Pastoring in the Francophone world is not an easy one. How come? One only needs to search the world for great men of God known in the French world.
No conferences or training are held in the French world.
This sad spectacle however has changed with the introduction of the GIVE THYSELF WHOLLY, FRANCE.
The conference held by one of the pastors with a strong anointing in training pastors and holding conferences, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills has come to stay.
This is the third in the French series of the conference.
This year the conference was held in Toulouse on the theme: HARDNESS.
Bishop Dag took his time in teaching the pastors gathered the need for hardness and how their churches stand to grow if they will grow in hardness.
Churches and non-profit organizations are calling for the repeal of a provision in the GOP’s tax cuts law that would force ministries to file federal tax returns, and in some cases pay taxes.
Last winter, as lawmakers touted the tax savings in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Acts, no one mentioned a new federal tax on local churches. But for non-profits like Christian ministries, that little-known provision in the legislation has become a big cause for concern.
Today, senators on both sides of the aisle appealed to the Department of Treasury and IRS to delay implementing the law until a myriad of questions surrounding it can be answered and non-profits can better prepare.
“Requiring these organizations to pay a federal tax on these employee benefits, something they have never been required to do before, will cause them to not only face an increased operating cost, but also an administrative burden by filing 990-T forms with the IRS for the first time,” reads a letter signed by Sens. James Lankford (R-OK) and Chris Coons (D-DE), who co-chair both the National Prayer Breakfast and the Senate Prayer Breakfast.
Under the new law, churches, hospitals, colleges and other historically tax-exempt groups must pay a 21 percent tax on some benefits they provide their employees, such as parking, transportation and other related benefits.
Dan Busby is president of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). He says churches weren’t expecting to get hit with—of all things—an income tax bill, and this one could be a huge burden on groups that have historically enjoyed tax-exempt status.
“There are nearly 15 million employees that work in the United States for non-profits—nearly 10 percent of the workforce—so that’s 15 million parking places. And conservatively, it’s going to cost the non-profit community as a whole up to a billion dollars,” Busby tells CBN News.
That’s a lot of money for ministries that rely on donations. In response to the news, the ECFA put out a petition that churches and nonprofits can sign to protest the employee parking tax.
The Give Thyself Wholly Conference started yesterday in the town of Toulouse in France.
Bishop Dag Heward-Mills who is the speaker at this conference spoke to many pastors and ministers of the Gospel from France and some other surrounding countries.
After ministering, Bishop Dag made an alter call for salvation and 6 people came forward and surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ.
Here are some pictures from the first session of the conference
The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove celebrates Christmas—the birth of Jesus Christ—through seasonal music by inspiring Christian artists, festive holiday decorations and a beautiful display of the nativity. The Cove is celebrating the 14th annual Christmas at The Cove with a packed schedule of nine holiday concerts and events from Nov. 29–Dec. 17, several of which have already sold out. A few tickets remain for select events.
“Christmas is a special time of year. It’s a time to celebrate the greatest gift ever given—the gift of God’s Son,” said Will Graham, vice president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and executive director of The Cove. “This holiday season, we’re helping our guests escape from the busyness of their lives and focus on the true meaning of Christmas.”
Limited tickets remain for multiple Christmas concerts with contemporary artists: Annie Moses Band tonight, Nov. 29 (call 828-771-4800); Sisters on Nov. 30 & Dec. 1; Fernando Ortega on Dec. 7; Aaron Shust on Dec. 8, and Charles Billingsly on Dec. 17. Concerts include a delicious chef-prepared meal in our dining room, and overnight lodging options are available.
Throughout the month, there will be several SeniorSalt Carol Sings, designed specifically for seniors and consisting of a time of singing traditional Christmas carols, hearing an inspiring devotional message and enjoying a wonderful chef-prepared meal. Due to popular demand, all of the SeniorSalt Carol Sings are sold out at this time.
The complete concert schedule is available at www.thecove.org. Call (828) 771-4800 for the latest information on availability and pricing for all Christmas at The Coveevents.
Members of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, popularly known as Winners Chapel, are preparing for this year’s edition of Shiloh.
The annual event, which has “Dominion” as its theme this year, is scheduled to take place from December 4 to December 9, 2018.
To make the event a success, various service groups within the church have been strategising and working tirelessly over the last few weeks to achieve this aim.
The Crowd Control Unit, one of the service groups responsible for maintaining orderliness in the church, has been training and retraining members over the period.
Chairman of the group, Deacon Dele Franklyn, charged members at the training to place service above all other considerations so they could be qualified to receive the accruing divine blessings.
According to the Presiding Bishop, Dr. David Oyedepo, Shiloh is an “ordained platform for the conferment of dominion upon members of the Winners’ family”.
He said, “At this 20th Shiloh, every participant shall encounter conferment of dominion in all areas of their lives.
“Every participant at Shiloh 2018 shall have definite encounters with the word (of God) for their supernatural change of story.”
At Rolland and Heidi Baker’s Harvest School of Missions in Pemba, Mozambique, students flock from all over the world to spend two months soaking in God’s presence, helping orphans, and conducting outreaches to the spiritually needy.
A young man from Sydney, Australia, Taylor Martin, spent the early part of July in Pemba, then had to be evacuated to South Africa to complete the school due to terrorist threats in northern Mozambique.
Despite the terror threat, he had remarkable encounters with God, especially when Rolland Baker laid hands on him and prayed. “Sometimes the power of God just hits you like a wave and you can’t move,” Martin recounts. “Five or six times I was sent into hours-long visions of heaven when Rolland touched me.”
“Sometimes I would be shaking for hours. One day I was paralyzed for eight hours on the ground.”
During these supernatural visions he witnessed remarkable things. “I saw the city; I saw streets; I saw the throne; I saw God and his angels and people feasting.”
Heidi and Rolland Baker with young people they have helped transform
As he walked in the streets he saw people dancing with angels. “I went to a feast and people were eating all this amazing food like a banquet. There is food in heaven and it’s a real place.”
He met a man at the banquet that seemed to be glowing more than anyone else. “Why do you shine more than others?” Martin asked.
“Those who live close to the throne shine more,” he replied. The man told Martin he had been a prophet on earth.
Then they went to the man’s house on a hill near the throne. “It was like a mansion in an earthly neighborhood,” with furniture and windows.
“The feeling of being there is so overwhelming, the peace, the love, and the joy. You have no earthly mind at all or desire to come back,” he says.
The angels Martin witnessed were about nine-feet tall, dressed in beautiful robes. “When I was in Europe I saw paintings of angels from 500 years ago and that’s what I saw. People must have had visions from 500 years ago because that’s exactly what I saw.”
“The street had gold cobblestones, perfectly clean. There were people, angels, people dancing. Everyone was youthful, glowing, perfect.”
He also saw a beautiful garden with flowers, birds, and “the most perfect grass and trees.”
When Martin began to move toward the throne of God, students at the Harvest School were shocked when his physical body (in Mozambique) began screaming, “The glory! The glory!”
“I was taken to see the throne and it’s above heaven and all this glory and light flows from it. I was taken up to it, but couldn’t get close. I couldn’t deal with it because it was so overwhelming. The glory is so powerful,” he exults.
“It was so bright. I couldn’t hold my face to it, it was so strong. On top of all heaven, light pours out from it and lights the whole city. I know that’s where the Father is.
I think I would have died if I saw it. I felt like I was going to die when I was there.”
Martin did not want to leave heaven. “When I came back I felt my earthly mind take over and I thought no, I don’t want this.” While he had no sense of the passage of time, when he returned to normal consciousness, he felt exhausted.
“In the book of Colossians it says to set your mind on heavenly things. Now I know what that’s like to be in the heavenly realm. That’s how Jesus could go through the pain, because of the joy set before him. There is another realm we should be operating from, but it’s hard because there are so many distractions in our lives,” he observes.
When Martin re-read the book of Revelation he was struck by the similarities to his vision. “I thought, oh my gosh, I saw these things, things exactly like this. It was written 2000 years ago and I saw it. When Paul said he went to the Third Heaven, that’s what it was like.”
These 10 quotes from Bishop Jakes will inspire you to relentelessly pursue your purpose in life.
1.“Don’t stop at where you are as if it were the destination, when in fact, in reality, it may be the transportation that brings you into that thing you were created to do.”
Our current circumstances should never limit us from reaching our true potential. We must turn our struggles into the vehicles that spur our transformation.
2. “Everything you’ve gone through is preparation for what’s about to happen in your life. The LORD has already given you a word, MOVE!”
When we “move,” we bring about the growth we desire. Tragedy hasn’t stopped you, heartbreak didn’t defeat you, failure does not define you; use this hard-earned wisdom to grasp your purpose and shape your future.
3. “We need to be who we were called to be instead of contorting ourselves into what other people want us to be!”
The surest way to lose yourself is to focus on other people’s voice instead of your own. Jakes calls on us to walk into our destiny and embrace our true purpose in life. Stop conforming!
4. “It is time for us to find the thing we were created to do, the people we were meant to affect, and the power that comes from alignment with purpose.”
This powerful quote from his book, “Instinct: The Power to Unleash Your Inborn Drive,” speaks to the clarity to be gained from the search for our truth. If you are in a job that drains you, it’s time to galvanize your forces and take the necessary steps to move on. The road will be taxing, but the promise of fulfilling your true purpose will fortify your conviction.
5. “Here is the problem with how many people approach the question of purpose: Many are looking outside of themselves for their purpose, destiny, or meaning in life. The very key to knowing your purpose is discovering and celebrating your personal identity.”
Purpose resides in us; we must be directors in the script of our lives. In his work “Identity: Discover Who You Are and Live A Life Of Purpose,” T.D. Jakes reminds us that asyou get to know more about yourself –– your likes, dislikes, values and triggers –– you will have a greater sense of whether or not the life you lead suits you. Life’s noise can be deafening; when is the last time you sat in complete silence and listened for the messages from your heart?
6. “God is about to plant you in a big thing. Your eyes have not seen, your ears have not heard, neither has entered into your heart what God has in store for you!”
From his electric sermon, “The Starving Prince,” from The Potter’s House Sunday service, Jakes challenges us to believe in our purpose. The “big thing” we were meant to do is coming! As you search for your true purpose in life, do not waver in your faith to overcome your current adversity.
7. “If we are called to be the salt of the earth, we have to get out of the saltshaker. Get out of your comfort zone, enlarge your territory.”
We are called to embrace change. Turn your tumultuous relationship around, heal the wounds that hold you back, dare to take a step towards your dream career. Your actions will loosen the ties that bind and will move you closer to where you are supposed to be.
8.”Your Passion is your conviction about it, your Purpose is why you do it, your Destiny is where.”
Passion and purpose are joined at the hip and move together, lock-step, towards destiny. Where there is passion, connect it to your purpose. Then set your goals higher than you think humanly possible. You will find your reward.
9. “At any age you can still ignite your passion through finding your purpose!”
Consider an athlete or a famous musician. They thrive in the skill that defines them, and the energy flow is seamless. We can all tap into our own inner excellence and radiate this same energy. Were you meant to counsel others? Do you have a way with numbers? As Jakes discusses, find your genuine purpose and never settle for false comfort. Ignite your passion and your purpose will reveal itself!
10. “When you know your purpose, you know what isn’t your purpose, so you can stop being distracted trying to do something that is not in the wheelhouse of what you were designed to do!”
You need to find the wheelhouse of what you were called to do. T.D. Jakes calls on us to shed our toxic distractions and share our divine spark on a daily basis. He reminds us that as long as we have breath in our bodies, we have the ability to flourish.
Indian police are warning that there are significant difficulties in recovering the body of John Allen Chau, the missionary killed last week by an isolated tribe at North Sentinel Island.
Further details from Chau’s diary have meanwhile revealed that he was able to tell the Sentinelese people, believed to have lived in isolation for thousands of years, that Jesus loves them in one brief encounter preceding his killing.
Indian officials have “put on hold” efforts to retrieve the body of an American missionary reportedly killed by an endangered tribe in the Andaman and Nicobar islands last week.
A senior official told the BBC it was done so as not to disturb the protected Sentinelese tribes-people.
John Allen Chau is said to have been killed with arrows when he landed on North Sentinel island on 17 November. His body is still on the island and attempts so far to retrieve it have been unsuccessful.
The official, who did not want to be named, said a boat was sent to the area on Tuesday morning, but it was “only to check the situation”.
“In the initial days several attempts were made to find the body after the tribesmen were seen dragging it. We know the general direction of where it was taken, but we still don’t know where exactly it is,” he said.
The decision to halt the search was taken because the exercise “is too risky” and also after “objections” were raised by various groups, he added.
Dutch Christian businessman Johan Huibers plans to sail his life-size replica of Noah’s Ark to Israel, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported last week.
Huibers completed the four-year project – built to the exact specifications in Genesis 6 – in 2012, raising the $5 million needed for its construction. He had hoped to sail it to Israel not long after its completion, but Israel was dealing with massive wildfires at the time so the plan was postponed.
Though the ark quickly became a popular tourist attraction in southern Holland along the Maas River, Huibers says it belongs in Israel.
“My preferred destination for the ark is Israel,” he told JTA. “I love the land, I love the country, I love the people.”
Huibers said he believes the Bible verbatim, that is, word for word.
Johan Huibers, Screen Capture, CBN News
“It may sound scary, but I believe everything written in this book, cover to cover,” he told JTA, pointing to a Dutch translation of the Hebrew Bible. “This [the ark] is a copy of God’s ship. It only makes sense to take it to God’s land.”
According to the report, Huibers needs to raise $1.3 million to hire tugboats for the voyage because the ark has no motor of its own. Earlier, he’d considered sailing it to Brazil, but those plans didn’t materialize.
The 60-year-old businessman, who made his fortune building storage units, told JTA he got the idea in 1993 after reading a story about Noah to his children.
Huibers and a crew of seven amateur carpenters built the 390-foot-long, 75-foot-high structure in just four years.
“We had a butcher, a hairdresser and a teacher working here,” he said, definitely not professional boat makers.
Huibers hopes his replica of Noah’s Ark will help people understand that God is real, “to show people that God exists.” He says we’re living in the end times though many people aren’t aware of it.
Born five years after the North Sea flood in 1959, which killed some 2,000 people, Huibers believes there will be more flooding in the future, but that’s not why he built it.
“Maybe it will, who knows, but my survival is not its purpose,” he said. Rather it’s meant to educate people and strengthen their belief in God.
