Open Heavens 19 April 2018 Thursday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Choosing To Die With Your Enemy?

Topic: Choosing To Die With Your Enemy? [Open Heavens 19 April 2018, Thursday]

Memorise: “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” – Romans 12:21

Read: Romans 12:9-21 (KJV)

9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.

15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Bible in One Year: Judges 9, 2 Timothy 2.

MESSAGE:

The simple and expected response to the thought-provoking question in today’s topic is “no”. In practice however, this may not be the case. It is true that the people of this world can be terribly wicked, so much so that one may find it difficult to let go when the opportunity presents itself to pay them back in their own coin. Nevertheless, this is contrary to the nature of God that we bear as Christians. Speaking to us about this in Romans 12:19, the Holy Spirit says:

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

The story of Samson is a good example of someone who chose to die with his enemies. Although he was born a Nazarite to God, he had many flaws in his character, the most lethal of which was vindictiveness. When a person is vindictive, such a fellow will be unforgiving, merciless and absolutely cruel. When his enemies bound him in chains and plucked out his eyes, instead of calling on God for the forgiveness of his sins, he chose to pray to God to avenge his eyes. Judges 16:28 says,

“And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.”

When one listens to the prayers of some people who ordinarily should be on their face asking God for mercy, one cannot but wonder if they are not praying to die with their enemies. Such people ask God to avenge them of their enemies, when they are the ones whose sins empowered the enemy to buffet them. No doubt, God will honor His word to recompense the evildoer. However, what do you stand to gain if your enemies die as a result of the evil they did to you, but you also die in your sins? That is not a wise thing to do. This is the reason why Romans 12:17 warns us that we should not repay any man evil for evil, but rather, we should overcome evil with good. When someone offends you and you decide not to settle with him or her, what you are indirectly saying is that you are ready to die with that enemy. You put the forgiveness of that fellow on hold and yours will not be released to you either. Mark 11:26 says,

“But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

We need to forgive those who wronged us for our own sake because the Scripture is clear that unless we do, we are in danger of preferring to die with our enemies instead of saving ourselves from the judgment to come upon this world.

Prayer Point: Father, please forgive my trespasses as I have forgiven those who trespassed against me.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Open Heavens 18th April 2018 Wednesday — Forgetting The Past

Hymn 12: Take My Life, And Let It Be.

1. Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.

2. Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

3. Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.

4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose.

5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

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.

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The post Open Heavens 19 April 2018 Thursday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Choosing To Die With Your Enemy? appeared first on Flatimes.

Israel Marks 70 Years as Nation; New and Old Challenges Lurk

Israel celebrated 70 years since the country’s foundation on Wednesday, lauding its improbable economic success and military prowess, but facing a range of political and security challenges.

The anniversary of the proclamation of the state of Israel by founding father David Ben-Gurion began at sundown on Wednesday under the Hebrew calendar, but falls on May 14 according to the Western calendar.

At the traditional Jerusalem torch-lighting ceremony kicking off what Israelis call Independence Day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed what he called “real seeds of peace” he said were beginning to sprout among some of Israel’s Arab neighbours.

He did not elaborate, but there have been signs of warming ties, particularly with Saudi Arabia which — like Israel — sees Iran as a growing threat.

“Our hand is outstretched in peace to all of our neighbours who want peace,” Netanyahu said in Hebrew.

“And to our enemies who think that we are a passing phenomenon, I have news for you: In 70 years from now you fill find here a country seven times stronger than what we have done so far. This is just the beginning!”

The ceremony will be followed throughout the evening by open-air concerts, public dancing and fireworks across Israel.

Earlier, at a remembrance day ceremony, Netanyahu spoke of the “barbaric zealotry of radical Islam” and reiterated warnings about Iran and its presence in neighbouring Syria.

He has said that Israel cannot accept the Islamic republic entrenching itself militarily in the war-torn country, where Tehran is backing President Bashar…

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1,500-Y-O Papyrus Discovered Near Pyramid Refers to Abraham’s Test of Faith When Asked to Sacrifice His Son in the Bible

An ancient 1,500-year-old “magical papyrus” discovered near a pyramid in Egypt addresses the Bible’s God as the God of an Egyptian deity, and refers to the test of faith Abraham faced when asked to sacrifice his son.

LiveScience reported on Tuesday that the text of the papyrus, uncovered near the pyramid of the Pharaoh Senwosret during a 1934 expedition in Giza by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, has now been deciphered by scientists.

Written in Coptic at a time when Christianity was widely practiced in the country, the writer, who isn’t named, pleads: “God of Seth, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, God of Israel, watch over everyone who suffers. My word, may it come to pass with power.”

“May every spirit that is in the air obey me,” he asks.

Seth is an ancient Egyptian god said to rule over the desert and the storms, associated with eclipses, thunderstorms and earthquakes.

The papyrus also calls the biblical God on a number of occasions “the one who presides over the mountain of the murderer,” which according to Oxford University researcher Michael Zellmann-Rohrer alludes to the account in the book of Genesis when God initially asks Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah.

In the narrative, although Abraham agrees to follow God’s command, a messenger from God reveals it was a test of faith, and so Isaac is spared and a ram is sacrificed instead.

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Source: Christian Post

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Euthanasia Activist Unveils ‘Suicide Machine’ That’s Also a Coffin

A “suicide pod” designed by a longtime euthanasia activist is supposed to kill users within seconds and double as a coffin.

The machine was unveiled Saturday at a yearly funeral show in Amsterdam.

Advocates who fight laws allowing for assisted suicide describe it as a mere “stunt” from a man who hungers for media attention.

Over the weekend Australian doctor and euthanasia activist Philip Nitschke, who reportedly considers himself the “Elon Musk of assisted suicide”, showed off his “Sarco,” short for sarcophagus, invention at an Amsterdam funeral show which attracted thousands, reports say.

Nitschke’s Sarco suicide machine has a biodegradable, detachable coffin that is mounted on a stand containing a nitrogen canister; he made the machine with Dutch designer Alexander Bannink.

“The person who wants to die presses the button and the capsule is filled with nitrogen. He or she will feel a bit dizzy but will then rapidly lose consciousness and die,” Nitschke said, according to Agence France-Presse Saturday.

The Sarco was made specifically “to provide people with a death when they wish to die,” he said.

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Source: Christian Post

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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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Stormy Daniels Will Donate $130,000 to Planned Parenthood if She Wins Lawsuit

Stormy Daniels Will Donate $130,000 to Planned Parenthood if She Wins Lawsuit



Stormy Daniels, the porn star who is suing President Trump, claiming he had an affair with her and then had his lawyer pay her to keep quiet about it, says if she wins her lawsuit she will donate $130,000 to Planned Parenthood.


According to LifeNews.com, $130,000 is reportedly the amount of money Daniels took from Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen to keep quiet about the affair.


Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, said in an interview with Penthouse magazine that she would make the donation in the name of the President and his lawyer.


“Ms. Clifford gave the Penthouse interview to pair with a cover story and a nude spread for the issue that goes on sale May 8 and names her ‘Penthouse Pet of the Century,’” according to an article in The Washington Times.


LifeNews’ reporter Micaiah Bilger notes that it is no surprise that Daniels, a part of the sex industry, would donate money to Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry since the two industries are closely linked.


For example, this past Valentine’s Day, a women’s porn site donated part of its sales to Planned Parenthood and in 2017, several adult stores sold X-rated products and donated the money to the abortion provider.


 


Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons


Publication date: April 18, 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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Georgia Church ‘Flooded by the Holy Spirit’ Moving Into Abandoned Shopping Center

(Photo: Facebook/Worship with Wonders Church)A Sunday evening service at Worship With Wonders Church, based in the Atlanta, Georgia area. In April 2018, a county board voted to approve the church’s plan to move into an abandoned shopping center.

An interdenominational congregation in Georgia will soon be moving into an abandoned shopping center, after local government gave the green light.

The Atlanta-based Worship With Wonders Church, which is headed by Myles and DeLana Rutherford and has approximately 900 members, has been meeting Sunday evenings at the chapel of another church.

The Cobb County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to allow Worship With Wonders to move into the abandoned shopping center, which is located off Powder Springs Road in South Cobb.

Senior Pastor Myles Rutherford told The Christian Post in an interview on Wednesday that he and his wife see their ministry as “an amazing journey,” saying that their worship services “are just completely overwhelmed and flooded by the Holy Spirit.”

“My wife Pastor DeLana and I have felt for a long time a surge coming back to the mainstream body desiring more of an encounter with God, not just typical church. People are desiring for an authentic fresh move of the Holy Spirit,” explained Rutherford.

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Two Pastors in Burma Freed from Prison

Two Pastors in Burma Freed from Prison



After spending more than a year in prison, two assistant pastors arrested by the Burma (Myanmar) army were freed on Tuesday (17 April) under a government amnesty program. 

 

Dom Dawng Nawng Latt, 65, and La Jaw Gam Hseng, 35, were among more than 8,500 prisoners granted amnesty by newly elected President U Win Myint, sources said. Some 37 jailed political activists were also freed under the amnesty, but most of those freed were in prison on drug-related and other crimes. 

 

Pastor Zau Ra, secretary of the Kachin Baptist Convention in Mong Maung town, Shan state, told Morning Star News that the two pastors were released from Lashio prison, northern Shan state, where their family members went to greet them. 

 

“They were freed around 4 p.m. yesterday, and they are on their way back home,” he said. “We are happy that they were freed, but they spent one year and five months in prison. It is not good for them, their family and even for the convention. They were arrested for being suspicious and sentenced into prison. It was a waste of time, and it was not fair.”

 

Pastor Zau Ra said they are in good health.

 

“It is important that respective authorities make sure that this wouldn’t be happening in the future, as we are in peace-building process,” he said. “This would harm relationship and trust- building between the government and…

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John Piper Offers 4 Suggestions for Those Struggling to Forgive, Reveals ‘Real Sign’ of Forgiveness

(Photo: Rocket Republic via Flicker)John Piper, founder of DesiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary, speaks at the MLK50 Conference hosted by the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and The Gospel Coalition in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 5, 2018.

Reformed theologian John Piper offered four suggestions for those struggling to forgive others, warning that the physical and emotional pain stemming from hurt can easily morph into “selfishness, bitterness and resentment.”

Piper addressed the issue of forgiveness on his desiringGod.org podcast when a listener, identified Emily, said she was unsure of whether she’d truly forgiven her husband for a distasteful comment due to “lingering pain from the offense.”

The Bethlehem College & Seminary Chancellor began by explaining that the battle for holiness both in marriage and other relationships centers on the struggle to avoid sinning in response to being sinned against.

“What makes this battle so peculiar is that in the very moment when we may be sinning against someone, we have strong feelings of self-justification because of how we’ve been sinned against,” he said. “Some of the feelings that we have may be warranted, even justified; some of the hurt or the indignation may be…

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Christian Pilot Praised for Poise in Face of Disaster: ‘God Sent His Angels to Watch over Us!’

Christian Pilot Praised for Poise in Face of Disaster: ‘God Sent His Angels to Watch over Us!’



A Southwest Airlines pilot who was forced to make an emergency landing on Tuesday relied on her faith to keep calm in the tense situation.


. reports that Tammie Jo Shults had to think fast when the plane she was piloting en route to Dallas from New York City lost one of its engines while airborne at 32,000 feet. Shults was forced to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia.


She radioed the Philadelphia air traffic controller, calmly saying, “So we have a part of the aircraft missing so we’re going to need to slow down a bit.” She also told personnel at the Philadelphia International Airport that they would be needed an ambulance for injured passengers.


Shults was able to safely land the plane in Philadelphia, although one passenger died after she was nearly sucked out of a broken window.


Many of the passengers commended Shults on her poise in the face of disaster. “The pilot Tammy Jo was so amazing! She landed us safely in Philly,” said passenger Amanda Bourman on Instagram. “God sent his angels to watch over us. I actually heard someone say, there is a God!!”


Shults herself identifies as a Christian. She gained experience as a pilot while in the U.S. Navy, flying F-18 fighter jets. Her skills landing planes at high speeds certainly helped her bring her passengers to safety on the Southwest flight.


Shults also said she…

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San Francisco Church to Hold Beyoncé Mass; Pastor Insists ‘We’re Following in the Way of Jesus’

(Photo: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)Beyonce performs at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. on February 12, 2017.

A San Francisco church will host a “Beyoncé Mass,” featuring songs from the pop star that congregation members will be invited to sing along to, and one of its pastors is insisting that the event goes hand in hand with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

“I know there are people who will say using Beyoncé is just a cheap way of trying to get people in the church,” the Rev. Jude Harmon, director of innovative ministries for Grace Cathedral, an Episcopal Church, told SFGate on Tuesday.

“But Jesus used very provocative images in the stories he would tell to incite people to ask hard questions about their own religious assumptions. He regularly provoked. We’re following in the way of Jesus.”

Harmon, who is also the founder of Vince, a weekly contemporary worship service project espousing progressive theology, insisted that Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s music “opens a window into the lives of the marginalized and forgotten — particularly black females.”

He pointed out that 2018 has seen “so much conversation about the role of women and communities of color, we felt a need to lift up the voices that the church has traditionally suppressed.”

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