#1766 (11/11) "VETERAN'S DAY 2016 - HOW GRATEFUL ARE WE?"

"Veterans Day 2016 - HOW GRATEFUL ARE WE?" - By: Eric Metaxas| Breakpoint.org: November 11, 2016; 

http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/30097 [AS I SEE IT: I hope that you will seek to follow-through on one of the suggestions made at the end of this article regarding how to honor our veterans - and not just today but as an on-going effort. I pray that many Americans will use this occasion to write our President-elect and encourage him to make doing right by our veterans one of the acts he focuses on in his first 100 days. I trust the fact that he took time to mention them in his first speech after being elected was a great encouragement to our enlisted men and veterans, who desperately need encouragement these days. I pray that he will not wait to announce that he will fire all those responsible for the recent inexcusable scandals regarding the care of our veterans as well as other measures he will enact. Let's pray to that he will have wisdom to appoint men of integrity, accountability, and right-thinking to lead our troops. - Stan]

Today a grateful nation marks Veterans Day. But how grateful are we, truly?

With the craziest presidential election of all time ending earlier this week, it’s easy to forgive someone for forgetting that today is Veterans Day. Sad to say, at least until President-Elect Trump’s brief but important mention of vets during his victory speech, our nation’s veterans have been mostly forgotten during the election campaign. As National Public Radio reported, of the 28,500 words spoken by the presidential candidates during the debates, veterans were mentioned only twice.

This is amazing. The nation and our leaders owe veterans much more.

Let’s look at the figures. The Census Bureau reports that there are 18.6 million American veterans of military service. Since the first Gulf War, 5.6 million Americans have served.

And while most of them are doing just fine, thank you, many are in dire straits. One in five veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, or PTSD. Although veterans represent only 9 percent of the U. S. population, they account for nearly 20 percent of the nation’s suicides. Vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have four times the suicide rate of other veterans.

Homelessness is also an issue. There are nearly 50,000 homeless vets in this country—half of whom are Vietnam vets, although the number of younger homeless vets is on the rise.

Then there’s the scandal of the Veterans Administration hospitals—horrendous waiting lists for medical care, officials falsifying data to cover their tracks. It’s a further scandal that the Administration and Congress haven’t done a whole lot about it. The Washington Post awarded President Obama four Pinocchios for his assurances to military families that “a whole bunch of people” have been fired at the VA as a result of the scandals. The fact is that very few VA officials have been held accountable.

Finally, there’s the ongoing mess regarding war-time re-enlistment bonuses given to members of the California National Guard. These men and women used the money for things like education and mortgages—only to find out that a) they might have been given the money fraudulently because their recruiting officers were trying to meet quotas, and b) the government wants the money back. That’s a fine thank you to the men and women who placed their lives on the line for their country.

Let’s hope the Pentagon and Congress do something about this and the other issues facing veterans. Actually, this Veterans Day, let’s do more than hope. Call or write our new President and our newly elected Congress the moment they take their oath of office. Let them know you want veterans’ issues back on the national agenda.

But beyond waiting on our elected officials to address veterans concerns, there are things that we ourselves can do to honor those who have served our country. Here are some suggestions from Military.com.
     First, show up. Attend a Veterans Day event in your area. Second, donate. There are many organizations that help veterans. Come to BreakPoint.org and we’ll link you to worthy charities. Other suggestions include just getting to know a veteran in your neighborhood and asking about his or her service; visiting or volunteering at a VA hospital; or simply writing a veteran you know offering words of thanks and encouragement. And of course, pray for our veterans and our active duty military personnel.

Yes, our veterans deserve the thanks and support of our government. Let’s go to bat for them, and also do what we can do to acknowledge their service on our behalf.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION - For Veterans Day, let’s honor the sacrifice of all those who have worn our country’s uniform. As Eric has suggested, spend a little time getting to know veterans in your neighborhood. At the very least, thank them for the sacrifices they’ve made. But you can also find veterans organizations that do good work for vets and their families and make a donation. Check out the links below for further information and suggestions.

RESOURCES
"Support Veterans and Active Duty Service members; Charity Navigator" - https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=531&from=search-text

"8 Ways to Express Appreciation on Veterans Day" - Military.com | November 11, 20165; http://www.military.com/veterans-day/8-ways-to-express-appreciation-on-veterans-day.html

"Veterans' Issues Nearly Ignored In Previous Presidential Debates" - Quil Lawrence | NPR.org | October 19, 2016; http://www.npr.org/2016/10/19/498582150/veterans-issues-nearly-ignored-in-previous-presidential-debates

"‘Whole bunch’ of facts don’t support Obama’s claim that many VA bosses were fired over scandal" - Michelle Ye Hee Lee | Washington Post | October 12, 2016; https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/10/12/obamas-claim-a-whole-bunch-of-people-who-are-in-charge-of-va-facilities-were-fired-over-wait-times/

"VA bosses in 7 states falsified vets' wait times for care" - Donovan Slack | USA TODAY | April 7, 2016; http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/04/07/va-wait-time-manipulation-veterans/82726634/

"Shocking PTSD, suicide rates for vets" - Facethefacts.org | June 5, 2013; http://www.facethefactsusa.org/facts/the-true-price-of-war-in-human-terms

"Expert: Most Private Physicians Untrained to Handle Vets' Issues" - Jon O'Connell | Military.com | October 31, 2016; http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/10/31/expert-most-physicians-untrained-handle-vets-issues.html

"New VA study finds 20 veterans commit suicide each day" - Leo Shane III and Patricia Kime | Militarytimes.com | July 7, 2016; http://www.militarytimes.com/story/veterans/2016/07/07/va-suicide-20-daily-research/86788332/

"Fact Sheet: Veteran Homelessness" - National Alliance to End Homelessness | April 22, 2015; http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/fact-sheet-veteran-homelessness

Beyond the Yellow Ribbon: Ministering to Returning Combat Veterans- David A. Thompson, Darlene Wetterstrom | Abingdon Press | December 2009; http://www.colsoncenterstore.org/product.asp?sku=9780687465750

#1765 (11/10) "Donald Trump’s Win Wasn’t About Racism"

"DONALD TRUMP'S WIN WASN'T ABOUT RACISM" - Katrina Trinko / November 09, 2016 / http://townhall.com/columnists/jackiegingrichcushman/2016/11/10/the-work-is-just-beginning-n2243731 [AS I SEE IT: PAUSE AND TAKE A DEEP BREATH: My heart goes out to the Americans who are disappointed and even fearful about the results of the recent elections, esp. re: our President-elect. (I certainly remember the angst I felt after the results of the previous 2 Presidential elections.) But I Tim. 1:7 instructs us: ”God has not given us a spirit of FEAR, but of power, love, and sound mind.” I believe a sound mind would cause us to look at the things that cause us to fear and to determine if they are truly based on ideas we should fear or just false presumptions we might have or lies we have bought into. As regards President-elect Trump, I agree that I was turned off often by how he expressed himself during the campaign. But note that during his lifetime in the public eye, he was not known to express himself in those ways. In resorting to his showmanship skills during the election campaign, he wrongly used crude expressions to stir up the crowds who he was addressing. I urge you to notice his more humble demeanor when he accepted victory early Wed. morning. I believe those were the expressions of a man who was appeared sobered by the reality of the awesome responsibility he had just been presented. I choose to be HOPEFUL (not necessarily “giddy” as some might want to accuse me) that our next President will govern differently than how he campaigned. I am also HOPEFUL that he will implement many of the good ideas he’s presented, though not necessarily in all the ways he proposed. I encourage those who are fearful to look at the underlying philosophy behind the proposals he has made. We can never be sure of what a new leader will really do until he takes office and so we need to at least give the man time to govern. We must remain PRAYERFUL and HOPEFUL that he will govern with a different temperament than he campaigned. So I urge all to PAUSE AND TAKE A DEEP BREATH and to be PRAYING for our country’s new leader and his team of advisors, now and throughout his Presidency. And no matter how we feel about things right now, Donald Trump will be our new President. As with any leader, he deserves that much from every American. Stan]

Liberals’ outrageous remarks that Donald Trump voters were motivated by racism do a grave disservice to the integrity of the millions of Americans who voted for Trump. (Photo: Aftonbladet /Zuma Press/Newscom)

Already, liberals are trying to push the narrative that Donald Trump’s win was propelled by racist Americans. “This is a candidate who ran on a clearly racist message, attracting people with clearly racist views. And he won,” wrote Vox’s German Lopez. “This was a white-lash against a changing country,” said CNN’s Van Jones. “It was white-lash against a black president in part.” New York Times contributor Roxane Gay wrote about being “stunned” by the results: “I was confident, not only because of who Mrs. Clinton is. I was confident because I thought there were more Americans who believe in progress and equality than there were Americans who were racist, xenophobic, misogynistic, and homophobic.”

But the facts show otherwise. 
      “Trump performed stronger among black and Hispanic voters than Mitt Romney did as the Republican nominee in 2012, according to NBC exit polls,” NBC News reported.
      “On average, the counties that voted for Obama twice and then flipped to support Trump were 81 percent white,” reported The Washington Post, making it almost certain some of Trump’s white voters were people who had voted for President Barack Obama—not exactly the hallmark trait of a racist. As a New York Magazine headline put it: “Trump Won a Lot of White Working-Class Voters Who Backed Obama.”

And liberals’ outrageous remarks that Trump voters were motivated by racism do a grave disservice to the integrity of the millions of Americans who voted for Trump. (Although Trump would do well to make clear he rejects racist supporters.)

Looking at the exit polls posted by CNN, there are many policy reasons why 59 million Americans voted for Trump, including:
     56 percent of voters who saw the Supreme Court nominations as “the most important factor” supported Trump.
       64 percent of voters who thought immigration was the “most important issue” voted for Trump, as did 86 percent of those who want a wall built on the U.S.-Mexico border.
      83 percent of voters who felt Obamacare “went too far” supported Trump.
      57 percent of those who viewed terrorism as the top issue backed Trump, as did 85 percent of those who thought the fight against ISIS was going “very badly.”
     73 percent of voters who felt the “government [is] doing too much” went for Trump.

These are issues of national security, rule of law, and the scope of government. Throughout his tenure, Obama has aggressively worked to promote a liberal agenda, from Obamacare to the Iran nuclear deal.
      He has used his executive power to grant amnesty, to push gun control, and to force schools to require high school girls’ locker rooms to allow biological males who identify as women to enter. He has signed spending bills that have pushed the nation deeper and deeper into fiscal irresponsibility, and under his leadership, our national debt has close to doubled.
       We increasingly have seen laws being made, not by the lawmakers we elect, but by unelected bureaucrats in the executive branch. We have seen the Supreme Court uphold illegal provisions of Obamacare, and overrule the votes of millions of Americans on the legalization of same-sex marriage.
     And a Hillary Clinton presidency seemed a certain continuation of that course. Asked about Supreme Court nominations in the Oct. 19 debate, Clinton didn’t bring up appointing justices who adhered to the Constitution. Instead, she said, “the Supreme Court needs to stand on the side of the American people, not on the side of the powerful corporations and the wealthy. For me, that means that we need a Supreme Court that will stand up on behalf of women’s rights, on behalf of the rights of the LGBT community, that will stand up and say no to Citizens United … ” Clinton’s own actions during her tenure at the State Department—including her disregard of how to handle classified material with care—suggested she saw herself as above the law, not bound by it. That’s hardly an attitude that would suggest she would refrain from abuse of executive power.
      And Clinton ran to the left, embracing free college for children in families with household incomes of $125,000 or less. She backed hiking the minimum wage to $15 an hour—careless of how that could impact businesses or young adults looking to secure that first job while they still had few skills to make them attractive to employers. Due to WikiLeaks, it was revealed Clinton had said in a 2013 speech: “My dream is a hemispheric common market, with open trade and open borders.”
    And Clinton was open about her disdain for religious liberty, saying in a 2015 speech: “America moves forward when all women are guaranteed the right to make their own health care choices, not when those choices are taken away by an employer like Hobby Lobby.” (Hobby Lobby, which is owned by a religious family, only wanted not to offer abortion-inducing drugs to its employees—a case it had to fight all the way to the Supreme Court.)
   She was unwilling to compromise on abortion. As Trump put it bluntly in the last debate, “If you go with what Hillary is saying, in the ninth month, you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb of the mother just prior to the birth of the baby.”

So, no, this isn’t about Americans being racist.
     It’s about Americans wanting their government officials to have to follow the rule of law, and to have the law made by the politicians they elect, not the Supreme Court or bureaucrats.
     It’s about rejecting liberal policies, and choosing the conservative vision for our country—a vision that pushes prosperity and freedom. It’s about having enough human decency to say that a child in the womb deserves the right to life. It’s about wanting to keep our country safe, and to be able to keep an America where all men and women can live in accordance with their beliefs.

Liberals can scream all they want about this being “racism” (when they’re not whining about the decline of civility in this country). But if they are serious about wanting to bring the country together, maybe they could start by realizing the lesson from election night was that millions of Americans cherish values and policies that Obama, Clinton, and many others on the left have aggressively attacked and tried to destroy. They may not agree with those values—but it’s time they realize people who hold those values exist.

As Trump put it in his speech in the early hours of Wednesday morning, “The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.” It’s time the left wakes up to that reality.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

Katrina Trinko is managing editor of The Daily Signal and a member of USA Today's Board of Contributors. 

"The Work is Just Beginning" - Jackie Gingrich Cushman; Nov 10, 2016;
http://townhall.com/columnists/jackiegingrichcushman/2016/11/10/the-work-is-just-beginning-n2243731

#1764 (11/9) "The Day After Election Day - PRAYER, ANYONE?"

ATTENTION: Please SCROLL DOWN this page to find the article titled on this post in LARGE BRIGHT BLUE CAPITAL LETTERS. Thank you.)

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." - Stan 

MY PERSONAL UPDATE can be found on the right side of this blog page under JOURNAL. 11/4 - Ans. Prayer! - 1) My health has been consistantly better the past week, and 2) I've been offered a job!

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!" Rev. Franklin Graham: "I do know that the president defends Islam and chastises Christians, rebukes our allies and befriends our enemies, and fully supports gay marriages and abortion but denies the religious freedoms of those who don't agree. Our nation is ridiculed abroad and morally crumbling within. We are in trouble. We have turned our back on God."

PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS:  Let's be praying that they might be 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.
PRAY that the justices sitting on the Supreme Court will only hand down decisions that are in the best interests of our country now and for future generations.

JUST RELEASED: “I’m Not Ashamed!"  presents the challenging story of the life of the Columbine massacre Rachael Scott. It’s a movie every teen should see!

"THE VOICESLESS." Talk to your pastor about this movie that challenges those who consider themselves pro-life Christians to be more involved more in the effort to rescue the unborn. Go to http://joinvoiceless.com and share it with others.

MILITARY TRANSGENDER POLICY: Contact Armed Services Chairmen McCain (committee number: 202-224-3871; office number: 202-224-2235) and  Rep. Thornberry (committee number: 202-225-4151; office number: 202-225-3706) and ask them to put the  brakes on the National Defense Authorization Act conference report until military transgenderism is addressed. America's safety depends on it."

"PROTECT LOCAL SCHOOLS from Federal Overreach into Kids' Restrooms"/ Contact your local school:  - http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=AL16H05&f=AL16H05##FORM

SIGN THE PETITION: Encourage Congress to STOP THE HARVESTING OF ABORTED BABIES (see story in post ##1581) - http://aclj.org/pro-life/stop-planned-parenthood-from-harvesting-and-selling-babies-organs?

BE Prepared TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST ABORTION (...because ALL Babies Matter!): 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;"Asking Questions"- 
http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/29295

World-Wide Prayer Requests:

 This is a photo of 3 of Asia's daughters holding a picture of their imprisoned mother.

URGENT: A Christian Mother's Mandatory Death Penalty Could Be Overturned. PRAY and Sign the Petition Now! - https://aclj.org/persecuted-church/save-christian-mom-asia-bibi-from-execution? -Almost 6 years ago, when Bibi defended her faith at her workplace, the workers accused her of insulting the Islamic prophet Mohmmed. She was soon arrested on blasphemy charges and sentenced to death by hanging by a local judge. She has been languishing on death row for 6 years - separated from her husband and five kids because of her Christian faith. Since then, lawyers and human rights activists have been working around the clock to appeal the case and give her  a second chance at life.

      Now, after more than 2,100 excruciating days, Pakistan's Supreme Court has just granted her an early review of her final appeal. This is a monumental moment in her case. Pakistan's Supreme Court is expected to soon decide whether she lives or dies. On that day, the court could release her or have her hanged. If executed, she would be the first woman executed under Pakistan's brutal blasphemy law. The American Center for Law and Justice has been aggressively advocating for her freedom for years - including through our office on the ground in Pakistan. But now is the time for urgent action. The ACLJ is stepping up their vigorous legal advocacy campaign across the globe for her freedom. It is imperative that each of us be heard. 

     Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is asking Christians around the world to PRAY for the folloiwing: 

That Asia would be acquitted.

For her strength and restoration during and after the hearing.

For wisdom and protection for Saiful Malook, her lawyer; and for the judges hearing her case.

For the wider Christian community who may face a backlash whatever the outcome of the appeal.

For an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Pakistan, to maintain calm in the country.

For justice for others accused of blasphemy, and that the government would urgently amend the blasphemy laws.

Don't let them execute Christian mom Asia Bibi!; SIGN the petition and PRAY for this court decision! [I've been praying in addition that , should she be released and the situation be too tense for her and her family to remain in Pakistan, they would be able to find asylum in another country, possibly even the U.S. - Stan]

Learn about Christian Persecution; Check out the World Watch List:
http://live.opendoorsusa.org/wwl/?utm_source=action&utm_medium=email&utm_content=content-banner&utm_campaign=may-2016
PRAY for the ON-GOING crisis now happening in IRAQ/SYRIA.  Pray that coalition forces will be able to destroy the leadership and infrastructure of ISIS.
"Why It's Becoming More Difficult to Be a Christian in INDIA" - 03-03-2016;
http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2016/March/Why-Its-Becoming-More-Difficult-to-Be-a-Christian-in-India

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"The Day After Election Day - PRAYER, ANYONE?" - By: John Stonestreet| Breakpoint.org: November 9, 2016; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/30089 [AS I SEE IT: I confess that I went into last evening expecting to be disappointed  by the election results. (Yes, I was a Trump supporter  if only for his strong stand against abortion.) Then, as the evening went on, when Trump first started to hold his own in my own critical state of Florida, I found myself glued to the television. And there I pretty much remained till it was all over at 4  a.m.! It felt like I was just dreaming of a happy ending and had to be sure what was happening was real. I am thus incredibly thrilled that there is an opportunity in at least the next 2 years (before the next mid-term election) to pass legislation and see things done at the federal level that might reverse some of the many unfortunate actions of the recent years. As this article stresses, may we all commit ourselves anew for praying for our new President and the leadership in Washington. May some of the changes we could only dream about actually happen - by God's grace let it be so! - Stan]

The election is over. So what do we do now? Exactly what Chuck Colson recommended the day after the 2008 election.

Whoever you voted for yesterday, Chuck Colson has a few words of wisdom for you, words he spoke after the presidential election in 2008. Please listen closely:

     Whether you’re recovering from your all-night celebration or drying the tears from your pillow, today’s a good day to remember the words of the apostle Paul: “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

Chuck went on to point out that the next president would face enormous challenges. First among them back in 2008 was what is now called the great recession. Now dare I say that Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump (and as I record this I don’t know who won the election) face even greater challenges? Ninety-four million Americans are not in the workforce—more than ever before. The nation is in the grip of a heroin and painkiller epidemic that’s destroying lives across the country. To say racial tensions are high is an understatement. Domestic terrorism and cyber attacks threaten us daily. And there’s a real effort to push religious and moral conviction out of the public square, and enshrine in law a dehumanizing vision of sexuality and identity.

Overseas, ISIS fights on. Vladimir Putin and Communist China thumb their noses at the U. S. in Eastern Europe and the South China Sea. Iran continues to violate the ill-conceived nuclear deal and openly provokes and threatens our military forces in the Persian Gulf. Waves of Muslim refugees continue to swamp Europe.

And yes, the new president and the country need our prayers.

But how have we gotten to this point? Well, once again, here’s Chuck Colson: 
     I can only think of what Alexandr Solzhenitsyn said about the catastrophic consequences of the Russian revolution. ‘I recall,’ he said, ‘hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that had befallen Russia: Men have forgotten God; that's why all this has happened.’

Solzhenitsyn was right. Indeed, I can’t find any better explanation for why we Americans find ourselves in the state we’re in. We have forgotten God.

We’ve also forgotten that American democracy—indeed western civilization itself—is the product of the Judeo-Christian understanding of God and humanity. Without that revelation that man is created in the image of God, our founders never would have recognized the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Indeed, as I and others like Rodney Stark have argued, modern science and education, liberal democracy, capitalism—all flourished in western civilization precisely because of the Judeo-Christian worldview.

The attacks on Christianity these days are only going to intensify in the months ahead. But we must press on all the more to make a winsome witness. Those who would banish Christianity from American life are risking the very survival of American society.

Again, Chuck voiced these words eight years ago, before the Supreme Court imposed so-called same-sex marriage on the nation, before Christian businesses would be forced to conform with sexual absolutes or be fined to the brink of bankruptcy, before the attempt to force Christian organizations—including nuns—to pay for abortifacients and contraceptives.

So in other words, culturally, things are even worse today. So what now? Let’s give Chuck the final word on that.
     So this is no time for Christians to go into the bunkers . . .This is a time for the Church to get serious about Christian discipleship. Enough cheap grace. So pray for the new president .... But most of all, brothers and sisters, this is a time to love our neighbors and hunger for God and His righteousness.

[[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

RESOURCES  - As Chuck urged, let us pray for our nation’s leaders, that they, as well as we, will hunger and thirst for God, love our neighbors, and walk in righteousness.

"The Day After: Pray for Our President and Our Nation" - Chuck Colson | BreakPoint.org | November 4, 2008; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/breakpoint-commentaries-archive/entry/13/10038

"The People Have Spoken: Change Must Start Now" -  Jim DeMint / November 09, 2016 / http://dailysignal.com/2016/11/09/the-people-have-spoken-change-must-start-now/?
"Trump Defeats Clinton in Dramatic Finish to 2016 Race" - Fred Lucas / November 09, 2016; http://dailysignal.com/2016/11/09/trump-defeats-clinton-in-dramatic-finish-to-2016-race/?

#1763 (11/8) " "Election Day 2016 - TIME TO VOTE"

"Election Day 2016 - TIME TO VOTE" - By: Chuck Colson| Breakpoint.org: November 8, 2016; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/30083

Election Day is finally here. If you haven’t voted already, go and do it. Not just because I said so. Here's what Chuck Colson said about voting.

Chuck Colson was a man of great passion. And long-time BreakPoint listeners heard him and read him at his most passionate when he talked about the importance of voting.Yes, Chuck was a political animal. You don’t become the President’s special counsel if you’re not. But Chuck was also a man who believed in Christian responsibility. And for him, voting was a duty for Christians as citizens.

Back in 2010, Chuck recorded what was to be his last commentary on the need for Christians to vote. If you’re seriously considering not voting—please, hear what Chuck has to say....

Today is Election Day. What will the outcome be? Well, thankfully, because we live in a free society, it all depends on you and me. So, have you voted yet? If so, well done. If not, as soon as [you read this]—or as soon as you’re off work—I want you to go and fulfill your Christian duty to be a good citizen and go vote.

And while you’re at it, call a few of your Christian friends. Find out if they’ve voted yet. If not, tell them you’re going, and you’ll be glad to stop by and pick them up.

Now is not the time to buy into the lie that your vote doesn’t really matter. As a result of my Watergate felony conviction, I lost the right to vote for 28 years. When my right was restored, I was able to vote in the 2000 presidential election. That year, the national election—the presidency—was determined by just 500 votes in Florida. Mine was one of those votes. So your vote does matter.

And let me say this. The next time you hear someone tell you that Christians ought to take a vacation from politics, tell them to go fly a kite.  Listen, it’s our duty as citizens of the kingdom of God to be the best citizens of the society we live in.

If your pastor no longer has the energy or courage to motivate his flock to speak out on public issues, maybe you can lovingly “buck him up.” Remind him—or her—that God’s people are to love their neighbors, to desire the best for them, to pursue the common good. And we can’t do that on the political sidelines.

When a rabid secularist tells you to stop forcing your religion down his throat—simply correct him. You might say, “Excuse me, but who is suing the government to remove crosses from cemeteries? Who has filed lawsuits to remove ‘under God’ from the Pledge of Allegiance? Who’s trying to tell doctors and nurses and pharmacists that they have to participate in medical procedures that violate their religious conscience? Who’s banning Bibles from schools?

In other words, who is forcing their point of view on whom?

We Christians are simply trying to PRESERVE and PROTECT the rights and liberties that we Americans have enjoyed from the founding of our Republic. We are the ones who take seriously our nation’s founding creed: that “all men are created equal and endowed by their CREATOR with certain inalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” meaning virtue. 

Our Founders recognized that true rights come not from government, but from God Himself. Government must not take those rights away. And to protect those rights, we must vote.

Yes, the elections are upon us. Don’t be intimidated. Do not retreat to the sidelines. Go out and vote for the candidate of your choice. Vote as your conscience informs you. And yes, allow your faith to inform your conscience.  But today of all days, thank God we still live in a free nation. So speak out. Exercise your right. Fulfill your duty. Go and vote.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]
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"On Election Day, 'We the People' Tell the Government What To Do"  - David S. Addington / November 07, 2016 / http://dailysignal.com/2016/11/07/on-election-day-we-the-people-tell-the-government-what-to-do/?
     In urging the delegates to a New York convention to ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1788, Alexander Hamilton emphasized the principal strength of the new Constitution: “Here, sir, the people govern.” The federal government gets its mandate from the American people. You are in charge. Express your will: vote.
     You help govern your country through the exercise of your right to vote. As the U.S. Supreme Court has said: “No right is more precious in a free country than that of having a voice in the election of those who make the laws under which, as good citizens, we must live.”
    When he first became president in 1885, Grover Cleveland stressed in his inaugural address the public trust held by every voter: "He who takes the oath today to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States only assumes the solemn obligation which every patriotic citizen—on the farm, in the workshop, in the busy marts of trade, and everywhere—should share with him. The Constitution which prescribes his oath, my countrymen, is yours; the government you have chosen him to administer for a time is yours; the suffrage which executes the will of freemen is yours; the laws and the entire scheme of our civil rule, from the town meeting to the state capitals and the national capital, is yours. Your every voter, as surely as your chief magistrate, under the same high sanction, though in a different sphere, exercises a public trust."
     In his farewell address to the American people in 1989, President Ronald Reagan echoed the words of Cleveland a century earlier, emphasizing that the American people remain in charge of their government: "Ours was the first revolution in the history of mankind that truly reversed the course of government, and with three little words: ‘We the People.’ ‘We the People’ tell the government what to do; it doesn’t tell us".
    On behalf of your fellow citizens, we ask you to choose carefully in deciding upon the representatives, senators, president, and state and local officials who will make our laws. Your choice, along with the choices of your fellow citizens, will determine what America is to become. You, your fellow citizens, and future generations will live in the America you choose.
    Conservatives will do [today] and the next day exactly what we did yesterday and the day before: We will continue to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. We know our principles and we adhere to them. That is our public trust. The American people can count on us, just as we count on the American people.
     God bless the United States of America and its people. Now, go vote.[This commentary was originally published on Election Day in 2012, but it’s message is timeless.]
[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]
     David S. Addington is senior vice president, general counsel, and chief legal officer at the National Federation of Independent Business. He previously served as group vice president for research at The Heritage Foundation and was Vice President Dick Cheney's counsel and chief of staff.

"Tomorrow, A Chance To Change Our World" - Mark Davis |Posted: Nov 07, 2016; http://townhall.com/columnists/markdavis/2016/11/07/tomorrow-a-chance-to-change-our-world-n2242240
"Stop Hillary" - Kurt  Schlichter: Nov 07, 2016;

http://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2016/11/07/stop-hillary-n2242151

#1762 (11/7) "Factoring Israel into Your Voting Decision"

"FACTORING ISRAEL INTO YOUR VOTING DECISION " - Michael Brown: Nov 07, 2016; http://townhall.com/columnists/michaelbrown/2016/11/07/factoring-israel-into-your-voting-decision-n2242204 [AS I SEE IT: I have no doubt that tensions with Israel will continue to be strained with a Clinton administration just as it has been with President Obama. As this article makes clear, Biblically, it's critical that America stands firm with Israel. But simply from the standpoint of Israel being America's most faithful ally AND the only democratic voice in the Middle East that stands against Islamic aggressions, we need leadership in the White House that will do more to stand with Israel. - Stan]

    God certainly has his ways of getting our attention, and He got my attention this past Saturday night when I was speaking at a pre-election conference at a church in Lakeland, Florida. The pastor and his wife have three small children, the middle one being a boy named Israel, just three years old.
     His grandmother, the pastor’s mother-in-law, was babysitting for him and his sister at the pastor’s house, when suddenly, to her shock, the boy was nowhere to be found. She tried calling her son-in-law and daughter, who were at the church service, finally reaching them on the fourth try. “Israel is missing!” she exclaimed, as they jumped in their car to head home, calling 911 on the way.
    At this time, the night service was now over,  and I was waiting for the pastor to drive me back to the hotel, but he had disappeared and was nowhere to be found. That’s when a church worker came up to me and said, “I’ll be driving you back,” explaining to me that the pastor had received a message that “Israel is missing.” Thankfully, by then, he had been found, asleep in his own bed. Apparently, he had wandered somewhere else in the house, falling asleep in a closet or in the garage, somehow evading his frantically searching grandmother, only to find his way back to his bed and to a quiet night’s sleep.
     But those words “Israel is missing” kept ringing in my ears, and when I woke up Sunday morning, reflecting on whether I should speak on Israel and the elections, there was an Amber Alert on my phone for a missing child in the area (obviously, not for little Israel, but the coincidence of the moment was not to be missed). This certainly got my attention.

     But given the importance of America’s relationship with Israel, I didn’t need any kind of special sign to focus on the subject, since I honestly believe that God judges nations, in part, based on how they treat Israel. Now, before you write me off as some kind of hyper-spiritual, Zionist nut case, let me explain what I do and do not mean. (For those of you who don’t believe the Bible is God’s Word, then I’m already a hyper-spiritual nut case in your eyes. No problem!)

First, standing with Israel does not mean standing against the Palestinians or sanctioning everything Israel does.

Second, if a country stands with Israel, that does not give that country some kind of magic pass because of which God will overlook all their transgressions.

Third, we stand with Israel despite Israel’s shortcomings, not because Israel is perfect (far from it).

That being said, I believe the ancient principle spoken first to Abraham, then to his grandson Jacob, then to the nation of Israel as a whole, still applies today, namely, that God blesses those who bless Israel and curses those who curse Israel (see Genesis 12:3; 27:29; Numbers 24:9).

How has this worked out historically?
     In Jeremiah 30:11, the Lord said to Israel, “For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD; I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”
     Looking back, we can see that Assyria and Babylon, the mighty empires that exiled Israel and Judah in the 8th and 6th centuries, ceased to exist in the centuries that followed, while the nation of Germany suffered horrific defeat in war and was divided for decades after the Holocaust. Are these just coincidences? I think not.
     Derek Prince, an Oxford-trained, British Bible teacher (1915-2003), noted many years ago that, “Britain emerged victorious from two World Wars, retaining intact an empire that was perhaps the most extensive in human history. But in 1947–8, as the mandatory power over Palestine, Britain opposed and attempted to thwart the rebirth of Israel as a sovereign nation with her own state.” (At that time, Prince was living in Jerusalem, and so he spoke “as an eyewitness of what actually took place.”) In his words, “From that very moment in history, Britain’s empire underwent a process of decline and disintegration so rapid and total that it cannot be accounted for merely by the relevant political, military or economic factors. Today, less than a generation later, Britain—like Spain—is a struggling, second-rate power.” 

     It’s for you to decide whether you believe any of this, but in my humble opinion, even though America helps Israel every year with billions of dollars of military aid, I believe America needs Israel more than Israel needs America. And since the Republican platform is much stronger on Israel than is the Democratic platform (this seems to reflect the views of Trump-Pence vs. Clinton-Kaine as well), that’s another strong reason I will vote for Trump-Pence on Tuesday, despite Mr. Trump’s many obvious and serious flaws.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

#1761 (11/6) SUNDAY SPECIAL: "Why Christians Must Vote in This Election (Staying Home Is Not an Option)"

"WHY CHRISTIANS MUST VOTE IN THIS ELECTIOIN (STAYING HOME IS NOT AN OPTION)" - Robert Jeffress | Nov 01, 2016;
 http://townhall.com/columnists/robertjeffress/2016/11/01/why-christians-must-vote-in-this-election-staying-home-is-not-an-option-n2240251 [AS I SEE IT: If there is one thing most Americans - and maybe all Evangelical Christians - can agree on is that we don't personally like either candidate. BUT, voters need to realize that WHERE EACH STANDS ON THE ISSUES are very different and thus the direction of this country each potentially presents are also vastly different. When people don't vote, they are saying they don't really care what direction the country takes not only in the next  4 years but also what generations of Americans may have to endure if the wrong policies are implemented for this country. Also, voting for a third party candidate (or writing in the name of another candidate) is essentially the same as not voting since no one but either major candidate is going to win - period. To vote thus may appease one's conscience that he/she voted "right" but it only makes it more likely the wrong candidate will win. If YOU are one of the undecided, I plead with you to take the time to study where the candidates are on the issues and vote for the one that presents the future you want America to have. In past recent elections, it's said as many as 20-30 million evangelicals DID NOT  vote. It's probable their silent voices helped elect the President we have endured the past years. So no matter what your feelings about the 2 major party candidates, study where they stand on the issues, and, for the sake of our nation, VOTE! - Stan]

I hear the lament often from conservative Christians as I travel the country: “How can I vote for either of these candidates with a clear conscience?” Increasingly, many Christians are choosing the stay-at-home option (or throw away their vote with a write-in candidate option) as a way to maintain their integrity.

Frankly, I understand the appeal of such a choice. Not voting allows Christians to avoid both having to make a difficult choice or defending an unpopular choice to disapproving friends or family members. And let's face it, playing the “conscience card” allows someone to feel holier than other Christians who sully themselves by getting involved in the political process. 

However, I believe there are three reasons why not voting is not an option for truly conscientious Christians:

1. Voting is a God-given privilege and responsibility. Many times I’m challenged by Christians who wonder why I am involved in politics. “After all, didn’t the apostle Paul instruct believers to simply ‘pray for kings and all those who are in authority’?” But remember, in biblical times citizens of Israel or Rome did not have the option of doing anything about governmental leaders except to pray for them. You didn’t get to vote for the king or for the emperor!

But as John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and co-author of The Federalist Papers said, “[God] has given to our people the choice of their rulers . . . of our Christian nation.”

Every time we go into the voting booth we are choosing the moral and spiritual direction of our nation. That is a privilege and responsibility that should not be abdicated.

2. Voting Is A Primary Way For Christians To Stop Evil. Imagine you saw an elderly woman being assaulted by a mugger and you had the ability to stop the assault, but walked away. Although you might not be legally culpable for the attack, you would be morally culpable.

Every year more the one million of the most defenseless in our society—the unborn—are being murdered through abortion. Since the legalization of abortion by the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade (1973) more than 50 million children have been killed. Donald Trump has pledged to nominate Supreme Court justices who will either overturn Roe v. Wade or at least curtail late-time abortions including the horrific practice of partial birth abortion.
In the last presidential debate, Trump articulated the clearest defense of the pro-life position of any Republican presidential nominee in history including Romney, McCain, either of the Bushes, or Ronald Reagan.

By contrast, Hillary Clinton has pledged to nominate justices who will uphold Roe v. Wade. Additionally, she refuses to place any restrictions on abortion, regardless of reason for or the timing of the abortion.

Abortion is not the only issue that should be of concern to conscientious Christians. Over the last eight years, the Obama administration has launched an all-out attack on religious liberty in America by suing the Little Sisters of the Poor Catholic charity, forcing Christians schools to allow men in women’s locker rooms under Title IX requirements for transgender rights, and being a willing accomplice in bankrupting Christians who try to exercise their faith through their businesses.

This war against religious liberty will only escalate under Hillary Clinton who is resolved to nominate Supreme Court justices, as well as dozens of federal judges with lifetime appointments, who embrace an expansionist view of the Constitution and will force the secular progressive agenda down the throats of Americans. Remember, the next president will serve only 4 or 8 years, but these justices and judges will impact our nation for decades.

3. Voting is about endorsing policies, not personalities.Ronald Reagan was a known womanizer during his days in Hollywood and would be the first divorced president in history. Yet, in 1980 evangelicals overwhelming supported Reagan over a Baptist Sunday School teacher named Jimmy Carter who was faithfully married to one woman. By supporting Reagan, evangelicals were not supporting womanizing or divorce, but they were endorsing Reagan’s policies.

I’ve been amazed at the number of conservative Christians who have developed a case of selective amnesia when it comes to their support of previous candidates with imperfect pasts, whether it be Reagan, McCain, Bush, Gingrich, or a host of others.

There are no perfect politicians—just as there are no perfect pastors or voters. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. But the fallibility of both candidates in this election—as in every election—is no excuse for not voting.

I will be the first to admit that the sanctity of life and the preservation of religious freedom are not even among the top ten concerns of most voters. But those issues should be of primary importance to those who call themselves Christians.

That is why I’m voting on November 8. My conscience won’t allow me to do otherwise.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

Dr. Robert Jeffress is pastor of the 11,000-member First Baptist Church in Dallas and an adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. Dr. Jeffress’ daily radio program is heard on 764 stations nationwide, and he is the author of twenty books.

#1760 (11/5) PRO-LIFE SAT: "Hillary Clinton and the Extreme Abortion Culture"

"HILLARY CLINTON AND THE EXTREME ABORTIONIST CULTURE" - David Limbaugh| Nov 04, 2016; http://townhall.com/columnists/davidlimbaugh/2016/11/04/hillary-clinton-and-the-extreme-abortionist-culture-n2241263 [AS I SEE IT: Personally, I don't think there is much more to say that what this writer says in the first sentence. - Stan]

Hillary with the head of Planned Parenthood, a group she fully supports (not surprising since she talks  often about how she admires it's founder Margaret Sanger), and the group who fully supports her candidacy. 

On the abortion issue alone, I believe that Christians should vote for Donald Trump as the only possible candidate to defeat the march of the death culture Hillary Clinton would lead if she were to be elected.

Pro-abortion feminists are growing ever more militant in their make-believe world that sees men and women as bitter rivals, if not outright enemies. They seem to view everything through a gender prism; people have to support Clinton not because she has a better agenda but because she's a woman.

Don't get me wrong; they also think she has a better agenda, but they are constantly thinking and speaking in terms of gender identification and loyalty. And all too often, they demonize men in the process -- whom they perceive as a threat to women's rights.

This adversarial culture the left fosters is not limited to gender. It includes race, economic "status" and every other imaginable category that can aid in their politics of division, on which their political power depends. WikiLeaks' revelations have confirmed that such polarization is integral to the modern Democratic Party's grand strategy for eventual one-party dominance.

If Clinton wins this election -- despite the tsunami of corruption and scandal that surrounds her, in which she is knee-deep -- she will believe she is politically bulletproof, and for good reason. She and husband Bill would never have behaved as cavalierly and recklessly as they have if they didn't think they possess a lifetime get-out-of-jail-free card. I shudder to think what their mindset would be if Hillary were to be victorious.

She would pursue the abortion-on-demand agenda with abandon. She would appoint radical judges at all levels who share her worldview and her determination that the courts continue to rewrite laws that thwart the will of the people. She'd accelerate Barack Obama's war on religious liberty through the courts, lawless executive orders and other administrative avenues.

Some will say I'm exaggerating here -- that the left just wants to protect beleaguered women, who should have sole sovereignty over their "reproductive" decisions. Leftists aren't pro-abortion; they have benign motives, focused exclusively on the mother's choice and health.

Well, that may be true of some rank-and-file Democratic voters. But most leftist politicians, thought leaders and power brokers are pro-abortion extremists and coldly calculating in promoting their goals. They know that protecting the mother's health is rarely involved in abortion decisions. They know that pro-life advocates, many of whom are women, don't believe in suppressing women. But they also know that by characterizing pro-lifers as women-hating, totalitarian ogres, they will increase the odds that they'll keep moving their pro-abortion football down the field toward the end zone marked "death."

I wrote in 2004: "People I've debated on the (abortion) issue have generally taken the position that the baby in the womb is 'potential life' or a clump of cells or a zygote. They seemed to sense that they would have no legitimate argument in favor of abortion if they admitted the baby was a life. But as secular and humanistic influences have gained ascendance in our culture, I've anticipated the day when moral relativists would become so brazen as to discard their reliance on the argument that 'the fetus is not a human life.' Indeed, with the breathtaking scientific and technological advances -- such as the discovery that a baby in the womb smiles and feels pain -- it's practically inevitable that the pro-aborts will be forced to abandon that argument."

Fast-forward 12 years and see how inevitable it actually was. Mary Elizabeth Williams, writing on Salon, asks, "So what if abortion ends life?" She writes: "Of all the diabolically clever moves the anti-choice lobby has ever pulled, surely one of the greatest has been its consistent co-opting of the word 'life.' Life! Who wants to argue with that? Who wants (to) be on the side of ... not-life? ... The 'life' conversation is often too thorny to even broach. Yet I know that throughout my own pregnancies, I never wavered for a moment in the belief that I was carrying a human life inside of me. I believe that's what a fetus is: a human life. And that doesn't make me one iota less solidly pro-choice."

I don't like quoting just some of her statements and don't want to mislead as to her intent, so I strongly urge you to read her entire piece, where you can judge for yourselves these comments in context. But I must share one more passage. She writes: "Here's the complicated reality in which we live: All life is not equal. That's a difficult thing for liberals like me to talk about, lest we wind up looking like death-panel-loving, kill-your grandma-and-your-precious-baby storm troopers. Yet a fetus can be a human life without having the same rights as the woman in whose body it resides. She's the boss. Her life and what is right for her circumstances and her health should automatically trump the rights of the non-autonomous entity inside of her. Always."

I could comment on those assertions for hours but have run out of space. What do you mean "lest" you wind up looking as if you love death panels? That's exactly what you look like, as cold and heartless as your words on the page.


Leftist advocates will applaud such amoral muscle flexing, but I appeal to less extreme liberals, Democrats and never-Trumpers to understand the depth of the depravity of this mindset and understand that if you help elect Clinton, you are, among many other frightening things, empowering this evil worldview. Should I refrain from calling it "evil" for fear of offense or being labeled intolerant or an extremist? I think not. You can take that up with the babies whose lives are hanging in the balance. 

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]
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"Tax-Funded Planned Parenthood Spending $38 Million to Push Hillary and Pro-Abortion Democrats" - Leah Jessen, NOV 4, 2016; http://www.lifenews.com/2016/11/04/tax-funded-planned-parenthood-spending-38-million-to-push-hillary-and-pro-abortion-democrats/
"Clinton Foundation Partnered With Planned Parenthood To Expand Abortion Around the World" -  - Cheryl Sullenger, Nov. 2, 2016| http://www.lifenews.com/2016/11/02/clinton-foundation-partnered-with-planned-parenthood-to-expand-abortion-around-the-world/ 
"Ex-Pro-Abortion Feminist Says Hillary Clinton’s Radical Pro-Abortion Views Betray Women"- Micaiah Bilger, NOV 4, 2016; http://www.lifenews.com/2016/11/04/ex-pro-abortion-feminist-says-hillary-clintons-radical-pro-abortion-views-betray-women/