America is waiting for the redacted version of the Mueller Report to be published later this morning. We will not be able to read the report in its entirety since it contains information that was presented to a grand jury and is therefore subject to secrecy rules.
In addition, intelligence officials will redact information that could compromise sensitive sources and methods or hamper other current investigations. And the Justice Department will redact information it believes unfairly infringes on the privacy of “peripheral third parties” and damages their reputations.
Pick a subject, from the president to abortion to gender identity to the environment. Can you think of a single significant issue on which Americans are largely agreed?
What is causing our nation’s cultural divides to grow ever deeper and more vitriolic?
Brooks notes that such success “alone does not provide positive peace or fulfillment. If you build your life around it, your ambitions will always race out in front of what you’ve achieved, leaving you anxious and dissatisfied.”
Two: I can make myself happy.
This is the lie of self-sufficiency and the deception that happiness is an individual accomplishment. By contrast, “happiness is found amid thick and loving relationships….
Professor Stephen Murray, who co-led a project to laser map the Gothic masterpiece in minute detail, said the building was “revolutionary” for its day and the vast sums of money could be used for a cutting-edge update.
Huge sums have been pledged to repair the beloved Paris landmark, which President Emmanuel Macron has set a target of five years to finish.
He said France “will rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral even more beautifully” as he addressed the nation little more than 24 hours after the devastating fire.
Asked if there should be a modern answer for the building’s restoration, Prof Murray said: “That’s what Gothic was all about”.
“The 12th-century cathedral of Notre Dame of Paris was the highest-tech vision of a building they could conceive,” he told the BBC’s World Tonight.
“It was really a revolutionary building and the roof was a revolutionary piece of carpentry and I don’t think we should be stuck with the past.
“We are children of the 21st century”.
Prof Murray, who studied at Oxford University and the University of London’s Courtauld Institute, co-led a project that used laser scanners and…
Nearly 5,000 people have signed a petition, saying the politician’s invitation to a ceremony for students soon to graduate from Taylor University in Indiana should be rescinded.
I’m proud of the citizens & city council of Laguna Beach who defended the American flag on police cars! Can you believe there were complaints saying it might intimidate immigrants? Don’t they realize that what the flag stands for is the reason so many want to come to the US? 1/3
Signatories claim polices of the Trump-Pence administration are “not consistent with the Christian ethic of love we hold dear”.
Responding to protests at Pence’s upcoming appearance at the small evangelical university next month, Franklin Graham said: “What are those people smoking?
“Vice President Pence recently told CNN that he is ‘a Bible-believing Christian’. Is that what these Taylor University students and alumni are objecting to?
“I appreciate Taylor University’s President Paul Lowell Haines standing firm on the decision to invite Vice President Pence.”
Churches who die typically show common symptoms. Today, we discuss common reasons they decide to die instead of revitalize.
Episode Highlights:
So many churches are in denial that they just don’t see they are dying.
Steps for revitalization may seem obvious for some, but for many, they are not.
Hiring a young pastor is not the silver bullet for church revitalization.
The Christian life is not a call to a comfortable life.
The six reasons we discuss are:
“We didn’t know we were dying.”
“We didn’t know how to revitalize.”
“We thought we had the silver bullet for revitalization.”
“We were just uncomfortable with the change we would have to endure.”
“We are angry.”
“We are tired.”
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 of existing churches while simultaneously increasing the birth rate of new churches. To learn more about what it means to become a replanting pastor or to explore resources for replanting and revitalization in your own church, visit ChurchReplanters.com.
Submit Your Question:
Do you have a question about church revitalization or replanting for us to use on the podcast? Visit the podcast page to…
Wayne Goddard was rushed to hospital after being shot at his home near the south-eastern city of Canindeyú last Tuesday but medics were unable to save him.
In a statement to supporters, relatives said: “He was a faithful man of God and will be dearly missed.
“We are very thankful for the precious memories that we have with him as well as the time this past Christmas holiday, where Wayne participated and we could also celebrate his 50th birthday.
“We know that he is with our Saviour, which has strengthened our hearts and has given us courage to continue moving forward.”
A third generation missionary, the 50 year old American was raised in Paraguay. Wayne had been serving the Ava Guaraní and Pai Tavyterã tribes for more than 25 years.
He had been working with the international mission agency Ethnos360 and a local partner, Misión a Nuevas Tribus en el Paraguay, since 1994.
The statement also said: “Please pray for us as we walk through these difficult events, and especially remember Wes and Robert Goddard Jr (Wayne’s brother and father).”
According to local authorities cited by Fox News, one suspect is in custody in connection with the killing and investigations are ongoing.
Nothing can satisfy your longing for God except communion and fellowship with Him. The apostle John wrote, And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides (remains) forever (1 John 2:17 AMPC).
The world makes it easy for you to fill your ears with all kinds of things that drown out the voice of God and push Him far into the background of your life. However, the day comes for every person when only God remains. Everything else in life eventually passes away; when it does, God will still be there. Seek God earnestly today, and He will abide in you.
Prayer Starter: Father, I desire a deeper, closer relationship with You. Help me to make You a priority today and every day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
READ: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 King James Version (KJV)
17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.
20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper.
21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
THE MESSAGE:
We are often advised against looking back. Yet there are times when we must look back and recollect. The Lords Supper is such a time. Each time we commemorate the Lords Supper, we look back to the night when Jesus was betrayed (v.23) and also at His death. We also look ahead to His return the blessed hope of the church (v.26b). Moreover, in the Lords Supper, we look within (vs.27-28, 31-32) to examine our hearts, judge and confess the sins in our own lives before God exposes them. If we eat and drink in an unworthy manner, we bring judgment on ourselves. Finally, in the Lords Supper, we look around (vs.33-34) to discern the Lord’s body and demonstrate its unity.
The Lord’s Supper is a time of remembrance, repentance and renewal. In it, you can find the reason for your existence as a believer and hope for your future. It is Gods way of getting us to keep the cross of Christ central in our lives and nourishing and refreshing our souls for eternal life. Each time you partake of the bread and the cup, remember that Jesus Christ took “your hell” so you might have His heaven. If you receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour, the Holy Spirit reminds you of this memorial each time you commune with the Lord! What a fitting memorial!
Prayer: Thank You Lord for the memorial ordained for my benefit. Grant that it does not take the place of Christ in me.
Topic: A Blissful Home is God’s Plan for You (Part 2)
Dear Reader,
It is possible to enjoy blissful family life. You just have to make God the centre of your heart and home. You have to be open to His words and follow His instructions. His Words, instructions or commandments are not grievous or burdensome (1 John 5:3).
It is an easy thing to do. God made man with a desire to please and follow His will (Scripture). The Lord Jesus came to make it easier for man to follow and obey the Word of God. ‘Come, all that labour … for my burden is light and my yoke is easy’ (Matt. 11:28). Instead of seeking to do things your way, doing them God’s way will give you cheaply the results you desire.
Because family life originated from the Lord, He must be the centre of your family life to keep it alive. Countless people are having a near death experience in their family life. Some had had many wives and still are dissatisfied. Others are separated, while some live a cat and dog life, wishing that someone would deliver them from it. Yet, there are some who are enjoying family life and making a success of it. This is not just by luck. Success is not by luck; you programme yourself for success.
As a born-again child of God, enjoying a blissful family is your birthright. It is God’s will and desire for you to enjoy an exciting marriage, an exciting home and family life. Apart from making God the centre of your family, the next thing you must understand is that family life is meant for bliss. It is meant for help, not hurt. The Bible says, ‘I will make him a help’ (Gen. 2:18). It further says, ‘Two are better than one’ (Eccl. 4:9).
Family life was created to help man and not hinder him; it is not meant to make life worse. If that is what you have been seeing in the lives and homes of others and maybe even yours, I declare to you that this is not what God desires for you. Whether you are the father, mother, husband, wife, child or relation, can you boldly say with sincerity from your heart that you are a help to others in the home? Or have you been a hindrance to the success of others in the home? Is it your policy at home to help family members? Or do you maintain a survival-of-the-fittest attitude?
In case someone has told you, ‘That’s how life is’, or ‘Just bear it’, or “Maybe that’s your lot in life”, refuse to accept it because that’s not what God has designed for you. Don’t accept less than what God has for you. Don’t allow the devil to cheat you into believing that a blissful family is not for you to enjoy. Your family can still stand out; your situation can still change. The breath of life can still find its way into your family if you will cooperate.
As a wife/mother, God put you besides that man, those children, so you can help them. As a husband/father, God put you besides that woman, children, so you can help them, be an example to them and bring them up the right way. It is not the teachers’ responsibility to train your children. Children, God put you in that family to be a blessing (Psa. 127:3). Are you a pleasure to your family or pain? If you are about getting married, are you ready to be a help to your mate? Or are you just looking for someone to service your needs? If you are not ready to be a help, watch it and retrace your steps.
To be a help transcends all areas of life. If one party is faltering, the other needs to lift him or her up. The Bible says, ‘If they fall, the one will lift up his fellow’ (Eccl. 4:10).
No matter how great your success, your connection or family members will also need to succeed too. If you ignore their progress, you may eventually be faced with mending their failures. No matter who that member of the family is, the grace of God is sufficient for you. It will enable you to be a helper.
Financially, you are also meant to be helpers in your family. Money seeks worshippers; refuse to be its convert. Some Christians go to church, sing together, lift up holy hands to God, but when it comes to money, that is their God which must not be touched. ‘Riches certainly make themselves wings they fly away as an eagle towards heaven’ (Prov. 23:4-5).
Read this testimony: ‘I am newly married and was touched on what you narrated about homes. Since then, through my application of knowledge gained, things have changed positively for me…” – Chidube, N.A. (Aba).
Money has brought division into many families. Don’t let it bring division into yours. Ensure that you are helpers of one another in this area. Hiding your money from one another is not the way to financial success. Be a financial help to one another. The humorous thing about money is that if you don’t know how to send it on an errand, it will send you and most likely on an evil one. If you have been defaulting, you can repent by saying this prayer: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the blissful God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.
Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are now born again and a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily, obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21).
With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.
For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building a Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).
Pastor Faith Oyedepo is the wife of Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide a.k.a. Winners’ Chapel, and Senior Pastor of Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Nigeria.
Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heaven 18 April 2019 – Grace in Stages
1.Thank You, Father, for sending Your son, Jesus, to show us Your way, and to deliver us from us from our sins. (Click HERE for Open Heaven 18 April 2019)
2.Father, in anyway I have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus’ name.
3.Father, destroy anything that is competing with Your word, in my life, in Jesus’ name.
4.Father, make me not only the hearer of Your word, but also the doer, in Jesus’ name.
5.Father, I ask for more of your grace in all ramifications of my life, in Jesus’ name.
6.Father, give me the grace to live through this year in good health and be prosperous, in Jesus’ name.
7.Father, please don’t let me remain stagnant; help me to grow daily in You in Jesus’ Name
8.Father, let Your word produce in me, character, that is thoroughly equipped to yield the fruits of righteousness, to Your glory, in Jesus’ name.
9.Father, let every scheme of Satan to counterfeit and adulterate Your word, be frustrated, in Jesus’ name.
10.Father, bless your son, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, arise, and frustrate every satanic scheme and agenda, over his life, family and ministry, in Jesus’ name.
11.Father, bless Your son, that You have been using to prepare these prayer points, beyond measures, and all those who have been rebroadcasting them, in Jesus’ name.
12.Father, let every challenge, hindrance and obstacle of getting these prayer points across to Your children, timely, and on daily basis be removed, in Jesus’ name.
13.Your Personal petitions. (Philippians 4:6)
14.In Jesus name I pray. (John 14:13-14; 15:16)
15.Thank you Father for answered prayers. (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
These prayers have no expiry date! Please, pray them, irrespective of the time they get to you. Remain blessed, in Jesus name.
Kindly, purchase your own hard copy or online version of the Open Heavens devotional & buy for your friends too, as a potent evangelism tool. God bless you, as you sow, into Pastor E.A. Adeboye’s book Ministry, in Jesus name.
Prayer Points on Today’s Open Heaven 18 April 2019 – Grace in Stages
Mark 4:41, ‘And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’
MARK 4:35-41
When God created this physical world and all of its inhabitants, He gave mankind authority to rule and subdue His creation. Although God still owned the universe and all that was in it, He gave control of the earth to man.
When man sinned, he began to use this power against God’s wishes. God did not ordain all the terrible things that have happened throughout history, and yet He did not take back man’s right to dominate the earth. Instead, He became a man and took back that authority to Himself by conquest. After Jesus’ resurrection, He said in Matthew 28:18, ‘…All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth,’ and then He gave the great commission to His disciples, thereby conferring that authority upon them, also. Jesus becoming flesh was absolutely essential for gaining all power (or authority) in heaven and in earth. Jesus was a ‘God-man.’ As stated in 1 Timothy 3:16, He was God manifested in the flesh, which is a great mystery.
Jesus came in the power and authority of His Father to point men to the Father God. Jesus existed before His advent on this earth in the form of God and was equal with God; yet, He humbled Himself and became a servant while here on earth. He did not come to promote Himself but to give Himself as the way unto the Father.
This is radically different from the way so called ‘great men’ present themselves. The Roman Caesar of Jesus’ day proclaimed that he was God and demanded worship. Lesser leaders ruled by exalting themselves over the people they governed. But, Jesus showed us that ‘whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many’ (Mt. 20:26-28).
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).
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
