Tuesday, August 12, 2014

# 965 (8/12) "A Deafening Silence as Iraqi Christians Vanish- Urge the President to Speak Out"

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

PRAY FOR AMERICATHANK 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)

Please PRAY for Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol from Samaritan’s Purse

Two Americans working for Samaritan’s Purse to battle the deadly Ebola virus plaguing Liberia, unfortunately have both tested positive for the this terrible virus and are fighting for their lives

Dr. Kent Brantly, medical director for the Samaritan’s Purse care center serving the Liberian capital of Monrovia, and Nancy Writebol, part of the joint Serving In Mission/ Samaritan’s Purse team, are currently undergoing intensive treatment at an isolation center in ELWA Hospital. 

Please join us by praying for both of these heroic individuals and their families at this time. For more information please visit their website at www.samaritanspurse.org. [from Crosswalk.com]

"Keeping Faith: Missionary 'Refused' to Flee Liberia" - By Heather Sells,August 06, 2014;http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2014/August/Keeping-Faith-Missionary-Refused-to-Flee-Liberia/ "The faith of David and Nancy shows a maturity that is teaching all of us," Cashwell said. "They know that God can move in at any time and heal Nancy." "But they also recognize that if God chooses to call her home, that He's going to bring a healing there as well," he added. "And that's the healing that we all hope for." .
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"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...""
Pastor Saeed Abedini (Photo: CitizenGo via Twitter)
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.
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.]  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"A Deafening Silence as Iraqi Christians Vanish- Urge the President to Speak Out" - By: Eric Metaxas|Breakpoint.org: August 11, 2014;http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/25863?spMailingID=9200850&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=360968017&spReportId=MzYwOTY4MDE3S0

A grave humanitarian crisis is sweeping Iraq. The President has announced humanitarian aid and air strikes against ISIS. He needs to do more.

At BreakPoint we don’t take partisan stands. Issues concern us. Political parties don’t.After all, political neutrality is in our DNA. Once he encountered Jesus, our founder and inspiration, Chuck Colson, gladly worked with people of good will from both sides of the aisle. Chuck knew that when it comes to pivotal moral and social issues such as prison reform or religious freedom, there are no red hearts or blue hearts. There are only human hearts, and our common humanity goes far deeper than any political pin on our lapels.

That’s why, without a hint of partisanship, I urgently join our voice as a ministry with that of Representative Frank Wolf of Virginia. Wolf, who happens to be a Republican, has been a stalwart and sometimes lonely voice speaking out for religious freedom for many decades. Now he’s calling our president to speak up for the rights and safety of religious minorities in Iraq, including Christians.

As you probably know, an Islamist terror group that goes by the acronym ISIS has been gobbling up huge swathes of territory, executing Christians and other religious minorities, and even destroying priceless artifacts. Tens of thousands have been forced to flee with little more than the shirts on their backs. My friend, Canon Andrew White, vicar of the only Anglican church in Iraq, says, “The Islamic State simply said [']we can do anything now that the world is just looking at Gaza['] . . . in reality that is true. Iraq seems like old news, yet things just get worse and worse here.” Tragically, until last Thursday’s announcement of humanitarian aid, the President’s silence on this issue has been deafening, too.
daily_commentary_08_11_14
In a recent letter to President Obama, Rep. Wolf wrote, “Mr. President . . .  You, Secretary of State Kerry and Ambassador Power all need to speak out.” “Time is running out,” Wolf continues.  “How many more people must be killed for you to acknowledge this situation?”

President Obama has said there’s no military solution to this crisis. But there are other measures to take, and Wolf is calling for the president to take a number of them immediately, including:

* Sign the bipartisan legislation approved by the House and Senate to create a special envoy to promote religious freedom in the Middle East, legislation that has been sitting on Mr. Obama’s desk.  The envoy would work with the Kurdish and Iraqi governments to address this humanitarian crisis;

* Appoint a senior official to coordinate all U.S. government resources necessary to stop the genocide;

* Publicly thank the Kurdish authorities for protecting the Christians and other religious minorities who have fled ISIS; and finally

* Work with trusted NGOs—such as Catholic Relief Services and UNICEF—who are already on the ground.

Friends, this is not a partisan issue; it’s a biblical issue...to rescue the perishing. Let’s stand with Frank Wolf and with others of good will, of all parties, to respond to this disaster. As Wolf said in closing his letter to the President, “You and your administration must take action now, before the damage is irreversible.  Please speak out for the voiceless.”

Folks, I’m asking you to call or write the White House. Applaud the President’s use of air drops and air strikes, but urge him please to take the steps recommended by Rep. Wolf. Come to BreakPoint.org, click on this commentary, and we’ll provide you resources on this critical issue, along with contact information for the White House. [http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact] And when you’re at BreakPoint.org, be sure to listen to John Stonestreet’s “BreakPoint This Week” interview with WORLD magazine’s Mindy Belz on the situation in the Middle East.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

[Yes, I did send an email to the President asking him to act on these items. - Stan]

RESOURCES:
Rp. Frank Wolf’s letter to the President - Rep. Frank Wolf | August 4, 2014; http://wolf.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wolf-to-president-you-have-to-speak-out-for-christians-in-iraq#.U-ooqONdVA3
"Targeted: The Disappearing Christians of Iraq" - Stan Guthrie | ChristianHeadlines.com | June 19, 2014; http://www.christianheadlines.com/columnists/guest-commentary/targeted-the-disappearing-christians-of-iraq.html
"Islamic State militants seize Christian town in northern Iraq; thousands flee" - Karen DeYoung, Loveday Morris | Washington Post | August 8, 2014
"BreakPoint This Week: Israel and Iraq - What's Going On" - John Stonestreet, Mindy Belz | BreakPoint.org | August 8, 2014;http://www.breakpoint.org/features-columns/discourse/entry/15/25866
"The Last Christians in Iraq" - Lela Gilbert | FOXnews.com | July 22, 2014; http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/07/22/last-christians-in-iraq/

"With Attention on Gaza, No Time for Christians in Iraq and Syria" - Valen Caldwell | BreakPoint.org | August 5, 2014; http://www.breakpoint.org/tp-home/blog-archives/recent-point-posts/entry/4/25831
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"Obama’s Iraq Problem Just Got a Lot Worse" - James Carafano/ August 10, 2014 ; http://dailysignal.com/2014/08/10/obamas-iraq-problem-just-got-lot-worse/?utm_source=heritagefoundation&utm_medium=email&utm_content=DD140710&utm_campaign=dailydigest&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonuKTMZKXonjHpfsX56eguXa%2B3lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4ASsRhI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFQrLBMa1ozrgOWxU%3D "...The administration faces three daunting tasks. It must continue to support the Kurds, who are doing the brunt of the fighting against ISIS. The U.S. must support Jordan. A stable Jordan  is key to containing the spiraling conflict. Further, the U.S. must move quickly, pressing to reestablishing a legitimate government in Baghdad. If the White House can’t achieve these tasks, there is little hope that the region can be spared a bloody, vicious and dangerous civil war."

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