Finding faith, hope, and love in a very personal loss

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Finding faith, hope, and love in a very personal loss

Many of our longtime readers know that Rev. Jeff Byrd has been my ministry partner for thirty years. He and I served three churches together before co-founding the Denison Forum nearly ten years ago.

Jeff and his wife, Billie, have two sons and a daughter named Morgan. Janet and I have known her since she was born. We rejoiced with their family when she married a fantastic young man named Caleb Scott nearly two years ago (I was privileged to conduct their wedding ceremony). Caleb was a firefighter with a true servant heart and deep love for Jesus.

Tuesday morning, Caleb was found unresponsive in his North Richland Hills fire station. Paramedics were able to revive his heart and rushed him to the hospital, but he died around 5:30 that afternoon. We have no idea what caused Caleb’s death and are in shock over this tragedy. He and Morgan both turned twenty-nine last month.

Please pray for Morgan and her wonderful family, and for our ministry team, as we grieve this sudden and tragic loss.

Tomorrow is promised to no one

Caleb’s death brings home the fact that tomorrow is promised to none of us. Our ministry team had no idea Tuesday morning that we would be grieving his death that evening.

Paradoxically, our culture makes death more imminent but more remote than ever before.

The 24/7 news cycle reports tragedies from all over the world in real time. There is more violence in movies and on television than ever. Video games and virtual reality technology make violence more realistic than ever.

But this accessibility to suffering inoculates us against its reality. When you learned about the YouTube shooting last Tuesday, was your first response something like, “Here we go again”? Violence and death are so present in our world that they have lost much of their impact on us.

It’s therefore easy to ignore the fact of our mortality. Satan would like nothing more.

He wants us to overlook the reality that we will live forever, either with God in heaven…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Denison Forum.

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Daughter hails ‘apostle of non-violence’ Martin Luther King

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Daughter hails ‘apostle of non-violence’ Martin Luther King

The Rev Bernice A King recalled her father as a civil rights leader and great orator whose message of peaceful protest is still vital decades later.

“We decided to start this day remembering the apostle of non-violence,” she said during a ceremony to award the Martin Luther King Jr Nonviolent Peace Prize held at the King Centre in Atlanta.

 

In Memphis, where King died, hundreds of people bundled in hats and coats gathered early for a march led by the same sanitation workers union whose low pay King had come to protest when he was shot.

The Memphis events are scheduled to feature King’s contemporaries, including the Rev Jesse Jackson, the Rev Al Sharpton and US representative John Lewis, along with celebrities such as the rapper Common.

In the evening, the Atlanta events culminate with a bell-ringing and wreath-laying at King’s crypt to mark the moment when he was gunned down on the balcony of the old Lorraine Motel on April 4 1968. He was 39.

AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

Martin Luther King III speaks at the Mason Temple of the Church of God in Christ, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, in Memphis, Tenn

 

Donald Trump issued a proclamation in honour of the anniversary, saying: “In remembrance of his profound and inspirational virtues, we look to do as Dr King did while this world was privileged enough to still have him.”

The president has been…

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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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Pope tweets support for sick toddler Alfie Evans

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Pope tweets support for sick toddler Alfie Evans

The head of the Catholic Church tweeted about his “sincere hope that everything necessary may be done” to help the case of Alfie Evans – whose parents lost a Supreme Court battle to keep him alive.

The 22-month-old is in a “semi-vegetative state” and has a rare degenerative neurological condition that has not been definitively diagnosed by doctors.

 

He is being kept alive on a ventilator at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. Turning it off would swiftly end his life.

Pope Francis tweeted: “It is my sincere hope that everything necessary may be done in order to continue compassionately accompanying little Alfie Evans, and that the deep suffering of his parents may be heard.”

His parents Tom Evans and Kate James, from Liverpool, have been at the centre of a high-profile life support battle, losing a European court fight last Wednesday.

Mr Evans said in a Facebook post to the Alfie’s Army Official page that doctors want to switch Alfie’s ventilator off as early as Friday.

The couple, in their 20s, have said they want to explore further treatment at a hospital in Rome, hoping that specialists at the Bambino Gesu Paediatric Hospital will be able to pinpoint what is wrong with their son.

The pair, who have run out of legal options in the UK, wanted judges at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg to examine issues surrounding the case, but ECHR…

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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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The Five Main Reason Pastors Quit Revitalization Efforts

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SUBSCRIBE TODAY: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play

There are several things that pastors can encounter that will make them want to quit. Today, we cover five of them related to revitalization.

Today’s Listener Question:

FROM TIM

I came on as pastor in my current church at the beginning of last year. The revitalization has not been easy, but I’m trying to persevere. What are some traps that I need to avoid to keep me from wanting to quit?

Episode Highlights:

  • Pastors need to have reasonable expectations for church growth. Unreasonable expectations lead to frustration.
  • Spend time with long term members and ask them what was going on in the church when it saw its greatest growth in the past.
  • There’s always work to do in the church, but you have to watch for burnout.
  • Stop thinking about what you can accomplish in one year; start thinking about what you can accomplish in three years.
  • Spend time doing things in ministry that energize you.

The five reasons for quitting that we cover are:

  1. Unreasonable expectations on themselves and the church.
  2. Burnout.
  3. Family problems.
  4. Financial struggles.
  5. Failure to connect with others for mentoring, coaching, or networking.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Revitalize & Replant is sponsored by the North American Mission Board and ChurchReplanters.com. More than 10% of churches in North America are at risk of closing and the North American Mission Board is committed to reversing this trend by decreasing the death rate…

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

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Funeral held for Britain’s former Catholic Church leader

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Funeral held for Britain’s former Catholic Church leader

The 80-year-old, who resigned as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh in 2013 after admitting sexual misconduct, died in hospital last month following a fall.

A requiem mass is taking place at the Church of St Michael in Newcastle, led by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster.

 

He will be buried on Friday at Mount Vernon Cemetery in Edinburgh in the grave of his mother and father, in accordance with his own wishes, the church said.

Cardinal O’Brien resigned from his position in February 2013 after three priests and a former priest alleged improper conduct during the 1980s.

He initially contested the allegations but later apologised, saying his sexual conduct had “fallen beneath the standards” expected of him.

He had been a vehement critic of gay marriage, describing it as “grotesque”, and spoke out against same-sex relationships.

Announcing his death, his successor as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, Archbishop Leo Cushley, said: “In life, Cardinal O’Brien may have divided opinion – in death, however, I think all can be united in praying for the repose of his soul, for comfort for his grieving family and that support and solace be given to those whom he offended, hurt and let down.

“May he rest in peace.”

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…

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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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Joyce Meyer’s Daily 5 April 2018 Devotional — Uniquely Gifted to Help

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Joyce Meyer’s Daily 5 April 2018 Devotional — Uniquely Gifted to Help

Topic: Uniquely Gifted to Help [Joyce Meyer’s Devotional Thursday April 5, 2018]

Come close to God…and He will come close to you. — James 4:8

Helen Keller achieved amazing goals despite being unable to see or hear. At nineteen months of age, an illness caused her to go completely blind and completely deaf.

Helen’s parents sought help for her in Boston at Perkins School for the Blind. The Perkins School assigned a tutor named Anne Sullivan to work with the child. Helen was terribly frustrated and often became resistant and violently angry.

Many teachers would have lost their patience, but Anne Sullivan kept her composure and persisted in her efforts to teach Helen. Eventually, Helen learned to read Braille, to write, and even to speak.

Helen also decided she wanted to attend college. Anne Sullivan helped her prepare and gain acceptance to Radcliffe College, associated with Harvard University. With Sullivan’s help, she graduated with honors, having mastered several languages, four years later.

While in college, Helen started a writing career that would last more than fifty years. She went on to receive many awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

A vital key to her success was the fact that Anne Sullivan believed in her. Her patience, wisdom, and teaching ability combined to make her a uniquely gifted teacher for Helen.

Prayer Starter: Father, thank You for my unique gifts and talents. Help me to be “others-minded” and use these gifts to bless the lives of other people. 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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MFM Mountain Top Life Daily Devotional Thursday, 5 April 2018 – You Are Born By The Word

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TOPIC: You Are Born By The Word (Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries Thursday, 5 April 2018)

FIRE SCRIPTURE: 1 John 3:2; 1 John 5:1

MEMORY VERSE:
“Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” – James 1:18

The MESSAGE:

A Christian is born by the word. He is the offspring of God’s word, in just the same way Jesus is revealed to us as the word of God made flesh (John 1:14). God gave birth to us through His word. So, as Jesus came forth of the word, we also are given birth to in the realm of the spirit to be like Him through the word.

1 Peter 1:23 says, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” As a Christian, your life is the life of the word; you hail from the word. This happened when you received the word of God, the gospel of Christ’s salvation, into your heart to be born again. The promised eternal life was imported to your spirit, and the corruptible human life was supplanted with God’s divine life.

Christ has taken up His abode in you, and you’ve become one spirit with Him. No wonder the Bible says you are a partaker of divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), for as Jesus is –the word made flesh –even so you have been made an offspring of the word. You became an extraordinary person when you got born again. Don’t limit yourself to ordinary things. Let the word of God in you produce amazing fruits, so that your heavenly Father will be glorified.

The Fire Scripture for today classifies us in the present, as children of God by adoption in the covenant of grace through faith in Jesus Christ and also by the testimony of the Spirit. In the future, when the Lord appears, we shall be like Him in His glorious body in immortality, free from all imperfection. What glorious present and future we have in Christ.

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE:
You become an extraordinary person when you get born again.

PROPHETIC WORD:
God’s word in you shall produce fruits of righteousness.

PRAYER POINTS:

MORNING
1. Heavenly Father, thank You for the entrance of Your word which has enlightened and catapulted me unto higher realms of glory today, in the name of Jesus.
2. I thank You for the great love You’ve bestowed upon me wherewith I’m qualified to be a partaker of the divine nature, in the name of Jesus.
3. I go forth today conscious of my identity as an offspring of the word with the incorruptible life of God in my spirit, in the name of Jesus.

EVENING
4. O Lord, open my eyes of understanding as I study Your word, in the name of Jesus.
5. My heart is open to Your word, in the name of Jesus.
6. My spirit is sensitive to You, O Lord, in the name of Jesus.
7. Every satanic plan to keep me busy and distracted from God’s word, I destroy it, 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: Please do not prolong your salvation if you have not repented. Many are going home daily and tomorrow maybe too late…There is still hope, JESUS LOVES YOU!

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Andrew Wommack’s Devotional 5 April 2018 – God’s Truths Belong To His Children

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Andrew Wommack’s Devotional 5 April 2018 – God’s Truths Belong To His Children

Topic: God’s Truths Belong To His Children [Andrew Wommack Thursday April 5, 2018]

Matthew 13:11, “He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.”

Text: Matthew 13:1-13

The Greek word translated “mystery” here, means “something that could not be known by men except by divine revelation, but that, though once hidden, has now been revealed in Christ and is to be proclaimed so that all who have ears may hear it.”

God’s truths are hidden for His children, not from them. God has given an open invitation to everyone to receive the spiritual rebirth which entitles them to the revelation of these mysteries of the Kingdom. But as stated in 1 Corinthians 2:14, a natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned. Therefore, whoever rejects Jesus rejects the source of all wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:3), thereby reserving the deep things of God for those who receive Jesus and draw on His wisdom through the Holy Spirit. This also safeguards the laws of God, upon which all the universe is founded, from being appropriated and misused by Satan’s kingdom.

In context, Jesus is speaking about those who have revelation knowledge of the mysteries of God. They will receive even more revelation and will walk in the abundant life that Jesus provided (Jn. 10:10; 2 Pet. 1:3). Those who do not receive God’s revelation will lose whatever truth they do have and will go farther and farther into deception. God reveals His truths to us in stages and not all at once (Isa. 28:9-10). Therefore, as we walk in the revelation of what the Lord has already shown us, He will reveal more of His truths to us.

The truths of God are mysterious only to those who do not soften their heart by seeking God with their whole heart. As Jeremiah 29:13 says, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

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

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’s Devotional 5 April 2018 – God’s Truths Belong To His Children appeared first on Flatimes.

Billy Graham’s Devotional 5 April 2018 – What a Savior!

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Billy Graham’s Devotional 5 April 2018 – What a Savior!

Topic: What a Savior! [Billy Graham’s Devotional Thursday April 5, 2018]

It was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day. — Luke 24:46 (TLB)

What was the power and influence that changed the cross from an instrument of bloody torture into the most glorious and beloved of all symbols? The Romans crucified thousands of people before and after Calvary. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, no right-minded person would have glorified anything so hideous and repulsive as a cross stained with the blood of Jesus. By the miracle of His rising from the grave, Jesus placed the seal of assurance upon the forgiveness of our sins.

A dead Christ could not have been our Savior. An unopened grave would never have opened heaven. By bursting the chains of the tomb, Jesus proved Himself to all ages the conqueror of sin. The sacrifice on Calvary had fulfilled its purpose; the ransom price paid for your sins and mine had been accepted by God. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Prayer for the day: Each time I see the empty cross, let me be reminded of Your suffering and Your victory, Lord Jesus.

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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Our Daily Manna ODM devotional 5 April 2018 — Kidnapped By The Past!-1

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Our Daily Manna ODM devotional 5 April 2018 — Kidnapped By The Past!-1

Topic: Kidnapped By The Past!-1 [Our Daily Manna ODM Thursday, April 5, 2018]

Basic Scripture: Genesis 50:15-22

There are two things that love does: Love gives, and love forgives .When you reach out to someone in forgiveness, it doesn’t mean that you approve of what he/she has done. That It doesn’t mean that you want them to do it again. Reaching out in forgiveness means that you want to be a channel through which flows to them.

That is why the Holy Ghost is saying to a user of today’s devotional: there are two great RIVERS THAT CAUSE LOVE TO FLOW into the hearts of men and women; the RIVER of giving of forgiveness .The world is filled with lots of heartaches and pains today because these TWO RIVERS with enough garbage.

Someone said, holding on to hurt and wishing/praying that something bad happens to the persons that has hurt you is like drinking poison and hoping that another person dies. UNFORGIVENESS is poisonous, and it is demonic tools designed to stop you from your DECORATION.YOU ARE THE ONE IT HURTS; NOT THE PERSON THAT HAS HURT YOU!

Refuse to drink that poison! Note this bitter reality: when you continue being bitter and plan for REVENGE, you put yourself in God’s position because He says: vengeance is mine! Vengeance is not yours! UNFORGIVENESS is an EMOTIONAL TAKEOVER OF AUTHORITY FROM GOD! It is ascending to God’s throne to make you a judge! Wow! Can you ascend to his throne to take over his role and go scot free? NEVER! Oh!

You are not the one who should dictate consequences for those who sinned against you! It is not your job to make sure they feel appropriate amounts of guilt’s for what they have done. God will do it for you if you refused to be KIDDNAPPED BY YOUIR PAST! Remember JOSEHPH! Let go and let God!

ONE-ON-ONE WITH ME NOW OPEN! OGUDU Mountain 8AM Sundays! LIKKE Mountain NOW ALSO 8ARE Sundays only! I rotate the two mountains weekly. Satan is in trouble! Call +2348056241771; 08152626135 for more information! See page 45 for details also!

Prayer Points: Take song 1: TIS so sweet…

1. In your own words, pray about today’s word as led now.
2. I shall not be kidnapped by my past! I releases everyone who has hurt me in any way (mention the name of any one that has come to your mind now) I forgive them, I pray for their peace and welfare. ( pray this seriously)
3. I receive INTERNAL healings and peace from any kind of hurt today. In Jesus name. Pray about today as led. Now. See page 7 and pray the morning, afternoon and evening devotional prayers.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Our Daily Manna ODM devotional HERE’’ 

By Bishop (Dr) Chris E. Kwakpovwe (Cek)
Publisher/Writer Of ODM And

Rev (Mrs) Flora E. Kwakpovwe (Fek)
Co-Publisher/Writer Of ODM.

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