Recently, Planned Parenthood®, the nation's leading abortion seller, held its annual national conference. And for the first time in history, a sitting president delivered the keynote address.
President Obama was not subtle in his support for the organization that already receives more than $500 million a year from taxpayers en route to committing one-third of the nation's abortions. He spoke against reasonable restrictions to abortion, including state laws requiring parental involvement for minors and informed consent for adults. These "absurd" protections, he said, make "you want to make sure you're still living in 2013”…
Obama praised Planned Parenthood® with an unqualified endorsement but has totally ignored the criminal murder charges against Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell, who is standing trial on multiple counts of murder in the deaths of babies born alive after abortions as well as one pregnant woman.
This is the same president who has disregarded religious freedom, requiring non-profit organizations, charities and for-profit business owners with strong religious beliefs to pay for contraceptives and possible abortion-causing drugs in employee healthcare plans.
Obama says pro-life forces want to return the nation to the 1950s. While that certainly was not a good time for the civil rights of African Americans or workplace opportunities for women, it was a much better time for survival if you were a preborn baby. It was a time when we didn't abort a million of our children each year, when women weren't widely exploited by pornography, when sex trafficking was unheard of and divorce was rare.
The president ended his speech by saying, "God bless you" to Planned Parenthood®. Let's pray that God will so radically impact the hearts of our leaders that our prevailing policies will protect the innocent and restore religious freedom—so that our nation can once again be one that God can bless.” Please pray for the protection of the unborn children. Satan wants to rob them of life in the womb when they are most defenseless. Each one of these children has the wonderful potential God, their Creator, has put within them.
The dates for our 3rd ALL PEOPLES PRAYER ASSEMBLY (APPA) are 18-25 Sept 2013. We actually start on the evening of the 18th Sept, and these dates are the same dates for Sukkot or Feast of Tabernacles for 2013. Our main prayer need is still finding a venue along the East Coast of the USA. The organisers are checking out sites in Philadelphia and Virginia and New York. We checked a site in New Jersey but it is too small. We are expecting a few thousands and we are looking for a venue with camping facilities as well.
Our mid-term election here in the Philippines is set on May 13, 2013, Monday. Kindly include us and our nation in your prayers. Thanks and God bless you all! Here are some prayer points:
Philippines Mid-Term Election 2013
Prayer Points
A NEW SEASON
Pray that the Lord will speak to each of us regarding the season that the Philippines is in. Believe that the Lord is about to do a new thing in the Philippine government. (Isaiah 43:18-19)
1. RIGHTEOUS GOVERNMENT
Declare that righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit has come upon the Philippine government. Invite Jesus to rule and reign over our nation with His scepter of righteousness and justice. That the Lord Himself will handpick our senators, congressmen, governors, mayors and councilors.
2. CLEAN ELECTIONS
A. COMELEC (Commissions on Election) – Pray that the Lord will protect the sanctity of the ballots and the picos machines. Pray for the integrity and conscience of the watchers.
B. VOTERS – Pray that the voters will vote with their consciences. Bind the spirit of mamon, vote-buying, and harassment and release the spirit of the fear of the Lord. That there will be vigilance in protecting our votes.
C. PEACE & ORDER – Pray that there will be no violence and bloodshed. Bind the spirit of intimidation and let loose the spirit of power, love and a sound mind. That the police and military will serve the best interest of our countrymen.
3. CHURCH
Pray that the church will support candidates who are believers called in the government. That these candidates will promote God's principles and agenda in the Philippines.
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PRAY WITH YOUR CHURCH, ASSEMBLE IN PUBLIC PLACES, GATHER IN HOMES OR SECRET PLACES
United by a Prayer for the World, Christians from all over the world, from different cultures and denominations, from many diverse streams will gather in their homes, or where appropriate, assemble in stadiums, public auditoriums and open squares, and many will devote portions of their Sunday morning Service to united prayer.
Some meetings will be small. Others will be large, but each one will be praying with the same vision of repentance and hope. As at the first Pentecost, we’ll worship God openly in Christ’s name and pray for the healing and blessings of the nations. As much as possible, we are seeking to gather in places beyond the walls of our church buildings.
On this day we are all praying WITH the world as we pray FOR the world.
A New Season Global Day of Prayer – Promotional Video on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4FFKLgBCFo
To unite in Prayer with Christians from across the globe, we request every observance to use “A Prayer for the World” during their gathering.
http://www.globaldayofprayer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/1.-Prayer-for-the-World.pdf
We finished the trumpet wake-up call in January. Turkey was the nation number 50 and the last in Europe. Below you can read that the vision grows and we start to go to the continents… So the message spreads out in the German-speaking world. And now we produced also a new professional English version (sound the trumpet see below) to give it in international meetings to brothers and sisters.
It is important that people know that God is at work in Europe! We have some awesome testimonies as to what is happening in some nations after we blow the trumpets and prayed together with brothers and sisters from there. For example: In Greece (northern part), some ministries and local churches gave more than 100,000 Bibles to the people. In Spain, trough a nationwide evangelistic campaign, more then 10,000 people came to Christ!! In the Balkan nations, the prayer leaders come together. Also in the north and south region of Europe, God brought pastors and prayer leaders together, and I was a part of some awesome meetings. This is only a very quick report that God is doing his work on this continent in all the darkness. And this is just the beginning. Hope you will help to make it public as an encouragement for us all.
I will thank You, Lord, above all the nations of the world!
Hallelujah! Praise and glory be to our great God. It is finished! And our hearts are full of wonderment and thankfulness. In March 2010 we had our first meeting in Basel, where we proclaimed God’s message and blew the trumpets. On 27th January 2013, we did the same in Turkey. Between these two dates we have been able to travel to all 50 European countries to deposit God’s Word and together with our brothers and sisters there blow the two trumpets. God gave us many wonderful moments of fellowship. And a good portion of protection! Also time and again, God provided for us through friends like you so that we were able to travel to all the nations either by car or plane, to carry out that which He had said that we should do. Please look on our website. www.verein-abraham.ch
Thank you, dear Father!
An now the task continues…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao9alAQ__A8&feature=youtu.be
Blow the trumpets on all continents!
We have often been asked on our travels by different brothers and sisters: “What about the other countries? Shouldn’t they also hear this message and the trumpets?“
We passed on these questions to God and believe we have received the following answer from Him: The trumpets should be blown on every continent, as before, with brothers and sisters from their respective countries. They should be blown in the north, south, east and west parts of each continent.
As we realised the implications of this new task, we were intrigued to see how the initiative is seamlessly continuing.
In Turkey we finished the first task for Europe! There, we have started this new initiative to the continents! The largest part of this country is part of Asia. It is the most western part of the Asian continent. And therefore, we blew the trumpets out from the west over the continent of Asia. Blow the trumpets in and from Switzerland over Europe and the whole world!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao9alAQ__A8&feature=youtu.be
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Get Ready for the Harvest
How to evangelize?
On this day, millions of Christians will share the Gospel, many of them for the first time. No matter how experienced you already are, everyone can still learn and improve. Start to prepare your church, home group and yourself for this special day of outreach. It's not difficult…Everyone can learn how to speak to people and lead them to Jesus.
Everyone can reach someone.
Everyone has something to give.
Everyone can learn how to do it.
Here you will find three practical and comprehensible teachings that will help you:
“Everyone can reach someone!” Training booklet with practical instructions how to talk to people and lead someone to Jesus Christ. Download pdf (many languages) http://www.globaloutreachday.com/resources
What is our message? You are the messenger! Do you know the message?
http://www.globaloutreachday.com/resources
Principles of communication – You have the best message! Learn how people will listen to it!
http://www.globaloutreachday.com/resources
What are you doing on May 25th?
In the weeks before May 25th
• Pray for power and boldness to be a witness.
• Pray for open hearts and divine opportunities to talk to people about Jesus.
On May 25th: Reach out to at least one person with the Gospel.
There are unlimited possibilities for doing this.
One on One - Invite someone over for a cup of coffee and tell him about Jesus.
Two by Two – Meet in your church and split up into small teams. Then go two by two to reach the people where they are – on the streets, in the market places, in hospitals, etc.
Care and Share – Do something good for someone and then share the Good News with him.
PRAY WITH YOUR CHURCH, ASSEMBLE IN PUBLIC PLACES, GATHER IN HOMES OR SECRET PLACES
United by a Prayer for the World, Christians from all over the world, from different cultures and denominations, from many diverse streams will gather in their homes, or where appropriate, assemble in stadiums, public auditoriums and open squares, and many will devote portions of their Sunday morning Service to united prayer.
Some meetings will be small. Others will be large, but each one will be praying with the same vision of repentance and hope. As at the first Pentecost, we’ll worship God openly in Christ’s name and pray for the healing and blessings of the nations. As much as possible, we are seeking to gather in places beyond the walls of our church buildings.
On this day we are all praying WITH the world as we pray FOR the world.
A New Season Global Day of Prayer – Promotional Video on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4FFKLgBCFo
To unite in Prayer with Christians from across the globe, we request every observance to use “A Prayer for the World” during their gathering.
http://www.globaloutreachday.com/resources, http://www.globaloutreachday.com/getinvolved#node-232, http://www.globaloutreachday.com/#block-quicktabs-1
Issues of reconciliation are complex, multi-dimensional, contemporary and historical. But they have their roots in the Bible.
The Gospel of forgiveness, stemming from the prayer of Christ on the Cross “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing” when he was suffering cruelly at the hands of his tormentors, provides for us Christians the basis of all reconciliation. If Christ can pray that prayer, as a victim, then we can all pray that prayer. And if we know we are forgiven by God and can practise forgiveness as a lifestyle, then we can also be the mediators of forgiveness to others, either as facilitators or participants in the process. Christ has given to us a “ministry of reconciliation” (see 2 Corinthians 5.17-21). That reconciliation is in context between God and man – and we are mediators of that. But it is also in essence between man and man.
Christ didn’t wait for his persecutors to feel their guilt and come to him to ask for forgiveness. As a victim, still feeling the pain of their inflicted suffering, He took the initiative to ask God to forgive them.
In the complex world of atrocities committed by groups and individuals against others, is there a place where those caught up in the conflict, either as perpetrators of violence or the victims of it, can find a place of reconciliation? In the tortured stories of age-old conflicts, corporate pain and continuing hatred and fear, resentment and blame, is there a place to find reconciliation?
As far as God is concerned, does the corporate guilt and pain caused by nations, tribes, clans and individuals in history go away once the participants have died? Does God overlook the sin? Does He forget the sin, as if it doesn’t matter any more? Does He turn a blind eye to the continuing consequences of past sin and conflict?
I am glad to say that many modern followers of Jesus are at the forefront of community reconciliation. Sometimes they are looking for ways of putting into practise the principles of reconciliation in contemporary situations – like the Israeli-based ministry Musalaha that arranges camps for young Arabs and Jews to live together and learn about and from each other what are the causes of hatred and violence that divide their two communities. Another of my friends ministers on “Healing the wounds of ethnic conflict” in situations of recent war and tribal conflict, like Ruanda, Congo and Sri Lanka. She seeks to help victims and perpetrators to bring their pain and guilt to the Cross and from there to find a place of forgiveness and reconciliation with each other.
In my own situation I have led, or been part of, small teams to many nations where we have needed to repent of the sins of our nation during our colonial period, when we indulged our corporate greed, often with violence, at the expense of poorer undeveloped nations. I’ve also been involved with teams that have gone into some of the world’s trouble-spots to “stand in the gap” to seek a place where representative groups could be reconciled as a way of beginning the process of ending conflict.
Others have concentrated on dealing with the heritage of the slave trade – both in West Africa and in the Americas. Another of my friends has led teams to walk in yokes and chains in many nations and to repent for the sin of slavery. Sometimes those walks provoke as much antagonism as they do empathy. But how is the church going to tackle all the modern forms of slavery?
There are others involved in facilitating secular reconciliation between corporate entities, using lessons learned from legal processes and calling this “peacemaking” – another biblical term! (see Matthew 5.9). I know a group of ex-military officers who are engaged in a range of reconciliation ministries, with church and governments, seeking to redress what they see as the consequences of past military decisions.
When we look at the world, who is there who can in Christ’s name help resolve some of the conflicts occurring in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria and Iraq? We may not see the atrocities and the reason for them as coming from Christian sources, but when we look at history we often see that decisions and actions taken by some Western nations have directly led to the settling of old scores by current-day inheritors of the pain and consequences of those decisions.
The nation of Armenia is one that has its modern-day identity rooted in the genocide it suffered in 1915 at the hands of the Turks (before Turkey became a modern-day nation state). As it approaches the 100th Anniversary of that traumatic time, how will it respond? Various nations have either sided with Turkey or Armenia in solidarity. How will that play out in 2015? What other potential flash points are there around the world?
The need for reconciliation is everywhere. Some want to debate the theological issues and the biblical rationale. Others want to engage merely at the political level in diplomacy, whereas others will only engage when Christians are involved.
For those involved in prayer, however, we know that the only way to defuse the antagonism caused by past hurt and blame is through humbly standing in the gap, confessing the sin, repenting and seeking reconciliation representationally between those whose first loyalty is to Christ, and secondly to tribe and country. Repentance and reconciliation is also the way to defuse the stronghold of evil that has been created in the places and among the people who have suffered or been perpetrators.
Over the years we have seen some amazing answers to this kind of prayer. Situations have changed overnight, conflicts have ended and nations have changed. Is everything perfect? No. Is there more to do? Most certainly. Just as individuals have been reconciled, so can communities. Ultimately it is at the Cross where it begins - and ends!
Brian Mills,
IPC Senior Advisor
May 2013
Another word from Brian Mills about a recent reconciliation between Kenya and the U.K.:
I hope you have seen press reports in the past couple of days detailing the British Government's decision to recompense those Kenyans who had taken the Government to court over atrocities committed against them during the Mau Mau uprising, when British rule was still in place. The fact that the Foreign Secretary has admitted the culpability of the British at that time is a huge step forward.
If you haven't seen this, then I expect you can Google it - it was in most of our daily papers and on the BBC. The world's media has covered this story in many ways. Google: britain-issues-unprecedented-apology-colonial-era-kenyans
The lady Caroline Elkins, quoted in this report, had written a book on Kenya which was one of resource books for us.
You may remember that a small team of us were in Kenya last July to engage in repentance over these same issues, and at the time or just after a group of Kenyans took our Government to court. I believe what has happened at governmental level over this issue is fruit from what happened last July. Praise God with us.