PRAY FOR AMERICA: THANK GOD for His many blessings on America throughout it's history. May we then ask that AMERICA once again be a blessing TO GOD, by once again submitting to HIS will in our affairs - both personal and national - that He may truly "heal our land." (2 Chron. 7:14)
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:
April 22 - LATEST SAHEED NEWS! "Saeed Sends Easter Message from Hospital Bed" - CBNNews.com, ; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/April/Saeed-Sends-Easter-Message-from-Hospital-Bed/ "Sometimes we want to experience the glory and resurrection with Jesus without experiencing death with Him," Abedini wrote. "We do not realize that unless we pass through the path of death with Christ, we are not able to experience resurrection with Christ."Abedini signed the message from a "prisoner of darkness in Iran, but free for the kingdom and light."
We need to continue to pray for Pastor Saeed - that his health will improve and that he will be re-united with his wife and two young children who live in the United States. We also remain hopeful that in addition to getting the medical care he so desperately needs, that Iranian officials display the kind of humanitarian treatment that often accompanies the start of the Iranian New Year which began on March 21st. This is the time of year when the Iranian government frequently offers clemency to prisoners of conscience. [If you have not yet, please sign the petition for his clemency- http://beheardproject.com/saeed#sign]
PRAY ALSO : - 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
The U.S. State Department believes the Russian army is now prepared to launch an invasion of eastern Ukraine if President Vladimir Putin decides to pull the trigger, according to a senior Administration official."At this point, they are amassed and they could go at a moment’s notice if Putin gave the go ahead," the official said...Top Ukrainian security officials said Thursday that Russia now has 100,000 troops on its side of the Russia-Ukraine border.(Sources: CBS News, Washington Post, Huffington Post, Daily Beast)
As the Lord leads, please pray:
*For God to suppress President Putin’s ambitions to "restore" the Soviet empire.
*For the people of Ukrainen [esp. for the church 'to be THE church'] as they wait to see if the Russian troops will advance.
*About President Obama and to use wisdom in crafting our foreign policy, and wisdom for his advisers.
NEWS/PRAYER ALERT!"Kim Jong-un Calls for Execution of 33 Christians" - 3/7/2014; http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/Prayerwatch?pw=3651 "North Korea tyrant Kim Jong-un has reportedly ordered that 33 Christians believed to be working alongside South Korean Baptist missionary Kim Jung-wook be put to death. The South Korean missionary - who was arrested last year - and his accomplices have reportedly started 500 or so underground churches..."[PRAY that the plans for execution would be rescinded, and these believers released.] [Che\ck out: They'll Be Dead By Morning (What Difference Will It Make) http://loristanleyroeleveld.blogspot.com/2014/03/theyll-be-dead-by-morning-what.html
NEWS ALERT/PRAISE! "Iran Allows Surgery on Ailing, Imprisoned Pastor" - CBNNews.com,March 07, 2014;http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/March/Iran-Allows-Dire-Surgery-on-Ailing-Imprisoned-Pastor-/ The Iranian government has finally allowed doctors to perform surgery on imprisoned Pastor Benham Irani.Irani suffered from a herniated disc and bleeding intestines and urgently needed medical care. PRAY for the final release of Pastor Irani and others imprisoned for their faith.
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.]
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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.]
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The days of comfortable Christianity are over. Even in the good ol’ U. S. of A. So what do we do now?
Yesterday I spoke with you about the increasing hostility toward those of us who disagree with the ongoing normalization of homosexual conduct and so-called “gay marriage.” In recent months we’ve seen people as varied as pro football players, TV stars, restaurant owners, wedding photographers, and others face fines, suspensions, and even the loss of their livelihoods for failing to celebrate the new sexual orthodoxy.
We’re going to have to get used to it, I’m afraid. At a recent prayer breakfast in Washington, DC, Professor Robert George, chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, said it more eloquently than I can.
“The days of acceptable Christianity are over. . . It's no longer easy to be a faithful Christian. . . They threaten us with consequences if we refuse to call what is good, evil, and what is evil, good. They demand us to conform our thinking to their orthodoxy, or else say nothing at all.”
And what happens if we don’t go along?
According to George: “To be a witness to the Gospel today is to make oneself a marked man or woman. It is to expose oneself to scorn and reproach. ... One may in consequence of one’s public witness, be discriminated against, denied education opportunities and the prestigious credentials they offer, one may lose valuable opportunities of employment or professional advancement.”
Of course, many Christians around the world already face this and a much worse kind of persecution, so we shouldn’t be surprised. It comes with the territory for faithful Christians.
So what does this mean for us? First, as I said yesterday, it doesn’t mean that we can be silent. Sometimes we simply must speak because our responsibility to truth doesn’t change, whether it is accepted or not. But as we speak, let’s realize that the basic cultural foundations for people to understand Christian truth, particularly in marriage and sexuality, have crumbled.
We’re not a culture of “The Cosby Show” anymore. We’re a culture of “Modern Family.” What people think is normal has changed. By the way, that’s a basic definition of culture—whatever a group of people considers to be normal. And once normal has changed, and when good is called evil and evil is called good, we have to take up the task of rebuilding and restoring. We’ve got to make our case, winsomely. As others have said, the gospel is an invitation, not an ultimatum. And we have to make the case with our words and with our lives.
Also, we must never forget that bad ideas have bad consequences for real people. And so we’re seeing everywhere victims of brokenness. Sexual “freedom” so called, has enslaved an awful lot of people. And we’ll become ultimately ineffective as the church if we soft pedal or bury our moral vocabulary.
And yet we must do more. We must do the costly, time-consuming work not only of speaking, but of listening. The church needs to become a place of refuge and transformation for victims of sexual brokenness. And as we build this kind of redeemed community, we’re going to have to acknowledge the failures in our own ranks, and we’ve had plenty. We need to become a place where people can actually go and hear the truth. But people won’t hear our words if our lives keep getting in the way.
With every ‘No’ about sexual and other sins, there’s got to be a big gospel “Yes.” People who are enslaved to porn and suffer different forms of brokenness need to be able to come to the church and find answers. The church needs to offer hope and solutions. We need to say, “Here’s an option. Here’s the hope; here’s the gospel; here’s the truth; here’s Jesus; and here’s the cross.”
I’m not proposing cultural withdrawal. I am proposing a new form of cultural engagement, a form of engagement I discussed at length with Dr. Russell Moore on the most recent BreakPoint This Week. Come to BreakPoint.org to listen.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
RESOURCES:
"With the Days of Comfortable, Acceptable Christianity Now Over, Don't Be Ashamed of the Gospe Robert George Encourages" - Napp Nazworth | Christian Post | May 14, 2014; http://www.christianpost.com/news/with-the-days-of-comfortable-acceptable-christianity-now-over-dont-be-ashamed-of-the-gospel-robert-p-george-encourages-119688/
"Christians & Cultural Engagement: The Why and the How" - John Stonestreet, Dr. Russell Moore | BreakPoint This Week |May 16, 2014; https://www.breakpoint.org/features-columns/discourse/entry/15/25252?spMailingID=8631294&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=302140209&spReportId=MzAyMTQwMjA5S0
"The Irony of the New Tolerance- It Doesn't Tolerate Christians", By: John Stonestreet|Breakpoint.org : May 19, 2014;http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/25251
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