Andrew Wommack 8 September 2018 Daily Devotional

Topic: Choose To Believe [Andrew Wommack 8 September 2018 Daily Devotional]

John 12:39-40 “Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.”

Text: John 12:37-40

This could be interpreted as the ultimate teaching in predestination. That interpretation would be that these people were never given the opportunity to believe because of Isaiah’s prophecies. However, the Word of God makes it clear that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13); “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20); and “whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17). No one has ever been denied the opportunity to accept salvation (Ti. 2:11).

Mark 6:5 says that “he (Jesus) could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.” In that instance, it is evident that the reason Jesus couldn’t do any mighty work was not because He didn’t possess the power, but because He chose not to use that power against a person’s will. He couldn’t perform the mighty works because of His decision to uphold our freedom of choice.

Likewise, these Jews could not believe because of their choice to reject Jesus. They could not believe because they chose not to believe. “They stumbled at the stumblingstone” (Rom. 9:32), which was Jesus.

Isaiah did not predestine them to this fate. Rather he saw that very few would receive the report (Isa. 53:1) about the Messiah, and therefore would be kept from the knowledge of salvation because they rejected Him in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found (Col. 2:3). This is what Isaiah prophesied, and it came to pass. Be careful what you choose.

Also Read: Andrew Wommack Daily Devotional

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 8 September 2018 – Be Honest with God

Topic: Be Honest with God [Billy Graham Daily Devotional 8 September 2018]

God loveth a cheerful giver. — 2 Corinthians 9:7

The greatest blessing of giving is not on the financial side of the ledger but on the spiritual side. You receive a sense of being honest with God. You receive a consciousness that you are in partnership with God—that you are doing something constructive—that you are working with Him to reach the world for Jesus Christ. You are also enabled to hold on to this world’s goods loosely because the eternal values are always in view. How do you give? Is it liberally and cheerfully? Or is it sparingly and grudgingly? If you have been giving God the leftovers of your substance and your life, you have been missing the true joy and blessing of Christian giving and living.

Prayer for the day: Forgive me, almighty God, for so often giving You the leftovers. In my heart I know I can never outgive You.

“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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College of the Ozarks Discards All Nike Equipment and Uniforms

College of the Ozarks Discards All Nike Equipment and Uniforms



On Wednesday, College of the Ozarks announced that it was disposing of all Nike athletic uniforms and equipment. This decision came after Nike released its “Just Do it” slogan’s 30thanniversary ad campaign. The campaign features free agent NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick who is known for starting the NFL kneeling demonstrations during the national anthem.


College of the Ozarks considers patriotism and American pride important parts of the institution’s identity and education, even featuring a “patriotic education” tab on their website.  


According to the institution’s website, in 2017, the college updated its sports competition contracts, adding that all players and coaches participating in competition demonstrate respect for the American flag and the national anthem. The College also filed a request to have the NAIA move the 2018 Men’s Division II Basketball Tournament from the College of the Ozarks to another venue. This request was granted.


The college’s president Jerry C. Davis made a statement on Wednesday saying, “In their new ad campaign, we believe Nike executives are promoting an attitude of division and disrespect toward America.”


Davis continues, “If Nike is ashamed of America, we are ashamed of them. We also believe that those who know what sacrifice is all about are more likely to be wearing a military uniform than an athletic…

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After Bombshell Pennsylvania Catholic Sex Abuse Report, Other States Launch Investigations

After Bombshell Pennsylvania Catholic Sex Abuse Report, Other States Launch Investigations



(RNS) — Last month, after Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro unveiled a bombshell 1,300-page grand jury report detailing the alleged sexual abuse of more than 1,000 children in his state by hundreds of Catholic priests, American Catholics called for more investigations into church documents. Some even demanded the federal government step in.


Now law enforcement officials in at least seven states — New York, New Jersey, Nebraska, New Mexico, Florida, Missouri and Illinois — appear to be launching their own inquiries or reviews of Catholic dioceses, often focusing on what Shapiro called secret church files thought to contain decades of allegations of child sex abuse by priests.


On Thursday (Sept. 6), The Associated Press reported that New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood has subpoenaed all eight Roman Catholic dioceses in the state to investigate the church’s handling of sex abuse allegations. New York Archdiocese spokesperson Joseph Zwilling later confirmed to Religion News Service that that diocese has received the subpoena and is “ready and eager to work together with (the attorney general) in the investigation.”


Previously, the Diocese of Buffalo told RNS it “will cooperate with any investigation initiated by the New York State Attorney General or District Attorney,” and the Diocese of Albany invited the local…

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Brett Kavanaugh Under Fire after Calling Birth Control ‘Abortion-Inducing Drug’

Brett Kavanaugh Under Fire after Calling Birth Control ‘Abortion-Inducing Drug’



Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh called contraceptives “abortion-inducing drugs” during hearings on his possible confirmation. 


During day three of hearings, Sen. Ted Cruz asked Kavanaugh why he dissented in the 2015 Priests for Life v. the U.S. Department of Human and Health Services case. 


At the time Kavanaugh was serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Kavanaugh sided with Priests for Life, a group that was against a mandate that required providing contraception for employees with insurance. 


Priests for Life objected to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement that all health plans cover birth control. The group said emergency contraceptives cause abortion. 


Under the ACA, employers who wanted the government to fund the contraceptives had to fill out a form to their insurers. Priests for Life said the form would have made them complicit in providing contraception. 


“The question was first, was this a substantial burden on their religious exercise? And it seemed to me, quite clearly, it was,” he said. “They said filling out the form would make them complicit in the abortion-inducing drugs that they were, as a religious matter, objected to.” 


According to the USA Today, Kavanaugh has said he considers Roe vs. Wade a settled case, but critics of Kavanaugh say he will still try to…

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Chinese Authorities Tear Down Crosses and Close Down Churches in Henan

Chinese Authorities Tear Down Crosses and Close Down Churches in Henan



According to ChinaAid, Henan authorities have continued to tear down crosses across China.


Crosses have been taken down in Zhengzhou, Nanyang, and Yuzhou. ChinaAid reports that Christians sang hymns to encourage each other as a cross was ripped down at Gospel Fellowship Tongxin Church in Anpeng, Nanyang. 


So far, in the Jinshui District of Zhengzhou, eight house churches have been shut down, but altogether locals have reported that it is difficult to estimate how many churches have been closed. 


ChinaAid reports that Christians from Zhongmo County were informed by the local government that the crosses would be taken down. Some churches intended to cover the crosses with black veils to conceal them.


According to ChinaAid, Chinese Christian Fellowship of Righteousness made a statement last Tuesday condemning the actions of the Henan authorities, voicing outrage over the treatment toward churches and the destruction of crosses. Reportedly, in the statement, the group states that persecution against religious people, principally Christians, has escalated since February when a policy change was made in China. 


The statement tells of extreme oppression in the largely Christian province of Henan. Authorities in Henan have taken measures to restrict pastors and have reportedly forced churches to fly China’s flag and display a portrait of the president, violating the…

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Jerry Falwell, Jr. Reconsidering Liberty University’s Relationship with Nike

Jerry Falwell, Jr. Reconsidering Liberty University’s Relationship with Nike



According to USA Today, Jerry Falwell, Jr., the president of Liberty University, told them during a phone interview on Friday that the University is possibly reconsidering its relationship with Nike. 


On Friday we reported that College of the Ozarks terminated their partnership with the massive athletics brand after Nike released the “Just Do it” slogan’s 30th anniversary ad campaign. The campaign features free agent NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick who is known for starting the NFL kneeling demonstrations during the national anthem.


Now, Nike is at risk of losing its partnership with the largest Christian university in the United States, Liberty University. 


Though Liberty University signed a contract with Nike through 2024 last year, the university openly values and supports law enforcement and military which is contradictory to Kaepernick’s beliefs. 


Falwell told the outlet, “We’re exploring the situation. If Nike really does believe that law enforcement in this country is unfair and biased, I think we will look around.”


The university president continued, “If we have a contract, we’ll honor it, but we strongly support law enforcement and strongly support our military and veterans who died to protect our freedoms and if the company really believes what Colin Kaepernick believes, it’s going to be hard for us to keep doing business…

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1,700-Year-Old Church Unearthed in Turkish Lake; Was This the Site of the Council of Nicaea?

1,700-Year-Old Church Unearthed in Turkish Lake; Was This the Site of the Council of Nicaea?



 


Archaeologists exploring a lake in Turkey have discovered a 1,700-year-old Christian church that may have been the location of the landmark Council of Nicaea, which was held in 325 B.C. and affirmed the deity of Christ.


Mustafa Şahin, head of archaeology at Bursa Uludağ University, told Live Science that the church was found using aerial photographs. The church is buried underneath Lake Iznik near the town of Iznik, which formerly was known as Nicaea.


“When I first saw the images of the lake, I was quite surprised to see a church structure that clearly,” Şahin told Live Science. “I was doing field surveys in Iznik [since 2006], and I hadn’t discovered such a magnificent structure like that.”


An earthquake in A.D. 740 destroyed the church, which now rests about 10 feet under the water and 160 feet from the shore, according to Live Science.


Divers discovered graves in the church housing coins dating to the reigns of Roman emperors Valens (who ruled 364-378) and Valentinian II (375 to 392), Live Science reported. 


The Daily Mail quoted Sahin as saying the church could have been the site of the Council of Nicaea, which squashed a heresy known as Arianism and affirmed that Jesus was not a created being. The church may have been built on top of a pagan temple.  


Sahin wants the church to be protected by the government as an…

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Open Heavens 8 September 2018 – A Godly Father

Open Heavens 8 September 2018 Saturday Daily Devotional by Pastor E A Adeboye – A Godly Father

Topic: A Godly Father

Memorise: “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.”- Proverbs 13:22

Read: Genesis 12:6-8, Isaiah 51:1-2(KJV)

Genesis 12:6-8:
6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

Isaiah 51:1-2:
1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

2 Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

Bible in One Year: Psalm 139-143, Mark 4:21-41

Open Heavens 8 September 2018 Saturday MESSAGE:

It is clear from 3 John 1:2 that God’s plan is for you to prosper. Also, in John 10:10, Jesus Christ promised abundant life to all His followers. Having prospered you, part of God’s expectations is that your children will be even more prosperous than you are. It is indeed a great blessing from the Lord when our children live better lives than ours. This is what God did in Abraham’s life. God said to him in Genesis 22:16-17:

“16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;”

In this proclamation, God did not only promise to bless Abraham, He also swore to multiply his seed. How marvellous! In Genesis 24:34-35, we begin to see the manifestation of God’s blessing in Abraham’s life as a person. In Genesis 26:12-14, we also see the fulfilment of God’s blessing of multiplication upon Abraham’s son, Isaac. However, God did not stop there. Abraham’s grandchildren waxed even stronger in wealth than Isaac. Even Esau, who was denied his father’s blessing of the firstborn, was so rich that he had 400 bodyguards in his service (Genesis 32:6). As for Jacob, Genesis 30:43 says:

“And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.”

When it came to the turn of Abraham’s great grandchild, Joseph, he became de facto emperor of the then civilized world (Genesis 41:40-44, Genesis 41:57).

The secret of Abraham’s ever increasing multitude generational blessings lies in the fact that he laid a good foundation for it. For example, Abraham always built alters to the Lord, meaning he was a true worshipper of God (Genesis 12:6-8, Genesis 13:18). He was also a payer of tithes, even before the Law of Moses institutionalized it (Genesis 14:18-20). Furthermore, Abraham paid his first fruits in Isaac, whom he loved so much (Genesis 22:1-18), and in addition, he was a godly father in whom God testified that He knew he would train his children in the fear and worship of the Lord (Genesis 18:17-19). Beloved, for the sake of our descendants, I encourage you to be a godly parent. I assure you that our God is a covenant keeping God. For your sake, generations of children coming after you shall be mightily favored, if you lay the foundation of godliness and the fear of the Lord in your family today.

Open Heavens 8 September 2018 Saturday Prayer Point:

Father, through the help of Your Holy Spirit, make me a godly parent in Jesus’ Name.

Also Read: Open Heavens 7 September 2018 – Do You Know Jesus?

Open Heavens 8 September 2018 Saturday HYMN 6: A NEW THING (Tune: There shall be showers of Blessing)

1. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because GOD will do new things
Sinners will soon be forgiven
Prodigals will come home soon.

Chorus:
Shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Rivers in desert now flowing
Halleluyah to our king.

2. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Sickness and sorrow will be gone
Bondage will be forgotten.

3. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
The barren will be fruitful soon
Failure will be forgotten

4. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Poverty will be forgotten
Stagnancy will soon be gone.

5. We will soon shout Hallelujah
Because God will do new things
To all miracles are given
There shall be celebrations

6. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Many will have testimonies
Of prayers answered fully

7. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
One of us will chase a thousand
Two will conquer ten thousands.

8. We will soon shout Halleluyah
Because God will do new things
Songs of praises we will sing
Halleluyah to our King.

Open Heavens 8 September 2018 Saturday Daily Devotional 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 Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Open Heavens 8 September 2018 Saturday Daily Devotional.

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Church Posts ‘Controversial’ Bible Verse, Sparking a Town Debate

Church Posts ‘Controversial’ Bible Verse, Sparking a Town Debate



A small church posting a Bible verse on an outdoor sign led to a debate on social media – and even media coverage from a local television station. 


Bethlehem Church in Yorktown, Va., posted, “Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord” on its outdoor sign, quoting Ephesians 5:22. The sign also mentioned service times and the church phone number. 


WTVR, the CBS affiliate in Richmond, Va., covered the sign in its newscast, calling it controversial.


“I’m very bothered that it is on a main road where anyone can see it,” resident Heather Gauthier told the station.


Said another person, Nan Harrington, “It makes me sad that it repels people because God’s Word is not meant to repel.”


Readers on the TV station’s Facebook page launched into a debate over Scripture. 


Nancy Thompson exclaimed, “Husbands, when you have your role figured out: ‘Love your wife as Christ loved the church’ (He spent His life serving the church and ultimately died for her), be gentle with us as the (physically) weaker sex, provider, protector, spiritual head of the household and having the primary responsibility for raising the children, I’ll be happy to discuss the role of the Christian wife. It’s a 2 part relationship, one won’t work without the other.”


Rose Swage wrote, “God’s Word IS His Word … instead of getting upset, read His Words, Study His Words…

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