Pastor John Grey from Relentless Church in Greenville gave his wife a Lamborghini Urus for their 8th wedding anniversary.
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Pastor gives wife Lamborghini as an anniversary gift
Franklin Graham Backs Teacher Fired for Not Using Transgender Pronouns
Evangelist Franklin Graham is showing support for a Virginia high school teacher who was fired for not using a transgender student’s preferred gender pronoun.
“Peter’s lawyer is right to ask where are the teacher’s First Amendment rights in all of this?” Graham said in a Facebook post. “Why is tolerance never a two-way street?
“These cases are cropping up more and more frequently, and just think of the ramifications,” he added. “Just ten years ago we wouldn’t have thought this would even be possible. Where is this coming from? The school boards and teachers’ unions are allowing this to happen.
“This is why it is so important for Christians to run for school boards, be involved, and let your voice be heard. Transgender policies are causing chaos, confusion, stealing privacy, and compelling speech. Deception from the Evil One.”
Last week, a school board in Virginia unanimously voted to fire Peter Vlaming, the French teacher at West Point High School. He had worked at the school for nearly seven years.
A 9thgrade transgender student had requested being called by male pronouns, but in October, while Vlaming was teaching a virtual reality exercises in class, the French teacher said, “Don’t let her walk into the wall” as the 9thgrader avoided hitting a wall.
Vlaming claims it was a mistake and while he is Christian, he says he agreed to call…
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Priest flaunts designer gear on Instagram
He posted pictures of high end Louis Vuitton luggage, designer slippers and Gucci shoes with buckles on them.
The Instagram account that the photos were posted to has since been taken down after they were attracting attention online. Screenshots of his Instagram posts have since been shared by others online.
Church leaders have rebuked Baskakov for “poor taste” and said a disciplinary committee had been convened to “bring [him] to his senses”.
— Ricardo Marquina (@RusiaSeMueve) December 7, 2018
On social media he was criticised by one tweeter @RusiaSeMueve for “not making a vow of poverty”
A spokesman for Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church is quoted in the guardian saying “I hope this will bring this shepherd to account… and to find the words and actions to bring him to reason, so that these kinds of things will not happen again.”
The priest has since apologised for his social media activity.
In a letter he wrote “I am very ashamed and I bear full responsibility for this”
“I will pay penance and close Instagram, since I do not know how to behave modestly and adequately”
He also admitted that some of the pictures were taken in shops and were not of items that he owned.
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Chance the Rapper Goes on “Sabbatical” to Meditate on the Word of God, Shares a Prayer on Instagram
Grammy award-winning hip-hop artist Chance the Rapper has taken some time off from music to make studying and meditating on God’s Word his main focus.
On Monday, the 25-year-old took to Instagram to give his 9.2 million followers a peek into his morning devotions. He posted a photo showing a page from Scottish theologian John Baillie’s A Diary of Private Prayer.
CT Pastors regarded A Diary of Private Prayer among its top books on deep prayer in 1998. Publisher Simon and Schuster describe it as a selection of personal prayers “for people who are seeking a better understanding of God and themselves.”
The prayer in the picture is titled “Continued Dependence Upon You,” and it speaks of one rededicating their life to Christ
A Diary of Private Prayer is a reflection of the personal religious practices that Baillie, a seasoned seminary professor and church leader in mid-20th century Edinburgh, established himself. Baillie and his brother, Donald, were widely recognized among the most celebrated meditating theologians of their time.
Chance posted the picture to Instagram only a few days after informing fans that he had plans to leave the country on his “first sabbatical” and would be spending his time studying Scripture.
“I’m going away to learn the Word of God which I am admittedly very unfamiliar…
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Barclays’ move to let customers block payments to bars and supermarkets welcomed by Christian charity
The feature on the app aims to help people struggling with addictions.
Rachel Gregory, Social Policy and Relationship Manager at Christians Against Poverty told Premier: “I think this is a really exciting step that we’re seeing from Barclays.
“I think this will make a really huge difference for people whose spending is driven by addiction.”
The new feature could help those dealing with gambling problems, for example, to cut off their spending in betting shops and on gambling websites.
People can also curb their own spending in pubs, supermarkets, takeaway shops and bars.
Barclays said it has developed the tool to turn off certain types of spending with vulnerable customers in mind.
A button within the Barclays mobile banking app enables customers to choose which types of retailers they are able to spend with.
Attempted payments that fall within the “turned off” category will be automatically declined.
Gregory said non-addicts could also benefit from the new tool.
“This isn’t that same as some of the budgeting tools that are coming out of new technology innovation in the financial sector which are all about helping you set limits and be aware of what spending you’re doing,” she explained.
The new feature is now available to all Barclays debit card customers and will be rolled out to credit card holders in the near…
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Brett Kavanaugh Votes “No” to Hear Case that Would Exclude Planned Parenthood Funding from Medicaid
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh decided alongside his liberal counterparts to reject appeals from Kansas and Louisiana that would allow the states to exclude Planned Parenthood funding from Medicaid programs.
According to CBN News, Kavanaugh voted “no,” alongside Justices John Roberts, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, whereas conservative Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas voted to hear the case.
In his dissent following the decision not to hear the case, Justice Thomas criticized the court noting that the case looked at an “important and recurring” question.
He wrote, “So what explains the Court’s refusal to do its job here? I suspect it has something to do with the fact that some respondents in these cases are named ‘Planned Parenthood.’ That makes the Court’s decision particularly troubling, as the question presented has nothing to do with abortion.”
He continued, “It is true that these particular cases arose after several States alleged that Planned Parenthood affiliates had, among other things, engaged in ‘the illegal sale of fetal organs’ and ‘fraudulent billing practices,’ and thus removed Planned Parenthood as a state Medicaid provider… But these cases are not about abortion rights.”
Thomas noted that the case is about “private…
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Chance the Rapper starts ‘sabbatical’ to study the Bible
The three-time Grammy Award winning artist said he made the decision in order to set a good example to his newborn nephew.
In an Instagram post liked by more than 1.3 million people, the “I’m the One” hit maker said: “I’m on a plane headed out the country on my first sabbatical. I’m going away to learn the Word of God which I am admittedly very unfamiliar with.
“I’ve been brought up by my family to know Christ but I haven’t taken it upon myself to really just take a couple days and read my bible. We all quote scripture and tell each other what God likes and doesn’t like but how much time do we spend as followers of Jesus to really just read and KNOW his Word?”
The 25 year-old Chicago-born rapper has been very open about his faith in interviews and even on stage during performances.
However he rejects the idea that he makes gospel music.
ChancePerform from West Ham Stats on Vimeo.
He told CBS This Morning: “I would never say I’m making gospel music, but I love God. I love Jesus and I’m super cool with saying that.
“I don’t make Christian rap, but I am a Christian rapper.”
Chance the Rapper – whose real name is Chancellor Jonathan Bennett, also shared in his Instagram post that he plans to give up smoking during his time away.
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‘Voice of God’ Told Men to Jump from Abandoned Truck, Seconds Before It Was Hit
Two men who were nearly killed in an abandoned roadside vehicle say a “voice of God” told them to jump out, seconds before they were hit.
“God kept us safe, God kept us alive,” Kenneth Bryant, one of the men, told Fox 8 in Cleveland.
Bryant and another passenger, Jordan Cole, were driving a MudMan food truck from Montana to a pastor’s conference in Philadelphia when it broke down on the Ohio Turnpike. Cole and Bryant stayed with the truck while others went for help.
“He was in the cab of the truck and I was in the back,” Bryant told Fox 8. “I was using a generator in the back to charge our cellphones.”
Suddenly, each man became overwhelmed with the need to jump. Bryant described it as a vision. Seconds later — after they escaped — their truck was hit and mangled by an 18-wheeler.
“We heard a voice, and it was to get out of the truck and I look down and I saw a semi swerving toward us,” Cole said.
Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers said the two men almost certainly would have been killed had they stayed.
“We’ve come to the conclusion that it was Jesus,” Bryant said. “He allowed this to happen for me to be able to share this story … for people to know that our Heavenly Father is mindful of us.”
Bryant said part of his message to others is: “That there is a purpose for your life, you do have a reason…
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Church of England brings in transgender celebration services
Ceremonies should allow transgender people to renew the commitment they made during their baptism service – prior to their gender transition – the guidance released on Tuesday said.
Dr Rev Tina Beardsley, a transgender vicar who was consulted on the document, expressed hope churches would implement the guidance.
Dr Tina told Premier: “I hope that most churches will respond positively.
“Many families are affected nowadays; a family member, a friend or a work colleague has undergone a transition.”
But the formal incorporation of a gender transition service into the Church of England’s official catalogue of services drew dismay from conservative Anglicans.
Susie Leafe from the evangelical group GAFCON told Premier nine bishops on the House of Bishops’ Delegation Committee – which oversaw work to produce the document – had bypassed the Church of England’s governing body.
She explained: “The issue that we’ve got here is the repurposing of baptism liturgy; that is a major decision that the House of Bishops have made without the consultation of Synod and that doesn’t bode well for the future.”
Andrea Williams, a lay member of the Church of England’s General Synod accused the Church of continuing a “devastating trajectory towards an outright denial of God and his word”.
She continued: “There is no need for Christians to…
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Michelle Williams announces split from pastor fiancé
The former Destiny’s Child singer revealed the news in an Instagram story post which is no longer available.
The 38-year-old singer wrote on the day she released her new single Fearless: “I still remain fearless. I guess I still remain single! Things didn’t work out. The healing that needs to take place is a must!”
“I don’t wanna destroy another relationship. Blessings to him, his family and ministry. #FEARLESS.”
The former couple first met when Williams, 37, attended an Elevate International retreat which 40-year-old Johnson was hosting in Arizona.
They later starred in a reality show called Chad Loves Michelle sharing their pre-marriage journey with viewers.
Williams told reporters while promoting the Oprah Winfrey Network show that counselling had helped them connect better as a couple.
She explained: “I had to learn how to communicate all over again. I’ve been on my own over 20 years – you don’t have to tell me what to do.
“This is my house; you know? And, it’s like – now all those things are going to change. How do you communicate that? How do you communicate your fears and concerns in those areas?”
In an interview with People magazine, Williams admitted that she fell into a deep depression as she began planning her summer wedding.
She said she secretly broke off the engagement just weeks after Johnson had proposed…
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