Join Us in Prayer for our Nation, our Leaders and Topics of Concern for 6/20/14 - 6/26/14

Pray for our Nation

 

 

The Battle That Wasn’t   Breaking the “War on Women” Myth by By Carol Hatcher “The war against women” – it’s a phrase often tossed around in the political realm. What does it really mean? The first use of this phrase was by radical feminist Andrea Dworkin in 1989. She used it in the introduction to a book, but later took that writing and more like it, compiling them in a volume called Life and Death: Unapologetic Writings on the Continuing War Against Women. The phrase has gained popularity and now the “war” typically refers to programs dealing with sex, pregnancy, contraception, or abortion. The terminology has been used in reference to many Republican policies. The idea has as much to do with slandering a political group as promoting rights for the women it references. For example, when Pro-Life supporters rallied to stop abortions, specifically late-term abortions, it was deemed a “war on women.” Those from the Pro-Choice side said not allowing abortions took away women’s freedom with their bodies, therefore making it a “war.” Valerie Huber, president and CEO of the National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA), recently spoke of the policy most currently under attack – abstinence education. Here are some examples of some recent newspaper headlines: Teaching Abstinence Only is a War on Women and Sex, Lies and Stereotypes: How Abstinence Only Programs Harms Women and Girls. Huber gave a talk at the Family Research Council (FRC) entitled, “Collateral damage in the ‘war on women’ debate: Sexual risk avoidance education caught in the crosshairs.”

 

R. Gil Kerlikowske, Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection The head of internal affairs for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the federal government‘s largest law enforcement workforce, was removed from his post amid criticism that he failed to investigate hundreds of allegations of inappropriate use of force by armed border agents, officials said. James F. Tomsheck had been responsible since 2006 for rooting out misconduct and corruption among the 60,000 border agents, port officers and other officials in Customs and Border Protection, the parent agency of the Border Patrol. He has been shifted to a temporary assignment.

 

Tim Kaine, United States Senator from Virginia Senator Tim Kaine said that the situation in Iraq is “very dire” and urged the Obama Administration to present a plan to Congress “very soon.” The Virginia Senator said, “The way we ought to do this here in Washington is that the president should put a plan on the table and make a suggestion to Congress about what we should do,” adding that Congress and the White House underwent such a process last summer with Syria.

 

Vice Admiral James D. Syring, USN, Director, Missile Defense Agency Critical upcoming flight tests, progress worldwide, growing missile proliferation and cybersecurity were among the topics Navy Vice Admiral. James D. Syring discussed before a Senate panel. The Missile Defense Agency Director testified before the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee on the agency’s budget request for fiscal year 2015.

 

Judge Andrew S. Hanen, United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas “[The government] has simply chosen not to enforce the United States’ border security laws,” wrote U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen of Brownsville, Texas, blasting authorities for releasing a Salvadoran girl to her mother, who hired a smuggler to transport her daughter and was in the country illegally.

 

First Amendment Assault   Senators move to curtail political speech spending by Dave Ficere “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” —1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution The right to free speech is one of the bedrock freedoms that has brought millions of immigrants to America’s shores for more than two centuries. It has survived countless communication evolutions that have taken the nation from the quill pen and parchment paper to laptop computers, Smartphones and Twitter hashtags. It is a freedom that millions have fought and died for from Omaha Beach to the shores of Tripoli; from the rice paddies of Vietnam to the mountains of Afghanistan. But today, that freedom of speech is threatened, not by a foreign power, but by some walking the halls of the United States Congress. Frustrated by the Supreme Court’s consistent defense of political speech, most recently exhibited in the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case, a group of 41 Senators is backing an amendment proposed by New Mexico Democrat Tom Udall that would amend the Constitution to allow Congress to limit fundraising and spending on political speech.

 

Rose Colored Reading Glasses   Rose Colored Reading Glasses by Louie Christensen A Gallop poll conducted between May 8 and 11 of this year found that 28 percent of Americans consider the Bible to be the true word of God that should be taken literally. The poll also found that 47 percent of people consider the Bible to be connected to God, but that it shouldn’t be taken literally. Both results are two percent lower than the last time Gallop asked the question in 2011. Is this the beginning of the end of Christianity? No, not really. Questioning the legitimacy of scripture isn’t a new thing; it’s been happening since…well, since before scripture was even considered scripture. Sunday school has been scriptures biggest trip-fall. While Sunday school lays a great foundation for believers to build their faith upon, it also portrays the Bible in an almost mythological story structure. Everyone has beards, wildly imaginative and colorful things happen, and the main characters become pseudo-gods akin to an Achilles or Hercules. While this may be the easiest way to teach the subject matter to children, it does cause some riffs in the general understanding of what was really happening in biblical times. What’s your opinion of Benjamin Franklin? Is he a treasured, but slightly corky, forefather that should be considered a national hero? But, that isn’t the truth. He remained a loyalist until surprisingly late in the American revolution, but wasn’t trusted to write the final draft of the founding documents. Through the rose-colored glasses of history, the world does not remember him for his shortfalls. This same selective-history is what the church uses when looking back on the early church.   President Obama is considering a targeted, highly selective campaign of airstrikes against Sunni militants in Iraq similar to counterterrorism operations in Yemen, rather than the bombardment of a widespread air war. Vice President Joe Biden is extending his planned trip to Latin America this week in order to convene a high-level meeting in the region to address the massive surge of children crossing the U.S. border through Mexico. Pray that President Obama and Vice President Biden would seek God’s wisdom on immigration and Iraq.   Representatives Ed Royce (California) and Elliot Engle (New York) are collecting signatures on a letter to President Obama urging him to work with Congress before agreeing to any final deal with Iran on its nuclear program. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) is planning an amendment to an upcoming spending bill that could put the brakes on the EPA’s planned regulations on carbon emissions from existing coal-fired power plants. Pray for a more bipartisan spirit of cooperation even though this is a mid-term election year.   The Global Catholic Television Network (EWTN) has been denied protection from the ObamaCare contraception mandate by an Alabama District Judge. EWTN plans to appeal to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, set to review same-sex marriage cases from each of the four states in its geographical area, will consider all four before the same three-judge panel in August. Pray for the judges of the Appeals Courts as they rule on cases that involve religious freedom and individual rights.   THE WARS Less than 48 hours after a runoff election to choose the next President of Afghanistan, the first signs of a looming political crisis emerged, with the campaign of Abdullah Abdullah claiming ballot-stuffing fraud. Afghan security forces report they have killed two Taliban insurgents accused of cutting off the ink-stained fingers of a group of elders who voted in the presidential election and condemning the elderly men for their “Western ways.” Pray that the right agreement for U.S. force remaining can be made to avoid calamity like that occurring in Iraq. TERRORISM Syrian and Iraqi terrorist forces obtained significant numbers of tanks, trucks and U.S.-origin Humvees in recent military operations in Iraq and are shipping them to al-Qaeda rebels inside Syria, according to U.S. officials. A three-pronged wave of cyber-attacks aimed at wrecking Ukraine’s presidential vote – including an attempt to fake computer vote totals – has been blamed on Russian interference, a warning shot for future U.S. elections. Pray about the activities of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and about the need for greater cyber security in the U.S. THE ECONOMY The number of Americans from the middle class who have been renouncing their citizenship in order to escape costly tax compliance penalties has skyrocketed in recent months – more than 1,000 in the first quarter of 2014. Consumer prices last month posted their sharpest increase in 15 months as inflation continues its recent acceleration from unusually low levels bringing core inflation (excluding food and energy) to its highest level since August 2011. Pray about the need for tax reform, and for the recovery from the Great Recession not to lead to high inflation. ISRAEL AND THE MIDDLE EAST Gaza residents are preparing for war after Israel accused Hamas of kidnapping three Israeli teens (one who also holds American citizenship), as Israeli Defense Forces sweep the West Bank and turn their attention to Gaza. The Obama Administration has joined Israel in implicating the militant group Hamas in connection with the kidnapping of the three teens, and has called the move “a despicable terrorist act.” Pray for the safe and rapid return of the three teenagers to their Israeli families. HEALTH CARE Doctors should use newer medications rather than aspirin to treat a common heart problem, according to a new report. Blood-thinning drugs like warfarin are better for those with arterial fibrillation which can increase the risk of stroke. A year after ObamaCare gave young adults the right to stay on their parents insurance plans, more of them reported excellent physical and mental health, one of the first definitive results seen from the healthcare overhaul. Pray for physicians and laboratories who engage in the development of pharmaceuticals.   A Tale Of Two Prisoners     Bergdahl and Tahmooressi plights challenge America’s belief systems   by Dr. Tom Askew A pair of stories in the news reveals the contrasting views embraced by contemporary figures on a wide range of political, moral, legal, philosophical, and humanitarian issues. As most Americans know, U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has been released, after five years of captivity by the Taliban, in exchange for five Afghan detainees from the naval prison at Guantanamo Bay. In a response to this action by the White House, the Veterans of Foreign Wars is demanding that President Obama seek the release of Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi from a Mexican jail, where he has been held since March 31 for entering the country with several firearms. The backlash against Washington for its trade of Bergdahl for terrorists has been huge. Many are accusing Bergdahl of willful desertion, insisting that he be court-martialed, rather than receive the promotions he was awarded while in captivity. President Obama is being criticized for negotiating with terrorists and for releasing five Taliban leaders who could ultimately return to active hostility against the United States.     Foreign Policy Survey Results   Results for the Survey on America’s Foreign Policy We asked for your opinion in this week’s Tell It To Us Tuesday – and you responded! Thank you. Here are the results. We’ll repeat the statement, and set out the percentages: The perception of America’s strength and resolve is deteriorating worldwide. Those who strongly agreed were 81.9%, and who somewhat agreed, 14.4%. Only 2.3% disagreed, and 1.4% were neutral or undecided. Reducing America’s military strength enhances the balance of power around the world ensuring peace. 79.4% strongly disagreed, 10.8% somewhat disagreed, 5.9% strongly agreed, 1.9% somewhat agreed and 2.0% were neutral or of no opinion.   All prayer requests are made directly from our Presidential Prayer Leader.  We ask you all to pray for our leaders as the scripture says.  1 Timothy 2:1-3 (KJV)   1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;  2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Our weekly bible study will begin July 1, 2014 Topic: The Baptism of the Holy Ghost/ Holy Spirit Join us, by clicking on the link below.   Churches, Bible Study groups, etc., that would like Evangelist Waters to speak at your church, bible study, conference, women’s ministry, special program, etc.  Please contact Minister Waters on her website listed below, on the  “Speaking Engagements Page”.   Contact Evangelist Waters: www.PureGoldEvangelisticMinistries.com  Follow my Bible Study Blog: www.PureGoldMinistries.blogspot.com  Follow the Weekly Prayer Blog: www.PureGoldEvangelisticMinistriesPrayer.blogspot.com