The post Kenneth Copeland Devotional 22 August 2019 – No Consolation Prize appeared first on Flatimes.
Billy Graham Devotional 22 August 2019 – God Provides
The post Billy Graham Devotional 22 August 2019 – God Provides appeared first on Flatimes.
South Carolina Town Lifts Ban on Worship Services Being Held in Civic Center
A South Carolina town has lifted its ban on the holding of worship services at its local civic center. Local authorities in Edisto Beach decided to scrap the new rules after being put under pressure by a federal lawsuit filed by a local church.
Around 40 members from Redeemer Fellowship of Edisto Island filed an agreement Monday which ended the lawsuit and allowed worship services to continue once again in the civic center. The suit was originally filed in May after the Edisto Beach City Council ruled that the Edisto Beach Civic Center must not be used for “religious worship services.”
“Defendant Town of Edisto Beach covenants that it will treat ‘religious worship services’ on equal terms with other community groups and uses in its Civic Center policies, including its Facility Use Guidelines,” the agreement reads, according to documents released by Alliance Defending Freedom.
The town agreed to issue the congregation with $3,112.85 in compensation and must also pay the group’s legal fees which amounted to some $50,000.
“We commend Edisto Beach for lifting its ban, which was inconsistent with the town’s own statement that it welcomes ‘civic, political, business, social groups and others’ to use its civic center,” ADF Legal Counsel Christiana Holcomb explained in a statement.
“Its previous policy that singled out one form of…
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Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.
Should we expect perfection from our public figures?
It’s a familiar story: A public figure faces charges of doing something inappropriate years or even decades ago. It could be a serious moral failure, a youthful indiscretion, or a public-policy decision that seems out of step with the times today.
Accusations like these can provide a glimpse of a previously unknown character flaw. Or, even if true, they could be a relic from a different time in the person’s life, before admitting a mistake or learning an important lesson.
“We have a real tension in our culture between wanting to hold people accountable for past actions and the belief that people can change their behavior over time,” University of Texas psychology professor Dr. Arthur Markman said. “We often encourage people to adopt a growth mindset and to engage in constant learning and development. But people are often cynical about public figures (like actors and politicians) and often believe that their private behavior is a better view of their character than their public statements.”
The “gotcha” culture of politics
This summer, rival candidates peppered Joe Biden with questions about his record in the Democratic presidential debates. Biden has a long history of public service, having joined the Senate in 1973 and served there until 2009, when he became vice president under Barack Obama. One question in the debates centered on an op-ed Biden wrote for a small-town Maryland newspaper in 1981. “That was a long time ago,” Biden responded.
Dr. Darrell Bock, Executive Director for Cultural Engagement at the Hendricks Center at Dallas Theological Seminary, said that there is a “gotcha” culture in politics, where leaders make sport of catching their partisan rivals in mistakes. “It leaves little inclination to be gracious or give another any benefit of the doubt,” he said. “Another factor is that sometimes changes in view are not motivated by conviction but by political expediency.”
Last fall,…
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Authorities close churches in Algeria
Following the closure of buildings in the northern regions of Akbou and Ighzer Amokrane on Sunday, MEC has reported that a total of eight churches have been sealed across the country over the past 21 months, seven of which are affiliated with the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA).
It comes after the launch of a government campaign in 2017 to close Christian places of worship and other Christian institutions.
The government requires buildings to obtain a license, permitting them to engage in non-Muslim religious worship, but has refused to issue any since the law was instated in 2006.
As a result, it has become standard practice for churches in the region to rent premises and inform local authorities of their activities.
Five churches have been sealed by authorities for not having licenses, following visits from building safety committees.
MEC have also reported that at least three churches have been ordered to cease all Christian activities.
Parishioners are concerned that their freedoms will continue to be threatened and MEC are urging believers to join them in praying for “the Lord’s peace, wisdom and guidance” for EPA and church leaders and for an end to the persecution faced by the Christian community at the hands of the authorities.
They are also calling for the regulations governing non-Muslim worship to be amended to allow Christians to worship freely.
Stay…
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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.
Hillsong worship leader went to hospital with brain aneurysm
The singer was taken to hospital straight after Sunday’s 8am service at the Hills campus site in Sydney.
She then underwent nine hours of brain surgery and Hillsong church are asking people to pray for her recovery.
An aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel and it can cause sudden agonising headaches, a stiff neck, sickness and pain when looking at light.
Chelsea Taylor had a ruptured anuerysm but is now thought to be out of ICU.
In an Instagram post, Brooke Ligertwood, who wrote ‘What a Beautiful Name It Is’ posted: “Please pray for Chelsea, one of our beloved Sydney team. This is her leading worship at church on Sunday – she was rushed to hospital shortly afterwards, has since come through a major surgery and needs our prayer. This girl is very dear to our hearts.”
Hillsong Creative posted on Sunday: “she’s a worshipper, a lover of Jesus and one of the purest hearts ever – and tonight she could do with your prayers. She has just come through a 9 hour brain surgery and we are believing for no more bleeds complete healing and miracles in Jesus name – we are not out of the woods by any means – tonight she is in ICU but we believe in Jesus, his resurrection power and for hope to appear (@zellataylor and all your family we are on your team). #iloveus #ourpeople #praylikeshesyourstoo”
Hillsong worship leader Matty Crocker, who wrote the song Oceans, posted: “I am…
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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.
Pastor Charged with Coercion, Enticement of a Minor after Allegedly Sexually Assaulting Teen Girl
An Ohio pastor has been charged with coercion and enticement of a minor after he allegedly sexually assaulted a teenager.
According to the Christian Post, Cesar Guerrero of Misión Cristiana El Calvario in Sharonville told police that he had sex with the teenager to “fix her fears.”
Police say the teenage girl had also been sexually abused as a child.
Court documents say he told the 17-year-old to take off her clothes to “clear her head” and made her perform oral sex “in order to free her mouth.” He also asked her to send him sexually explicit photos.
The pastor originally contacted the teenager through Facebook and told her that he had dreamed of her “dressed in white while walking in a dark place.” He said God was speaking to him through the dream.
He also told her that the “cleansing process” for her and the “only way to get out of the dark place” were for her to have sex with him.
The girl’s father told reporters that he was shocked to learn that a pastor had taken advantage of his daughter.
“Angry, frustrated, can’t believe. You don’t believe in God no more,” her father said.
“He’s been using God’s Word to tell the girls to do sexual things and the girls really thought that was coming from God.”
The teenager isn’t the only one to complain about Guerrero’s behavior.
Another girl says…
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Peace and curiosity sending more students to college chapels
The study by the Church of England published on Wednesday surveyed 54 college chapels in Oxford, Cambridge and Durham, with 40 responding.
It found that student attendance across the campuses jumped from 3,000 in 2017 to 4,500 last year.
Rev Canon Dr Simon Jones has been the chaplain of Merton College in Oxford for 17 years.
He told Premier he has noticed a positive trend over the years.
“I think many students come now with a more open mind to the question of the possibility of God, whereas 17 years ago I think many students had encountered the church already and decided whether it was something for them or not,” he said.
Canon Simon added that college chapels offer benefits that other church off campus don’t.
“I think one of the things that a college chapel does is it has a very close intimate relationship with the community it’s part of.
“I think a chapel can provide a place of calm and peace right in the heart of what’s often a very busy community.”
In Oxbridge and Durham college chapels around 3 per cent of students attend Sunday services as opposed to 1 per cent of the English population.
Canon Simon said he believes the positive trend will continue as chapels offer much more than Sunday services.
“We offer discussion groups, opportunities to explore the Christian faith, there are opportunities to socialise with other people, often trips, pilgrimages…
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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.
Hillsong Worship Leader in the Hospital after Suffering Brain Aneurysm at Church
Thousands of Christians around the globe have joined together to pray for Hillsong worship leader Chelsea Taylor after she was admitted to the hospital Sunday morning. Taylor helped lead worship at Hillsong’s main campus in Sydney, Australia and then appeared to become sick. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition where she was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, CBN News reports.
Hillsong United member Matty Crocker shared the news on Instagram Monday. He said, “I am actually speechless right now… @Chelsealeetaylor we were leading worship together yesterday morning and then we both walked off separate sides of the stage. Halfway through the message, I got a text saying you wouldn’t be up there with us when we go back up. I thought u had fainted and that was it. I only found out in the last few hours how serious it was…If u read this at all, know that the Crocker’s are praying with and for you. Complete healing, complete peace, complete rest… that you would know and sense His presence like never before… “Be still, and know that I am God”… Psalm 46:10.”
The church’s lead creative pastor Cassandra Langton shared an update on Taylor on Instagram Tuesday revealing new information from Taylor’s mom.
Langton wrote, “MIRACLES in MOTION (update on @chelsealeetaylor … not out of the woods yet but it’s starting) —…
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Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.
