The MP for Birkenhead is the chairman of the cross-party Commons Work and Pensions Committee who have called on the Government to take urgent action to avoid vulnerable people being forced into “miserable hardship”.
Mr Field said: “The Government’s plans will see ‘very’ disabled people getting the extra help they need at the cost of other disabled people.”
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) removed disability premiums – worth up to £64 a week to help pay for the additional costs of living with a disability – under Universal Credit.
Existing claimants who already receive the premiums will be protected under a process called “managed migration”, but the top-ups will not be available to new claimants, the MPs said.
“We have already seen the terrible cost of the department’s failure to find out what is happening to the most vulnerable claimants in the transition to Universal Credit,” Mr Field added.
“People receiving the disability premiums are already, by definition, managing in some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable in our society, and this includes disabled children, and children forced to care for a disabled parent.
“It would be a terrible betrayal of these people to allow another failure of planning in this mega reform to worsen their situations, even one bit.
Langfang is a city between Beijing and Tianjin in Hebei province whose officials have issued a ban on festive decorations and sales of Christmas-themed items, saying they are going for a clean streets and environment award.
However, the decision is suspected to have a darker tone as on social media they also appealed to the public to report anyone “spreading religion” in parks and squares during this period.
This comes at the end of a year in which there has been harsh action taken against both registered and unregistered churches in China, with large protestant congregations having members detained and registered churches experiencing increasing levels of surveillance, such as CCTV cameras in church buildings.
In Langfang, anyone selling Christmas trees, wreaths, stockings or Father Christmas merchandise in the city could be punished and members of the local law enforcement are not allowed to take days off from 23rd-25th December to ‘maintain stability.’
Further south in the country in Henan province state-sanctioned Christian associations issued a notice to churches requesting non-Christians to not take part in the celebrations. Decorations for churches also cannot have religious elements in them.
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Qasir and Amoon are said to have posted disrespectful material on their own website, after which they fled Lahore for four years but then returned.
Their case was heard by the Additional Session judge Javed Iqbal Bosal on 13th December inside a prison due to security reasons and he found them guilty and sentenced them to death.
Both brothers have been in District Jail Jhelum in Punjab province since 2014.
The two men are both married and Qaiser has three children.
The UK group CLAAS (The Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement) has decided to challenge the decision before the Lahore High Court Bench as soon as possible.
In blasphemy cases the judges are often under threat from religious fanatic, meaning trial judges frequently convict those accused of blasphemy.
Nasir Saeed Director of CLAAS-UK, said in a statement: “This is a very unfortunate situation as because of threats from hardliners lower courts pass their responsibility to the higher court and then it takes years to prove the accused innocent.
“We have seen this in the recent case of Asia Bibi, who was similarly convicted by the lower court and it took her years to reach to the supreme court to get justice. I am afraid now Qasir and Amoon will have to wait years to get justice.
“It is a sad reality that the present government has no intention even to talk about or to take steps to stop the…
I’ve asked the question dozens of times. In one way or another, I simply ask pastors: “What has been one of your most painful moments in ministry?”
Obviously, the responses are diverse, but one response seems pretty consistent. Let me summarize it with this quote from a pastor who spoke to me just two weeks ago.
“Critics and bullies bother me,” he said. “But at least you know where you stand with them. The greatest pain for me took place when one of my good friends and his family decided to leave the church. At least I thought he was a good friend. I felt like I had been stabbed in the back.
I am not surprised at the pain. I am, however, surprised how common the experience is with so many pastors. At some point, I will do some digging to find out why these friends left. For now, I asked the pastors how they dealt with pain both positively and proactively. Here are the common responses:
They accepted the reality of the pain. “For a season, I pretended like it didn’t bother me. But I was lying to myself. I honestly felt like I had been betrayed. Once I admitted the pain, I was able to deal with it better.”
They prayed for the friend and his family. “That was tough. My carnal self wanted to punch him in the face. I had to pray for the strength to pray for him. God began to do a work in me that got me beyond the intense pain. It still hurts today, but I am making progress.”
They avoided burning bridges. “I’m glad I resisted the temptation to bless him out. It could have…
END OF YEAR THANKSGIVING SERVICE (2) – 16TH DECEMBER 2018 ANCHOR SCRIPTURE(S): LUKE 17:12-19; MATTHEW 8:1-4 MESSAGE TOPIC: DOUBLE CELEBRATION FOR MULTIPLE MANIFESTATIONS (2) BY: DR. PAUL ENENCHE
DIMENSIONS OF THANKSGIVING:
Thanking God for the expectation you have; the expectation of a miracle Thanking in expectation is an action of faith that moves God into action
Thanking God for the manifestation of the expectation Thanking God for the manifestation of the expectation is a gratitude action that moves God to do more You can thank God for what has happened and you can also thank God for what must happen
PRODUCTS OF APPRECIATION:
Appreciation brings acceleration
Life moves forward where people give thanks
Appreciation is a spiritual gear changer
Every time you appreciate God you accelerate; your life, destiny, business and ministry are positioned to move faster
Reduce your noise and increase your speed by acceleration
If you know how to thank God, anywhere you are per time is the lowest level people can catch you; the next time they see you, they must find you at a higher level!
Appreciation brings liberation (Ps. 50:23)
The cloth of leprosy was instantly broken by the action of advanced appreciation
If you know how to praise God, He will show you what He can do (Ps. 50:23)
Appreciation brings restoration
If you have ever lost anything, God was the reason why you didn’t lose everything – Bishop Oyedepo
If you can give God appreciation despite what seems to have been lost, then He will give you restoration of all that has been lost
Never focus on whatever is lost, always focus on what is left and God will take care of whatever is lost
Don’t magnify what you lack, celebrate what you have and God will multiply what you have
For everything that is not working around your life, there is something working!
Not every problem is an attack; there are problems that are progress in disguise, there are commotions that are promotions and challenges that are changes in disguise
Appreciation brings multiplication (John 6:11-12)
God does more for those who know how to say thank you (John 6:11-12)
There is always more to every act of God than what you saw; there is always more in reserve
Never take God for granted so that your life doesn’t end up grounded
Appreciation brings perfection (completion) (Luke 17:19)
God monitors the handling of your current testimony to determine your qualification for the next one
Nothing is too small to thank God for
Nothing just happens, they are made to happen
Beyond human visibility, there is Divine activity
Appreciate God, appreciate the people in your life and appreciate the privileges and advantages of your life
HOW TO EFFECTIVELY THANK GOD:
Thank God for what you expect
Thank God for what is in process
Thank God for what has manifested
Thank God in word and in action
Thank God with the gift of appreciation (Matt. 8:1-5)
PROPHETIC DECLARATIONS:
Everything the devil took from you is returned back in the Name of Jesus
Every arrow of insanity or destruction sent to you by the devil is set on fire!
Every satanic agenda that has closed your doors, womb, or destiny, that satanic agenda is over forever!
Every chain holding your life down, that chain is broken
The spirit behind marital delay, serpentine spirits, altars from your father’s house fighting your life, today, the yoke is broken!
Whatever the devil took from your life, today they are restored back into your life!
Receive multiplication for your favour, wisdom, resources and talent.
Every miracle that is in process, I declare the process completed!
I prophesy, by the apostolic and prophetic mantle of God on my life this last part of the year shall be your best part of the year! God shall crown it with His goodness! (Ps. 65:11; Job 8:7; Eccl. 7:8)
Every program of evil packaged into this season of the year for you or your family, that program of evil is broken by Fire!
I prophesy today in this season, every system, individual, organisation, holding what is yours shall lose their peace, sleep and rest until all that is yours is released into your hands! (Esth. 6:1)
I prophesy today, every expectation that has been delayed in 2018, 31st December 2018 is not permitted to arrive until your expectations come to pass! (Prov. 23:18)
Every evil altar, invocation, demonic wish and thought is set on fire!
That door that was closed has just opened! That garment of rejection and disfavour put on you has just been set on fire!
That key you were looking for has just been found and put in your hands!
Everything that has followed you and defied treatment, today, their yokes are broken!
Any affliction that followed you from your mother’s womb, today, they expire!
Every victim of injustice, today, your liberty is confirmed!
Everywhere you need a miracle around the country and around the world, the power of God is going forth to bring forth that miracle!
Every abnormal functioning in your body system, destiny and finances, today they are arrested!
Anything belonging to you in the hand of a man, or a devil, today they are released into your hands! Be it your child, house, or resources, they are released now!
Peace and blessings in the precious name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I welcome you to another interesting edition of these teaching series. Last week, I started teaching on the topic: Sustaining a Godly Home.
I said in the first week that a godly home is not just a family where everyone is a Christian; but much more, a Christ-like home. That is the home run by the principles of Jesus, a home run according to the demands of scriptures; which represent God’s mind, ways and styles. But, the man and the woman individually have important responsibilities to carry out to see the home sustained.
In continuation of our series, another vital tool for sustaining a godly home is Wisdom. The man and the woman both need to constantly request wisdom from God for their day to day affairs in the home. The Bible says: Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding (Proverbs 4:7). Wisdom is a builder and sustainer of the home. It is in fact the master builder. According to Paul, he says: The grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon (1 Corinthians 3:10). Let me say here that the family is a building that its foundation was laid at the onset of marriage but it takes wisdom to keep adding building blocks to ensure the foundation does not get destroyed. No wonder Apostle Paul said “let every man take heed HOW he buildeth. As the home is built on wisdom, it will also require wisdom to sustain it; else it will be pulled down by the storms of life or the devil. But without the devil at work, a home that lacks wisdom can also be pull down by foolishness. The Bible says: Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands (Proverbs 14:1).
Wisdom teaches you how to do things the right way and at the right time. Let me share the testimony of a sister with you.
“I’ve been married for over 12 years now and what I’m enjoying now, I’ve never enjoyed since I got married. Our mother in the Lord preached that day and laid emphasis on wives being submissive to their husbands in everything, just like the church submits to Christ. She also said we were to be submissive in everything. I didn’t realise that I wasn’t totally submissive to my husband. I wept so much in church that day and went to the Lord saying, ‘Lord, from this day, I know that obedience is the key.’ Ever since that day I’ve been enjoying what all my fasting and binding couldn’t deliver to me. I did so many things to get my husband to love me—fasted, bound, loosed;—but, I thank God that now it’s like I’m wedded anew. Not quite long, to confirm God’s faithfulness in my home, my husband gave me a cheque of One Hundred Thousand Naira, which I have cashed. I now enjoy peace, love and harmony. The Lord has turned around the tide, through my obedience to the Word. Praise God.”
When you embrace God’s wisdom, your home begins to shine as gold. People cannot help but be attracted to you, just as the glitter of gold attracts people. The Word of God says: Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine (Ecclesiastes 8:1). I see you shinning more and more in your home in Jesus’ name!
For your home to be sustained you need wisdom which comes from God when you ask Him. James 1:5 says: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Whenever you are faced with a situation that requires wisdom in your home just pray a simple prayer, asking Him to give you wisdom to handle the situation, and it shall be given to you.
God’s wisdom can only be revealed to you by accepting Jesus into your life and becoming His child, if you have not asked Jesus to come into your life or you have neglected your initial love for Him, then, you should say this prayer in faith: Dear Lord, 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, and let your wisdom be made available to me. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom. Amen. Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are born again and that makes you 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: Building a Successful Home, Making Marriage Work, Marriage Covenant 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: The Greater One Is In You [TREM Devotional 19 December 2018]
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”1 Jn. 4:4
It is so easy to get caught in the hullabaloo of the world, to forget that you are not at the same level with the world. Yes, you are in the world, but never forget that you are not of the world. I know that the people in the world might be at the same academic level with you, they may even have more experience than you, but what makes you stand out is not you and your experience and expertise, it is whom you have on the inside. It is the God-factor in you that makes a difference. That is what keeps you at the leading edge.
When men say there is a casting down; it is the God-factor that gives you the boldness to declare that there is a lifting for you. When all others are downcast, you square-up your shoulder and walk like the prince or princess that you are. Not because of who you are, but because of Whose you are.
It is not about power or might. Look at the scripture above again: it did not say; you are of God, oh giant. No! It says you are of God, little children. This implies that in stature you might look small, in experience you might not be able to compete, but when it comes to the God-factor, every human element bows and you have the upper hand. When you really know who you carry on the inside of you, you will square up your shoulders and walk with your head held high.
I challenge you today to begin to see yourself in the way God sees you. Don’t look at the scripture once and forget about it. Meditate on it until you become one with the fact that it is not about you; it is about God in you. It is Jesus on the inside that makes the difference.
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.
MFM Mountain Top Life Daily Devotional 19 December 2018 By Dr. D.K Olukoya – Bearing Fruits in Old Age (I)
TOPIC: Bearing Fruits in Old Age (I) (Mountain Of Fire and Miracle Ministries, MFM Daily Devotional 19 December 2018)
FIRE SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:25-38
MEMORY VERSE: “They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” – Psalms 92:14
The MESSAGE:
In the world today, many negative traits are associated with old age: I’ll health, failing eyesight, failing memory or senility, lower productivity and so on. It is therefore assumed that an old or aged person is physically and mentally weak as well as unproductive. The Scripture however associates some positive traits with old age. One of the traits is wisdom. The other one is the fact that the righteous shall bring forth fruit in old age and they shall be fat and flourishing.
In the New Testament, two characters stood out as people who bore fruits in old age. They were the devout and just old man called Simeon and the prophetess called Anna. Both Simeon and Anna were known in the temples as godly intercesssors. The Holy Spirit was upon Simeon and he had prayed for several years for the consolation of Israel and the coming of the Messiah. He was led to the temple be the Spirit of God; He carried Jesus, blessed Him and prophesied about Him. Prophetess Anna too came to the temple and spoke of Jesus to everyone in the temple.
Beloved grandpa and grandma, the Bible says that Anna did not depart from the temple but served God with fasting and prayer night and day. At four score and four years the Holy Spirit was upon her and she was bearing good fruits. I encourage you to emulate Simeon and Anna.
MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE: A TRUE BELIEVER IS EMPOWERED TO BE AN ALL-SEASON FRUIT-BEARING TREE.
PROPHETIC WORD: You will bear fruits continuously and your fruits will abide.
PRAYER POINTS:
MORNING
The enemy will not harvest my soul, in the name of Jesus.
O Lord, make me an all-season fruit-bearing tree, in Jesus’ name.
I will bear fruit in old age, in the name of Jesus.
EVENING
Father, make me productive in Your kingdom throughout my lifetime, in Jesus’ name.
Father, teach me to use the wisdom of old age to bless the younger generation, in Jesus’ name.
My health and strength will not fail. I shall serve the Lord successfully till old age, in Jesus’ name.
The sickness and problems associated with old age will not touch me nor stop me, in Jesus’ name.
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: Rest [Open Heavens for Teens 19 December 2018]
Memorise:He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. Psalm 23:2
Read: Mark 6:31 (KJV)
Bible In One Year: Micah 1-3, Revelation 10
MESSAGE:
OUR God is the creator of the Heaven and the earth. He created the world in six days and on the seventh day, He rested. This implies that for six days, our Father worked tirelessly, but on the seventh day, He saw the need to rest. If God saw the need to rest, then rest can’t be over emphasized to men.
As a teen, you may have so many things on your plate all at the same time; school work, sports, extracurricular activities, church, house chores, and so on. As a teen you still have enough physical power to deal with these things well, but you must never neglect the wellbeing of your body; you must always take out time to rest once in a while. Note, the Bible says that God rested after He had finished with creation. Never use the need to rest as an excuse to be lazy. Make sure you don’t rest at the wrong time.
Key Point: Resting at the wrong time will amount to failure
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Chorus:
Trust and obey, for theres no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.
Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.
But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.
Daily Devotional for Teen’s 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.
Topic: The Battle Is The Lord’s [DCLM Daily Manna 19 December 2018 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: 1 Samuel 17:38-51 (KJV)
Key Verse:“And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:47).
MESSAGE:
The enemy’s stature was greatly intimidating. A giant, he was! In warfare, he was a veteran; an undefeatable champion of his time. His weapons, built for his defence and for the destruction of his opponents were unique. He was proud, boastful and confident of his victory. His name is Goliath of Gath.
On the other side was a lad, untested in professional warfare, inexperienced in the intricacies of battle, fair in complexion and delicately built. He had never been to the battle front in his life because he had been taking his father’s sheep for grazing. Though ready to take up the challenge of the boastful opponent, he could not use the armour provided by the commander-in-chief of his own army, King Saul. He went into the combat only in his shepherd’s clothing with a sling and five smooth stones. With just one shot, the enemy fell. His name is David.
David’s victory came through his belief and confession. “The battle is the LORD’S”. His trust in God is unequalled. Like David, when accosted by an enemy, a situation or a challenge that seems to dwarf us, we should quickly realise and confess that we have the One who has never lost a battle. He is the Lord of hosts.
Whatever we see in the physical appearance and whatever we hear from or about our opponent must not be allowed to make us doubt the power of our mighty God or to shake our faith in Him. No doubt, there could be suggestions to use other strange and untried instruments of warfare. A Christian should resolutely say, “on Christ the solid Rock I stand”. And God will make us to be more than conquerors.
Thought For The Day: Those who put God in the forefront of their warfare will never know defeat.
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.
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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