Entire Police Force Detained in Mexico Town Where Mayoral Candidate Was Killed – Urban Christian News

The whole police force in a Mexican town of Ocampo where a mayoral candidate was slain this week has been detained for an internal investigation, authorities said Sunday.

“All of them are being interviewed to proceed as due under law in the event anyone has taken part in acts that violate the town’s codes,” said the security secretariat in Michoacan state, where the town of about 20,000 people is located.

It did not give the exact number of police detained.

Mayoral candidate Fernando Angeles was shot dead last Thursday when he was preparing for campaign events.

The police have been transferred to the internal affairs unit of the state security secretariat, which did not clarify in its statement if the arrest is related to Angeles’ killing.

On Wednesday, Omar Gomez, an independent candidate for mayor of Aguililla, also in Michoacan, was shot to death.

On June 14, a candidate for mayor of Taretan, in the same state, was also killed.

Since the campaign season started in Mexico, which will conclude with elections on July 1, more than a hundred politicians and candidates, mostly local, have been murdered.

Mexico is experiencing a wave of violence linked to organized crime that made 2017 the most violent year in two decades, with 25,339 homicides.

More than 200,000 people have been killed and another 30,000 are missing since the government sent out federal forces to fight drug trafficking in 2006.

SOURCE: AFP

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Philippine president criticised for calling God ‘stupid’

Rodrigo Duterte, who has in the past insulted the pope and former US president Barack Obama, was called an “evil man” by opposition senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

 

The senator said the president’s remarks are “very much consistent with the deceitfulness, heartlessness and ruthlessness of his policies”.

Even some of Mr Duterte’s allies voiced criticism.

Catholic Bishop Arturo Bastes sought prayers to end Mr Duterte’s “blasphemous utterances”.

In a speech, Mr Duterte questioned the biblical story of man’s creation and asked why God created Adam and Eve only to allow them to succumb to temptation that destroyed their purity.

Mr Duterte asked: “Who is this stupid God? This son of a ***** is then really stupid.”

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Open Heavens 26 June 2018 — Strange Destiny Helpers

Topic: Strange Destiny Helpers [Open Heavens 26th June 2018, Tuesday Daily Devotional]

Memorise: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28

Read: Genesis 50:15-21 (KJV)

15 And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,

17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

Bible in One Year: 1 Chronicles 8-10, Acts 17:16-34

MESSAGE:

God in His unfathomable wisdom sometimes connects us to our destiny through some strange helpers. Such destiny helpers appear strange to us because they are people we least expect help from. This is the reason why the Holy Spirit teaches in our memory verse that we need to see God’s hand in all things that happen to us. The Holy Spirit also makes it clear that this truth will only work for those who are called according to God’s purpose, walking in line with His precepts and instructions.

A good example of strange destiny helpers is Joseph’s brothers. While they were aiding the fulfilment of Joseph’s destiny, they did not even know it. They thought they were selling him into slavery, but they only helped in transporting him to the land where he was destined to become the prime minister. Joseph had other strange destiny helpers along his way to becoming the prime minister of Egypt, such as Potiphar’s wife, Pharaoh’s cup bearer and Pharaoh’s baker. All these different encounters worked together for his good until he became the first prime minister of Egypt. Genesis 41:39-41 tells of the awesome promotion he received in one day through the aid of strange destiny helpers:

“39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.”

Joseph’s experience shows that every person you meet in any situation can be one of your destiny helpers. I pray for you today that your destiny helpers will emerge from the places you least expect in Jesus’ Name. Things worked out for Joseph because he was faithful to God and could not imagine sinning against Him. This same attitude is expected of every Christian today. You need to remain faithful and true to God, so that you can be assured of His hand in all that is happening to you. At the end of it all, Joseph also became a destiny helper to the whole of Egypt. An ex-convict and slave ended up saving an entire country from famine. No one is too small to be your destiny helper. Beloved, if you will love God with all your heart, all things will continue to work together for your good in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point: Father, please send my destiny helpers to me this season in Jesus’ Name.

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click HERE to read Open Heavens 25 (Monday) June 2018 — Let Your Obedience Be Complete

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 thousand.

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

Open Heavens 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.

Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.

If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

The post Open Heavens 26 June 2018 — Strange Destiny Helpers appeared first on Flatimes.

Ken Ham Calls Andy Stanley a ‘False Teacher’

Ken Ham Calls Andy Stanley a ‘False Teacher’



Answers in Genesis founder and president Ken Ham is calling Georgia pastor Andy Stanley a “false teacher” for comments Stanley made in a recent sermon on the connection between Christianity and the Old Testament.


Ham’s comments on June 22 sparked a lively discussion on his social media accounts, with some taking Ham’s side and others defending Stanley.


“Is Andy Stanley a false teacher?” Ham asked on his Facebook page and Twitter feed. “He compromises Genesis and certainly teaches that those of us who insist all the Bible (including OT) is true are putting a stumbling block in people’s way to hearing the gospel. But it’s Stanley who is undermining God’s Word — yes, a false teacher.”



Ham also discussed Stanley’s sermon in the June 22 episode of Answers News. He posted a clip of Stanley’s sermon on his social media accounts. Stanley is senior pastor of North Point Community Church.


“Many have lost faith because of something about the Bible or in the Bible – the Old Testament in particular,” Stanley says in the clip. “Once they can no longer accept all the historicity of the Old Testament, once they couldn’t go along with all the miracles, once somebody poked a hole in the Genesis creation, you know, myth – once all that went away suddenly their house-of-cards faith came tumbling down because they were taught it’s all true, it’s all God’s Word…

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North Korea Won’t Hold Annual Anti-US Rally in Sign of Warming Relations – Urban Christian News

In another sign of detente following the summit between leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, North Korea has decided to skip one of the most symbolic and politically charged events of its calendar: the annual “anti-U.S. imperialism” rally marking the start of the Korean War.

Fist-pumping, flag-waving and slogan-shouting masses of Pyongyang residents normally assemble each year for the rally to kick off a month of anti-U.S., Korean War-focused events designed to strengthen nationalism and unity. It all culminates on July 27, which North Korea celebrates as a national holiday called the day of “Victory in the Fatherland Liberation War.”

Last year’s event was held in Kim Il Sung Square with a reported 100,000 people attending. North Korea even issued special anti-U.S. postage stamps.

Officials had no on-the-record comment on the decision not to hold the event this year. But Associated Press staff in the North Korean capital confirmed Monday that it would not be held.

North Korea has noticeably toned down its anti-Washington rhetoric over the past several months to create a more conciliatory atmosphere for the summit and avoid souring attempts by both sides to reduce tensions and increase dialogue.

North Korea’s state media were filled with reports, photos and video of the June 12 meeting between Trump and Kim in Singapore.

A 42-minute documentary-style news special was aired on the state television network two days after the summit and has been repeated frequently since, meaning that by now there are probably few North Koreans who are unaware of the changes…

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Ivanka Trump donates to church to help migrant children at border

Jack Graham from Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano said US president Donald Trump’s daughter was moved to give $50,000 to the church soon after a tweet Graham posted.

The pastor tweeted: “We @Prestonwood are currently working to provide solutions to care for children during this terrible immigration crisis. Our Espanol ministry let by Gilberto Corredera is stepping up to the challenge to express the love of Jesus. We are broken-hearted and determined to act.”

 

Graham told an NBC affiliate that he wasn’t “surprised at her generosity”.

 

PA

The donation came before Mr Trump’s executive order U-turn that ended family separation at the border.

Graham said a group from his church plans to head down to the southern border on Tuesday and is hopeful Ivanka will join them.

“In the midst of all this political division… God’s people can show love and compassion and help, which is what we want to do,” Graham added.

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How the Refugee and Asylum Process Works in the US: 9 Things to Know

June 20, 2018 was World Refugee Day, an annual observance created by the United Nations to “commemorate the strength, courage and perseverance of millions of refugees.” Here is what you should know about refugee and asylum policy in the United States, especially in light of the recent immigration crisis and President Trump’s signing of a new executive order that seeks to keep immigrant families together.

Photo courtesy: Getty Images

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New hope for Christian florist following gay cake ruling

Baronelle Stutzman was sued after she declined an order from a customer she had previously served for ten years,

The US Supreme Court has asked the Washington Supreme Court to reconsider the lawsuit in light of the recent decision given to cake-maker Jack Phillips who won a case in which he was told he was within his rights to refuse to make a cake for a gay wedding.

 

The country’s top judges ruled 7-2 in his favour.

Stutzman is being represented by religious freedom charity Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).

Addressing the development, ADF senior vice president of US legal division Kristen Waggoner said: “Barronelle, like Jack, serves all customers but declines to create custom art that expresses messages or celebrates events in conflict with her deeply held religious beliefs.

“The Washington attorney general’s efforts to punish her because he dislikes her beliefs about marriage are as impermissible as Colorado’s attempt to punish Jack.

“The US Supreme Court has rightfully asked the Washington Supreme Court to reconsider Barronelle’s case in light of the Masterpiece Cakeshop decision.

“In that ruling, the US Supreme Court denounced government hostility toward the religious beliefs about marriage held by creative professionals like Jack and Barronelle. The state of Washington, acting through its attorney general, has shown similar hostility here.”

 

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Christian Florist Wins at Supreme Court in Gay Wedding Case

Christian Florist Wins at Supreme Court in Gay Wedding Case



The U.S. Supreme Court Monday handed a major religious liberty win to a Washington state Christian florist, vacating a lower court ruling that had required her to design an arrangement for a gay marriage ceremony.


In a one-paragraph unsigned order, the justices said the lower court’s ruling “is vacated, and the case is remanded to the Supreme Court of Washington for further consideration in light of” the court’s Masterpiece decision that sided with a Christian cake designer. 


The Washington state Supreme Court now will reconsider the case, which involved a floral artist — Barronelle Stutzman – who had declined to design a floral arrangement for a same-sex couple. The Washington state attorney general sued her and won.


Monday’s order shows the significance of the Masterpiece decision, said Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Kristen Waggoner. In Masterpiece, the justices ruled that the state of Colorado demonstrated hostility toward religion and violated the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious liberty when it ordered baker Jack Phillips to design a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. Waggoner defended both Phillips and Stutzman in court.


“Barronelle, like Jack, serves all customers but declines to create custom art that expresses messages or celebrates events in conflict with her deeply held religious beliefs,” Waggoner said. “The Washington attorney…

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Here’s How Jack Graham’s Church Will Use Ivanka Trump’s $50K Donation to Help Immigrant Children

(Photo: Courtesy of Prestonwood Baptist Church)Pastor Jack Graham, senior pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas.

PLANO, Texas — A megachurch that received a $50,000 donation from Ivanka Trump last week has detailed how that money will be used to help migrant children at the southern border.

Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church and a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, shared with his congregation Sunday morning how the church plans to use the money donated by President Donald Trump’s daughter.

Graham said that the White House senior adviser reached out to the church after she saw one of Graham’s tweets from last week that explained Prestonwood and its Latino ministry were looking for ways to provide solutions for immigrant children.

“I put that [tweet] out there just for no other reason than to pray for our church, if you saw that. But someone in the White House saw that. Her name is Ivanka Trump,” Graham told the…

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