Churches Offer to Give Unwanted Products to Poor, Needy

(Photo: Jessica Joslin)Nike shoes donated to Claremore Restoration Church in Claremore, Oklahoma.

Churches are responding to the recent Nike boycott over its Colin Kaepernick advertising by asking those who want to destroy Nike products to give them to those in need instead.

As images and videos of upset people burning their Nike products in response to the clothing line’s new advertising featuring the controversial football player have been posted to social media, a church in Georgia and a church in Oklahoma are calling on protestors to give their unwanted apparel to the less fortunate.

Expand | Collapse
(Photo: Facebook)Nike’s new controversial ad campaign.

Jessica Joslin, a member of Claremore Restoration Church in Claremore, Oklahoma, saw the public outrage over Nike as a great opportunity to plug the church’s recently launched Matthew 25:35 charity mission. She posted on the mission’s Facebook page Monday that the church will take any unwanted Nike clothes and provide them to the homeless population in downtown Tulsa.

“When I saw that people were throwing things away, burning, destroying all the Nike products over the political issue, I just posted and asked people to give it to us because we can give them to people who really are in need,” Joslin told The Christian…

… Read More

—-

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

قالب وردپرس

Early Church Bishop Killed, First Female American Minister

… Read More

—-

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

قالب وردپرس

Open Heavens 10 September 2018 – God wants your Input

Open Heavens 10 September 2018 Monday Daily Devotional by Pastor E A Adeboye – God wants your Input

Topic: God wants your Input

Memorise: “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:”Deuteronomy 28:1

Read: Exodus 4:1-7 (KJV)

1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.

2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.

3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:

5 That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.

6 And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.

7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.

Bible in One Year: Proverbs 1-4, Mark 5:25-6:6

Open Heavens 10 September 2018 Monday MESSAGE:

Many people see God as a magician: they want to just sit back and watch Him perform tricks to fascinate them. God does not work this way! He does not give miracles to onlookers. Those who experience His miracles normally have to make some form of input. When God was going to use Moses to perform miracles, Moses had to surrender his rod for God’s use. When He was going to feed the five thousand men, He asked for an input, and one of those to be feed brought five loaves of bread with two fishes. He could have turned stones into bread but He chose to use something given by one of the recipients of His miracle. Your tithe is the input you make for the devourer to be rebuked in your life (Malachi 3:10-11). Willingness and obedience is required from you so that you may eat of the good of the land you find yourself in (Isaiah 1:19). Humility is your input in order to receive God’s grace (James 4:6). Don’t listen to fake prophets who tell you that they can pray and fast on your behalf while you carry on doing whatever you like; they are nothing but thieves because God doesn’t operate that way.

I have come to discover in my walk with God that whenever there is a miracle around the corner, God ask me for an input. After I have played my part, He will then play His. Years ago, I had a Pajero SUV that I loved so much because it never gave me any issues. One day, while asking God for miracles, I heard Him instruct me to give my Pajero away to a particular ministry. It was difficult for me, but I eventually did it. The car was so valuable that the day the new owner came for it, my driver wept. However, during the next service we had after I did this, the number of people that God healed was so great that they could not be counted. There was one time I almost lost a miracle because I was reluctant to provide my input. In the past, we used to receive contributions from the different parishes of our church towards the feeding of those attending our annual convention. One year, just after the convention, God spoke to me, instructing me to tell the pastors that for the next year’s convention, we would not be calling for contributions. When I heard this, I was afraid. Many things rushed through my mind, and I asked myself, “How will the people be fed? I cannot afford to feed that great crowd alone!” I decided not to tell the pastors what the Lord had said, but God said to me, “You are about to lose a miracle.” I obeyed and told them. To the glory of God, we have been feeding people at the convention for over 30 years without those levies. God has never failed us, and even through the crowd has grown into multitudes, everyone still gets fed and there are leftovers. When God ask you for something, don’t withhold it, or else you may be hindering your miracle.

Open Heavens 10 September 2018 Monday Key Point:

When God decides to bless you, he opens doors to you, but you have to walk through these doors yourself.

Also Read: Open Heavens 9 September 2018 – Beyond the Messenger

Open Heavens 10 September 2018 Monday Hymn 4: Trust And Obey

1. 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 there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. But we never can prove
The delights of His love
Until all on the alter we lay;
For the favor He shows,
For the joy He bestows,
Are from them who will trust and obey.

5. 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.

Open Heavens 10 September 2018 Monday 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 Heavens 10 September 2018 Monday 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 Heavens 10 September 2018 – God wants your Input appeared first on Flatimes.

‘Schism’ threat looms over Orthodox Church amid Ukrainian split row

Ukrainian Orthodox leaders have been pushing for spiritual independence from the Russian Orthodox Church, prompting fierce opposition among the religious leadership in Moscow.

The Russia Orthodox Church has threatened to “sever relations” with the Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, a leader considering the Ukrainian request for ecclesiastical independence.

 

Metropolitan Hilarion, head of the Russian Orthodox Church’s External Relations Department, was quoted by Russian state broadcaster RT as accusing Bartholomew I of acting in a interfering.

He said: “When one brazenly and cynically interferes in the affairs of a local Orthodox Church, one creates not only a hopeless situation, but threatens the global Orthodox world with a schism.”

In the months to come, a ruling by Bartholomew I is expected, concerning the bid by the Orthodox Church in Ukraine to break away from the authority of Russian Orthodox Church.

Currently, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is among several national Orthodox churches whose head bishop reports to the Russian Orthodox Church but many parishes are said to want independence.

But under the proposals, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church would be granted autocephaly status – meaning its head bishop would no longer be accountable to the leadership in Moscow.

Constantinople is the oldest branch of the Orthodox church and Bartholomew I is often referred…

… Read More



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

قالب وردپرس

An Old, Locked Up Church in the Middle of Nowhere

(Photo by Dennis Lennox)Zion Church, a disused Episcopal parish church in Wilson, Michigan.

Driving through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan — a vast, sparsely populated region that is as big as some states — I saw a familiar roadside sign.

It was the “the Episcopal Church Welcomes You” sign that almost all Episcopalian churches have erected as a way of pointing visitors toward their church.

Driving along U.S. Highway 2 toward Duluth, Minnesota, this is the last thing I expected to see. The closest city, Escanaba, was about 20 miles behind me.

As both a church crawler and a faithful Episcopalian, I was intrigued because there was no real explanation for an Episcopal parish church out here in the middle of nowhere. Years ago? Maybe, but not today, especially when the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan is basically dead and the ecclesiastical equivalent of a rotten borough.

So, I made a U-turn and then turned left, crossing railroad tracks and then drove a couple of blocks past a handful of older homes — homes that had seen better days — until I saw a simple white church and the same familiar Episcopal signage, although it was obvious that the church was disused. And of course, the doors were locked.

Architecturally, the edifice is not dissimilar from other countryside churches and one-room schoolhouses. However, it would be a stretch to call it Carpenter Gothic.

The map application on my smart phone told me I was at Zion…

… Read More

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

قالب وردپرس

Worldwide Pentecostal Conference Empowered21 Plans to Fire Up Youth in Jerusalem, 2020

(Photo: The Christian Post/Leonardo Blair)Dr. George O. Wood, chairman of the Assemblies of God Church and global co-chair of the Assemblies of God Church prays with Spirit-filled participants at the opening night of the Empowered21 Congress at the Jerusalem, Pais Arena in Jerusalem Israel on May 20, 2015.

The Global Congress of the Empowered21, a worldwide gathering of Pentecostal Christians, will meet in Jerusalem for a second time in 2020 with a focus on the next generation.

The previous gathering also took place during the week of Pentecost in Jerusalem in 2015. Jentezen Franklin, senior pastor of the multi-campus Free Chapel Church, urged the thousands of participants at the time to start preaching “the truth about being filled with the Holy Spirit” and speaking in tongues to their families or risk losing a generation.

“It is a slow process to the death of the language. The unity on the language, it’s a soul thing. The less it’s taught in the home, the less the children of the next generation will get it. I want to say to all of you who are parents here today, what language are you teaching your children? When you go home from church, what language do they hear?” asked Franklin at the time.

“If ever there was a time that we must engage ourselves in the active…

… Read More

—-

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

قالب وردپرس

Marriott hotels to leave 300,000 more Bibles in rooms

Copies of scripture are being left in the rooms of hotels which have merged with Marriott in recent years, including those belonging to the Sheraton, Westin and Starwood chains.

The extra Bibles should be available to guests by the end of the year. It is understood many other mainstream hotel chains allow managers discretion in deciding whether rooms are stocked with a Bible.

 

Marriott International stipulates in its franchise and licencing agreements that a copy of the Bible and the Book of Mormon must be left in every room.

Company bosses told Associated Press: “There are many guests who are not digitally connected who appreciate having one or both of these books available.

“It’s a tradition appreciated by many, objected to by few.”

Some smaller, subsidiary brands are not expected to comply with the agreement. And Marriott hotels operating in countries were other religious are popular – such as Muslim-majority Indonesia – are also exempt.

Gideons International

 

Founded by a family which has been active within the Mormon Church, Marriott International has placed Bibles and the Book of Mormon in rooms since its first hotel was established in Virginia in 1957.

Bibles in Marriott International hotel rooms are provided by Gideons International, a US-headquartered organisation which placed copies of scripture in public places like prisons and…

… Read More



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

قالب وردپرس

Muslim Council accuses US evangelist Franklin Graham of ‘hatred’ before UK visit

It has been become the latest group to oppose a scheduled visit by the 66-year-old to a Christian event he is staging in Blackpool later this month.

The Council, which represents more than 500 mosques and Islamic organisations, told The Guardian: “In the past, the government has banned individuals whom they claim are ‘not conducive to the public good’.

 

“Mr Graham’s remarks are on record and clearly demonstrate a hatred for Muslims and other minorities.

“We would expect the government to apply its criteria here. If it does not, it will send a clear message that it is not consistent in challenging all forms of bigotry.”

The oldest son of late preacher Rev Billy Graham is due to speak at the Festival of Hope at the Winter Gardens conference centre.

Is it being organised by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) in partnership with local churches. Franklin Graham currently serves as presidents of the BGEA.

Speaking during an exclusive interview with Premier earlier this year, Mr Graham said: “I’m not coming to preach hate.

 

“I’m here to preach about a saviour – Jesus Christ who can make a difference in our lives if we put our faith and trust in him.”

The Association has previously described the Festival of Hope as a “positive and encouraging event”.

But 8,400 people signed a petition started by a local pastor Nina…

… Read More



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

قالب وردپرس

Pray for Erieside Church – ThomRainer.com

Location: Willowick, Ohio

Pastor: Jason Boggs

Weekly Worship: 10:30am, Eastern

Fast Facts: Erieside Church is located on the banks of Lake Erie and is a Bible-centered congregation, trying passionately to communicate the principles of God’s Word in a clear, sensitive and relevant way. It is their aim to paint a picture of the world as it is, and a picture of the world as it could be by the grace of God. Please pray that Erieside would continue to see growth and reach its community and the numerous reach millennial families in the area.

Website: Erieside.org


“Pray for . . .” is the Sunday blog series at ThomRainer.com. We encourage you to pray for these churches noted every Sunday. Please feel free to comment that you are praying as well.

If you would like to have your church featured in the “Pray for…” series, fill out this information form..

… Read More



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

قالب وردپرس

Christian scout leader barred over Islam complaint gets pay-off

Brian Walker took the Scout Association – which was founded on Christian principles in 1908 – to court last year, claiming he had been discriminated against on the grounds of his faith

But it has now emerged the 63-year-old will receive damages – and funds to cover his legal costs – under an out-of-court settlement reached with scout bosses last month.

 

He said: “I am raising this case as I believe the fundamental values of Scouting are being undermined.”

“Parents need to be made aware of what is happening at the centre of Scouting, and will eventually flow out into the local groups.”

Mr Walker was expelled with immediate effect after he wrote to Scouting Magazine in March 2017, saying the movement was “promoting” Islam and LBGT pride events.

He raised several concerns, including one claim that the Scouts faith calendar mentioned Islam but did not feature Christmas or Easter.

Referring to the out-of-court settlement, a spokesperson for the Scout Association told the Mail on Sunday: “This does not imply that we accept Mr Walker’s claim made against us or his view of the world.

“The Scouts do not accept Mr Walker was right when he made his offensive comments.

“As a charity, we had to weigh up whether it was worth using our limited time and money on a costly and prolonged legal dispute.”

Mr Walker, who has part of the Scout movement for more than 50 years, also questioned…

… Read More



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

قالب وردپرس