Interview: T.D. Jakes on 35 Years of Ministry

By Katherine T. Phan , Christian Post Reporter, June 14, 2012

Bishop T.D. Jakes is a jack of all trades and is recognized in all of them. He is known as the senior pastor of the 30,000-member Dallas-based church, The Potter’s House, the New York Times best-selling author of Let It Go, the producer of the hit comedy “Jumping the Broom,” and the founder of a Grammy award-winning Dexterity Sounds label.

His diverse circle of friends reflects his wide-ranging career: Oprah Winfrey, President Obama, Pastor Paula White, Tyler Perry, and Chaka Khan. In the midst of it all, he still finds time to send love tweets to his wife and support relief efforts at his church.

Last week, Jakes was the guest of honor at a big celebration in Dallas to mark his 35th anniversary of ministry, 55th birthday, 30th wedding anniversary, and 15th anniversary of The Potter’s House.

I sat down with Bishop Jakes immediately following the celebration to get his reflection of the night and on his 35 years of ministry.

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Having children really does make a man more content with life

May 19th 2012 – The Economist

WILL fatherhood make me happy? That is a question many men have found themselves asking, and the scientific evidence is equivocal. A lot of studies have linked parenthood—particularly fatherhood—with lower levels of marital satisfaction and higher rates of depression than are found among non-parents.

Biologically speaking, that looks odd. Natural selection might be expected to favour the progeny of men who enjoy bringing them up. On the other hand, the countervailing pressure to have other children, by other women, may leave the man who is already encumbered by a set of offspring dissatisfied.

To investigate the matter further Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychologist at the University of California, Riverside, decided both to study the existing literature, and to conduct some experiments of her own. The results, just published in Psychological Science, suggest parenthood in general, and fatherhood in particular, really are blessings, even though the parent in question might sometimes feel they are in disguise.

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Christians to Rededicate the USA to God July 1st and July 4th

Pastor Steven Andrew : Jun 29, 2012 : USAChristianMinistries.com

“Individuals and other patriotic groups like the Tea Party, homeschool groups and pro-life Americans are praying the covenant on July 4th.”

(San Jose, CA)—Churches will rededicate the USA to God with a special covenant prayer on either July 4th or Sunday July 1st, based on service times. “As Americans rededicate the USA to God, we invite God to help fix our nation’s problems,” says Pastor Steven Andrew, president of USA Christian Ministries and author of “Making A Strong Christian Nation.”

Flag and Cross Protestants and Catholics are invited to participate as well as individuals and families. This God and Country prayer is a reminder of God giving Christian liberty to Americans. John Adams said the Fourth of July “ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”

USA Christian Ministries has free resources to print. There is a handout and a church bulletin insert for participants to pray as a congregation and to put on their desks and refrigerators at home. The pastor wants everyone to have a free chapter of “Making A Strong Christian Nation.” These tools are available at the source link provided.

There is also a web graphic to share online and an attractive “No King But King Jesus” print. “No King But King Jesus” is an American Revolution motto based on Psalm 47.

“Individuals and other patriotic groups like the Tea Party, homeschool groups and pro-life Americans are praying the covenant on July 4th,” he adds.

“Pastors know that a national covenant with God brings God’s blessings, including God’s presence, protection and economic prosperity,” says Pastor Steven Andrew. The Bible shows us that King Asa and King Josiah affirmed covenant with God and God blessed them (2Chronicles 15, 2Kings 23).

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China Forced Abortion Case a ‘Crime Against Humanity,’ Says Christian Lawyer

By Ivana Kvesic , Christian Post Reporter  – World News – Friday, Jun 15, 2012

Well-known Chinese Christian lawyer Zhang Kai has spoken out against a recent forced abortion case in China that captured international attention, labeling the shocking case, in which he intends to represent the mother, a “crime against humanity.”

“The tragic Zhenping case violates the most basic conscience of mankind,” the Christian lawyer who will be representing Feng Jianmei in her case against the local government recently wrote on his blog.

“I cannot accept this kind of blatant murder in the land we that we live in. To ignore it is, I think, is to be no different than the murder. This is a crime against humanity,” Zhang added.

Feng, a 25-year-old resident of Zhenping City in China’s Shanxi Province, was seven months pregnant with her second child when she was recently beaten and forced to have her unborn daughter aborted by local family planning officials. The officials were reportedly enforcing China’s controversial one-child policy.

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Forgive and forget? Not this cat

Virginia Trioli   31-5-2012

Rehab sounds like a pretty amazing place. Amy Winehouse sang about not wanting to go there, but anybody else who finds themself drowning from the weight of the baggage they drag with them seems able to go to this place, somewhere over the rainbow, and emerge happy, free and respectable again. And why not? To live free of demons is a great thing. They pay for it with their own reputation and their own money so they have every right to own the outcome.

I am a lot less persuaded by the kind of free-of-charge, memory-free rehabilitation that seems to come to some high-profile people regardless of their missteps and controversies, such is the rush to elevate them again to the position of eminent public figure. My ABC, curiously enough, appears to be engaged in the rehabilitation of former defence minister Peter Reith, by repeated engagements of him as a talking head on this or that political issue. His justly criticised role in the notorious Children Overboard affair – the dissemination of untruths and his failure to correct them – is conveniently overlooked.

The artist formerly known at Cat Stevens is another one to currently enjoy the public pleasures of short-term memory. His new stage show, Moonshadow, based on his songs and some aspects of his life, has been cheerfully embraced by the country’s arts writers as yet another great show to premiere in an Australian city. Now known as Yusuf Islam, his music has been described as being set to reach a new generation of fans too young to remember Tea for the Tillerman. I remember that record. I remember it well. But am I the only one who also still remembers Yusuf on that notorious episode of Geoffrey Robertson’s Hypotheticals on the fatwa declared on writer Salman Rushdie by the then Ayatollah Khomeini?

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Freedom fails – Majority Vote 85-24 force Danish chuches to perform same sex marriage

Bill Muehlenberg - 11th June 2012 Here is how one report covers this ominous development: “The nation of Denmark has voted to force churches in the established Evangelical Lutheran Church…

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Pr Daniel’s radio interview regarding Australia’s 2011 Census Report on the decline of Christianity and Marriage

Dear friends and family in Christ, For those of who were unable to listen to Pr Daniel’s recent radio interview on Student Youth Network Panorama Program on 90.7FM (Melbourne area)…

Continue ReadingPr Daniel’s radio interview regarding Australia’s 2011 Census Report on the decline of Christianity and Marriage

UK Teenagers Having Up to 7 Abortions, Shocking Figures Show

By Stoyan Zaimov , Christian Post Reporter – May 28, 2012

A new study showing that 38,269 teenagers in Britain had an abortion in 2010 has revealed the alarming statistic that at least three had undergone the procedure at least seven times each, while another four teenagers have terminated pregnancies six times each.

The National Health Service (NHS) figures, which will be released under the Freedom of Information Act this week, are showing that young women were being “let down in an appalling way,” pro-life campaigners in the U.K. have stated.

“There is something seriously wrong with a country where teenagers are having even one abortion, let alone repeat abortions to this extent,” said Rebecca Mallinson, of the Pro Life Alliance, as quoted by The Daily Telegraph.

“We are failing these young people in an appalling way, and storing up serious sexual health problems for the future, whether the direct issue of sexually transmitted diseases, but also the effects that multiple abortions can have on future fertility. (more…)

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Richard Dawkins the arch-atheist backs Michael Gove’s free Bible plan

Robin McKie, science editor guardian.co.uk, Saturday 19 May 

It sounds like one of the most unlikely alliances of recent years. Richard Dawkins, arch-atheist and scourge of the praying classes, has announced support for education secretary Michael Gove‘s plan to send free King James Bibles to every state school.

The proposal aims to help pupils learn about the Bible‘s impact “on our history, language, literature and democracy” and will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the authorised version’s publication, Gove said earlier this year. Church leaders have approved, but the plan has fallen foul of most non-believers. An online Guardian poll showed an 82% opposition, while the National Secular Society said the £375,000 proposal wasted money and favoured Christianity in multi-faith state schools. Nevertheless, several rich Tory party donors agreed to back the plan and the first Bibles were sent out last week, to the derision of secularists – with the exception of their most prominent and pugnacious recruit: Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion and critic of all things clerical.

As Dawkins reveals in today’s Observer, support for the Bible plan is justified on the grounds of literary merit and he lists a range of biblical phrases which any cultivated English speaker will instantly recognise. These include “salt of the Earth”, “through a glass darkly”, and “no peace for the wicked”. Dawkins states: “A native speaker of English who has not read a word of the King James Bible is verging on the barbarian.”

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Thanking the Lord as we Celebrate the 5th Anniversary of Court Case Victory for Freedom of Speech

Dear friends and family in Christ,

This morning I woke up early and started praising and thanking the Lord as I remembered that today 22nd June 2012 marks five years since we won the court case for Freedom of Speech & Religion in Australia.

This was certainly a land mark victory, after a five year battle first in the Lower Court (VCAT) and then the Supreme Court, where the Lord gave us the victory.

I still remember the long five years in the court room with forty days of hearings and a cost of $600,000, plus several death threats, fire bombing threats to my house and office, and also the threats to abduct my children from school. It was indeed a very challenging time, but praise God with the prayers, support of my fellow Aussies and God’s amazing grace, we came out victorious.

The court case which was brought against us by the Islamic Council of Victoria on charges of vilification was a completely ridiculous case, which proved that the Religious & Racial Vilification Laws of Victoria were a bad piece of legislation.

As a result of our court case, this bad law was thrown out of all the other states, and was amended in Vic.

A few months after we won the court case in 2007, I had the opportunity of meeting with the then Prime Minister John Howard, who I greatly admire as a real statesman.

In his office in Parliament he said, “Pastor, your victory for freedom of speech will now help us all and also the future generations to come. You have also set a precedence in the judiciary system. May I take this opportunity to officially thank you on behalf of the people of Australia as Prime Minister.”

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Heaven and Earth unite in prayer over Australia at 4:30pm this Sat 23rd June as CTFM team fly to Israel / Prayer Movements in America

Dear family & friends in Christ,

1) This Saturday the 23rd of June, a team of around 70 intercessory prayer warriors from Catch The Fire Ministries, from all across Australia, will be leaving to Israel for a 10 day tour and mission in the Holy Land.

Pr Daniel, along with his family, will be heading up this team to Israel first and then Sri Lanka. Everyone going is so very excited and looking forward to a great trip led by the Spirit of God!

 We would greatly appreciate if you could join together in prayer from 4.30pm-5pm this Sat 23rd June in praying and claiming Australia for Jesus, as around 70 intercessors with CTFM will be in a aircraft flying over Australia and will storm heaven in prayer, declaring ‘Australia for Jesus’ at the same time!

 Pr Daniel stated, “We are expecting mighty things to happen on this mission tour as we prayer walk the streets where our Savoir Jesus Christ walked. On the last trip to Israel, many mighty things happened, including the rising of the dead. This time we are expecting more. Please do uphold us in prayer.”

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Salt Shakers E-News – House of Reps report on ‘marriage’ tabled in Parliament

THE MP who chaired the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs Inquiry into same-sex marriage, Graham Perrett, has encouraged fellow MPs to “vote with the courage of their convictions”.

He opened his ‘Foreword’ to what is called an ‘Advisory Report’ (which is published this week), with a quote from Australian Rugby player David Pocock, which he found in Marie Claire, (July 2012, p. 44) “I believe every human being is precious and we are all part of God’s family – and that marriage is a beautiful thing and should not be used as a weapon to promote prejudice.”

Mr Perrett said he was “a little taken aback to read of his progressive and tolerant approach to marriage equality.” and followed that with, “Either footy has changed significantly since I played it, or this nation has. And after conducting an inquiry into marriage legislation I now know it is the latter”.

There you have the gist of this report – Australia is now progressive and tolerant and we should change the Marriage Act to include ‘same-sex couples’.

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Muslim saved, Depression broken as Wagga Wagga Catches the Fire!

Dear family & friends in Christ,

1) What a glorious weekend in Wagga Wagga, NSW as people from 17 different churches united to hear the Word of God and to Catch the Fire of the Holy Spirit!

 They came from the Anglican, Uniting, Catholic, Baptist, Churches of Christ, Pentecostal and many other churches. People were mightily touched by the Presence of God as Pr Daniel preached the Word of the Lord and shared many powerful testimonies of God’s healing power.

Diana Shield, who coordinated the meetings for Catch The Fire, was the lady who was raised from the dead in the name of Jesus by Pr Daniel during the CTFM tour of Israel in 2010. Her presence at the meeting was such a powerful testimony to all present.

At the revival meetings many were healed and were tremendously blessed as Pr Daniel laid hands and prayed for people. One person was set free from depression. Glory to God. Also at the meeting was a young Muslim man who accepted Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. We give all glory to God!

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