# 984 (8/31) SUNDAY SPECIAL: "Ragamuffin - Rich Mullins’ Homeless Heart (and Ours)"

The Bulletin Board:(Please SCROLL DOWN this page to find the article titled on this post in LARGE CAPITAL LETTERS. Thank you.)
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)

ANSWERED PRAYER!! - "Miraculous Day' as US Ebola Patients Sent Home" - By Caitlin Burke, August 22, 2014;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2014/August/American-Missionary-Recovers-from-Ebola-Virus/ "After nearly three weeks of intense treatment, testing and isolation, American Ebola patients Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly are back with their families..."
Of course, let's CONTINUE PRAYING FOR AN END TO THE EBOLA CRISIS IN WEST AFRICA AND THE HEALING OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INFECTED.

PRAY FOR THE PRESENT CONFLICT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS TO END SOON BEFORE MORE INNOCENT LIVES ARE LOST ON  BOTH SIDES.

PRAY FOR THE CRISIS HAPPENING NOW IN IRAQ (see post #907) Pray that allied forces will be able to drive the group ISIS back (see post #964)

URGENT: Emergency Relief For Iraqi Believers Facing Genocide! - August 30, 2014- Liberty Counsel Action is partnering with RUN Ministries to deliver emergency food, water and shelter to Iraqi Christians and Yazidis who have fled their homes and are facing genocide. More than 146,000 people are now threatened by genocide from radical ISIS forces.RUN Ministries has a solid network of believers throughout the Middle East who are willing to risk life and limb to get relief through the ISIS lines of defense. The cost of getting the needed aid to them is $8 per person per day. This includes tents, blankets, food, and water for the first 3 weeks. TO DONATE (as I have), PLEASE GO TO: http://www.grassrootsaction.com/201181/offer.asp?Ref_ID=27781&CID=201181&RID=42814607

"Not Everyone Happy with Religious Ambassador Pick," Caitlin Burke,July 29, 2014;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/July/Obama-Taps-Rabbi-for-Religious-Freedom-Ambassador/  ".. An estimated 76 percent of the world's population live in countries where religious freedom is restricted. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States must take a strong stand against those violations. "Around the world repressive governments and extremists groups have been crystal clear about what they stand against, so we have to be equally clear about what we must stand for," Kerry said. "We stand for greater freedom, for greater tolerance, greater respect, for rights of freedom of expression and freedom of conscience," he said A key development in the 2013 report is the large number of displaced members of religious communities, including entire Christian communities in Syria and Iraq that have been forced to flee their homes because of persecution."
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:
 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

/PRAYER ALERT- UKRAINE: 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.
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.]
----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ragamuffin - Rich Mullins’ Homeless Heart (and Ours)"- By: John Stonestreet| Breakpoint.org: August 26, 2014; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/25948?spMailingID=9301429&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=362307543&spReportId=MzYyMzA3NTQzS0

A new film depicts the life of a beloved musician whose songs Christians have sung for years—and reminds us of the mercy of our Awesome God.

Seventeen years ago, contemporary Christian music and the Church lost a unique man and a terrific songwriter. Many of us remember when Rich Mullins, the talent behind “Sing Your Praise to the Lord,” “Awesome God,” “My Deliverer,” and other treasured songs met his end on an Illinois interstate. It wasn’t the chariot of fire he’d prayed in one song God would give him, but he surely found a home at last for his stubbornly homeless heart.

This year, an independent film offers a glimpse at the man behind the music and shows why Rich has such an enduring impact on those who knew him, and on his industry, and on all of us who loved his work. In “Ragamuffin,” Director David Leo Schultz introduces us to the son of an Indiana farmer who knows just one thing: He doesn’t belong anywhere. Hungry for approval and acceptance, Rich Mullins enrolls at Cincinnati Bible College. Although he still has no idea where he belongs, a lot of people—on witnessing his talent at the piano and behind the microphone—think that they’ve got a good idea.

Before long, Rich gets a call from Nashville. A record company producer tells him Amy Grant wants to cover one of his latest songs.It’s his big break, and it eventually leads to collaborative albums and his own releases, featuring some of his best-known hits. But it also initiates a drawn-out head-butting match between Rich and his producer. The Christian music industry, he finds out, has a formula. And little about Rich Mullins—whether it’s his melancholy lyrics, his grungy on-stage presence, or his confrontational homilies at concerts—fits that formula.

Rich also made a virtual second career out of challenging middle-class Christians to step out of their comfort zones.“Christianity,” he tells an audience, “is not about building an absolutely secure little niche in the world where you can live with your perfect little wife and your perfect little children in your beautiful little house where you have no gays or minority groups anywhere near you. Christianity is about learning to love like Jesus loved and Jesus loved the poor and Jesus loved the broken.”

And Rich took his own lectures seriously enough to live by them. He wanted nothing to do with the fortune his music earned him, entrusting it all, instead, to his church and accepting only the average American’s salary. But something deeper continued to gnaw at him. His lifelong uncertainty about his father’s love fuels doubts about whether God can accept and use him despite his failures. Locked in an ongoing struggle with anxiety and alcohol, Rich finds refuge in the writing of Brennan Manning, an ex-priest and author of “The Ragamuffin Gospel.” Manning reminds Rich, as he did thousands, that God’s love doesn’t depend on our good behavior. It’s unconditional. And grace is not only available for those ragamuffins who, like the tax collector in Jesus’ parable, beat their chest and beg God for mercy. It is intended for them.

This renewed confidence in forgiveness showed up in Rich’s music—nowhere more than in his final album, recorded on demo tapes just days before his death. “The Jesus Record,” which was produced posthumously by band-mates and fellow Christian musicians, celebrates the life of Christ in fresh, quirky, and theologically profound ways. And like all of Rich’s music, it exalts the sense of longing in all of creation—and especially in homeless Christian hearts—that can only be finally fulfilled in the Savior’s love.

So many years later, it’s natural to ask: why revisit this story of an artist whose last album predates iPods? As evangelicals puzzle over our role in a changing culture, the story of a Christian singer who never quite fit in offers one answer. Like Rich Mullins, if we feel out-of-place in this world, maybe it’s a good sign. Maybe—as Manning thought—the ragamuffins who know they’re homeless are the ones closest to God’s doorstep.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

Come to BreakPoint.org to read our review of "Ragamuffin," watch the trailer, and find out how you can pick up a copy.

FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION
"Reckless, Raging Love" - G. Shane Morris | BreakPoint.org | August 12, 2014;http://www.breakpoint.org/features-columns/articles/entry/12/25884

“Ragamuffin” movie and trailer - http://ragamuffinthemovie.com/

The Jesus Record, CD - Rich Mullins, Ragamuffin Band, Rick Elias | Myrrh Records | June 1998;http://www.colsoncenterstore.org/product.asp?sku=7017034619

The Best of Rich Mullins, CD - Rich Mullins | Provident Special Markets | October 2006; http://www.colsoncenterstore.org/product.asp?sku=0083061083328

# 983 (8/30) "Respectable Barbarism..."

The Bulletin Board:(Please SCROLL DOWN this page to find the article titled on this post in LARGE CAPITAL LETTERS. Thank you.)
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)

ANSWERED PRAYER!! - "Miraculous Day' as US Ebola Patients Sent Home" - By Caitlin Burke, August 22, 2014;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2014/August/American-Missionary-Recovers-from-Ebola-Virus/ "After nearly three weeks of intense treatment, testing and isolation, American Ebola patients Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly are back with their families..."
Of course, let's CONTINUE PRAYING FOR AN END TO THE EBOLA CRISIS IN WEST AFRICA AND THE HEALING OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INFECTED.

PRAY FOR THE PRESENT CONFLICT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS TO END SOON BEFORE MORE INNOCENT LIVES ARE LOST ON  BOTH SIDES.

PRAY FOR THE CRISIS HAPPENING NOW IN IRAQ (see post #907) Pray that allied forces will be able to drive the group ISIS back (see post #964)

"Not Everyone Happy with Religious Ambassador Pick," Caitlin Burke,July 29, 2014;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/July/Obama-Taps-Rabbi-for-Religious-Freedom-Ambassador/  "President Barack Obama's decision to nominate Rabbi David Saperstein to the post of Ambassador for International Religious Freedom is drawing mixed reactions. Saperstein has spent his career in Washington focusing on social justice and religious freedom issues as an activist in the liberal reform branch of Judaism .... An estimated 76 percent of the world's population live in countries where religious freedom is restricted. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States must take a strong stand against those violations. "Around the world repressive governments and extremists groups have been crystal clear about what they stand against, so we have to be equally clear about what we must stand for," Kerry said. "We stand for greater freedom, for greater tolerance, greater respect, for rights of freedom of expression and freedom of conscience," he said A key development in the 2013 report is the large number of displaced members of religious communities, including entire Christian communities in Syria and Iraq that have been forced to flee their homes because of persecution."
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:
 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

/PRAYER ALERT- UKRAINE: 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.
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.]

----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Respectable Barbarism - The Logical Pro-Choice Conclusion" - By: John Stonestreet| Breakpoint.org: August 28, 2014; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/25973?spMailingID=9327155&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=362554271&spReportId=MzYyNTU0MjcxS0 

We’ve all been shocked by the barbarism we’ve seen committed in the name of Islam. But what about the respectable barbarism we see around us every day?

It’s pretty clear when a worldview is barbaric, because worldviews have feet. They reveal themselves in the real world. We saw it the other day when the Islamic State, or ISIS, terrorist group beheaded American journalist James Foley. ISIS then posted the video for a shocked world to see. Only the most depraved, fanatical person would label such behavior as morally correct.

But what about the respectable barbarism—you know, the kind that wears a suit, gives snappy interviews, and carries an advanced degree? I’m speaking of the famous British atheist Richard Dawkins, who caused quite a stir the other day when he said that it would be immoral not to abort a fetus with Down Syndrome. Yes, you heard that right. Responding on Twitter to a woman who tweeted that she would face “a real ethical dilemma” if she became pregnant with a Down Syndrome baby, Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist, replied: “Abort it and try again. It would be immoral to bring it into the world if you have the choice.”

Fully consistent in his atheistic, utilitarian worldview, Dawkins added, “Suffering should be avoided. [The abortion] cause[s] no suffering. Reduce suffering wherever you can.” Aside from the fact that he’s wrong on facts—the unborn certainly can feel pain at twenty weeks—he’s also wrong on his assumption, that giving birth to a baby with Down Syndrome relegates you—and the child—to a life of suffering. According to Lifesite News, 99 percent of respondents with Down syndrome say they are “happy.” Further, 99 percent of parents say they love their child with Down Syndrome. Only 4 percent of parents who responded say they regret having the child. However, whatever we may say about Dawkins’s barbarism, a lot of people agree with him— in fact, over 90 percent of unborn children with this diagnosis get aborted.

Later, responding to a firestorm of criticism, Dawkins callously pointed out the obvious: “What I was saying simply follows logically from the ordinary pro-choice stance that most of us, I presume, espouse.” And it goes to show what we say often on BreakPoint--worldview matters. Followed to its logical conclusion, the atheistic worldview says that human life has no inherent meaning or value and is therefore disposable. True to his utilitarian impulses, Dawkins makes a distinction between humans who can “contribute” to society and those who can’t. Those with Down Syndrome, Dawkins decrees, simply are “not enhanced,” and therefore expendable. In fact, he says it’s wrong to let them live.

I’m guessing that Dawkins never met Tim Harris, the owner of Tim’s Place, the amazing restaurant in New Mexico I told you about some months ago. Tim has Down Syndrome.(See weblink noted below.). Dawkins, trapped in his atheistic worldview, doesn't understand that all humans – including those like Tim – are made in the priceless image of God.  And he’ll never see that those with disabilities “pull us away,” in the words of my colleague Stan Guthrie, “from our besetting narcissism.” 

Sometimes suffering, which Dawkins so abhors, actually makes us better people. In “Dancing with Max,” Emily Colson’s great book about her autistic son, Chuck Colson wrote that through the huge trials of Max’s disability, the family came to a “new understanding of what love really is.”

And as we face the pressure to conform to the respectable barbarism of our times, we ought remember what Jesus said about treating those considered “the least of these.” Perhaps He had in mind the infirm, the poor, the prisoner, and the baby with genetic disorders.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION
"Richard Dawkins: it’s ‘immoral’ NOT to abort babies with Down syndrome" - Dustin Siggins | lifesitenews.com | August 20, 2014; http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-richard-dawkins-choosing-not-to-abort-baby-with-down-syndrome-is-i?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter
"Richard Dawkins Exposes the Immorality of His Atheism" - Michael Brown | Christianpost.com | August 21, 2014; http://www.christianpost.com/news/richard-dawkins-exposes-the-immorality-of-his-atheism-125159/
"Tim's Place. . . and Ours" - John Stonestreet | BreakPoint.org | September 24, 2013;
http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/breakpoint-commentaries-search/entry/13/23401
"Richard Dawkins apologises for causing storm with Down's syndrome tweet" - The Guardian | August 21, 2014;http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/aug/21/richard-dawkins-apologises-downs-syndrome-tweet
"Surprised by Joy" - Matthew Hennessey | NationalReview.com | August 23, 2014;http://www.nationalreview.com/article/386086/surprised-joy-matthew-hennessey
BOOKS: Dancing with Max: A Mother and Son Who Broke Free - Emily Colson | Zondervan | January 2010

# 982 (8/29) "Dear Millennials:Hollywood, Your Favorite Bands, and Your College Professors Have Been Lying To You About Life"

The Bulletin Board:(Please SCROLL DOWN this page to find the article titled on this post in LARGE CAPITAL LETTERS. Thank you.)
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)

ANSWERED PRAYER!! - "Miraculous Day' as US Ebola Patients Sent Home" - By Caitlin Burke, August 22, 2014;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2014/August/American-Missionary-Recovers-from-Ebola-Virus/ "After nearly three weeks of intense treatment, testing and isolation, American Ebola patients Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly are back with their families..."
Of course, let's CONTINUE PRAYING FOR AN END TO THE EBOLA CRISIS IN WEST AFRICA AND THE HEALING OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INFECTED.

PRAY FOR THE PRESENT CONFLICT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS TO END SOON BEFORE MORE INNOCENT LIVES ARE LOST ON  BOTH SIDES.

PRAY FOR THE CRISIS HAPPENING NOW IN IRAQ (see post #907) Pray that allied forces will be able to drive the group ISIS back (see post #964)

"Not Everyone Happy with Religious Ambassador Pick," Caitlin Burke,July 29, 2014;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/July/Obama-Taps-Rabbi-for-Religious-Freedom-Ambassador/  "President Barack Obama's decision to nominate Rabbi David Saperstein to the post of Ambassador for International Religious Freedom is drawing mixed reactions. Saperstein has spent his career in Washington focusing on social justice and religious freedom issues as an activist in the liberal reform branch of Judaism .... An estimated 76 percent of the world's population live in countries where religious freedom is restricted. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States must take a strong stand against those violations. "Around the world repressive governments and extremists groups have been crystal clear about what they stand against, so we have to be equally clear about what we must stand for," Kerry said. "We stand for greater freedom, for greater tolerance, greater respect, for rights of freedom of expression and freedom of conscience," he said A key development in the 2013 report is the large number of displaced members of religious communities, including entire Christian communities in Syria and Iraq that have been forced to flee their homes because of persecution."
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:
 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

/PRAYER ALERT- UKRAINE: 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.
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.]

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Dear Millennials: Hollywood, Your Favorite Bands, and Your College Professors Have Been Lying To You About Life" - John Hawkins | Aug 26, 2014; http://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2014/08/26/dear-millennials-hollywood-your-favorite-bands-and-your-college-professors-have-been-lying-to-you-about-life-n1883160/page/full [AS I SEE IT: I hesitated to post this because it paints a rather bleak though difficult to argue picture of the perspective of MANY of the next generation of our country's leaders. Unlike the author, however, I DO believe that there is good number of those who ARE NOT swayed by our culture and who give us hope for the future. Whether they will be those who lead or whether they choose to instead abstain from leading our nation will determine the future of our country. Let's be faithful to pray that these with greater wisdom will consistently choose to do right and not just what is culturally popular or politically correct  - Stan]

I feel sorry for Millennials. We are leaving them an almost insurmountable debt, an American Dream that seems tarnished, and chances are, they're not going to have it as good as their parents. However, we've done something even worse to these kids. We've left far too much of their education in life to Hollywood, musicians, and college professors who've passed on a skewed view of the world. Not only have most of these kids never been told the truth about how the world works, they've been told that anyone who even tries to tell them the truth should be immediately tuned out because they're boring, mean and "uncool."

Unfortunately for them, reality doesn't care about boring, mean or "uncool." It just keeps rolling on like a threshing machine, cutting anyone who ignores it to pieces. With that in mind, do you REALLY want to know why America has been so prosperous? Want to know why we're a superpower? It's because of Judeo-Christian values, Western culture, a Puritan work ethic, patriotism, capitalism, small government, adherence to the Constitution, and a capability and willingness to use our military to decimate enemies of our country.None of those things are being celebrated in songs by Lady Gaga, movies by James Cameron, or in women's studies courses at American colleges.

Do you want to know who has made America successful? Ninety eight percent of the businesses, inventions, and great ideas that made America a cultural, economic, and military superpower came from old dead white guys of the sort who are sneered at on college campuses as bigoted, awful relics of bygone eras. That's ironic if you think about it because without those men the colleges where they're being sneered at wouldn't exist.So much of our country is like that.

The only reason we have so much money to "redistribute" is because we spent so long devoted to capitalism. The only reason we feel so comfortable mocking Christianity is that we think a culture shaped by Christian morals will hold together anyway. We're become so confident that our culture will remain steeped in patriotism and Western values that we've come to believe we can allow an unlimited number of foreigners who don't share those values to enter our country illegally without changing anything.

Confidence is a good thing, but when it's coupled with a people who stop doing the things that make them successful, it becomes hubris. We've forgotten that rich people and corporations can move out of the country, that people will change their behavior when it no longer benefits them, that no matter what our race, color, or creed, we all suffer if our culture becomes a corrupt sewer and that many great nations have been laid low when they stopped doing the things that made them successful. We've forgotten that we're one nation in a competitive world, full of other countries that yearn to see us trampled in the dust so they can have their day in the sun. We've forgotten that we're competing with workers in India, corporations from Britain, and with resource-hogging governments like China and Russia -- and guess what? They're all hungrier than we are because life has already taught them the hard way that you don't get participation trophies just for showing up.

We've forgotten not only how our country became successful, but the people who are making it successful.
We're successful because a lot of steady, responsible people do boring jobs that have to be done. It's the man who works 40 hours in his first job and another 20 hours a week at a part-time job so he can pay the bills for his wife and kids. It's the stay-at-home mom with spit-up on her blouse who has been on her feet for hours cleaning and taking care of the kids. It's the small businessman who worked 70 hours a week for peanuts over the last decade to get his business to the point where he can have people complain that he's not paying enough in taxes. It's the single mother who gives up partying every night to make sure her child is taken care of like he should be. It's the pastor who says something from the pulpit that will be controversial, but that his flock needs to hear. It's the cop who sweats through a half dozen encounters with drunk, drugged, and potentially violent creeps each night because he cares about keeping a neighborhood safe. It's a soldier sleeping in a tent far from home because he's doing his part to keep the peace. It's the couple who feels like they've achieved the American dream because they got married, bought a house, had two kids, and are putting enough money in their 401k to retire someday.

Those people don't get the respect they deserve because they're more concerned with doing their jobs, paying their bills, and making sure their kids get every advantage possible rather than yelling about "the patriarchy" or protesting the "oppression" of people who are asked to take a drug test to get their welfare benefits. No one is making any reality shows about people like them and if they do make it onto the silver screen, the Christian is a jerk, the dad is a buffoon, mom is a crabby Stepford wife, the southerner is a toothless redneck, the cop is crooked, the soldier is a mindless drone, the businessman is screwing everyone for profit and they're all living bland, oppressive lives waiting for some pampered pretty person to show up and teach them the error of their ways.

Hollywood, academia, and popular culture champion a world where snark has replaced wisdom, marriage isn't considered a lifetime commitment, where there's spirituality without God, where it's better to be silent than to risk offending someone, where people don't understand that everything is a trade-off, and where the more happy, successful and well-adjusted you are, the more likely it must be that you screwed someone else over to get that way.

Contrary to what you may hear from Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, and your college professors, life is not about how many times you get laid, how much marijuana you smoke, and embracing trendy causes to impress your friends.It's about working 10 times harder than you thought you'd have to in order to get half as far. It's about struggling through your twenties and working like a dog in your thirties to start to accumulate some money in your forties. It's about trying to find a decent house in a nice neighborhood near a good school for your family. It's about taking more satisfaction in buying a gift for someone else than getting something for yourself. It's saying a prayer for a friend or family member who’s about to have an operation. It's about doing the right thing, not getting recognized for it and being fine with that because it was always about doing the right thing for you.

If that sounds frightening or depressing because it doesn't involve partying, getting blackout drunk... it's not. You can take a lot of pride in earning your keep, paying your own way, and doing your part to take care of yourself, your family and your country. It's also the sort of quiet lifestyle most successful Americans actually live as opposed to the funhouse mirror image of reality that's glorified in our popular culture.

One day, Millennials are likely to have a burden put on their shoulders almost as big as the ones the Greatest Generation carried, but they won't have the faith, the work ethic and the road-of-hard-knocks education gained from living through the Depression to carry them through. For their sake and the sake of our country, let's hope that enough of them have listened to their parents, their grandparents, and their churches instead of Hollywood, their favorite bands, and their college professors.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]
 
John Hawkins runs Right Wing News and Linkiest. He's also the co-owner of the The Looking Spoon. 

# 981 (8/28) "11 Reasons Why ISIS Might Be More Dangerous Than al-Qaeda"

The Bulletin Board:(Please SCROLL DOWN this page to find the article titled on this post in LARGE CAPITAL LETTERS. Thank you.)
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)

ANSWERED PRAYER!! - "Miraculous Day' as US Ebola Patients Sent Home" - By Caitlin Burke, August 22, 2014;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2014/August/American-Missionary-Recovers-from-Ebola-Virus/ "After nearly three weeks of intense treatment, testing and isolation, American Ebola patients Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly are back with their families..."
Of course, let's CONTINUE PRAYING FOR AN END TO THE EBOLA CRISIS IN WEST AFRICA AND THE HEALING OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INFECTED.

PRAY FOR THE PRESENT CONFLICT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS TO END SOON BEFORE MORE INNOCENT LIVES ARE LOST ON  BOTH SIDES.

PRAY FOR THE CRISIS HAPPENING NOW IN IRAQ (see post #907) Pray that allied forces will be able to drive the group ISIS back (see post #964)

"Not Everyone Happy with Religious Ambassador Pick," Caitlin Burke,July 29, 2014;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/July/Obama-Taps-Rabbi-for-Religious-Freedom-Ambassador/  "President Barack Obama's decision to nominate Rabbi David Saperstein to the post of Ambassador for International Religious Freedom is drawing mixed reactions. Saperstein has spent his career in Washington focusing on social justice and religious freedom issues as an activist in the liberal reform branch of Judaism .... An estimated 76 percent of the world's population live in countries where religious freedom is restricted. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States must take a strong stand against those violations. "Around the world repressive governments and extremists groups have been crystal clear about what they stand against, so we have to be equally clear about what we must stand for," Kerry said. "We stand for greater freedom, for greater tolerance, greater respect, for rights of freedom of expression and freedom of conscience," he said A key development in the 2013 report is the large number of displaced members of religious communities, including entire Christian communities in Syria and Iraq that have been forced to flee their homes because of persecution."
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:
 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

/PRAYER ALERT- UKRAINE: 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.
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.]

----------------------------------------------------------------------
"11 Reasons Why ISIS Might Be More Dangerous Than al-Qaeda" - Steven Bucci/ James Phillips/ Charlotte Florance/ @/ Helle Dale / Peter Brookes/ August 28, 2014 / http://dailysignal.com/2014/08/28/11-reasons-isis-might-dangerous-al-qaeda/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=morningbell&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonvazBZKXonjHpfsX56eguXa%2B3lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4DTMBnI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFQrLBMa1ozrgOWxU%3D

A young Yazidi refugee from Sinjar lives beneath a motorway underpass located at the entrance of the city of Dohuk. Yazidis were forced to exile after ISIS pushed to Sinjar, a town located West of Mosul. (Photo: Vianney Le Caer/Pacific Press/ZUMAPRESS.com)

ISIS is not just the terror group de jour. They are a hugely successful movement with an apocalyptic, nihilistic philosophy. When they say “convert, join us, or die”, they not only mean it, but they follow through with horrific effect. But let’s look deeper. What else makes them such a real security threat, to Iraq, to the region, to the world, and to the U.S.? Here are 11 reasons.

1. ISIS is more media sophisticated than al-Qaeda and excels in using social media as a tool of terrorism. The group’s twitter and YouTube postings in English show that the West is often their target audience.

2. ISIS is flush with cash. ISIS’ territorial control allows for consistent stream of funding, and they‘ve developed an extensive extortion racket, as well as selling electricity and exporting oil and gas.

3. Because of ISIS rise to prominence, many al-Qaeda-linked groups are now pledging allegiance to al-Baghdadi’s ISIS, including elements of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Ansar al-Dine (Tunisia) Boko Haram, and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), giving ISIS access to a global network of terrorists.

4. ISIS controls territory the size of Maryland in the heart of the arab world, which is important for a predominantly Arab revolutionary terrorist group. The al-Qaeda core group along the Afghanistan/Pakistan border controls no territory and is dependent on Afghan and Pakistani Islamist militants who act as hosts.

5. ISIS has evolved into a proto-state, with its own army, civil administration, judiciary and a sophisticated propaganda operation. Al-Qaeda core leaders are fugitives who are forced to live a clandestine existence under the constant threat of drone strikes or commando assaults.

A Peshmerga soldier watches ISIS lines in the distance at a military outpost located at the entrance of Gwer, Iraq. (Photo: Vianney Le Caer/Newscom)

6. ISIS is the most heavily-armed Islamist extremist group in history, having captured huge amounts of military weapons and equipment in Iraq and Syria.

7. ISIS is out-recruiting Al-Qaeda. It is estimated that 80 percent of the foreign militants that flock to Syria join ISIS, rather than al-Qaeda’s franchise, the Al-Nusra Front. ISIS appears to have success with recruitment of Westerners as well.

8. The leader of ISIS, who goes by the nom de guerre of Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi, is a charismatic leader who claims descent from the Prophet Mohammed. This will help recruit young, impressionable Muslims. He has much more personal appeal for young Muslim militants than Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, a dour and didactic theoretician.

9. ISIS is better placed to not only attract recruits from the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and the United States, but get them into the fight. It is much easier to travel across the dissolving borders of Iraq and Syria than it is to travel to Pakistan or Afghanistan.

10. ISIS has declared the rebirth of the Caliphate and the leader of ISIS has proclaimed himself to be Caliph Ibrahim.

11. ISIS is the richest terrorist group in history. It looted at least five banks in Iraq, including Mosul’s central bank, which yielded more than $400 million dollars in gold and Iraqi currency. It controls oil fields in Syria and Iraq that generate income and it has pocketed millions of dollars in ransoms for hostages.

In summary, ISIS is an army, not just a terror group. ISIS is the biggest terror group ever. ISIS is actually established as a state, a caliphate at that, and it’s richer than al-Qaeda. It holds more territory than al-Qaeda, it’s drawing more recruits than al-Qaeda, and it’s more brutal than al-Qaeda. This group must be forcefully addressed and stopped.

[bold ,italics, and colored emphasis mine]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steven P. Bucci, who served America for three decades as an Army Special Forces officer and top Pentagon official, is director of the Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation. Read his research.

James Phillips is the senior research fellow for Middle Eastern affairs at the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation. He has written extensively on Middle Eastern issues and international terrorism since 1978. Read his research.

Charlotte Florance studies U.S. policy toward Africa and the Middle East, concentrating on economic freedom, democratic institutions, development and security cooperation, as a research associate in The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies. Read her research.

Helle C. Dale is the Heritage Foundation's senior fellow in public diplomacy. Her work focuses on the U.S. government’s institutions and programs for strategic outreach to the public of foreign countries, as well as more traditional diplomacy. Read her research.

As a Senior Fellow for National Security Affairs and the Chung-Ju Yung Fellow for Policy Studies, Peter Brookes develops and communicates The Heritage Foundation's stance on foreign policy and national security affairs through media appearances, research, published articles, congressional testimony and speaking engagements.

"Q&A: Should the U.S. Bomb ISIS Targets in Syria?" - James Carafano / @JJCarafano / August 27, 2014;http://dailysignal.com/2014/08/27/qa-u-s-bomb-isis-targets-syria/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=morningbell&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonvazBZKXonjHpfsX56eguXa%2B3lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4DTMBnI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFQrLBMa1ozrgOWxU%3D

# 980 (8/27) "4 Charts Every Mom With Kids Going Back to School Should See"

The Bulletin Board:(Please SCROLL DOWN this page to find the article titled on this post in LARGE CAPITAL LETTERS. Thank you.)
ANSWERED PRAYER!! - "Miraculous Day' as US Ebola Patients Sent Home" - By Caitlin Burke, August 22, 2014;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2014/August/American-Missionary-Recovers-from-Ebola-Virus/ "After nearly three weeks of intense treatment, testing and isolation, American Ebola patients Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly are back with their families..."

Of course, let's CONTINUE PRAYING FOR AN END TO THE EBOLA CRISIS IN WEST AFRICA AND THE HEALING OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INFECTED.

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 PRESENT CONFLICT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS TO END SOON BEFORE MORE INNOCENT LIVES ARE LOST ON  BOTH SIDES.

PRAY FOR THE CRISIS HAPPENING NOW IN IRAQ (see post #907) Pray that allied forces will be able to drive the group ISIS back (see post #964)

"Not Everyone Happy with Religious Ambassador Pick," Caitlin Burke,July 29, 2014;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/July/Obama-Taps-Rabbi-for-Religious-Freedom-Ambassador/  "President Barack Obama's decision to nominate Rabbi David Saperstein to the post of Ambassador for International Religious Freedom is drawing mixed reactions. Saperstein has spent his career in Washington focusing on social justice and religious freedom issues as an activist in the liberal reform branch of Judaism .... An estimated 76 percent of the world's population live in countries where religious freedom is restricted. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States must take a strong stand against those violations. "Around the world repressive governments and extremists groups have been crystal clear about what they stand against, so we have to be equally clear about what we must stand for," Kerry said. "We stand for greater freedom, for greater tolerance, greater respect, for rights of freedom of expression and freedom of conscience," he said A key development in the 2013 report is the large number of displaced members of religious communities, including entire Christian communities in Syria and Iraq that have been forced to flee their homes because of persecution."
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:
 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

/PRAYER ALERT- UKRAINE: 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.
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.]

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"4 Charts Every Mom With Kids Going Back to School Should See" -Kelsey Harris /  August 25, 2014 / http://dailysignal.com/2014/08/25/4-charts-every-mom-kids-going-back-school-see/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=morningbell&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonvqvIZKXonjHpfsX56eguXa%2B3lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4ARcZnI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFQrLBMa1ozrgOWxU%3D [NOTE: If you go to the weblink, at the bottom of the posted article is a good discussion by people who left comments.]

Many kids are heading back to public school this week, and so begins fall and spring semesters. You have entrusted the government to give your child a good curriculum and a teaching staff you can count on. But what happens when the school staff is equipped with a big list of employees, but not necessarily a big crop of teachers focused on your child? Tax dollars in places you don’t know about.

Even though the Obama Administration proposes spending $25 billion specifically to “provide support for hundreds of thousands of education jobs” in order to “keep teachers in the classroom,” research by both Heritage and The Fordham Institute reveal alarming numbers: only half of education jobs belong to teachers.

Heritage’s education policy expert Lindsey Burke says “school districts should trim bureaucracy and work on long-term reform options for better targeting taxpayer resources,” instead of putting taxpayers on the hook for more federal spending. Check out the numbers in the four charts below.

1. The charts proving only half of education jobs are teachers:




2. The chart that proves how much education staffing has outpaced student enrollment:



3. The chart showing the farther a school is from a city, the more non-teaching staff it has:



[bold and italics emphasis mine]

Kelsey Harris is the visual editor at The Daily Signal and digital media associate at The Heritage Foundation.

# 979 (8/26) BEFORE YOU GIVE:"Why Some Pro-Lifers Go Cold on ALS Ice Bucket Challenge"

The Bulletin Board:(Please SCROLL DOWN this page to find the article titled on this post in LARGE CAPITAL LETTERS. Thank you.)
ANSWERED PRAYER!! - "Miraculous Day' as US Ebola Patients Sent Home" - By Caitlin Burke, August 22, 2014;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2014/August/American-Missionary-Recovers-from-Ebola-Virus/ "After nearly three weeks of intense treatment, testing and isolation, American Ebola patients Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly are back with their families..."

Of course, let's CONTINUE PRAYING FOR AN END TO THE EBOLA CRISIS IN WEST AFRICA AND THE HEALING OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INFECTED.

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 PRESENT CONFLICT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS TO END SOON BEFORE MORE INNOCENT LIVES ARE LOST ON  BOTH SIDES.

PRAY FOR THE CRISIS HAPPENING NOW IN IRAQ (see post #907) Pray that allied forces will be able to drive the group ISIS back (see post #964)

"Not Everyone Happy with Religious Ambassador Pick," Caitlin Burke,July 29, 2014;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2014/July/Obama-Taps-Rabbi-for-Religious-Freedom-Ambassador/  "President Barack Obama's decision to nominate Rabbi David Saperstein to the post of Ambassador for International Religious Freedom is drawing mixed reactions. Saperstein has spent his career in Washington focusing on social justice and religious freedom issues as an activist in the liberal reform branch of Judaism .... An estimated 76 percent of the world's population live in countries where religious freedom is restricted. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States must take a strong stand against those violations. "Around the world repressive governments and extremists groups have been crystal clear about what they stand against, so we have to be equally clear about what we must stand for," Kerry said. "We stand for greater freedom, for greater tolerance, greater respect, for rights of freedom of expression and freedom of conscience," he said A key development in the 2013 report is the large number of displaced members of religious communities, including entire Christian communities in Syria and Iraq that have been forced to flee their homes because of persecution."
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:
 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

/PRAYER ALERT- UKRAINE: 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.
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.]

----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Why Some Pro-Lifers Go Cold on ALS Ice Bucket Challenge" - Kelsey Harkness/August 23, 2014 / http://dailysignal.com/2014/08/23/pro-lifers-gone-cold-als-ice-bucket-challenge/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=morningbell&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonvqvIZKXonjHpfsX56eguXa%2B3lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4ARcZnI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFQrLBMa1ozrgOWxU%3D [AS I SEE IT - This article points out the danger of getting caught up in something culturally popular; something that has the appearance of not having anything objectionable but does. As so many politicians who call themselves pro-life are participating, it does concern me that they are not more careful of what they endorse. It also makes me wonder if it shows that they may be so interested in being part of something to get attention that they just don't take the time to tread cautiously. I have to wonder if it just might say something of their governing philosophy. Just wondering...Stan]

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, accepts the 'Ice Bucket Challenge.' (Photo: Ted Cruz Facebook)

Cathy Pell, a stay-at-home mom from Manassas, Va., decided to take down her “Ice Bucket Challenge” videos from Facebook after learning the ALS Association backs some research using embryonic stem cells.
Some of Pell’s friends did, too.

“You don’t have to hurt a life to save a life,” Pell told The Daily Signal.Pell, whose 9-year-old daughter has special needs, acknowledges that the ALS Association didn’t claim not to support any tests using embryonic stem cells. But, she says, “we just didn’t realize that they did.”

Since the July 29 onset of the now-famous Ice Bucket Challenge, the ALS Association now has raised more than $60 million in donations to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Compared with $2 million raised during the same period last year, it’s an enormous achievement.

Putting a damper on the “unprecedented generosity” generated from the viral challenge, some pro-life organizations including the Family Research Council have advised care before making an ALS donation. The concern: The ALS Association, a Washington-based nonprofit that funds global research to find treatments and a cure for ALS also supports some research using embryonic stem cells.

For some who oppose abortion, the controversy is that there often is no way of knowing where the stem cells came from – and whether it required the destruction of what many consider an innocent human life. The Cincinnati Archdiocese last week asked Catholic school principals not to encourage students to donate to the ALS Association because of “moral” concerns. Instead, the archdiocese called for Ice Bucket Challenge participants to direct donations to the John Paul II Medical Research Institute in Iowa City.[http://jp2mri.org/]

Archdiocese spokesman Dan Andriacco told the Cincinnati Enquirer: We appreciate the compassion that has caused so many people to engage in this. But it’s a well-established moral principle that a good end is not enough. The means to that ends must be morally licit.

The ALS Association doesn’t deny involvement in embryonic stem cell research. In response to questions from The Daily Signal, the organization pointed to a prepared statement that the charity is  committed to “leaving no stone unturned” in the quest to discover a cure for Lou Gehrig’s disease, which includes such research.

Information about embryonic stem cell research is available on the ALS Association website, although it takes some digging to find. ALS Association spokeswoman Carrie Munk told The Daily Signal that if the group’s research avenues are not clear, “it’s certainly not intentional.” The organization primarily invests in adult stem cell research, Munk said, although it now funds one project that uses embryonic stem cells. Of it, the charity discloses:

"Currently, the association is funding one study using embryonic stem cells, and the stem cell line was established many years ago under ethical guidelines set by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). This research is funded by one specific donor, who is committed to this area of research. In fact, donors may stipulate that their funds not be invested in this study or any stem cell project." If donors don’t stipulate where their financial gifts should be invested, there’s no guarantee their money won’t be funneled toward future studies involving embryonic stem cells.

Pell said she blames herself for at first overlooking the specific types of research funded by the ALS Association. “It’s my fault because I’m an adult and I didn’t look into it,” she said.Eugene Tarne, a senior analyst at the Charlotte Loizer Institute, said it’s a “legitimate” concern that donor money might go to such research: "If the ALS Association, and other organizations like it, choose to use donor money to fund research projects, I think it would be the right thing for them to make clear whether or not they are involved in human embryonic stem cell research — and not in a way you have to spend a half hour searching for it on their websites."

Tarne, who has studied human life issues for more than 10 years, also said science is moving away from embryonic stem cell research: "It would be seem puzzling for the ALS Association to do so, given that non-embryonic stem cell research.  Using adult and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) seem to be showing the most promise for bringing therapeutic benefits to patients.

Pell, the Manassas mother, said she decided to donate instead to other charities whose research doesn’t rely on embryonic stem cells.“We’re not going to support little lives being destroyed,” she said.

The ALS Association just announced 21 new research projects, Munk said, none of which uses embryonic stem cells.“We’re really focused on adult stem cells and using cells directly from people with ALS,” she said. More than 635,000 new donors were attracted to the organization because of the Ice Bucket Challenge.  With donors as diverse as Derek Jeter, Jon Bon Jovi  and George W. Bush, those numbers likely will continue climbing.

For those concerned that  it wasn’t clear their donations could go toward  research involving embryonic stem cells, Munk said it’s not too late to email, call or write a letter requesting that not occur.

Once the hype of the Ice Bucket Challenge dies down, the organization plans to review policies to “see what we can do better,” she said:"We’ve never seen this kind of volume before. There’s probably a lot of things we’re going to be looking at, including our website content and the donation process."

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Kelsey Harkness is a news producer at The Daily Signal.

Commentary: Ethical Stem-Cell Researcher Wins Nobel Prize for Medicine
[http://dailysignal.com/2012/10/09/ethical-stem-cell-researcher-wins-nobel-prize-for-medicine/