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Pakistani Christians Seek Refuge

August 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Roughly 100 Pakistani Christian men, women, and children are taking refuge in the middle of a forest near the Pakistani capital.  They fled to this location after a Christian girl was accused by her neighbor of burning pages of the Quran.  Once the word got out that this event might have occurred, hundreds of people gathered around her house demanding the blasphemy laws be invoked.

The girl was arrested but law officials are not certain if the event ever took place.  In the meantime, fear has run rapid through the Christian community because the blasphemy laws can result in a sentencing of life in prison or even death.

I wrote a blog back on July 25, 2012 entitled “Spiritual Warfare: Fact or Fiction?” where an Israeli law maker was so infuriated about receiving the Bible which included the new Testament as a gift that he not only tore up the New Testament and threw it away, but decided it would be a good idea to have his actions filmed while doing it.

I don’t recall this gentleman being arrested or even the threat of being arrested spoken out loud.  I understand this Pakistani event took place in a different country than our law making friend’s incident; I wonder what would have happened if he would have treated the Quran in the same fashion.

Articles like this make me appreciate the Godly wisdom given to America’s founding fathers which ensured our constitutional right for freedom of religion.  

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/08/27/fearful-pakistani-christians-flee-to-forest-after-girl-blasphemy-law-arrest/

 

Filed Under: Biblical Principles, Headline News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Hurricane Isaac Hits New Orleans

August 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

In my sequel to Donovan’s Law, (working title) Soul Survivor, I write about a hurricane heading towards New Orleans…again.  The difference between the hurricane in my fictional novel and the one unfolding before our eyes in the news headlines is the reality of how it is affecting real people in profound and horrible ways.  I know because I went down to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and offered assistance as a chaplain through “Victim Relief Ministries”.

The physical and emotional destruction I witnessed from the devastating effect of the 2005 hurricane was heart wrenching.  As of this writing, New Orleans is once again facing a hurricane; this time nicknamed “Isaac”, with 12 to 15 foot storm surges.  Even though Isaac is a Category 1 hurricane with winds measured at 75 mph and Katrina was a Category 3 by the time it hit land, I pray lessons were learned from the past and more people took advantage of the “warning” this time and left for a safe location before the storm hit land.

Please pray for the people of New Orleans and the surrounding communities as they once again hunker down into the survival mode and attempt to get through another life changing situation.  I will do my best to inform you of ways we can help out down there if and when the need arises.

Hurricane wind categories:

  • Level 1 = 75-95 mph
  • Level 2 = 96-110 mph
  • Level 3 = 111-130 mph
  • Level 4 = 131-155 mph
  • Level 5 = 155 and greater mph

http://hypertextbook.com/facts/StephanieStern.shtml

 

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Remember To Cross Your “T”

August 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Photo By Samuel Li

Remember the photo of the steel beams in the shape of the cross that appeared a couple days after the attacks of September 11th?  I remember reading how that beam served as an inspiration and gave hope to a lot of workers who were still on site, attempting to recover the hundreds of bodies buried under the rubble of the Twin Towers.

The 17-foot-tall beam is now one of 1,000 artifacts that will be displayed by the National September 11 Memorial and Museum set to open in the near future.  However, the American Atheists have decided to sue the organization for including that cross in the display.

First of all, it has been said, “art is in the eye of the beholder”.  Nobody fashioned those beams into a cross, it was discovered that way after the dust settled.  So…I see a cross, others may see a “T”, someone else may envision something completely different.

For what it is worth, my recommendation to the judge over-seeing this case is to not allow a part of history to be changed based on emotions.  The facts are the facts and so they must stand.

“You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.” (Deuteronomy 16:18-19)   

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/15/sept-11-memorial-defends-display-steel-cross/

 

Filed Under: Biblical Principles, Headline News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Rick Warren Cancels Presidential Forum

August 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

If you recall, on August 3, 2012 I wrote a blog entitled “Rick Warren Hosts Presidential Forum”.  This was supposed to occur this week and it was to be very similar to the Presidential Forum he hosted between Barack Obama and the 2008 Republican presidential hopeful John McCain. 

The idea was to provide a platform for both Romney and Obama to present their viewpoints and beliefs in a civil manner.  Well, the forum has been cancelled according to Pastor Warren from Saddleback Church due to uncivil discourse between the two campaigns.  Here is his statement from the attached website:

“We created the civil forums to promote civility and personal respect between people with major differences, the forums are meant to be a place where people of goodwill can seriously disagree on significant issues without being disagreeable or resorting to personal attack and name-calling. But that is not the climate of today’s campaign. I’ve never seen more irresponsible personal attacks, mean-spirited slander, and flat-out dishonest attack ads, and I don’t expect that tone to change before the election.  It would be hypocritical to pretend civility for one evening only to have the name-calling return the next day.”

Now would probably be a good time to pray for our nation, for the Bible reminds us, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12)

http://www.ocregister.com/news/forum-369266-warren-civil.html

 

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New York Public School Dismisses Lawsuit Threat

August 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

New York public school officials are standing firm against the threat of a lawsuit regarding the use of the word “God” and Christian religious connotations in their songs.  An atheist organization known as Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) has threatened legal action against the Shenendehowa Central Schools, in Clifton Park, N.Y., if the songs aren’t removed from the curriculum.  Here is a sample of the songs listed in the potential litigation: “Thank You for the World So Sweet,” which says “Thank you God for everything,” “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep,” which says “I pray the Lord my soul to keep,” “Michael Row your Boat Ashore” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.”

It is a good thing FFRF did not hear about my public school teaching us the song “Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho”.  If they did, the walls might have come tumbling down.  Then again, it might not have mattered.  We were allowed to take a “moment of silence” and pray right after the flag salute before first period every day.  But that was “old school”.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/14/atheists-demand-schools-to-remove-songs-mentioning-god/

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Anne M. Baxter: A Pew Perspective

August 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I have been asked to be a guest blogger tomorrow, Tuesday August 21st on the website of Anne M. Baxter.  If that name sounds familiar it is because she is the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Northern California representative that interviewed me about Donovan’s Law back on May 11, 2012.  You can read the interview if you like, it is entitled “Why Did I Write A Book? The Anne M. Baxter Interview”.

Tomorrow, I will be blogging about the liquid concoction made with water and coffee beans that over 100 million people enjoy every day.  Let me just send this teaser your way; whether you like coffee or not, you may want to know that experts have found there are some health benefits to slurping down a “Cup o’ Joe” after all.

If you get the chance, check out my blog tomorrow at http://pewperspective.blogspot.com/ .  I would recommend you do so while drinking a cup of coffee.  Then after you read my blog, check out the attached website I will be placing at the bottom of the blog.  By the time you are done reading, that cup of coffee you have may be the best cup of coffee you will ever enjoy.

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Life Saving Heart Surgery

August 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The brother-in-law of one of Israel’s archenemies received a special permit, from the Israeli government a few months ago, to travel into the Jewish State to receive life-saving heart surgery.  Here is a quote from the article:

“Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh has no problem calling for the destruction of Israel and blaming it for attacks linked to his own party, but when his relative needs life-saving heart surgery, only Israeli doctors will do.”

It is not the blatant hypocrisy that calls my attention to the above quote, but rather the way the Israeli government and doctors chose to be an example of what God intends all of us to do.  Here is what Matthew Chapter 5, Verses 43 – 47 says:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?”

I know I have used St. Francis of Assisi’s quote before, but I can’t help it…he got it right when he said, “Preach the gospel at all times – if necessary use words.” 

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/08/12/hamas-leader-kin-gets-israeli-medical-aid-even-as-terror-group-blasts-jewish/?intcmp=trending

 

Filed Under: Biblical Principles, Headline News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Billy Graham Hospitalized

August 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I know the blog information today is a few days old, however, based on everything this man has done, I believe we should be keeping him in our prayers this week. 

The world renowned Christian evangelist, Billy Graham, was hospitalized over the weekend with possible bronchitis.  The doctors indicate the 93-year-old man of God is responding well to the medication, but coming from someone who has had bronchitis, I’m certain he is still struggling.

Through the Billy Graham Evangelical Association, Billy has organized and conducted more than 400 crusades in 185 countries and territories on six continents. It is quite possible that the Reverend may have personally preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to more people than any other person in history.

From a personal perspective, in 2004, my wife and I participated in a Billy Graham Crusade at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.  The thing that stood out the most to me was the fact that Billy did not preach for hours on end.  Instead, he spoke for about 20 minutes with the basic gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ and then gave the alter call.  At that point, the stadium seats began to empty as hundreds of people made their way on to the football field in their first step leading them into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The lesson I learned?  Keep it simple, present the truth, and let God’s Holy Spirit do the rest.  Let’s pray for Mr. Graham’s health and comfort.  After all, I’m certain he has prayed for you…

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/12/evangelist-billy-graham-in-hospital-with-infection/

http://billygraham.org/assets/media/pdfs/festivals/BGCrusadeChronology.pdf

Filed Under: Biblical Principles, Headline News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

2012 Summer Olympics: Closing Ceremony

August 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Photo By Dave Catchpole

I watched the closing ceremonies for the 2012 Summer Olympics with mixed emotions.  My first emotion was, “Whew…now I can get back to getting a decent night’s sleep.”  The problem was I became addicted to watching the “games”.  How addicted?  When I would finally decide to turn out the lights for slumber, I would spend the next hour attempting to chase the awesome images of the past three hours out of my sleep deprived mind.

The next emotion was sorrow because I truly do enjoy watching these elite athletes compete against each other in the name of “global brotherhood”.  Where else can we see the USA, Russia, Turkey, Britain, Iran, Afghanistan…in heated competition, with pride and egos at stake, without the destruction of mankind? 

The Olympics have a way of allowing the world to compete on an equal playing field and in the end; we shake hands, pat each other on the back, and say, “See you in four years”.  I think our global leaders could take a lesson from these young athletes.  Still, I guess it is easy for me to feel this way when America did so well this time around.  Here was the latest medal count as of this writing:

  • United States =      46/Gold                29/Silver              29/Bronze           Total/104
  • China =                    38/Gold                27/Silver              22/Bronze           Total/87
  • Russia =                   29/Gold                16/Silver              19/Bronze           Total/64

(I just raised my hand and asked for a “high five”…)

To see all the countries and their medal count, visit the website below.  Thank you London and thank you Great Britain for an outstanding job!  See you in four years…

http://sport.uk.msn.com/olympics-2012/medal-table.aspx

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How To Stay Married For 7 Decades

August 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Photo By Alex C. Hicks Jr.

This October, my wife and I will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary.  We began dating in high school and stayed together for five years before we married.  That means we have been together for 35 years.  Seems pretty amazing …not that we have been together for 35 years, but the fact that someone could put up with me for that length of time. 

Then I read the article listed below about Mattie Belle and J.W. Duncan who would consider the length of time my wife and I have been together as “only the beginning”.   The article says they have been married for 72 years…yikes!  Here is what they say is the secret to their success:

“When asked what has kept them together for more than seven decades, J.W. said it’s a combination of love and faith. ‘If you pray together, you stay together. Our faith has kept us together,’ he said. ‘We believe in the Bible, taking nothing from it and adding nothing to it.’”

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20120727/articles/207271003/1101/duncan_couple_credits_shared_beliefs_for_year_marriage;jsessionid=962A08D7931948BD6F019BDEF4407854.m2?p=1&tc=pg

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