Open Heaven (22 May 2018) Tuesday – Exercising Your Delegated Authority

Topic: Exercising Your Delegated Authority [Open Heavens 22nd May 2018, Tuesday]

Memorise: And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: – Exodus 14:15

Read: Exodus 14:10-16, Luke 10:19 (KJV)

Exodus 14:10-16:
10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.

11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

Luke 10:19:
19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Bible in One Year: 2 Samuel 19-20, 1 John 2:7-27

MESSAGE:

It is one thing to be given authority, and it is another thing to exercise the authority delegated. Some Christians are suffering today because they do not exercise the divine authority given to them as children of God. Some children of God are like Moses in today’s Bible reading, crying helplessly at the Red Sea with the army of Pharaoh fast approaching. The children of Israel also did not help matters because they murmured against his leadership at this critical point. The perfect storm faced by Moses at the Red Sea made him forget who he was and the enormous power God had vested in him. In Exodus 7:1, God had told him:

“And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.”

Unfortunately, either Moses forgot this or his mind could not grasp the extent of its meaning. Although crying to God is not wrong by itself, there is time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1). This was not the time for Moses to cry; rather, it was a time for him to exercise the authority given to him by God. Nevertheless, God graciously reminded Moses that the authority to deal with the situation was already at his disposal. In Exodus 14:15-16, God said to him:

“…Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.”

Beloved, do you know that God has given you the authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and everything they represent? Jesus Christ has given to us the power and authority to tread on all the powers of the enemy, and He promised that nothing shall by any means hurt us (Luke 10:19). However, to exercise this authority, we must live according to the dictates of the One who delegated His authority to us. A lesson from today’s story about Moses is that he exercised authority by the instructions of the Almighty God. He was not presumptuous as many would have been. His cry to God could mean “what should I do in this situation?” Another lesson is that although the Lord had equipped him with the rod, he did not know the full extent of its power in solving the problems of the people he was leading. In other words, God has equipped His children with the necessary authority and power not only to defend themselves but also to rescue the perishing. You have the authority to bring change to the chaos in the world around you, but are you putting this to use?

Action Point: Stop any activity of the devil in your life and in the world around you by the authority given to you in the Name of Jesus Christ.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click HERE to read Open Heavens 21 May 2018 Monday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Under Authority?

Hymn 16: Stand Up! Stand Up For Jesus

1. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
Ye soldiers of the Cross;
Lift high His royal banner,
It must not suffer loss.
From vict’ry unto vict’ry
His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished
And Christ is Lord indeed.

2. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
The trumpet call obey;
Forth to the mighty conflict
In this His glorious day!
Ye that are men, now serve Him
Against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger,
And strength to strength oppose.

3. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
Stand in His strength alone:
The arm of flesh will fail you;
Ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the Gospel armour,
And watching unto prayer,
Where duty calls, or danger,
Be never wanting there.

4. Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
The strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle,
The next the victor’s song
To him that overcometh
A crown of life shall be;
He, with the King of Glory
Shall reign eternally.

Open Heavens 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.

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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Syria Says Capital Is Free of Militants After Defeat of ISIS

Syria’s military said Monday it has retaken the last neighborhoods in southern Damascus held by the Islamic State group and declared the Syrian capital and its surroundings “completely safe” from militants for the first time in nearly seven years.

Reading an army statement on Syrian TV, Gen. Ali Mayhoub said the army captured the former IS strongholds in the Palestinian Yarmouk camp and Hajar al-Aswad after a monthlong campaign. He said the army operations were “concentrated and successive,” leading to the extremists’ defeat in the city.

The gains by President Bashar Assad’s troops bring greater Damascus — including the capital’s far-flung suburbs — fully under government control for the first time since the civil war began in 2011.

“Damascus and its surroundings are completely secure,” Mayhoub said.

State TV earlier said that government forces resumed an offensive at noon after a group of civilians was evacuated from the area overnight. Two hours later, the TV said troops captured IS’ former stronghold of Hajar al-Aswad and broadcast images showing troops waving the Syrian national flag in the heavily destroyed neighborhood.

A war monitoring group said some 1,600 people, including hundreds of IS gunmen, left the area on Saturday and Sunday, heading toward the desert east of the country following a deal with the government. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces are now clearing the nearby Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk, a built-up residential area, of the last remaining IS fighters. It said the month of fighting…

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Doctor Who Spiked Girlfriend’s Drink with Abortion Pills is Sentenced to Prison

Doctor Who Spiked Girlfriend’s Drink with Abortion Pills is Sentenced to Prison



A doctor who spiked his girlfriend’s drink with four abortion pills has been sentenced to serve three years in prison.


The Daily Mail reports that doctor Sikander Imran, 32, from Pakistan, had been dating Brook Fiske, 37, on and off for three years when she became pregnant. Fiske told Imran that she wanted to keep their child.


Fiske was about 17 weeks pregnant with a baby boy when Imran spiked the tea she was drinking with four abortion-inducing pills. Several hours after drinking the tea, when Fiske began having contractions, Imran told her what he had done.


Fiske was rushed to the hospital, but doctors were unable to save her baby.


When Imran was arrested earlier this year, he pleaded guilty to fetal homicide, and was recently sentenced to three years in prison and a 17-year suspended sentence. In addition, Imran’s medical license was revoked and he will reportedly be deported back to Pakistan after he serves his prison sentence.


Despite what she went through because of Imran, Fiske asked the judge at Imran’s trial to be lenient in his sentencing, citing his struggle with mental illness.


“To me, the length of time that he serves in prison isn’t what’s important,’ Fiske said. “I think that it is really important that people know that if they are dealing with depression before they do something, they should reach out and get help.”


Fiske…

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

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Trending Now – Christian News Headlines

‘Historic’ Cross That Stood on Michigan State Land for Decades is Removed



A large white cross that had stood on state property in Michigan for nearly 70 years has been removed after the Michigan Association of Civil Rights filed a complaint.


According to The Christian Post, the cross had stood on Sackrider Hill in the Waterloo Recreation Area in Jackson County since 1950. It is owned by the Grass Lake Ministerial Association, which will be helping remove it to a permanent location.


John Pepin, deputy public information officer for Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR), explained what happened:


“Basically, it came down to, there was a cross that we didn’t own that was on land that we did own. We worked with the people that owned the cross and they voted to support removing it to a permanent location.”


While the Michigan Association of Civil Rights spearheaded the process to remove the cross from state land, other groups were in favor of allowing it to stay.


Grassroots Jackson, a Michigan volunteer group, even started a petition, urging the Michigan DNR to reject the complaint about the cross.


In the petition, Grassroots Jackson called the cross “historic,” and referenced a 1992 decision by the DNR that “allowed the cross to stay.”


The group was ultimately unsuccessful in their petition, however, when the cross was removed this week.


 


Publication date: May 21, 2018

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

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Christians Called to Be Confrontational, Attorney Who Argued Supreme Court Christian Baker Case Says

(Photo: The Christian Post)Supporters of Colorado baker Jack Phillips hold signs in front of the United States Supreme Court as arguments in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission on December 5, 2017.

An attorney who represented Colorado baker Jack Phillips before the United States Supreme Court has stated that she believes that being confrontational is part of the Christian calling.

Kristen Waggoner, attorney with the Alliance Defending Freedom, gave arguments before the high court on behalf of Phillips, who refused for religious reasons to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.

In a speech at the Wilberforce Weekend conference on Saturday, Waggoner explained that while not everyone in the audience was “called to engage a hostile CNN anchor or to argue in a court of law,” she still believed that “confrontation is a part of every Christian’s calling.”

“As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church of Corinth, ‘Christians are called to be ambassadors,’ and to be an ambassador means we do more than silently observe or assimilate to the culture around us,” said Waggoner.

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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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Asks Family to Defend Gospel at Any Cost

(Photo: BGEA)Billy Graham prays, 1968

The last will and testament of famous evangelist Billy Graham, who died at the age of 99 in February, has been released to the public.

In it, Graham calls his wife, Ruth, the “greatest Christian” he ever knew, and urges his family to uphold Jesus Christ no matter the cost.

WSOCTV.com shared a copy of the 16-page document on Friday, which begins with Graham describing in his own words how he found “joy and peace” in believing in God since he was a teenager.

“I ask my children and grandchildren to maintain and defend at all hazards at any cost of personal sacrifice the blessed doctrine of complete Atonement for sin through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ once offered, and through that alone. I urge all of you to walk with the Lord in a life of separation from the world and to keep eternal values in view,” he states.

The evangelist urges his family to read the Bible on a daily basis and to trust in Jesus Christ as the means to salvation.

Graham reflects that life on earth is short, and recalls his first date with Ruth in December 1940, less than three years before they were married.

“Because of Christ, your mother and I enjoyed a wonderful, thrilling, and joyous life together,” he adds, noting that like any couple, they also went…

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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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See Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Official Wedding Portraits

The official royal wedding photos are here and don’t they all look happy.

Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan of Sussex released three wedding portraits Monday, taken by official wedding photographer Alexi Lubomirski in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle following the couple’s fairy-tale carriage procession following their nuptials in St. George’s Chapel Saturday.

Kensington Palace issued a statement declaring the two “delighted” with the pictures and happy to share them.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex would like to thank everyone who took part in the celebrations of their wedding on Saturday,” the statement said. “They feel so lucky to have been able to share their day with all those gathered in Windsor and also all those who watched the wedding on television across the UK, Commonwealth, and around the world.

“Their Royal Highnesses … would also like to say thank you for all of the generous messages of support they have received.”

Harry and Meghan pose with their bridesmaids and pageboys.

One picture shows Harry and Meghan with their family and their pageboys and bridesmaids, including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, Prince William and Duchess Kate of Cambridge, seen holding Princess Charlotte on her lap.

The second picture shows the couple with their pageboys and bridesmaids, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. In this picture, George, 4, is grinning, as if he were saying “cheese,” while Charlotte, 3, has a broad smile on her face.

The other children are (from left to right): Brian…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Urban Christian News

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20 Evangelical Priests among Those Killed in Cuban Plane Crash

20 Evangelical Priests among Those Killed in Cuban Plane Crash



Nearly 100 people, including 20 evangelical priests, were killed Friday after a passenger jet crashed after takeoff from Cuba.


According to FaithWire.com, the 20 clergymen had been meeting in Cuba’s capital city. The plane was headed for the province of Holguín.


“On that plane were 10 couples of pastors. 20 people. All of the Nazarene Church in the eastern region,” said Maite Quesada, a member the Cuban Council of Churches, according to NBC News. 


Transportation Minister Adel Yzquierdo said 110 people were killed in the crash.


“We have the black box in our hands, in good condition,” he said, according to Reuters.


Three women, however, were rescued from the plane wreckage. They are in critical condition. 


Emiley Sánchez de la O, 39, of Holguín, Cuba has been named as a survivor. According to reports, she has serious burns, a broken leg and a traumatic brain injury. She is on a ventilator.


“She is alive but very burnt and swollen,” a relative of the 39-year-old told reporters.


Another survivor is 23-year-old Gretel Landrove, according to Reuters.


“My daughter is a fighter, she’s strong, she’ll save herself,” said Amparo Font, Landrove’s mother.


Eyewitness Yasniel Diaz said it looked like the pilot tried to attempt an emergency manuever but failed.


“The explosion shook everything,” he said. “I started running. I was so…

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

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Palo Alto Pastor Resigns After Slamming Community as ‘Elitist Sh** Den of Hate’

(Screenshot/Photo: ABC7; Facebook)The Rev. Gregory Stevens (L) resigned from First Baptist Church in Palo Alto, California.

The Rev. Gregory Stevens, a California pastor who has been highly praised for his “ability to relate to people,” stepped down from his role at a progressive Baptist Church in the wealthy city of Palo Alto last week after sparking furor over his comments that the city is an “elitist sh** den of hate.”

Stevens, who is associate pastor of First Baptist Church in Palo Alto, had recently made several controversial tweets about the city’s residents, among other things. Those tweets became an issue during a city council hearing last Monday when the council was considering the church’s request for a conditional use permit that would allow its facility to be used as a community center and thus lease space to outside tenants.

According to a letter that was addressed to the city council and Palo Alto residents, City Clerk Beth Minor expressed concern over Stevens’ “troubling recent tweets” and felt they should come to the city’s attention.

“Should this type of person and the organization he represents oversee a Palo Alto Community Center? Should a person that hates the City of Palo Alto, hates the Palo Alto Police Dept, hates Palo Alto residents, makes fun…

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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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Bishop of Kensington says the church will always be there for Grenfell Tower survivors

Family members made vulnerable and poignant tributes to those they lost in the Grenfell Tower fire at the start of an inquiry today, beginning a two-week process. 

The mood was flexible, according to whether they wanted to treat it like a chat or nominate a spokesperson to read their story. 

Six victims were spoken about on Monday, including a ‘committed Christian’, Joseph Daniels and stillborn baby, Logan Gomes, whose father showed his ultrasound and described holding him. 

Listen to the full interview with Bishop Graham, Tomlin and Premier’s Cara Bentley here:

In the last 11 months, many churches have supported the survivors and bereaved families and spoken about the families’ desire for justice. Notting Hill Methodist Church also streamed the inquiry live for anyone to attend. 

Rt Rev Graham Tomlin, the Bishop of Kensington, has expressed support many a time and went down to the hotel where the inquiry was today. 

He told Premier why this stage was so important: “It actually gives people the opportunity to have their own voice heard, their own stories told, this isn’t just a legal process.”

“I think part of the story of Grenfell is a community that felt not listened to in the past and that their concerns about the building were not taken seriously before the fire and now is a chance for those same people to have their voices heard.”

Bishop Graham said:…

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