REMINDER: 1) Check out this week's broadcast of ''Truth ThatTransforms'' (http://www.truthinaction.org/index.php/tr/uth-that-transforms This week’s sermon is entitled “ A Godly Education" and explains what is happening in our public schools. It also presents a feature about a courageous home-schooling German family; and 2) I came across this fantastic message by Jentezen Franklin on 9/6 that could simply be entitled, "Be There!" I know, you've viewed your share of sermons; but trust me, THIS IS ONE IS VERY WORTH YOUR TIME.
http://event.cbn.com/weekofprayer/2013-fall/default.aspx?ventID=143699&cpid=DM1309061 PLEASE take time to check these programs out!
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: "Syrian Christians Brace for Strike, Ask for Prayer," - by Gary Lane, August 31, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Syrian-Christians-Brace-for-Strike-Ask-for-Prayer/"As Syrians brace themselves for a possible U.S. military attack, many of the county's Christians are praying for divine intervention. They say military action against the Assad regime will only bring them greater hardship and suffering and they're asking Christians worldwide to pray that God intervenes to bring peace to their nation. They believe the collective prayers of Christians around the world could reverse an escalating conflict..."
[EGYPT - Continue to pray for the tense situation in Egypt and especially for the Christian believers who are being targeted with violence by Muslim Brotherhood members.]
URGENT PRAYER REQUEST- Update on Kenneth Bae: "US Ready to Bargain with N. Korea for Bae's Release,"- CBNNews.com, Aug 14, 2013 http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/S-Ready-to-Bargain-with-N-Korea-for-Baes-Release/ - The United States is willing to engage North Korea to secure the release of imprisoned American Christian Kenneth Bae. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the United States is "willing to consider a number of different options" to bring him home.In a video recently released by a North Korean newspaper, Bae requested the United States send a high-ranking official to North Korea to seek his pardon. It is unclear if he spoke of his own volition in the video. Bae, 45, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for sharing his faith. He suffers health problems such as diabetes and is currently hospitalized.[PRAY for 1) God's healing of and presence with Pastor Bae, 2) His earliest release by the North Korean government, and 3) God's comfort for his family and friends.]
UPDATE: Iran Rejects Saeed's Appeal, Family 'Devastated' , CBNNews.com, August 27, 2013 http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/August/Iran-Rejects-Saeeds-Appeal-Family-Devastated/ "By keeping the 8-year prison sentence in place, Pastor Saeed, now potentially faces additional beatings and abuse inside Evin Prison -- treatment that has significantly weakened him during his first year in prison,"....{
“Abandoned” For Christ" - Graham Calls On White House To Support Abedini - By Dr. Tom Askew, Aug.8, http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/opinion
Franklin Graham is the latest to join the chorus of voices calling for U.S. State Department and White House officials to take a more vocal role in protesting the Iranian imprisonment of American pastor Saeed Abedini. September 26 will mark the one year anniversary of Abedini’s imprisonment for allegedly “endangering the national security” of Iran.
Graham pointed out that, in contrast to Iranian accusations, “Pastor Saeed was in Iran trying to help children. With the permission of Iran’s government, he was working to build an orphanage. But his humanitarian mission led to an arrest on bogus charges and nearly a year of inhumane treatment, simply because he loves Jesus Christ.”...
Behind the scenes, more than 600,000 people around the world have signed a petition sponsored by ACLJ in support of pastor Abedini. A concerted movement this past May brought together Christians from many nations to set aside Pentecost to pray for Abedini. On June 13, demonstrations were held at Iranian embassies in at least six countries to protest Abedini’s treatment. And, on July 29, Arizona Republican Representative Trent Franks spoke on the floor of the House to urge other Congressmen to join him in “adopting” Pastor Abedini through the bipartisan Defending Freedoms Project.
Saeed’s response…and yours - Through his family living in Iran, Pastor Abedini has been made aware of these efforts on his behalf, and is grateful. “I heard that the persecution, my arrest and imprisonment has united churches from different denominations, from different cities and countries. That the churches have united together in prayer to put one request (my freedom) on one day (Pentecost) before God,” he wrote in a letter.
The story of Saeed Abedini, the jihad against Syrian Christians, the attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt, and the ongoing desecration of churches in Nigeria and India should cause every American to reflect on the blessings of freedom still enjoyed in this nation.
PRAY: - For comfort and peace for Saeed’s wife and children here in the U.S.
- For a strong witness and testimony from Pastor Abedini in the prison where God has placed him
- For Christians around the world who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ
- BOLDly (Beside Our Leaders Daily) for leadership from the White House and State Department in defending the freedoms of Abedini and other Americans
Go to SaveSaeed.org to sign a petition over 600,000 others asking for his immediate release.
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Franklin Graham is the latest to join the chorus of voices calling for U.S. State Department and White House officials to take a more vocal role in protesting the Iranian imprisonment of American pastor Saeed Abedini. September 26 will mark the one year anniversary of Abedini’s imprisonment for allegedly “endangering the national security” of Iran.
Graham pointed out that, in contrast to Iranian accusations, “Pastor Saeed was in Iran trying to help children. With the permission of Iran’s government, he was working to build an orphanage. But his humanitarian mission led to an arrest on bogus charges and nearly a year of inhumane treatment, simply because he loves Jesus Christ.”...
Behind the scenes, more than 600,000 people around the world have signed a petition sponsored by ACLJ in support of pastor Abedini. A concerted movement this past May brought together Christians from many nations to set aside Pentecost to pray for Abedini. On June 13, demonstrations were held at Iranian embassies in at least six countries to protest Abedini’s treatment. And, on July 29, Arizona Republican Representative Trent Franks spoke on the floor of the House to urge other Congressmen to join him in “adopting” Pastor Abedini through the bipartisan Defending Freedoms Project.
Saeed’s response…and yours - Through his family living in Iran, Pastor Abedini has been made aware of these efforts on his behalf, and is grateful. “I heard that the persecution, my arrest and imprisonment has united churches from different denominations, from different cities and countries. That the churches have united together in prayer to put one request (my freedom) on one day (Pentecost) before God,” he wrote in a letter.
The story of Saeed Abedini, the jihad against Syrian Christians, the attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt, and the ongoing desecration of churches in Nigeria and India should cause every American to reflect on the blessings of freedom still enjoyed in this nation.
"Ahead of 9-11 Anniversary, U.S. Tightens Embassy Security in Baghdad, Lebanon and Turkey," - 9/6/2013; http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/Prayerwatch?pw=2061
The United States tightened security at diplomatic missions in Lebanon and Turkey on Friday because of threats, ordering personnel out of Lebanon and offering to evacuate those in Adana in southeastern Turkey.
The State Department also warned U.S. citizens against traveling in Lebanon and southeastern Turkey and urged Americans in the rest of Turkey "to be alert to the potential for violence." Officials did not offer specifics about the threats, which were revealed less than a week before the 12th anniversary of the September 11 attacks and amid an intensifying U.S. debate over President Barack Obama’s plans to strike Syria.
"Given the current tensions in the region, as well as potential threats to U.S. government facilities and personnel, we are taking these steps out of an abundance of caution to protect our employees and their families, and local employees and visitors to our facilities," said State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf.
On Thursday, the United States intercepted an order from an Iranian official instructing militants in Iraq to attack U.S. interests in Baghdad in the event the United States launches a military strike in Syria, a close ally of Iran.
The State Department urged "U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon because of current safety and security concerns." In Turkey, U.S. officials offered voluntary evacuation to reduce its diplomatic presence at the consulate in Adana, Turkey, "because of threats against U.S. government facilities and personnel." Adana is near the border with Syria. (Sources: Reuters, Wall Street Journal, BBC News)
PLEASE PRAY:
- For the safety and security of American embassy and consulate personnel across the Middle East.
- For the safety of American travelers in areas where they could be targets of Islamic extremists.
- For Homeland Security to effectively detect and defend against any attack planned on American soil.
- For Homeland Security to effectively detect and defend against any attack planned on American soil.
[bold, italics, and underline emphasis mine]
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"The History of Declaring War," - by Genevieve Syverson On September 6, 2013;http://blog.heritage.org/2013/09/06/the-history-of-declaring-war/print/
With the full Senate vote to come [2] on whether to authorize air strikes against the Assad regime in Syria, it would be useful to have a well-established threshold regarding the authorization of military strikes. But there isn’t one. As Kim Holmes outlines in a Washington Times op-ed [3], the recent history of the implementation of the War Powers Act is inconsistent and gives little clarity for today’s debate.
Congressional leaders would do well to review America’s record of military engagements. Throughout all the armed conflicts the U.S. has been involved in since the Declaration of Independence, only five congressional declarations of war [4] have been issued. And, as The Heritage Guide to the Constitution points out, the “Supreme Court has never intervened to stop a war that a President has started without congressional authorization.”
Furthermore, since the War Powers Act was passed in 1973, Republican Presidents have generally argued that it is unconstitutional, though they “have often taken actions ‘consistent’ with the War Powers Resolution to avoid unnecessary conflict with Congress,” while Democratic Presidents have complied with the act with little argument.
The U.S. would be better served with a consistent employment of military power. As Holmes explains [3], “We don’t need a new law, but we could be more consistent when it comes to seeking congressional authorization of military action. Right now it seems mostly to be about which political party occupies the White House.”
U.S. leaders in Congress and the Administration should use the current debate and the lessons learned from past applications of the War Powers Act to establish a threshold for the use of military force that has nothing to do with partisan politics.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
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Article printed from The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation: http://blog.heritage.org:URL to article: http://blog.heritage.org/2013/09/06/the-history-of-declaring-war/
URLs in this post:
[1] Image: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/capitol-clouds-washington-dc.jpg
[2] vote to come: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/committee-mulls-syria-vote-delay-96260.html?hp=t1_3
[3] op-ed: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/4/holmes-sorry-history-of-the-war-powers-debate/
[4] five congressional declarations of war: http://www.heritage.org/constitution/#!/articles/1/essays/49/declare-war
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
ept from attack.
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