The ministry landscape is changing, and the need for biblical training is more necessary than ever. It’s time to get your Master of Divinity degree. The M.Div —Midwestern Seminary’s flagship degree program — is the primary track for ministry preparation. At just 81 hours, the Midwestern M.Div offers a complete foundation…
Unsurprisingly, Nevada ranks first, primarily because of “greed” and “lust.” Florida comes in second because of “jealousy,” “lust,” and “vanity.” The rest of the top (or bottom) ten in order: California, Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, and Arizona. The least sinful states in order are Vermont, Maine, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Idaho.
Sin may be measured collectively, but it is committed personally. And it never stays secret.
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson alleged yesterday that the brothers’ motive for helping Smollett was money. “There was never a thought in their mind that we would be able to track them down,” he added.
Scripture warns us: “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).
Why temptation is so tempting today
There’s something about temptation that causes us to think this warning doesn’t really apply to us. We will get away with it. No one will know, no one will be hurt, no consequences will follow. Or so we think.
It is not yet clear exactly when the CLC (Christian Literature Crusade) store on Castle Street will shut.
Shop manager Pam Kerr told the Inverness Courier of her disappointment of the decision but CLC products will continue to be available to purchase online.
She said: “It’s sad because as well as being a valuable resource centre for the Christian community it was a very popular place for people to come in for a coffee and to enjoy some fellowship.
“As well as providing resources for local churches and the Christian community, we supply to places like Wick, Thurso, Ullapool and Skye.”
During recent years, numerous bricks-and-mortar Christian bookshops across the UK have closed. The Wesley Own chain closes its last physical branches in 2014.
At the same time, sales of digital books (e-books) have risen. Audiobooks have also risen in popularity.
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The Church of England priest has praised the group therapy he received from St Andrew’s Healthcare during a period of mental ill-health he experienced during the late 1970s.
The 56-year-old said: “I was an inpatient here myself when I was 17, when I had an episode of clinical depression and a crisis that followed.”
“I was an inpatient at Isham House – I was in group therapy there and it saved my life. It literally saved my life.”
Rev Coles visited the site as part of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month. He is in a civil partnership with David Coles.
Presented to members of the Church’s governing body on Thursday, they encourage people to hold respectful theological discussions and ensure churches are welcoming places.
The principles were created by the Pastoral Advisory Group, which concluded the Church had been “found wanting” in its welcome and treatment of members of the LGBTQ community.
The group, whose members include the Bishop of Newcastle, Rt Rev Christine Hardman (pictured), called for a “change of culture”.
Addressing bishops, clergy and lay members, Bishop Christine asked: “Can it be right that some with pastoral responsibility in the church are so often ignorant of what it is like to be LGBTI+?”
“Can it be right for our church communities to have a policy, whether conscious or subconscious, of silence about matters relating to sexuality and gender?”
The principles urge people to be honest about their prejudice, “cast out” fear, offer courtesy and kindness to everyone and refuse to exploit power over others.
The advisory group identified “six pervading evils” which undermine good pastoral care in the Church of England; namely, “prejudice, silence, ignorance, fear, hypocrisy, prejudice and misuse of power.”
Bishop Christine added: “Good pastoral ministry amongst LGBTI+ people can never happen in an…
Maintaining Spiritual Fervency in Marriage (Part 3) By Pastor Faith Oyedepo
Topic: Maintaining Spiritual Fervency in Marriage (Part 3)
Dear Reader,
Peace and blessings, in the precious name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I welcome you to another interesting edition of these teaching series. Most Christians often make the mistake of paying so much attention to the physical man at the expense of the real (spiritual) man. God expects you and your family to be stronger spiritually than you were last year. For you and your family to enjoy the manifestations that God has promised you, you must accept the responsibility by laying a strong spiritual foundation. It is your spirituality that determines the level of God’s blessings that come to your direction. God cannot give you His blessings beyond your spiritual capacity. God’s Word says: And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel (Luke 1:80). There are certain things that belong to you that may not be given to you until you have grown.
The blessings your family enjoys shouldn’t keep you away from God or the blessing could be turned to a curse. All you need to do is to believe God for better time management. There is a way to maximise your day God’s way, thus ensuring that nothing suffers – not your walk with God and not your family. God’s Word says: …Walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:15-16). However, the Holy Spirit is available to give you the wisdom to plan your day. Sit down after a time of prayer; write out the things you need to do each day. Then, write them out in order of priority and allot time to them. After this, you may also need to think of time-saving devices, such as washing and ironing clothes you would need for the week in advance.
I have been married for more than three decades now and blessed with children. Yet, I am full of zeal in the service of the Lord. I face each day with a new determination to climb higher. The secret is that I embraced the truth of God’s Word that makes it clear that when you enter into marriage the Bible way, God expects that you become stronger spiritually than previously. In spiritual warfare, if one chases a thousand, two (husband and wife) in marriage now has the capacity to put ten thousand to flight (Deut. 32:30). This implies greater fervour spiritually (Proverbs 27:17).
Couples are meant to complement one another. When one is weak, the other lifts him/her up. When one is straying or fainting in the things of God, the other strengthens and prayerfully restores him/her. When the children are brought up on godly principles, they are protected and guarded against the evil ways of the world. The man who is the head of the home protects his wife and children from all harm and ensures that they are shielded emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically from all the strategies of the devil. Ecclesiastes 4:10 says: For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Thus, God requires every member of the family to fear Him, walk in His ways and love Him. As a man and the head of the home, on whom rests the responsibility of ensuring a godly and a spiritually strong family, to God’s glory, are you ready to meet with the requirement that God expects of you?
The Fear of the Lord
Do you have the fear of the Lord? Do you teach your children the same? As a wife and mother or as a husband and father, do you have the fear of God? Do you have time to seek out of the book of the law to know God’s requirement for you and those God has put in your care? You must get your priorities right this year if you are to actually see and enjoy the full-scale manifestations that God has promised His children. It is not for the butter and bread seeking Christians, but rather for those who will care to live by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
‘Fear’ in this context is not talking about being afraid. Rather, it connotes respect and reverence to God and His Word. Whatever He says, let it be your guiding principle, this year and beyond. As a man, and the head in the home, if you will walk in the understanding that you have a Head (God), who watches over you, and your doings, you will hold Him in reverence and respect. Whatever He tells you to do, you will do it without questions or grumbling. As the wife, even though you have your husband as the head, you know that, ultimately, God is your head; you will hold His commandments in awe.
Rather than seeing yourself as being subjected to your husband only, you see yourself as obeying the commandment of God through your husband, thereby reverencing God and His Word. This is the fear of the Lord. As you do this, your children watch and learn from you. Secretly, they are proud to have a God-fearing woman as their own mother, and they, in turn, learn to obey God and keep His Word.
If you really fear God, it will show in your attitude and character. When He says, turn to the right, you don’t turn to the left. When He commands you to wait, you don’t get impatient and move. God’s Word says: And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth (Deuteronomy 28:1). Therefore, obeying the commandments of God is proof that you love Him. God’s Word says: If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15). If you say you love God, you must keep His commandment. This is the first commandment, and God reiterates it here, that He requires your love. Love God in all your doings, towards your spouse, children and all around you. God does not only require you to fear, love and walk with Him, He also requires you to serve Him wholeheartedly. How? With your heart, means (finance) and time. You can’t genuinely serve somebody you don’t love. When your love is in place for God, you will willingly serve Him with your being.
The grace required to fear, serve and love God is only available when you surrender your life to Christ. This is by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour. If you are ready for this new birth experience, please say this prayer: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.
Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are born again and now a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily; obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21). With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.
For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building a Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).
Pastor Faith Oyedepo is the wife of Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide a.k.a. Winners’ Chapel, and Senior Pastor of Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria.
Topic: Grace Overrules The Law [TREM Devotional 22 February 2019]
“And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” Matthew 8:3 KJV
A leper came to worship Jesus saying, ‘Lord if thou will, thou can make me clean. In other words, you have the ability but I don’t know whether you want to do it. I don’t know whether you want to touch a leper like me. I am a leper and I know that traditionally and by our religious protocol you are not supposed to touch me. I am not even supposed to come around you. I am not qualified. If thou will, thou can make me clean. If it is your desire, you can heal me.’
And Jesus put forth His hands and touched him and said, ‘I will; be thou clean.’ Watch this; Jesus could have just spoken to heal him without touching him. After all, He spoke to the storm. Most of His miracles in the Bible took place through what He spoke: ‘Stretch forth your hand,’ he did and the miracle happened. ‘Go and wash in the pool,’ he went, washed and came back healed. Certainly, He could have just spoken to the leprosy and the miracle would still happen. But to demonstrate His willingness and desire, and how favourably disposed God is towards us, He touched him.
Beloved, God wants us to receive all that Christ paid for. He touched the leper, but under the law, you don’t touch a leper. You don’t touch a dead man. You don’t touch a person who is in her period or under the blood. But Jesus touched all these people. He touched the dead. He touched the leper. He touched the woman with the issue of blood. By His actions, Jesus was saying that Grace overrules the law.
Grace is more powerful than the law. So no law has the right to keep you bound.
Further Reading: Matthew 8:1-3, Hebrews 8:7-13
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Numbers 3-4; Evening- Mark 3:20-35
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.
Faith is a major requirement to take practical delivery of your prosperity. Faith is partnering with the Almighty God in line with scriptures to accomplish what is written in His Word. The impossible becomes possible with faith. When God wants to do anything, your faith is required. Our destiny in God is prosperity which can only be made possible through our faith in God’s Word.
Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
God’s thought for you is prosperity — for you to thrive and to experience favourable circumstances. Your reaction against poverty will decide your progress and prosperity in your life. What you do not react against will remain.
Genesis 22:16-17 (KJV) And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord…
That in blessing I will bless thee…
God speaks according to His size. He speaks according to His ability, capability and nature. He speaks according to His power to deliver. He speaks according to His wisdom to create solution. He speaks according to His unlimited resources to make anything happen the way He says it. When God says, “I will bless you”, He He will do it and no devil or economic circumstance can reverse it. If you want God to work in your favour, you must believe that what He says He will surely do.
Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) 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.
It is not enough to hear the word on prosperity; your faith is required. It is not the preaching that makes you get the money, it is you applying the preaching with faith. Faith is standing on the integrity of God’s word that commits God to perform what He has declared or spoken concerning you. It is sharing responsibility with God based on His Word to commit Him to perform. It is putting God’s word to work believing that whatever He says is final. Faith takes the supernatural and brings it for men to see in the natural. Faith takes the spiritual and makes men see it in the physical. It is faith that can make you achieve anything you want. Prosperity in God’s Kingdom is impossible without faith. The reason for all the confession of prosperity without action is because you do not have faith. For every word you believe, there has to be a corresponding action to prove that you believe it.
Faith makes you speak the unspeakable, deliver the impossible and see the incredible. Faith contradicts every contradiction. Regardless of the economic recession, your faith makes God’s word evident in your life. Faith is doing what is written, knowing that God is not a man that He should lie; neither the son of man that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good? Numbers 23:19.
It is not giving that is the first thing; your faith must be intact. If you give without faith, you will not prosper. Understand what it takes to access the amount of wealth God has for you. Faith is a spiritual currency that holds same value in all nations of the earth. It can access anything in the stores of heaven.
Your heart has to store the word of God; if it is not in your heart, it will not work. Faith is of the heart.
Romans 10:17 (KJV) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing the word of God.
That you heard once does not mean that faith has come, keep hearing and your faith will keep growing. Faith should be your first foundation before giving. If giving is first without faith, you will get discouraged and afraid. When you operate in faith, you do not need to consult anyone. If Abraham was to consult Sarah he would not have offered Isaac.
If you trust God then exercise faith in Him because there is no point doubting. God is not a man that He should lie. He cannot change. Faith is absolute dependency on God and His Word. The greatest secret for lasting prosperity is absolute dependency on God.
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.
MFM Mountain Top Life Daily Devotional 22 February 2019 By Dr. D.K Olukoya – Managing Success Successfully (I)
TOPIC: Managing Success Successfully (I) (Mountain Of Fire and Miracle Ministries, MFM Daily Devotional 22 February 2019)
Bible In One Year: Numbers 3-4; Mark 3:20-35
FIRE SCRIPTURE: 1 Samuel 15:10-19
MEMORY VERSE: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.” – Proverbs 9:9
The MESSAGE:
Most of us understand how adversity can test us. Often we do not consider how prosperity can try us and our character. We find it difficult to believe that blessings can cause us harm. We fail to recognise that the character of a Christian is not fully discovered until he has been tried by the fullness of success.
Job faced adversity, overcame it and got back twice what he had lost. In his trial and adversity, his faith, endurance and unstinted devotion to God were discovered as the hallmarks of his character. Conversely, success also tests our character. We all need knowledge, wisdom and understanding from above to manage success, fame and greatness when heaven lavishes them on us.
Saul, the first king of Israel, did not manage his success well. He usurped the role of a priest in defiance to God’s law by offering the sacrifice exclusively reserved for priests. Out of jealousy, he relentlessly sought to kill David, the young man who saved his kingdom from the threat and destruction of Goliath-led attack. He also left God to seek help in the kingdom of darkness. He did not manage his success well and thus ended badly.
Haman had huge success in the court of king Ahasuerus, but he did not manage his success well. In Esther 3, the Bible says that King Ahasuerus promoted Haman above all the princes that were with him. All the king’s servants at the gate (Apart from Mordecai) bowed to Haman because the king had so commanded concerning him. Haman was angry with Mordecai, the Jew, for failing to bow to him and sought to destroy Mordecai and all the Jews in the land. By God’s intervention, Haman’s plot failed and He was hanged on the gallow he had prepared for Modecai’s death. Beloved, when God gives you success, ensure that you manage it well.
MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE: TRY NOT TO BECOME A MAN OF SUCCESS. RATHER BECOME A MAN OF VALUE.
PROPHETIC WORD: The Lord will increase you on every side.
PRAYER POINTS:
MORNING
Lord, I thank You for You are the one that can give true success in life, in the name of Jesus.
Lord, I thank You for making me what I am today, in the name of Jesus.
Holy Spirit, help me to discover myself, in the name of Jesus. EVENING
My life, reject every bewitchment, in the name of Jesus.
Every evil door that is opened to the enemy of my life, be closed, in the name of Jesus.
Any power drinking the milk of my life, vomit it now, in the name of Jesus.
Light of God, shine upon my life, in the name of Jesus.
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.
Topic: The Channels of Preserving Power [Seeds of Destiny 22 February 2019 Devotional]
Wherever defeat is being experienced, it is a result of power shortage.
SCRIPTURE: 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. Luke 10:19.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Wherever defeat is being experienced, it is a result of power shortage.
It has been established that Power is key to victory in the battles of life. Power makes peace (safety) to be established by force. Note this: wherever defeat is being experienced, it is a result of power shortage; it is either power is absent or in short supply. This means, the preservation of life and destiny against the wickedness of the enemy is a function of the power of God.
What then are the power channels that make preservation possible?
1. The Power of His Presence (Psalms 91:1)
The Presence of the Almighty carries the Security of the Almighty. A person who approaches Jehovah must experience the ministry of His security guards. On the other hand, to be far away from God is to experience powerlessness and defeat in life.
2. The Power of the Blood of Jesus Christ (Revelations 12:11)
The Blood of Jesus communicates the great exchange: Jesus died young so we can live long. He put our sickness on His body so we can live in His health. So, whenever you make demands on the Blood of Jesus, what you are telling the devil is, “Look, the Blood that was shed for my survival carries freedom, health and victory, etc. therefore you can’t hurt or afflict me.”
Beloved, I speak into your life today, by the power in the Blood of Jesus Christ, you shall not die before your time; you shall live to fulfil God’s purpose for your life; you shall become all that you are meant to be, in Jesus’ Name!
Remember this: Wherever defeat is being experienced, it is a result of power shortage.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Determine to consciously create a conducive environment for the Presence of God to dwell around you.
Always plead the Blood of Jesus over your life, family and destiny.
FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: POWER FOR PRESERVATION.
PRAYER: O Lord, I connect the power to be preserved. Bring me to the realm of peace by Your mighty Hand, Lord in Jesus’ Name.
QUOTE: The closer you get to God, the more secured your life will be. Culled from 15 KINGDOM STRATEGIES FOR SURVIVAL by Dr Paul Enenche.
DAILY READING: Leviticus 13:1 to 59, Mark 6:1 to 29, Psalm 39:1 to 13, Proverbs 10:10.
AMAZING FACT: The longest one-syllable word in the English language is “screeched.”
TODAY IN HISTORY: 22/02/1732 – George Washington was born on this day in Westmoreland County, Virginia.
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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