‘I Wanted to Die, Suffered Unspeakable Pain, but It Made Me Truly Believe in Christ’

(Screenshot: YouTube/Paul Tripp)Pastor Paul David Tripp in a video about suffering released on October 22, 2018.

Pastor Paul David Tripp has opened up about the sickness he’s been suffering, revealing that at one point, the pain was so unbearable he wanted to die.

The best-selling author and preacher revealed that the experience truly made him believe in what he taught others about Jesus Christ.

Tripp said in a video published on YouTube on Monday that his ordeal began four years ago on Oct. 19, 2014, when he went to the hospital due to some minor symptoms.

“I thought maybe 45 minutes in the examination room, then they would give me medication and send me home. I was shocked when within 15-20 minutes that there were doctors from five different departments in my exam room. I remember hearing in the background doctors discussing whether they would put me on dialysis. I thought they had the wrong room,” the pastor recalled.

“That was when I realized that whatever was going on in my body was way more serious than I had any concept of,” he added. “The first 36 hours at the hospital I went through unspeakable pain, full-body spasms that felt like someone was sticking a knife in me. It was unrelenting, every two minutes. I wanted to die.”

Though not outlining the specific…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – The Christian Post.

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Number of cathedral Christmas visitors continues to rise

Around 135,000 attended services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day last year.

 

That’s an increase of three per cent on the previous year.

While overall church attendance continues to fall, cathedrals across the year are bucking the trend.

According to the Church of England, attendances at Sunday worship in cathedrals are steady and the total number attending all regular services in cathedrals has increased by 10 per cent over the past decade.

Explaining the success of cathedrals to Premier, Becky Clark, head of church buildings from the Church of England said: “There’s been a real focus in cathedrals to encourage people to come with their families.

“There’s huge amounts of activities for children and generally offering something for everybody – from early morning prayers to school activities to your classic evensong.”

More than 10 million people visited cathedrals (including Westminster Abbey) in 2017, with fewer paying for entry than in previous years.

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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Faith-Based Adoption Agencies under Attack by Democratic Candidates

Faith-Based Adoption Agencies under Attack by Democratic Candidates



An expert in religious liberty is warning that faith-based adoption agencies are under attack following comments from several Democratic candidates for office. 


Democrat Beto O’Rourke, who is trying to win the seat held by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, recently criticized a state law that allows faith-based agencies to decline to place children with gay parents. 


O’Rourke told rally attendees that “in this state, with 30,000 kids in the foster care system… they say that under the guise of religious liberty that you can be too gay to adopt one of those children who needs a loving home.”


The law in question requires faith-based agencies who won’t work with same-sex couples to direct them to adoption agencies that will place children in gay homes. 


David Closson, a research fellow for religious freedom and biblical worldview at the Family Research Council, said O’Rourke either does not understand the law or holds “a prejudiced view of the religious beliefs of millions of Americans who believe children deserve a mother and a father.”


Closson, writing at NationalReview.com, said O’Rourke’s comments are but the latest example of faith-based agencies coming under fire.


Dana Nessel, the Democratic candidate for Michigan attorney general, said if elected she would not defend a 2015 law that protects the religious liberty of adoption agencies….

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Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.

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Hull Minster secures almost £100,000 from Lottery Fund

Thanks to National Lottery players, the future of the Grade I listed church and its rich heritage may be secured with the Resilient Heritage Grant.

Rev Canon Dr Neal Barnes, vicar of Hull Minster, said in a statement: “The activities that result from this very welcome funding will be compatible with, and sympathetic to, the Minster’s historic setting in Hull’s Old Town and our responsibility to be an active and growing church.

 

“Our ambition is that the church’s heritage will be well maintained and self-sustainable and that our conservation needs are supported and funded, contributing to the quality and growth of Hull’s visitor economy.”

The grant is also expected to help strengthen the ability of the church, its staff and volunteers to reach heritage tourism visitors through new activities.

The lottery funding follows the second phase of the church’s £4.5m development project being completed. A space for worship and cultural, artistic, community and corporate events was created by opening up the Nave.

Hull Minster’s Parochial Church Council (PCC) submitted the bid for the grant.

PCC chair John Lawson said: “We’re delighted to receive this funding, which will support a range of activities to assist our sustainable growth, as a place of worship and a community hub, while enabling us to capitalise upon the church’s amazing heritage.

“This grant will also enable us to…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.

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Seven Reasons Pastors Get Fired When a Church Is Growing

The note to me was neither cynical nor critical. The pastor had a powerful point to make.

“Thom,” he said, “as you provide leadership toward church revitalization, please communicate one thing very clearly to pastors in these churches. Sometimes a pastor gets fired because the church does grow and is revitalized. I know. I just got fired.”

I could sense the pain in the pastor’s words. And he is right. Even in “successful” revitalizations, it does not always turn out well for the pastor. Why is that? My list is not exhaustive, but here are seven common reasons:

  1. Members who can’t deal with significant change. Most of them are okay with gradual decline because it can be imperceptible day by day. But revitalization can bring major change, at least in the eyes of some church members. They would rather see the church slowly die than suddenly become healthy.
  2. Threats to power brokers and power groups. Growth brings new members. New members dilute the base of the power brokers. Most power brokers don’t like that, so they create lies and innuendos to force out the pastor.
  3. Relational disruption. One of my most memorable, and saddest, moments as a pastor took place when a woman told me God had told her I should be fired as pastor. I naturally asked her why. She responded that it was hard for her to get to know all the new people joining the church, and they were changing relationships in the church. She further said all the new Christians did not understand how we did church. Translation:…

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Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Thom Rainer.

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Harvest Bible Chapel Sues Former Members, Julie Roys for Defamation

(Photo: The Christian Post/Sonny Hong)James MacDonald, pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel, speaks at the Pastors’ Conference 2014, ahead of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Meeting, on Monday, June 9, 2014, in Baltimore, Md.

The multi-campus Harvest Bible Chapel in greater Chicago along with founder James MacDonald, has slapped several former workers and independent journalist Julie Roys with a defamation lawsuit alleging the publication of false information about the church, its finances and governance that resulted in the loss of 2,000 members.

“Two weeks ago, after six years of ‘taking it too personally,’ our church’s Board of Elders decided to take legal action against those who have harmed our ministry through their careless campaign to discredit,” MacDonald revealed in an extended statement on the lawsuit that was filed a week ago in the Cook County Circuit Court.

“It isn’t that some of the criticism wasn’t fair. I believe in the marketplace of ideas and of regular, vibrant discussion inside a local church. It’s just that their words were often untrue, their information was incomplete, and over time their tone of reasonableness disintegrated, exposing their obvious goal of ending our ministry. Over a three–year period, their materially harmful untruths drove…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – The Christian Post.

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“One of the largest Viking ship graves ever found”

Archaeologists in Norway have discovered a rare Viking ship burial. National Geographic reports: “The 65-foot-long ship was covered over more than 1,000 years ago to serve as the final resting place of a prominent Viking king or queen. That makes it one of the largest Viking ship graves ever found.”

This find is obviously remarkable. But having spent more than two weeks in Israel, I can tell you that history means different things to different cultures.

A few days ago, our group visited Tel Dan, where we viewed a gate that dates to the time of Abraham. We toured the probable site of King David’s palace in Jerusalem. And we joined archaeologists in sifting through dirt excavated from the Temple Mount area in Jerusalem; one of our group found a piece of pottery that dates to the time of Solomon.

One result of the Jewish people’s long and challenging history is their commitment to their nation. Twenty centuries of dispersion from the Holy Land and the horrors of the Holocaust have hardened their resolve to preserve their people and country.

They know they cannot take their security and future for granted. Forces far more numerous are allied against them. Anti-Semitism is tragically increasing in Europe, America, and around the world. The Holocaust is still a living reality for their people.

The people of Israel live every day in the reality that what unites them is far more powerful than what divides them. Therein is a lesson for Christians today.

Does God accept “the worship of all religions”?

Henri Nouwen was a brilliant Catholic priest and scholar. His writings on spirituality and psychology have been very influential for me.

I especially appreciate his candor in describing the church and culture. Father Nouwen admits: “Over the centuries the Church has done enough to make any critical person want to leave it. Its history of violent crusades, pogroms, power struggles, oppression, excommunications, executions, manipulations of people…

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MFM Daily Devotional 24 October 2018 – My Day of Divine Settlement

MFM Mountain Top Life Daily Devotional 24 October 2018 By Dr. D.K Olukoya – My Day of Divine Settlement

TOPIC: My Day of Divine Settlement (Mountain Of Fire and Miracle Ministries, MFM Daily Devotional 22 October 2018)

FIRE SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 7:1-5

MEMORY VERSE: “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”1 Peter 5:10

The MESSAGE:

To be settled is to be compensated. In the book of Joshua, the Israelites were compensated and settled with lands they did not labour for, cities they did not build, and they dwelled in the vineyards and olive yards which they planted not, and they ate of them (Joshua 24:13). Today people live on minimum wage and some have limited themselves to it, but our God is unlimited. In today’s Fire Scripture, Elisha declared the counsel of the Lord in the midst of famine, but a man, an adviser to the king, doubted it; so he did not benefit from it.

There were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. They arose and decided to go into the camp of the host of the Syrians because there was famine in the town. They had no surety staying back in the city, therefore, they decided to go out into the host of Syrians. On getting there, they found no man. The host of Syrians heard a noise of chariots and noise of horses even the noise of a great host and believed that the king of Israel was coming against them in a great number, for they thought they had hired nations against them, they fled and left everything behind. The lepers ate and drank to their satisfaction and carried a lot of things they could carry. The lepers were settled and eventually Samaria was also settled and the prophecy of the man of God came to pass, but the man who limited God could not be a partaker.

To be settled is to receive power to empty the camp of the enemy. It is to make wealth change hands; it is to receive beyond your imagination; it is to spoil your oppressors by God’s power and possess your possession, it is to have more than enough; it is to be over-satisfied; it is to surprise your enemies; it is to come out of famine by the power of God; it is to break every siege and come out victoriously; it is to get that which you have been believing God for in a miraculous way; it is to recover that which the enemies had stolen from you, and it is to recover all. Today is your day of settlement. Famine in any area of your life shall disappear and you shall begin to live in surplus, in Jesus’ name.

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE:
SOMETHING IN YOU IS SOMETHING WHICH THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR. FIND IT OUT.

PROPHETIC WORD:
The Lord shall arise for your sake to fight your battle and to give you divine settlement.

PRAYER POINTS:

MORNING
1. Father, I thank You for Your redemptive power, which never fails, in the name of Jesus.
2. I receive the mandate today, to recover all I have lost, in the name of Jesus.
3. I recover all my lost opportunities from the hands of task masters, in the name of Jesus.

EVENING
4. My Father, settle me tonight, in the name of Jesus.
5. My virtues, my money in the hands of my oppressors, locate me tonight, in the name of Jesus.
6. You stubborn Pharaoh, refusing to settle me, settle me now and die, in Jesus’ name.
7. Anointing for divine settlement, fall upon me tonight, in the name of Jesus.

“If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read MFM Mountain Top Life Daily Devotional HERE

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.

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Joyce Meyer Devotional 24 October 2018 — Energize

Topic: Energize [Joyce Meyer Devotional 24 October 2018]

Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions Deuteronomy 32:11

To energize means, “to give strength or force to; to give active vigor to.”

All of our thoughts, good or bad, have an effect on our physical being. The mind and body are definitely connected. Positive, hopeful thoughts energize our soul and physical bodies, whereas negative, hopeless thoughts drain our energy.

Physical tiredness is not always a result of wrong thinking. We can certainly have a sickness or disease that leads to a loss of energy, or we may even wake up tired for no known reason. But we do know that science and medical technology verify that the mind and body have a close connection, and that our thinking does have a direct effect on our body.

Our bodies are like automobiles that God provides for us to drive around on earth. If we want them to perform to their maximum ability and be energized, then we need to choose to think in ways that will help fuel them.

Prayer Starter: Lord, please help me to choose positive, hopeful, faith-filled thoughts today—thoughts that agree with Your Word and will energize my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Joyce Meyer Daily Devotional HERE’’

From Joyce Meyer’s Ministries.

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Family Happiness Begins with You (Part 3) By Pastor Faith Oyedepo

Family Happiness Begins with You (Part 3) by Pastor Faith Oyedepo

Topic: Family Happiness Begins with You (Part 3)

Dear Reader,

You are welcome to an exciting moment in God’s presence! I started this series by showing you how to be committed to your spouse. Last week, I taught on love and submission as the two most important keys in becoming a good spouse. This week, I will be showing you how you can fulfill your mutual obligations.

Fulfilling your mutual obligations is part of your family responsibilities. When I say ‘mutual obligations’, I mean romance, affection, intimacy and sexual relationship that should be fulfilled in your marriage. God’s idea of procreation establishes the coming together of husband and wife. The Word of God says: Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency (1 Corinthians 7:1-5).

Also Read: Prudent Family Life (Part 2) By Pastor Faith Oyedepo

Many homes are broken today because of lack of understanding of this concept. The moment a home becomes deficient in marital affairs or romance; it will begin to break. Sexual relationship is God’s approved channel for procreation and pleasure. Everything done against it by either the husband or the wife is targeted at the ruin of the home. Genesis 4:1 says: And Adam knew Eve his wife; and conceived and bare Cain…. This means that Adam had marital sex with his wife and she conceived. Also, Proverbs 5:18-19 says: Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

God intended that couples fulfill their mutual obligations for procreation and pleasure. He created the necessary organs and feelings in you, so that this commandment can be fulfilled. Fulfilling your mutual obligations with a wholesome approach to it will heal many wounds in homes. Statistics show that families where the husband and wife enjoy each other sexually are the happiest homes. “For the breasts of a man’s wife to satisfy him”, means for the two of them to have pleasure in marital sex.

Not fulfilling your mutual obligation is marital fraud and every act of marital fraud is an offence. It rubs homes of glory and beauty. When you fulfill your mutual obligations, you will find out that every act of love expressed becomes like the engine oil that keeps marriage running smoothly. It also successfully blocks any loopholes that might give the enemy a foothold in your marriage. When mutual obligations are fulfilled, the husband and wife will both be satisfied and their level of productivity in other areas will be at its maximum! A man can withstand any shortcoming in a marriage like “She can’t cook”’ “She’s too fat”, “She’s not submissive”’ “She’s not even a Christian”, but he will not be able to stay with a wife who does not fulfill her mutual obligations. Deep behind every separation or divorce is a breakdown in either party fulfilling his or her mutual obligations.

After the solemnization of a marriage, the rules of abstaining from sex as singles, engaged or in courtship ends. Sex is no longer forbidden; if anything, it becomes an essential part of the union. However, the marriage bed can be defiled by the married, when adultery is committed by either the man or the woman. God’s Word in Hebrews 13:4 says: Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Adultery opens the door for God’s judgment and causes you to lose the respect and honour originally meant for marriage.

Allow romance, intimacy and love to be expressed in your marriage. You may just need to go back to those little acts of love you used to do, when you first got married. You may need to start those sweet things that made your honeymoon exciting; you need to start treating your spouse a lot more lovingly but whatever you must do, just do it to fulfill your mutual obligations this year. You will not fall into any trap of the enemy, this year in Jesus’ name.

Accepting God, the Creator of couples and the mutual feelings enables you fulfill your obligations with ease. You can accept Him through His Son, Jesus Christ and be born again. If you would like to do so, 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 now born again and 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).

“Please click HERE to read other inspiring articles by Pastor Faith Oyedepo

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.

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