ATTENTION: SCROLL DOWN to get TODAY'S entitled in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. PLEASE be sure to note the various PRAYER REQUESTS listed BEFORE and AFTER the posted article. (NOTE each day's DAILY prayer requests for the persecuted church.)
Questions for President Biden:
PRAYER ALERT
URGENT: Pray for the effective distribution of the COVID vaccines to all Americans.
Pray for the healing of all infected with the virus throughout the US and the world.
*Pray for U.S. Pastor David Lin in China (see "Something Serious Is Happening In That Dark Place" - Tony Perkins, Washington Watch, April 09, 2019; https://www.frc.org/updatearticle/20190409/something-serious)
*Pray for 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. [2/13/19 – This day marked ONE YEAR since her kidnapping.
PERSONAL UPDATE: 6/12 - For several months now, I've had computer problems but even more have been dealing with a lot of physical and emotional exhaustion. I will try to post something an this blog from time to time but it will probably not be EVERY day as it had for a long while now. But I do encourage you to check it at any time to see if there has been a recent post. Thanks for understanding and esp. for your prayers. P.S. - I look forward to hearing from YOU to update me on how you are doing; I would REALLY appreciate that! - Stan
From the Presidential Prayer Team:https://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/daily-prayer-
JUNE 13 -**For God to be at work through the meeting between the president and Queen Elizabeth today.
*For the president to seek God’s wisdom as he works with world leaders to address global issues.
*For God’s hand to be on the president as he represents the United States while abroad.
DECLARATION FOR LIFE: Please be sure to sign this at: https://www.focusonthefamily.com/pro-life
BE Prepared TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST ABORTION
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,
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"POLILTICS MAKES A LOUSY WORLDVIEW" - John Stonestreet and Maria Baer, Breakpoint.org, 06/10/21; Politics Makes a Lousy Worldview - BreakPoint
Politics makes a terrible substitute for a complete, thoughtful worldview. “God has filled his world full of pleasures,” wrote C. S. Lewis in The Screwtape Letters. There are things for humans to do all day long without His minding in the least. Sleeping, walking, eating and drinking. It’s only when these things are twisted, Lewis argues, that they become sinful.
Now, there used to be many things we could do all day long without other people minding in the least: eating fast food chicken for example, flying an American flag from your porch, rooting for a particular professional sports team or athlete, watching a certain TV network, or watching the other certain TV network. Today all of these things are politically loaded, as is so much of life in a culture that pretends that we can’t know any real answers absolutely. To the deep, ultimate questions of life, we’re still a culture searching for the answers.
Of course, we’re a people in need of answers. Instead of finding them in the Church or in something transcendent, our culture looks largely elsewhere. More and more we choose to find our answers in politics. I define politics here as more than just the process by which we decide how to govern. The way we understand politics today is more like a game, complete with teams—good guys, bad guys, opponents, fandom, celebrities. All of this is a problem. Politics isn’t big enough to answer the questions that we’re expecting it to solve.
For starters, politics certainly doesn’t tell us the truth about real people. It’s common now to think that, based on who a person voted for, we know everything we need to know about them. And making the problem even worse is what we do with the assumptions we make about people based on who they voted for. It’s common now to treat another person’s politics as grounds for our acceptance and love for them, or to excuse, or dismiss, or deny their personhood — or even hate them.
Just a few weeks ago, a New York Times opinion writer argued that violent anti-Semitic attacks in the U. S. and abroad were problematic, not because people were being attacked, but because those attacks made it more politically difficult to criticize Israel. In this view, the victims of those attacks were pawns, not people.
Just a few days after that, I shared a commentary on BreakPoint from my friend Gerald McDermott about President Biden’s speech impediment. We received many positive comments about the commentary, but we also received many, many negative ones from listeners asserting that we shouldn’t give any cover whatsoever for Biden in any form, that Biden’s politics somehow excuses us from having to treat him with dignity and compassion. In this, too, he became a pawn, not a person.
We have to remember that a person with the right politics doesn’t have any more human dignity or deserve our love any more than someone with the wrong politics. Our politics don’t determine who we are. It’s that we’re made in the image and likeness of God. Our politics aren’t what makes us human. It’s who we were created to be that does.
And of course, our politics don’t tell us the full truth about ideas. Right now our government and public health experts around the world are trying to decide whether COVID-19 first leaked from a lab in China. That theory has been proposed all along—as early as last spring. But it was categorically dismissed by most of the world’s media; not based on any information, not based on any investigation, not based on any facts, but simply because President Trump said that it might be true. Because of his politics, that was treated as proof that it wasn’t true. And if we’re being fair, many others thought that because President Trump said it, that was proof that it was true.
It is culturally and personally dangerous to either unquestioningly accept or dismiss ideas merely because of their political context. Politics doesn’t determine reality. And of course, politics can’t tell us the whole truth about the world either. This should be perfectly obvious.
Politics are powerfully shaped by cultural taste. What was politically unthinkable ten years ago — for example giving sterilizing cross-sex hormones to a pre-teen — is nearly politically unquestionable today. In other words, politics is just as trendy as fashion can be. It’s certainly not any rock on which we can build our worldview or our ethics.
Politics first and foremost is merely a process. It’s a way to do things. It cannot give us the purpose of life. Our political views don’t make us human so they shouldn’t be the basis of determining who we are willing to “do life with” or are willing to forgive, or willing to learn from, or are willing to love. Having the right politics isn’t the fullness of our calling as followers of Jesus any more than having the wrong politics is eternal condemnation.
Our politics today is merely a show, a reality show that doesn’t give us the reality about us, or about the world. And let’s be honest, the show is getting embarrassing. On the other hand, the way of Jesus is abundant life, and it’s not single-pixel, one-dimensional, or fake.
[italics and colored emphasis mine]
RESOURCES:
C.S. Lewis – Screwtape Letters - The Screwtape Letters: C.S. Lewis: 9780060652937 - Colson Center with Christianbook.com
"The Point on New York Times Piece on Anti-Semitism" - “Political Opponents” or Human Beings? - BreakPoint
"BreakPoint on President Biden’s Stutter "– Gerald McDermott - President Biden's Stutter and the Image of God - BreakPoint
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 one of the great privileges AND responsibilities for EVERY believer."- Stan
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“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:
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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/
A Life-Giving Message. Despite the coronavirus global pandemic and border closings, Open Doors has continued our critical radio ministry in North Korea. As sermons, Christian stories, testimonies and praise songs are broadcast, underground believers regularly receive Christian lessons and encouragement. They hide in secret places and listen to the radio programs. Sometimes they take turns listening and then share what they’ve heard and learned with their fellow underground Christians.
June 13 - Thank God that His Word does not return void (Isa. 55:11), and pray that secret believers will be fortified and lifted up by what they hear
*Representative name or photo used to protect identity.
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?
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