Billy Graham Devotional 1 November 2018 – Triumph in Affliction

Topic: Triumph in Affliction [Billy Graham Devotional 1 November 2018 ]

You don’t understand now why I am doing it; some day you will. John 13:7 (TLB)

May I remind you that physical illness is not the worst thing that can happen to you? Some of the most twisted, miserable people I have ever met had no physical handicap. Some of the world’s greatest and most useful people have been handicapped.

“The Messiah” was composed by Handel, who was suffering from a paralyzed right side and arm. Catherine Booth, in the last year of her life, said that she could not remember one day free from pain.

Helen Keller has written, “I thank God for my handicaps, for through them I have found myself, my work, and God.” Some of the most radiant Christians I have ever met were “wheelchair” saints. May God give you grace to “triumph in affliction.”

Prayer for the day: When physical afflictions come into my life, may they draw me closer to You, my beloved Lord Jesus Christ.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read Billy Graham’s Daily Devotional HERE

Written by Billy Graham, Founder of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association(BGEA). BGEA exists to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by every effective means and to equip the church and others to do the same.

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Open Heaven 1 November 2018 – ADONAI

Open Heaven 1 November 2018 Thursday Daily Devotional by Pastor E A Adeboye – ADONAI

Topic: ADONAI (Open Heaven 1 November 2018)

Memorise: “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”- Psalm 24:1

Read: Job 38:1-11 (KJV)

1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

10 And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,

11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

Bible in One Year: Jeremiah 33-34, Luke 14:7-24

Open Heaven 1 November 2018 Thursday MESSAGE:

‘Adonai’ is one of our Heavenly Father’s numerous names, and it means Master and Owner. This Name encapsulates the sovereignty of our God. Indeed, our God is sovereign, because He owns everything and is in absolute control over the entire universe. He holds all the power in heaven and on earth in His hands. He is totally unlimited! Every other thing was created but He alone is self-existing. Because of this, He is not limited by resources, time, space or any other thing; whereas all other things, including the contraptions of men’s heart called gods, are limited by the laws He has installed in His sovereignty to govern the universe. He has the power to do whatever He likes, however He likes and whenever He likes. What a great God He is!

It is easy for man to think that life is all about him, and that God exists for his benefit. Nothing could be further from the truth. Everything God has done or has given to you is for His glory alone. For this reason, in Revelation 4:11, the twenty-four elders in heaven adore Him saying:

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

He made everything for His pleasure, even you. My advice to you is that you willingly put yourself under His lordship and leadership; if anything at all, learn from Pharaoh. Pharaoh resisted God, and so God decided to use him to show how much of a consuming fire He can be (Exodus 5:2, Exodus 14:4). A Christian is called into submission into our Heavenly Father’s will. When you submit to His will, He will ensure that everything else submits to you.

If the sovereign God is your Friend, you are immensely blessed, because He can overrule sicknesses, debts, curses, negative prophecies and even death! However, when this God is angry with anyone, that person is finished. In Acts 12:23, King Herod was eaten up by worms because God was angry with him. God is angry with the wicked everyday (Psalm 7:11)! The wicked is anyone who continues to live in sin and disobedience. Proverbs 29:1 says that anyone who refuses to change in spite of being corrected over and over again will be destroyed suddenly. If you have never given your life to Jesus or if you claim to have given your life to Him but still live in sin, repent now! When the sovereign God is angry with you, nobody can defend you. Sin makes you an enemy of God (James 4:4). You have to wholly yield yourself to Him by surrendering every single part of your life to Him, inviting Him to take over. He is always ready to take responsibility for your life; all He is waiting for is your invitation. Are you willing to invite Him today?

Open Heaven 1 November 2018 Thursday Action Point:

Ask the Adonai to override every limiting factor in your life by His sovereign power.

Also Read: Open Heaven 31 October 2018 – Relationship with Christ

Open Heaven 1 November 2018 Thursday Hymn 2: I Need Thee Every Hour

1. I Need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.

Chorus:
I need Thee, Oh, I need Thee,
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh bless me now, my Saviour;
I come to Thee.

2. I need Thee every hour;
Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their pow’r
When Thou art nigh.

3. I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.

4. I need Thee every hour;
Teach me Thy will,
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfil.

5. I need Thee every hour,
Most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son.

Open Heaven 1 November 2018 Thursday 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 1 November 2018 Thursday 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.

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Pakistani Christians Ask for Prayer as Violence Breaks out following Asia Bibi’s Release

Pakistani Christians Ask for Prayer as Violence Breaks out following Asia Bibi’s Release



A Pakistani Christian mother who was convicted in 2010 for blaspheming the prophet Muhammad was acquitted today, and Pakistani Christians are now asking for prayer.


According to Open Doors USA, a world persecution watchdog, violent protests have broken out across the country following Bibi’s acquittal and release. 


Open Doors USA reports that Christians on the ground made a statement to say, “We call on Christians across the country [Pakistan] and around the world to pray and proclaim, to demand our right to justice but to do so in a manner befitting Christians committed to being imitators of Christ. Do not destroy property, do not violate people, do not fall into the trap of violent and aggressive behavior.”


The statement goes on to say, “In response to this verdict, please hold back from making any comments that could be used against you. These [hardline Islamic] groups are on high alert and will be watching for any way to increase the pressure against Aasiya [Asia Bibi], Christians and the Church. Let us strive to demonstrate restraint, [as] no use of aggression or physical violence can make up for our loss as a nation and a community. …As a praying people, let us trust God and ensure that we demonstrate Him and His Good News at this time.”


It added, “Let us be compassionate to those who mourn and suffer at this time, and let us be…

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US missionary shot dead in front of family in Cameroon

Charles Wesco from Warsaw in Indiana was going shopping with his wife, one of his sons and another person when the car they were travelling in came under attack.

It happened near the town of Bamenda in the country’s north-west – a region which has been in the grip of a bloody insurgency during recent years.

 

Dave Halyaman, an assistant pastor from Mr Wesco’s home church, Believers Baptist Church, described the shooting as a “terrible tragedy”.

He told the Washington Post: “While this is a terrible tragedy and we want the perpetrators to face justice, we are trusting God that He is going to do something good through all of this, though we just really don’t know what it would be.

“There’s no telling why he was singled out and shot. There’s just no way to tell at this point.”

At least two shots struck Mr Wesco. The father-of-eight was transferred to a hospital but doctors were unable to resuscitate him.

 

A statement released by the Cameroonian Defence Minister Joseph Beti Assomo said a “group of terrorists” were to blame.

Mr Assomo added that government forces had tracked the perpetrators down before four were killed in an ensuing crossfire.

Some reports on social media have blamed security forces, while others have accused armed separatists of responsibility.

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and…

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Hillary Clinton Is Under Fire for Joking that All Black Americans ‘Look Alike’

Hillary Clinton Is Under Fire for Joking that All Black Americans ‘Look Alike’



Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is facing criticism after she joked that black Americans “look alike.”


Clinton made the comment after an interviewer asked her what she thought of Cory Booker, a New Jersey senator, saying, “When they go low, we kick ‘em.”


Clinton corrected the interviewer, saying the statement came from Eric Holder, the former attorney general.


The interviewer apologized and Clinton responded jokingly, “I know they all look alike.”


Both Booker and Holder are black men. Her comment was intended as a joke as she had just been discussing “political correctness” and “not being rude and insulting people.


“It’s respecting the diversity that we have in our society,” she said in the interview. “The Democratic Party is a much more diverse political party, attracting people who are African-American, Latino, LGBT … And I don’t think it’s politically correct to say, we value that.


“I don’t want to go around insulting people, painting people with a broad brush,” she said. “That’s childish.” 


The interviewer added after the joke: “Oh, Well done.”


Meanwhile, Twitter users were divided on her comments.


One posted: “I could not imagine the reaction if Trump said this.”


Another, however, posted: “I really wish people would stop taking words out of context.”


Donald Trump Jr. even…

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CAFOD suggests new Brazil President will ‘exacerbate the bloodshed’

Jair Bolsonaro was elected on Sunday in Brazil and will become President on 1st January 2019.

Bolsonaro has been a member of the Christian Democratic party and the Social Christian Party, the latter of which he left in 2018 to pursue Presidential election with the Social Liberal Party. 

Although his campaign coalition was called ‘God above all’ (Deus acima de todos), The Catholic Agency For Overseas Development (CAFOD) said Bolsonaro’s policies will persecute the social movements that protect environmental defenders.

Brazil programme officer for CAFOD, Esther Gillingham, wrote a letter in The Guardian, saying that the new President’s plan to ‘change the destiny’ of Brazil “looks set to abolish environmental protection and exacerbate the bloodshed linked to the unregulated exploitation of the Amazon”.

He has previously spoken out against lands reserved for indigenous tribes. 

Gillingham explained: “Courageous indigenous and rural landless communities are being killed with little recourse to justice. Impunity and lack of rule of law have exacerbated this trend – of the 1,270 murder since 1985 linked to land conflict in Brazil, less than 10 per cent have ever reached court”.

She concluded: “Irreparable damage to the world’s largest rain forest threatens to irreversible accelerate climate chance for future generations.”

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from…

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James MacDonald, Church File Defamation Suit against Bloggers

James MacDonald, Church File Defamation Suit against Bloggers



Pastor James MacDonald and Harvest Bible Chapel sued a blog and a radio host in October, alleging they spread false information and caused upwards of 2,000 people to leave the church, according to Christianity Today. 


The defamation civil suit against bloggers Ryan Mahoney and Scott Bryant of The Elephant’s Debt blog and Moody Radio host Julie Roys lists “more than 57 points of disagreement” from the blog, according to Christianity Today. 


Mahoney and Bryant, former church members, posted a series of blogs in 2012 and 2013. They left Harvest Chapel in 2010. 


The suit was filed Oct. 17 and claims Roys works in partnership with Mahoney and Bryant. 


“Our goal was to end their prolonged and divisive effort to undermine the Elder governance of our church and to discredit our primary leaders,” church elders said in a statement to the congregation, according to the website. “We have chosen to accomplish that by filing a civil suit in Cook County.”


Mahoney and Bryant said on their blog they are confident they will win. 


“While the authors of this website would never have chosen to resolve our differences in a litigious manner, we are confident that the legal process will ultimately uphold the values of the first amendment right to freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of the press, all of which are essential to safeguarding the values of the…

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Asia Bibi: What they said

Asia Bibi spent eight years on death row, accused of insulting Islam’s Prophet Mohammad.

She has always maintained her innocence.

Here’s how people responded to the news:

Tahir Khalil Singh, Asia Bibi’s Christian lawyer said: “I am so satisfied and thankful to Jesus Christ that she has been acquitted. But who is responsible for these ten years she spent in the jail behind bars in isolation?”

Catholic Communications Network explained what they were praying for: “May our Lord bless and protect Asia and her family. We now pray for peace for all in Pakistan, particularly those Christians and other minorities under threat from extremists.”
 
Prime Minister Theresa May replied to a question from Christian and Conservative MP Fiona Bruce in PMQs by saying: “The news out of Pakistan of the release of Asia Bibi will be very welcome to her family and to all those who have campaigned in Pakistan, and indeed around the world, for her release. Our long-standing position on the death penalty is well known: we call for its abolition globally.”

Baroness Berridge, a Christian politician and co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on international freedom of religion and belief told Premier: “This is a systemic problem and it hasn’t changed or reformed the laws of blasphemy in Pakistan per se.”

You can listen to the full interview with Baroness Elizabeth Berridge from Premier…

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Why Mark Wahlberg Chose Church on a Saturday Night in New York City

Why Mark Wahlberg Chose Church on a Saturday Night in New York City



Superstar actor Mark Wahlberg recently visited New York City, but instead of going to a Broadway play in his free time, the actor chose to go to church.


In an interview with The Christian Post, Wahlberg said he prefers going to church on a Saturday night, to seeing a Broadway show.


“That’s what it’s all about. You know, for me, it’s just the way I love to start my day, finish my day,” Wahlberg told the Christian news outlet.


“I’ve been very blessed and very fortunate. And it’s because of the focus that I put on my faith and on my family that have allowed me to accomplish so many things. Also, with the failure and disappointment and loss, life is not easy,” he added. 


Wahlberg is preparing for the release of his new film “Instant Family” which tells the story of a couple who decides to foster 3 kids, including one troubled teen, becoming parents overnight.


The films story is based on the real-life events of Sean Anders – the film’s director – and his wife. 


While talking about the film Wahlberg said, “Just like this movie, this couple brings in three beautiful kids. And there is this kind of honeymoon period. And then there’s this very difficult time when reality sets in. But ultimately, they fall madly in love with each other. And they want to fight for these kids.”


He stressed, “There’s nothing more important than faith and family.”


Though “Instant…

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Humanists more ‘at ease’ discussing death than Christians, poll finds

Co-op Funeralcare found that while 75 per cent of humanists “were most at ease discussing death” with their family, 66 per cent of Christians and Agnostics were happy to.

Rev George Pitcher, a journalist and author, told Premier he understands why Christians may fear death.

 

“It’s difficult to talk about [death] in relation to our children certainly and I think when it comes to life insurance and those sorts of arrangements those are things that we might tend to avoid,” he explained.

“But I think, as with any other of the major issue in our lives – and our deaths must be one of the most major issues that we face in our lives – we probably address it prayerfully and in doing so with the help of God’s grace, we’ll find a way through it.”

Hindus scored lowest with only 49 per cent being relatively comfortable to discuss their death compared with 52 per cent of Muslims.

Rev Pitcher said his experience painted a different picture to the study’s message.

He added: “My anecdotal evidence as a priest in the Church of England is that people of faith are invariably relaxed about their mortality when the time comes.

“I think I’d want to know what kind of questions the Co-op were asking in their survey.

“Those of us with faith consider death rather more complicated as an issue than a simple termination of an organism so I imagine that we might reply in rather more complex ways to…

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