Each week brings the anniversaries of great milestones, horrid tragedies, amazing triumphs, telling tribulations, inspirational progress, and everything in between.
Here are just a few things that happened this week, Nov. 18-24, in Church history. They include the death of John Knox, the founding of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and a major ecumenical moment from Second Vatican.
This week marks the anniversary of when the Second Vatican Council issued a decree on ecumenism championing Protestants and other non-Catholic Christians as “separated brethren.”
Known as the “Unitatis Redintegratio,” the decree expressed hope over the calls for unity among different Christian churches and noted that one did not need to be a member of the Catholic Church to be saved.
“Catholics must gladly acknowledge and esteem the truly Christian endowments from our common heritage which are to be found among our separated brethren,” stated the decree.
“Nor should we forget that anything wrought by the grace of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of our separated brethren can be a help to our own edification. Whatever is truly Christian is never contrary to what genuinely belongs to the faith; indeed, it can always bring a deeper realization of the mystery of Christ and the Church.”
“Purpose is a driving force,” the BLW President says to thousands of IPPC delegates.
Every year in the month of November, BLW citizens take stock, give thanks, celebrate God’s Word at work and step into the new ministry year with increased abilities and a divine elixir to outdo their past.
This year’s International Pastors’ and Partners’ Conference has been no different, yet it has been uniquely spectacular, with a message that is sure to yield extraordinary testimonies in the lives of everyone present.
“Purpose is a driving force,” the man of God, Pastor Chris, said to the teeming population of ministers and financial partners with the BLW ministry, as he taught on a vital subject, ‘the Power and Pursuit of Purpose’. Further expounding, he said “your joy should be in the thing that the Father asked you to do,” inspiring delegates to live for God alone.
As you watch the featured highlight, be inspired to answer the question, “have you established your purpose, or are you just a passer-by?” God’s Word comes in this clip with grace released to live a purposeful life for Jesus.
Carissa Sharon Frimpong’s ‘Holy Ghost’ became the winner of two highly coveted honors at the Loveworld International Music Awards (LIMA) — Worship Song of the Year and Song of the Year at the ongoing International Partners and Pastors’ Conference (IPPC) of Belivers’ Loveworld (BLW) aka Christ Embassy.
Since its debut at the 31st December Service with Pastor Chris earlier in the year, the song, ‘Holy Spirit’, has been on the lips of many around the world, giving expression to our innermost appreciation for the person of the Holy Spirit. In addition to the prestige of the award presented by the BLW President, both awards are also accompanied with a cash prize.
This year’s astounded winner walked the runway with her handsome newly wedded husband with tearful eyes to receive the Presidential handshake and Psalmist trophy.
In 2017, the Worship Song of the Year award was ‘the Air I Breathe’ by Jerry K, while the Song of the Year was ‘Beautiful Jesus’ by Martin PK.
The announcement of these awards and CSO’s singing of the ‘Song of the Year’ brought the LoveWorld International Pastors’ and Partners’ Conference to a glorious close.
Baltimore megachurch pastor Jamal Bryant will take over as senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia, once led by former benefactor Eddie Long, church officials announced Monday.
A report in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said Bryant, who currently leads the 10,000-member Empowerment Temple, was chosen from a pool of 138 candidates to take the reins of a church that once boasted 25,000 members in its heyday. Membership at New Birth has since dropped to about 10,000 after Long was hit in 2010 by a series of sex scandals involving allegations from multiple young men that haunted him until his death in January 2017.
When asked why he chose to leave Empowerment Temple for New Birth, Bryant told the AJC: “Because it’s New Birth. … I realize we’ve got some work to do. By myself, I cannot. Together we will.”
A representative at Empowerment Temple said “we have no information on that right now,” when asked by The Christian Post on Tuesday about the announcement.
Bryant, who has preached at New Birth since Long’s death, will reportedly deliver his first official sermon as New Birth’s pastor on Dec. 9.
Bishop Stephen A. Davis, who took over leadership of New Birth shortly after Long’s death, resigned from the church in June. Bryant was among several pastors to serve as guest preachers as the church looked for a replacement. He delivered a spirited sermon at the church about a month ago.
Bryant revealed that Long was a benefactor who helped pay his way at Morehouse College shortly after his death but also criticized New Birth for the way the sexual misconduct allegations against him were handled.
“I do not know how in this hour, there are those who are crying out and we do not recognize the tears or the cry for help, that the body of Christ has said nothing about ministering to victims. I know people are gonna be upset with me. I know you don’t want to talk about this. But here’s the reality, we didn’t talk about it in bishop’s life … and at this point, many would argue, it is inappropriate to deal with it on the day after his death, and maybe, I don’t know,” Bryant said to apologists of Long’s ministry. “I do know the church has to deal with it.”
Ours is a Liberation Commission, which demanded ministering to the challenged, afflicted and oppressed individuals, using all biblical weapons available to us, including laying on of hand.
The 5th service was designed to accomplish this task, but somehow, after four services, to minister to the crowd that attends the 5th service is quite a task, particularly when quite a number may not require such ministration but will still want to be ministered to.
In addition, to carry on with the teaching series breaks the focus in ministering to the needs of the people.
By the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we all saw the impact of the Special healing service that held in the last week of September this year, where we harvested a great number of humbling testimonies of healings and deliverances through laying on of hands. These include the following:
“On September 23, 2018, I brought my three-year-old-son who had never walked to church for Special Healing Service declared by the Bishop. I built up my faith and trusted God for my child’s healing. As the Bishop laid his hand on him, a metal fell from his leg and immediately my baby began to walk!” – MARY JOSEPH
1-year Cancer with all the pains gone instantly as the Bishop laid his hands on me – ORJI S.U
6 years HIV infection healed by the power of God as the Bishop laid his hand on me during last month’s healing service. I now have my clean medical report – BASSEY, N
Healed instantly from a 3-year stroke after the Bishop laid his hand on me. I was carried into the service but can now walk on my own – LANGS DAVOU
13-year lumbar stiffness healed as the Bishop laid his hands on me. I could not stand properly before, but I am now moving around – MRS DEBORAH ONIWINDE
Therefore, the need to create a platform for effective ministration to the sick and the afflicted individuals, a special healing and deliverance service shall hold henceforth every Tuesday of the week. Time: 10 am to 12noon.
As we all know, the needs of the people are not seasonal, we, therefore, need to maintain a platform for continuous ministration to the needs of the people.
For this reason, the current 5th service shall be merged with 4th service and we shall continue to enlarge our overflow facilities as the needs arise.
Therefore, we shall henceforth hold only 4 services on Sunday at the Faith Tabernacle from SUNDAY NOVEMBER 11, 2018.
The schedule of service remains the same while the last service ends at 1.15pm
Kayleigh Ferguson-Walker and her husband Ramon were living a normal life in sunny Florida raising their young daughter when, in March 2017, their lives took a tragic turn.
While six months pregnant with the couple’s second child, Kayleigh became ill with flu-like symptoms. “It came, body chills and it just got cold very quickly, and I thought nothing of it at first,” Kayleigh told CBN News. When the symptoms grew more and more severe, Kayleigh realized something wasn’t right, and her husband took her to the hospital.
Once there, Kayleigh’s situation worsened as doctors worked to diagnose and treat her sickness. Symptoms had grown to include labored breathing, a drop in her blood pressure, and failing kidneys.
During their examination, doctors discovered a problem with the baby and immediately moved to induce labor. That led to more devastating news. “Her doctor came for me and told me that she was sorry to say but the baby didn’t make it,” explained Ramon. “I don’t think they had an understanding of what happened.”
Doctors eventually discovered that Kayleigh had Sepsis, a severe infection that threatened to shut down vital organs including her heart, lungs, and liver. After rushing Kayleigh to intensive care, doctors put her in a medically-induced coma. After two weeks in a coma, Kayleigh was taken to another hospital in Broward County, where doctors say her limbs had become extremely toxic and drastic measures needed to be taken.
“It was immediately apparent because the second we just pulled back the bed sheets, you could see the circulation had changed,” said Dr. James Fletcher, Kayleigh’s doctor.
Gangrene had set in and in order to save her life, all four of Kayleigh’s limbs had to be immediately removed.
Praying for a Miracle
Kayleigh and her family are all devout Christians. Friends and church members joined them in praying for a miracle. Her mother Laurel Robinson said it was difficult seeing her daughter in such a dire medical condition. She said she had doubts that Kayleigh would recover.
“I questioned God. I questioned him throughout because you know I said why her? Why all four. I got angry with him, very angry because how can you do this? She’s been a Christian. She’s been a believer,” she said.
“The question that ultimately came to us was would you trade life for a limb? And the obvious answer, of course, was life – we would take life over anything,” he said.
Today Kayleigh is adjusting well to her new life without hands and feet. “I have one prosthetic to work with, but I use that as much as I can,” she said. “Eating, I do the best with my elbow, because I have the elbows. I can use motion to eat and I’ve realized I’m left-handed.”
Kayleigh says her faith in God has been the key to helping her deal with her loss.
“I try to look at the side ‘let’s see what I can do,'” she said. “I challenge myself a lot what I can do rather than just sit here and be like okay I can’t do nothing, ain’t got no limbs. No, I can’t think that way.”
Faith and a Positive Outlook
She admits that her journey has been the most difficult thing she has ever faced. She recalled a conversation she had with God after doctors removed her limbs.
“I’d asked him why me? Not too sure why me. Why all four. Why not just one? Why not just one arm? One leg? Why all four?” she said. “But I was like, I’m in this position, you’re just gonna have to strengthen me a whole lot more. And I’ll just have to keep on going.”
Filled with renewed faith and a positive outlook on life, Kayleigh often finds the strength to smile.
Tens of thousands of Christians attended a three-day revival event in Australia this past weekend and were commissioned to share the most powerful message on earth — Jesus.
Organized by Ben Fitzgerald, leader of Awakening Europe, who was previously on staff at Bethel Church in California, Awakening Australia saw thousands of people go out on the streets over several days and engage in conversations in hopes of bringing others to Christ. What many were surprised by was the positive reception of the Gospel.
“I’m not sure if there’s any devils left,” said Daniel Hagen co-director of Awakening Australia, on Sunday, the final day of the event. “I think we’ve run them all out of town.”
Hundreds of people signed cards to accept Christ and many more also committed to follow Christ during street evangelism. Organizers have been praying for 100,000 souls to be saved this year in Australia.
Fitzgerald argued that people are hungry for more of God.
“I sense the Lord wanting to raise up people who want to become missionaries to their own nation. For Australia, we want Australians to become missionaries to Australia. Our heart is not to have another meeting, another big conference,” he said at Marvel Stadium.
“But this is grassroots, where people take over and run with this. We want people to run back across the country, set on fire to see thousands of people in Australia turn back to God.”
Bill Johnson, senior pastor of Bethel Church in California, emphasized to attendees that God’s will for them is to do what Jesus instructed His disciples to do: “heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils, cleanse lepers.”
“I have no right to change my assignment … what I was born to do … The fact that I try and fail at prophesying, praying for the sick, raising the dead, whatever, it … gives me no right to change the assignment. He was very clear: heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils, cleanse lepers.” Johnson said
For Nick Vujicic, an influential evangelist who was born without arms and legs, he thought God could never use someone like him as people had labeled him “disabled.”
Nick Vujicic
“We convince ourselves by only what we can see,” he noted at the stadium event.
But today, he has shared the Gospel with 8 million people in person, met with world leaders, and traveled the world with his testimony.
“God can use a man without arms and legs to be His hands and feet,” he said.
Organizers are hoping to hold another Awakening Australia in 2020. In the meantime, Fitzgerald, who proudly calls himself a “Jesus freak,” believes “a mix between the Billy Graham days and the Jesus people movement has begun in Australia.”
Hagen, a pastor at Fire Church Ministries in Melbourne, said the mission of the initiative is to see “every believer be a laborer for the Gospel.”
“We’re sitting in a football stadium right now, but I believe that God isn’t looking for spectators — he’s looking for players,” he commented.
Matt Prater, senior pastor at New Hope Church in Brisbane, hailed what he called “an amazing display of church unity and worship.”
“This weekend has been history in the making. Something new has been birthed. We are in exciting times in our nation,” he said.
“With a big Stadium Prayer event in Sydney on the first weekend of December, and the Franklin Graham Tour in February, I have no doubt there will be more great events coming up that will impact our nation,” Prater added, referring to other planned evangelistic outreach campaigns coming in the next few months.
Christian music artist Kari Jobe recently joined a group of worship leaders for a special meeting at the White House, and she posted some profound thoughts about the kingdom of God being seen on earth and the urgent need for prayer for America’s leaders.
The Christian artists, including Tauren Wells and Danny Gokey, were invited to a “Faith Briefing” which was held to show what the Trump Administration is doing in the area of faith-based projects.
Jobe posted about the visit on Instagram, calling it an honor.
“Cody and I were honored to be invited,” she said. “As I stepped foot into the White House, I had to just take a moment and take it all in. I was thinking through how many great men and women have served and led in that house, have come to visit that house, have changed history inside that house. The thing that moved me the most though was the peace I felt. It wasn’t chaotic, it wasn’t heavy…it was peaceful. It’s a home. I thought that was special.”
She pointed out some of the faith-based initiatives the White House is working on.
“In the faith briefing we heard from a few government leaders about incredible things that are going on behind the scenes that media and news never talk about. Projects to rescue victims of human trafficking, rehabilitate former inmates, take care of foster children, help neighborhoods and communities that are falling apart, help rebuild cities after tragedy…just to name a few.”
Jobe said her focus for attending the meeting was related to the Kingdom of God, not political discourse.
“I sat there with tears in my eyes because these beautiful people get up daily and go to work in a governmental facility and think about people; you and me,” she explained.
Christianity is a faith with a long and detailed history, with numerous events of lasting significance occurring throughout the ages.
Each week brings the anniversaries of great milestones, horrid tragedies, amazing triumphs, telling tribulations, inspirational progress, and everything in between.
Here are just a few things that happened this week, Nov. 18-24, in Church history. They include the death of John Knox, the founding of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and a major ecumenical moment from Second Vatican.
This week marks the anniversary of when the Women’s Christian Temperance Union held its first national convention, a multiday gathering in Cleveland, Ohio.
The opening meeting was attended by approximately 300 people, with Annie Wittenmyer elected president and Frances Willard elected corresponding secretary.
“Eventually, the WCTU’s social reform causes included kindergartens, child labor, anti-prostitution, public health, sanitation, international peace, and suffrage. The movement grew in numbers and strength, and by 1892 the WCTU had nearly 150,000 dues-paying members,” noted Virginia Commonwealth University’s Social Welfare History Project.
“The WCTU was instrumental in organizing woman’s suffrage leaders and in helping more women become involved in American politics.”
A Northern California pastor has recalled the dramatic moments he and a small group of his church members made a miraculous escape from the raging inferno that has gripped huge swathes of the West Coast state.
Doug Crowder, pastor of Magalia Pines Baptist Church, risked his life to save others as he gathered up 30 desperate residents and four church members, helping them take refuge at his church building. But as the group loaded up into a convoy of vehicles and attempted to escape the clutches of this monstrous fire, the whole place “exploded,” according to Pastor Crowder.
“We were in the driveway planning to leave,” he said, choked up with tears, “and the entire world erupted.”
“The woods exploded,” Crowder continued. “The Subway restaurant across the street exploded, and on all sides of us was fire.”
With nowhere to turn, the group sprinted back inside the church building, huddled together and prayed. With the roaring sound of flames ripping through buildings, and the deafening blast of propane canisters detonating at a neighboring hardware store, the group cried out to God for protection. And, quite simply, he answered.
Despite the fury of the wildfire, the church building remained unscathed, and the group huddled inside endured the entire night without suffering any injury whatsoever.
“We were totally unscathed — totally,” Crowder said, adding that “the fall leaves were still on the trees” on the church’s property.
Staggeringly, despite the entire town being leveled to the ground, the church remained standing. It will now become a beacon of hope as this small town community attempts to rebuild from the ashes.
“It will be years before it’s a town again,” Crowder said. “But all through that, our church will be standing and our church will be ministering.”
