Growing numbers of parents are taking a stand against moves to impose lessons on LGBT issues on primary school children.
Parents at seven primary schools in Greater Manchester have contacted school management to complain about proposed LGBT lessons.
It follows several schools in Birmingham suspending LGBT programmes until a resolution can be reached with parents who say they are “promoting LGBT ways of life”.
‘Significant issue’
The Government intends to introduce compulsory Relationships Education at primary school level from 2020, which will teach children as young as five about “different types” of families.
Some parents at William Hulme Grammar School in Whalley Range contacted the school to discuss the changes proposed by the Government, while parents at Acacias Community Primary School in Burnage have requested a meeting.
The assistant headteacher at Acacias said, “a significant issue with our parents seems to be linked to LGBT”.
Respecting parents
The Christian Institute’s Education Officer John Denning said respecting parents is “essential”.
“The protests reflect the lack of confidence parents have that schools are observing the proper boundaries of their role.
“The law is clear that teachers must respect the range of views amongst parents and not undermine them with one-sided propaganda.”
“It is being justified by claiming that it is required by the Equality Act, but the Act is explicit that it does not apply to the school curriculum.” … read more
The summary addressed the question America has been asking for the last 676 days: Did the president, or anyone working for him, conspire with Russia to influence the 2016 election in his favor? Further, did he or those working on his behalf attempt to obstruct federal investigations into this matter?
The significance of the Mueller report is enormous. If the special counsel determined that such collusion or obstruction took place, the ramifications for our democracy would be foundational and tragic.
What the report tells us
Mr. Mueller’s report was presented to the US attorney general, who in turn issued his summary. He noted that the special counsel employed nineteen lawyers who were assisted by approximately forty FBI agents, intelligence analysts, forensic accountants, and other professional staff. The special counsel issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly five hundred search warrants, and interviewed approximately five hundred witnesses.
The special counsel’s investigation determined that a Russian organization known as the Internet Research Agency attempted to conduct disinformation and social media operations in the US “with the aim of interfering with the election.”
It also found that “Russian government actors successfully hacked into computers and obtained emails from persons affiliated with the Clinton campaign and Democratic Party organizations, and publicly disseminated those materials through various intermediaries.”
However, Mr. Mueller “did not find that the Trump campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in these efforts, despite multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign.”
Responding to a government consultation on Scotland’s hate crime laws, leaders said Scotland risks becoming an “intolerant, illiberal society” unless there is space for “robust debate and exchange of views”.
Catholic Parliamentary Office Director, Anthony Horan said: “In a climate of heightened sensitivity, there is a very real danger that expressing or even holding individual or collective opinions or beliefs will become a hate crime. We must guard against this and ensure freedom of expression, thought, conscience and religion are protected.
“Some people might suggest that expressing the Catholic Church’s position on marriage or human sexuality could be an attempt to stir up hatred. This would obviously be wrong, but without room for robust debate and exchange of views we risk becoming an intolerant, illiberal society.”
The Catholic Church in Scotland also warned of a “growing hierarchy” of protected characteristics listed in hate crime legislation, as they argued against the introduction of a new sectarianism category.
The Scottish Government consultation on hate crime follows a review by Lord Bracadale which recommended fresh protection for free speech to be included in any new hate crime legislation.
Mr Horan added: “Existing legislation, including existing statutory aggravations, are adequate.
Allow me a bit of clarity here. I am using the phrase, “inactive members,” to refer to those church members who have not shown up for any church service or event in several months. For now, I am not referring to those members who show up occasionally or sporadically.
What are the trends among the churches in North America? For certain, it’s a big issue. For example, the Southern Baptist Convention has over 15 million members, but only about 6 million show up for a weekly worship service. How are churches responding to the reality that many members on the church roll could not be found by the U. S. Census Bureau or the FBI? Here are seven trends:
The majority of churches do nothing. Many names on church membership rolls moved out of town years ago. Some have residency in graveyards. Some church members think moving someone off the membership rolls is tantamount to removing their salvation.
A small but growing minority of churches ask members to recommit to membership annually. With that commitment comes the expectation that the members will actually show up for worship services, among other expectations.
Few churches are actually intentional about connecting with inactive members. Those that are attempting to connect with inactive members report, for the most part, anemic responses. They thus become discouraged to pursue the task.
A number of churches have dropped “inactive member” as a category of membership. They rightly see the phrase, “inactive member,” as an oxymoron. They…
Topic: Choose To Speak Life [TREM Devotional 25 March 2019]
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Proverbs 18:21 KJV
Dearly beloved, never stop declaring your expectations because the verdict is yours. Now is the time to stand your ground till you see the manifestation of your desires. ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.’ Child of God, this is not the time to give up and say ‘Oh, I have prayed and nothing is happening’. Never judge an answer to prayers based on whether there’s a physical manifestation or not. It is a wrong assessment. God is a Spirit and we His children are made up of spirit, soul and body. And so in the spirit realm, you have your answers. What you need to do is bring it from the realm of the spirit into the physical. And you do that with your mouth.
Our Bible text tells us that you will eat the fruit of your lips. But the type of fruit you eat depends on what you speak. If you speak death filled words, then don’t expect anything to work. But if your words are filled with life, blessings, God’s goodness and favour, then that’s what you will possess.
Genesis chapter 1 tells us that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth; and the earth was without form and void, and there was darkness everywhere, and then God said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” There was a change because God spoke His expectation, rather than what He saw at the time.
Beloved, what are you speaking? Are you speaking words of recovery, or are you going according to what your circumstances are telling you? This is not the time to shut your mouth and say ‘well, I made declarations in time past and I didn’t see any changes, so why should I keep at it?’ You should keep at it until you take delivery of all your expectations.
Further Reading: Proverbs 18:20; 12:14; 13:2
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Joshua 19-21; Evening- Luke 2:25-52
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.
Topic: God Will Fight for You [Joyce Meyer Devotional 25 March 2019]
And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but Gods’.” — 2 Chronicles 20:15
There are times in our lives when we feel like we are up against what seems to be an insurmountable enemy. Things appear to be hopeless, and we are in a fight we think we can’t possibly win. During times like these, we need to remember one very important thing: The battle belongs to the Lord.
You and I are involved in a spiritual war in the unseen realm. God’s Word makes it clear that we will have times of trouble (see John 16:33). But the Bible also makes it clear that no matter what we may be facing, God has a plan. His plan for us is to be victorious—even when our problems feel overwhelming.
You may be struggling with fear, a bad habit, relationship issues, or even a life-threatening disease. Whatever it is, when you give your battle to the Lord, you are in a position to win. Second Chronicles chapter 20 is one of my favorite passages of Scripture. It’s the perfect blueprint for how to respond when trouble strikes.
At the beginning of this chapter, we find King Jehoshaphat of Judah and his entire army surrounded by their enemies, trapped and outnumbered. Suddenly, without hardly any warning, Judah’s army was faced with an impossible situation and seemingly no solution. Sound familiar?
There are three very important things Jehoshaphat did. First, he admitted that he had no might to stand against his enemies. Second, he admitted that he did not know what to do. And third, he said that their eyes were on God. These three things put Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah in a position for a miracle.
In a similar way, we need to realize that we are totally dependent on God to solve our problem and fight our battles—we can’t do it on our own!
Prayer Starter: Lord, I understand there will be times when I face troubles and difficulties. Help me to let You fight my battles, trusting You to show up in my situation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer Backed Up With Faith by Pastor David Ibiyeomie
Topic: Prayer Backed Up With Faith
Faith is a spiritual force that commits God’s integrity to make good His promise. It is your access to all your inheritance in Christ. It guarantees your access to every inheritance you have in Christ. Faith is the bridge that connects you to your destination. God has no problem confirming His word; He is only looking for who will trust Him.
The prayer wrapped faith is making decrees or requests to God based on His word with deep conviction and settled assurance.
James 5:13-15 – Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
The prayer that must produce result is the faith-based prayer. In the kingdom of God, it is not just prayer that makes things work; it is prayer wrapped in faith that produces results. Your prayer must be wrapped in faith for it to produce the desired result.
To pray a prayer of faith, you must first of all locate appropriate scriptures which are in line with your request. This is because God will not respond to any prayer which are not in line with His word. So, when you want to pray, you must locate a scripture or scriptures which are relevant to what you want to ask God for.
1 John 5:14 – And this is the confidence that we have in him that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
Thus, you have to get God’s word and return it back to the Lord because God’s word is Himself. God will hear your prayers when you pray according to His word; not according to your grammar. For instance, if you are looking for a job, the first thing you have to do is to locate an appropriate scripture that has to do with miracle job like Isaiah 3:10:
Isaiah 3:10 -Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
It is not enough to locate a scripture. When you locate a scripture, meditate on it until faith rises in you. Meditation can be compared to incubation in agriculture. Meditate on the scripture until faith is built.
1Tim. 4:15 – Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
Sit with the word of God until the rhema becomes very real to you. After meditation, the next step is to open your mouth in prayer because faith is not finished until it is spoken for God to confirm it.
2Cor. 4:13 – We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
Speak and declare what you have seen in God’s word which you have also meditated on and God will not hesitate to confirm it. After speaking and declaring what you want to see, believe that it is done.
Mark 11:24 – Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 24 For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you. {Amp}
If you want the prayer of faith to work, when you pray for anything, you don’t have to see it before you know that God has answered; you have to know that He has answered before you can see it. If you don’t have faith that God has answered, you cannot see it but the moment you have faith, then you will have what have prayed for.
Believe that you have received answers to your prayers before you see any physical manifestation. God has given us everything we need in Christ Jesus.
In prayer of faith, you don’t see it before you believe; you believe that what you have prayed for, God has answered and so, you are relaxed. From today, as you begin to practice the prayer of faith, may all that you request of the Lord in accordance to His word come to pass in your life speedily in the name of Jesus –Amen!!!
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.
Topic: Come Alive Today [Kenneth Copeland Devotional 25 March 2019]
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. – 2 Corinthians 5:17
Resurrection. What do you think of when you hear that word? Most people think of the past. Of a stone rolled away. An empty tomb. And a risen Lord.
Praise God, Jesus is alive today, isn’t He?
What we don’t fully understand is this: He’s not the only One who has been resurrected. We’ve been resurrected too!
We were spiritually resurrected the day we made the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives. That day we passed from death to life. The greater part of your resurrection has already happened!
Think about it. When you made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, the Spirit of God hovered over you. The glory of the Lord came into your being. And that glory consumed the old, sinful man that you were. That old man died. And in his place a new creature was born.
Oh yes, there will be a day when the earthly body you live in will be raised and glorified—but you don’t have to wait until then to be free from sin and from the sickness and poverty and failure that goes with this natural world. You’re free from all that right now!
You may be sitting there thinking, Well, if I’m so free, why can’t I quit smoking? Why can’t I lose this weight? Why am I always sick?
Because you’ve let Satan convince you that you’re still under his power. You’ve let him talk you into living as if you’re still spiritually dead!
So, today I want you to begin considering yourself alive! Begin thinking of yourself as one who already has the life of God instead of an earthly being who’s waiting for the Resurrection. Consider yourself dead to sin and alive to the power of Jesus. You’ll find yourself living a whole new life today!
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.
Topic: His Mercy Endures Forever [Andrew Wommack Devotional 25 March 2019]
Matthew 12:20, “A bruised reed shall he not break, and a smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgement unto victory.”
Text: Matthew 12:15-21, Mark 3:7-19, Luke 6:12-16
One of the ways in which God’s goodness is revealed is in mercy. We may describe mercy as the readiness of God to relieve the misery of fallen creatures. Many times, mercy is called compassion or lovingkindness. It is expressed toward the sinner because of the misery that sin has brought upon him.
The “reed” referred to in this passage is probably speaking of the reeds that grew in the marshy areas in the land of Palestine. These were very fragile and could be easily bruised or broken. The term “smoking flax” refers to a linen wick which was made from flax and burned brightly when floating on oil in an open lamp. However, when the oil was depleted, the flax would just smoke until the oil was replenished.
The meaning of these illustrations is that Jesus is ministering in mercy to those who have been bruised or broken (Lk. 4:18), and to those who have lost their oil (spirit). He has come to fill them anew (Mt. 5:3; Acts 1:5; 2:4). The Jews were used to the judgment of the law but Jesus came to minister grace and truth (Jn. 1:17), even to the Gentiles (Mt. 12:18, 21).
God’s mercy to the believer is revealed by His act of taking away the misery of sin’s consequences through the New Covenant of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is given to us because of God’s mercy. It’s not something we’ve merited or earned. As the Apostle Paul states, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to HIS MERCY He saved us” (Ti. 3:5). God is for you, not against you. Cast all of your care upon Him, because His mercy endureth forever!
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).
Accessing the Wonders of the Word through Revelation! By Bishop David Oyedepo
Topic: Accessing the Wonders of the Word through Revelation!
Welcome to another exciting week! I believe you were blessed by the last teaching. Today, we shall focus on: Accessing the Wonders of the Word through Revelation!
We discover from Scriptures that the Word is the key to our turnaround, and we need the right key to experience that turnaround. As it is written: Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts (Jeremiah 15:16; see also Acts 20:32).We need to have an understanding of how to get the right word to tackle our situations, because one particular key cannot open every door. It is the Word that gives us command and the Word is the light that shatters every dark area of our lives.
We have an inheritance in God’s Word which gives us access to that turnaround we desire. The Word is loaded; it is the answer to every question, the solution to every problem and the way out of every predicament. When God’s Word is rejected, the individual becomes a victim of life, because the only solution to darkness is light. That makes the Word the guarantee for our long desired success and prosperity (Joshua 1:8; Deuteronomy 28:1-3). The Word is God’s master plan for His people because it tells us where we are headed in destiny and how to get there. However, there is a platform we must attain, to be able to access the revelation of the truth. In Revelation 4:1, God said: “…Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” We cannot see it out there on the floor; that is why He said, “Come up!” Many hear what God is saying, but very few see it. If we want to see what God is saying, we need to come up to His level.
How then, Can We Access the Revelation of the Truth?
1. Be Born Again: The Bible is made up of mysteries and these mysteries are God’s secrets behind every biblical story. However, it is the unveiling of these secrets and their application that give us the turnarounds we desire. To an ordinary man, the Scripture is made up of stories, because until a man is redeemed, he cannot access the mysteries therein. The stories are made up of letters, while the mysteries are made up of Spirit and life. Without the impartation of the life in the Word, we can only access the stories of the Word; we cannot access the wonders in it (Mark 4:11). Hence, we need to spiritually align by being born again, so we can access the Spirit virtue in the Word.
2. Be Spiritual: It is very interesting to know that even though God’s Word is the heritage of the redeemed, it is only accessible by spirituality. As long as we are carnal, we cannot access light from heaven. This is the greatest challenge of the Church today. There are men who are filled with the Spirit, but only few truly walk in the Spirit (Revelation 1:10). They do not allow themselves to be used by the Holy Spirit, even when they are filled. We must be in the Spirit to hear what God is saying to us per time. That means our spirit-man needs to be actively alive, if we must engage heaven and hear God’s voice.
3. Be Filled with the Holy Spirit: We need the baptism of the Holy Spirit to break the limit off our access to the Word; otherwise, we are limited. The Holy Spirit enhances our access to the Word and brings us into realms of unlimited depth in the things of God, for He teaches us all things and without Him, we know nothing (John 16:12). And the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit is real! When Peter exploded in revelation on the day of Pentecost, there was no way to access that realm except by the Holy Spirit. He became a professor in ministry, without opening any notebook (1 Corinthians 2:10). Thus, every believer is limited in access without the Holy Spirit.
4. We Must Thirst for the Word: There is a price to pay to gain access to our own word of command. It is a thirst price (Isaiah 55:1). In Agricultural Science, we understand that it is easy for sandy soil to get water because it is porous, but clay soil is thick; water cannot easily flow into it. We need to create a sandy situation around our hearts and that is where being thirsty comes in. There is always a need to create a thirst by which God’s Word moves us without restriction.
5. Connect to the Ministry of Teaching Priests: The ministry of the teaching priest is vital to our quest for light (the Word) that leads to our turnarounds. These teaching priests are endowed with divine access to unusual light, which grants us access to our own light as seen in the case of the children of Israel (2 Chronicles 15:3-4/8). The arrival of a teaching priest provoked a complete change of story. Therefore, by the ministry of the teaching priest, we take spiritual command to compel our all-round rest. Just a word from the Lord through a teaching priest can change any situation, if we open our hearts to receive it.
In summary, without genuine attention, we cannot get our sent Word. Triumphing in the world of command requires giving genuine attention to the Word. Many people do not have time for the issues of their lives; they keep waiting for that “one day”. There is no such day! Every day is the Lord’s Day, but the day we encounter our word is our day. If we don’t give attention to the Word, we will not get it because the Word of command requires genuine attention of the seeker. However, you must be born again. Are you born again? If you are not, this is an opportunity to do so.
Simply say the following prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now, I know I am born again!” For further reading, please get my books: Turnaround Power of the Word, The Force of Freedom, Walking in Dominion, Satan Get Lost, Born to Win and Fulfilling your Days. I invite you to fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. respectively. I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 01-4548070, 01-4548280; or E-mail:[email protected]; Face book: www.facebook.com/davidoyedepoministries/; Twitter: @DavidOyedepoMin
David O. Oyedepo is a Nigerian Christian author, architect, preacher, and the founder and presiding bishop of the mega church, Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winners’ Chapel
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