#2646 (4/19) " [TODAY] Is Good Friday - Stop, Reflect, Pray"

ATTENTION:  SCROLL DOWN  to get TODAY'S article entitled in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. PLEASE be sure to note the various PRAYER REQUESTS listed BEFORE and AFTER the posted article. (NOTE the list of DAILY prayer requests for the persecuted church.)  They ALL deserve  your intercession.

THANK YOU.

PRAYER ALERT:

1 - URGENT - Pray for those in the Midwest suffering from the recent devastating floods,and severe blizzards.

2PRAY  that the present uproar at our southern border will be resolved without further violence. PRAY also that our leaders will finally implement an effective border policy that will prevent these incidents in the future.

3)  Pray for U.S. Pastor David Lin in China (see story below)
4) Pray for Asia Bibi and her family to finally be able to leave Pakistan and  danger. - "A Deadly Legal Limbo: Why Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi's Life Is Still in Danger" - CBNNEWS.COM, 11-13-2018; http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/2018/november/a-deadly-legal-limbo-why-pakistani-christian-asia-bibis-life-is-still-in-danger [2/13 - Her children are now in Canada but she and her husband are still in hiding in Pakistan]

5) Leah Sharibu is a courageous Nigerian Christian teen girl held captive by Boko Haram. The Islamic militia is threatening to kill or enslave her because she won't renounce Jesus Christ. Pray that the UN will intervene in her release. [2/13 – This day marked ONE YEAR since her kidnapping.]

ATTENTION!

The movie"Unplanned" - I was SO blessed to be able to recently attend a special showing of this movie. PLEASE make plans to see this INCREDIBLE pro-life movie which opened yesterday, March 29th, for a limited time. And if you can, take along your pastor or a church leader, and esp. anyone who calkls themselves "pro-choice." Trust me...this movie will speak to the heart of everyone who sees it![Go to https://www.unplannedfilm.com/ to see a theatrical trailer]
Find out where the movie is being shown![https://unplannedtickets.com/] 

WALK FOR LIFE 2019 for ThriveOrlando – PRAISE GOD! for the Walk that took place this past Saturday. It was blessed with 23 churches participating and raised $55,000 of the $60,000 goal BUT it was announced that a generous donor has offered a matching grant to DOUBLE the amount raised, so actually, over $110,000 has been raised! THANK YOU for whatever you may have given. Unfortunately, I am only about $21 short of my updated goal. I would still like to meet and exceed it. And so, my fundraising page is still up. And so if you have yet to give, I AM STILL LOOKING FOR  SPONSORS. If YOU have not and would still like to give,  please go to my fundraising page and sponsor me as generously as you can. 
Remember: Every gift adds up and so none is too small.   

https://secure.ministrysync.com/ministrysync/event/website/?m=4220989

DECLARATION FOR LIFE: Please be sure to sign this at:  https://www.focusonthefamily.com/pro-life  

PERSONAL UPDATE: 4/15- Note my latest entry in the JOURNAL section on the right side of this page.

4/ 19 - PRAY for the President and others in leadership (1 Tim. 2:1-3)

Heavenly Father,

 I pray that you will guide President Trump to seek YOU with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength in the New Year. May he act with wisdom and strength against those whose actions would bring harm to this nation and the world now and for generations to come. I pray that you would strengthen his marriage and deepen the love he and his wife Melania share. Pray that you give them wisdom to speak into the life of their son Barron. Please protect him and his family and others in our leadership from physical harm that any might seek to do against them. May all that our President does bring honor and glory to YOU and cause him to draw in closer relationship with you. I ask this in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, Amen. P.S. - 3/27: I just finished reading the newly released book, "The Faith of Donald J. Trump" that the public library had and sent to me. Greatly recommend you read it to better understand our 45th President.

(from Intercessors For America) As the Lord Leads, please pray

*For President Trump and first lady to find a time of quiet reflection on the redemptive work of Jesus Christ upon the cross of Calvary while at their Florida home for the weekend.

*For wisdom for the president as he faces the probability of another round of investigations by Congress.
*For members of Congress to be safe and wise in their travels, whether to home districts or elsewhere., as they are on break the next 2 weeks.
*For the new leadership of the Department of Homeland Security in advancing plans for dealing with the security and humanitarian crises at the southern border.
*For First Lady Melania Trump and the plans in the works for the White House Easter Egg Roll on Mon. April 22.
*For God to guide the president and make clear the decisions that he should make related to foreign policy.

*For safe travel for members of the administration who are making trips abroad.

*For the negotiators working on a trade deal between the U.S. and China to continue to see progress and remain optimistic.
*For solutions to be found for the migrant crisis in Latin America—not only the migrants headed toward the U.S. and already on the southern border, but of migrants leaving nations like Venezuela in massive numbers.

*For the military leaders of the U.S. and Turkey to come to a working arrangement over America’s departure from Syria and the protection of the Kurds.

*For unity in Congress as they work to solve the many pressing issues that face the nation.
*For guidance for President Trump  as he works on a variety of issues, that God’s will would be accomplished through him.

     BE Prepared TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST ABORTION 

(...because ALL Babies Matter! - http://www.lifenews.com/2017/03/01/why-do-unborn-babies-matter-just-because-they-are/ : Go to: LIFE Training Institute - http://prolifetraining.com/resources/five-minute-11/  

Be Prepared TO ENGAGE WITH THE PC CULTURE:Go to:"Tactics" - 

http://townhall.com/columnists/mikeadams/2016/04/29/tactics-n2154983

"Don't Argue the Exceptions - Beating Bad Arguments For Abortion and Transgenderism" - by John Stonestreet, Breakpoint.org, May 25, 2017; http://breakpoint.org/2017/05/breakpoint-dont-argue-exceptions/

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" [TODAY] IS GOOD FRIDAY - STOP, REFLECT, PRAY" - by John Stonestreet , Breakpoint.org, April 18, 2019;
http://www.breakpoint.org/2019/04/breakpoint-tomorrow-is-good-friday/ 

      [TODAY] is Good Friday. Hundreds of millions of Christians around the world will observe the day Jesus was nailed to the cross to save us from our sins. For many, it is a day of fasting. Of silence. Of prayer and contemplation. And that is as it should be. 

    After several weeks of Lenten fasts and disciplines, many of us are eager for the celebration of Easter. But as Fr. Richard John Neuhaus observed, we’re far too quick to rush past the Triumphal Entry, the Last Supper, and the events of Good Friday. The only way to Sunday is through, not around, the important events of this week, especially Good Friday.

   Let me be clear, however. No Christian ought dwell on Friday as if we don’t know what happens three days later. “Sunday’s a-comin’,” said that great African-American preacher, describing that brilliant new day which awaits confused disciples, triumphant religious authorities, and that angry mob. Sunday is not a maybe for us Christians. Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. Thus, we won’t rightly understand anything from the Creation and the Fall of the world to the birth, life, miracles, words, or last week of Jesus Christ without having His resurrection fully in view.

   Søren Kierkegaard once observed that life is lived forward and can only be understood backward. As we remember the events of Holy Week, we have an advantage that Christ’s first followers did not. We look backward. Not only that, we also have the benefit of watching the shift in the disciple’s perspective from looking forward to looking backward.

   Peter’s sermon at Pentecost offers the very first, clear, Holy Spirit-led, backward-looking exposition of Holy Week events. The punchline of that rhetorical tour de force in Acts 2 is this unequivocal claim: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified” (Acts 2:36).
   Peter, like the rest of the disciples and the masses that welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem, did not have this perspective looking forward. They expected a kingdom of this world, specifically of Israel. Even as they walked with Jesus after the resurrection, the disciples were still asking, “Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
   It is only after Christ’s ascension that Peter realized the answer to that question is both yes and no. Yes, the kingdom is inaugurated. No, the kingdom is not limited to Israel. God the Father has placed all things in heaven and earth under the feet of Jesus Christ. His rule is over all. His rule was sealed by His Sunday resurrection, but it only came through His victorious death over death on that Good Friday: the Good Friday that we remember [today]. Many of us will remember it by walking through the words of Jesus from the cross.

   The staff of the Colson Center has prepared a series of meditations on those last seven words of Jesus from the cross as He died. In a beautifully illustrated booklet, using sacred art about the passion of Jesus, these devotionals can help you and your family meditate on the significance of Good Friday. It’s a free pdf download that you can print and share. Just visit BreakPoint.org/7sayings.
   If you’re unfamiliar with Jesus’ seven last sayings, they are: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do;” “Today you will be with me in Paradise;” “Behold your son/Behold your mother;” “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” “I thirst;” “It is finished;” and finally, “Father into your hands I commend my spirit.” 

   [Today], find some time to pray and meditate on Him Who was wounded for our transgressions, whose chastisement was the punishment for our peace, and by Whose stripes we are healed.   Again, the free downloadable devotional booklet is available at BreakPoint.org/7sayings. For all of us at the Colson Center, may God grant you a glorious Easter celebration. He is risen. Indeed.  

[italics and colored emphasis mine]

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PRAYER MATTERS:

"To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world. -  Karl Barth
"Prayer is inviting God into a seemingly impossible situation and trusting/resting in His love and grace to accomplish His perfect will in His perfect time and for His greatest glory. Intercession is the one of the great privileges AND responsibilities for EVERY believer."  "To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world." - Stan

“INTERCESSORS ARE THE RUDDER” – A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT - Wanda Alger, June 28th, 2017; https://www.getamericapraying.com/blog/I was recently given a word by my good friend, Bill Yount. His word greatly encouraged me as an intercessor. Working for Intercessors for America, I soon realized it was not just a word for me, but for all who have been praying for our nation, wondering if their prayers are truly making any difference. Bill told me, “I kept seeing you as a small rudder on a huge ship. Hidden, but giving guidance. Although it seemed slow it was turning the whole ship. Patience was needed to see the impact of your…ministry. I sense the Lord saying, ‘Don’t jump ship! I’ve made you the rudder!’ ” I was immediately touched in my spirit by this encouragement, knowing that our seemingly small place in prayer was having a great impact.

James 3:4 talks about the power of a small rudder to steer a large ship. In this scripture about the power of our tongue, consider the power of prophetic intercession! In the Forerunner Commentary on this verse we read, “…rudders manipulate the course of immense ocean vessels with a slight movement of a pilot’s hand. Since it is underwater and aft, the rudder of a ship does its work UNSEEN. A passenger is ignorant of its movements most of the time. Yet, when it is in proper working order, the rudder holds more power over the ship than the wind. The wind will blow, toss, even destroy the ship’s rigging, but the rudder guides the ship exactly where it directs.”

This is God’s promise to the intercessors in this hour of national turbulence. Don’t stop praying! Your prayers have great power to turn the ship! Continue praying, interceding, and discerning the workings and movements of the Holy Spirit, being faithful to God’s commands. As we come together to declare God’s faithfulness, this nation will, once again, head in the direction that God intends. Don’t give up and don’t give in. Regardless of the winds of adversity and the fires of the enemy, God’s people have a power that cannot be matched. Let us join in faith and continue to pray and speak of God’s faithfulness in order to bring God’s people and this nation into the fullness of God’s plans. Note this additional encouragement from God’s word:

Colossians 2:15 – “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (ESV). 

Psalm 33:8-11 – “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” 

Wanda Alger, IFA Field Correspondent

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) Short of that, we should not be saying "God Bless America"but instead "God be merciful towards America!"

PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS:  1) Pray for President Trump and his advisers, that they would select Godly leaders at the federal level who will be accountable to do an excellent job (or be fired!) ; that he would seek God's wisdom and be enabled to lead our country effectively in the years ahead; and 2) Pray our leaders at every level of government will Spirit-filled, leading us with Godly wisdom and integrity; that they will  only pass legislation and enact policies that will benefit Americans today as well as future generations and NOT do any lasting harm.

SUPREME COURT: PRAY that the justices will only hand down decisions that are Constitutionally sound and in the best interests of our country now and for future generations.

World-Wide Prayer Requests:

 PRAISE GOD for the continuing recent successes against ISIS! Pray that coalition forces will be able to  fully destroy the leadership and infrastructure of ISIS.

*For believers in Syria and in this region as they navigate so much uncertainty. May they remain faithful to God through these most difficult times as He sustains them with peace and His Spirit's strength.

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Praying Through the Open Doors World Watch List for persecuted believers:https://www.opendoorsusa.org/take-action/pray/monthly-prayer-calendar/

The women of the persecuted church—in April, Open Doors is focusing on this group crucial to the spread of the gospel and thriving of the global Body of Christ. Throughout the world, 
women and girls are doubly persecuted: for their faith and for their gender. We invite you to step into their stories and pray with these sisters in Christ.
April 19 | BHUTAN - Open Doors recently organized a youth retreat to help young believers deepen their faith and be salt and light to their non-believing friends. Pray for them.
*Names changed to protect identities

STANDING STRONG THROUGH THE STORM - OpenDoorsUSA.org

 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.- 2 Tim. 4:16                                               

SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THOSE WHO SUFFER

The Apostle Paul knew exactly what it was like to be alone, to be deserted by all who called themselves “brothers” and “sisters.” A former colleague who has done considerable travel among the persecuted says, “It is hard to believe that Christians are the largest persecuted group in the world today. But it is even more difficult to believe that this is so seldom mentioned in our gatherings and church services. More Christians know the names of their favorite actors than their fellow believers who are in prison.”

He continues, “With every trip something in my heart breaks as I hear the echoes of suffering:

I remember the echoes of an Egyptian mother as she shared how her young boy was stuck in a haystack because she refused to deny Jesus.

I remember the sounds of weeping as fellow students in Indonesia shared how Sariman, their co-student, was hacked to death.

I remember the cries of anguish as we walked from church to church that was burned to the ground on the island of Lombok.

I remember the tears of Rebecca in Iran as she showed the picture of her father who was stabbed to death for sharing the gospel.

I remember the voice of Pastor Daniel in Vietnam as he shared how he was chained to the ground for six months.

I remember the fear of Grace from Sudan as she shared how her church was attacked and her friend was shot through the head.

Oh, I remember the cries of Caleb in Eritrea as he shared with tears how two dear friends were executed in front of him because of their faith.

And I remember the tears of Joy in the southern Philippines as she shared how her fiancé was shot to death in their church in Mindanao.

But, most all, I remember the deafening sounds of silence every time I return home.

RESPONSE

How can I be silent today? How can I not speak on behalf of those who suffer? How can I desert those that belong to the same body that I belong to and who desperately need the encouragement of my intervention?

#2545 (4/18)"COLORADO SEX ED BILL WOULD FORCE  KIDS TO LEARN LGBT IDEOLOGY, BAN TALK ON ABSTINENCE" - Stephanie Curry/ April 17, 2019 / 106 Comments; https://www.dailysignal.com/2019/04/17/colorado-sex-ed-bill-would-force-kids-to-learn-lgbt-ideology-ban-talk-of-abstinence/ [AS I SEE IT: What is likely to happen in Colorado, with the mandatory teaching of one worldview and the prohibition of teaching any other view, including those of those with religious objections, not only can happen in other states but could one day happen nation-wide with the Democrat's proposed "Equality Act" being proposed in the House. Though THAT legislation is not likely to make it through the Senate and be approved by President Trump, the threat of our children being clearly forced to be indoctrinated, and not educated, has never been more apparent. The question is: what will people of faith do in the face of such a looming threat?  P.S.- Note the huge amount of comments received by this and the related article noted afterwwards- Stan]

     "HB 1032 would flat-out ban speech that suggests abstinence is the best and healthiest choice," writes Stephanie Curry. (Photo: FG Trade/Getty Images)

     Colorado’s wildly controversial, comprehensive sex ed legislation has ignited national discussions about how far Americans want to expose their children to a radical social agenda.

  More than a few eyebrows were raised when Colorado passed its mandatory comprehensive sex education law in 2013, which required students undergo “culturally sensitive” lessons.
“Culturally sensitive” meant that sex ed lessons would incorporate minority perspectives on sex that had not previously been represented in sex-ed—including LGBT individuals, but also other groups. (In practice, this meant teaching and affirming more diverse kinds of sex.)
   Though many parents were concerned, those concerns were appeased by the fact that students could discuss their moral, ethical, and religious beliefs on sex and sexuality in the classroom. It also allowed some schools to be excused from provisions of the law, if requested.

    Yet, just five years later, Colorado’s Democrat-controlled General Assembly thinks the 2013 law is no longer good enough to address the sexual education of teens. Enter HB 1032.
   HB 1032 would do away with all the “concessions” included in the 2013 law and would specifically prohibit religious, moral, and ethical perspectives on sex from being discussed in the classroom. The bill demands that schools teach about the relational and sexual experiences of LGBT teens. It would forbid any emphasis on abstinence and sexual-risk avoidance as the only foolproof method against pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, and even declares that saying so in the classroom is against the law. HB 1032 would strip teachers, administrators, and school boards of the ability to choose the content of their comprehensive sex ed curriculums and would no longer allow schools to be excused from the requirements of the bill. 

   The bill is almost militant in its stringent requirements and prohibitions, thoroughly censoring the speech of teachers and crushing parental rights and religious freedom in the classroom.
   Currently, only two states in the country (California and Louisiana) prohibit schools from speaking about religious beliefs regarding sex. The majority of states—including Colorado currently—allow abstinence to be stressed or emphasized to teens as the only foolproof method against sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy.

   Yet, HB 1032 would flat-out ban speech that suggests abstinence is the best and healthiest choice. That’s despite the fact that the majority of American teens are choosing abstinence, and Colorado teens have a lower rate of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted teen pregnancies than the national average.
   HB 1032 would flat-out ban speech that suggests abstinence is the best and healthiest choice.
Prohibiting emphasis on abstinence isn’t the only instance of the Colorado Legislature attempting to place words into the mouths of teachers and ideology into the hearts of our children. HB 1032 would also require that teachers who discuss pregnancy outcomes, like adoption and parenting, also discuss abortion. [If passed, Colorado would become only the third state in the country to have that, after Vermont and California.]

   Clearly, the vast majority of American parents, teachers, and schools believe adoption and abortion are not morally or ethically equivalent options. The bill brazenly refers to teaching abortion as an example of “objective, unbiased” instruction, despite abortion being one of the most contentious issues of our time.

   It probably comes as no surprise that Planned Parenthood lobbies across the nation for comprehensive sex education bills to be enacted, and Colorado was no exception. It certainly isn’t coincidence that Planned Parenthood is one of the world’s largest providers of comprehensive sex education materials in the world, peddling radical content that even the most liberal among us might find too shocking for our taste.
   Planned Parenthood’s ready-made sex education curriculum just happens to fit the exact requirements HB 1032 would impose on local school districts. Its materials often promote virtually any type of sexual exploration and experimentation as a “safe and healthy” part of any relationship, no matter the child’s age or biological sex, just as long as you “say yes.” That last point is certainly the provision of Colorado’s sex education bill that garnered the most heartfelt protests from parents during the 20-odd hours of public testimony. Parents tend to take issue with the government mandating teaching elementary school students the definition of “consent.” They already know the answer.

   In Colorado, as in most other states, the definition of consent for elementary students is: Illegal. Criminal. Unsafe. Parents have been rightfully confused on how teaching young children about consent could possibly protect them from predators. How did decades of “No Means No!” education become upended to be “Yes Means Yes”?
   Young children are certainly capable of voluntarily saying the word “yes” to acts that might feel good but are nonetheless deeply harmful and traumatic. It is a parent’s job to protect their children from an agenda that has shifted sex education dialogue from being one of protection to one of pleasure, from prevention to gratification.

   Unfortunately, HB 1032’s sponsors and supporters have downplayed the tens of thousands of parents clamoring for the bill to die as well as the national dialogue the bill has ignited on how parents can guard their children’s hearts and minds in today’s schools.
   HB 1032 has already been passed through a state House committee, the House floor, and its first state Senate committee, despite the overwhelming outcry. The bill is currently being considered in a Senate fiscal committee, which will soon vote on whether $1 million will be allocated from the general fund to schools to help them pay for implementing the burdensome legislative requirements. If passed out of committee, the full Senate will vote on the bill, and then it will be off to the desk of Colorado’s openly gay governor, Jared Polis, for signature.

   It is a parent’s job to protect their children from an agenda that has shifted sex-education dialogue from being one of protection to one of pleasure, from prevention to gratification.
Families in states such as Arizona, Massachusetts, and Texas are fighting controversial provisions similar to Colorado’s. Tennessee, Alaska, Idaho, and other states are taking proactive measures to ensure family values are respected in the classroom. Washington state parents recently took a page from Colorado parents’ book and successfully stopped their own appalling comprehensive sex education bill, as did parents in New Mexico.

   But the threat isn’t limited to state legislatures. The U.S. House of Representatives will be voting soon on the deceptively named “Equality Act,” which could lead to federal courts ordering schools to implement curriculums on sexual orientation and gender identity.
   We hope the outcry in Colorado continues to encourage parents in other states around the country to stay informed about what’s being taught in their children’s classrooms—and to do everything they can to protect their children from harmful ideology.

[italics and colored emphasis mine]

Stephanie Curry is the policy manager for Family Policy Alliance.

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"California Parents Object to New Sex Ed Program in Public Schools" - Courtney Joyner / February 21, 2019 / 212 Comments; https://www.dailysignal.com/2019/02/21/california-parents-object-to-new-sex-ed-program-in-public-schools/

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PRAYER MATTERS:

     "To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world." - Karl Barth
       "Prayer is inviting God into a seemingly impossible situation and trusting/resting in His love and grace to accomplish His perfect will in His perfect time and for His greatest glory. Intercession is the one of the great privileges AND responsibilities for EVERY believer." - Stan 

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Praying Through the Open Doors World Watch List for persecuted believers:https://www.opendoorsusa.org/take-action/pray/monthly-prayer-calendar/

The women of the persecuted church—in April, Open Doors is focusing on this group crucial to the spread of the gospel and thriving of the global Body of Christ. Throughout the world, 
women and girls are doubly persecuted: for their faith and for their gender. We invite you to step into their stories and pray with these sisters in Christ.
April 18 | LAOS - Recent research reveals the northern Hong* Province is one of the country’s most difficult places for believers. Most of the area’s Christians must gather secretly. Pray for strong Laotian Christians.
*Names changed to protect identities