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Approximately 160 churches in New York will be evicted from their premises by February 12th after the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear a case to reverse an Education Department decision banning schools from allowing churches to use their premises for worship. Many local churches may not find alternative venues and could close. It could also have ramifications for thousands of churches meeting in public buildings throughout the US. Critics of the decision are concerned the ban will eventually extend to religious organisations meeting in any state-funded building. (University auditoriums house worship services of larger churches). Last Thursday seven people were arrested, including four pastors, for protesting outside the New York Law Department, where they kneeled and sang hymns with others protesting against the Court’s decision. They were released without charge after 3 hours.
Pray: this would not escalate into the closure of churches, but rather an eleventh hour solution that all could agree with is found. (Ps.27:13)
A US lawyer who successfully defended Rifqa Bary, a teenage Christian convert from Islam, has had his organisation’s website destroyed by a Muslim hacker. John Stemberger is also facing a $10 million lawsuit filed by the lawyer who represented Miss Bary’s Muslim parents. Mr Stemberger represented Rifqa Bary, who hit the headlines last year when she told US media that she would not be safe with her Muslim parents and feared an ‘honour killing’. Her father has denied the allegations. Earlier this week Mr Stemberger’s pro-family organisation, the Florida Family Policy Council, said that a Muslim hacker had managed to access their website, disabling parts of it and interfering with the inner workings of the site. The hacker left an ‘obscene message on the events page explaining in broken English who he was and why he was hacking the site’, according to Mr Stemberger. Pray: that God would put a spiritual firewall around Christian websites. (Pr.2:8) More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/muslim-wipes-website-of-lawyer-who-helped-convert/
The anti-abortion movement's policy known as a ‘personhood amendment,’ which legally defines a person as existing at the moment of fertilization, has been rejected twice in recent years by voters in Colorado. But the effort has found new life in the state of Mississippi, where a personhood amendment will appear on the Nov. 8 ballot.
Pray: that Mississippi, the nation's most conservative state, would agree to outlaw abortion. (Ps.36:6)
Suicide kills more people in the United States every year than homicide, hypertension or motor vehicle crashes. Yet it's seldom discussed in the Church. Southern Baptists Dr. Frank Page and his wife hope to build on the growing national awareness of mental health issues. At the Southern Baptist annual convention in Houston this week the denomination have been working to promote awareness of mental health issues and begin to remove some of the stigma attached as they encourage churches to more pro-actively minister to those who are suffering. Page says, ‘These are legitimate, serious issues that people struggle with and the church needs to be the place where we say ‘we understand’. The local Church can help through support groups, counseling or simply awareness of what the community has to offer. It's an enormous challenge but with more than 36,000 people taking their own lives each year it could meet an enormous need.’
Pray: for the success of this initiative, may the North American Church save many in every sense of the word. (Is.25:4)
More: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2013/June/Removing-the-Stigma-Mental-Illness-in-the-Church/
At a conference in Washington where thousands of Christians met to Support Israel Texas Senator Ted Cruz said he and other Christians need to do a better job of explaining why support for Israel helps protect the USA and if the U.S. won't stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons Israel will. He added that the U.S. should support Israel unequivocally and Christians should pray that the Palestinians would renounce violence. New York Rabbi Shlomo Riskin referred to Jews and Christians as God's children and grandchildren and thanked the thousands of mostly evangelical Christians attending the summit for demonstrating God's love. Executive director of Christians United for Israel, lamented that America's mainline churches no longer support Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the group on Wednesday by satellite.
Pray: that more people would recognise the danger for Israel as the winds of war blow across the Middle East. (Jer.31:9-11)
More: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/shows/cwn/Religion-Roundup/#1
Fast cars, lavish mansions, infidelity and angst-filled episodes are displayed in prosperous lifestyles of six mega-church pastors featured in a trailer for the new reality show, ‘Preachers of L.A.,’ on the Oxygen network in the Autumn. ‘The Bible says I wish above all things that you would prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. I believe that,’ declares Bishop Clarence McClendon, one of the stars of the show in the trailer posted to YouTube on Thursday. His international broadcast reaches 250 million homes with the prosperity gospel, on Oxygen (NBC Universal.) ‘P. Diddy, Jay-Z, aren’t the only ones who should be driving Ferraris and living in large houses,’ says cast member Bishop Ron Gibson who ministers to 4,500 people at Life Church of God in Christ. Pastor Wayne Chaney explained, ‘being a pastor is very dangerous because you have to be perfect at all times.’However the show focuses on the imperfection in the lives of very famous and very rich ministers.
Pray: against a carnal, superficial image being portrayed. Pray that no one in the body of Christ will be hurt through these ministries. (Mic.2:11,12)
Actor and producer Kirk Cameron said America can get out of the ‘mess’ it's in by returning to the ‘original factory settings’, which involves listening to the Founding Fathers who relied on wisdom that comes from faith in God and His Word. Speaking at the 2012 Values Voter Summit in Washington DC last week, the evangelical Christian said he was concerned about the future of the nation as he is a father of six children. He said he is particularly concerned about the November election due to the nation's gigantic debt and issues like crumbling values, unwanted pregnancies, teenage suicides, breaking families, drugs and alcoholism. Cameron added that he finds most people merely playing the blame game, while there's a need for a clear voice to help the nation get out of the mess. ‘Perhaps we have forgotten what made us such a great nation in the first place,’ he said.
Pray: for a revival and a return to Biblical Christian values in the USA. (Rev.2:4-5)
On Oct. 19, a conference in Des Moines hopes to recruit an army of Christians to combat the abduction of thousands of children each year. The Preventing Abuse Conference will inform, equip and organize people to be part of the solution to the rampant human trafficking problem of 1,000,000 children reported missing each year - 60,000 to 80,000 are abducted by nonfamily members. The problem is made worse by child pornographyto be an increasingly sexualized culture and the spread of drug cartels smuggling children across the border. The FBI reported child pornography the fastest growing form of pornography on the Internet. Organisers of the conference said, ‘Our conference is focusing on the church. No law enforcement agency can match the vast reach of the church and the church has a moral mandate from God to relieve the oppressed and set the captive free. Once the American church is educated about warning signs of a predator they can make the call that could lead to rescuing a victim.’
Pray: that this and similar conferences would lead to the rescue of thousands of children and the arrest of predators. (Mt.10:16)
More: http://www.wnd.com/2012/10/taking-the-war-to-the-sex-traffickers/
800,000 government employees are out of work without pay, while those still working do not know when they will be paid.Some agencies are critical to the needs of people across America such as the military, food programmes and medical services. Wendy Dwyer speaking for the working homeless shelters said that if shelters have to shut meals wouldn’t be served and children would not have the same day-to-day contact that gives them stability. Meanwhile the debate over the debt ceiling is evolving as the House threatens to refuse to let the US borrow any more money. If the debt-ceiling is not raised the country enters default territory and that could impact the world.
Pray: for the President and leaders in America - for God to direct them through grace filled negotiations. (2Ch.7:14)
Pray also for those who are at risk of financial, physical and emotional suffering through no fault of their own. Pray for God to heal the land. (Is.61:8)
Masab Hassan Yousef, the son of a prominent Hamas leader who became a Christian is facing a deportation hearing on June 30 in San Diego because the U.S. Government views him as ‘a threat to America’s national security.’ Yousef, 32, authored the globally circulated book ‘Son of Hamas’ in which he recalls embracing Christianity and working as a secret agent for Israeli intelligence for over a decade to halt ‘terrorist attacks throughout Israel.’ Israeli officials have not commented on the case. The book was published this year, resulting in television appearances on American network shows. Yousef sought political asylum in the US but was told last February he was ‘barred from a grant of asylum because there were ‘reasonable grounds’ for believing he was ‘a danger to the security of the United States.’ Pray: for God to protect Yousef and provide a safe haven for him to put down his roots. (Ps.121:3) More: http://www.worthynews.com/8288-hamas-leaders-christan-son-faces-deportation-from-u-s