Greg Laurie on Reaching America’s Next Generation

(Screenshot: Facebook/Pure Flix)Pastor Greg Laurie in an interview published on Facebook on October 14, 2018.

Greg Laurie has become one of the most well-known preachers in America. He’s the founder of Harvest Crusade and Harvest America and the pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, but the well-known faith leader wasn’t always a believer. In fact, his early years were characterized by a lack of faith, drugs and generally moving in the “wrong direction.”

Read Also: 10 Best Sermons Online When You Can’t Get to Church

Laurie, author of the new book, Jesus Revolution: How God Transformed an Unlikely Generation and How He Can Do It Again Today, recently appeared on PureFlix.com’s “Pure Talk” to reveal his spiritual journey — and his quest to reach youths with the Gospel.

“I was a 17-year-old kid. I was using drugs every single day. I was going in the wrong direction in my life,” he said, noting that he stumbled upon a Bible study one day on the lawn of his high school, and it changed everything. “I sat down close enough to eavesdrop on what was being said.”

That’s when Laurie heard someone proclaim a truth that stuck with him: “Jesus said, ‘You’re for me, or against me.'” The statement struck him and he wondered, “Am I against Jesus?” He was so…

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Open Heaven 24 October 2018 – A Microwave Christian?

Open Heaven 24 October 2018 Wednesday Daily Devotional by Pastor E A Adeboye – A Microwave Christian?

Topic: A Microwave Christian? (Open Heaven 24 October 2018)

Memorise: “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”- James 1:4

Read: John 11:18-26 (KJV)

18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:

19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 18-20, Luke 10:17-37

Open Heaven 24 October 2018 Wednesday MESSAGE:

Impatience is the younger sister of doubt because when someone is impatient, the fellow may not be able to operate under the divine time-table. Impatience can cause a person to doubt the integrity of the Ever Faithful God. The devil uses impatience as a tool to sow doubt in the minds of believers, so much so that some even begin to doubt the infallible word of God. For this reason, James 1:4 says:

“But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

The blessings attached to being patient are many. For example, in our memory verse, the Holy Spirit reveals that a patient fellow will lack nothing good. This may sound foolish to the carnal mind, but it is the truth of God’s word. The carnal mind is tuned to believe that by being impatient, more can be achieved and more can be amassed, but this is a lie of the devil.

In today’s Bible reading, impatience almost destroyed the faith of Mary and Martha. As a matter of fact, they indirectly indicted Jesus of their brother’s death because He came to them at a point they considered to be too late, after He had received their message notifying Him of Lazarus’ sickness. John 11:21 says:

“Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”

What an indictment! By this comment, they doubted the extent to which Jesus actually loved their family. This probably accounts for why Jesus wept in John 11:35, after Mary repeated the same accusation (John 11:32). It is dangerous to be a “microwave Christian” who always expects things to happen when you feel they must happen. A microwave Christian is like an infant who reacts to and cries for everything that causes discomfort. The Holy Spirit describes the state of such Christians in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2. Some brethren feel offended and therefore decide to leave a church when the promotion they believe they are due for is not forthcoming from the church authorities. Some others feel victimized when they are transferred from their station of comfort, even resorting to blackmail in some cases. Some even give God an ultimatum on when a miracle must “drop”, or else they won’t serve Him anymore. All these examples may sound unbelievable, but they are true life experiences. Beloved, it is time to grow up from the stage of infancy. God expects you to become not a meat eater but a bone cracker. May the Lord cause you to grow in Jesus’ Name.

Open Heaven 24 October 2018 Wednesday Prayer Point:

Father, please help me to grow in patience and keep me standing for You till the very end in Jesus’ Name.

Also Read: Open Heaven 23 October 2018 – Don’t be an Accomplice!

Open Heaven 24 October 2018 Wednesday Hymn 2: I Need Thee Every Hour

1. I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

Chorus:
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

2. I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.

3. I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

4. I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

5. I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.

Open Heaven 24 October 2018 Wednesday 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. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Open Heaven 24 October 2018 Wednesday Daily Devotional.

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.

The post Open Heaven 24 October 2018 – A Microwave Christian? appeared first on Flatimes.

‘Churches face shutdown and Christians threatened with arrest’ in Ukraine

Laws recently introduced in the rebel-held Luhansk region affectively outlaw Protestant Christianity, the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group has warned.

The organisation alleges that officials in the territory, which has been controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014, have imposed a re-registration process for churches.

 

Ukraine’s Institute for Religious Freedom reports that evangelical Christian communities have been barred from re-registration, meaning they are breaking the law if they do not cease to operate.

The Christian ministry Ellel Ministries, which trains church leaders across eastern Europe said it was monitoring the situation and liaising with colleagues in the country.

Staff member, Richard Jones (whose real name has been protected for security reasons), told Premier the legislation forms part of a pro-Russian agenda endorsed by Moscow.

Mr Jones said: “Russia is encouraging this kind of thing to happen, to make sure that there is a completely pro-Russian area surrounding the Russian Federation.”

Qypchak

 

“They make it impossible for any churches to re-register which means, of course, the churches can no longer operate even in their own buildings.

Human rights advocates claim all non-Russian Orthodox churches are facing persecution in Luhansk and neighbouring Donetsk, which is also in the hands of…

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Sudan Releases 13 Christians Arrested in Darfur after Torture, Threats

Sudan Releases 13 Christians Arrested in Darfur after Torture, Threats



JUBA, South Sudan, October 23, 2018 (Morning Star News) – After torturing them and threatening to charge them with serious crimes, authorities in Sudan have released 13 Christians arrested in the Darfur Region, sources said. 


Personnel from Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) released 12 of the Christians by Sunday (Oct. 21) and freed church leader Tajaldin Idriss Yousif on Monday, all without charges, but they threatened to charge the native Darfur evangelist and others with apostasy, public disturbance and crimes against the state, sources said.


“All of them were said to be tortured by NISS and are in bad shape,” a source said. “One of them is said to be in critical condition owing to torture. He is said to have been vomiting and bleeding. He was rushed to a hospital, but he was not attended to by the physicians in that hospital.”  


The 13 Christians from four different house churches were worshipping together on Oct. 10 in Nyala, capital of South Darfur state in western Sudan’s Darfur Region, when NISS officers disrupted the service and arrested them, sources said.


NISS authorities did not give any reason for the arrests, but sources said they are targeting converts from Islam from Darfur and, in south-eastern Sudan, South Kordofan state. Three of the Christians were said to be from the Nuba Mountains area in the country’s…

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

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Vatican prepares to open debate on married men joining priesthood

Pope Francis has convened a meeting of South American bishops next year focusing on the plight of the church in the Amazon.

During that synod, the question of ordaining married men of proven virtue – so-called “viri probati” – is expected to figure on the agenda.

 

This week, a two-hour documentary on Italian television is likely to contribute to the conversation.

The Choice: Priests And Love profiles more than a dozen men in four European countries who are either living secretly with women, have created their own unsanctioned church communities where married priests preside at Mass, or left the Catholic priesthood altogether to marry.

The documentary makes the case that many of these men would gladly return to the priesthood and offer their pastoral services.

Their plight has found a sympathetic ear in Francis, who has long expressed a willingness to consider “viri probati” to address pastoral needs in the Amazon. He has also expressed sympathy for priests who have made the anguished choice to leave.

 

Vocatio, an Italian association of these “married priests”, wrote to Francis earlier this month pledging their solidarity as he copes with the global fallout of the sex abuse scandal, and once again offering their services in ministry.

“We would like you to take into consideration – without prejudice or pretence – the…

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Christians Struggle With Urge to Play the Lottery as Studies Show It Harms the Poor

REUTERS/Andrew KellyA ticket is seen ahead of the Mega Millions lottery draw which reached a jackpot of 5 Million in Manhattan, New York, U.S., July 1, 2016.

As the Mega Millions jackpot on Tuesday and Wednesday’s Powerball haul soared to a combined $2.22 billion over the weekend, Christians remained deeply divided over whether they should participate in the gamble even as studies show lotteries disproportionately attract those who can least afford it.

“Lord, please help the saints to resist the devil and not play the lottery! Lord that’s a lot of money lol. ‘Loose Here!'” Pastor DeMarlon J. Nixon of Freedom Temple Pentecostal Church in Texas quipped in a tweet on Sunday.

Pastor Chad Brown of Chad Brown Ministries says he believes Christians should go ahead and purchase a lottery ticket if that’s what they desire because many churches participate in games of chance outside of lotteries.

“Should believers buy a mega millions ticket ($2)? My answer is YES!! If that’s what they want to do,” Brown said in a Facebook post on Friday.

“You can’t be against the lottery, but your youth department is doing a RAFFLE! Same thing pastor. SAME THING! You can’t be against the lottery and you have a prize of $500 for whoever brings the most people on family and friends day. IJS,” he continued.

NewSpring Church founder Perry Noble, who revealed on his blog that he bought 10 lottery tickets in January 2016 in a bid to win a $1.3 billion jackpot, also shared his perspective on gambling.

“Is gambling bad? Yep…but sex can be as well!! Do we get rid of that too?” he asked.

“I’ve heard the heartbreaking…

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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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Powerful Category 3 Hurricane Willa Approaches Mexico

Powerful Category 3 Hurricane Willa Approaches Mexico



Mexico is bracing itself for impact as a category 3 hurricane, Hurricane Willa, approaches.


Willa is expected to make landfall on Tuesday and is posing serious threats of damage. 


According to ABC News, the category 3 storm has winds of about 125 mph and is currently about 120 miles south-southwest of Mazatlan.


The outlet reports that Willa will likely hit several islands off of Mexico on Tuesday morning before making landfall in Mexico Tuesday afternoon.


The storm is expected to produce a deadly storm surge of up to 18 inches between Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, areas which according to ABC News, have already seen heavy rainfall and flooding.


Willa is expected to lose its tropical circulation as it makes its way inland, but it will maintain its tropical moisture dropping heavy rains on Texas, Wednesday. Heavy rains from the storm are posing flash flood threats to Mexico, Texas and the western Florida Panhandle, which is still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Michael earlier this month. 


Some places are expected to see as much as 4 inches of rain.


ABC News warns that remnants of Willa will move along the Gulf Coast and combine with a powerful jet stream later this week. This could possibly lead to the formation of another storm in the Northeast heading into the weekend.



Photo courtesy: Pexels/Pixabay


Video courtesy: ABC News

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Christian Parents Blaming Sex Assault Victims, Defending Their Unrepentant Children: College Pastor

(Photo: Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)People participate in a protest march for survivors of sexual assault and their supporters in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S. November 12, 2017.

Christian parents sometimes not only attempt to justify the sexual assault carried out by their children, but also blame the victim, a college pastor and Presbyterian minister has said.

Moses Y. Lee, an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America and director of campus ministry OneU DC, who is studying at Westminster Theological Seminary, shared of such experiences in an article for The Gospel Coalition on Monday:

“During my past six years serving as a college pastor, some of my most disturbing conversations have been with unrepentant sexual assault perpetrators and their defensive Christian parents. In their attempts to justify their actions, too often I would hear from the perpetrators (and their parents), ‘Have you seen her Instagram account? Do you know what she’s like at parties? But she made the first move. Well, she asked for it. She has a history.’ And so on,” Lee wrote.

“With more than 20 percent of female undergraduate students experiencing some form of sexual assault or misconduct, these tendencies to blame the victim have led some to demand action or even walk away…

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‘We have lost a modern saint’, tributes paid to Eugene Peterson

The Bishop of Liverpool Paul Bayes described Mr Peterson as a “great teacher” in a tweet.

Speaking to Premier Bishop Paul shared his reaction to the pastor’s death.

 

“In many ways it was expected I know that he was suffering the illnesses of old age,” he said.

“But it is still a shock when a man who has been so significant in the world church passes away.”

The Presbyterian pastor began receiving hospice care last week after his medical team informed his family his care would be “primarily palliative”.

Christian writer and speaker Sheridan Voysey told Premier the pastor left a lesson for Christians to learn by the way he handled his own death.

He said: “He gave us a model of dying well.

“If you read the reports from his family about his last few days of life, here we have a man who walked with God and then in his very last days he was almost joyful – he just couldn’t wait for what was about to happen next.

“We have lost a modern-day saint.”

The paraphrased Message Bible was published in segments from 1993 to 2002.

Justin Brierley presenter of the Unbelievable apologetics show on Premier said it’s hard to calculate the impact of The Message.

He explained: “It’s been used by rock-stars like Bono, it’s been used by people like my wife in ministry in her church.

“It’s always provided an immensely fascinating and fresh way of looking at scripture and he himself is a remarkable…

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Migrant Caravan Grows to 7,200, Makes Its Way Toward U.S.

Migrant Caravan Grows to 7,200, Makes Its Way Toward U.S.



Some 7,200 migrants from Guatemala and Honduras are heading to the U.S. border, according to reports.


Early in the week, about 1,500 additional migrants joined the group, staying the night in Tapachula, Mexico. They were about 1,100 miles from McAllen, Texas.


In response to the traveling group, President Donald Trump said there are “criminals and unknown Middle Easterners” among the migrants.


Reporters, however, have said there is no evidence of his claim. Still, Trump said he has alerted Border Patrol and the military.


“Every time you see a Caravan, or people illegally coming, or attempting to come, into our Country illegally, think of and blame the Democrats for not giving us the votes to change our pathetic Immigration Laws! Remember the Midterms! So unfair to those who come in legally,” Trump tweeted Monday morning.


“Sadly, it looks like Mexico’s Police and Military are unable to stop the Caravan heading to the Southern Border of the United States,” Trump tweeted Monday. “Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in. I…

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

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