Chilean miner advises trapped Thai kids to ‘not lose faith’

“Do not lose faith or hope,” Juan Carlos Aguilar advised the twelve boys and their football coach trapped in flooded caves.

He told The Daily Telegraph that, after he was buried alive with his colleagues by the collapse in the San Jose mine, their faith helped sustain them until they were rescued.

 

“There was one [miner] who did lose hope – from the first day he was saying we were going to die, but us, with the prayers and all this, this maintained us, and it maintained us united.”

Meanwhile, the Thai football team-mates, who have been stranded for more than a week, have said they are healthy, in a newly released video.

Royal Thai Navy Facebook Page via AP

In this July 3, 2018, image taken from video provided by the Royal Thai Navy Facebook Page, a Thai boy smiles as Thai Navy SEAL medic help injured children inside a cave in Mae Sai, northern Thailand.

 

The group are seen sitting with Thai navy Seals in the dark cave with their visibly skinny faces illuminated by the beam of a flashlight.

The boys, many wrapped in foil warming blankets, take turns introducing themselves, folding their hands together in a traditional greeting and saying their names and that they are healthy.

Royal Thai Navy Facebook Page via AP

 

The video lasting about a minute was recorded sometime on Tuesday and was posted on the navy Seal Facebook page on…

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Five Examples of Effective Prayer Ministries

Five Examples of Effective Prayer Ministries

  1. Prayer over the facilities
  2. Senior adult/retirees guided prayer ministries
  3. Worship service prayer ministry
  4. Prayer over guest cards
  5. 24/7 prayer ministry

Some highlights from today’s Rainer Report:

  • Rote, perfunctory prayers are not the signs of an effective prayer ministry.
  • Get senior adults involved in the prayer ministry of the church—don’t just entertain them.
  • Prayer should be foundational to everything a church does.
  • Having a prayer ministry coordinator helps to make prayer an emphasis in the church.

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

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The trapped soccer team: What freedom really means

Twelve boys and their soccer coach went missing in a northern Thailand cave on June 23. The Tham Luang Nang Non cave system is a local tourist attraction but can flood severely during the rainy season. The boys and their coach became stranded in the dark tunnels by a sudden and continuous downpour.

Divers found them alive Monday evening. The video of their discovery made headlines around the world. But their saga is far from over.

The Wild Boar soccer team and its coach are trapped 1.2 miles into the cave, somewhere between eight hundred meters and one kilometer (0.6 miles) below the surface. They were found huddled together on a small incline, surrounded by water in a pitch-black chamber.

Huge pumps are now running to drain the cave complex so the boys can be rescued. However, Thailand is in the midst of its monsoon season. Heavy rains could make it impossible for the team to hike to safety.

Bringing the team out the way their rescuers went in is especially perilous. Cave diving is dangerous even for experienced divers. The safest option could be to leave the boys in place until water levels drop or a new entrance is discovered. However, if water levels rise too high, they could threaten the boys where they are.

Officials stated this morning that they will not attempt to move the boys before Thursday. They are working to set up phone lines inside the cave so the boys can talk to their parents.

Two weeks ago, the boys and their coach may have taken their freedom for granted. I doubt they will ever do so again.

Thomas Jefferson’s last public letter

The year was 1826, and America’s fiftieth Independence Day was approaching.

Roger Chew Weightman, the mayor of Washington, planned a great celebration. He invited the three surviving signers of the Declaration of Independence–Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Charles Carroll of Maryland–as well as former presidents James Madison and James Monroe.

None could attend, due to health issues and…

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Westminster Abbey urged by African ambassador to hand over looted relic

Ethiopia’s ambassador to the UK said the tabot – a tablet representing the Ark of the Covenant and the Ten Commandments – belonged in an Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

Hailemichael Aberra Afework told The Art Newspaper: “We are urging all those who hold items looted from Ethiopia to return them.

 

“This includes the tabot held at Westminster Abbey.

“We renew the call for restitution and urge the Abbey to return this sacred artefact, which holds so much significance in Ethiopia.”

Made either of wood or stone, it is customary for any Ethiopian Orthodox Church to contain a tabot. They remain covered and can only be seen by priests.

The tabot at Westminster Abbey was offered a gift after it was taken by soldiers who fought against then-Abyssinia in the Battle of Magdala in 1868.

lacihobo

 

The then-head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Abune Paulos met with the Abbey’s receiver-general in 2007, when he called for the return of the tabot.

A spokesperson for Westminster Abbey told Premier: “The dean and chapter are very conscious of the sensitivity of the Ethiopian tabot, so steps were taken a number of years ago to ensure that the tabot, which is in a very sacred place, was properly covered and could not be seen by anyone.”

They added that there are “no plans to change these arrangements”.

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

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Wiltshire church cordoned off as police investigate potential ‘unknown substance’ exposure

People have been stopped from entering Amesbury Baptist Centre as a precaution after a man and a woman were discovered unconscious at a nearby property in the town on Saturday.

Officers believe the couple may have frequented the place of worship on Butterfield Drive before they fell ill. A staff member at the church told Premier the pair may have attended a hog roast event.

 

Both aged in their 40s, the man and woman are currently in a critical condition at Salisbury District Hospital.

Wiltshire Police said: “Wiltshire Police and partners have this evening declared a major incident after it is suspected that two people might have been exposed to an unknown substance in Amesbury.

Detectives have not yet established whether the pair are victims of a crime but they are keeping an “open mind”.

Rod Minchin/PA Wire

 

Officials do not believe the wider public faces a “significant health risk”.

A Public Health England spokesman said: “The current advice from PHE England, based upon the number of casualties affected, is that it is not believed that there is a significant health risk to the wider public.

“This will be continually assessed as further information becomes known”.

Rod Minchin/PA Wire

 

The pair were found at an address on Muggleton Road in the south edge of Amesbury.

Officers initially thought the pair may have taken illegal drugs but additional tests are now…

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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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Baby Jesus ‘held in detention’ during church immigration protest

Leaders erected fencing around the statues on a lawn outside the Episcopalian Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis to remind people the family was “homeless” when they escaped King Herod’s murderous plot by fleeing to Egypt.

Dean and rector, Rev Stephen Carlsen said: “We will not stand by while children are being taken from their parents, and families are being taken from our communities and congregations.

 

“People of good will and faith must not allow this to continue.

“We must not be divided by race, language or culture, but reach out to care for our neighbours-because every family is sacred.”

Described as a “zero tolerance” approached, the policy was criticised for resulting in thousands of migrant children being separated from their parents at the United States’ border with Mexico.

 

Last month, President Donald Trump issued an executive order trying to ensure incoming families were not forcibly split up.

Rev Lee Curtis, who had the idea for the demonstration, told NBC News: “Families, all families, every family, is holy, and we hope and pray that families who are seeking out a better life for their kids are afforded that opportunity.”

Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.

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Joyce Meyer’s Daily 4 July 2018 Devotional — The Key to Being Satisfied

Topic: The Key to Being Satisfied [Joyce Meyer’s Devotional Wednesday July 4, 2018]

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. — James 5:12

We all probably want more light in our lives. That would mean more clarity, better understanding, and less confusion. The prophet Isaiah declared that if we would divide our bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into our homes, cover the naked and stop hiding ourselves from the needs around us, our light would break forth (see Isaiah 58:7–8). He also said our healing and restoration and the power of a new life would spring forth quickly. That sounds good to me, and I am sure it does to you also.

Isaiah also wrote of justice, and he said it would go before us and conduct us to peace and prosperity, and that the glory of the Lord would be our rear guard. If we are actively helping the oppressed, God goes before us and He also has our backs! I like that feeling of safety and certainty.

Isaiah further said if we would pour out that with which we sustain our own lives for the hungry, and satisfy the need of the afflicted, our light would rise in darkness and any gloom we experienced would be comparable to the sun at noon (see Isa. 58:10). The sun is very bright at noon, so it sounds to me like helping people is the way to live in the light.

The Lord will guide us continually, and even in dry times He will satisfy us. He will make our bones strong and our lives will be like a watered garden (see Isa. 58:11). All of this happens as a result of living to bring justice to the oppressed.

I hope you are seeing what I am seeing through these promises. I think most of us waste a lot of our lives trying to get what God will gladly give if we simply do what He is asking us to do: care about the poor, the hungry, the destitute, orphans, widows, the oppressed, and needy. Live your life to help others, and God will satisfy you in every way possible.

Prayer Starter: Father, help me to always have compassion on those less fortunate…and take action to help them in their time of need. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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

From Joyce Meyer’s Ministries.

The post Joyce Meyer’s Daily 4 July 2018 Devotional — The Key to Being Satisfied appeared first on Flatimes.

Teens Open Heavens 4 July 2018 – Benefits of His Witnesses

Topic: Benefits of His Witnesses [Teens Open Heavens 4, July 2018]

Memorise: Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead. Acts 10:41

Read: Acts 10:39-41 (KJV)

39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:

40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;

41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

Bible In One Year: Job 29-30, Acts 12

MESSAGE:

Not everyone who appears to rejoice with you over an accomplishment or promotion is sincere. In fact, many people mean the exact opposite of their good wishes. It is only in the Kingdom of God that you can have those who will genuinely rejoice with you. If you claim you belong to God’s Kingdom and still find it difficult to rejoice at the rise or elevation of others, the law of sin is still very strong in your life.

A genuine child of God will sincerely rejoice with those that rejoice, and sincerely mourn with those that mourn. If you know that doing this doesn’t come easy to you, you have to start praying earnestly for God to arrest your heart and make it broken and tender.

Action Point: Pray that every devourer pretending to be a friend of your family should be exposed.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Teen Open Heavens Daily Devotional by Pastor Adeboye’’ 

Hymn 15

1. Wonderful story of love;
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, 0 won’t you believe It?
Wonderful story of love.

Chorus:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, Wonderful story of love.

2. Wonderful story of love,
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,
Wonderful story of love.

3. Wonderful story of love:
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,
Wonderful story of Love.

Daily Devotional for Teen’s 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 post Teens Open Heavens 4 July 2018 – Benefits of His Witnesses appeared first on Flatimes.

Forecast of Heavy Rain Could Complicate Thai Cave Rescue – Urban Christian News

Heavy rains forecast for northern Thailand could worsen flooding in a cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach are waiting to be extracted by rescuers, possibly forcing authorities to have them swim out through a narrow, underwater passage in the cavern, a top official said Tuesday.

The 13, who disappeared when flooding trapped them in the cave they were exploring on June 23 after a soccer game, were found by rescue divers late Monday night in the cavern in northern Chiang Rai province during a desperate search. The effort drew international help and has riveted Thailand.

The boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach were described as healthy and being looked after by seven members of the Thai navy SEALs, including medics, who were staying with them inside the cave. They were mostly in stable condition and have received high-protein drinks.

While efforts to pump out floodwaters are continuing, it’s clear that some areas of the sprawling cavern cannot be drained, said Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda, a member of Thailand’s ruling military junta. In order to get them out ahead of the bad weather forecast for later in the week, they might need to use diving gear while being guided by professional divers, he said.

Anupong said the boys would be brought out via the same complicated route through which their rescuers entered, and he conceded that if something went awry, it could be disastrous.

“Diving is not easy. For people who have never done it, it will be difficult, unlike diving in a swimming pool, because the cave’s features have small channels,” he said. “If…

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