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)
7/1 - PRAY - 3 Israeli Teens Found Murdered - PRAY esp. for the comfort of the 3 families who lost their teenage sons just discovered murdered by Islamist terrorists after being missing for almost3 weeks. PRAY that those responsible might come to know God and His mercy before they have to face His justice. PRAY that Israel will determine a just and measured response to these murders.
7/1 - PRAY - "Boko Haram Attack Christians, Burn Down Churches in Nigeria" - 7/1/2014;http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/Prayerwatch?pw=7997 - " Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram has killed scores of worshipers and burned down four churches in a major attack on Christians in Kwada and Kautikari villages in Nigeria. As the Lord leads, please pray: For the Christians of Nigeria living in fear of the Boko Haram. 2) About the rampant rise of Islamist militancy in Africa and the Middle East.
Contact President Obama to Get Miriam Out of Sudan: http://members.opendoorsusa.org/site/MessageViewer?dlv_id=100961&em_id=70401.0
ANSWERED PRAYER! 'SCOTUS Hands Hobby Lobby an HHS Mandate Victory" - By Paul Strand, June 30, 2014; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2014/June/CEO-Hobby-Lobby-Case-Strikes-at-Heart-of-US-Life/ WASHINGTON -- In a victory for Hobby Lobby, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that profit-seeking businesses such as the arts and crafts chain can hold religious views under federal law. ... Kristina Arriaga is executive director of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, the legal group representing the Hobby Lobby owners. She told CBN News if Hobby Lobby had lost, federal fines would have crushed them, adding that the Green family wasn't asking much of the government. "They have a terrific health care plan and all they objected to was four out of 20 FDA-mandated drugs," Arriaga said of the owners. "And the government said 'fine. You don't have to provide them and we'll fine you $1.6 million a day.' The fines would have been crushing."
ANSWERED PRAYER! "High Court Strikes Down Abortion Clinic Buffer Zones" - CBNNews.com, June 26, 2014; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2014/June/High-Court-Voids-35-foot-Abortion-Clinic-Buffer/ - The Supreme Court handed a victory to pro-lifers Thursday.The justices unanimously struck down a 2007 Massachusetts law that created a 35-foot protest-free zone outside abortion clinics in Massachusetts. [AS I SEE IT: As one who used to pray outside of abortion clinics, this is a great decision, esp. as it was UNANIMOUS! - Stan]
ANSWERED PRAYER! " Sudan Mom Sentenced to Die for Faith Set Free - CBNNews.com, June 23, 2014: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/June/Sudan-Mom-Sentenced-to-Die-for-Faith-Set-Free/ :The Sudanese mother condemned to die for refusing to renounce her Christian faith has been set free, according to her attorney. Meriam Ibrahim's release came after her sentence was overturned by an appellate court..."
Month of RAMADAN - Please make note that the Muslim month of Ramadam this year is June 28-July 27. This is the second year I will join with the over 1 billion Muslims in their annual time of prayer and fasting (sun-up to sun-down each day) and ask God to reveal Himself to them in dreams and visions. As this is the time each year when they are most open to spiritual things, I ask you to join me that God would speak clearly to each one and come to lead millions to leave their kingdom of darkness for Jesus' kingdom of light. (Col. 1:13-14) - Stan
RAMADAN 2014 - Day #6 - Goodness - As Trian lay bleeding from wounds inflicted by the secret polics, he begged his friend to pray with him for h is persecutors. Stunned by the request, he knelt and prayed. Father, help us to always seek another person's highest good, even when mistreated. May Your goodness and mercy be every present in these believers' lives as a witness to their Muslim neighbors. from Open Doors Ramadan Prayer Guide for the Persecuted Church.
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.
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.
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.]
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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.]
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Iraqi Kurdish forces take position June 29 as they fight jihadists from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the Iraqi village of Bashir. (Photo: AFP/Newscom)
With the rapid advance in Iraq of the deadly terrorist group calling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), political leaders and policy analysts are concerned not only with regional security in the Middle East but with new threats to America’s national security.
In Part 1 of this interview (post # 925), The Heritage Foundation’s expert in Middle Eastern affairs, James Phillips, laid out why Americans should pay attention to the growing turmoil in Iraq. Now, in Part 2, Phillips shares the strategy he thinks the Obama administration should adopt to fend off another 9/11. He also explains why “it may be too late” to achieve some of the nation’s goals in Iraq.
The Daily Signal: President Obama publicly announced, “We will not be sending U.S. troops back into combat in Iraq.” What do you think of that decision?
Phillips: I think, as usual, the White House’s foreign policy statements are targeted primarily for a domestic political audience – its liberal supporters. This approach undermines the perceived value of security ties to the United States for a broad international audience. No American experts were calling for the deployment of combat troops on the ground, so there was no pressing need to rule out such a policy. But publicly announcing a ban on ground troops further undermines Iraq’s Shia-dominated government and emboldens ISIS and other Sunni insurgents.
Q: What strategy do you think the Obama administration should deploy to contain this crisis?
A: The Obama administration correctly has deployed special forces to assess the fast-moving situation on the ground and gather intelligence on ISIS that would facilitate future air strikes. The administration belatedly has recognized the need for intelligence, counterterrorism, and training capabilities that Iraqi security forces were deprived of when U.S. troops were withdrawn in December 2011.
Unfortunately, it is now too late to stuff the ISIS genie back in the bottle. Iraq is dissolving into an ISIS-dominated Sunnistan in the west, an Iran-dominated Shiastan in the south and a Kurdish autonomous region in the north that is increasingly independent of Baghdad. The best that Washington can do now is to help stem the ISIS advance on Baghdad through drone and air strikes, try to peel away support for ISIS by Sunni tribal militias, and help build a more inclusive and broad-based government in Baghdad. It may be too late to accomplish these goals.
Q: If Iraq were a true republic, what direction do you think the majority would want to go and why?
A: Iraqis are sick and tired of civil disorder, sectarian violence, and misrule by a heavy-handed government. They yearn for political stability and a reformed, transparent, and effective government.But Iran, which is the big winner in the current crisis because Baghdad has become more dependent on its security assistance, has other ideas. Iran seeks to bolster the power of its Shia allies and turn them into pliable surrogates. Saudi Arabia and other Sunni states in the Persian Gulf also are waging a proxy war against Iranian influence by supporting Sunni Arab tribes and other Sunni militant groups. Most Iraqis are caught in the middle of this crossfire.
Q: You coined a phrase, “petro-Islam.” Can you explain what this means and why it matters?
A: I actually borrowed it from the late Fouad Ajami, a brilliant Middle East scholar who most recently worked at the Hoover Institution. It is a reference to the huge transfer of wealth from oil importers to oil-exporting states, which has fueled the rise of Islamist groups in the Muslim world.
Saudi Arabia has used petro-dollars to finance the propagation of Islam’s Wahhabi religious teachings, while Iran has used its oil revenues to finance the export of its radical Shia brand of Islamist revolution. Al-Qaeda is financed in large part by private donors and Islamic networks in the oil-rich Gulf kingdoms. All of these petro-Islamic forces are now clashing in Iraq with disastrous results for Iraqis and for the long-term security interests of the United States and its allies.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
For more of James Phillips’ insight and analysis, see articles referenced at the end of Part 1.
Kelsey Harkness is a news producer at The Daily Signal.
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