#672 (10/16) "Anti-Faith Sentiment Growing at Alarming Rate " ...

URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS:

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: "Syrian Christians Brace for Strike, Ask for Prayer," - by Gary Lane, August 31, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Syrian-Christians-Brace-for-Strike-Ask-for-Prayer/"As Syrians brace themselves for a possible U.S. military attack, many of the county's Christians are praying for divine intervention. They say military action against the Assad regime will only bring them greater hardship and suffering and they're asking Christians worldwide to pray that God intervenes to bring peace to their nation. They believe the collective prayers of Christians around the world could reverse an escalating conflict..."

[EGYPT - Continue to pray for the tense situation in Egypt and especially for the Christian believers who are being targeted with violence by Muslim Brotherhood members.]      

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST- Update on Kenneth Bae: "US Ready to Bargain with N. Korea for Bae's Release,"-  CBNNews.com,  Aug 14, 2013  http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/S-Ready-to-Bargain-with-N-Korea-for-Baes-Release/  - The United States is willing to engage North Korea to secure the release of imprisoned American Christian Kenneth Bae. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the United States is "willing to consider a number of different options" to bring him home.In a video recently released by a North Korean newspaper, Bae requested the United States send a high-ranking official to North Korea to seek his pardon. It is unclear if he spoke of his own volition in the video. Bae, 45, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for sharing his faith. He suffers health problems such as diabetes and is currently hospitalized.[PRAY for 1) God's healing of and presence with Pastor Bae, 2) His earliest release by the North Korean government, and 3) God's comfort for his family and friends.] 

Vigils Mark One Year Imprisonment of Pastor Saeed - CBNNews.com, Thursday, September 26, 2013 - Today marks one-year that American pastor Saeed Abedini has been held in an Iranian prison. He is serving an eight-year sentence because of his Christian faith. It has been a year of torment as he has suffered beatings, physical pain from untreated medical conditions, and separation from his wife and two children... The suffering has not dampened his passion for Jesus. Pastor Abedini has led more than 30 prisoners to Christ during his time in prison. This afternoon, thousands of Americans from coast to coast will pray for his release. Events will be held in 40 states at capitols, city halls, parks and churches. Thousands more will join from 15 nations around the world

PRAY: - For comfort and peace for Saeed’s wife and children here in the U.S.

- For a strong witness and testimony from Pastor Abedini in the prison where God has placed him

- For Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ

- BOLDly (Beside Our Leaders Daily) for leadership from the White House and State Department in defending the freedoms of Abedini and other Americans

- GO TO SaveSaeed.org to sign a petition over 600,000 others asking for his immediate release.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Anti-Faith Sentiment Growing at Alarming Rate," - By Paul Strand, October 15, 2013;

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2013/October/Anti-Faith-Sentiment-Growing-at-Alarming-Rate-/

WASHINGTON -- Hostility against Christian Americans is growing at an alarming rate, according to a new survey from the Family Research Council and Liberty Institute. The Liberty Institute's Jeff Mateer noted that while last year's survey was based on 600 cases, "this survey that we're releasing right now is almost 1,200. So we've almost doubled in just one year."

One such case involved college student Audrey Jarvis, who was asked twice to remove her cross, or at least hide it, at a student orientation. "My supervisor came up to me out of nowhere and asked me to remove my cross necklace because he thought it would be offensive to incoming freshmen," she recalled. Jarvis received an apology from her college, but couldn't forget how hurtful the man was who found her cross so objectionable. "I think he was just kind of ignorant to the fact that his words could offend me in attempting to not offend somebody else," she said.

In another case, Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Phillip Monk got in trouble with his lesbian commanding officer when she ordered him to answer how he felt about gay marriage. "This is about religious freedom because I expressly stated that I had a religious conviction that wouldn't allow me to answer the question the way it was posed to me," Monk said.

Former NFL running back Craig James found himself a victim of growing anti-faith sentiment when just one hour into a new job as a FOX Sports analyst, he was booted off the air. James and the Liberty Institute insist it was because a top network manager disapproved of a statement James made about gay marriage 15 months before in a political debate "They knew who I was, what I stood for," James told CBN News. "And I'm being punished -- I was fired -- for my religious beliefs." FOX says James just wasn't a good fit, but Liberty Institute is fighting to get James his job back. "This is not about Craig James," the former NFL running back said. "This is about an American who had a job and someone came back -- a big corporation -- and said, 'Hey, we can't allow you on our network because of your belief and definition of what marriage is.'"

With some 1,200 cases like these documented in the new Religious Hostility Survey, Mateer says he's frightened for his country. "The threats are increasing at a dramatic rate, and this survey demonstrates that," Mateer said.

Mat Staver's Liberty Council also fights for the rights of people of faith. "What we're seeing is instead of religious liberty being protected as it is affirmed by the First Amendment, people of religious faith, particularly Christians, are finding themselves the targets of discrimination," Staver said.

Sgt. Monk says now when Christians facing hostility must hold steady, mostly for other believers. "They need to see us stand firm in our faith," he told CBN News. "And when they see that, I think we'll see a turn of events." Mateer noted that when believers fight back, they almost always win. So only by meekly accepting defeat will they let the enemies of religion triumph. "They've stated their objective is to remove God from our public life. Well, if we remain silent, that's going to happen," Mateer warned.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

Jesus or Government Cheese? - 

State official forces Christian charity to make a choice - By Bill Noles;  http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/morality-in-america

A Christian ministry in Florida is at odds with the federal government over Jesus and cheese.

The story began when a Florida state agriculture department official told Christian Services Center (CSC) they would not be allowed to receive United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) food unless they removed portraits of Christ, the Ten Commandments, a banner that read “Jesus is Lord” and stopped giving out Bibles to those who attended.

The Lake City food pantry has provided meals for poor, low-income and homeless residents of the small northern Florida town for over 31 years. When a state government worker showed up to negotiate a new contract with the Christian charity, the ministry was informed of the violations.

“The (worker) told us there was a slight change in the contract,” said Kay Daly, executive director of the CSC. “They said we could no longer have religious information where the USDA food is being distributed. They told us we had to take that stuff down.” Daly said they were told it was a matter of separation of church and state.

The Florida Department of Agriculture said they were following the guidelines written by the USDA. “This program is a USDA-funded program and the requirements were outlined by the USDA,” spokesperson Amanda Bevis told Fox News. “This agency administers the program on the state level. Our staff did provide a briefing to CSC following turnover in leadership at CSC and did review the USDA requirements.”

A USDA spokesperson explained that “under current law, organizations that receive USDA nutrition assistance can still engage in religious activities so long as the activity is not used to create a barrier to eligible individuals receiving food.”

As part of its food distribution, CSC prays with its clients and asks them if they would like to learn more about Christ. “When we meet with them to get an understanding of the crisis or need, we ask them if they know Jesus Christ and if we may share with them. If they decline, we don’t. If they do want to, we share the Gospel with them,” Daly told The Christian Post. “Sometimes we lead them to the Lord and sometimes we don’t.” Although the CSC doesn’t make acceptance of Christ or Christian material mandatory, the potential discomfort that individuals could feel was seen as a barrier by the state agency.

It is unclear why the CSC was asked in the new contract to take their signs down. An Executive Order allows faith-based organizations the right to provide assistance without “removing or altering religious art, icons, scriptures or other symbols from these facilities.” Daly said it’s no secret that the CSC is faith-based. “We’ve got pictures of Christ on more than one wall,” she said. “It’s very clear we are not social services. We are a Christian ministry.”

The government contract also forbade CSC from providing Bibles and referencing their chapel. CSC was told they could continue distributing USDA food so long as it was somewhere else on the property – away from anything that could be considered religious.

CSC had a choice – choose Jesus or government cheese. They would not compromise. “We decided to eliminate the USDA food and we’re going to trust God to provide,” Daly said. “If God can multiply fish and loaves for 10,000 people, he can certainly bring in food for our food pantry so we can continue to feed the hungry.” “We are a Christian ministry,” she said. “Our purpose is to help people in need and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are going to pray with them. We are going to offer them a Bible. We are going to counsel them in Christian help. We are going to use our chapel.”

Local churches and residents of Lake City are stepping up and filling the void left by the USDA.

“I’m called to do what the Lord tells me to do,” Daly said. “I’m not called to worry about it. I pray about it. The Lord answers our prayers and we move forward one day at a time, one person at a time.”

[Please] pray:

• That organizations like CSC will continue to serve the less fortunate with or without the USDA’s help
• That Christians in America will step in to fill the void
• That the Lord will bless those who serve the poor
• [That people of faith will continue to have the freedom to conduct their businesses without being restricted in exercising their Constitutional religious freedoms.]

Bill Noles Jr. is an entrepreneur, author and writer. Married for over 30 years, he is a father of two sons and grandfather of four children. He and his wife Diann live in Tucson, AZ.