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)
PRAY FOR the U.S. Supreme Court as it prepares to hand down 17 decisions before the end of this month. ["Supreme Court to Rule on 17 Cases by End of Month" - Kara Jones | Jun 16, 2014; http://townhall.com/tipsheet/karajones/2014/06/16/supreme-court-has-17-cases-to-decide-by-junes-end-n1852016?utm_source=thdailypm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl_pm
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:
6/13 - PRAY FOR THE CRISIS HAPPENING NOW IN IRAQ (see post #907)
(6/12-7/13) PRAY for the WORLD CUP IN BRAZIL - that God will show favor to the many thousands who are there to present the message of Christ to the athletes and visitors from around the world. May many return to their home countries having come to Christ and sharing that same new faith with family and friends.
"Will You Pray for Meriam? - A Christian Woman’s Nightmare": By: Eric Metaxas| Breakpoint.org,: June 12, 2014 ;http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/25394?spMailingID=8798979&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=321046582&spReportId=MzIxMDQ2NTgyS0 - A Sudanese Christian mother has been sentenced to death for apostasy
LATEST SAHEED NEWS! May 22 - "Pastor Saeed Forcibly Returned to Prison after Beating" - By Caitlin Burke,CBN News, May 22, 2014;http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/May/Pastor-Saeed-Beaten-Sent-Back-to-Iran-Prison/ "Saeed Abedini, a U.S. pastor imprisoned for his faith, was severely beaten at an Iranian hospital before being returned to the brutal Rajai Shahr prison. His Iranian family claims the transfer was unexpected and the reason is unclear. But one of the guards involved in the transfer suggested recent Iranian nuclear talks could be a motive, the family said...""
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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ISIS: 'A revolutionary movement that uses terrorism to impose its will.' (Photo: Transterra Media/Polaris/Newscom)Four letters are topping headlines around the world: ISIS. Pinned at the center of the crisis in Iraq, it’s hard to read or watch the news without hearing the name.Despite shaking up global security, the group remains a mystery to many Americans.
So who are they? The short answer: the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (or al-Sham). But that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of this complex, brutally violent terrorist group.
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Signal, The Heritage Foundation’s expert in Middle Eastern affairs, James Phillips, breaks down the basics of ISIS, explains how they came to power, and discusses the threat they pose to Americans both at home and abroad.
The Daily Signal: First off, who and what is ISIS?
Phillips: The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is an al-Qaeda offshoot that seeks to overthrow the governments of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, and establish an Islamic state governed by a harsh and brutal interpretation of Islamic law. Its long-term goals are to launch a jihad (holy war) to drive Western influence out of the Middle East, destroy Israel and become the nucleus of a global Islamic empire.
It is composed of Sunni Muslims drawn to radical Islamist ideology. Most of its members are Iraqi and Syrian Arabs, although it has attracted a wide range of foreign militants, especially Arabs from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Libya, Yemen, and Egypt.
Q: How long has ISIS been around and why are they just now on the move?
A: The group initially was established in Iraq in 2004 by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Palestinian Islamist extremist born in Jordan, who formerly was one of the estimated 25,000 foreign Muslims who flocked to Afghanistan after 1979 to fight the Soviets. He was a close associate of Osama bin Laden, although he did not formally join al-Qaeda until 2004 when he was recognized as the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq. Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. airstrike in 2006 and his organization was decimated by a U.S.-led counterterrorism campaign. But the group made a comeback in Iraq after the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2011, which took the pressure off it. Also, Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki’s Shia-dominated government alienated Sunni Iraqis, driving many of them to see ISIS as the lesser evil.
Q: So what exactly is ISIS trying to accomplish?
A: ISIS is a violent Islamist extremist group that is determined to impose its harsh totalitarian Islamist ideology on all Muslims, kill off apostates (defined as all Muslims that do not accept its brand of Islam), subjugate all non-Muslims and build a radical Islamic state that will launch an unending jihad until it has created a global Islamic empire. It is a revolutionary movement that uses terrorism to impose its will.
Q: What about these reports of ISIS beheading and crucifying their fellow Muslims?
A: ISIS proudly videotapes and broadcasts its brutal treatment of its enemies and those who violate its radical interpretation of Islamic law. It has cited the Koran to justify beheading and crucifixion. Its victims reportedly are usually killed first before being strung up for display on a cross.
Q: How do they compare to groups we’re more familiar with, like al-Qaeda and the Taliban?
A: ISIS began as an affiliate of al-Qaeda before it broke away from the core al-Qaeda leadership in 2013 in a dispute over leadership of the jihad in Syria. It now rejects the leadership of Bin Laden’s successor, Ayman al-Zawahiri, who criticized its extreme brutality, which has alienated many Muslims.
This is a dispute about tactics, but not long-term strategy. It may also be prompted by a personal rivalry between Zawahiri and ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who may see himself as Bin Laden’s true successor. ISIS shares a common ideology with its al-Qaeda parent and Taliban cousin.
Q: How does Syria and the rest of the region fit into the picture?
A: ISIS carved out a sanctuary in Syria after the beginning of the Syrian rebellion in 2011. Many of its members belong to Sunni Arab tribes that straddle the Iraq-Syrian border. It has launched attacks in Jordan, Lebanon and seeks to attack Israel, which it has pledged to destroy. Although its ideology is repellent to many Muslims, it has exploited the sectarian civil wars in Iraq and Syria to advance its own power.
Q: How big of a threat is ISIS to Americans, both at home and abroad?
A: ISIS leader Baghdadi threatened to launch attacks in the “heart” of America in 2012. ISIS has been recruiting foreign Islamist militants, including Americans and Europeans, who have flocked to the jihad in Syria. These recruits pose a potential threat to Americans abroad and to the U.S. homeland. Unfortunately, ISIS is on the verge of creating a huge terrorist sanctuary in western Iraq and eastern Syria, which will be a greater threat to the U.S. and its allies than Afghanistan was before 9/11.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
For more analysis from James Phillips, read:
"The Iraq Meltdown: What Next?" http://dailysignal.com/2014/06/13/iraq-meltdown-next/
"Iraq: Fall of Mosul Spells Disaster for U.S. Counterterrorism Policy"- http://dailysignal.com/2014/06/11/fall-mosul-spells-disaster-u-s-counterterrorism-iraq-policies/
"To Defeat Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Stronger Cooperation Needed" -
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/06/to-defeat-al-qaeda-in-iraq-stronger-counterterrorism-cooperation-needed
"Al-Qaeda Seeks American Recruits in Syria" - http://dailysignal.com/2014/01/10/al-qaeda-seeks-american-recruits-syria/
"Al-Qaeda Resurges in Iraq" - http://dailysignal.com/2014/01/07/al-qaeda-resurges-iraq/
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