Where Does America Stand With God?

The National Day of Prayer is on Thursday, May 5.  There is still time to plan an event for your church or organization.  It doesn’t take the presence of dignitaries or government officials (although that is great to have).  All that is necessary is to get a group of believers together to earnestly pray for our nation.  Many resources are available at https://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/.MRS. SHIRLEY DOBSON IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER TASK FORCE, AND TONY EVANS IS THE HONORARY CHAIRMAN THIS YEAR.  THIS YEAR’S THEME IS “WAKE UP AMERICA” AND IS BASED ON ISAIAH 58:1A, “SHOUT IT ALOUD, DO NOT HOLD BACK.  RAISE YOUR VOICE LIKE A TRUMPET.”  FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE THEME AND VERSE, SEEHTTP://WWW.NATIONALDAYOFPRAYER.ORG/THEME_AND_VERSE.

THIS YEAR’S PRAYER BY TONY EVANS IS LOCATED ATHTTP://WWW.NATIONALDAYOFPRAYER.ORG/NATIONAL-PRAYER:

DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME TO YOU TODAY AS A HUMBLE PEOPLE DESPERATE FOR YOUR SUPERNATURAL INTERVENTION ON BEHALF OF OUR BELOVED NATION.  FIRST, WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS YOU HAVE BESTOWED ON OUR LAND, BLESSINGS THAT HAVE ALLOWED US TO BRING SO MUCH GOOD AND BENEFIT TO NOT ONLY OUR OWN CITIZENS BUT ALSO TO THE REST OF THE WORLD. THE VERY IDEALS UPON WHICH THIS COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED WERE BASED ON BIBLICAL TRUTHS, NO MATTER HOW SOME TRY TO REWRITE HISTORY TO DENY THAT VERY FACT TODAY.

THIS IS WHY OUR HEARTS ARE SO BROKEN OVER HOW YOU CONTINUE TO BE MARGINALIZED AND DISMISSED BY BOTH OUR PEOPLE AND OUR INSTITUTIONS. WE ARE ALSO SADDENED BY THE FACT THAT YOUR PEOPLE HAVE CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO THE SPIRITUAL APATHY THAT NOW ENGULFS US. OUR SATISFACTION IN REMAINING RELIGIOUS WITHOUT BEING FULLY COMMITTED TO LIVING OUT THE TRUTHS OF YOUR WORD HAS CAUSED US TO BECOME CO-CONSPIRATORS WITH THE FORCES OF EVIL THAT ARE DESTROYING US AS A SOCIETY.

 

IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT WE PERSONALLY AND COLLECTIVELY REPENT OF OUR CARNALITY AND RECOMMIT OURSELVES TO BECOMING VISIBLE AND VERBAL DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST. ENABLE US, BY YOUR SPIRIT, TO NO LONGER BE SECRET AGENT CHRISTIANS BUT RATHER TO PUBLICLY DECLARE AND LIVE OUT YOUR TRUTH IN A SPIRIT OF LOVE SO THAT YOU FEEL WELCOME IN OUR COUNTRY ONCE AGAIN.

 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROMISE TO HEAR OUR PRAYERS WHEN WE CALL TO YOU WITH HEARTS OF REPENTANCE AND OBEDIENCE, WHICH IS HOW WE ARE APPEALING TO YOU TODAY, FATHER. ON BEHALF OF YOUR CHURCH, WE AFFIRM AFRESH THE PRIORITY YOU ARE TO US THAT YOU WOULD FILL EVERY DIMENSION OF OUR LIVES AS WE SEEK TO BRING YOU GLORY THROUGH THE ADVANCEMENT OF YOUR KINGDOM IN OUR PERSONAL LIVES, OUR FAMILY LIVES, AND IN THE LIVES OF OUR CHURCHES AND OUR GOVERNMENT LEADERS. WE CONFIDENTLY INVITE HEAVEN’S INTERVENTION INTO ALL THE AFFAIRS OF OUR NATION AND WE PRAISE YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ANSWER.

 

IN JESUS’ NAME WE PRAY.
AMEN.

Thursday April 14 2016

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ARE ‘BATHROOM BILL’ BOYCOTTS HYPOCRITICAL? DR. JIM DENISON APRIL 14, 2016 As the world knows, Bruce Springsteen recently cancelled his concert in Greensboro, North Carolina to protest the state’s so-called “bathroom bill.” Hestated that he wants to join the “fight against prejudice and bigotry” and claims that cancelling his concert is “the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards.” (For more, see Janet Denison’sSpringsteen and Van Zandt’s Ideas About Morality.)However, Springsteen is planning to perform in Italy this July, where same-sex marriage is illegal. He operates under the Sony label, which does business in Russia, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—all of which prohibit same-sex marriage. In fact, the UAE prohibits all homosexual activity as illegal. Bryan Adams cancelled tonight’s concert in Mississippi because of its LGBTQ laws. However, he played in Egypt last month, where gay people routinely face persecution. He has played in Syria, Qatar, and the UAE, where same-sex relations are illegal. Starbucks has asked the North Carolina governor to repeal its “bathroom bill.” However, the company does significant business in China and the Asia-Pacific region, with fourth-quarter revenue of $652.2 million. China’s marriage law defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman; the government forbids same-sex couples from adopting children. Pfizer signed a letter protesting the North Carolina governor’s support for its “bathroom bill.” Its revenues in China rose eighteen percent last year. PayPal has declared that it will not build a planned 400-employee global operations center in North Carolina. However, the company operates in Singapore, where homosexual activity is illegal. The National Basketball Association says it might move the 2017 All-Star Game scheduled for Charlotte. However, the league generated $150 million in revenue in 2012 from China and recently signed a streaming agreement that will net them $700 million over the next five years. You can see the pattern. If performers and countries boycotting North Carolina and Mississippi are only concerned about LGBTQ rights, should they not also boycott countries which discriminate, in their view, against LGBTQ people? Their contradictory actions open them to the charge of hypocrisy and cause us to wonder if economics are not a larger motivation than they will admit. At the same time, it is urgent that Christians who affirm biblical sexuality and marriage act consistently. If we want to defend the Bible, we must do so biblically. It is vital that we “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). But it is also vital that we relate to others with “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12). Jesus demonstrated the perfect balance between exposing hypocrisy and loving hypocrites. Now he wants to help us do the same, starting with ourselves. When a skeptic complained to a pastor that “the church is full of hypocrites,” the wise minister smiled and said, “No, there’s room for one more.” That’s good news for us all. If you received this from a friend, you can subscribe here. DAILY BRIEFING YOUR DAILY UPDATE OF WORLD NEWS

MORE READING Springsteen and Van Zandt’s ideas about morality ‘Why Liberals Win the Culture Wars’ review Battle continues over North Carolina ‘bathroom bill’

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