URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS:
TODAY: "Supreme Court to Revisit Public Prayer "- CBNNews.com; Tuesday, November 05, 2013; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2013/November/Supreme-Court-to-Revisit-Public-Prayer/
Public prayer goes before the U.S. Supreme Court again [today]. The case involves the small town of Greece, N.Y., which still holds prayer before its public meetings. ... The High Court itself asks for God's protection before every public session, and in 1983 it ruled an opening prayer does not violate the First Amendment. But a federal appeals court in New York ruled against the town's meeting prayers, saying the prayers violated the Constitution by "stressing Christianity." [PRAY that the Court will uphold the rights of the city, of any group of public officials to seek public prayer for their activities.]
NEWS ALERT: Monday, November 04, 2013 - Saeed's Life in Jeopardy after Prison Transfer - CBNNews.com, ; http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/November/Saeeds-Life-in-Jeopardy-after-Prison-Transfer/ Saeed Abedini, an American pastor imprisoned in Iran for his faith, is facing life threatening conditions after a recent prison transfer, the America Center for Law and Justice reports. Saeed's family says he has been moved from the brutal Evin Prison to Rajai Shahr Prison, known to be an even more dangerous jail. "Going to Karaj is a severe punishment," Loes Bijnen, a Dutch diplomat from the embassy in Tehran, described the jail in a 2005 report. "Once in there one stops to be a human being," she wrote. "One is put out of sight, even of human rights activists and the press. Murders or unexplained deaths are a regular occurrence."
According to the ACLJ, Saeed is in a ward with those convicted for crimes like rape and murder.
Family members tried to visit the pastor Monday but were told he isn't allowed to have visitors in the new prison. The transfer to this prison is a deeply disturbing development and can only be viewed as a move that puts Pastor Saeed's life directly at risk," ACLJ Executive Director Jordan Sekulow warned. While there is broad bi-partisan support for a Senate resolution calling for Saeed's release, Sekulow says it's crucial President Barack Obama step in "directly and forcefully" to save his life. [PRAY for President Obama to forcefully speak out against this latest development; for the pastor to be finally released. (See below for more info.)]
NEWS ALERT: Oct. 23: "Christians Fleeing IRAQ Area Once Considered Safe," - CBNNews.com, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/October/Christians-Fleeing-Iraq-Area-Once-Considered-Safe/ "Increased violence in northern Iraq is pushing Christians out of that part of the country. The Kurdish north was considered a safe area for Christians fleeing from violent persecution in the central and southern regions. But bombings in recent months are causing panic and many are fleeing the country. Al qaeda has claimed responsibility for several of those attacks. Some Christians have been told by local police that they "should not be in Iraq because it is Muslim territory." The Christian charity Open Doors International is urging people around the world to pray for Christians in Iraq. They say that if the persecution continues, there may be no Christians left in Iraq by 2020.[PRAY that believers in Iraq will know God's protection and provision; that believers will know[ whether they are called to flee or remain and persevere; and that their persecutors may come to hear the gospel and come to faith in Christ. - Stan]
"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..."
Continue to Pray for 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.]
Oct. 14, NORTH KOREA -"Kenneth Bae, Mom Meet; Release Not Guaranteed" - CBNNews.com, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/October/Mother-Visits-Missionary-Jailed-in-North-Korea/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.]
Oct. 14, NORTH KOREA -"Kenneth Bae, Mom Meet; Release Not Guaranteed" - CBNNews.com, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/October/Mother-Visits-Missionary-Jailed-in-North-Korea/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.]
IRAN - Vigils Mark One Year Imprisonment of Pastor Saeed - CBNNews.com, Thursday, September 26, 2013 - Today marks one-year that American pastor Saeed Abedini has been held in an Iranian prison. He is serving an eight-year sentence because of his Christian faith. It has been a year of torment as he has suffered beatings, physical pain from untreated medical conditions, and separation from his wife and two children... The suffering has not dampened his passion for Jesus. Pastor Abedini has led more than 30 prisoners to Christ during his time in prison. This afternoon, thousands of Americans from coast to coast will pray for his release. Events will be held in 40 states at capitols, city halls, parks and churches. Thousands more will join from 15 nations around the world
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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"Obama’s Disastrous Stewardship of America’s Armed Forces" - By James Carafano, November 5, 2013 [go to web site of this article listed below for short video on this]
Capt. Tom Shanahan didn’t need a full crew. At least, that’s what the Pentagon told him. After all, his ship—the USS Canisteo—was in port for repairs.As the months passed, the Navy assigned more and more Canisteo crew members elsewhere. By the time repairs were complete, Shanahan didn’t have enough men to take his ship to sea. In fact, the Navy simply didn’t have enough sailors to go around. It was 1979, and Washington was cashing its Vietnam peace dividend, come what may.
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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"Obama’s Disastrous Stewardship of America’s Armed Forces" - By James Carafano, November 5, 2013 [go to web site of this article listed below for short video on this]
"Obama’s Disastrous Stewardship of America’s Armed Forces" - By James Carafano, November 5, 2013 [go to web site of this article listed below for short video on this]
A 30 year-veteran, Shanahan knew that when politicians look for a place to shave expenses, “the military is the easiest thing to cut, especially coming out of a war.” But he also saw the results of that impulse first hand.
When it came time to fill out his readiness report, Shanahan felt honor-bound to report his ship wasn’t ready for service—even though it might get him a black mark among the brass. But word of Shanahan’s honest assessment spread well beyond the Pentagon—starting what became a firestorm of criticism for the Carter administration over the state of military readiness.
In retrospect, Shanahan remains unapologetic about calling it as he saw it. “It doesn’t make any sense to me,” he argues, “to get the budget under control by [divesting] yourself of national defense.” And today, he cautions, “We see the same cycle repeating itself.” Last summer, the aging USS Essex, after suffering a plethora of mechanical and maintenance issues, failed to complete two missions. Its captain got canned.
“I can see in the USS Essex the same types of things that happened to me in Canisteo,” Shanahan says.“You draw down equipment, you draw down personnel, and therefore, you draw down the readiness of your ship to deploy,” he said. It is time for Congress to take a hard look the current administration’s disastrous stewardship of the armed forces.
Fiscal sanity and providing for the common defense go hand in hand. Both are essential to keeping the nation safe, free and prosperous. This week the Senate Armed Services Readiness sub-committee will hear closed-door readiness briefing that every member of the Senate committee has been invited to attend. This will be followed by a public hearing Thursday on the impact of sequestration, followed by (most likely closed) session with testimony from Pentagon witnesses. If there is one set of briefings and hearings no member of the committee should miss—this week’s is it.
Similarly, members of the House Armed Services Committee are trying to organize a readiness briefing open to all the members of the House for mid-November. Every HASC member should feel a deep obligation to attend that session.What members will find is that military readiness—and the armed forces’ overall capacity to defend all our vital national interests—is dropping fast. Sequester has accelerated the decline, but it is only part of the problem.
From Day 1, the Obama administration has neglected the imperative to modernize, under-played the forces needed to defend us, and failed to implement any serious reform agenda. Rather than deliver on its promise to provide more bang for the buck, the White House has done little more than call cuts “efficiencies.”
To get us out of this mess, Congress needs to fight for solutions that will fix defense without raising taxes or ballooning federal spending further. What they can’t do is ignore the problem of downward readiness trends and declining capabilities. For members of the Armed Services Committees, participating in the upcoming briefings and hearings is a critical first step. Someone should take attendance.
(Originally appeared in the Washington Examiner [1].)
[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/2013/11/05/obamas-disastrous-stewardship-of-americas-armed-forces/
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[1] Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/time-to-pivot-to-military-readiness/article/2538360
Copyright © 2013 The Heritage Foundation. All rights reserved.
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