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)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 #9 Self-Control - "Lord, prevent me from being like Peter. I am about to give up," prayed Idris after receiving a severe beating. Father, we pray today for believers who are tempted almost beyond what they can humanly bear. Fill them with your power to endure, with Your wisdom to speak boldly, and with Your strength to overcome, giving you all the glory. - from Open Doors Ramadan Prayer Guide for the Persecuted Church.
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..."
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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On this Fourth of July, we present Chuck Colson from a 1997 broadcast, reflecting on what it means to be a Christian and a patriot.
Quick, what famous event do we commemorate on the Fourth of July? Not sure? A little rusty on your 6th-grade civics? Well, you're in good company. A Gallup poll reveals that one out of every four Americans does not know that the Fourth of July commemorates the Declaration of Independence.
And by the way, the same number can't tell you what country we declared independence from.
It's a poor patriotism that doesn't even know our national history and traditions. Let's take this Fourth of July and ask what it means, in the light of Scripture, to be an American citizen.
Patriotism used to be a simple matter. Most of America's traditions were rooted in a Christian heritage. To be a good Christian seemed to be synonymous with being a good American. And no wonder. Through most of our history as a nation, Christianity was the dominant religion. At the birth of our nation, the founding fathers declared a national day of prayer and thanksgiving—a holiday we still celebrate.
From that time on, many states required the Christian religion to be taught in colleges, prisons, and orphanages. Up until the 1960s, many states required Bible reading and prayers in the public schools. Textbooks referred to God without embarrassment. Almost all Americans agreed that our law was rooted, as John Adams said, in a common moral and religious tradition stretching back to Moses on Mount Sinai.
In a culture like that, it was easy for a Christian to be a patriot. Maybe too easy.Vibrant biblical faith often degenerated into a mere civil religion, where the well-being of the country was often equated with the expansion of God's Kingdom.
But today the dominant culture is certainly no longer Christian. Many of our cultural and intellectual leaders have come to reject the major values and institutions of American life—especially its religious values and institutions.This movement is sometimes called the adversary culture, for it criticizes the American system while praising other political systems—even communism at the height of the gulag. During the Vietnam War, actress Jane Fonda told a student audience that if they only understood communism, and I quote, "you would hope, you would pray on your knees that we would someday be communists." Well, it's a long way from the founding fathers declaring a day of prayer and thanksgiving to Jane Fonda urging us to pray for the overthrow of the American system.
But where in this range of attitudes is true Christian patriotism? The Christian position is beautifully balanced. On the one hand, we don't deify our country. We don't wrap the flag around the cross. For we know that our ultimate citizenship is in heaven, and that's where our ultimate allegiance is.
But at the same time, the only place for expressing that allegiance is in concrete loyalties God has called us to here on earth—including loyalty to country. We can't love mankind in the abstract; we can only really love people in the particular, concrete relationships God has placed us in—in our family, church, community... and our nation. The Christian has the balanced understanding.
So celebrate the Fourth of July this year by thanking God that while He has called you into His kingdom—that’s our ultimate loyalty—He has allowed us to live in—and yes, love—this land of liberty.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION
Pro-Patria: What is Christian Patriotism? - As you celebrate the 4th of July, we hope you’ll remember the rich heritage of this land of liberty, and the value of truly Christian patriotism. For further reading on this topic, pick up a copy of Indivisible by James Robison and Jay Richards from our online bookstore.[AS I SEE IT: Over the years, I - like you - have sought to inform myself on the Biblical view on the issues of the day. While I try to present articles on this blog that do that, I have rarely come across a volume (over 300 pages) of work that presents with good references the Biblical view on many of the critical issues of our day. Whether it's the economy, the environment, or same-sex marriage or a host of other issues, the book "Indivisible"may be the best I have read. (While it's not an easy read, it's not a difficult one either. I therefore STRONGLY urge you to get a copy. (Like me, you might find your local library has a copy. But like me, after just reading the first few chapters, you will decide you need your own copy!) - Stan]
RESOURCES:
Indivisible: Restoring Faith, Family, and Freedom Before It's Too Late - James Robison, Jay Richards | Faithwords | July 2012
A Free People's Suicide: Sustainable Freedom and the American Future- Os Guinness | IVP Books | August 2012
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