The Trump Administration Makes Bold Move to End Human Trafficking, Ivanka Trump Writes

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The Trump Administration Makes Bold Move to End Human Trafficking, Ivanka Trump Writes


The Trump Administration Makes Bold Move to End Human Trafficking, Ivanka Trump Writes


On Thursday, the Trump Administration took action to hold world governments that consistently fail to meet the minimum standards for preventing human trafficking, accountable.


According to an Op-Ed written by the president’s daughter Ivanka Trump, published in the Washington Post, the Trump Administration announced that the U.S. will be limiting the national-interest waivers issued and restricting types of foreign assistance given to almost two dozen countries which the State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report have identified as “Tier 3.” 


Ivanka explains that the Trafficking in Persons Report is known as the world’s most comprehensive resource for tracking government efforts to end human trafficking. The report ranks countries by using a three-tier system which points out best practices and governments strengths and weaknesses in regard to anti-trafficking efforts.


Countries placed in the “Tier 3” category are those that have not met the minimum standards for prevention and have not made a notable effort to protect trafficking victims, penalize traffickers or prevent human trafficking altogether.


Ivanka, who serves as an advisor to the president, noted that only certain types of aid would be pulled from these third-tier countries. She wrote, “The most urgent types of assistance to these countries will continue,…

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Netflix Is Under Fire for Romanticizing Teen Sex Trafficking in New Series

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Netflix Is Under Fire for Romanticizing Teen Sex Trafficking in New Series


Netflix Is Under Fire for Romanticizing Teen Sex Trafficking in New Series


 Netflix is under fire this week following the release of the new Italian drama “Baby,” which critics say romanticizes teen sex trafficking.


On Friday, Netflix premiered the series that follows two wealthy teen girls who become disenchanted with their lives and choose to remedy their discontent by becoming prostitutes.


Following the show’s debut, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) called the streaming service out for normalizing “child sexual abuse and the sex trafficking of minors as ‘prostitution.'”


The NCOSE Executive Director Dawn Hawkins said in a statement, “Despite being at ground zero of the #MeToo movement, Netflix appears to have gone completely tone-deaf on the realities of sexual exploitation.” 


She continued with conviction, “Despite the outcry from survivors of sex trafficking, subject matter experts, and social service providers, Netflix promotes sex trafficking by insisting on streaming ‘Baby.’”


“Clearly, Netflix is prioritizing profits over victims of abuse,” Hawkins added.


This is only the latest in a string of Netflix shows to come under fire for glamorizing sensitive topics.


In 2017, the service released “13 Reasons Why,” which was criticized for romanticizing suicide. CBN News reports that for nearly three weeks following the show’s release, researchers found that Google searches for “suicide” increased by…

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DCLM Daily Manna 5 December 2018 – He Knows

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Topic: He Knows [DCLM Daily Manna 5 December 2018 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]

Text: Exodus 2:23-25; 3:1-10 (KJV)

Key Verse: “And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows“ (Exodus 3:7).

MESSAGE:

The following statement was found penned on the wall of a prison cell in Europe: “I believe in love even when I don’t feel it. I believe in God even when He is silent.” Someone asked C.S. Lewis, “Why do the righteous suffer?” “Why not?” He replied; “they’re the only ones who can take it.”

From our text, the Israelites grew in number after the death of Joseph. The new Pharaoh that emerged at the time conveniently chose to forget Joseph’s contributions to the Egyptian economy and his good legacy, deciding rather to punish Israel with a view to breaking their will and reducing them to slaves in the process. Israelites, now facing pain and agony under the Egyptian oppressors, cried out to God who responded by assuring them that He hears, He sees and understands the sorrows of men. He sent Moses as a deliverer because He remembered His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Many want to know why God allows suffering today. ‘If God is a loving God’, they say, ‘He would not allow natural disasters and wars that claim the lives of thousands’. The answers are not hard to find. God told Israel in Isaiah 59:1,2 that their iniquities had separated them from Him and made Him hide his face from attending to their cry. When Israel abandoned God and turned to idolatry in Egypt, the Lord allowed them to suffer at the hands of the Egyptian taskmasters, until they cried to the Lord in repentance.

Whatever we face today, we must understand that God sees, hears, knows and understands. He knows the oppressors and what they do to us. When we repent and turn away from our sins, He will protect and deliver us from all evils and make everything work out for our good and His glory.

Thought For The Day: You may go through a period of loneliness, but you’re not alone

Bible Reading In One Year: 2 Corinthians 5-9

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Deeper Christian Life Ministry, DCLM Daily Manna HERE

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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In God We Trust’ Makes a Return to Schools, Public Buildings One State at a Time

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In God We Trust’ Makes a Return to Schools, Public Buildings One State at a Time


In God We Trust’ Makes a Return to Schools, Public Buildings One State at a Time


Laws were passed earlier in 2018 that required or allowed schools, as well as other public buildings, to openly display “In God We Trust.” Florida is just one of the states in which these laws were passed. 


An article from CBN News reports that the same law was also passed for Arizona, which allowed their schools to display the state’s motto – “God Enriches” – in English, which can be seen in Latin on the Grand Canyon state seal. 


At this time, even more state legislatures are seeking to represent the presence of the Lord on their schools and public buildings. 


A few state lawmakers are even trying to permit or call for the Ten Commandments to be posted in schools and in other public places. 


In November, voters in Alabama passed an initiative allowing the Ten Commandments to be displayed on state property. Those in support of the initiative would like for it to become law and, if challenged, the conservative majority on the Supreme Court would give it the seal of approval. 


Back in 2017, Arkansas passed a law that was much like the one passed in Florida. Jim Dotson, Arkansas state Rep., sponsored the measure that called for the posting of “In God We Trust” in each and every school classroom. Following this, he has continued to help other lawmakers create laws that are similar in purpose.  


“Our history and our heritage is incredibly…

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Our Daily Bread 5 December 2018 Devotional – A Hand Up

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Topic: A Hand Up [Our Daily Bread 5 December 2018 Devotional]

Read: Ecclesiastes 4:8–12, Bible in a Year: Daniel 1–2; 1 John 4

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. Ecclesiastes 4:10

My children have enjoyed the thrill of a backyard ice-skating rink during our cold Idaho winters. When they were young, learning to skate was challenging: persuading them to deliberately set foot on the hard, icy surface proved difficult because they knew the pain of falling. Each time their feet slid out from under them, my husband or I would reach out to pull them again to their feet, setting them upright and steadying their frames.

Having someone there to help us up when we fall is the gift of a helping hand depicted in Ecclesiastes. Working with another makes our work sweeter and more effective (4:9), and a friend brings warmth to our lives. When we encounter challenges, it helps to have someone come alongside with practical and emotional support. These relationships can give us strength, purpose, and comfort.

When we find ourselves flattened on the cold ice of life’s hardships, is there a helping hand nearby? If so, it might be from God. Or when someone else needs a friend, could we be God’s answer to lift them up? In being a companion, we often find one. If it appears that no one is nearby to lift us to our feet again, we can find comfort in knowing that God is our ever-present help (Psalm 46:1). As we reach out to Him, He’s ready to steady us with His firm grip.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for helping me up when life knocks me down. Thank You for the people You’ve used to encourage and strengthen me. Yours is the most faithful friendship I have.

How can you open yourself more fully to God’s presence in your life?

INSIGHT:
The author of Ecclesiastes (“the Teacher,” 1:1–2) is in the midst of a long lament about the meaninglessness of living for this world only. This particular section concerns a lonely rich man the Teacher has observed. Perhaps he has trampled all others on his way to the top. (Think of Charles Dickens’s Ebenezer Scrooge.) Regardless of how the man got there, the author recognizes the futility of such efforts and concludes, “Two are better than one” (4:9).

Throughout Ecclesiastes, the Teacher’s larger point is that living with an earthbound view is cruelly dissatisfying. We toil and strive, yet we remain haunted by a vague sense that we’re missing something. As with all Scripture, Ecclesiastes must be understood within the context of the entire Bible. The early church fathers Jerome (ad 347–420) and Ambrose (ad 340–397) were among the first to note that the companion we’re missing is Christ Himself.

Tim Gustafson

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Our Daily Bread Devotionals HERE”

This message was written By Kirsten Holmberg [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

The post Our Daily Bread 5 December 2018 Devotional – A Hand Up appeared first on Flatimes.

Andrew Wommack Devotional 5 December 2018 – Jesus Freed Us From Sin

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Andrew Wommack Devotional 5 December 2018 – Jesus Freed Us From Sin

Topic: Jesus Freed Us From Sin [Andrew Wommack Devotional 5 December 2018]

Luke 23:18 “And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:”

What happened to Barabbas is a picture of what happens when a person is born again. Barabbas was guilty; Jesus was innocent. Yet Jesus suffered the death that Barabbas should have experienced, and Barabbas went free.

Likewise, we were all guilty (Rom. 3:23) and condemned to death (Rom. 6:23), yet Jesus suffered our punishment so that we may go free (2 Cor. 5:21). Just as Barabbas didn’t ask for this substitution, so “God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).

Barabbas was freed, but he had to choose whether or not to accept this new start and remain free, or go back to his old ways and come under the judgment of Rome again. Likewise, we have all been freed through the substitutionary death of Jesus, but we have to choose whether to accept our freedom by putting faith in Jesus or to reject it, by denying Him.

Our death to sin and resurrection to life with Christ, is already a reality in our spirits but will only become a physical reality when we know and believe it. In the same way that Jesus died unto sin once, and death no longer has dominion over Him, the person who recognizes their death with Christ unto sin, will not allow sin to rule over him anymore. Any Christian who is struggling with sin has not recognized that they are dead unto sin.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Andrew Wommack Daily Devotional

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 post Andrew Wommack Devotional 5 December 2018 – Jesus Freed Us From Sin appeared first on Flatimes.

Kenneth Copeland Devotional 5 December 2018 – What Riches Were Meant to Do

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Kenneth Copeland Devotional 5 December 2018 – What Riches Were Meant to Do

Topic: What Riches Were Meant to Do [Kenneth Copeland Devotional 5 December 2018]

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. – Ephesians 4:28

It always amazes me when I preach about prosperity and someone comes up to me and says, “I don’t need much prosperity. I’m a simple person with a simple life. So I just ask God for enough to meet my needs.”

They think that’s humility, but it’s not. It’s selfishness! They don’t realize it, but they’re actually saying, “All I care about is meeting my own needs. I have no ambition to help meet anyone else’s.”

They could ask God for a million dollars, take out just enough to meet their needs, and give the rest away. But that doesn’t even occur to them because when it comes to money, they’ve been brainwashed by a world that says if you have it, you’ve got to keep it.

That philosophy has hindered the ministry of Jesus Christ on the earth today. It has caused preachers to set aside their calling and get secular jobs just to survive. It’s handicapped churches and stunted the growth of ministries that could have reached thousands more for the Lord.

It takes money to preach the gospel. Jesus Himself knew that, and contrary to what some people think, His ministry was not a poor one. He had so much money coming in and going out through His ministry that He had to appoint a treasurer. His name was Judas.

But Jesus didn’t store up that money for Himself. He gave it to meet the needs of those around Him. He had such a reputation for giving that on the night of that last Passover when Judas left so abruptly, the disciples assumed that Jesus had sent him out to give to the poor.

Can you imagine how much and how often Jesus must have given to the poor for the disciples to make that assumption?

Jesus never built a worldly empire for Himself. But that doesn’t mean He was poor. It means He was the greatest giver who ever walked the face of this earth, and it’s time we started following in His footsteps.

Don’t turn down the wealth God wants to give you just because you don’t “need” it. Dare to accept it, then pass it along to those who do. Stop working for a living and start working for a “giving.” Discover for yourself what riches were really meant to do.

Scripture Reading: Luke 12:15-31

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Kenneth and Gloria Copeland’s Daily Devotional Here’’

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.

The post Kenneth Copeland Devotional 5 December 2018 – What Riches Were Meant to Do appeared first on Flatimes.

Open Heaven 5 December 2018 – You are Untouchable

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Open Heaven 5 December 2018 – You are Untouchable

Open Heaven 5 December 2018 Wednesday Daily Devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – You are Untouchable

Topic: You are Untouchable (Open Heaven 5 December 2018)

Memorise: “And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?”- 1 Peter 3:13

Read: Deuteronomy 28:7-13 (KJV)

7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.

8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.

10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.

11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.

13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

Bible in One Year: Ezekiel 45-46, John 7:25-39

Open Heaven 5 December 2018 Wednesday MESSAGE:

It is surprising to see professing Christians fretting and cringing before agents of the devil. Some would not even want to go to their villages for fear of evil doers. Even when they visit, they literarily lie that all is not well with them in the city because they are afraid that if the villagers realize that they are making it, they may do something to affect them adversely. This is not right at all. For me, it was after I gave my life to Christ that I finally had the boldness to visit my village. In those days, witches were almost flying in broad daylight in my village, but thanks be to God that things have now changed so greatly that my village is now for Christ. Take a look at today’s memory verse again and believe in the infallible word of God therein. Also believe these declarations of God to you in Deuteronomy 28:7:

“The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.”

If you live by these words of God in faith, you become untouchable to the enemy, irrespective of whatever he throws at you.

However, to activate the power in God’s word, you need to reverence the word. The proof of reverencing God’s word is obeying what it says. That is why today’s Bible readings clearly states that if we listen to the voice of the Lord and obey His commandments, only then will we be partakers of His promises. We therefore become untouchable when we live our lives in reverence to God’s word, which is quick, powerful, prevailing and sharper than any two-edged sword. Hebrews 4:12 says:

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

No wonder the Holy Spirit advised us to allow the word of God to dwell in us richly in all wisdom (Colossians 3:16). The devil cannot destroy you if you live according to the word of God because the word will fight for you even without you knowing it. Some people don’t have a revelation of God’s word in Hebrews 4:12; this scripture means that the word is active, doing warfare silently without people even knowing that it is at work. For these reasons, you must pay attention to the word of God by meditating on it day and night. That is the secret of being untouchable indeed!

Open Heaven 5 December 2018 Wednesday Prayer Point:

Father, please hide me in Your secret place and make me untouchable to all my enemies in Jesus’ Name.

Also Read: Open Heaven 4 December 2018 – When you need a Miracle 

Open Heaven 5 December 2018 Wednesday Hymn 18: Conqueror and Overcomers Now Are We

1. Conquerors and overcomers now are we,
Thro’ the precious blood of Christ we’ve victory
If the Lord be for us we can never fail,
Nothing ‘gainst His mighty power can e’er prevail.

Chorus
Conquerors are we, thr’o the blood of Jesus
God will give us victory, thro’ the blood of Jesus
Through the Lamb for sinners slain,
Yet who lives and reigns again,
More than conquerors are we,
More than conquerors are we.

2. In the name of Israel’s God we’ll onward press,
Overcoming sin and all unrighteousness;
Not to us but unto Him the praise shall be,
For salvation and for blood bought victory.

3. Unto Him that overcometh shall be given,
Here to eat of hidden manna sent from Heaven,
Over yonder He the victors palm shall bear,
And a robe of white, and golden crown shall wear.

Open Heaven 5 December 2018 Wednesday Daily Devotional 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. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Open Heaven 5 December 2018 Wednesday Daily Devotional.

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.

The post Open Heaven 5 December 2018 – You are Untouchable appeared first on Flatimes.

Ukrainian police search homes and churches of Russian Orthodox priests

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Ukrainian police search homes and churches of Russian Orthodox priests

The eight searches in Ukraine’s capital and the nearby Zhytomyr region were part of a criminal investigation into inciting hatred and violence, according to a police statement on Monday.

The Russian Orthodox Church said on Sunday that more than 20 Orthodox priests had been summoned for questioning by Ukraine’s SBU security service.

One priest who has drawn particular attention is the head of Kiev’s Pechersk Monastery.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Istanbul-based institution that serves as a centre of the global Eastern Orthodox faith, has drafted a charter for an independent Ukrainian church, a move Moscow fiercely opposes.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Sunday that Orthodox Christians would be free to remain part of the Russian branch of the church following the establishment of an autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Ties between Ukraine and Russia have been damaged by Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and support for armed rebels in eastern Ukraine.

The church dispute and a November 25 naval clash in the Black Sea have caused them to deteriorate further. 

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3 ‘Ministers’ Say Premarital Sex, Hookups Are ‘Not Sinful’, Declare Purity Is an ‘Outdated and Silly Expectation’

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3 ‘Ministers’ Say Premarital Sex, Hookups Are ‘Not Sinful’, Declare Purity Is an ‘Outdated and Silly Expectation’


3 ‘Ministers’ Say Premarital Sex, Hookups Are ‘Not Sinful’, Declare Purity Is an ‘Outdated and Silly Expectation’


Three false ministers, including one who is polyamorous and another who identifies as homosexual, opened up about their controversial beliefs in a recent interview with The Huffington Post. 


The trio maintains the belief that engaging in sex before marriage is “not sinful”, but that it is “unreasonable,” “outdated and silly” to wish for people to remain virgins until marriage. One of the three noted that he does not “judge” those individuals who make the decision to participate in random hookups (even though he chooses not to do so himself). 


The three individuals interviewed were Brandan Robertson, an openly gay man who leads San Diego’s Mission Gathering Christian Church; Chalice Overy, an associate pastor at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina; and a man identified simply as Michael, who states that he is dating one man and three women at the moment while serving as a clergyman in San Antonio, Texas. 


The article, titled “We Asked Ministers What It’s Like to Date Today. Here’s What They Said”, was written by Brittany Wong.


Robertson was the first to comment, stating: “I think the evangelical church world that I come from has taught some really unhealthy ideas about sex and sexuality, and I spend a lot of my time trying to deconstruct ‘purity culture’ in favor of a…

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