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)
11/3 - A VERY SAD UPDATE: "Family: Brittany Died in the 'Arms of Loved Ones'" - CBNNews.com, November 03, 2014; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2014/November/Family-Brittany-Died-in-the-Arms-of-Loved-Ones/ [AS I SEE IT: Since first read of this while on the computer last night, I've been filled with both sadness and anger. This woman was convinced that she would have to endure such suffering that it would be the "courageous" thing to commit suicide. That she would do such a thing is sad enough. That she did so with family members standing at her bedside in approval is incomprehensible to me. Sadly, as I don't believe she had a relationship with God through Jesus, ironically Brittany is now beginning to suffer for eternity that which is WAY beyond anything she would have endured in this life. The whole idea of euthanasia screams of coming from the Deceiver himself and speaks of a society that continues to champion a culture of Death. - Stan]
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: Save Christian Mom Asia Bibi from Execution - A Christian mom has been sentenced to death in Pakistan for her faith. Asia Bibi was falsely accused of “blasphemy” – speaking against the prophet Muhammad. Now this wife and mother of five will hang for her Christian faith.She would be the first woman executed under Pakistan’s Shariah blasphemy law.This is the ultimate human rights violation. We’re mobilizing our international affiliate – the European Centre for Law and Justice – and its partner in Pakistan to stop this atrocity. Add your name to our letter to the government of Pakistan demanding Asia Bibi’s freedom.Go to http://aclj.org/persecuted-church/save-christian-mom-asia-bibi-from-execution; please add your signature to mine and over 35,000 others AND pray for Asia Bibi.
U.S. Supreme Court has Reconvened: Let's be praying WHENEVER the Court is in session as their decisions can have impact on GENERATIONS to come. The fact that they may have an opportunity this session to actually vote on same-sex "marriage" where it has the same impact on this country that Roe v. Wade did should be motivating enough!
ELECTION DAY, NOV. 4th. Let's begin praying that the American people will have wisdom in voting into office those who will lead our communities and nation with integrity and wisdom from God and DO NO HARM!.
WORLD-WDE PRAYER REQUESTS:
Friday, Sept. 26th - Two Year Anniversary of Pastor Saeed Abedini's Imprisonment in Iran! - [NOTE TODAY'S POST!]
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. [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
"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
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)
/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 Best of Citizens - CHRISTIANS AND VOTING" - By: Chuck Colson| Breakpoint.org: November 3, 2014;
http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/26328?spMailingID=9826221&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=420208429&spReportId=NDIwMjA4NDI5S0 [NOTE - TODAY marks 41 years since I prayed to received Christ and is thus my Re-Birthday. I thought of posting my personal testimony but seeing this article, I decided this was much more important. I do hope to post my testimony at a future time. (Unfortunately, the news of Brittany Maynard's suicide (see above) casts a shadow over any joy I had regarding today.) - Stan]
In the following BreakPoint classic, Chuck Colson explains why Christians must be the best of citizens, and why we should vote.
After his White House days, Chuck Colson never publicly endorsed any political candidate, nor did he tell people, including BreakPoint listeners, how they should vote. But he certainly did tell Christians to vote, and why we should vote--no matter how tired we are of politics, no matter how dubious we might be that our lone vote will make a difference. With Election Day coming tomorrow, we thought it very appropriate to hear from our old friend Chuck Colson. So here he is.
"A few days ago, my wife, Patty, overheard a customer in the grocery store talking to one of the clerks. The clerk kept saying, "I'm not going to bother to vote. It doesn't make any difference. My vote doesn't count." But the customer kept trying to change her mind. As Patty walked up to join the conversation, she found that the customer was the young clerk's own high school civics teacher. She obviously had not taught her very well, but the teacher was making up for it that day, doing her job better than she ever had before."
"Sadly, many Christians feel the same way that clerk did. One prominent scholar says we shouldn't vote because neither candidate represents everything we want. That's perfectionism. It's also a cop-out. It's saying that because neither candidate measures up to your own standards, you're just going to stand by and proclaim, "A plague on both your houses," as if that could possibly do anyone any good.
After weeks of hearing about the campaign nonstop, it's not surprising some people suffer from Election Fatigue. I do. But it's the duty of every citizen to study the issues and cast an informed vote. Think of all the Americans today who are in harm's way right now, bringing freedom to the Iraqis so they can vote for their own leaders. Think of the ten million Afghans who just voted, some of them young women who had never had any rights before. If freedom is worth dying for, it is certainly worth voting for.
And Christians need to remember that voting is not only an act of good citizenship, it's also our biblical duty. We all know that Christians are to submit themselves to the governing authorities (Romans 13). What we forget is that God uses His people as agents to help determine who the governing authorities will be. Just as in the Old Testament He sent Samuel out to pick his leaders, so He calls us in a free democratic society to choose, by our votes, the leaders He then ordains.
But sometimes, you say, those leaders are corrupt. Well, that's our fault, not God's. Just because the democratic system doesn't always give you good rulers doesn't mean we don't keep trying. It matters who we support. Voting for pro-life leaders, for example, is very important. And our efforts make a difference. Look at what happened over the years with a ban on partial-birth abortion—defeated year after year, until President Bush was elected, and he signed it into law. And in the process of that debate the public was educated, thereby helping to create a culture of life.
The same holds true for so many other issues. If we don't make ourselves heard, the consequences will be grave—not just for us, but for our fellow citizens. Like it or not, in a free society, we're God's agents for picking righteous, able men and women.
And Christians, as Augustine said, are meant to be "the best of citizens." So this Election Day, you must prove those words true by doing what God has called us to do: vote.
[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]
RESOURCES
"Thoughts on the Upcoming Election" - Dr. Timothy George | Colson Center | August 27, 2012; http://www.breakpoint.org/voices/dr-timothy-george-links/entry/43/20156?spMailingID=9826221&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=420208429&spReportId=NDIwMjA4NDI5S0
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