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)
WORLD-WDE PRAYER REQUESTS:
UPDATE: "Second US Doctor Sick with Ebola; Crisis 'Out of Control'" - CBNNews.com, Sept. 02, 2014;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2014/September/A-Losing-Battle-Ebola-Going-to-Get-Worse-CDC-Says/ "Another American doctor in Liberia has tested positive for the Ebola virus, according to the international Christian mission organization, SIM. SIM leaders report the American doctor was treating obstetrics patients at the organization's ELWA Hospital in Monrovia and not treating Ebola patients..."The epidemic is going faster than we are," he warned. 'We need to scale up our response. We can hope for new tools and maybe they'll come, but we can't count on them.' So far, the West African outbreak has killed more than 1,500 people in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria."
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 CRISIS HAPPENING NOW IN IRAQ (see post #907) Pray that allied forces will be able to drive the group ISIS back (see post #964)
LATEST:"Christians in the Middle East Arm Themselves As Genocide Comes to Their Front Door" - Katie Pavlich | Sep 05, 2014;
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2014/09/05/christians-in-the-middle-east-arm-themselves-as-violence-rages-around-them-n1887849" Earlier this week the BBC and Al Jazeera both reported on armed Iraqi citizen volunteers who helped government forces fight off ISIS in Amerli. Today, the AP is out with a story about Christians in the Middle East who are arming themselves, carrying weapons with them during daily tasks and heading to the hills at night to defend their communities as violence continues to rage around them. Genocide is at their front door and they're doing everything they can to stop it from coming in... So far, the terror army ISIS has slaughtered and tortured thousands of Christians in Iraq and Syria."
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
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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WORLD-WDE PRAYER REQUESTS:
UPDATE: "Second US Doctor Sick with Ebola; Crisis 'Out of Control'" - CBNNews.com, Sept. 02, 2014;
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2014/September/A-Losing-Battle-Ebola-Going-to-Get-Worse-CDC-Says/ "Another American doctor in Liberia has tested positive for the Ebola virus, according to the international Christian mission organization, SIM. SIM leaders report the American doctor was treating obstetrics patients at the organization's ELWA Hospital in Monrovia and not treating Ebola patients..."The epidemic is going faster than we are," he warned. 'We need to scale up our response. We can hope for new tools and maybe they'll come, but we can't count on them.' So far, the West African outbreak has killed more than 1,500 people in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria."
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 CRISIS HAPPENING NOW IN IRAQ (see post #907) Pray that allied forces will be able to drive the group ISIS back (see post #964)
LATEST:"Christians in the Middle East Arm Themselves As Genocide Comes to Their Front Door" - Katie Pavlich | Sep 05, 2014;
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2014/09/05/christians-in-the-middle-east-arm-themselves-as-violence-rages-around-them-n1887849" Earlier this week the BBC and Al Jazeera both reported on armed Iraqi citizen volunteers who helped government forces fight off ISIS in Amerli. Today, the AP is out with a story about Christians in the Middle East who are arming themselves, carrying weapons with them during daily tasks and heading to the hills at night to defend their communities as violence continues to rage around them. Genocide is at their front door and they're doing everything they can to stop it from coming in... So far, the terror army ISIS has slaughtered and tortured thousands of Christians in Iraq and Syria."
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
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.]
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"The Epidemic of Not Looking - The NFL, Your Smartphone, and Our Souls" - By: John Stonestreet| Breakpoint.org: September 16, 2014;
http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/26074?spMailingID=9462713&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=381269110&spReportId=MzgxMjY5MTEwS0 [AS I SEE IT: This article talks about things that we as Christians close our eyes to that we must be more faithful to address in our lives. Under the "Resources" section below, you will find articles related to domestic abuse IN THE CHURCH! It's a subject that I was shocked to learn of awhile back, have never heard of preached on in all my 40+ years as a Christian and wonder if I ever will. It's another of those subjects like Christians having abortions. (I was stunned to hear my pastor years ago almost casually share with me that several couples in the church coming to him who were considering abortion.) I get the sense that such things are just accepted and that to address such things openly (from the pulpit) just makes people feel uncomfortable and that the responsibility of the church is somehow to make people feel comfortable. REALLY? If we close our eyes to sin in our midst as the body, then how are we really "the people of God" and any different from those who are not? - Stan]
There’s so much bad news in the world, do we really have to let it interrupt our football games? We’ve got some hard thinking to do…
By now you’ve undoubtedly heard about the horrific video of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice knocking his then-fiancée unconscious inside a casino elevator. The Ravens have terminated Rice’s contract, and the NFL has placed him on indefinite suspension. Rice’s actions were reprehensible, and the NFL’s handling of the matter at this point has been questionable at best, and shameful at worst.
Now, what should Christians make of all this? The first thing is perhaps the hardest but certainly the most important. We should pray for Rice and his family. All of us stand in need of God’s grace, and we serve a God who can redeem anything and anyone. We serve a Savior who died for every man and woman, no matter how vile their actions or deep their deceptions. To refuse to pray is to deny these basic tenets of our faith.
And second, we should ask ourselves some long-overdue questions about how we play and watch the games we do. The Rice story was only the latest in a never-ending series of tales that are more apt for “America’s Most Wanted” than Monday Night Football. Scarcely a fortnight goes by when we don’t read about an NFL player—or in the case of the Indianapolis Colts, an owner—being arrested for serious offenses that would land most ordinary Americans behind bars.And then there’s the concussion issue. It’s become clear that the people we watch on Saturdays and Sundays are, like other athletes in a handful of other sports, taking serious risks with their long-term health.
And yet we choose not to see these things as we continue to watch our games. Bill Simmons of ESPN summed up the attitude of most fans when he wrote that, despite what’s going on off the field, “we care [about the NFL] just as much as we always did. [And] We look the other way as much as we always did.” We might say, in fact, that Americans suffer from an epidemic of not looking.
It’s not only football. Many of the defining pleasures and comforts of modern American life require not looking. An obvious example is abortion. As Mother Teresa famously put it, “It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.” This so-called “freedom of choice” is only possible because people do not look very closely at what is actually being chosen.
Closer to home—in fact as close as your pocket—are the gadgets we consider indispensable, even though they were scarcely dreamt of a decade ago. As comedian Louis CK pointed out recently on an HBO special, many of our smartphones and tablets are built in factories where the conditions are so terrible that people jump off the roof to escape their suffering.
It’s absolutely true that globalized commerce has lifted millions out of poverty. But as Louis CK acerbically put it, in many cases, we choose to let someone far away “suffer immeasurably” so we can leave mean comments on YouTube while we’re in the bathroom.
Now it’s an exaggeration, of course; but what isn’t an exaggeration is that Christians ought never decline to look in good conscience. Mindless consumption, whether of stuff or of entertainment, is incompatible with Christian faithfulness. Trust me, this comes from someone who loves football—not as much as March Madness, of course, but I still love it.
If, as Abraham Kuyper said, “there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence” over which Christ does not cry “mine!”, our games are not exempt. They, too, come under God’s scrutiny. Not only for what they say about those who participate in them but also for what they say about those who watch them.
Now does this mean that a Christian shouldn’t watch the NFL? I don’t claim to have the answer for that. But it does mean that we can’t look the other way and assume that just because it’s normal it’s somehow good. If hiding from the truth is the price to be paid for loving football, then it’s a far-too-costly love, a love that is incompatible with the love of God and our neighbors who play the game.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
Resources:
"The Church and Violence Against Women" - Russell Moore | RussellMoore.com | September 9, 2014;http://www.russellmoore.com/2014/09/09/the-church-and-violence-against-women/
"An Ugly Secret: Domestic Violence within the Church" - Chuck Colson | BreakPoint.org | April 19, 2009; http://www.breakpoint.org/commentaries/1840-an-ugly-secret?spMailingID=9452179&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=381183558&spReportId=MzgxMTgzNTU4S0
"Pastors Seldom Preach About Domestic Violence" - Bob Smietana | Lifewayresearch.com | June 27, 2014; http://www.lifewayresearch.com/2014/06/27/pastors-seldom-preach-about-domestic-violence/
"Ray Rice, Domestic Abuse and the Quest for a Chivalrous Society" - Jim Daly | FocusontheFamily.com | September 12, 2014;http://jimdaly.focusonthefamily.com/ray-rice-domestic-abuse-and-the-quest-for-a-chivalrous-society/
"The Church and its Response to Domestic and Sexual Violence" - Ed Stetzer | Christianitytoday.com | June 20, 2014; http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2014/june/church-and-its-response-to-domestic-and-sexual-violence.html?paging=off
"The woman who nearly died making your iPad" - Aditya Chakrabortty | The Guardian | August 5, 2013; http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/05/woman-nearly-died-making-ipad
"The Conversation We Won't Have About Raising Men" - Ben Shapiro | Sep 17, 2014; http://townhall.com/columnists/benshapiro/2014/09/17/the-conversation-we-wont-have-about-raising-men-n1892588?utm_source=thdailypm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl_pm
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