REMINDER: Check out this week's"Truth That Transforms" broadcast at truthinaction.org which this week discusses the importance of having a Biblical worldview. It also includes a special feature about how the concept of truth is under siege in our society.”
URGENT PRAYERS/PETITIONS:Same -Sex "Marriage"- PLEASE PRAY WITH ME (every day untill the decision is revealed in the next 2 weeks) 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.]
"Prayers from Prison: American Pastor Held in Iran Releases Letter," May 22, 2013; http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/Prayerwatch?pw=1458"...Abedini has been held at the brutal prison for 238 days, enduring long stints in solitary confinement, and, according to his supporters, beatings and torture at the hands of his jailers and fellow inmates. For months, he has been suffering from serious injuries, including internal bleeding from beatings with no proper medical attention, according to his family and attorneys."(Sources: Fox News, Assemblies of God website) As the Lord leads, please PRAY: =1) For the imprisoned Pastor Abedini, and for those Iranians who tend to his needs in prison to treat him more humanely. 2) For his family in Boise, Idaho. and their efforts to involve the U.S. State Department in securing Pastor Abedini’s release. And 3) For the impact of his witness upon believers and non-believers, in America and across the world. And if you have not yet, join the over 600,000 worldwide who have signed the petition asking for his release at www.SaveSaed.org
"Imprisoned Chinese Pastor Near Death," CBNNews.com, May 29, 2013 http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/May/Imprisoned-Chinese-Pastor-near-Death/?cpid=EU_CWN_2013_151 It's life and death struggle for an imprisoned house church leader in China. Gong Shengliang once led an underground house church movement of more than 50,000 people called the South China Church. In 2001, the government convicted him of rape, arson, and leading a cult. Even though many witnesses later recanted their testimony, he remains in jail. In a recent report in Christianity Today, Gong's daughter says he is near death after years of torture and neglect. [PRAY: 1) that God would either cause the Chinese governement to relent and allow t pastor Shengliang to receive treatment OR that He would supernaturally bring healing to this faithful servant AND allow for his earliest release; 2) that God would bring comfort and strength to his family, and 3) that above all, God's will and purpose would be done and He would gain great glory through the pastor's suffering.]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"And I Won’t Forget the Men Who Died," May 20, 2013 (postd by Dr.Jerry Newfcomb at: http://www.truthinaction.org/index.php/2013/05/and-i-wont-forget-the-men-who-died/[NOTE: I did post an article similar to this last week but the following contains an esp. disturbing revelation about what a Muslim cleric was allowed to say at the funeral of some of our fallen soldiers. Our "P.C." military is Disgusting! - Stan]
On November 21, 1864, President Lincoln wrote to a Mrs. Bixby of Massachusetts, who had lost five sons in the Civil War. He wrote her, “I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.” Then he added this beautiful prayer: “I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.”
In his classic song, “Proud to be an American,” Lee Greenwood sings, “And I won’t forget the men who died who gave that right to me….” Yet it’s easy enough to forget that man or woman who gave that right to all of us. Memorial Day is a good time for all Americans to give thanks for our hard-fought freedoms. Think of the bloody footprints in the snow at Valley Forge from our soldiers who endured that savage winter of 1777-1778. They did it for us. Jesus said it best, “No greater love has anyone than that he lay down his life for his friends.” But are we using this freedom well?
In a cemetery in England, there’s a grave that states: “Remember man, as you walk by, As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, you soon will be. Prepare yourself and follow me.” Somebody scrawled underneath that message the following response: “To follow you I'll not consent, Until I know which way you went.”
Which direction is America heading? Political correctness rules the day, even to some extent in the military. I have to say it’s been disturbing lately to see some of the freedoms being taken away in the military itself. Will a Christian soldier be court-martialed, as recently reported in multiple sources, for sharing his faith in Christ with a fellow soldier? Is there a gigantic magnet in the military removing a soldier’s first amendment rights?
A friend of mine just recently finished training as a reserve-Army chaplain. He emailed me about my concerns. “Chaplains do FAR more than preach and do Bible studies. Our #1 role is to ensure that all soldiers (Army) are guaranteed the free exercise of their 1st Amendment rights. This is [done] by providing counsel to commanders and providing religious opportunities.” He added, “We aren't hired by the Government to do outreach, but we aren't prohibited either (yet). We are not hired to be evangelists. We are allowed to do outreach as long as it doesn't conflict or interfere with the mission of the unit. We are allowed (and encouraged) to FREELY express our particular faith values in our preaching and counseling.”
He also noted, “Soldiers love Chaplains. So much that our recent enemies had bounties on Chaplains for as much as $50K. Soldiers will protect their Chaplains.”
One family that knows the high price of our freedom is Billy and Karen Vaughn, parents of Aaron Vaughn, a Navy Seal whose helicopter was shot down on August 6, 2011 in Afghanistan. In a “Truth that Transforms” TV interview, Karen Vaughn told our viewers, “Memorial Day last year was probably one of the hardest days that we’ve suffered, probably worse than Christmas and Thanksgiving, Aaron’s birthday, anything, it was the hardest day and I think the reason why…was because it was the first time that we were personally affected by the cost of freedom.” She added, “We thought that we understood what it cost. I can tell you until you’re personally affected by it, you cannot possibly understand what this freedom costs; and it does make us fight more to try to make people understand what’s being sacrificed on their behalf.”
A recent revelation that is very disturbing about that helicopter being shot down involves political correctness in the initial memorial service for the dead---the 38 dead, including Aaron and 29 other Americans, and eight Afghanis. On May 9, 2013, Larry Klayman, president of FreedomWatch, held a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Billy and Karen Vaughn were among the speakers.The press conference revealed the disturbing news that the imam our military chose to honor the fallen (in August 2011 in Afghanistan), speaking in Arabic, condemned the American soldiers as “sinners and infidels who are fodder for the hell fire.” Thankfully, it is Jesus that has the final word on those matters. But must our military go down the path of political correctness?
I remember seeing a poignant political cartoon related to Memorial Day. It shows a man firing up his grill and going through his checklist of various items. It went along these lines: “Let’s see. I’ve got the hamburgers, the hot dogs, the buns, am I forgetting anything…?” Arising out of the grill is the smoke, and in the smoke are the faces of fallen soldiers, men and women, who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation’s freedom.
Freedom is not free, and it’s worth remembering that at Memorial Day, as well as all year round.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
In his classic song, “Proud to be an American,” Lee Greenwood sings, “And I won’t forget the men who died who gave that right to me….” Yet it’s easy enough to forget that man or woman who gave that right to all of us. Memorial Day is a good time for all Americans to give thanks for our hard-fought freedoms. Think of the bloody footprints in the snow at Valley Forge from our soldiers who endured that savage winter of 1777-1778. They did it for us. Jesus said it best, “No greater love has anyone than that he lay down his life for his friends.” But are we using this freedom well?
In a cemetery in England, there’s a grave that states: “Remember man, as you walk by, As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, you soon will be. Prepare yourself and follow me.” Somebody scrawled underneath that message the following response: “To follow you I'll not consent, Until I know which way you went.”
Which direction is America heading? Political correctness rules the day, even to some extent in the military. I have to say it’s been disturbing lately to see some of the freedoms being taken away in the military itself. Will a Christian soldier be court-martialed, as recently reported in multiple sources, for sharing his faith in Christ with a fellow soldier? Is there a gigantic magnet in the military removing a soldier’s first amendment rights?
A friend of mine just recently finished training as a reserve-Army chaplain. He emailed me about my concerns. “Chaplains do FAR more than preach and do Bible studies. Our #1 role is to ensure that all soldiers (Army) are guaranteed the free exercise of their 1st Amendment rights. This is [done] by providing counsel to commanders and providing religious opportunities.” He added, “We aren't hired by the Government to do outreach, but we aren't prohibited either (yet). We are not hired to be evangelists. We are allowed to do outreach as long as it doesn't conflict or interfere with the mission of the unit. We are allowed (and encouraged) to FREELY express our particular faith values in our preaching and counseling.”
He also noted, “Soldiers love Chaplains. So much that our recent enemies had bounties on Chaplains for as much as $50K. Soldiers will protect their Chaplains.”
One family that knows the high price of our freedom is Billy and Karen Vaughn, parents of Aaron Vaughn, a Navy Seal whose helicopter was shot down on August 6, 2011 in Afghanistan. In a “Truth that Transforms” TV interview, Karen Vaughn told our viewers, “Memorial Day last year was probably one of the hardest days that we’ve suffered, probably worse than Christmas and Thanksgiving, Aaron’s birthday, anything, it was the hardest day and I think the reason why…was because it was the first time that we were personally affected by the cost of freedom.” She added, “We thought that we understood what it cost. I can tell you until you’re personally affected by it, you cannot possibly understand what this freedom costs; and it does make us fight more to try to make people understand what’s being sacrificed on their behalf.”
A recent revelation that is very disturbing about that helicopter being shot down involves political correctness in the initial memorial service for the dead---the 38 dead, including Aaron and 29 other Americans, and eight Afghanis. On May 9, 2013, Larry Klayman, president of FreedomWatch, held a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Billy and Karen Vaughn were among the speakers.The press conference revealed the disturbing news that the imam our military chose to honor the fallen (in August 2011 in Afghanistan), speaking in Arabic, condemned the American soldiers as “sinners and infidels who are fodder for the hell fire.” Thankfully, it is Jesus that has the final word on those matters. But must our military go down the path of political correctness?
I remember seeing a poignant political cartoon related to Memorial Day. It shows a man firing up his grill and going through his checklist of various items. It went along these lines: “Let’s see. I’ve got the hamburgers, the hot dogs, the buns, am I forgetting anything…?” Arising out of the grill is the smoke, and in the smoke are the faces of fallen soldiers, men and women, who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation’s freedom.
Freedom is not free, and it’s worth remembering that at Memorial Day, as well as all year round.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
No comments:
Post a Comment