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Pray for the Warren Family

April 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Pray for the Warren Family

I know most of you heard the tragic news about the 27-year-old son of popular evangelical pastor Rick Warren.  If you have not, then you should know his son passed away at his Southern California home this past Friday evening.  Pastor Warren remarked about his son Matthew, “He had a brilliant intellect and a gift for sensing who was most in pain or most uncomfortable in a room. He’d then make a bee-line to that person to engage and encourage them.”

I share this news because my heart truly weeps for parents who lose their children.  Rick and his wife Kay are going to need our prayers long after the memorial service, so please join me in adding them to your prayer list.

http://www.rr.com/news/topic/article/rr/55255142/83722623/Church_Pastor_Rick_Warrens_son_commits_suicide

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Powerful Pastor Pacifies A Prowler

March 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Powerful Pastor Pacifies A Prowler

Michael Jankowski, a 6 foot -1 inch 250 pound pastor from Long Island, New York must have decided that Matthew 5:38-42 was not applicable one Thursday morning:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.”

Instead, the pastor of the nondenominational congregation must have decided the more appropriate verse (while he grabbed the jacket of the burglar breaking into his church) was to be found in the latter part of Matthew Chapter 5:

“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? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

When the pastor realized his church was about to become a burglary statistic, he first called 9-1-1, then he subdued the trespasser, prayed for him, and finished by telling him God loved him. When the Suffolk County police arrived, they arrested the 43-year-old man, who may not have been ready to repent of his sins, but I’m certain was sorry he got caught.  The invader was arraigned Friday in court.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/09/new-york-pastor-prays-for-intruder-while-calling-11/

 

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Contemplate, Deliberate, and Meditate: Part 2

October 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

“If you needed any sense of security about your salvation, here it is:  God keeps you because He is faithful.  He knows the fickleness of those He pursues, and He pursues us nonetheless.  He knew how unstable we were before He committed to keep us.

“But we cannot remain unstable, not if we’re filled with His Spirit.  The flesh is weak, but we no longer live according to the flesh…you’re a human with the Spirit of the living God dwelling within.  Faithfulness is possible for us when we are wholly dependent on Him.” – Chris Tiegreen

 Actions Speak Louder Than Words

“Youcef Nadarkhani, the Iranian pastor who captured the hearts of millions as he stood firm in his faith while facing execution, has been acquitted of apostasy.

“Two organizations that have closely been monitoring the case and have sources in Iran reported Saturday that Nadarkhani, who went on trial early Saturday, has been released from prison and is at home with his family.

“‘Thank you to everyone that has supported me with your prayers,’ Nadarkhani said, according to Present Truth Ministries.”

http://www.christianpost.com/news/iran-pastor-youcef-nadarkhani-acquitted-of-apostasy-released-from-jail-81291/#1bTlSjqJFdvuuxBj.99

 

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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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Abduction of Another Pastor

July 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Pastor Michel Louis

I know I wrote on Facebook this past Saturday that I would release information regarding the recently completed sequel to Donovan’s Law.  However, I believe this news story about a real life incident will take priority over my fictional novel.  I hope you agree:

Last week my blog was to pray for Pastor Youef Nadarkhani.   Once again, I am sending a blog as a plea for prayer for the abduction of another pastor.  While taking a tour of biblical times, Pastor Michel Louis, along with a 39-year-old Boston woman in the group and a tour guide, were kidnapped in broad daylight Friday in Egypt.

“The abduction took place along the road linking Cairo to the sixth-century St. Catherine’s Monastery, located at the foot of Mount Sinai where the Old Testament says Moses received the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments. The route is a frequent target by Bedouins who abduct tourists to pressure police to meet their demands, which is usually to release a detained relative they say has been unjustly arrested.”

In this case, the kidnappers are claiming their uncle was unjustly arrested and must be released before they will let their captives go.  Please ask your prayer warriors to pray for the safe release of these kidnapped victims, especially Pastor Louis, who battles diabetes.

I know you agree this article is much more important than my book.  However, come back and visit me this coming Wednesday, July 18th.  God willing, I plan to release the information intended for today regarding the sequel entitled So… (Oops, I almost gave it away!).

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/07/15/boston-church-prays-for-safe-return-pastor-kidnapped-in-egypt/

 

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3 Years In Prison

July 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani

Back on March 16, 2012 I wrote a blog entitled Religious Freedom.   I blogged about Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani from Iran being jailed for speaking out about the mandatory Koran classes being required in his child’s school.  Here is a refresher about his case:

“Nadarkhani has been jailed since being arrested on Oct. 13, 2009, after he went to his son’s school to complain about them starting mandatory Koran classes. He was then charged with apostasy from Islam. He was found guilty by the Iranian Supreme Court and sentenced to death in 2010 and has been imprisoned ever since.”

It now appears that the Pastor will be facing new charges since he refuses to recant his faith in Christ and his complaint about the Koran.  No one truly understands what these new charges will do for his case. In the meantime, please forward this blog to your prayer warriors and pray for this man and his family as he continues to stand for the truth in Christ.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/07/06/new-trial-date-set-for-jailed-iranian-pastor-youcef-nadarkhani/?test=latestnews#ixzz1zrRxd9QV

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Religious Freedom

March 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I share this true story because the pastor is a living example of what happens when religious freedom does not exist.  It is these real life examples of solid faith in Jesus Christ that motivated me  to write the fictional novel, Donovan’s Law.  The law Donovan lived by was to STAND FIRM FOR WHAT YOU KNOW TO BE THE TRUTH IN JESUS CHRIST.  The man in the story below understands the cost for that kind of committment:

Pastor Youef Nadarkhani has been in prison in Iran for the past three years and has been sentenced to death by Iran’s highest court last fall.  Why?  Initially the Iran officials accused him of rape and extortion.  However, this past Monday, the United Nations Human Rights Council met in Geneva to discuss Iran’s abuse on human rights and named Pastor Nadarkhani as a victim of false accusations.

When Mohammad Javad Larijani stepped forward to defend the accusations of false imprisonment and sentencing, he stated that preaching to the youth without their parents’ permission, converting his home into a church, and offending Islam were the charges placed against the pastor. How did he offend Islam?  He converted from the Islamic religion to Christianity.

It appears that the original sentencing came when Nadarkhani voiced a concern about his son being forced to participate in a class about the teachings of Islam.  He was arrested and found guilty in a lower court for apostasy (abandoning one’s religion).  Youef was offered the chance to deny Christianity and return to Islam.  The fact that he remains in prison three years later tells us which choice he made.  Would you be able to do the same?

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/03/13/iran-denies-christian-pastor-faces-execution-for-offending-islam/

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