Saturday, 29 April 2017

Ways to honour your parents

"Honour you parents so that your days may be long" this is not just a suggestion but a command but most times we forget this scripture. Tim Challies shares insight on this by telling us how to do this especially in our present world. 

Happy reading.

God’s commandments are perfectly clear in what they say and, broadly, in what they require. Yet implementing those commandments in practical ways and in the nitty-gritty of life can pose a challenge. It can take thought, prayer, creativity. This is exactly the case with the fifth commandment—“honor your father and your mother”—and especially so for adult children. Young children honor their parents through their obedience, but what about adults? How do we honor our parents in ways that are fitting?
I’ve taken a long time to get to this point in my series The Commandment We Forgot, and this has been deliberate. Our tendency is to skip over foundational matters to get straight to the practical stuff. Just give me the list of things to do and I’ll do them! But the deepest change to ourselves as well as the most appropriate honor to our parents will come when we first ensure we understand God’s commandment—what it means, why he gives it, why it matters so much. I trust you’ve tracked with me through the previous articles and if you’ve done that, you’re now ready to consider practical ways in which you can honor your parents.

Honor to Whom Honor Is Due

In a previous article I pointed out that honoring parents is a form of honoring all authority, including God himself. As Tim Keller says, “It’s respect for parents that is the basis for every other kind of respect and every other kind of authority.” I have pointed out as well that there is no ending point to this commandment—we are to honor our parents in childhood and adulthood, for we owe them a debt of honor that never ends.
What is the honor God means for us to give our parents? I am going to offer six broad suggestions, though certainly we could come up with many more. I will warn in advance: In every case there will be temptations to say, “Yes, but you don’t know my parents. You don’t know who they are or what they did to me.” I understand that in some cases showing honor may be difficult or very nearly impossible, and in our next article we will discuss some hard cases. But for now, let’s simply consider some practical ways in which we can display honor to our parents.

Forgive Them

Perhaps the most important way we can honor our parents is to forgive them. The fact is, there are no perfect parents. All parents have fallen far short of their children’s expectations and, in all likelihood, even their own expectations. Our parents have sinned against us. They have made unwise decisions, they have had unrealistic expectations, they have said and done things that have left us deeply wounded. For that reason, many children enter adulthood controlled by anger and bitterness. They find themselves unable to move past their parents’ mistakes or their parents’ sin.
We can best honor our parents by forgiving our parents. And this is actually possible, for we serve and imitate a forgiving Savior. In the Bible we see Jesus’ willingness to forgive the ones who had wounded him. In the very moment the nails were driven into his flesh, he cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Standing at the foot of the cross and considering such a Savior, who are we to withhold forgiveness from our parents? We honor our parents by extending grace and forgiveness to them.

Speak Well of Them

Another way we can honor our parents is to speak well of them, to refuse to speak evil of them. We live at a time when it is considered noble to air our grievances, when it is considered therapeutic to air our dirty laundry. We think little of telling the world exactly what we think of our governors, our bosses, our parents. Yet the Bible warns us that we owe honor and respect to all of the authorities God has placed over us (Romans 13:7). It warns us that our words have the power to extend honor or dishonor. We cannot miss that in the Old Testament the penalty for cursing parents is the same as the penalty for assaulting them (Exodus 21:15-17, Leviticus 20:9), for the root sin is the same. To curse parents or to strike parents is to violate the fifth commandment as well as the sixth.
We need to speak well of our parents. We need to speak well of them while they are alive and speak well of them after they have died, to speak well of them to our siblings, to our spouses, to our children. We need to speak well of them to our churches and communities, modeling a counter-cultural kind of honor and respect that has long since gone missing in too many contexts. Christian, speak well of your parents and refuse to speak evil of them.

Esteem Them Publicly and Privately

A third way to show honor to parents is to give them esteem both privately and publicly. In a powerful sermon on the fifth commandment Tim Keller encourages children to “respect their [parents’] need to see themselves in you.” Parents long to see how they have impacted their children, how their children are a reflection of their strengths, their values. “You don’t realize how important it is to give them credit where you can. You don’t realize how critical it is just to say, ‘You know, everything I really ever learned about saving money I learned from you.’ To say, ‘You know, Dad, that was one thing you always taught me that I really, really appreciated’.” These are simple measures but ones that bring great joy and honor to our parents.
We can give such esteem privately in one-on-one conversation or we can do this publicly, perhaps through speeches or sermons or even conversations around holiday feasts. Dennis Rainey goes so far as to call children to write a formal tribute to their parents, to present it to them and to read it aloud in their presence. We can honor our parents by esteeming our parents.

Seek Their Wisdom

We honor our parents when we seek their wisdom through life’s twists and turns. The Bible constantly associates youth with folly and age with wisdom (Proverbs 20:29, Job 12:12) and tells us that those who have lived longer lives have generally accumulated greater wisdom. We do well, then, to lean on them for understanding, to seek their input when faced with major decisions. In some cultures this is expected and in some it is eschewed. But either way, it honors our parents when we seek their help, even if in the end we cannot or must not heed it.

Support Them

We can also honor our parents by supporting them. I am not yet speaking of financial support, but other forms of love and care. I think of David at a particularly low point in his life, weighed down by cares and attacked by enemies. In this context he cried out to God and said, “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent” (Psalm 71:9). David feared the combination of age and isolation, of being old and alone. So too do our elderly parents.
When we are young we gain strength and long for independence. Our parents raise us to be strong and free! But there is a trade-off here, a passing of the baton, for as our parents age they become feeble, they begin to lose their independence (Ecclesiastes 12:1-8). We honor our parents by giving them the assurance that we will not forsake them in their old age. Just as they cared for us, we will care for them. This is our responsibility and it ought to be our joy.
At a time when millions of elderly adults are living alone, consigned to nursing homes and hospitals, cared for by professionals rather than family members, Christians have the opportunity to display special honor. Kent Hughes says that even if parents have no financial needs, “there is still a Christian obligation for hands-on, loving care. Nurses may be employed, but there must be more—the care cannot be done by proxy. Emotional neglect and abandonment is not an option, for such conduct ‘is worse than an unbeliever.’”

Provide for Them

Finally, we can honor our parents by providing for them financially. In 1 Timothy 5 we find Paul telling Timothy how to honor widows within the church. As he provides instruction, he gives two important principles: Children are to make some return to their parents (4) and Christians who will not provide for family members are behaving worse than unbelievers (8). Commentators are nearly unanimous in extending these principles to children and their elderly parents. What is unremarkable in some cultures is controversial in others, including my own. Stott points out that “African and Asian cultures, which have developed the extended in place of the nuclear family, are a standing rebuke to the West in this matter.”
When children are young, God expects parents to provide for them (2 Corinthians 12:14). But, according to Stott, “when parents grow old and feeble, it is then that roles and responsibilities are reversed.” Hughes says, “Christian sons and daughters are responsible for the [financial] care of widows and, as the text expands it, of their helpless parents and grandparents.” William Barcley says much the same: “The raising of children requires tremendous sacrifice and it is only right that children make sacrifices for parents in return.” We might also consider Mark 7:9-13 and Jesus’ harsh rebuke of the Pharisees for their refusal to care for their parents.
Perhaps no form of honor more deeply cuts against the Western grain than this one. But it’s clear: The Bible calls Christians to take special responsibility for providing for their family members. This command applies equally to the parents of young children and the children of elderly parents.

Conclusion

God calls every child of every age to show honor to our parents, to refuse to dishonor our parents. He calls us to honor them as the outflow of honoring him. He calls us to be people who respect his sovereignty by respecting the parents he saw fit to give us. In what ways is God calling you to show honor to your parents?


Source: Ecclezzia.com 

Friday, 28 April 2017

Lions Saves Christians from Execution on Easter Sunday



This is an amazing  story of God’s intervening hand to save his people and He is always on time.
Pastor Paul Ciniraj, Director of Bibles for Mideast, says that he and other Christians were rescued from the clutches of death by a group of three lions. Ciniraj and his group were under attack from Islamic militants when the giant cats attacked and scared the murderous group away.
According to the report delivered to WorldNetDaily.Com ( WND )  It was Easter Sunday, and the pastor was recovering in the home of friends in a forested area near where his group has been working.
“Suddenly, a group of militants reached the house, armed with steel bars and other weapons,” he reported to WND.
In the home with him were others, including a woman aged 80, several children under the age of 4 and a woman seven months pregnant.
“Losing all hope, we thought for sure this was our last day,” he said.

But while the group was praying, he reported a strange occurrence.
“Completely unexpectedly, a lion ran from the forest, leapt toward the militants, and seized one by the neck. When other combatants tried to attack the lion, two other lions bounded toward them. The terrified militants fled the site, and the lions left us completely alone,” he said.
“Equally astonishing, records show no lions are supposed to live in that forest,” he said.
He reported he had been approaching the closing of a 21-day period of fasting and prayer.
“As that drew to a close, more than 3,000 former Muslims were baptized in many of our churches in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The Lord enabled me to baptize many people during this time,” he said.
But while he was at one of the church locations, “militants began stoning me and our group”.
“My head was severely injured and bloodied, and a number of others sustained injuries as well,” he said.He was hospitalized, but he feared for his health and life there, so he went to the forest home of a local pastor, he said.

Although this news happened some days ago, precisely on Easter Sunday! Resurrection Day! The Risen Lord showed his mighty hand at work in the lives of His witnesses in adversaries.
God is a refuge in time of distress as in Psalm 91; He who goes to the Lord for protection shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty….A thousand shall fall at my side ,ten thousand at my right side but I will not be harmed….only with my eyes shall I behold the downfall of the wicked….It is a call to remind all Christians that God is with us. His grace is sufficient. He will never forsake His own.
May the Risen Lord continue to deliver His children from the hands of the evil ones and may He grant pardon to His enemies. Let us continue spreading the word and praying for our lost brethren.

Stories on "How Great Thou art"


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A young minister’s two-mile walk in the rain provided the inspiration for “How Great Thou Art.” The Reverend Carl Boberg of Monsteras, on the southeast coast of Sweden, was 25 years old when he wrote the lyrics of this song after trekking through a thunderstorm from a church meeting two miles away


This great hymn has a history that stretches back over a hundred years. The original song was written by a young Swedish preacher, Carl Boberg, and first published in 1886, under the title O Store Gud. Boberg wrote a poem, not meaning to write a hymn, but later heard it being sung to an old Swedish tune.

More than forty years later, an English missionary, Stuart Hine, first heard the song in Russia. He and his young wife were missionaries to the Carpathian area of Russia, then a part of Czechoslovakia. There, they heard a very meaningful hymn that was a Russian translation of Carl Boberg’s O Store Gud (O Great God).


While ministering in the Carpathian Mountains, Hine found himself in the midst of a threatening storm. The thunder, as it rolled through the mountain range, was so awesome that it reminded Hine of the beautiful Russian hymn that had already become so dear to him. English verses began to form in his mind, verses that were suggested by portions of the Russian translation.


How Great Thou Art is probably the all-time favorite hymn today. Although its origin had roots in Europe, it was not widely known until 1957, when the Billy Graham Crusade in New York City launched it on a never-ending spiral around the world. It was performed nearly a hundred times during those meetings and countless times ever since.


One cannot sing this majestic hymn of praise and adoration without realizing anew the omnipotence of the Creator who did it all.


2) While recovering from a serious mining accident in Oklahoma, Vernon Spencer began playing music at a local bar called the Bucket of Blood. He enjoyed the work so much he hopped on a train to Hollywood in 1931, hoping to make it big. Tim Spencer became his stage name, and he joined Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers to become one of the most popular groups in America. 

Tim married to a Christian woman named Velma, who prayed earnestly for him, especially while he was on the road. He needed all the prayer he could get, for his lifestyle was epitomized by the title of one of his hits: “Cigarettes, Whiskey, and Wild Wild Women.” 

Then one day in a hotel in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, Tim opened a letter from his wife. Included was a verse of Scripture. Picking up a nearby Gideon Bible, Tim read the passage and realized he needed a change in his life. In prayer he yielded his life to the Lordship of Christ. 

Tim Spencer later established a Gospel Music publishing company, Manna Music, and a few years later his college-age son, Hal, brought him a song from a student missionary conference. Tim contacted the author of the words, Stuart Hine, and published the song. 

It became one of the most beloved hymns of the twentieth century. And that’s how the author of “Cigarettes, Whiskey, and Wild Wild Women” became the publisher who helped introduce the world to “How Great Thou Art.”


Source : Sermonindex.net and huffingtonpost.com

Hymnal Friday : How Great Thou Art


Today on Hymnal Friday we feature one of my favourites, How Great Thou Art written by Carl Gustav Boberg (1859–1940) in Mönsterås, Sweden in 1885. It was translated into German and then into Russian and became a hymn. It was translated into English from the Russian by English missionary Stuart K. Hine, who also added two original verses of his own. The composition was set to a Russian melody. It was popularised by George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows during the Billy Graham crusades. It was voted the United Kingdom's favourite hymn by BBC's Songs of Praise. "How Great Thou Art" was ranked second (after "Amazing Grace") on a list of the favourite hymns of all time in a survey by Today's Christian magazine in 2001.

Enjoy

How Great Thou Art Lyrics
Verse 1:

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Chorus:
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

Verse 2:
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Chorus

Verse 3:
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Chorus

Verse 4:
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim, "My God, how great Thou art!"

Chorus

Thursday, 27 April 2017

Figure Believed To Be Jesus Appears Above A City In Colombia.


Residents of Manizales in the north central Colombian region of Caidas believed to have seen Jesus in a film of sunlight slanting through the clouds of the city.
The astonishing sight showing what locals believe is the figure of Jesus appearing over a Colombian city ravaged by a landslide.
17 people were killed by landslides when a month’s rainfall fell overnight last week.
The rare cloud phenomenon was recorded on a mountain called Sancancio and the glowing figure provided comfort to the residents who lost homes, loved ones and possessions in the natural disaster.
The sight is seen below:



When God Moves You to Something Better



Here are four signs that God is pushing you into something much better.


Correction
When things start falling apart, possibly because you and I are doing something contrary to God’s will, He will gently nudge us with a bit of correction. The correction might come in the form of a job loss, a pay cut, or some unforeseen circumstances that nearly breaks your bank, however God isn’t going to leave you or forsake you (Heb 13:5), but He does discipline every son or daughter He loves (Heb 12:6). This correction could bring you into a different direction…and a much better one at that.

Direction

His Word as it acts as a light in the darkness to keep from stumbling (Psalm 119:105). If you abide in Christ and in His Word, you can ask for anything within God’s will (John 15:4-5, 7). When God corrects you, He also directs you, and directs you into something better. We know that God works all things together, good and bad, for our very best (Rom 8:28).


Inspection

The Bible teaches us to examine ourselves to see if we’re really in the faith (2nd Cor 13:5). A little self-examination never hurt anybody. The interesting thing is, when you examine the Word of God, the Word of God examines you, and if you’re like me, you are found wanting. If God is giving you a greater hunger for the Word of God, and it’s like you can’t get enough of it, He may be pushing you into some sort of teaching ministry. That hunger and thirst for God’s Word is not from a human source, because none of us seek God on our own (Rom 3:11); it is God Who seeks us (John 6:44), so if you want to inspect yourself, inspect the Word of God because it will inspect you. Perhaps it will reveal something better that God desires for your life.

Protection

If God sees that you’re about to hurt yourself, then He might move things around in your life to get you out of that situation, whether it’s a job or in a relationship. God may be pushing you, or prompting you, by His Sprit, to change things. The Spirit of God knows what is best for us, better than we do ourselves, so try to listen to the Spirit’s prompting of His telling you to do something or to stop doing something. God may be pushing you out of or into a situation for your own benefit. That’s certainly something better and certainly something to think about.

Conclusion

God can use correction, direction, inspection, to bring protection, because God knows the future. Only He can see around the blind corners of time. What He does in our lives may not always feel “better,” but we know that God doesn’t make mistakes. All we can do is obey His Word, trust in God, and then leave everything else up to Him.


May God richly bless you


Source:Pastor Jack Wellman

Wednesday, 26 April 2017

Truths To Remember When You Want To Quit Your Job

Truths To Remember When You Want To Quit Your Job

The rain beat against my car window early one Monday morning. The weather appropriately matched my attitude as tears ran down my face. I dreaded getting out of the car to catch a 2 hour commuter bus into the city to work at a job I had grown to hate. A job where I was both overlooked and underappreciated. There was only one thing I could think of doing to fix this situation.
I wanted to quit.
But that just wasn’t an option. I needed the money and I had no other job lined up. Now, please don’t get me wrong. I was appreciative to have a job and I realize there are many people who would have loved my job. But the stress of this very demanding job (while facing some health issues) was taking a toll on me that left me wanting to walk away.
I can look back now and see that God used that season to grow my faith. He let me linger in that job for a while to stretch me, to shape my character. It was during that time God taught me 5 important lessons about navigating the difficult season of working at a job I didn’t like. So today I want to share those reminders with you.

1. If You are Faithful Today, You Will be Faithful Tomorrow

We will not always be in a job we desire. Maybe you are fresh out of school and are working a job that has nothing to do with the degree you just earned. Maybe you are in a situation where you are working at a job where you are overqualified, overworked, and fed up. Maybe for the most part you love your job but get discouraged by the mundane tasks that take up time from doing the aspects of your job you love most.

Here’s the thing: God will still use this season to grow, develop, and prepare you. Any season that humbles us is preparing us for what God has next. The Bible tells us:
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. – James 4:10 NIV
You very well may not be in this job for the rest of your life. Amen to that! But that doesn’t mean it is a complete waste of time. God will use any season, even a job you want to quit, to prepare you for what’s next. Don’t miss that.

2. God Has You Here for a Reason

Working a job you don’t like can leave you feeling stuck, forgotten by God, and asking yourself questions like:

Why hasn’t God opened another door for me yet? 
Why is God not moving? 
Why would God leave me here in this job I hate?
But the truth is God has not left you. He’s not holding back on you. When you feel God is silent, that’s exactly when He’s moving! Your situation does not change God. He still loves you and is with you no matter what.

Instead of looking at our situation through a perspective of fear and worry, we need to look at it though faith and hope.

3. It’s More than Meets the Eye

Many people think they work a job to make money and maintain a certain level of comfort. But God is actually doing much more behind the scenes.
The relationships you make, the wisdom you gain, and the situations you learn and are shaped from are all part of a bigger picture God is painting.
A good friend of mine shared with me how surprised she was when her coworker asked her to pray for him. The job you are so anxious to leave may very well be what God will use to build His Kingdom.

4. Your Job is Not Your Source of Joy, Christ Is

The grass always looks greener on the other side, doesn’t it? Once I was finally able to leave the job I disliked to stay home with my infant daughter, I was relieved! I was finally away from that job! Then reality hit me. Life is work no matter what job you are working. Some jobs may be easier than others, but they all have their challenges.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking a new job or opportunity will cure everything you dislike about your life. Only Jesus can provide the satisfaction we crave. So before you turn in your two weeks’ notice, be sure it’s not because you’re looking for something only Christ can offer.

5. It Won’t be Like This Forever

Just the other day a friend said the most encouraging words to me: “It will not be like this forever.”
I was expressing frustration about a particular situation and her words were like cold lemonade on a hot summer day. When we are in an uncomfortable situation, like a job we want to quit, many times we go into survival mode. We stop hoping for better and start believing it will be this challenging forever. If you’ve fallen into this thinking let me tell you just as my friend told me:
It won’t be like this forever.
God may very well open a new opportunity for you. He may change your work environment to make your job more satisfying. He may even change your heart in this situation and help you to see it in a new way; a way that grants you peace and not pressure, hope and not hate, satisfaction and not stress.
Either way, I can tell you: nothing stays the same forever. This too shall pass.


Source : ibelieve.com 

Worship Wednesday: How Great is Our God


This Video is awesome with over 20 million views on youtube. Chris Tomlin sings How great is our God with some spanish backups.

Enjoy!




How Great Is Our God
The splendor of the King, clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in Light, and darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
Trembles at His voice
How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God
Age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the end
Beginning and the end
The Godhead Three in One
Father Spirit Son
The Lion and the Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb
Name above all names
Worthy of our praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God
How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God



Controversial N42m Tithe Paid to Benue Church Bishop Kukah Speaks Out


Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah, says  the anti-corruption effort of President Mohammadu Buhari lacks proper understanding of the enemy for going after church who receieved a tithe of N42m recently. He described the controversial N42m tithe paid into a church account in Benue state as ‘chicken feed’ comparing it with money squandered by politicians.

He made this statement at a recent interview with the Punch. Kukah was asked of his opinion of the said sum being paid to a church when the society is filled with people who are in need of basic amenities.

Investigations by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi revealed that the money was paid into the UBA account of the NKST Church High Level Makurdi. NKST is an abbreviation for ‘Non go Kristu U Sudan hen Tiv’, meaning the Church of Christ Amongst the Tiv.

He said: “This (N42m tithe) is ‘chicken feed’ compared to what contractors and businessmen and women are paying to corrupt church men, who are largely partners in crime and claim to be praying for rich people.
“So, it is important to check and cross-check your facts. You should educate us by telling us what really happened now that the right hand knows what the left is doing.”
Kukah said that the president’s mindset was still that of the military days.
The cleric insisted that he is against the use of the word “war” as a strategy to fight corruption.
Kukah also expressed sadness that even with the adoption of the word by the government in tackling corruption, the desired results are yet to be achieved.
According to him, the fact that the national assembly and the executive could not agree on a pick for Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman, spoke poorly of the government’s anti-corruption efforts.



Source : SelahAfrik


Christian Baker Refuses To Quit On Not Making Gay Wedding Cakes




Baker Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colorado has refused to back down on his decision not to make wedding cakes for gay couples despite government punishment.

The baker is waiting for the Supreme Court to decide whether to weigh in on his case, as he’s been locked in a tough legal battle with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission for the past five years. The agency ruled that his cake refusal was in violation of anti-discrimination laws and punished him accordingly.

Phillips said his opposition is based on his biblical view of marriage, with the baker proclaiming that he would similarly reject cakes with “offensive written messages and cakes celebrating events or ideas that violate his beliefs, including cakes celebrating Halloween, anti-American or anti-family themes, atheism, racism, or indecency,” as previously reported.

The baker’s legal battle first touched off in July 2012 when couple Charlie Craig and David Mullins approached him to make a cake for their same-sex ceremony and he “politely declined.” The couple filed a complaint with the state’s civil rights commission and are now represented by the American Civil Liberties Union.

So far, the Supreme Court has delayed making a decision on hearing the case, but it is noteworthy that the justices previously declined to hear a similar case in 2014 involving a New Mexico photographer yet have continued to weigh whether to take up Phillips’ battle

According to his attorneys with the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal firm, Phillips was forced to engage in “re-educating his staff and filing quarterly ‘compliance’ reports for two years.”

Attorneys for Phillips argue that no American should be forced to use creative or artistic expression if doing so violates his or her conscience, as this baker has claimed it does.


Source: faithwire.com


Nonviolent Offenders Flood Pastor Joel Osteen’s Church in Search of a Second Chance



Hundreds of nonviolent offenders flooded to famed pastor Joel Osteen’s church over the weekend in search of a second chance.

The effort not only allowed people who have nonviolent and low-level charges against them in two precincts in Harris County to get those legal debts settled — offenses such as public intoxication, theft of under $100, criminal mischief and other infractions — but members of the public were also invited for free legal advice on issues including immigration and child support.

The “Make It Right!” event was held at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, with 5,000 people being invited to come and settle pending legal charges waged against them; 400 people reportedly took officials up on that offer.

Osteen’s church agreed to host the event after a request from Harris County Commissioners and the local district attorney’s office, with Lakewood Church’s general counsel Regan Vansteenis saying that the house of worship agreed to do so because it believes “in second chances.

The event offered attendees an alternative to appearing in court for low-level, nonviolent misdemeanor offenses,” Vansteenis told the outlet. “The event also offered a legal resource clinic with a team of volunteer attorneys and members from the Harris County Public Defender’s Office offering free legal advice to the attendees.”

This is a great opportunity for thousands of people to resolve their outstanding warrants and make a new start,” Rodney Elli, Harris County’s Precinct 1 Commissioner, said in a statement. “This event also benefits law enforcement agencies by allowing them to clear warrants without the expense and risks involved in arresting people on minor offenses.”

There was also a resource fair that offered educational options as well as job training information. And with that in mind, Harris County’s Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Elli echoed Vansteenis’ sentiments about the importance of the event.


Source: faithwire.com 

Lagos Seals Church for Contravening Building Law


Lagos Seals Church for Contravening Building Law

The Lagos State Government approved the sealing of a Lekki based Church, This Present House, for constructing without title documents and requisite building permit in contravention of the Lagos State Regional and Urban Planning Law 2010.
In a press release issued on Monday by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, the Government stated that it would not fold its arms and watch a brazen contravention of the law that could result in endangering the lives and property of Lagos state residents.
The Commissioner explained that the said church has no Planning Permit to embark on such a massive construction without due process, adding also that the church fence stands in the Right of Way of Freedom Road (currently under construction) and is directly under the high-tension wires.
“While government appreciates citizens rights to freedom of worship, the law stipulates a minimum of 15meters setback from the high tension wire to the property line. This church neglected and has refused to comply with the Statutory Notice served, as such the State Government must protect its citizens in order to mitigate against avoidable disasters.”
The statement reiterated the State Government’s position against illegal development and warns against owners or developers who engage in building without planning approval.

In this regard, the State Government issued a 30-day ultimatum to owners/developers of buildings without Planning Permit in the State to ensure that they comply with its Planning laws within the stipulated time.
The Commissioner also called for understanding and cooperation of the general public as the implementation of the Planning laws is for the benefit of all the residents of the State.