Asian Economies Discuss Trade Pact Amid Rising Protectionism – Urban Christian News

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday called for an early conclusion of a regional trade pact that ensures free and rules-based commerce in the face of an increasingly protectionist United states under President Donald Trump.

Japan co-chairs the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, with Singapore, and seeks to take leadership in shaping the pact as an alternative to a Pacific Rim free-trade grouping that Trump abandoned early this year.

In his opening remarks to a meeting of 16 Asian trade ministers, Abe said a pact among the countries that together make up half the global population has an enormous growth potential.

“As we are faced with concerns of the rise of protectionism in the world, all of us in Asia must unite, and our future depends on whether we can keep hoisting our flagship principle of free and fair trade,” Abe told the meeting in Tokyo. He said RCEP is increasingly getting more attention from the rest of the world amid concerns of protectionism, so “Let us be as one and achieve a free, fair and rules-based market in this region.”

Trump, who says he prefers bilateral deals, has pulled the U.S. out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, leaving the remaining 11 countries from Chile to New Zealand to work on a revamped version of that pact.

Trump has imposed high tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and has threatened to add automobiles to reduce America’s trade deficit. He has singled out China’s products, prompting fears of a trade war.

Japan, already hit by increased U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs, has told the World Trade…

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Ex-cabinet minister Aitken ‘humbled’ to become prison chaplain

The ex-Tory MP was ordained at St Paul’s Cathedral and his ministry will focus on prison chaplaincy.

Ahead of his ordination celebration at the Old Bailey he joked that his first return to the famous London court building since being jailed there 19 years ago would be a happier occasion.

 

The newly-named Reverend Aitken, who was sentenced to 18 months in jail in 1999 after admitting perjury and perverting the course of justice, told the Press Association: “Well I won’t have to leave by the back door in handcuffs this time round.”

Speaking outside the cathedral in central London, wearing his religious garb in the hot sunshine on Saturday, he said being ordained was like “a new life”.

The 75-year-old said: “I’m honoured, humbled and delighted and still slightly surprised.”

His wife Elizabeth, daughters Victoria and Alexandra and other family and friends attended Saturday’s service where 32 people were made deacons.

John Stillwell/PA Wire

 

The former politician said Iain Duncan-Smith, Jeffrey Archer and Diane Abbott were among a crowd of 200 expected to join his party at the nearby Old Bailey.

Also among the invitees were former prisoners he had befriended during the 211 days he spent behind bars.

He said: “Call it a gathering of soulmates and cell mates because I’ve got six old Belmarshians (attending the celebration).

“I call them that because I…

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Thais Rally Behind Cave Rescue – Urban Christian News

It’s a simple melody sung to the plucking of acoustic guitars by schoolchildren sitting around candles: “I beg the skies to show mercy and empathy/ My brothers are in Tham Luang Khun Nang Non/ Let them pass this danger, I beg.”

The song is dedicated to events unfolding in a flooded mountain cave in northern Thailand, where 12 boys aged 11-16 and their soccer coach disappeared a week ago. It was written and performed by students at Lek Nai Tung Kwang school across the country, in Buriram province.

The music video has played on national newscasts during round-the-clock coverage of the search and rescue operation at the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in far northern Chiang Rai province. It is part of an outpouring of hope, empathy and concern across Thailand for the boys, their families and the army of people working to bring them home.

“We’re worried. Everybody wants to hear good news,” said Keeta Wariburee, a teacher at the school that produced the video. “We want to help them, but if we went up there we’d probably just get in the way. So we’re doing what we can by sending encouragement.”

Rescuers including elite Thai navy divers, a U.S. military team, British cave experts and Australian and Chinese lifesaving responders have been frustrated by incessant rain that has flooded the cave and made locating the boys more difficult. A break in the rain over the weekend eased flooding in the system of caverns, but pumping out water hasn’t solved the problem and the attention focused on finding shafts on the mountainside that might serve as a back door to the blocked-off…

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Lull in Rain Allows Thailand Cave Rescue to Pick Up Pace – Urban Christian News

The frantic effort to locate 12 boys and their soccer coach missing in a cave in Thailand for a week picked up pace as a break in the rain eased flooding in the system of caverns and more experts from around the world joined the anxious rescue mission.

The search in the northern province of Chiang Rai has been going slowly, largely because flooding has blocked rescuers from going through chambers to get deeper into the cave. Pumping out water hasn’t solved the problem, so the attention has focused on finding shafts on the mountainside that might serve as a back door to the blocked-off areas where the missing may be sheltering.

The boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach entered the sprawling Tham Luang Nang Non cave after a soccer game on June 23, but near-constant rains have thwarted the search for them. Authorities have nevertheless expressed hope that the group has found a dry place within the cave to wait.

Reflecting that hope, a medical evacuation drill was held Saturday morning to see how long it would take to get rescued people out of the cave into 13 ambulances and to the nearest hospital.

Australian police and military personnel joined other multinational teams, including U.S. military personnel and experts from a British cave exploration club. China sent a six-person team of rescue and disaster experts to the cave, the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok said. The group has experience in lifesaving operations in Myanmar and Nepal, the embassy said.

A second, private Chinese group calling itself Green Boat Emergency also arrived Saturday. “Our skills are…

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Germany’s Merkel Reportedly Secures Agreements With 14 EU Nations on Migrants – Urban Christian News

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has reportedly secured agreements with 14 European Union countries to rapidly return some asylum seekers as she seeks to end a schism in her government over migration policy.

Merkel also says she also wants to establish “anchor centers” to process migrants at Germany’s borders, the dpa news agency reported Saturday.

The announcements came in a letter Merkel wrote to leaders of her Christian Democratic Union’s Bavaria-only sister party, the Christian Social Union, as well as to her junior coalition government partner, the Social Democrats, after she attended a two-day EU summit in Brussels.

Merkel is seeking to end a three-week standoff with her hard-line Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, who heads the CSU.

Seehofer, whose party faces a state election in the fall, has been threatening to turn away migrants at Germany’s border who have already been rejected by the country or who have registered for asylum elsewhere in the EU.

Merkel has rejected that approach, instead insisting on a European-wide solution to migration issues to preserve EU unity. The dispute has raised the possibility of an end to Germany’s decades-old conservative alliance between the CSU and Merkel’s CDU if Seehofer goes ahead with the unilateral move, which could bring down her government.

Both the CDU and the CSU are holding separate meetings Sunday to discuss Merkel’s latest efforts on migration and plot their next steps.

Merkel on Friday came away from an EU summit with agreements from Greece and Spain to take back migrants previously registered in those…

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Joyce Meyer’s Daily 1 July 2018 Devotional — Trust in Him

Topic: Trust in Him [Joyce Meyer’s Devotional Sunday July 1, 2018]

And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit. — 2 Corinthians 3:18

The Scripture above tells us not to complain against God. Since God is our Father, our Provider, and the One Who watches over us, when we complain about anything we are basically saying we don’t like what God is doing, and we don’t trust His leadership in our lives. Even if what is happening in our circumstances is not something God is doing, it is something He can fix if we will trust Him to do so.

We can judge by our words if we are thankful and appreciative of God’s goodness or if we are discontent. If we truly trust God, then we won’t murmur and complain, but instead we will voice our thankfulness to Him for working in our lives and giving us the strength to do whatever we need to do while we are waiting.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for the good things You are doing in my life. Please help me to trust You in everything…the good and the bad. Help me to always be thankful—in my thoughts and through the words I speak. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Joyce Meyer Daily Devotional HERE’’ 

From Joyce Meyer’s Ministries.

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MFM Mountain Top Life Daily Devotional Sunday, 1 July 2018 – God’s Own Kind

TOPIC: God’s Own Kind (Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries Sunday, 1 July 2018)

FIRE SCRIPTURE: Genesis 1:26-29

MEMORY VERSE: “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” – Genesis 2:18

The MESSAGE:

God gave the whole of mankind the promise and blessing of procreation (Genesis 1:28). Thereafter, God said it was not good that Adam should be alone. God knew that Adam was alone, lonely and in need of a companion in spite of the abundance of blessings in the Garden. Hence, God created Eve from Adam’s rib and gave him as his wife. A companion is someone you can bare your mind to, open the innermost part of your heart to and before whom you can be naked without being ashamed.

When believers get married, they are able to multiply a godly heritage and fulfil the command to replenish the earth with quality sons and daughters who will uplift the banner of righteousness. Since God created man and woman in His image, the husband and the wife should live individually and collectively in harmony with God and each other. They should live a life that portrays the character and nature of God. Marriage is a network of interdependency. That is neither is complete without the other and none should pretend to be an island.

All over the world, the biblical concept of Christian marriage is the same. Under this setting, marriage is the spiritual union of two people (male and female) who are joined together in holy matrimony. Marriage was instituted by God, and was intended for companionship, procreation and long-time relationship. When God created the institution of marriage, He declared that it was good, it was pure and holy and that it was a serious affair. Therefore, marriage is not for infants. The two believers who want to come together should prayerfully seek God’s face before embarking on the journey of marriage. It should not be entered inadvisedly. If you are already in marriage, pray to God to uphold your marriage. If you are about to enter, also pray the same prayer. It will work for you when you are eventually in it.

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE:
Marriage is a school whose headmaster is the Holy Spirit and the teachers are the couple while the students are the children.

PROPHETIC WORD:
The Lord will multiply your union.

PRAYER POINTS:

MORNING
1. My marriage shall be fruitful, in the name of Jesus.
2. My sons and daughters shall be for signs and wonders, in the name of Jesus.
3. My children shall not be misfired arrows, in the name of Jesus.

EVENING
4. My generation and that of my children shall serve the Lord, in the name of Jesus.
5. My marriage, receive fresh anointing to function in God’s will, in the name of Jesus.
6. Any power that wants God’s command to fail in my life, die, in the name of Jesus.
7. My divine spouse, wherever you are, appear now, in the name of Jesus.

“If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read MFM Mountain Top Life Daily Devotional HERE 

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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David Ibiyeomie: Wisdom To Accomplish Purpose

Topic: Wisdom To Accomplish Purpose

Eccl. 10:15 -The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

Many believers have discovered their purpose on earth but they do not know what to do with it or how to pursue it. The ‘know-how’ is very important in everything that you engage in.

Prov.4:7 –Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Matt.7:24 -Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

Wisdom is the acquisition and intelligible application of relevant knowledge. To be a star, you must be current in knowledge. Result is a function of knowledge. It is not who you know that makes you a star but what you know. You must have a working knowledge of your assignment. Don’t use prayer and fasting to cover knowledge. If you lack skill in your field, your dream will die.

When you are knowledge lazy, you end up as a drop-out. Many people have discovered where they are going but only a few know how to get there. You must go for relevant knowledge and apply them in your field. What you know determines your exploits.

Dan.11:32b -…but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

Don’t mistake school for education. Schooling empowers you to be literate but it is self-development that makes you a star. School gives you the privilege to be literate but what will make you a star is when you develop yourself. Without investment in knowledge, you don’t have a future. You must study if you don’t want to be stupid in your field.

2Tim.2:15 -Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

You must have a knowledge-craving culture. People don’t fail because they don’t know something; they fail because they don’t know enough. A wise man said that you cannot climb the ladder of success dressed in the costume of failure.

See yourself as a star, then you work towards it by investing in yourself by acquiring knowledge. If you want to be a star, walk in wisdom; and to walk in wisdom, you need relevant knowledge. Stop using religion to cover reality.

God bless you

Click HERE to read other Inspiring Messages by Pastor David Ibiyeomie 

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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TREM Devotional 1 July 2018 by Dr. Mike Okonkwo – Grace Supplies And Faith Takes

Topic: Grace Supplies And Faith Takes [TREM Devotional Sunday July 1, 2018]

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

In this passage of the Bible, we are told that without faith we can’t please God. Ephesians 2:5-9 says: “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved). And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”.

By grace, you are saved through faith. Twice this statement is made. And we have known that grace is the unmerited and the undeserved favour of God. Grace is what God did for us. And everything that we receive from God is by grace. It is not because we merited it. It is what He did through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. He gave it to us. Healing is by grace! Power is by grace! Anointing is by grace. Favour is by grace! Whatever you receive from God, you didn’t earn it. Jesus did it on your behalf.

When He did it, our part is to take it by faith. So, you see, grace is a supplier. Grace supplies and faith takes. But if you don’t have faith you cannot receive what grace has supplied.

This year, you shall be celebrated. Rejoicing will not depart from your home. Grace is at work in your life, therefore you are going to birth something great. The Lord will supernaturally connect you to strategic vision helpers.

Further reading: Ephesians 2: 1-10

Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Job 20-21; Evening- Acts 10:24-48

“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 1 July 2018 by Pastor Paul Enenche – The God Of Open Doors

Topic: The God Of Open Doors [Seeds of Destiny Sunday July 1, 2018]

Scripture: Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Revelation 3:8

Thought For The Day: God can always have His way, make a way, find a way or be the way.

Today is 1st July 2018; it is the beginning of the second half of the year as well as the first month of the third quarter of the year. We thank God for taking us through the first half of the year successfully.

As the second half of the year begins today, it is very important to be reminded of what the Lord told us at the beginning of the year; this is very important because reviewing vision is key to pursuing and realizing it.
Now, recall that this year has been declared as our year of open Doors.

The Scriptures make it abundantly clear that we serve the God of open doors. Just as He is called Jehovah-Jireh, God our Provider (Genesis 22:14); Jehovah-Shalom, God our Peace (Judges 6:24); Jehovah-Rapha, God our Healer (Exodus 15:26); God can also be called Jehovah Open-door, which means the God that opens all doors (Revelation 3:6-8). He is a Specialist in the opening of all kinds of doors; He does not struggle to open any door.

It is also an established fact that God can always have His way, make a way, find a way or be the Way. This means, if there is need for a way in any area of your life where there is no way, God can make it; He may also decide to find a way in a midst of any situation of life and most importantly, He can be the Way. So, our God is not just a Way-Maker or a Way-Finder but a Way Himself (John 14:6).

Beloved, I want to let you know that any area of your life where doors are closed against you or where you have been trying to find a way; the Presence and Power of God will open every closed door in your life today, in Jesus’ Name.

Remember this: God can always have His way, make a way, find a way or be the way.

Assignments:
1. Appreciate God for the measure of breakthrough and open doors you have experience so far.
2. Make demands on Jehovah Open Door for the opening of every closed door in your life.
3. Walk into your opened doors by faith.

Prayer: Thank You Lord for the measure of open doors I have seen so far. I ask that You open any closed door in my life today, Lord, in Jesus’ Name.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: THE DIMENSIONS AND DEMANDS OF OPEN DOORS.

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings 18:13 to 19:37, Acts 21:1 to 17, Psalm 149:1 to 9, Proverbs 18:8

Amazing Fact: If a snail doesn’t like the weather, it can hide in its shell for up to three years.

Today In History: 01/07/1893 – The first bicycle race track in America to be made out of wood was opened in San Francisco, CA.

Quote: Get busy and watch God open doors for you. Culled from FINALLY FREE FROM SINGLENESS by Dr. (Mrs.) Becky-Paul Enenche.

“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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