NEWS/PRAYER ALERT! Divided Country: Ukrainians Count the Cost of Change - By George Thomas, February 25, 2014;http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/February/Ukrainians-Facing-Uncertain-Future/ KIEV, Ukraine -- "President Viktor Yanukovych, facing an arrest warrant, is still on the run as the country prepares for elections to replace him. Meanwhile, for many anti-government protesters in Ukraine, like Yevgeniy Sikunov, the future remains uncertain... Meanwhile, many say it is hard to predict which direction the country will go. There's talk of splitting Ukraine in two as supporters and opponents of Yanukovych clash with growing frequency.
NEWS/PRAYER ALERT! "Ukraine President Becomes Fugitive from Justice "- By George Thomas, Monday, February 24, 2014; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/February/Opposition-Takes-Presidency-in-Divided-Ukraine/ KIEV, Ukraine -- The former president of Ukraine is a fugitive from justice Monday. The country's interim government issued an arrest warrant for Viktor Yanukovich after the mass killings of civilians last week. Yanukovch fled the capital Saturday and reportedly is in hiding in eastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainians are mourning the loss of more than 100 people killed in clashes between riot police and protesters. That sadness is settling over a country facing dramatic political changes...On Saturday, Ukraine's parliament stunned the nation by voting overwhelmingly to impeach Yanukovych. Hours later, members of parliament picked Oleksandr Turchynov, a prominent evangelical Christian, as interim president until new elections in May. "Christians were praying on Independence Square," Pastor Kaluzhny said. "We were praying in our churches. People around the world were praying for us, and God did a miracle! Ukraine is a new country." What happens next is uncertain.
As the Lord leads, please pray:
-That the turmoil in Ukraine will be resolved
-That the leaders of Ukraine will be able to peacefully resolve their impasse
-Safety for those trapped by the violence in the nation
SIGN NEW PETITION - (Jan. 27) American Pastor Saheed Abidini - An Iranian leader has said that clemency for the pastor after almost 1 and 1/2 years being falsely imprisoned. Please sign this new petition at: http://beheardproject.com/ 2/6 - PRAISE GOD that after pastor Abedini has been unjustly imprisoned for over a year and a half, President Obama finally spoke out himself for the pastor's release as well as that of Ken Bae from North Korea (see below)!
SIGN A PETITION TO THE UN FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHRISTIANS :" The church in Syria has shone brightly for 2,000 years. But today violence and persecution threatens its survival. Thanks to an incredible response, Open Doors is helping 8,000 families in Syria survive each month. We believe the signatures and prayers of 500,000 people will encourage the UN to act and protect the rights and lives of all Syrians, especially the vulnerable Christian community." Go to: http://lp.opendoorsusa.org/emails/nov-13-action/save-syria.html?utm_source=action&utm_medium=email&utm_content=button&utm_campaign=november
WORLD-WDE PRAYER REQUESTS:
Oct. 23: "Christians Fleeing IRAQ Area Once Considered Safe," - CBNNews.com, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/October/Christians-Fleeing-Iraq-Area-Once-Considered-Safe/ PRAY that believers in Iraq will know God's protection and provision; that believers will know[ whether they are called to flee or remain and persevere; and that their persecutors may come to hear the gospel and come to faith in Christ. - Stan]
Continue to Pray for 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.]
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/ - 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.]
November 04, 2013 - Saeed's Life in [Greater] Jeopardy After Prison Transfer - CBNNews.com, ; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/November/Saeeds-Life-in-Jeopardy-after-Prison-Transfer/ IRAN - 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.
November 04, 2013 - Saeed's Life in [Greater] Jeopardy After Prison Transfer - CBNNews.com, ; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/November/Saeeds-Life-in-Jeopardy-after-Prison-Transfer/ IRAN - 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.
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
- 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
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"That Good Old "Do-Nothing" Congress" - By Israel Ortega, February 17, 2014 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[AS I SEE IT: To what this article argues, I would add that we often hear that the Congress has much lower approval ratings than the President and that Americans have a "throw all the bums out" attitude. First of all, I think that we should remember that the administration represents a team of people who think and act alike, ie. as the President dictates. The "Congress," on the other hand, has 2 distinct parts (Houses) each controlled by a different political party and essentially a different political philosophy. It would therefore be more accurate to determine WHICH house the people are disappointed with, esp. as the House of Representatives (controlled by conservative Republicans) has enacted a truck-load of bills since 2010 that the more liberal Senate has blocked again and again. Furthermore, rather than "throw ALL the bums out," I believe it it would be more accurate to say that Americans would most want to throw out CERTAIN members of Congress who are doing very little if anything to advance the very best interests of the American people. In other words, let's not forget there are a good number of members who are actually doing a good job and they should have the support and I trust the continued prayers of the American people. Therefor, I say let's pray that in the upcoming elections this November (and it's NOT too soon to begin praying about them), God will "shed His grace upon America" and lead us to throw out those who are not working in our best interests.- Stan]
Oftentimes, people fret that Congress isn’t doing anything. But is that such a bad thing?
The divide of the will of the people (that Congress is supposed to represent) from the priorities of lawmakers and the agenda of the executive branch has likely never been wider. If this sounds like hyperbole, it shouldn’t. Poll after poll continues to show that the American people are absolutely fed up with Washington and the institution that is Congress. Liberals may retort by saying the American people actually want Congress enacting more laws, but that’s really a clever reading of public polls [1] that suggest people are looking for a reprieve (even a temporary one) from an ever-expanding federal government.
The fact is that Congress does need intractability. With the exception of a few targeted pieces of legislation, Congress really needs just to lie low. There are certainly pressing issues like entitlement reform that warrant immediate and ambitious reforms, but it’s obvious to everyone that as long as Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) is the Majority Leader and President Obama is in the White House, any meaningful reforms will need to be shelved until there is bold conservative representation that is absolutely dedicated to shaking the status quo.
This, however, does not mean that the American people should not sound the alarm in the meantime because of reckless federal spending and the cozy relationship between the political and special interest classes. We have a $17 trillion deficit and a federal government that has only gotten bigger regardless of which party is in power.
Sadly, our government is still largely controlled by special interests, lobbyists and consultants. Need proof? Look at the farm bill. This Frankenstein of a bill cobbles together subsidies for farmers and the wealthy, including Bruce Springsteen [2], under the guise of helping America’s hungry.And despite the ascent of the tea party, lawmakers are sadly still beholden to the powerful forces that fill their campaign fund coffers.
But this doesn’t mean that conservatives in Congress simply need to give up.Again, on specific and targeted issues, conservatives should be leading the charge for ideas that empower the American people, not bureaucrats. We know these ideas are a reality. At the Heritage Action for America Conservative Policy Summit[3], lawmaker after lawmaker talked about common-sense solutions that the American people could easily support.
A good example of this is education reform–the need to drastically alter the broken education system through greater accountability, transparency and choice. At the summit, liberal commentator and Fox News contributor Juan Williams joined Heritage’s Lindsey Burke to talk about the benefits of school choice [4].
If we continue to elevate these important issues, more and more Americans will surely recognize that Washington is not only broken, but in serious need of new leadership. Congress enjoys an approval rating at a record low of 9 percent [5].
Some may describe the current state of affairs as gridlock, but the truth is that this actually resembles more of what our Founding Fathers envisioned when designing our democratic republic grounded in the idea of the “consent of the governed.” Intractability in defense of liberty is most certainly virtuous.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
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Article printed from The Foundry: Conservative Policy News from The Heritage Foundation: http://blog.heritage.org; URL to article: http://blog.heritage.org/2014/02/17/good-old-nothing-congress/
URLs in this post:
[1] public polls: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2014/images/02/03/rel3b.pdf
[2] Bruce Springsteen: http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21595953-congress-passes-bill-gives-bipartisanship-bad-name-trillion-trough
[3] Conservative Policy Summit: http://blog.heritage.org/2014/02/10/conservative-policy-summit-brings-together-9-reformers-talk-big-bold-ideas/
[4] benefits of school choice: http://blog.heritage.org/2014/02/10/tim-scott-juan-williams-agree-school-choice-policy-summit/
[5] 9 percent: http://www.gallup.com/poll/165809/congressional-approval-sinks-record-low.aspx
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