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]
*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.]
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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
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
"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
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