Open Heavens 20 October 2017: Friday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Importune Prayer Or Vain Repetitions?

CM Editor
-
0
Open Heavens 20 October 2017: Friday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Importune Prayer Or Vain Repetitions?
Open Heavens 20 October 2017: Friday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Importune Prayer Or Vain Repetitions?

Topic: Importune Prayer Or Vain Repetitions? — Friday 20, October 2017.

Memorise: But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. – Matthew 6:7

Read: Luke 18:1-8 (KJV)

1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Bible in One Year: Philippians 2-4, Daniel 10:1-14, Hymn: Sing Hymn 1 – My Faith Looks Up To Thee Saviour

MESSAGE:

A lot of people don’t know the difference between importune prayer and prayer with vain repetitions. Importune prayer, otherwise known as persistent or relentless prayer, is good and recommended by our Lord Jesus Christ, while vain repetitions are abhorred and condemned by Him. In our memory verse, the Lord Himself warned us against vain repetitions during prayer! The question is, what does it mean to pray using vain repetitions? Does it mean, as assumed by a lot of people, using the same words over and over again when praying? To answer this question, let’s take a look at what Mark 14:39 says about the prayers the Lord offered in the Garden of Gethesemane:

“And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words.”

Coming up next: Open Heavens 21 October 2017: Saturday daily devotional by Pastor Adeboye – Know & Stay Within Your Calling

It is clear from this scripture that vain repetition does not mean repeating the same words in prayer. Using vain repetitions in prayer simply means continuously praying on a request for which God has said “No” or “Wait, it’s not yet time”, in the hope of stampeding Him into doing what He has purposed not to do in your own best interest. I remember when my children were still young and we were living in Mushin (Lagos, Nigeria), where there were so many reckless drivers around. My children asked for bicycles, but I refused to grant that request because I did not want to bury any of them. My answer to their request could be interpreted as, “Wait. It’s not yet time”. However, when we moved to the Redemption Camp, where the roads were safe for young fellows to ride bicycles, I decided it was time to grant their request. If they kept asking me for bicycles while we were still at Mushin, that could be interpreted as praying using vain repetitions.

In our Bible reading, the Lord encouraged importune or unrelenting prayer by using the illustration a judge who was not sensitive to the plight of his petitioners, least of all a lowly widow. Importune prayer is that prayer we keep on saying when God has not given a verdict or yes or no. it demonstrates to God that we have no alternative to Him and what He can do for us. This story tells us that after the widow kept on going to the judge day and night, he decided to do what she wanted. Although God cannot be intimidated by our prayers, in as much as we ask according to His will and we do not grow weary in asking, He will always answer us. Daniel prayed importune prayer for twenty-one days before he got his answer. As a matter of fact, it was his importune prayer that prevented him from being robbed of the answer to his request which had been released on the very first day that he started praying, but was hijacked by principalities (Daniel 10:12-13). I pray that your cry to God will be heard today and you will have testimonies in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point: Father, avenge me of my adversaries today, and put laughter on my lips in Jesus’ Name.

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.

iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC.


Texas ‘Tourniquet Killer’ Execution Postponed

-
0

[ad_1]

A Texas judged postponed the execution of a serial rapist and murderer after it was discovered that an inmate in death row persuaded him to take the fall for a murder which he did not commit.

Courtesy Texas Department of Criminal Justice/Handout via REUTERS

Anthony Shore, 55, convicted of raping and murdering five children and young women, using a tourniquet to torture and strangle his victims, is seen in this undated Texas Department of Criminal Justice photo in Huntsville, Texas, U.S.

Harris County Judge Maria Jackson granted a 90-day stay of execution to Anthony Allen Shore, 55, three hours before he was sentenced to die by lethal injection for a series of murders he committed in the ’80s and ’90s.

Inmate Larry Ray Swearington, who is also on death row, persuaded Shore to admit to the 1998 abduction and murder of Melissa Trotter. Prosecutors believe Shore would have gone with the plan, which could have gotten Swearington exonerated.

After through sweep of Shore’s cell, photographs and handwritten documents of Trotter’s murder were uncovered. Prosecutors believe Swearington was coaching Shore to make the confession more believable.

Shore has been dubbed the Tourniquet Killer, which pertains to the manner in which he killed his victims. He murdered five children and young women by strangling them with handmade tourniquets. The crimes were unsolved for over a decade up until Shore was arrested for molesting his two daughters.

The urine sample which he provided authorities in 1998 was tested a few years later against cold-case files. His DNA turned out to be a perfect match to the DNA found on the body of Maria del Carmen Estrada, whom he killed in 1992. Shore eventually admitted to other murders.

Other victims included Laurie Tremblay, 14, whom he murdered in 1986, and another 14-year-old whom he murdered in 1993. He also killed Dana Rebollar in 1994. She was only 9. And in 1995, he murdered Dana Sanchez, 16. All of his victims he raped and murdered by strangulation.

Shore’s execution has been pushed back to Jan. 18, 2018.

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

The Key to America’s Future .

-
0
The Key to America’s Future .

[ad_1]

(MaartenB/pixabay/public domain)

I recently awakened with a distinct, internal conviction that God has given us a key to America’s future. As I thought on this, I instinctively knew that the key to America’s future is a recovery of America’s past, for as George Orwell said, “Whoever controls the past, controls the future.”

The anti-Christian forces in America have been very busy taking control of America’s past and purging everything Christian from its founding and history. School children and college students are now taught that those first immigrants to America came for adventure and gold and that its founders were a bunch of wealthy, Deistic slave owners who were seeking more power.

These historical revisionists have known exactly what they were doing, for as Alexander Solzhenitsyn said, “To destroy a people you must first sever their roots.”  

Robbed of its Christian heritage, America’s populace seems vulnerable, as never before, to being shaped into an amoral, secularist society. We have reached the place of which Karl Marx spoke, when he said, “People without a heritage are easily persuaded.”

If we are going to take control of America’s future, we must use the key and take control of her past. We must restore her true heritage as a nation birthed out of great, spiritual awakening.

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

Scientists Discover a Drug That Can Keep HIV Virus Below Detectable Level

-
0

[ad_1]

REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

A nurse tests a blood sample during a free HIV test at a blood tests party, part of a campaign to prevent HIV infection among male same-sex couples, in Bangkok September 20, 2014.

Researchers have developed a new drug compound that may inhibit the HIV virus from affecting healthy cells when combined with antiretroviral medications.

Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida announced earlier this week that the newly developed drug compound, called didehydro-Cortistatin A (dCA), may prevent the HIV from spreading as it inhibits the proliferation of the virus through its “block and lock” method.

According to Dr. Susana Valente, lead author of the research, the HIV virus in mice that have been injected with dCA stayed below the detectable level more than twice as compared to those that took antiretroviral medications only. This, according to Valente, is an indication that the dCA has lasting effects.

“This shuts the virus down very, very strongly, even stronger than what is happening during antiretroviral therapy,” Valente said.

However, taking dCA alone will not do the trick, as it is important to take antiretrovirals for the dCA to work. After all, it is the antiretroviral medications that keep the HIV virus below the detectable level, and dCA only prevents the infected cells from reactivating and replicating themselves.

Apart from preventing the HIV cells from reactivating and replicating, the dCA also locks the virus in a dormant condition for as long as 19 days, or almost two weeks longer than those mice that were given antiretroviral medications only.

While the effects of dCA on humans are yet to be established, it is speculated that it will still require HIV patients to take their antiretrovirals in the event that it works, just like in mice. However, it may mean that an HIV-patient may have to lessen his intake of his antiretroviral medications. 

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced last month that HIV is no longer transmissible once the virus is below the detectable level, the combination of antiretrovirals and dCA will inhibit the spread of the virus to the uninfected partners of HIV patients.

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

Seven Observations of Church Replanters Who’ve Been There and Done That – Revitalize & Replant #005

-
0
Seven Observations of Church Replanters Who’ve Been There and Done That – Revitalize & Replant #005

[ad_1]

SUBSCRIBE TODAY: iTunes • RSS • Stitcher • TuneIn Radio • Google Play

Replanting—like all of ministry—is hard work. It’s also hard to recognize success as it comes. Today, we look back on seven reminders for those interested in replanting.

Today’s Listener Question:

FROM DAVID

I graduate from seminary in the spring and God is calling me to replanting work. What advice would you have for someone looking to become a replanter?

Episode Highlights:

  • “God is calling more men and women than ever before to help replant churches.”
  • 90% of churches that close are in communities larger than 10,000.
  • Church replanting—like any calling in ministry—is hard work.
  • “We often overestimate what we can do in a year and underestimate what we can do in a few years.”
  • As a replant, you cannot attempt to become a small version of a large church.

The seven observations that we cover in this episode are:

  1. It is spiritual warfare
  2. The longer the length of the decline, the longer it takes for the church to turnaround
  3. Many of the leaders are tired
  4. Many of the church members have heard before what you are telling them
  5. Good people will leave
  6. Everyone says they want change. Not many do
  7. They want to know if you will be their pastor

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 submit your question. If we use it on the show, you’ll get a copy of Autopsy of a Deceased Church and Reclaiming Glory.

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

Four British missionaries kidnapped in Nigeria

-
0
Four British missionaries kidnapped in Nigeria

[ad_1]

According to The Times, they include a couple from Cambridge, former GP David Donovan and his wife Shirley, who are both 57 years old.

A spate of similar incidents in Delta state has been linked to efforts by the government to tackle militancy, including separatist movements.

Delta police commissioner, Zanna Ibrahim was quoted by the newspaper as saying: “The kidnap may not be unconnected with the present onslaught on militant activities embarked upon by the military…”

The gang thought to be behind the kidnapping early last Friday morning has a reputation for releasing captives shortly after a ransom has been paid.

Mr and Mrs Donovan run New Foundations, where they work alongside their sons, 30 year old Julian and Aidan, 27.

The couple have been operating in the region for 14 years, running Bible classes, a boat clinic and a permanent health care centre.

Fourteen supsects have been arrested by police, while officers have announced that a joint task force will make an attempt to rescue the group.

Travellers to Nigeria are currently warned by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to avoid all travel to riverine areas of Delta state, and all but essential travel to non-riverine areas.

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

Trump a ‘Supernatural’ Answer to Prayer .

-
0
Trump a ‘Supernatural’ Answer to Prayer .

[ad_1]

James Robison (YouTube)

Leading up to the 2016 presidential election, one of the biggest concerns for American Christians was religious freedom. Under the previous administration, this Constitutional guarantee from our Founding Fathers had slowly—and noticeably—begun to erode.

Believers fervently petitioned God to raise up someone who would champion this issue on their behalf. God responded to their pleas, but not with the person they most expected or were looking for.

Of 17 candidates, many of whom professed Christianity, it was Donald Trump who emerged to not only lead the Republican charge but to defeat Hillary Clinton and become the 45th president of the United States. Some, like evangelist James Robison, say this was a resounding answer to prayer.

In my new book, God and Donald Trump, Robison says God’s elevation of Trump to our nation’s highest office was a miraculous event. This podcast is my actual interview with Robison for the book, slightly edited.

“Donald Trump was a supernatural answer to prayer,” said Robison, a member of Trump’s Faith Advisory Board. “… For the people who were concerned about a government masquerading as God and that it needed to be brought under control, he was their prayer being answered. Most people just never dreamed it would be somebody that was totally disconnected from politics.”

Many didn’t like what Trump said, but others found it bold and refreshing. It especially resonated with the faith community, which had a great deal to lose—especially its religious liberty—if the voters chose Clinton to lead them instead.

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

California Governor Strikes Down Anti-Faith Law .

-
0
California Governor Strikes Down Anti-Faith Law .

[ad_1]

California’s governor shot down a bill that would have prevented faith-based organizations from enforcing their own ethical codes and standards. (Grassrootsgroundswell via Flickr )

California’s governor shot down a bill that would have prevented faith-based organizations from enforcing their own ethical codes and standards.

Many religious organizations ask new employees to sign a code of conduct that aligns with what the Bible says about abortion, contraception and sex outside of marriage. However, Assembly Bill 569 calls these provisions discriminatory and says they should be banned.

However, in a surprise move, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed the bill.

The Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative legal defense organization, strongly opposed the bill and was prepared to file several lawsuits with multiple plaintiffs, had it been signed.

“We are relieved that Gov. Brown chose not to extend choking state prohibitions into sacrosanct areas of religious life and ministry,” Brad Dacus, the president of the institute said. “It is essential that churches, ministries and religious schools continue to have the freedom to expect employees to practice what is preached.”

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

Joyce Meyer’s Daily 19 October 2017 Devotional: Good Enough

CM Editor
-
0
Joyce Meyer’s Daily 19 October 2017 Devotional: Good Enough
Joyce Meyer's Daily 19 October 2017 Devotional: Good Enough

Topic: Good Enough [Thursday October 19, 2017]

So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you. — James 4:7

For many of us, our biggest problem is that we don’t like ourselves, and our distorted outlook makes it difficult for us to believe that God could possibly love us.

For years I struggled with this problem. I spent at least 75 percent of my time trying to change myself, but all I really did was stress myself out while the devil constantly made me feel guilty. I never felt good enough.

Isaiah 53 tells us that when Jesus died for our sins, He also bore the guilt. He loved us so much that He paid the price so we wouldn’t have to suffer with the terrible feelings of condemnation. If we go to God and sincerely ask Him to forgive us, He does, so there is no reason to live with condemnation.

God loves you, and He wants you to believe it and receive it all the time. He also wants you to be free from guilt and condemnation. God says you are good enough. Accept that today and live a life of victory.

Prayer Starter: God, Your Son has taken my guilt and punishment and in Christ, I am good enough. I believe that today, and I refuse to live with the burden of guilt and condemnation. I ask for and receive Your forgiveness for my sins.

From Joyce Meyer’s Ministries


Should We Judge Harvey Weinstein According to Matthew 7:1? .

-
0
Should We Judge Harvey Weinstein According to Matthew 7:1? .

[ad_1]

Harvey Weinstein with Gloria Chapman.
Harvey Weinstein with Gloria Chapman. (Reuters)

There sure is a lot of judging going on in New York and Hollywood right now. Places that pride themselves on non-judgmentalism. Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has been accused of—and has admitted to—sexually harassing and physically assaulting actresses and other women for decades. Many are saying it was an open secret in the movie business. Weinstein may not be a household name, but he is considered one of the most powerful people in Hollywood. It took a few days, but Hollywood liberals have now taken to social media to openly judge Weinstein’s actions as wrong. A lot of people are calling him a pig, a monster and worse. That’s right, these secular progressives who don’t believe in judging are on their moral high horse.

I have often said that the favorite Bible verse of those who don’t believe the Bible is Matthew 7:1 where Jesus says: “Judge not, that you be not judged.” As with most verses in the Scripture, it’s helpful to read the before and after so that the meaning is in proper context. Read in context, it is clear that Jesus is warning against self-righteousness and hypocrisy. He is not preaching sexual freedom. But in popular culture, what happens to this idea of not judging is that whenever a Christian points out that a certain behavior is immoral or sinful according to the Bible, then that person or group of people is immediately attacked by those who don’t believe the Bible, and called “self-righteous” or “religious fanatics.” And who isn’t against self-righteousness? It’s one of the most off-putting personality traits someone can have. People who practice self-righteousness or a “holier than thou” attitude, usually don’t have many friends. But it is ironic that people who do not believe the Bible to be the final authority on morality do feel the need to point out to people who do how their theology is wrong.

In fact, some of those folks are reading this now and are about to post a message against Tim Wildmon for being a self-righteous man who tries to tell other people how to live. These folks of course will be passing judgment on me declaring that I should not be passing judgment when really I haven’t passed any judgment at all in this particular column. I have only written about the issue of passing judgment. So if you are going to post a message about Tim Wildmon passing judgment, please wait until the next column, when I really will be passing judgment on someone, I’m sure. Probably Democrats. But I digress.

If you think about it, it’s really not judging that people have a problem with. It’s judging negatively. For example, no one gets upset when someone says something complimentary about another’s behavior, even though by doing so, they have passed judgment. But it’s a judgment of affirmation. No, it’s only when they say something of disapproval that the offended party then comes back with “Quit judging me!”

The truth is that the Bible, including the teachings of Jesus, is full of judgment. It tells us what is good and what is evil. It tells us what is right and what is wrong. It tells us what is moral and what is immoral. It tells us what to practice and what to shun. If you don’t want to be accountable for your life and your behavior, it’s best to avoid the Bible. And many do so for that very reason.

[ad_2]

Source link

قالب وردپرس

1...2,9082,9092,910...3,893Page 2,909 of 3,893