122 Killed by Japanese Flooding and Mudslides – Urban Christian News

Rescuers combed through mud-covered hillsides and near riverbanks Tuesday to look for dozens of people still missing after days of heavy rains caused flooding and mudslides in southwestern Japan, where the death toll has risen to 122.

Officials and reports say more than 80 people are still unaccounted for, many of them in the hardest-hit Hiroshima area. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 122 people have been confirmed dead as of early Tuesday.

Several days of heavy rainfall that weather officials have called historic set off flooding and landslides in widespread areas of western Japan, including Hiroshima, Okayama and Ehime prefectures. Many people started to return and check on their homes and begin cleanup after the rain stopped Monday.

The government has set up a taskforce to speed up deliveries of supplies and other support for evacuation centers and residents in the region, but disrupted roads and other ground transportation have delayed shipment, raising concerns of shortages.

Minoru Katayama, 86, rushed back to his home in Mabi city, in Okayama prefecture, on Monday, and found his 88-year-old wife, Chiyoko, dead on the first floor. Floodwaters rose so fast they caught the couple by surprise.

“My wife could not climb up the stairs, and nobody else was around to help us out,” Katayama told national broadcaster NHK. His wife was among more than 20 people who were found dead in the city, where a river dike collapsed.

The assessment of casualties has been difficult because of the widespread area affected. Officials in Ehime prefecture asked the central government to…

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TREM Devotional 10 July 2018 by Dr. Mike Okonkwo – Take It By Faith

Topic: Take It By Faith [TREM Devotional Tuesday July 10, 2018]

“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:2

Grace is a supplier. Grace supplies but faith takes. If you don’t have faith you cannot receive what grace has supplied. Every believer must understand this key truth. Grace supplies food on the table. The banquet is spread but without faith, you won’t take it. It is yours but you need faith to take it. Without faith, you can’t take it. If you don’t believe that it belongs to you, you will still live in sickness. If you don’t believe that it has been given to you free of charge, you will still die of diseases and die of hunger because you failed to take what grace has supplied.

There are many believers who are failing to take what grace has supplied. Everything in this life has been supplied but He tells us that we take it by faith. So, faith is so important that God had to give us faith when we got saved. It is part of your heritage the day you got saved. Every believer has faith.

The book of Romans 12:3 tells us “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Every one of us has the measure of faith. We all started with the same measure. You may not have been developing your own and that is why the Bible talks about little faith, small faith and great faith. It graduates depending on how you exercise your own. Just like your muscles get stronger when you do exercises.

Further reading: Ephesians 2: 1-10

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Job 41-42; Evening- Acts 16:22-40

“If you missed yesterday devotional click HERE to read TREM Daily Devotional by Dr. Mike Okonkwo’

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.

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Seeds of Destiny 10 July 2018 by Pastor Paul Enenche – Existing In The Likeness Of God

Topic: Existing In The Likeness Of God [Seeds of Destiny Tuesday July 10, 2018]

Scripture: And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Genesis 1:26

Thought For The Day: It is an insult on the personality of God to be called a Christian and not look like Christ in character and conduct.

Our anchor Scripture makes it clear that God created us to look like Him. God designed our lives to exist in His likeness. In Acts 11:26, the believers were called Christians first in Antioch because the people saw the life of Christ in them. So, the demand of God, our Creator on us is that we look like Him and reproduce the character of Christ in our lives.

However, today, the reverse is the case in the lives of many children of God. It is common to see people with Christian names who also engage in Christian activities, but do not look like Christ in both appearance and character.

It is an aberration for a man of integrity to have a child who is an armed robber or a virtuous woman to have a child who is a prostitute. This is because these children do not look like their parents in character. In the same manner, it is an insult on the personality of God for us to be called Christians and not look like Christ.

Some people deliberately refuse to be Godly in their appearance; they say that God does not care about how they look or what they wear and that God only looks at the heart. They do all manner of facial transformations that almost make them look like masquerades. They dress unholily simply because of the false belief that God only looks at the heart, and is not bothered by the outward physical appearance of people. But do you need to check the heart of a mad man before you confirm that he is mad? No! The madness in him reflects in his physical appearance. So, it is not possible to be a genuine child of God and people cannot know it from your looks.

Beloved, decide to be like Christ in every area of your life; let your outward appearance show modesty and decorum.

Remember this: It is an insult on the personality of God to be called a Christian and not look like Christ in character and conduct.

Assignments:
1. Make up your mind to be like Christ in every area of your life.
2. Let your appearance show the character of God.

Prayer: O Lord, I ask for the grace to be like You in character. Let my outward appearance not be a temptation to people but let it reflect Your dignity, decency and decorum, Lord, in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: THE DEMANDS OF GOD IN THE LIFE OF A MAN.

Daily Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 9:1 to 10:14, Acts 27:21 to 44, Psalm 8:1 to 9, Proverbs 18:23 to 24.

Amazing Fact: Emu and kangaroo can’t walk backwards.

Today In History: 10/07/1866 – Edison P. Clark patented his indelible pencil.

Quote: Who you are determines your possibilities.’ Culled from Who Are You by Dr Paul Enenche.

Don’t Forget To Attend: The Power packed communion service tomorrow by 4:45pm & 6:30pm. Invite someone as you come.

“If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Seeds of Destiny by Pastor Paul Enenche

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.

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Our Daily Bread Devotional 10 July 2018 – God of the Depths

our-daily-bread-devotional-10-july-2018-God-Depths

Topic: God of the Depths [Our Daily Bread 10 Tuesday July, 2018]

Read: Job 41:12–34, Bible in a Year: Job 41–42; Acts 16:22–40

There is the sea, vast and spacious, . . . and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. Psalm 104:25–26

“When you go to the deep sea, every time you take a sample, you’ll find a new species,” says marine biologist Ward Appeltans. In one recent year, scientists identified 1,451 new types of undersea life. We simply don’t know the half of what’s down there.

In Job 38–40, God reviewed His creation for Job’s benefit. In three poetic chapters, God highlighted the wonders of weather, the vastness of the cosmos, and the variety of creatures in their habitats. These are things we can observe. Then God spoke of the mysterious Leviathan—for an entire chapter. Leviathan is a creature like no other, with harpoon-deflecting armor (Job 41:7, 13), graceful power (v. 12), and “fearsome teeth” (v. 14). “Flames stream from its mouth . . . smoke pours from its nostrils” (vv. 19–20). “Nothing on earth is its equal” (v. 33).

Okay, so God talks about a huge creature we haven’t seen. Is that the point of Job 41?

No! Job 41 broadens our understanding of God’s surprising character. The psalmist expanded on this when he wrote, “There is the sea, vast and spacious, . . . and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there” (Psalm 104:25–26). After the terrifying description in Job, we learn that God created a playpen for this most fearsome of all creatures. Leviathan frolics.

We have the present to explore the ocean. We’ll have eternity to explore the wonders of our magnificent, mysterious, playful God.

Our exploration of creation teaches us about the Creator.

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

This message was written By Tim Gustafson [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

The post Our Daily Bread Devotional 10 July 2018 – God of the Depths appeared first on Flatimes.

Andrew Wommack’s Devotional 10 July 2018 – Our Loving Father

Topic: Our Loving Father [Andrew Wommack Tuesday July 10, 2018]

Luke 11:11 “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?”

The most loving Father in the world cannot compare to our heavenly Father and the love He has for us. And yet, many times, we find it easier to believe in the willingness of a father or mother or mate to help us than in the willingness of God to use His power on our behalf. Relatively few people really doubt God’s ability, but rather, it is our doubt of His willingness to use His ability on our behalf that causes most people to do without. Jesus is assuring us that God’s love, and His willingness to demonstrate that love, is far greater than we can ever experience in any human relationship.

The Lord didn’t just save us out of pity or a sense of obligation as our Creator. He saved us because He loved us (John 3:16). It was the “good pleasure of his will” for us to become adopted sons (Eph.1:5). We are wanted and accepted by our Father! What a wonderful thing this is! It would have been more than any of us deserve to be forgiven by God. Then to be given certain rights and privileges would have been more than we could have expected. But the Lord went further than that. He has actually accepted us.

The dictionary defines “accept” as “1. to receive gladly; 2. to receive into a place or a group” (New American Heritage Dictionary). The Lord does not just tolerate us; He actually loves us. He even likes us. He rejoices over us with joy (Zeph. 3:17).

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Andrew Wommack’s Daily Devotional HERE

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).

The post Andrew Wommack’s Devotional 10 July 2018 – Our Loving Father appeared first on Flatimes.

Billy Graham Devotional 10 July 2018 – Time for Us

Topic: Time for Us [Billy Graham’s Devotional Tuesday July 10, 2018]

Do not worry about your life . . . — Matthew 6:25 (NIV)

Some people ask, “Do you think God has time for me? You don’t know how mixed up my life is, how confused it is; the pressures, the tension at home, the business problems, so many things I couldn’t possibly tell you about, including the sins in my life that I somehow cannot seem to give up.” Yes, God has time for you. When Jesus was dying on the cross, He had time for a thief who turned to Him and said, “Lord, remember me.” That’s all the record tells us that the thief said, “Lord, remember me.” But what he was really saying was, “I’m unworthy. I’ve broken all the laws. I deserve hell. Just remember me.” And Jesus turned to him in that moment and said, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Prayer for the day: Even in Your greatest suffering, Lord Jesus, You had time to assure another of Your love. My heart is comforted to know this caring for my soul is infinite.

“If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Billy Graham’s Daily Devotional HERE 

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.

The post Billy Graham Devotional 10 July 2018 – Time for Us appeared first on Flatimes.

Justin Bieber Reportedly Engaged to Christian Model Hailey Baldwin

Justin Bieber Reportedly Engaged to Christian Model Hailey Baldwin



Justin Bieber is engaged to American model Hailey Baldwin, according to reports.


Baldwin has hosted music award shows and worked as a model for Tommy Hilfiger and Dolce and Gabbana. She was raised as an evangelical Christian. Her father is actor Stephen Baldwin, who has been outspoken about his faith.


Hailey Baldwin has also been open with her faith. Earlier this month, she retweeted a video of a hospital staff praying for its patients.


She has said she’s “not the poster child for Christianity,” but she and Bieber are both members of Hillsong Church.


She has also posted Bible verses on her Instagram page, which boasts a following of nearly 13 million people.


“Not everybody is going to believe in the God that I believe in, but it’s something that I’m not afraid to share with people because I know how it inspires me — how it positively affects my life,” she told Teen Vogue.


“So if you don’t like it, no one is saying that you have to follow what I follow, but I should be free to talk about what I want to. I think that God kind of put me in the place in my life to not be quiet about it, not be quiet about him, but to reach people and to inspire people.”


In the interview, Baldwin said she believes in a relationship with God and not a “set standard of rules” of religion.


“I know a lot of people struggle with the idea of Jesus and their idea of…

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Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.

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God Documents Actions of Every Human Through the ‘Books in Heaven’

(Photo: Harvest America)Pastor Greg Laurie preaches at Harvest America at the University of Phoenix Stadium on June 11, 2017.

California evangelist and megachurch pastor Greg Laurie said during his sermon on Sunday that God uses the “books in Heaven” to keep records and tallies of every action — good and bad — committed by all human beings throughout history.

Laurie, the pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, continued with his sermon series focusing on the “end of days.” After focusing last week on “Angels in the Life of the Believer,” the title of this past weekend’s sermon was “God, the Future and You.”

As the sermon touched on the prophetic similarities between the Old Testament book of Daniel and the New Testament book of Revelation, Laurie assured the audience that Bible prophecy should not be treated by Christians as an “academic exercise” or a “hobby horse” because biblical prophecy has real consequence.

“As we realize these things are true, it should concern us because we know people that are not Christians, right?” the 65-year-old pastor asked. “We don’t want them to face a certain judgment. We want them to join us in Heaven. So it alarms us but it shall also cause us to be concerned about own life and how we are living our life. This all…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – The Christian Post.

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Prince Louis of Cambridge Christened in Traditional Anglican Service

Prince Louis of Cambridge Christened in Traditional Anglican Service



The son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, was christened this afternoon at the Chapel Royal, St. James’ Palace in the United Kingdom.


“Prince Louis was christened by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, who also led the baptism service of Meghan Markle in March,” Express reports. The ceremony lasted about forty minutes and was comprised of hymns, scripture reading, and anthems along with the baptism. The water used to christen Prince Louis was from the Jordan River.


The Duke and Duchess chose six godparents for Prince Louis, who attended the christening: “Nicholas van Cutsem, Guy Pelly, Harry Aubrey-Fletcher, Lady Laura Meade, Hannah Carter and Lucy Middleton.” Other attendants were members of the Royal family, including Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall; the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle; the parents of the Duchess of Cambridge, Michael and Carole Middleton; her sister, Pippa Matthews and husband, James Matthews; and brother James Middleton, among other family friends.


Prince Louis, the youngest child of the Duke and Duchess, was christened in the same gown as his siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The baptismal gown was crafted as a replica of Queen Victoria’s oldest daughter’s baptismal gown, worn in 1841. This “handmade replica of…

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Archeologists Discover Biblical Gate Related to 12 Tribes of Israel

Archeologists Discover Biblical Gate Related to 12 Tribes of Israel



Archaeologists in Israel say they’ve uncovered the entrance gate to Zer, a biblical city from the Old Testament they say was later known as Bethsaida in the New Testament.


The find in the Golan Heights area was made in the past two weeks and was announced Sunday by the Golan Regional Council, according to The Jerusalem Post. Zer is mentioned in Joshua 19:35 as one of the fortified cities for the people of Naphtali, one of the 12 tribes of Israel. The verse reads: “The fortified cities are Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth …”


Archaeologists say Zer was known as Bethsaida in the New Testament. Bethsaida is where Jesus healed a blind man (Mark 8) and fed the 5,000 (Luke 9). It also is where Andrew, Peter and Philip were from (John 1:44).  


The gate find was made by about 20 archaeologists working with Hebrew Union College, The Post reported. Rami Arav, director of the Bethsaida Project, is helping lead the effort.


“There are not many gates in this country from this period. Bethsaida was the name of the city during the Second Temple period, but during the First Temple period it was the city of Zer,” Arav said.


Tourists have been visiting the Bethsaida region for years to see a location Jesus performed miracles. Avi Lieberman, director of the park where Bethsaida is located, said he hopes the new discovery will help draw even more tourists.


“The…

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