Bethany Christian to Place Children in LGBT Homes in Michigan
Bethany Christian Services, one of the nation’s largest adoption agencies, says it will begin placing children in LGBT homes in Michigan as part of a new state rule.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, announced in March a settlement with two same-sex couples that requires all adoption agencies that contract with the state to work with gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender couples who want to adopt or foster a child. That includes faith-based agencies like Bethany.
That settlement ended a lawsuit by the couples – Kristy and Dana Dumont and Erin and Rebecca Busk-Sutton – who had tried to adopt through Bethany and St. Vincent Catholic Charities upon referrals from the state Department of Health and Human Services, the Detroit Free Press reported. Both couples were turned away.
Bethany’s change does not impact private adoptions or the organization’s work in other states, although last year Bethany made a similar change to continue its contract with the city of Philadelphia.
“We are disappointed with how this settlement agreement has been implemented by the state government,” Bethany said in a statement. “Nonetheless, Bethany will continue operations in Michigan, in compliance with our legal contract requirements.”
Bethany is located in 36 states and works in other countries, too.
Ilhan Omar Faces Criticism after Suggesting that Jesus Was Palestinian and Not a Jew
Rep. Ilhan Omar is facing criticism for suggesting that Jesus was Palestinian and not a Jew.
According to CBN News, Omar retweeted a tweet from Omar Suleiman, an American Muslim scholar and civil rights activist.
Suleiman said in his tweet: “I was once asked by a relative who is a Palestinian Christian why the Christian right in America largely supports their oppression,” Suleiman wrote. “Don’t they know we’re Christian too? Do they even consider us human? Don’t they know Jesus was Palestinian?’“
Suleiman seemed to be responding to a New York Times piece that said: “Jesus, born in Bethlehem, was most likely a Palestinian man with dark skin.”
In response to Omar’s retweet, Michael Dickson, executive director of StandWithUs-Israel, said Jesus was a Jew.
“No, @Ilhan Omar, Jesus was not a ‘Palestinian’, he was a Jew born in Israel under Roman occupation and your need to misrepresent history and misappropriate his background to further a political cause says more about you than it does about anything else,” he said.
Said Amir Tsarfati, an Israeli Bible scholar and founder of Behold Israel Ministry: “I suggest that she reads the #Bible and see for herself that the Lion from the tribe of #Judah that came from the house of David was definitely a #Jew who taught in #synagogues and not #mosques!”
Expert Reveals 12,000-plus Boy Scouts Were Victims of Sexual Abuse
An expert contracted by the Boy Scouts to examine sexual abuse cases within its ranks revealed that as many as 7,819 troop leaders and volunteers allegedly abused 12,254 victims, according to newly released court documents.
Attorney Jeff Anderson, who specializes in sexual abuse cases, released the figures during an April 23 news conference in New York, where at least 130 abusers have been identified. New York recently changed its reporting laws, easing the statute of limitations and giving victims more time to report their abuse.
The breadth of the scouting abuse was first revealed in January, but not made public, during court testimony provided by Dr. Janet Warren, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia’s medical school. Warren was a witness in a Minnesota child sex abuse case.
According to ABC News, Warren testified that she has been “on private contract” with the Boy Scouts of America for the past five years, evaluating its handling of sexual abuse within the organization from 1944 through 2016.
That work included the review of thousands of records sometimes referred to as “perversion files,” which contain details of leaders and volunteers who were let go because of alleged abuse.
“The disclosure made by Dr. Janet Warren really sounded the alarm to us,” Anderson said, adding“this is…
Franklin Graham Urges Buttigieg to Repent and Rejects Idea of ‘Gay Christian’
Evangelist Franklin Graham is pushing back against comments by Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, a gay man who has made faith a major part of his campaign.
Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., was asked Monday during a CNN town hall how he would unite Christians who are conservative and liberal.
“I get that one of the things about Scripture is different people see different things in it,” Buttigieg responded, according to The Hill. “But, at the very least we should be able to establish that God does not have a political party.”
Buttigieg also said his interpretation of Scripture contrasts with what he sees modeled by President Trump.
“Frankly,” Buttigieg said, “it couldn’t be more radically different than what I see certainly in this White House, where there is a lot of chest-thumping and self-aggrandizing, not to mention abusive behavior, but also a political agenda that seems to always be revolving around the idea that somehow it’s too easy for poor people in this country.”
Graham, on Twitter, agreed and disagreed with Buttigieg.
“Presidential candidate & South Bend Mayor @PeteButtigieg is right – God doesn’t have a political party,” Graham wrote. “But God does have commandments, laws & standards He gives us to live by. God doesn’t change. His Word is the same yesterday, today &…
A report released by a group of MPs is recommending new legislation to allow an unborn child with life limiting disabilities to be terminated in Northern Ireland.
Currently, abortions are only allowed in extreme circumstances and the plan is to allow them in cases of ‘fatal foetal abnormality’.
Co-founder of pro-life group Both Lives Matter, Dawn McAvoy, told Premier that changing abortion law is not Westminister’s decision to make: “Westminster shouldn’t interfere because abortion is a devolved issue to Northern Ireland.
“Health and justice are both devolved to our local assembly and that really is a strong part of the basis of the Good Friday Agreement from 1998. So it would be contrary to the understanding between the UK Government and Northern Ireland and that peace agreement.”
However, there is currently no government at the Northern Ireland assembly at Stormont, leading campaigners to say there must be a timetable put into action by the UK government for women to access abortion legally in the meantime.
Those in favour of making terminations more accessible say many women already travel to England alone to undertake the experience or buy abortion pills online.
The report also cites a UN Committee who said there were ‘grave’ and ‘systematic’ breaches of women’s rights in Northern’s Ireland’s abortion laws.
Key Verse: “But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it” (Jeremiah 21:14).
MESSAGE:
If a man takes a fellow man for granted, it is sufficiently provocative. How much more God for granted? When a man has committed sacrilege and has thereby offended the Almighty and yet assumes that nothing is wrong or pretends as if nothing happened, such a person invites the indignation of the all-seeing God.
Zedekiah, king of Judah and Pashur, the priest and his accomplice in evil-doing, had not only committed sacrilege before the Lord but had also persecuted Jeremiah the prophet. Here, the king sent to request Jeremiah to enquire from the Lord concerning their current affairs. In spite of his wickedness and disregard for God, he hoped for positive response and action from the Lord. God’s response must have taken this erring king by suprise because it was judgment against all his evil doings. God proposed to use Zedekiah’s own weapons of war, the enemies’ army and divine power against Zedekiah and his people. He said, “… I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a strong arm…”. The king, his lieutenants, and subjects were not spared the ordeal of the impending judgment. The Lord gave fatherly counsel to the “house of David” and all who wanted to escape the impending judgment to make right their ways.
God knows every minute detail of what every man or woman does for or against Him and shall requite it at the appropriate time. Pretending that nothing is amiss or taking God for granted by asking Him for favour in spite of unrepented iniquity will only draw His just recompense and judgment. Engaging in mere religious observances while glossing over our wrongdoings does not cancel the recompense for the wrongdoing.
We must ensure that we maintain a cordial, righteous relationship and walk with God daily, if we want to continue to enjoy His favour.
Thought For The Day: Whatever a man sows he shall surely reap.
The Bible In One Year: Joshua 1-4
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
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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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…Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. – Hebrews 6:12
You’ve been walking by faith. You’ve been believing God to meet your need. But what do you do when the results seem slow in coming and you are tempted to give up?
Be patient!
There is not much said about patience these days. But, when it comes to receiving from God, it is just as important as faith.
It will make the difference between success and failure for you.
Patience undergirds and sustains faith until the result is manifest. After you have meditated on the promises of God and have them in your spirit, patience will encourage you to hold steady. Patience is power. It has the courage to refuse the lie of Satan that says the Word is not working for you. It knows that God’s Word has never failed. Patience will not draw back in fear but will press forward in faith until you have the answer.
When the results of your faith seem slow in coming, don’t give up! Continue to put the Word first, with patience, and you will surely receive the promise of God!
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 10:32-39
This message was written by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, the leader of the Kenneth Copeland Ministries (www.KCM.org) that specializes in teaching principles of bible faith – prayer, healing, salvation and other biblical topics.
Mark 6:12, ‘And they went out, and preached that men should repent.’
MARK 6:7-12
‘Repent’ comes from the Greek word, ‘metanoeo,’ and literally means to have another mind. Repentance is a necessary part of salvation. Repentance may include Godly sorrow, but sorrow does not always include repentance.
Repentance is simply a change of mind accompanied by corresponding actions. There is a Godly type of sorrow and an ungodly type of sorrow. Godly sorrow leads to repentance. Ungodly sorrow, or the sorrow of this world, just kills.
Our culture has rejected all ‘negative’ emotions. But God gave us the capacity for these negative emotions, and there is a proper use of them. Ecclesiastes 7:3 says, ‘Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.’ People should feel bad about sin. There should be sorrow over our failures. However, this sorrow should lead to repentance. Then, when forgiveness is received, our sorrow should be cast upon the Lord (Isa. 53:4).
The Lord’s statements to His disciples, the night before His crucifixion, caused them sorrow (Mt. 26:21-22; Jn. 16:6). If they would have let that sorrow lead them to repentance, then they wouldn’t have denied the Lord. Peter’s sorrow after his denial of Jesus changed him and, certainly, he never regretted the tears he cried.
The sorrow experienced by those who do not turn to God produces only death. They grieve over their situation because they don’t turn to God (that’s repentance). Christians should only have sorrow until they repent. Once repentance has come, we need to appropriate the forgiveness and cleansing that are already ours through Christ. Godly sorrow that produces repentance leaves us with no regrets. The positive change that our sorrows led us to, changes our attitude towards the things that caused us sorrow. Let the negatives in your life become positives through Jesus.
This message was written by The Association of Related Ministries International (ARMI) is an extension of Andrew Wommack Ministries (AWM). ARMI is a unique partnership committed to providing resources to help like-minded ministers succeed in a spirit of excellence and to draw from the experience and expertise of both the AWM and Charis Bible College staff. (www.awmi.net).
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.— Psalm 19:1–3
There is a language in nature that speaks of the existence of God. It is the language of order, beauty, perfection, and intelligence. Some time ago a scientist told me that when he gave serious thought to the majestic order of the universe and its obedience to unchanging law, he could not help but believe in God. He had become aware that God was speaking through nature.
God speaks in the certainty and regularity of the seasons; in the precision of the movements of the sun, the moon, and the stars; in the regular coming of night and day; in the balance between man’s consumption of life-giving oxygen and its production by the plant life of the earth; and even in the cry of a newborn child with its ever-new dimension of the miracle of life.
Prayer for the day: The beauty of this day will be a constant reminder of the magnificence of You, God.
Written by Billy Graham, Founder of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association(BGEA). BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.
And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick… (Isaiah 33:24).
Sometimes, you find Christians who are crying to God for healing. It’s a contradiction, because the Christian is an associate of the God-kind; he’s therefore not meant to be sick. Why then are many sick? Psalm 82:5-7 gives the answer. It says, “They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.”
Ignorance has been the bane of many, because, really, the Christian has a life that isn’t susceptible to sickness or disease. It’s for the same reason that Jesus said in Mark 16:18, “…if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them….” Nothing, absolutely nothing, is supposed to hurt you enough to make you sick, let alone take your life. This is because the life in you is indestructible.
Did you know that there’s nowhere in the Scripture where God asked that you pray for healing for yourself? The reason is that divine health is your nature; you were born with it the day you were born again. In the first level of spiritual growth, you get sick and then you get well, and then the cycle continues; you’re always “believing” God for healing.
In the second and higher level, you declare, “Divine health is mine!” Your faith works for divine health. When you feel the symptoms of sickness in your body, you don’t fret; you simply declare, “In the Name of Jesus, I command the pain to cease!” and it happens!
However, you’ve got to move to the higher class, where you don’t get sick at all or recognise sickness or disease. Our opening verse says they that dwell in Zion shall not say, “I am sick.” Who are those that dwell in Zion? It’s those of us who are born again; God’s people. The Bible says in Hebrews 12:22, “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels.” We live in Zion now; we’re at home in Christ, where sickness is illegal; it’s alien to us. If you ever feel the symptoms of sickness in your body, it’s a “lying vanity”; a mirage; shake it off in the Name of Jesus. Walk in divine health and refuse to be sick.
CONFESSION The divine life is working in every fibre of my being, every cell of my blood, and in every bone of my body! From the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, my entire being is vitalised by the Holy Spirit who lives in me, invigorating me through and through, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY: 2 Peter 1:4; 3 John 1:2; Isaiah 33:24 AMPC
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 22:1-38 & 1 Samuel 26-28
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Mark 5:21-34 & Leviticus 26
Rhapsody of Realities 26th April 2019 Devotional was written by Pastor Pastor Chris Oyakhilome (D.Sc., D.D.). President of Loveworld Inc. aka Christ Embassy Int’l.
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