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Archive for July, 2013

PETITION AND PRAYER FOR PASTOR SAEED ABEDINI

Posted in A Nation Divided on July 30, 2013| 3 Comments »

 

My heart is pierced this morning for allowing myself to forget, for my failure to pray without ceasing for Pastor Saeed Abedini in prison in Iran for his faith in Christ and his love for the Iranian people.

When I opened my Bible this morning and read the 56th Psalm, Pastor Saeed’s name flashed through my mind. Are you equally guilty of forgetting to pray for this  man of God?DSCF2830 005

From news reports it seems we are not alone in allowing this Christian pastor to be beaten, tormented—and now missing, without doing everything possible to secure his release. The current Administration has chosen to vacation and campaign, refusing to do whatever it takes to rescue yet another courageous American. Just like they did in Benghazi—they are silent.

Refusing to intervene. Refusing to help. Refusing to rescue.

 But God will hold every government official who has turned their back on these brave Americans accountable.

However, the purpose of my words this morning is to point you to God’s Word. To the words of King David when he had been seized by the Philistines in Gath. And words we can pray, with one accord, to intercede for our brother in Christ, Pastor Saeed Abedini:

“Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me; fighting all day long he oppresses me. My foes have trampled upon me all day long, for they are many who fight proudly against me. When I am afraid, I will put my trust in Thee. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me? All day long they distort my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil. They attack, they lurk, they watch my steps, as they have waited to take my life. Because of wickedness, cast them forth, in anger put down the peoples, O God!

 

Thou has taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in Thy bottle; are they not in Thy book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; this I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? Thy vows are binding upon me, O God; I will render thank offerings to Thee. For thou has delivered my soul from death, indeed my feet from stumbling, so that I may walk before God in the light of the living” (Psalm 56 NAS).

Father in Heaven, I ask You, in accord with Your will, to burden my heart to cry out for the relief and rescue of Pastor Saeed. I ask You to confuse the enemy so they turn against each other. I ask that you put a shield of comfort around Pastor Abedini’s family. But most of all Father, please deliver Your precious child from the grasp of these evil men. Please bring this Psalm of comfort and power to his heart and mind this moment, because I know Your Words bring hope, light, and peace. Please send Your mighty angels to astound Your enemies and heal his wounds and give him Your strength. Remind me to pray without ceasing until Your answer comes. And I will give You glory, Father for Your answer. In Jesus name—Amen.

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NEWS CEASES TO BE NEWS…

Posted in A Nation Divided, tagged , , , , on July 13, 2013| 12 Comments »

 

 

When news becomes propaganda.

When journalists and reporters twist truth to satisfy their point of view, opinions, or narcissism.

When reporting turns from facts into slanted half truths, which are in essence complete lies.

Monday evening, on the south lawn of the Texas State Capitol, in Austin. Channel Five TV News exhibited a blatant example of truth-twistingDSCF2689 to square with their political and moral views. And Channel Eight, as well as other stations who transmitted their news feed, walked the crooked path with them.

Channel Five reporters chose to broadcast only pro-abortion views and represented to their audience a DSCF2690pro-abortion crowd that far outnumbered those favoring life.

Nothing could have been farther from the truth.

I personally witnessed a Channel Five camera crew positioning and repositioning the reporter and interviewee to reflect the pro-abortion folks in the background. Never panning the whole scene so a viewer might DSCF2684recognize the impact of the actual numbers. And the sea of blue that covered the Capitol landscape.

The pictures attached to this blog are photos, taken by me, that evening from a variety of views.

But why should I be surprised? Isn’t that what we’ve become accustomed to? We now have what we have tolerated—news media, journalists, reporters, and photographers who have become skilled propagandists. Editorialists. Unable to separate truth from deception, morality from immorality, and facts from lies—always seeking the sensational, morbid, chaotic—stirring the nation’s pot of emotions. Always DSCF2687pitting one group against another. And for what? Ratings? Money? Power?

I looked out over those clad in orange, most of them out of the main stream in dress, behavior, and attitudes. Most were young folks, schooled and being educated in hot beds of socialists scholars who teach them there are no absolute truths. Therefore, lies don’t even wiggle the needle on the students’ radar.

And we have tolerated that twisted truth and watched while it captured and overwhelmed major institutes of higher learning in America. Warping, wrenching, and worming into our public schools, our homes, and yes, even into our churches.

Every evening we vegetate in front of idol worshipping screens stationed front and center in our living rooms, and listen to absurd mouth-pieces who border on insanity, those who are bringing certain destruction to truth, justice, and the American way.

The silent American majority doesn’t even blink over murdering a DSCF2695baby in the womb at any point in the gestational period. This mind-altering deception started with changing the meaning of words, i.e. It’s not a baby. It’s a fetus. Just tissue. And we now have what we tolerated. A lie from the father of lies—Satan. And we have acquiesced to his lie.

Proven, scientific technology  now records a baby’s development, from inception to birth. And whether you believe it or not, in no way changes proven, scientific evidence. When your heart and mind are in rebellion against God, it’s easy to believe the lies of abortionists, rather than seek and believe truth that would save the mother and the baby.

Incidentally, abortion organizations have a large and very angry dog in this fight. Greed. And money. Enormous sums of money.

The abortion industry is a mega-billion dollar industry in the United States. Planned Parenthood’s—talk about an oxymoron—stake has DSCF2692unlimited dollar signs attached to the end of their name. And Gosnell type clinics span the inner cities of every state, painting the horror of their operation with the pretense of “helping women.”

And women seeking abortion have sought sin’s moment of sexual pleasure, then demanded an abortion to solve the consequences. We are allowing and paying for abortion to be used as birth-control. When in fact the choice to say no, the choice of a movie instead of sex, the choice to refuse access to your body to anyone but your marriage partner would prevent this crime.

Medical files overflow with post-abortive accounts of wrecked lives. Men and women, who for years, have suffered and are continuing to suffer DSCF2691from the “tissue-fetus-lie.” Lives plagued with guilt, depression, illness, and even suicide because of the inability to live with the consequences of murdering their flesh and blood.

Because that’s what Americans have tolerated.

Since the Roe v. Wade Court ruling,  Americans have tolerated the murder of over fifty-five million babies. That would equivocate to double the number of soldiers killed in The American Revolution, Civil War, World Wars I and II, Korean and Viet Nam wars combined. Or just shy of killing the total populations of California and Florida.

God’s Word is clear on this subject. The shedding of innocent bloodDSCF2693 pollutes the land. And whether you believe God’s Word or not in no way changes its truth and validity.

Americans have polluted the soil of this land, from Sea to Shining Sea. And the blood of these innocent babies will be required from all who have stood silent. All who have not repented and been forgiven. All who have stood, thumbed their nose at God and chanted “hail Satan,” like those in orange shirts screamed these past two weeks in Texas.

Our screams should reverberate over the echo of bloody screams to God from babies tortured, sliced, and sucked out of their mother’s womb. Yet we continue to elect men and women whose voting history validates their stance. And we return them to represent us, election after election. And we wonder why our nation is in trouble?

We have what we are tolerating.

It is long past time to stand up, speak up, and stand firm in the streets, neighborhoods, homes, courthouses, and schoolhouse for defenseless babies. Babies slaughtered while we have chosen to occupy ourselves with a myriad of trivial, unimportant things that will burn like straw when the Lord returns.

DSCF2698Are there truths important enough to die for?

You bet there are.

And stopping abortion in America is one of the hills on which we must choose to sacrifice our time, our energy, and our lives.

I found it significant to note, on Monday evening, after all their attempts to disrupt and antagonize the prayer rally failed, those in orange shirt, folded up their signs and quietly slipped away. Before the rally was half over.

Perhaps some of their hearts actually heard and were convicted by the Word of God spoken by those leading the rally. Perhaps some of them were in fact paid agitators who recognized their mission had failed. Perhaps they withdrew to regroup for the battle that took place on the floor of the Senate yesterday, where many of those orange shirts were taken away. Arrested for carrying bags of fecal matter and urine, attempting to incite chaos to stop the vote. Fox News did show pictures of some of those orange shirts being removed from the Senate gallery.

The good news is those reckless attempts failed too. SB2 passed 19-11. This battle will be staged throughout America. Perhaps it’s already underway in your state.

So, from this day forward, carefully choose what you decide to believe—what you choose to tolerate. News or propaganda? Truth or lies? Life or death?

—

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AND I WONDERED

Posted in A Nation Divided, tagged , , , , , , on July 2, 2013| Leave a Comment »

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:1-2 NAS).

 

Have you ever been working in the yard, forgetting about everything but the task at hand, and suddenly realize you are thirsty? So DSCF2652thirsty you drop everything and flee to the fridge or water faucet for a refreshing, cool drink of water?

As I read this Psalm today, I wondered, do I become that thirsty for God?

Does my soul pant for God like the deer pants for the water brooks? Or does my soul pant for the things God has given me?

Do I become so distracted by the abundance of His blessings, I shove Him to the end of my I-love-You line?

Oh, I get up and go to church every Sunday, and I wonder, is worshiping God number one on my list, or am I wondering what the choir director has planned, or what the preacher will talk about? Perhaps the central thought on my mind—where am I going to have lunch and who is going to come with me?

Yesterday we celebrated the 4th of July at First Baptist Dallas. And I knew there would be special music. One of our Texas Senators was going to deliver the morning message. It would be a time of joy-filled, flag-waving worship.

I got up early, knowing church would be crowded, and considered wearing red, white, and blue. But, in light of the shameful events in America and in Texas the past weeks, my heart mourned.

Senator Ted Cruz delivered a powerful message, recalling the founding fathers, principles, and legacy of this nation under God. He called us to prayer and to action. To stand up and speak up.

And I wept.

Our forefathers gave their lives so we would have the freedom to worship God; and, I have to ask myself, have I allowed Sunday morning to become entertainment rather than a time for repentance and confession and true worship of my Lord Jesus Christ?

The choir sang The Battle Hymn of the Republic.

And I wept.

God has blessed this nation. Prospered us and built up the walls of America as our founding fathers placed their faith and trust in Him, but I’ve sat silent while those who mock God tossed His Word and prayer out of public schools, murder generations of  this nation’s babies, and are determined to force us to accept a deviate culture God identified as unnatural and wrong since the beginning.

 And I wonder, have I grown accustomed to the violation of God’s laws, shrugging my shoulders and shaking my head, while approving and feeding the coffers of movies and TV shows that revile righteousness and worship at the feet of false gods?

Do I refuse to say no to my children and grandchildren when they desire to pattern their dress and behavior after sports figures and teen idols who thumb their noses at the Lord God Almighty?

No, this 4th of July will not be a time of celebration for me, but one of remembering, cherishing, and repenting. Remembering and cherishing the sacrifice of those who’ve gone before me. Remembering and repenting for my silence and my failure to proclaim the whole truth of The Word. And remembering and repenting for allowing my soul to be satiated with the things of the world, rather than thirsting for the living God.

How about you?

In Ezekiel 9:4 God said about ancient Israel:

“Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst. But to the others He said in my hearing, ‘Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity, and do not spare. Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary.’ So they started with the elders who were before the temple” (Ezekiel 9:4-6 NAS).

 

Where will God find you this 4th of July, 2013?  Will you join me?IMG_1980 190 Sighing, groaning, and praying for God’s mercy and healing for me and the rest of His rebellious children.

 

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