Our Daily Bread (ODB) Devotional 31 March 2018 – The King’s Crown

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Our Daily Bread (ODB) Devotional 31 March 2018 – The King’s Crown

Topic: The King’s Crown [Our Daily Bread 31 Saturday March, 2018]

Read: Matthew 27:27–31, Bible in a Year: Judges 11–12; Luke 6:1–26

They . . . twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. Matthew 27:28–29

We sat around the table, each person adding a toothpick to the foam disc before us. At our evening meal in the weeks leading up to Easter, we created a crown of thorns—with each toothpick signifying something we had done that day for which we were sorry and for which Christ had paid the penalty. The exercise brought home to us, night after night, how through our wrongdoing we were guilty and how we needed a Savior. And how Jesus freed us through His death on the cross.

The crown of thorns that Jesus was made to wear was part of a cruel game the Roman soldiers played before He was crucified. They also dressed Him in a royal robe and gave Him a staff as a king’s scepter, which they then used to beat Him. They mocked Him, calling Him “king of the Jews” (Matthew 27:29), not realizing that their actions would be remembered thousands of years later. This was no ordinary king. He was the King of Kings whose death, followed by His resurrection, gives us eternal life.

On Easter morning, we celebrated the gift of forgiveness and new life by replacing the toothpicks with flowers. What joy we felt, knowing that God had erased our sins and given us freedom and life forever in Him!

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, my heart hurts to think of all of the pain and suffering You endured for me. Thank You for Your gift of love that sets me free.

The crown of thorns has become a crown of life.

Insight:

The horrific scene described in today’s reading serves to underscore how this fallen world and the powers of darkness held nothing but contempt for Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of the world. Yet Christ chose to suffer to redeem us: “For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

How might we praise our Lord for enduring the cross in order to erase our sins and give us freedom and life forever with Him?

For further study, see The Mockery and Majesty of the Cross at discoveryseries.org/hp081. Dennis Fisher

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Our Daily Bread Devotionals HERE”

This message was written By Amy Boucher Pye [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

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Andrew Wommack’s Devotional 31 March 2018 – The Unpardonable Sin

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Andrew Wommack’s Devotional 31 March 2018 – The Unpardonable Sin

Topic: The Unpardonable Sin [Andrew Wommack Saturday March 31, 2018]

Matthew 12:31, “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shalt be forgiven unto men: but blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.”

Text: Luke 12:10; Matthew 12:24-31; Mark 3:22-30

The word “blaspheme” means “to speak evil of; defame; or revile.” In context, Jesus is saying that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is attributing the working of the Holy Spirit to the devil. Many people in the Bible did this, including Saul, who became the Apostle Paul. However, we see in 1 Timothy 1:13, that Paul said he received mercy concerning his blaspnemy because he had done it “ignorantly in unbelief.” Therefore, the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost that Jesus warns about must be the willful reviling of the Holy Ghost with knowledge of what is being done.

This parallels Hebrews 6:4-6, where qualifications are placed on those who can fall away from grace. This passage indicates that only a mature Christian can commit such a thing. Likewise, with blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, rash statements spoken against the Holy Spirit in ignorance or unbelief by those who don’t really know what they are doing can be forgiven.

From our human perspective, no clear line can be drawn as to when someone becomes accountable for blasphemies and has committed this unpardonable sin. We can be assured that God knows the hearts of all men and that He will judge righteously concerning this. However, God’s Word does show us that when anyone becomes a “reprobate,” they lose all conviction from God (Rom. 1:28).

Therefore, anyone who is convicted and repentant over having possibly blasphemed the Holy Ghost has not yet reached the place where it is unpardonable or they wouldn’t care. Keep your heart tender and sensitive to Him. Listen to His voice speak to you through His Word today.

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).

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Billy Graham’s Devotional 31 March 2018 – The Hope of Resurrection

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Billy Graham’s Devotional 31 March 2018 – The Hope of Resurrection

Topic: The Hope of Resurrection [Billy Graham’s Daily Saturday March 31, 2018]

He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus . . . — 2 Corinthians 4:14

The resurrection of Christ brings hope. The late Emil Brunner once said, “What oxygen is for the lungs, such is hope for the meaning of human life.” As the human organism is dependent on a supply of oxygen, so humanity is dependent on its supply of hope. Yet today hopelessness and despair are everywhere. Peter, who himself was given to despair during the episode of Calvary, writes in a triumphant note, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again into a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

There is hope that mistakes and sins can be forgiven. There is hope that we can have joy, peace, assurance, and security in the midst of the despair of this age. There is hope that Christ is coming soon—this is what is called in Scripture “the blessed hope.” There is hope that there will come some day a new heaven and a new earth, and that the Kingdom of God will reign and triumph. Our hope is not in our own ability, or in our goodness, or in our physical strength. Our hope is instilled in us by the resurrection of Christ.

Prayer for the day: My hope is in You, my resurrected Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! May I never despair, as I remember Your triumph and love.

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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2 British ISIS Members Say Beheading of Hostages in Syria Were a Mistake

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2 British ISIS Members Say Beheading of Hostages in Syria Were a Mistake

Two British militants believed to have belonged to an Islamic State group cell notorious for beheading hostages in Syria said Friday that their home country’s revoking of their citizenship denies them the possibility of a fair trial. One of them said the killings of captives was “a mistake” and could have been avoided.

The men were allegedly among four British jihadis who made up the IS cell nicknamed “The Beatles” by surviving captives because of their English accents. The cell held more than 20 Western hostages in Syria and became known for its brutality, torturing its captives and beheading several American, British and Japanese journalists and aid workers and Syrian soldiers in 2014 and 2015.

The two men, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Amon Kotey, spoke to The Associated Press at a detention center in northern Syria in their first interview with the media. They were captured in early January in eastern Syria by the Kurdish-led, U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces amid the collapse of IS.

They spoke openly of their membership in the Islamic State group but refused to say what their role was. They called the allegations that they belonged to the “Beatles” cell and were involved in kidnappings and killings “propaganda” — but they refused to address specifics.

Asked about the beheadings of American journalist James Foley and other victims, Kotey said many in IS “would have disagreed” with the killings “on the grounds that there is probably more benefit in them being political prisoners.”

“I didn’t see any benefit. It was something that was…

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Bomb Kills 2 Coalition Troops From US and UK in Syria

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Bomb Kills 2 Coalition Troops From US and UK in Syria

A roadside bomb in northern Syria killed two coalition personnel, an American and a Briton, and wounded five others in a rare attack since the U.S.-led coalition sent troops into the war-torn country, the U.S. and British militaries and a U.S. defense official said Friday.

The military did not say where the attack took place or give the nationalities of the other casualties but it came hours after a local Syrian official said that a roadside bomb exploded in the tense, mixed Arab-Kurdish town of Manbij that is not far from the border with Turkey.

Manbij is under threat of a Turkish military operation. Ankara says Syrian Kurdish militiamen it views as “terrorists” and an extension of Kurdish insurgents inside Turkey are in control of the town.

The U.S. military statement said the attack happened Thursday night and that the wounded were being evacuated for further medical treatment. The statement said details were being withheld pending further investigation.

A Department of Defense official in Washington said one of the two killed was an American service member and the other was of another nationality.

No other information about the deceased American was immediately available. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because details had not yet been publicly released.

A U.K. defense ministry spokesman said the British armed forces member was killed during an operation against the Islamic State group. The spokesman added that an improvised explosive device killed the service member who was embedded with U.S. forces on Thursday.

No details on the casualty’s service…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Urban Christian News

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15 Dead, 750 Wounded in Clashes Along Israeli-Gaza Border

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15 Dead, 750 Wounded in Clashes Along Israeli-Gaza Border

Thousands of Palestinians marched to Gaza’s border with Israel on Friday in the largest such demonstration in recent memory, and 15 were killed by Israeli fire on the first day of what Hamas organizers said will be six weeks of daily protests against a stifling border blockade.

It was the bloodiest day in Gaza since the 2014 cross-border war between Israel and Hamas.

Fourteen of the marchers were killed and more than 750 wounded by Israeli fire in clashes along the border fence, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

The Israeli military said thousands of Palestinians threw stones and rolled burning tires toward troops deployed on the other side of the border fence. It accused militants of trying to carry out attacks under the cover of mass protests, saying that in one incident, Palestinian gunmen fired toward soldiers.

The large turnout of the flag-waving marchers in the dangerous border zone was a testament to Hamas’ organizing skills, but it also signaled desperation among Gaza residents after a decade-old border closure. Life in the coastal strip has deteriorated further in recent months, with rising unemployment, grinding poverty and daily blackouts that last for hours.

Asmaa al-Katari said she participated in the march despite the risks and would join upcoming protests because “life is difficult here in Gaza and we have nothing to lose.”

The history student said she is a descendant of refugees from what is now Israel’s southern Negev Desert. She said her grandfathers had lived in tents as refugees.

“I want to tell the world that the cause of our grandfathers is…

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Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Urban Christian News

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Pope Francis Presides Over Good Friday Services

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Pope Francis Presides Over Good Friday Services

Pope Francis presided over solemn Good Friday services amid heightened security at Rome’s Colosseum for the Via Crucis procession and a new communications controversy at home over the existence of hell.

Wearing his white coat to guard against the nighttime chill, Francis listened intently along with some 20,000 faithful as the meditations re-enacting Christ’s crucifixion were read out in the torch-lit Colosseum. At the end, he delivered a meditation of his own, denouncing those who seek power, money and conflict and praying the Catholic Church will always be an “arc of salvation, a source of certainty and truth.”

This year, the prayers were composed by students in keeping with Francis’ dedication of 2018 to addressing the hopes and concerns of young Catholics.

Italian police, carabinieri and soldiers were on alert, with Holy Week coinciding with a spate of arrests of suspected Islamic extremists around Italy and warnings from law enforcement about the return of foreign fighters from Iraq and Syria.

The Good Friday procession, the seminal event in Christianity leading to Christ’s resurrection celebrated on Easter Sunday, also coincided with a new communications controversy in the Vatican over the pope’s reported assertion that hell doesn’t exist.

The Vatican hasn’t denied Francis’ comments to the La Repubblica newspaper at the height of Holy Week, saying only that Francis’ quotes can’t be considered a “faithful transcript” of what he said since the journalist reconstructed a conversation.

It was the fifth time in five years that Francis has spoken to…

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Texas UMC Megachurch Pastor Charged With Defrauding Parishioners of $1Million

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Texas UMC Megachurch Pastor Charged With Defrauding Parishioners of $1Million

(Screenshot: Facebook/KHOU 11 News)Kirbyjon Caldwell, senior pastor at Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston (left), with his attorney, Dan Cogdell (right), at a press conference held on the morning of Friday, March 30, 2018.

A prominent United Methodist Church pastor who oversees one of the largest congregations in the United States has been charged with defrauding members of over $1 million.

Kirbyjon Caldwell, senior pastor at Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas, which has an estimated 15,000 members, was indicted on multiple charges, including money laundering and wire fraud on Thursday.

According to the charges, Caldwell personally profited from the sale of more than $1 million in worthless Chinese bonds.

“The bonds were issued by the former Republic of China prior to 1949, are not recognized by China’s current government and have no investment value, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana Alexander C. Van Hook said,” Reuters reports.

“Caldwell and Gregory Alan Smith, 55, operator and manager of Smith Financial Group in Shreveport, [Louisiana], were charged by a federal grand jury in a 13-count indictment, prosecutors said.”

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Israel Restricts Entry of Gaza Christians for Easter Due to Security Concerns

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Israel Restricts Entry of Gaza Christians for Easter Due to Security Concerns

Orthodox Christians participate in the Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in 2012. Photo courtesy of St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation

Israeli authorities said they have decided to block most of Gaza’s small Christian community from entering Israel for Easter celebrations, citing security concerns.

Israel maintains a blockade over the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and restricts entry from the territory. But it often eases the restrictions during religious holidays to allow Gaza’s residents to visit holy sites in Jerusalem or to visit relatives in Israel or the West Bank.

COGAT, the defense body that oversees Palestinian civilian affairs, said it will let only Christians aged 55 and older and children under age 16 enter Israel for Easter, which is celebrated by Catholics on Sunday and Orthodox Christians the following week. It said the restrictions were needed after previous cases in which Gazan visitors overstayed their permitted time in Israel.

A Christian leader in Gaza said the restrictions mean that only about one-third of the community’s 1,100 members will be allowed into Israel to celebrate. He said he was disappointed because his children would not be able to see their aunts in the West Bank city of Ramallah. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he did not want to jeopardize his own entry permit.

Wadie Abunassar, a Catholic Church official, called the restrictions “very sad” because Easter is a family holiday. He said it was “not reasonable” to allow a mother and father to enter Israel, while “leaving their children…

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RCCG Sunday School TEENS Manual For Teachers April 1st, 2018 Lesson 31 — Dishonouring God

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RCCG Sunday School TEENS Manual For Teachers April 1st, 2018 Lesson 31 — Dishonouring God

Topic: Dishonouring God [Sunday, 1st April 2018]

Bible Text: Romans 1:18-25, Romans 221-24

Memory verse: 1 Corinthians 10:31 “Therefore whether ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God”

Lesson Aim: To teach the teens never to dishonor God

Introduction:
The lord knows our circumstances, where we live, the challenges we face. He knows our deeds, our love for him, our services and commitments to him. But he also sees and knows the little stains of red oil that renders a bright white shirt unwearable. And because God has the ultimate standard of perfection, he will not compromise his standards for any reason at all. That is why he wants our obedience to be total.

Study guide:

From our text let us identify and discuss the acts that dishonour God:
1. Holding the truth in righteousness.
2. Not glorifying God as God.
3. Not thankful.
4. Having vain imagination.
5. Having foolishness in the heart.
6. Creating images like birds and beasts and worshipping them.
7. Having lustful heart
8. Worshipping and serving the creatures more than the creator

In what other ways can we dishonour God
1. When we dishonour our parents.
2. When we disobey the church authority.
3. When we disobey the school authority.
4. When we disobey the laws of the land.
5. When we do not honour our elders.
6. When we do not honour our body which is the temple of God.
7. Teenagers to mention more.

Life application: The bible says God is with us always. This means he sees and knows everything we do. Jeremiah 23:24. At home, in the church, in school, in our private lives: compromises, idolatry, immortality in thought, words and action dishonour God. For he is holy and will not tolerate any form of unrighteousness. What is even more challenging is that our responsibility is not only to keep ourselves individually but we must ensure that we do not tolerate it in the lives of people we interact with.

Discussion: highlight dangers of dishonouring God from our text of today

Conclusion: It is exciting to known that if we live our lives honouring the Lord all the way, there is a reward awaiting us here on earth and in heaven. God’s presence is guaranteed here on earth, his blessings, favour and mercy. And in heaven we will reign with him. 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 20:6.

Prayer: Please Father forgives me if I have dishonoured you and help me never to dishonour you.

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