URGENT PRAYERS/PETITIONS: Same -Sex "Marriage"- PLEASE PRAY WITH ME (every day untill the decision is revealed around mid-June) THAT THE SUPREME COURT WILL VOTE TO UPHOLD THE 2 LAWS REVIEWED SUPPORTING A TRADITIONAL DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE.. PRAY that the Court will resist any pressure to MAKE new law based on "cultural trends." PRAY as though the very future of the institution of the family is at stake because it is. PRAY! - for the sake of possibly millions of children, and for our country if it is to continue to be shown any more favor by our Heavenly Father, who I promise you will be very displeased if homosexual marriage is legalized; "GOD IS NOT [TO BE] MOCKED..." - (Gal. 6:7) - Stan [Be sure to check out my brief essay at post #478.]
PASTOR SAEED (Iranian-born AMERICAN pastor) who months ago started an 8 year sentence for helping the underground churches in Iran)// LATEST Update: 'Pastor Saeed Abedini ’Glowing With Joy,’ Prayers Making a Difference, Says Report ," May 15, 2013) http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/Prayerwatch?pw=1434 \ [NOTE: I find it interesting that just recently in my prayers, I felt led by God to pray that Pastor Saeed would experience JOY during his incarceration. It felt like a stretch but I obeyed. Is it a coincidence that I read Psalm 16 yesterday that says in v.11 which says "...you will fill me with JOY (my emphasis) in your presence,.."? No, it would to have been a God-thing. - Stan]
"Resisting the Reins of Power - The Legacy of George Washington," by: Eric Metaxas May 13, 2013 http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/breakpoint-commentaries-archive/entry/13/22208
PASTOR SAEED (Iranian-born AMERICAN pastor) who months ago started an 8 year sentence for helping the underground churches in Iran)// LATEST Update: 'Pastor Saeed Abedini ’Glowing With Joy,’ Prayers Making a Difference, Says Report ," May 15, 2013) http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/Prayerwatch?pw=1434 \ [NOTE: I find it interesting that just recently in my prayers, I felt led by God to pray that Pastor Saeed would experience JOY during his incarceration. It felt like a stretch but I obeyed. Is it a coincidence that I read Psalm 16 yesterday that says in v.11 which says "...you will fill me with JOY (my emphasis) in your presence,.."? No, it would to have been a God-thing. - Stan]
"More good news concerning U.S. Pastor Saeed Abedini has followed his release from solitary confinement last week, as reports have suggested the global support he has been receiving while in prison in Tehran, Iran, are helping him find joy and peace. Despite his suffering, Pastor Saeed’s faith continues to keep him alive.Other prisoners reportedly told Saeed’s family that when Pastor Saeed was released from solitary confinement, ’he was glowing,’ and that miraculously he ’was filled with more joy and peace after solitary’ than he was before solitary," the American Center for Law and Justice said in a statement."His release from solitary is a direct result of the multitudes praying," said the pastor’s wife, Naghmeh Abedini. "I am relieved my husband is out of solitary, but still am deeply concerned about Saeed’s health. While this is a small victory, I am still demanding justice be done and that Saeed be released." She added in the latest update that her husband’s improved spirits are due to the thousands of people around the world who continue to pray for him." (Sources: Christian Post, Global Dispatch)
PRAY that Pastor Saeed might finally receive the medical treatment he needs. PRAY that God would reveal himself to the pastor's tormenters and turn them to Christ. PRAY that his family, esp. his children, will experience His strength and special presence during this time. And finally, PRAY that , when God has accomplished His will in Pastor Abedini's suffering, he will finally be released 2) More than 550,000 people from 180 countries have signed the petition to Save Saeed. Your voice has moved the U.S., the European Union, and many others to call for his release. If you have not already, please join over 500,000! who have signed the petition for Pastor Saeed's release and tell your friends about it. http://aclj.org/iran/save-american-pastor-from-iranian-prison-sentence ALSO, go to Save Saeed.org and add your name to those sending letters to him.
If you pay much attention to what goes on in Washington, you'll observe that no one voluntarily gives up power. They cling to it the way a drowning man clings to a life preserver. I thought about that as I considered whom to include in my new book, “7 Men and the Secret of Their Greatness.” I’d always admired George Washington, but until a few years ago I had no idea that he'd done something that would make no sense to modern political leaders: He voluntarily gave up incredible power—twice. In doing so he changed the history of our fledgling nation.
After eight years of war, America had won its independence from Britain. Everyone wondered what General Washington would do next. Perhaps, as one of his officers suggested, he should become King George I of America. But Washington would have none of it. As I write in 7 Men, “His attitude toward the idea that he should grab the reins of civilian power is dramatically illustrated in an incident that reveals ... the singular greatness of George Washington.”
By war's end, the mood of the officers of the Continental Army had turned ugly. They were angry
because Congress—which was broke (by the way, some things never change)—was unlikely to honor its promise to compensate the soldiers for years of service.In March of 1783, an anonymous letter made the rounds in Newburgh, New York, where Washington's men were quartered. If Congress did not guarantee back pay, the letter threatened, “the army would disband,” even if the war continued. This was a serious threat, because the peace treaty would not be signed for another six months. And if the peace were signed, well then, the army would simply refuse to dissolve, a clear threat to Congress.
As I write in 7 Men, in effect the leaders of the Newburgh Conspiracy were “proposing tyranny and treason both.”
Washington got wind of the plot, and at noon on March 16 he arrived at the officers’ meeting and made directly for the podium. First, he rebuked them for their selfish plans, appealed to their honor and love of country and urged them to be patient.But what happened next may have changed the course of history. Washington reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter from a Virginia Congressman. He began to read it aloud, appearing to stumble over the words. The general then reached into his waistcoat pocket and took out a pair of spectacles.Washington apologized for the delay, saying, “Gentlemen, you must pardon me. I have grown gray in your service and now find myself growing blind.”
In an instant, the mood of these battle-hardened officers was utterly changed. Some of them wept openly as Washington read the letter, and then quietly left the room. The temptation to crown Washington king and wrest control from Congress had been dealt a death blow. Washington’s refusal to seize power after defeating the most powerful empire on earth absolutely amazed King George III of England—and it still amazes us today, and it certainly should—as does his decision to voluntarily give up the presidency after eight years. These were among the greatest acts of one of history's greatest men.
If you want your sons or brothers to learn about some of the most inspiring men who ever lived, I hope you'll consider giving them a copy of 7 Men and the Secret of Their Greatness. It's my prayer that those who read it would be inspired to become great men in their own generation.... While we might not face death, the examples of the men in Eric’s book demonstrate how we can conduct ourselves in our own spheres of influence, just as they did. The book would make a great Father’s Day gift or a gift for the young men in your life.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, Eric Metaxas | Thomas Nelson | April, 2010
After eight years of war, America had won its independence from Britain. Everyone wondered what General Washington would do next. Perhaps, as one of his officers suggested, he should become King George I of America. But Washington would have none of it. As I write in 7 Men, “His attitude toward the idea that he should grab the reins of civilian power is dramatically illustrated in an incident that reveals ... the singular greatness of George Washington.”
By war's end, the mood of the officers of the Continental Army had turned ugly. They were angry
because Congress—which was broke (by the way, some things never change)—was unlikely to honor its promise to compensate the soldiers for years of service.In March of 1783, an anonymous letter made the rounds in Newburgh, New York, where Washington's men were quartered. If Congress did not guarantee back pay, the letter threatened, “the army would disband,” even if the war continued. This was a serious threat, because the peace treaty would not be signed for another six months. And if the peace were signed, well then, the army would simply refuse to dissolve, a clear threat to Congress.As I write in 7 Men, in effect the leaders of the Newburgh Conspiracy were “proposing tyranny and treason both.”
Washington got wind of the plot, and at noon on March 16 he arrived at the officers’ meeting and made directly for the podium. First, he rebuked them for their selfish plans, appealed to their honor and love of country and urged them to be patient.But what happened next may have changed the course of history. Washington reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter from a Virginia Congressman. He began to read it aloud, appearing to stumble over the words. The general then reached into his waistcoat pocket and took out a pair of spectacles.Washington apologized for the delay, saying, “Gentlemen, you must pardon me. I have grown gray in your service and now find myself growing blind.”
In an instant, the mood of these battle-hardened officers was utterly changed. Some of them wept openly as Washington read the letter, and then quietly left the room. The temptation to crown Washington king and wrest control from Congress had been dealt a death blow. Washington’s refusal to seize power after defeating the most powerful empire on earth absolutely amazed King George III of England—and it still amazes us today, and it certainly should—as does his decision to voluntarily give up the presidency after eight years. These were among the greatest acts of one of history's greatest men.
If you want your sons or brothers to learn about some of the most inspiring men who ever lived, I hope you'll consider giving them a copy of 7 Men and the Secret of Their Greatness. It's my prayer that those who read it would be inspired to become great men in their own generation.... While we might not face death, the examples of the men in Eric’s book demonstrate how we can conduct ourselves in our own spheres of influence, just as they did. The book would make a great Father’s Day gift or a gift for the young men in your life.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
Books for Furthr Reading:
7 Men and the Secret of Their Greatness, Eric Metaxas | Thomas Nelson | April, 2013Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, Eric Metaxas | Thomas Nelson | April, 2010
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