What is Advent and When Does It Start This Year?

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REUTERS/Nayef HashlamounA child touches a statue of Baby Jesus in the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem December 25, 2006.

While many are familiar with the word Advent, not so many people, even regular churchgoers, don’t really know what the meaning of the word is.

Many people associate the word Advent with Christmas, but don’t really know that the word literally means “coming” and was derived from the Latin word “Adventus.” Originally, Advent had very little connection to Christmas as it was a 40-day period of fasting and contemplation for new Christians as they prepared themselves for baptism in January. However, when the Roman Catholic church moved the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ to December, Advent has been closely associated with Christmas.

Although the official start of the Advent season varies every year, it always starts on the first of the four Sundays that lead to Christmas. It is during this time when the Church commemorates the anticipation of the Jews then as they waited for the arrival of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

The Church observes the Advent by focusing on the different aspect of the story. On the first Sunday of the Advent, it tells of God’s people during the Biblical times as they were looking forward to the future…

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Christmas bus advert banned

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Christmas bus advert banned

The Archdiocese of Washington in the US hopes a federal judge will force the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to reverse its decision to reject the commercial.

 

Kim Fiorentino, the Archdiocese of Washington’s Chancellor and General Counsel, said: “We believe rejection of this ad to be a clear violation of fundamental free speech and a limitation on the exercise of our faith.

“We look forward to presenting our case to affirm the right of all to express such viewpoints in the public square.”

Entitled ‘Find the Perfect Gift’, the advert depicts a star which led the Magi from the East to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem, and shepherds.

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

 

WMATA – which operates 1,500 buses throughout Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia – said it does not accept adverts which convey a political or religious message.

In a statement seen by Fox News, WMATA said: “In 2015, WMATA changed its advertising space to a nonpublic and prohibits issue-oriented advertising, including political, religious and advocacy advertising.

“The ad in question was declined because it is prohibited by WMATA’s current advertising guidelines.”

The – promotes a website which explains why Christians celebrate Christmas and it helps people locate a Catholic mass service near them during the Christmas period.

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Medical Experts Develop New Way to Manage Disorder

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REUTERS/Darren HaucA cyclist tries to ride during a blizzard in Milwaukee, Wisconsin February 2, 2011. The winter season trigger some people to feel depressed, a condition otherwise known as Season Affective Disorder (SAD).

Medical experts have formulated a new way to manage clinical and seasonal depression.

While Christmas is the jolliest time of the year for many people, it is also a season for some to sink deeper into depression or start feeling the blues. In America, for instance, although there are already 16 million people who suffer from depression, the number even soars at Christmastime, according to data. 

Although it was thought in the past that chemical imbalance was the culprit for depression, psychiatrist Dr. Steven Levine has revealed that it may not be the case as suggested by a recent research.

“Instead, there is damage that happens in the brain. You lose the number and function and quality of connections between important areas of the brain, and research on the medicine called Ketamine is actually showing us that it’s possible to reverse that damage much more quickly than we’ve been able to do in the past with older medicines,” Levine said.

Levine went to explain that the new way to treat depression, neurotherapy, focuses on the use of medicines like Ketamine, which can be administered intravenously. As compared to other depression drugs that are taken orally and take months before their effect can be felt, Ketamine can make a patient feel significantly better just within hours after receiving the treatment.

However, it is not only Ketamine that may effectively treat…

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Christian song storms up UK chart

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Christian song storms up UK chart

Released by Christian rapper and grime star Stormzy, Blinded By Your Grace, Pt. 2 previously topped the UK Independent Singles Chart.

The track, which was taken from the performer’s Gang Signs & Prayer album, also features fellow British singer and songwriter, MNEK.

Making an overt reference to Stormzy’s faith, the track’s chorus says: “Lord, I’ve been broken.

“Although I’m not worthy, You fixed me; I’m blinded by your grace. You came and saved me.”

 

Blinded By Your Grace, Pt. 2 rose this week from its position last week of twelfth in the Chart – which includes physical sales, paid-for downloads and streaming.

The track has become a regular fixture of running schedules at BBC Radio 1, Capital and other mainstream stations popular among younger people.

The second verse of the song reads: “I said a prayer this morning, I prayed I would find a way. To another day, I was so afraid ’til you came and saved…

“And the rain was pouring, ’cause the sun faded away. Now I’m in a better place, no longer afraid. Blinded by your grace, you came and saved me, yeah”.

The 24-year-old, who accepted a GQ award from Jeremy Corbyn in September, attracted criticism earlier this month for his language on social media.

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Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Could Be Killed Using Garlic, Researchers Find

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REUTERS/Jason LeeA vendor removes the skin of garlic at a vegetable wholesale market in Beijing May 10, 2010.

Researchers have found garlic to help fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

According to the Daily Mail, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have discovered that a compound found in garlic called ajoene helps subdue a certain gene that results in the elimination of a bacterial “biofilm.” This vital disruption of the gene, which the microbes need in order to stick to human tissue, prevents the bacteria from reproducing.

In other words, the ajoene in the garlic aids in breaking down the bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. After that, the patient can resume taking antibiotics, which will now work to fight infections in the body.

The study is a huge development, and researchers hope to fight incurable cystic fibrosis and chronic wounds in diabetes patients with this new breakthrough. Other ailments that can be addressed are Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (also known as MRSA) and other infections that do not respond to antibiotics.

“We really believe this method can lead to [the] treatment of patients who otherwise have poor prospects,” said Tim Holm Jakobsen, the study author and professor at the University of Copenhagen.

“The two types of bacteria we have studied are very important. They are called Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The garlic compound is able to fight both at once and therefore may prove an effective drug when used together with antibiotics,” Jakobsen added.

The lead researcher also revealed that they are working…

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Taking Antibiotics During Pregnancy Could Leave Babies With Poorer Health

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REUTERS/Regis DuvignauA pregnant woman, in the last trimester of her pregnancy, poses in this illustration photo in Sete, South France.

A new study conducted by New York University shows a correlation between pregnant mothers who take antibiotics and the increase in irritable bowel disease (IBD) in children.

According to the Daily Mail, the study indicates that antibiotics change the microbiome found in the gut of a person, disrupting the balance between good and bad bacteria. In turn, pregnant women who take antibiotics pass on this imbalance to their children, resulting in irritable bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

During a pregnancy, the mother transfers some of her microbiome to the baby, which teaches the child’s gut bacteria how to properly metabolize and carry out immune functions. But, when the mother takes antibiotics while pregnant, the medicine changes the microbiome. The chances of the baby having trouble processing what they eat then become higher.

There have been many other studies linking the two factors to each other, but not a lot of experiments in mice have indicated a direct cause and effect relationship. The study conducted by New York University purposely changed the microbiome with antibiotics prior to transferring them to pregnant mice.

“Our results provide strong evidence that antibiotics change the baby’s inherited microbial communities with long-term disease consequences, which is especially important given the widespread use of antibiotics in young women before and during pregnancy,” Dr. Martin Blaser at New York University School of…

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Israel and Trump Admin Race to Stop UN Settlement Blacklist .

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Joyce Meyer’s Daily 29 November 2017 Devotional: Be a True Worshiper

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Joyce Meyer’s Daily 29 November 2017 Devotional: Be a True Worshiper
Joyce Meyer's Daily 29 November 2017 Devotional: Be a True Worshiper

Topic: Be a True Worshiper [Wednesday November 29, 2017]

But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. — James 1:4

Worship is so much more than just singing songs. It is a condition of the heart and a state of mind. We can even worship God passionately without singing a single note. Our worship for God is born in our hearts, it fills our thoughts, and it is expressed through the words we speak and the way we live.

The world often thinks of worship as “religion,” which could not be further from the biblical concept of worship. It’s about a personal relationship, spiritual intimacy and passionate expressions of devotion from people who love God with all their hearts. This is true worship.

The Bible says that God is seeking those who worship Him “in spirit and in truth.”

I find it interesting that He does not want just anybody to worship Him. He wants genuine people who sincerely live in His Truth. He does not want to be worshipped out of fear, obligation or religion.

True worship is a result of intimacy with God. Worship God today with your whole heart, and be a worshiper in spirit and in truth!

Prayer Starter: Lord, I don’t just want to offer You lip service. Instead, I give my life to You as a true worshiper, intimately connected with You. You are so good to me and I want to worship You “in spirit and in truth.”

From Joyce Meyer’s Ministries


David Abioye’s Daily 29 November 2017 Devotional – Superiority of Blessing to Riches

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David Abioye’s Daily 29 November 2017 Devotional – Superiority of Blessing to Riches
David Abioye's Daily 29 November 2017 Devotional - Superiority of Blessing to Riches

Topic: Superiority of Blessing to Riches [Wednesday November 29, 2017]

Labour gives access to riches. It is favour that guarantees blessing.

God has given man power to become rich via His labour but only God blesses.

Riches are rewards of labour but blessings are benefits of redemption.

There are many things that riches cannot buy but there is nothing that blessings cannot procure.

Riches comes on weekly or monthly basis but blessing comes to us on daily basis
(Ps. 68:19).

Therefore, labour not to be rich (Prov. 23:4, 5).

We work to obey God’s command to work.

Work is only a channel but not a source of blessing, only God is source.

Riches may fade and wane but blessings are enduring and everlasting (Prov. 10:22).


Your Child Can Access Pornography on Netflix .

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The Netflix logo.
The Netflix logo. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)

We have an interesting story, well told, from .. . charismapodcastnetwork.com.

Children could stumble upon pornographic content on Netflix, after a serious blunder by the video-streaming site.

Netflix has come under fire for categorizing nearly a dozen explicit videos as appropriate for family viewing.

All of the films in question include nudity, with some also featuring graphic sex scenes or rape.

Explicit…

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