#2138 (11/16) "Here’s Why an Unborn Baby Was Counted as a Person in the Texas Massacre"

"HERE'S WHY AN UNBORN BABY WAS COUNTED AS A PERSON IN THE TEXAS MASSACRE" - Grace Carr / November 08, 2017 / http://dailysignal.com/2017/11/08/heres-why-an-unborn-baby-was-counted-as-a-person-in-the-texas-massacre/

Judy Green places tiny American flags along a row of crosses as her husband Rod watches near the site of the shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, Nov. 7, 2017. (Photo: RICK WILKING/REUTERS/Newscom)

The sheriff deputies who assessed the fatalities at the bloody crime scene at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, counted the death toll as 26 because one of the victims was a mother carrying an unborn child inside of her.

The federal Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004 recognizes unborn children as separate victims for federal and military crimes. Texas law also defines a human being to include “an unborn child at every stage of gestation from fertilization until birth,” and recognizes an unborn baby as a potential crime victim.

“This has been a longstanding priority for us, and something we were instrumental in pushing,” said Jennifer Popik, a director for the National Right to Life, according to The New York Times. “The principle here is that there’s two victims. For a family already invested in the child, for the grandparents, this is a loss.”

Abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America defends harsher penalties for perpetrators who commit crimes against pregnant women, however, the group strongly opposes crime victim laws and “personhood” laws that give unborn babies separate legal status from the mother. These laws are an attempt to prevent women from getting abortions, according to NARAL.
“We need tougher laws on the books that increase criminal penalties for individuals who target pregnant women, and we stand with our allies in support of meaningful legislation to prevent future acts of gun violence,” said NARAL spokesperson Kaylie Long.

President Donald Trump’s administration has also defined life at conception. The Department of Health and Human Services “accomplishes its mission through programs and initiatives that cover a wide spectrum of activities, serving and protecting Americans at every stage of life, beginning at conception,” according to a draft plan from the agency.

Even New York’s World Trade Center memorial includes the words “and her unborn child” after the names of the pregnant women who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Thirty-eight states currently have fetal homicide laws.

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#2137 (11/15) "Here Are Two Swords -"

"HERE ARE TWO SWORDS ..." - by: G. Shane Morris, November 9, 2017; http://www.breakpoint.org/2017/11/here-are-two-swords/

Is it okay for Christians to bring weapons into church for self-defense?

The shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs has renewed the urgency of this controversial question. Conservative writer Tom Nichols caught flak on Twitter for opposing the idea of parishioners packing in the pews. A colleague of mine suggested that Paul might have some stern words for those who armed themselves with more than the metaphorical sword of the Spirit in God’s house.

But objectively, guns were used to defend life as well as take it on Sunday. CNN reports that Stephen Willeford, a Sutherland Springs resident who lives next door to First Baptist, used the very same rifle as the shooter to exchange fire with and wound him. “He’s a hero,” said Wilson County Sherriff Joe Tackitt Jr. “Had he not done that, we could have lost more people.”

The shooting, which left 26 people dead and at least 20 more injured, has convinced many Christians that the risk of worshiping unarmed has become too great. But the question of deadly force in the sanctuary itself—while we are engaged in the most sacred of activities—is uniquely thorny.

Why? Because at first blush, it seems contrary to the example set in the New Testament. Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). He tells His disciples to “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:38-40).  He rebukes Peter and tells him to put away his sword, “for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).

Paul tells us that the weapons of our warfare “are not the weapons of the world” (2 Corinthians 10:4), and that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world. . . .” (Ephesians 6:12). And we cannot forget that the apostles endured imprisonment, beatings, torture, and martyrdom at the hands of their enemies, and never once lifted a finger to defend themselves through violent means.

Some take this precedent as a requirement for pacifism—no violence, at any time, for any reason. You have, in other words, an obligation to be a victim. While most Christians outside the Anabaptist, Mennonite, Quaker, and Amish traditions wouldn’t go this far, we do have to ask ourselves: If these examples don’t prohibit Christians in the very act of worship from drawing the sword in defense of themselves and fellow worshipers, what do they prohibit?

A fuller reading of Scripture further complicates things. God prescribes death as the penalty for murder in Genesis 9:6 (“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image”). Exodus 22:2 instructs that a homeowner who strikes a thief in the night and kills him “is not guilty of bloodshed,” in contrast with a homeowner who strikes and kills the thief during the day. This is because, as Swiss scholastic theologian Francis Turretin remarks, the master of the house cannot be expected to know whether a thief in the darkness is there to kill or merely to steal. Under the Law of Moses, self-defense was an appropriate grounds on which to kill. Property-defense was not.

In the closing chapters of Esther, Xerxes grants the Jews permission to defend themselves violently against the plot of Haman the Agagite, and God’s people come to celebrate this as a feast day. This legal, national self-defense is the implied reason for which Esther was brought into the palace “for such a time as this.”

Then there is the less well-known corollary to the “live by the sword, die by the sword” passage—the reason Peter was armed at Gethsemane in the first place. Luke 22 records that Jesus gives the disciples new instructions about their traveling accoutrements: “Let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’” The disciples respond, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” Jesus replies tersely: “It is enough.”

Both John Calvin and John Gill call the disciples “stupid” for taking Jesus’ instructions about swords here literally. Rather, “in metaphorical language,” writes Calvin, “[Jesus] threatens that they will soon meet with great troubles and fierce attacks. . . . And yet he does not call them to an outward conflict, but only, under the comparison of fighting, he warns them of the severe struggles of temptations which they must undergo, and of the fierce attacks which they must sustain in spiritual contests.”

However (and this is the part where I stop raising new questions and start suggesting an answer), it’s important to note that even if Jesus was making a spiritual point by referring to “swords,” He nowhere condemns defensive violence as such. He never tells Peter to get rid of his sword, any more than He tells the centurion in Matthew 8 to get rid of his. Rather, He tells Peter to “put it back in its place,” implying, as another commentator points out, that swords have a proper use. Presumably, Peter and at least one other disciple had these swords on hand for the defense of their little band during the sometimes dangerous travels from Galilee to Judea. We have no record that Jesus was ever bothered by this.

All of these passages come into sharper focus when we recall a foundational truth of Christian worldview thinking: All believers, even Christ Himself during His earthly life, occupy what Augustine called the two cities. “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and unto God what is God’s,” Jesus famously said in Matthew 22, setting up a distinction that would inform Christian theology for the next two millennia.

We live simultaneously in the city of man and in the City of God—in society and in the Church—in creation and New Creation. We have duties and roles in each, and where they don’t conflict, we must carry out both. In fact, being a good citizen of God’s City usually means being a good citizen in man’s, insofar as it depends on us.“There is in man,” wrote Calvin, “two worlds, over which two different kings and different laws have authority.”

Christ Himself occupied these different kingdoms during His earthly life and ministry. He was a son under the authority of Joseph and Mary. At the same time, He was their Creator. He was a rabbi with authority over a band of disciples, who paid the Temple tax and observed the Jewish festivals. At the same time, He was the true High Priest and true Temple, who came to fulfill and dismiss the types and shadows of Sinai. He was a subject of Caesar who paid tribute, obeyed the law, and recognized the authority given to the Roman procurator. At the same time, He was the King of creation, before whom every knee was destined to bow.

Christ bade Peter put away his sword, not because self-defense is wrong, but because on the road to Calvary, the duties of man’s kingdom conflicted with the duties of God’s. The Good Shepherd came to lay down His life for the sheep. He didn’t need the sheep to take up arms in His defense.

Likewise, the apostles, imprisoned for their witness and facing an empire which they could never practically resist through violent means, rightly chose martyrdom over insurrection. They had no God-ordained earthly government en route in squad cars, coming to take up arms in their defense, as the churchgoers in Sutherland Springs did. Their witness for the City of God would have died in obscurity had they chosen to resist Caesar with literal swords. They chose to demolish spiritual strongholds, instead.

But we’re not called to make such a choice, at least not right now. We’re not called to stand and suffer martyrdom at the hands of a crazed and lone gunman. Quite the opposite: Guarding human life against imminent and unjust violence, as Augustine would argue with his principles of Just War, is a created duty. It is part of loving your neighbor. And while Paul teaches in Romans 13 that the governing authorities “do not bear the sword for nothing,” the governing authorities are not always on hand when the wicked strike.

That’s why for us, if no conflict exists between our spiritual and temporal duties—if the warfare in which our weapons are spiritual does not call us to lay down our physical arms—then we are permitted to use those arms, even as Christians, and even in church. At least, as far as I can tell.

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G. Shane Morris is a senior writer for BreakPoint. 

#2136 (11/14) "The Sleaze In Hollywood Is the LEAST Shocking Thing Ever. Here's Why."

"THE SLEAZE IN HOLLYWOOD IS THE LEAST SHOCKING THING EVER. HERE'S WHY." - Steve Sheldon : Nov 11, 2017; https://townhall.com/notebook/stevesheldon/2017/11/11/am-i-the-only-one-on-the-planet-who-is-not-shocked-by-the-sleaze-in-hollywood-n2407787 [AS I SEE IT: This is certainly a dark look at Hollywood that's hard to say is not justified. However, it should be remembered that there ARE those who are trying to influence Hollywood for good, engaging with those who are trapped in its culture and hoping to bring changes that will eventually have a positive impact on our society. Considering this "light" in the midst of the darkness, we need to be in PRAYER that these recent revelations will only help to spur those who are part of the culture to want to change that culture. - Stan]

The Sleaze In Hollywood Is the LEAST Shocking Thing Ever. Here's Why. 
    Alex, let's go with the category, "Things that I Already Knew" for $1,000.  If news headlines about Hollywood were an episode of Jeopardy, the categories might be:
   Actresses Harvey Weinstein Didn't Try to Sleep With
   Pedophiles and Perverts
   Drug addicts and Dope Dealers
   Sex On Screen
  Who Said What Curse Words?
  Who's Your Daddy
  Name That Addict
  Crimes That Didn't Get Time
  The Epicenter of Filth and Perversion

Anyone who doesn't know that Hollywood has been the epicenter of filth, perversion, sex, drugs, and other reprehensible behavior has been living in a cave in Afghanistan. Scratch that. The Taliban gave that as one of their reasons for attacking us. So even cave dwellers in Afghanistan aren't immune to the disease Hollywood has spread. 

Can you blame them for their opinion? If my only exposure to the United States came from what spews from Hollywood, I would hate us, too. Unlike the Taliban, I don't find it necessary to kill everyone living where the problem emanates. The situation reminds me of an old Star Trek episode where an alien culture completely mimics a book they read about gangsters from the 1920's. Unlike the aliens in Star Trek, the Taliban wishes to eradicate the outside influence in barbaric ways. As Americans, I hope we can be like Captain Kirk and show that there is a better way than to model ourselves after such a corrupt influence. There are some of us here who hate Hollywood, too, but believe there are better ways to shut them down than by declaring Jihad on their home country.

Rotten To the Core

    The feigned shock that Harvey Weinstein allegedly had his way with multiple starlets is laughable. Charlie Sheen's alleged pedophilia should come as no more of a shock than that water is wet and fire is hot. "By their fruits ye shall know them." The fruit of Hollywood is rotten to the core. 
    Can anyone name a hit TV series currently running where there isn't swearing, sexual innuendo, a gay character, sex out of wedlock, or any other number of situations that wouldn't have been acceptable thirty years ago? The only one I can think of is "The Curse of Oak Island," but I don't know how big of a hit it is. "Duck Dynasty" also came to mind, but it's now in reruns. There are some home improvement shows and some reality TV shows that are close, but even many of those contain too many bleeps. 
   Here are some other shortlists, rarely seen among the Hollywood elite: 
    1. Happily married Hollywood couples who are still married and have only been married once
    2. Major studio film or television shows that weren't offensive to people of faith
    3. Hollywood men under 50 who served in the military
    4. Actors and actresses who are outspoken conservatives
    5. Sitcoms where men aren't portrayed as effeminate, slobs, predatory, or stupid
    6. Films or television shows where chastity and virtue are promoted
    7. Films or television programming where Jews and Christians aren't stereotyped as odd or are lampooned

The Landfill That Is Hollywood

     For decades, Hollywood has spurned traditional values, mocked Judeo/Christian ethics, embraced statist views, promoted and produced sexual perversion, pushed the envelope to new extremes on filth and debauchery...and all of a sudden everyone is shocked that it is ostensibly full of perverts and pedophiles? 

Like the NFL, I haven't watched a Hollywood awards show for years. I don't care about whose dress somebody wore on the red carpet. I don't care about what some smug actress has to say about politics or what the host blathers on about. These people live in a bubble that needs to be popped. Unfortunately, too many people give them their money, and Hollywood continues to fester like a bad infection. They hit new lows which were unthinkable even a dozen years ago. 

In a previous piece, I state that the NFL is just another dirty diaper in the landfill that has become the entertainment industry. That landfill is in Hollywood. It's full. The dirty diapers are being exported to televisions and movie screens near you to be consumed by the primary audience of Hollywood trash, our children. 
    Think about this: Miley Cyrus moved to Hollywood when she was 13 and worked for Disney. If they did that to her then, imagine what they have in store for your kids.

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"Weinstein Scandal Reveals Truth About Hollywood’s Feminism" - Katrina Trinko / October 12, 2017 /  http://dailysignal.com/2017/10/12/weinstein-scandal-reveals-truth-about-hollywoods-feminism/

#2135 (11/13) "The Real Value in Veterans That Hollywood Doesn’t Show You"

"THE REAL VALUE IN VETERANS THAT HOLLYWOOD DOESN'T SHOW YOU" - Steven Bucci / Nov. 09, 2017 / http://dailysignal.com/2017/11/09/real-value-veterans-hollywood-doesnt-show

Veterans across America are starting companies, nonprofits, and ministries. (Photo: iStock Photos)

Nov. 11 is the day we celebrate Veterans Day. For many of us who have served, it is an important day; to large parts of Middle America, it is a time to celebrate; and to others, they couldn’t care less.

What should this day mean to every American? Are we properly serving our veterans? Are veterans burdens, or assets?
     By way of education, Nov. 11 actually started out as Armistice Day, commemorating the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1919. This is when the Treaty of Versailles was signed, ending World War I. This was to be the war to end all wars. It wasn’t—but America celebrated the holiday in honor of those who fought in it, until the much larger World War II came and passed.
    After World War II in 1947, at the prodding of the citizens of Emporia, Kansas, and with the help of then-Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Armistice Day became Veterans Day.

Today, many people tend to confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. The former is intended to honor those who have given their lives in service of the nation. The latter is designated to honor all those who have served, both living and dead. To some, this is a difference without a distinction. But to those who have served, the difference couldn’t be starker.
    If you have served in uniform, you hold the sacrifice of those who have died as sacred. No one who has served in the armed forces—even the most decorated of veterans—feels they are quite in the same category as those who made the ultimate sacrifice. As such, Memorial Day is especially poignant for those who have worn a uniform.

Where does that leave us relative to Veterans Day?
    On Veterans Day, we honor again those who died, but it is a special time for recognizing the cost also paid by those who served, and lived.
     Many have a vision of older men (and women), wearing ball caps that read “U.S. Marine” or U.S. Army (ret.),” or perhaps the uniform caps of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, or other service organizations, with white hair, misty eyes, and shaking salutes when taps is played. 
    But there is a bigger picture than that now. After more than a decade of war provoked by the horrific 9/11 terror attacks, we now have a new generation of veterans. How do you “see” them?
    The combat since 9/11 has lasted a long time. It involved a huge number of troops. Despite desperate fighting, and in some cases terrible wounds, the vast majority of veterans have returned to America, and that is a blessing.
    Unlike those dark days during the Vietnam War, when the left blamed veterans for the war they were sent to fight and treated them shamefully, veterans today are thanked. This is a huge step forward in maturity for our nation. Even those who disagreed with the war do not take it out on the men and women who served us so honorably.

There is, however, a trend developing, fostered by those who wish our nation ill, that must be pointed out. Apparently too cowardly to buck the trend of gratitude to our troops, but longing for the days of the post-Vietnam War era where veterans were ostracized and typecast as broken and dangerous time bombs, ready to explode, the left works to pigeonhole them again.
Look at the movies now coming out. A standard narrative is the psychological damage of war, and how the nation has “used” these young citizens.

It’s true enough that many veterans need help dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. Suicide among veterans is far too high—even one is too many. Those who need help and support must be given access to it. It is to America’s credit that the grass roots of the country have rallied around veterans and are finding newly innovative ways to help every day. But veterans’ struggles with PTSD are not the whole story.

    The vast majority of veterans, active duty and reserve, have returned to America and have reintegrated. They have found jobs, and built families, and are contributing positively at every level of American life. Far from being the broken victims depicted by Hollywood, they are doing what the greatest generation did after World War II and the Korean War, but were not allowed to do after Vietnam—they are fueling American life.
   Their leadership, their maturity, their innovation, and their resilience exceeds that of their non-veteran peers. They are assets to the nation, not burdens. Across America, veterans are starting companies, nonprofits, and ministries. They are filling the ranks of management and leadership in already-established firms and in government. They are not waiting for a handout—they are taking charge and contributing.
    At the same time, they are not forgetting their sisters and brothers who have those deeper wounds. Many of the newer veterans service organizations (such as Concerned Veterans for America) are reaching out to help.
   As veterans move up successfully in organizations, they consciously look for other vets to help. Those who have fought know better than anyone else that one can survive a war and still be a casualty, and they live (still) by the code of “leave no one behind.”

So America, on Veterans Day 2017, don’t just say “Thanks for your service” to the vets you encounter. That is wonderful—we appreciate it greatly. But also take the time to listen to them, attempt to understand them, and above all, to realize that they are ready to work with you to continue to bless America.
   Their stories will reignite your realization that America is not “done.” Their strength will motivate you to be a better citizen. Their willingness to continue to serve our wonderful country will cause you to swell with pride that America is still producing young men and women who are a new greatest generation.

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Steven P. Bucci, who served America for three decades as an Army Special Forces officer and top Pentagon official, is a visiting research fellow at The Heritage Foundation. 

#2134 (11/12) SUNDAY SPECIAL: "Why Church Shootings Don’t Intimidate the Church"

"WHY CHURCH SHOOTINGS DON'T INTIMIDATE THE CHURCH" - By Russell Moore, The Washington Post, Nov. 6, 2017; https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/11/06/why-church-shootings-dont-intimidate-the-church/

Mourners attend a candle light vigil after a mass shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Tex., on Nov. 5. (Joe Mitchell/Reuters)

While millions of other Christians were singing hymns or opening their Bibles or taking communion this past Sunday, at that very moment, a gunman was opening fire on the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Tex. This, believed to be the largest church shooting in history, ended with at least 26 people killed, according to authorities. Several children were among the fallen, including pastor Frank Pomeroy’s 14-year-old daughter Annabelle. Whatever the shooter’s twisted objective might have been, we do know this: It won’t work.

The goal the gunman sought, to terrorize worshipers, has been attempted constantly over the centuries around the world by cold, rational governments and terrorist groups — all thinking that they could, by the trauma of violence, snuff out churches, or at least intimidate those churches into hiding from one another. Such violent tactics always end up with the exact opposite of what the intimidators intend: a resilient church that, if anything, moves forward with even more purpose than before. Why?

Whether they are crazed loners in the United States or jihadist cells in Syria or governing councils in the old Soviet bloc, these forces fundamentally misunderstand the source of Christianity’s strength in the first place. Killers assume, after all, that gunfire or poison gas or mass beheadings will show Christians how powerless we are. That is true. They assume that this sense of powerlessness will rob the community of its will to be the church. That is false.

If they looked overhead, in almost any of the churches they attempt to destroy, these killers might see what they miss: the cross.
     The church was formed against the threat of terror. Jesus himself stood before a Roman governor who told him that the state had the authority to kill him, in the most horrific way possible — staking him to a crossbeam to bleed slowly to death before a jeering crowd. That’s, of course, exactly what Pilate did— and the empire’s intimidation seemed to work, at first.
    Most of Jesus’ core followers went into hiding, out of fear that they would be endangered next. That’s exactly what crosses were designed to do: Their public display was to warn people that they could be the next in line.
    The very ones who scattered, though, soon returned, testifying that they had seen the crucified Jesus alive. The result was an open proclamation of the Christian message that led to thousands joining themselves to the tiny persecuted movement. Within a matter of centuries, the terrorists themselves, the Roman Empire, would be gone, with the church marching forward into the future.
    The reason was not that the church came to believe that they could find safety in the threats of violence. The reason was that the church came to conclude, in the midst of the violence, that death is not the endpoint.
  
    Much of the New Testament is made up of letters from the apostles of Jesus on why the cross is, counter-intuitively, the power of God. The Christian gospel does not cower before death. Those who give their lives in witness to Christ are not helpless victims, in our view. In fact, the Book of Revelation maintains that those who are martyred are in fact ruling with Christ. This is not in spite of the fact that they are killed. They triumph even as they are killed. That’s because they are joined to a Christ who has been dead, and never will be again.

The day of the shooting was, for many churches, a day of remembrance for the persecuted church. Christians do not see as victims those around the world who are rooted out of their churches, even lined up and executed. We see in them the power Jesus promised us: the power that is made perfect in weakness.

To eradicate churches, our opponents will need a better strategy. They should see that Christianity can be easier suffocated with comfort, to the point that we forget who we are, than it can be terrorized with violence. Those who try to confront the church with the threat of death only remind the church that we were dead, and are now alive in Christ.

The days ahead will be awful for the grieving community of Sutherland Springs. But one thing is certain: Come Sunday, they will be gathered again, singing and praying and opening the Word. That church will bear witness to the truth that shaped them: Eternal life cannot be overcome by death. And over that church will be a cross.

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"After Texas Shooting, the Secular Left’s Gospel of Condescension Continues" - Tony Perkins / @tperkins / November 08, 2017; http://dailysignal.com/2017/11/08/after-texas-shooting-the-secular-lefts-gospel-of-condescension-continues/ 

#2133 (11/11) VETERANS DAY: "Veterans Sacrificed Their Freedom So That We Can Enjoy It"

"VETERANS SACRIFICED THEIR FREEDOM SO THAT WE CAN ENJOY IT"-Lee Edwards / November 08, 2017 / http://dailysignal.com/2017/11/08/veterans-sacrifice-freedom-can-enjoy [AS I SEE IT: Being thankful for our veterans should not just happen on this one day a year. To be truly grateful for their service is to PRAY for them as regularly as we can. It's to make a point to thank them when we pass one of them IN PERSON. It means GIVING whenever we can to organizations that are assisting them in some way when they return home. P.S. - The article referenced after this one is well worth your time reading. In fact, I hope to post it next week but in case I don't get a chance, I wanted you to be sure to know about it. While it does make a reference to what the Hollywood Left has been doing, for the most part it's a powerful statement of what our veterans are facing and accomplishing. Good stuff!- Stan]

The U.S. has 240,000 active-duty and reserve troops stationed in 172 countries and territories. (Photo: Andrew Burton /Reuters/Newscom)

Our veterans deserve more than an official holiday and special sales at Walmart and Kohl’s. They warrant our thanks for putting themselves in harm’s way to protect us from our enemies, particularly since 9/11.As the most recent terrorist attack in New York City demonstrated, radical jihadists have not abandoned their goal of a global caliphate.

President Ronald Reagan insisted that peace was only possible through strength, and sometimes through a display of strength. That’s why we have 240,000 active-duty and reserve troops in some 172 countries and territories, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Niger, and Somalia.
    There are also U.S. troop deployments in Japan, South Korea, Germany, Britain, and Bahrain. Nearly 38,000 troops are on undisclosed but risky missions.

Veterans Day began as Armistice Day on Nov. 11, 1919, on the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Starting in 1921, many Americans began wearing an artificial flower—a red poppy—to commemorate those who had died in war.
    President Ike Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day to honor those who served in wartime.

Here are a few facts to keep in mind this Veterans Day.
    There are 18.5 million military veterans in America. The breakdown by war is:
* 6.7 million veterans from the Vietnam era.
* 7.1 million veterans who served during the Gulf War.
* 1.6 million veterans of the Korean War.
* 768,000 veterans of World War II.
* Many carry the wounds of war. Today, about 3.8 million veterans live with service-related disabilities.

Along with our policemen and firefighters, veterans deserve our special thanks for their service to our country. Fr. Dennis Edward O’Brien, a Marine priest, described our obligations this way:
     It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
     It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
     It is the soldier, not the organizer, who gave us the freedom to demonstrate.
     It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag.
    And whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.

Let us pause this Veterans Day, for just a moment, to give thanks for the dedicated men and women who put their lives at risk so that we might continue to enjoy ours.

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Lee Edwards is the distinguished fellow in conservative thought at The Heritage Foundation's B. Kenneth Simon Center for Principles and Politics. A leading historian of American conservatism, Edwards has published 25 books, including "Just Right: A Life in Pursuit of Liberty."

"The Real Value in Veterans That Hollywood Doesn’t Show You" - Steven Bucci / November 09, 2017; http://dailysignal.com/2017/11/09/real-value-veterans-hollywood-doesnt-show

"Our Veterans and The Values That Define Them" - By Rebecca Hagelin; Focus on the Family, http://www.drjamesdobson.org/blogs/faith-and-family/how-to-save-your-family/2017/11/07/our-veterans-and-the-values-that-define-them

"Reasons I Know Prayer Works For the Military" - Intercessors for America, November 8, 2017; https://www.ifapray.org/blog/reasons-know-prayer-works-military/

"Remembering the Oath" - https://www.hillsdale.edu/veterans-day

#2132 (11/10) PRO-LIFE FRI: "Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz Responds to Critics, Now Says “I Do Believe Abortion is Sinful”

ATTENTION:  SCROLL DOWN  to get TODAY'S article entitled in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. And 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.

LET'S BE IN CONTINUED PRAYER for the many who were impacted by these horrific tragedies.

Let's  CONTINUE PRAYING for the people of Southeast Texas and  the entire region suffering from HURICANE HARVEY, IRMA, AND MARIA A esp. those in Puerto Rico and throughout the Caribbean. Many have lost loved ones and suffered great damage to their homes and many millions are still dealing with power outages and clean-ups. Let's also be praying for the many thousands who are suffering through the OUT OF CONTROL WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA. 

ALSO BE IN PRAYER FOR: 
1)  The Supreme Court when it hears the major religious liberty case on DEC 5th. (See my comments on today's (11/7) article.)
2) Congress to finally pass a much needed Tax Reform bill as early as before Thanksgiving.

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/

Oct. 2nd - U.S. SUPREME COURT: The Court reconvenes today to make decisions on some very crucial issues. As the Lord Leads, please pray:

*For the Supreme Court as they hear arguments from each side and make judgements that have massive consequences for the future of the nation. Remember esp. the case involving religious freedom that could have major consequences. 

*For each justice as they do their best to interpret the law and use that to rule on the given cases.

*For President Trump as he interacts with the Supreme Court on these monumental issues.

American Pastor Andrew Brunson  PRAY  that the pastor will finally be released./ https://aclj.org/persecuted-church/new-false-charges-levied-at-american-pastor-andrew-brunson-as-unjust-imprisonment-in-turkey-grows-more-dangerous He still languishes in a Turkish prison [since last Oct. 7^th]. He’s one of 19 prisoners in a 10-person cell. He is the only Christian. Pastor Andrew has been falsely charged with “membership in an armed terrorist organization.” He has served and loved the people of Turkey for more than two decades. Now this U.S. citizen is in extreme danger - falsely charged for his Christian faithfor more than two decades. Now this U.S. citizen is in extreme danger – falsely charged for his Christian faith. The American Center for Law and Justice is representing his  family and have launched an agressive global campaign demanding  that Turkey - a fellow member of NATO - release him immmediately. We’re working on Capitol Hill with our nation’s leaders, through our international offices, and around the globe to secure the release of Pastor Andrew. Now, we are preparing to send a critical legal letter to Turkey’s president in the next few days. Time is of the essence. Sign our letter before we send it. Join the fight. Be Pastor Andrew’s voice. He needs it now more than ever.Sign Our Petition: Free American Pastor Andrew Brunson.https://aclj.org/persecuted-church/free-american-pastor-andrew-brunson LET’S  PLEASE PRAY FOR HIS VERY SOON RELEASE!

NORTH KOREAN THREAT: Let's be praying that our leaders will be led by Godly wisdom in responding.

LATEST PERSONAL UPDATE of  11/6: Please check the right side of this blog page for the JOURNAL section, scrolling down for any past entries you might have missed. And THANK YOU for your continued PRAYERS.

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"HILLSONG PASTOR CARL LENTZ RESPONDS TO CRITICS, NOW SAYS 'I DO BELIEVE ABORTION IS SINFUL'”- Micaiah Bilger,  Nov. 7, 2017 |http://www.lifenews.com/2017/11/07/hillsong-pastor-carl-lentz-responds-to-critics-i-do-believe-abortion-is-sinful/ [AS I SEE IT: It's alarming and so disappointing that the vast majority of pastors surveyed are reluctant to speak out clearly regarding the Evil of abortion. In their mistaken attempt of trying to appeal to the most people, many end up diminishing the strong stand Scripture makes and thus which Christians should be taking in speaking out. Yes, we must be supportive of the women who make the choice to abort but it should not diminish our condemnation for the horrific murder of our most innocent. If we are going to SAY we are pro-life, we must BE pro-life, with our words AND our actions. - Stan]

Mega-church Pastor Carl Lentz responded Tuesday to criticism about his recent comments on abortion, saying he does believe abortion is a sin but he chose to emphasize grace instead of the sin.

Lentz, who leads the influential Hillsong Church in New York City, faced a lot of criticism this week after he side-stepped a question about abortion during his appearance on “The View.” His answer disappointed a lot of pro-life Christians. Many want their clergy to speak boldly about the value of unborn babies, the atrocity of abortion and the love that should be shown to both mother and child.

On Tuesday, Lentz posted a statement on Twitter explaining why he responded the way he did.
     “I do believe abortion is sinful,” Lentz wrote. “Our prayer is that we can continue to help and love those that deal with the pain of regret from personal choices, rather than cast further shame and guilt on those already carrying so much and create a church that can teach people how to form convictions based on God’s word, that will be the driving force in all their decisions."
     “I will continue to point people to Jesus, above all else, every opportunity I get. The story of God’s redemptive grace, available to all, is the best news available,” he continued.

Lentz appeared on “The View” last week (watch the video here) to talk about his ministry. And the panel – a group of pro-abortion women who love to bash pro-life advocates – asked Lentz about his views on abortion.Rather than speak boldly about loving both the mother and her unborn child, Lentz side-stepped the question, The Federalist reports.
    “So, it’s not a sin in your church to have an abortion?” pro-abortion host Joy Behar asked.
    Lentz responded: “That’s the kind of conversation we would have finding out your story, where you’re from, what you believe. … I mean, God’s the judge. People have to live to their own convictions. That’s such a broad question, to me, I’m going higher. I want to sit with somebody and say, ‘What do you believe?’”
    “So it’s not an open and shut case to you?” Behar asked.
    “Some people would say it is,” Lentz responded. “To me, I’m trying to teach people who Jesus is first, and find out their story. Before I start picking and choosing what I think is sin in your life, I’d like to know your name.”

James Silberman criticized Lentz’s response, writing at The Federalist:
    This position might be received as a moderate stance on the issue or a lack of stance altogether. But in this case, to be on the fence is to be on the side of child sacrifice. “Live to your own convictions” is practically the slogan of the abortion lobby. Lentz might as well have said “My body, my choice,” or “Keep your rosaries off my ovaries.”
    Studies indicate many pastors are hesitant to speak about abortion. A 2016 Pew Research Center poll found that just 29 percent of respondents heard their clergy member speak about abortion during a religious service. Most who did said their clergy spoke out against abortion (22 percent), while a few (3 percent) said their clergy spoke in support of abortion.

Mega-church pastors, popular Christian authors and other ministry leaders can make a huge impact by speaking out against abortion, and some do. Author and Pastor Rick Warren at Saddleback Church, Franklin Graham of Samaritan’s Purse, Todd Wagner at Watermark Church and popular author Ann Voskamp are just a few. They use their voices to speak a message of love and compassion for the hundreds of unborn babies who are being slaughtered daily in abortions and their mothers who are being deceived and broken by the abortion industry.

[bold, 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." - 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:

Praying Through the Open Doors World Watch List:  - https://www.opendoorsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/28385-PFA.pdf; To learn more, please go to -  

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/ - to learn more.
November 8 - 14: United Arab Emirates #44 - Pray for Christian women who convert from Islam 

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November 10 | CENTRAL ASIA -  Pray for the children who attended summer camps. Pray everything they learned will deepen their faith and relationship with Christ. 

*Names changed for security reasons.

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.y 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 on their behalf?

PRAYER

Lord, broaden my awareness of the needs of my suffering brothers and sisters. May I not be known for my silence.

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.*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 endurance.