s where you really get into problems,” Line told The Dispatch.
Mayor Billy Martin said he is “determined to have prayer at the opening of each meeting.”
But religious liberty groups say the prayers are permissible under the U.S. Constitution and are rooted in American history.
“The practice of opening public meetings with prayer is as old as our country,” Jeremy Dys, an attorney with First Liberty, told Fox News. “All Americans are free to pray (or not) before public meetings according to the dictates of their consciences.”
Earlier this week, a Republican Pennsylvania legislator…
Topic: From Sons to Servants [Kenneth Copeland Devotional 31 March 2019]
And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke. – Acts 2:18-19
You and I are living in the most exciting days this earth has ever seen. All around us God is pouring out His Spirit in preparation for the endtime revival that will bring this whole age to a glorious close.
Some of God’s children are just standing by as spectators, watching Him work. Others, however, have become a vital part of it all. They’ve volunteered for service in this great end-time army. They’ve become what the Bible calls the servants and handmaidens of God.
Who are those servants and handmaidens? They are those who have committed themselves totally to their Lord. They are those who, instead of being content simply to be born-again children of God, have gone even further, stepping into servanthood out of love for the Father.
The servants and handmaidens of God are those who’ve said, “I want to be involved in what God is doing in this hour. I want to be His bondslave, available to do His bidding 24 hours a day.”
Those who make that powerful decision are experiencing the great outpouring of God’s Spirit that Peter spoke of in Acts 2. They are the ones whose Spirit-inspired words of prophecy and prayer are releasing the power of God upon the earth. They are the ones whose words are opening the way for the signs and wonders.
Do you want to be among them? You can be. God wants you to be. In fact, He needs you to be!
He needs those who will cut every cord that binds them to this natural world. He needs people He can call on in the middle of the night for intercession. People who will get up and do it no matter how tired they may be.
That’s the quality and depth of dedication servanthood requires. It’s a demanding role but its rewards are rich. Those who are willing to fill that role will be God’s mouthpiece here on the earth in these final days. They will be vehicles of His Spirit and of His mighty power. They will be key players in the Holy Spirit’s greatest earthly production.
Make a decision now to become one of them. Take the step of faith into servanthood today.
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.
As I noted yesterday, discrimination is also escalating in America against those who affirm biblical morality. We are certainly not facing aggression on a level experienced by Jews around the world, but Jesus’ prediction for his followers is nonetheless true for us: “The world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:14).
It would be easy to abandon hope for our culture. But it’s always too soon to give up on the future because it’s always too soon to give up on God.
“Let this cup pass from me”
I led a study tour of Israel last week. On Thursday, our group spent a very moving hour in the Garden of Gethsemane. I read from Matthew 26, where Jesus pled with his Father, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me” (v. 39).
Why did our Savior seek so fervently to avoid the “cup” that awaited him?
The physical torture Jesus faced would be horrendous. But the greater cost of the cross was spiritual: the Father would place the sins of fallen humanity on his sinless Son. For the only…
Topic: The Unpardonable Sin [Andrew Wommack Devotional 31 March 2019]
Matthew 12:31, “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shalt be forgiven unto men: but blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.”
Text: Luke 12:10; Matthew 12:24-31; Mark 3:22-30
The word “blaspheme” means “to speak evil of; defame; or revile.” In context, Jesus is saying that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is attributing the working of the Holy Spirit to the devil. Many people in the Bible did this, including Saul, who became the Apostle Paul. However, we see in 1 Timothy 1:13, that Paul said he received mercy concerning his blaspnemy because he had done it “ignorantly in unbelief.” Therefore, the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost that Jesus warns about must be the willful reviling of the Holy Ghost with knowledge of what is being done.
This parallels Hebrews 6:4-6, where qualifications are placed on those who can fall away from grace. This passage indicates that only a mature Christian can commit such a thing. Likewise, with blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, rash statements spoken against the Holy Spirit in ignorance or unbelief by those who don’t really know what they are doing can be forgiven.
From our human perspective, no clear line can be drawn as to when someone becomes accountable for blasphemies and has committed this unpardonable sin. We can be assured that God knows the hearts of all men and that He will judge righteously concerning this. However, God’s Word does show us that when anyone becomes a “reprobate,” they lose all conviction from God (Rom. 1:28).
Therefore, anyone who is convicted and repentant over having possibly blasphemed the Holy Ghost has not yet reached the place where it is unpardonable or they wouldn’t care. Keep your heart tender and sensitive to Him. Listen to His voice speak to you through His Word today.
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).
He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus . . . —2 Corinthians 4:14
The resurrection of Christ brings hope. The late Emil Brunner once said, “What oxygen is for the lungs, such is hope for the meaning of human life.” As the human organism is dependent on a supply of oxygen, so humanity is dependent on its supply of hope. Yet today hopelessness and despair are everywhere. Peter, who himself was given to despair during the episode of Calvary, writes in a triumphant note, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again into a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
There is hope that mistakes and sins can be forgiven. There is hope that we can have joy, peace, assurance, and security in the midst of the despair of this age. There is hope that Christ is coming soon—this is what is called in Scripture “the blessed hope.” There is hope that there will come some day a new heaven and a new earth, and that the Kingdom of God will reign and triumph. Our hope is not in our own ability, or in our goodness, or in our physical strength. Our hope is instilled in us by the resurrection of Christ.
Prayer for the day: My hope is in You, my resurrected Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! May I never despair, as I remember Your triumph and love.
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.
Spiritual casualness equals uselessness in the hands of God.
SCRIPTURE: Woe unto them that are at ease in Zion. Amos 6:1.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Spiritual casualness equals uselessness in the hands of God.
Previously, we saw that dedication to God means seriousness with God; God can never do serious things with unserious people. An unserious Christian cannot amount to anything in life. Spiritual casualness equals uselessness in the Hands of God.
From our anchor Scripture, we understand that the lifestyle of ease attracts a curse; to be at ease is to exist under the climate of the curse. The life of ease is a cursed life (Amos 6:1). Many people blame their challenges and predicaments in life on attacks from witches and wizards but they never consider the fact that being at ease spiritually can attract calamities in life. The reason why the devil is trying to overrun our country is that a great number of Christians are nominal Christians. The church is filled with people but the number of those who carry fire is very few; people who really mean business with God are few. So, the devil and his agents are on rampage wasting the lives of innocent people. It is very disheartening to find out that unbelievers are at the helm of affairs in various institutions and arms of Government; in the various spheres of life like the business, manufacturing, educational, etc., it is unbelievers you see in charge of affairs. Sinners are placed ahead of the believers who are in the same field. Beloved, it is not supposed to be so.
Today, I encourage you to make the decision to go far with God; refuse to be a casual, nominal and average Christian.
Remember this: Spiritual casualness equals uselessness in the hands of God.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Refuse to exist under the curse that ease and complacency bring.
Be productive and active always. Shun the lifestyle of idleness.
PRAYER: O Lord, I ask that You enlarge my spiritual stamina as I feed on Your Word until every yoke in my life breaks, in Jesus’ Name.
FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: UNDERSTANDING DEDICATION
DAILY READING: Deuteronomy 16:1 to 17:20, Luke 9:7 to 27, Psalm 72:1 to 20, Proverbs 12:8 to 9.
QUOTE: Laziness equals decadence. Where a man is lazy, his life and destiny decay. The easiest way to get a destiny rotten is to be inactive. When water is left open for a while it becomes stagnant – it stinks. Culled from 21 FOOLISH THINGS PEOPLE DO by Dr Paul Enenche.
AMAZING FACT: One day on Mercury lasts about 1,408 hours.
TODAY IN HISTORY: 31/11/1918 – Daylight saving time goes into effect in the United States for the first time.
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
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: “And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount” (Exodus 26:30).
MESSAGE:
In many societies nowadays, collapse of buildings and other architectural structures is on the rise. Experts have blamed the ugly trend on the refusal or inability of some construction engineers to heed to the recommended specifications.
Sadly, a good number of people have died prematurely as a result of such accidents resulting from collapse of buildings. While death tolls continue to mount, some building contractors and other employers have remained unperturbed. Unlike man, God is orderly. He takes into account every minute thing; hence, the specifications for the tabernacle.
The Almighty did not just abandon the job of decision making on the choice of building materials to the builders. He saw the need to give a prior directive. This was to ensure beauty, acceptability and durability of the structure.
The passage is a challenge to every true believer. The Christian journey calls for implicit obedience. Questioning the divine instructions amounts to wilful disobedience, and by extension, sinfulness. Israel did not look at the seemingly complicated nature of the instructions on the pattern for the tabernacle, neither did they brush the instructions aside. But they heeded it even at the time it was very difficult to obey.
Likewise, we must be ready to obey God’s instructions. Our prayer should be that God should grant us, first, a willing heart; and second, the grace to obey without murmur. It is, however, important to note that believers are the authentic tabernacle of God, for He does not dwell in a tabernacle built by hand any more.
We are to ensure that our Christian life is strong to withstand any adverse weather.
Thought For The Day: The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.
The Bible In One Year: John 1-3
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: Happy Mothers’ Day (Mountain Of Fire and Miracle Ministries, MFM Daily Devotional 31 March 2019)
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judges 11-12; Luke 6:1-26
FIRE SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 31:15-31
MEMORY VERSE: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6
The MESSAGE:
Dear mother, are you guilty as charged? Do you know that you are a steward and will give account to God on how you played your role as a mother to your children?
On this occasion of Mother’s Day, women who are not playing their motherly roles right need to turn a new leaf. Some mothers have abandoned their parental role to housemaids. They see their children, God’s special gifts, only once in a week (Sundays). Some children do not really know who their mothers are because it is the housemaid they see all the time. They are confused. Mothers who have been denying their children quality time and attention will fail the stewardship test of God and be punished accordingly. Why should your career or business be more important than your child or children? Any work you do that does not give you room to serve God and take good care of your husband and children the way you ought to should be changed. A good mother must be responsible and accountable to God and her family. When you deny your children quality time, attention and motherly affection so much so that they hardly see you and are beginning to take grandma or the housemaid or a neighbour helping you look after them as their mother, you have failed in your duties and responsibilities to God and the children!
Some mothers leave their 15 years old daughters in charge of their younger ones. Such mothers leave the house before 7am and return at 8pm or 9pm. The truth is that the 15 year oldest child is not old enough to be left alone, neither is she old enough to be given the task of looking after her younger ones. Worse still, some of such mothers do not leave food and money for the children. Such teenage girls have been lured by wicked male neighbours and abused. Who is to be blamed? It is their mother.
Dear mother, don’t ever think your children do not see or note what you do. Be careful the things you do or say in their presence. Mothers who still have ungodly relationship with men outside their matrimonial homes are bad examples to their young sons and daughters. Likewise, mothers who put up ungodly attitudes like lying, stealing, quarreling need to know that their children will one day exhibit those traits. Today, resolve to be your child’s role model. Be the Bible they read and lead them to the Lord and His ways. Heaven will reward you handsomely for all these. Happy Mothers’ day!
MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE: A MOTHER IS THE ONE WHO IS STILL THERE WHEN EVERYONE HAS DESERTED YOU.
PROPHETIC WORD: You shall not labour loss over your children.
PRAYER POINTS:
MORNING
My Father, make me an excellent mother, in the name of Jesus.
You the destiny of my children, receive the touch of God, in the name of Jesus.
Every power calling the name and the heads of the children for evil, die by fire, in the name of Jesus. EVENING
My Father, help me to be a good mother to my children, in the name of Jesus.
Any power working against the success of my home, fall down and die, in the name of Jesus.
O God, arise and make my children great in life, in the name of Jesus.
Divine hand of fire, buy back my children from every satanic market where they have been sold, 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.
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