Pray for leaders, churches and Christians in Kentucky and Louisiana; pray for the children and youth of America, that God will grant them protection of body, soul, mind and spirit and fill them with godly desires and true hopes.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Sunday, August 5, 2012
August: God Days Of Summer - Daily Prayers for America
Praying for leaders, churches, and Christians in Connecticut and Delaware and for those who serve as police officers, prosecutors, defenders, judges and justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, that they would be vigilant in service and judgment. Every prayer matters; "the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous person, avails much." Would you take a moment before you make your next post and just breathe a prayer?
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Billy Graham: 'My Heart Aches for America'
Billy Graham: 'My Heart Aches for America'
NEW LETTER ADDRESSES CONCERN FOR NATION'S DECLINING MORALITY
July 24, 2012 - In a new prayer letter Billy Graham writes: "My heart aches for America and its deceived people. The wonderful news is that our Lord is a God of mercy, and He responds to repentance."
The farther we get from God, the more the world spirals out of control.
by Billy Graham
Some years ago, my wife, Ruth, was reading the draft of a book I was writing. When she finished a section describing the terrible downward spiral of our nation’s moral standards and the idolatry of worshiping false gods such as technology and sex, she startled me by exclaiming, “If God doesn’t punish America, He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.”
She was probably thinking of a passage in Ezekiel where God tells why He brought those cities to ruin. “Now this was the sin of ... Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen” (Ezekiel 16:49–50, NIV).
I wonder what Ruth would think of America if she were alive today. In the years since she made that remark, millions of babies have been aborted and our nation seems largely unconcerned. Self-centered indulgence, pride, and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle.
Just a few weeks ago in a prominent city in the South, Christian chaplains who serve the police department were ordered to no longer mention the Name of Jesus in prayer. It was reported that during a recent police-sponsored event, the only person allowed to pray was someone who addressed “the being in the room.” Similar scenarios are now commonplace in towns across America. Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone—except God.
Yet the farther we get from God, the more the world spirals out of control.
My heart aches for America and its deceived people. The wonderful news is that our Lord is a God of mercy, and He responds to repentance. In Jonah’s day, Nineveh was the lone world superpower—wealthy, unconcerned, and self-centered. When the Prophet Jonah finally traveled to Nineveh and proclaimed God’s warning, people heard and repented.
I believe the same thing can happen once again, this time in our nation. It’s something I long for, and my son Franklin recently shared a vision for perhaps the greatest challenge in the history of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association—to launch an outreach called My Hope with Billy Graham that would bring the Gospel into neighborhoods and homes in every corner of America next year.
BGEA has already taken My Hope to more than 50 nations. We’ve worked in close partnership with local churches across each country, and those churches have reported millions of life-changing decisions for Christ. Carrying out a nationwide American version of this evangelistic outreach will be an enormous undertaking, but in my spirit I know God has called us to do this, and I pray He will stir your heart to join us in prayer and support.
Franklin will share more about the project with you as the planning develops. In the meantime, all this year Franklin and his son Will are preaching “repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21, ESV) at Crusade events across North America—from Texas to Canada—and God has blessed the work. Already tens of thousands have heard the Gospel, and many have responded, especially young people.
As I write, I am in the middle of a busy summer enjoying visits with many of my grandchildren and other family members, but also working hard on a new book that addresses some dangerous illusions about eternal salvation that are becoming increasingly accepted in many places. I want to point the world to what the Bible says.
Although age and health restrict my mobility and my stamina, not to mention my eyesight and hearing, I am thankful for the days God has given me, and I am humbled by His continued hand of favor on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The Lord draws people to Himself daily through BGEA’s various evangelistic ministries, and I am so deeply grateful.
She was probably thinking of a passage in Ezekiel where God tells why He brought those cities to ruin. “Now this was the sin of ... Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen” (Ezekiel 16:49–50, NIV).
I wonder what Ruth would think of America if she were alive today. In the years since she made that remark, millions of babies have been aborted and our nation seems largely unconcerned. Self-centered indulgence, pride, and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle.
Just a few weeks ago in a prominent city in the South, Christian chaplains who serve the police department were ordered to no longer mention the Name of Jesus in prayer. It was reported that during a recent police-sponsored event, the only person allowed to pray was someone who addressed “the being in the room.” Similar scenarios are now commonplace in towns across America. Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone—except God.
Yet the farther we get from God, the more the world spirals out of control.
My heart aches for America and its deceived people. The wonderful news is that our Lord is a God of mercy, and He responds to repentance. In Jonah’s day, Nineveh was the lone world superpower—wealthy, unconcerned, and self-centered. When the Prophet Jonah finally traveled to Nineveh and proclaimed God’s warning, people heard and repented.
I believe the same thing can happen once again, this time in our nation. It’s something I long for, and my son Franklin recently shared a vision for perhaps the greatest challenge in the history of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association—to launch an outreach called My Hope with Billy Graham that would bring the Gospel into neighborhoods and homes in every corner of America next year.
BGEA has already taken My Hope to more than 50 nations. We’ve worked in close partnership with local churches across each country, and those churches have reported millions of life-changing decisions for Christ. Carrying out a nationwide American version of this evangelistic outreach will be an enormous undertaking, but in my spirit I know God has called us to do this, and I pray He will stir your heart to join us in prayer and support.
Franklin will share more about the project with you as the planning develops. In the meantime, all this year Franklin and his son Will are preaching “repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21, ESV) at Crusade events across North America—from Texas to Canada—and God has blessed the work. Already tens of thousands have heard the Gospel, and many have responded, especially young people.
As I write, I am in the middle of a busy summer enjoying visits with many of my grandchildren and other family members, but also working hard on a new book that addresses some dangerous illusions about eternal salvation that are becoming increasingly accepted in many places. I want to point the world to what the Bible says.
Although age and health restrict my mobility and my stamina, not to mention my eyesight and hearing, I am thankful for the days God has given me, and I am humbled by His continued hand of favor on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The Lord draws people to Himself daily through BGEA’s various evangelistic ministries, and I am so deeply grateful.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Let us pray ...
It's August and pretty soon we will begin to hear folks talking about "the dog days of summer." I propose we do something different this year. Let's make them "The God Days" instead, by praying for America every day this month. The site featured is one of many offering prayer guides and other resources for intercessors. Inexpensive prayer maps are available at "spire resources" and others. Today we pray for the President and Vice President that they will honor God in their decisions. Come on Believers; let us pray. www.getamericapraying.com/
Saturday, July 21, 2012
'Bigger and Better' Than Ever
10th Annual Best Dressed Fun in the Son, Jamaica's Premiere Gospel Festival, is 'Bigger and Better' Than Ever
Christian Newswire
KINGSTON, Jamaica, July 17, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Approximately 80,000 people flooded National Heroes Park - the largest open space in Kingston - on Saturday for the 10th annual Fun in the Son music festival. World evangelist Andrew Palau, singer Kirk Franklin, and a bevy of Jamaican artists set their sights on transforming the community through music, service, and the Good News of Jesus Christ. The festival was an official part of Jamaica's Year of Jubilee, celebrating 50 years of national independence.
Audience and organizers alike say this year marks a milestone in the festival's size and impact. "I was speechless," read a tweet from Franklin on Sunday. "They didn't come for me...they came to see the King!" Other performers included local favorites Junior Tucker, Goddy Goddy, Carlene Davis, DJ Nicholas, and Papa San, who closed the show with a dynamic and emotional performance.
Palau gave a potent, biblical message, sharing how he chose to follow Jesus at a similar event in Kingston in 1993. "What could you possibly be waiting for?" he asked as he invited the crowd to pray. "Don't wait one more day to respond to God." About 3,000 people made a decision to follow Jesus during the Fun in the Son campaign, including 1,164 who texted in their responses within 15 minutes of Palau's message.
"It was beautiful," said Ann-Marie Francis, who lives in Kingston. Francis also expressed a hope that the annual event would continue. "The community needs it. We need it bad...it can save a lot of souls."
While the one-day festival proved to be the centerpiece of the initiative, the Fun in the Son campaign began one week earlier with outreaches in prisons, schools, and inner-city neighborhoods.
On Wednesday evening, the Palau team led an outreach in the center of Trench Town, one of Kingston's most volatile neighborhoods. Extreme sports athletes, returning for their second year of performing at Fun in the Son, rode through Trench Town's streets, gathering children of all ages to the Ambassador Theater for an evening of music and a message of hope.
Festival organizers also took some of the music and extreme sports to two Jamaican prisons and shared the Good News of Jesus with about 2,500 inmates. Throughout the week, mission teams from Nebraska, Florida, and Oregon performed evangelistic outreaches and community service projects, such as painting classrooms and providing entertainment for children at local schools and orphanages.
Fun in the Son received extensive coverage by local media beginning weeks before the campaign. Palau and Chris Levy, president of local company and festival sponsor Jamaica Broilers Group Ltd., appeared on the country's top morning show, Smile Jamaica. The Jamaica Gleaner, one of the country's biggest newspapers, summarized the event with the headline, "Patrons Enjoy Bigger, Better 'Fun In The Son'."
Festival sponsors Best Dressed Chicken, its parent company Jamaica Broilers, and Glory Music have collaborated with local churches to host several evangelistic events across Jamaica, including the Luis Palau Crusade at which Andrew Palau accepted Jesus Christ. The full, gripping account of Andrew's raw journey to faith is told in his debut book, The Secret Life of a Fool, available now. For more information about Andrew Palau and his ministry, visit andrew.palau.org.
Audience and organizers alike say this year marks a milestone in the festival's size and impact. "I was speechless," read a tweet from Franklin on Sunday. "They didn't come for me...they came to see the King!" Other performers included local favorites Junior Tucker, Goddy Goddy, Carlene Davis, DJ Nicholas, and Papa San, who closed the show with a dynamic and emotional performance.
Palau gave a potent, biblical message, sharing how he chose to follow Jesus at a similar event in Kingston in 1993. "What could you possibly be waiting for?" he asked as he invited the crowd to pray. "Don't wait one more day to respond to God." About 3,000 people made a decision to follow Jesus during the Fun in the Son campaign, including 1,164 who texted in their responses within 15 minutes of Palau's message.
"It was beautiful," said Ann-Marie Francis, who lives in Kingston. Francis also expressed a hope that the annual event would continue. "The community needs it. We need it bad...it can save a lot of souls."
While the one-day festival proved to be the centerpiece of the initiative, the Fun in the Son campaign began one week earlier with outreaches in prisons, schools, and inner-city neighborhoods.
On Wednesday evening, the Palau team led an outreach in the center of Trench Town, one of Kingston's most volatile neighborhoods. Extreme sports athletes, returning for their second year of performing at Fun in the Son, rode through Trench Town's streets, gathering children of all ages to the Ambassador Theater for an evening of music and a message of hope.
Festival organizers also took some of the music and extreme sports to two Jamaican prisons and shared the Good News of Jesus with about 2,500 inmates. Throughout the week, mission teams from Nebraska, Florida, and Oregon performed evangelistic outreaches and community service projects, such as painting classrooms and providing entertainment for children at local schools and orphanages.
Fun in the Son received extensive coverage by local media beginning weeks before the campaign. Palau and Chris Levy, president of local company and festival sponsor Jamaica Broilers Group Ltd., appeared on the country's top morning show, Smile Jamaica. The Jamaica Gleaner, one of the country's biggest newspapers, summarized the event with the headline, "Patrons Enjoy Bigger, Better 'Fun In The Son'."
Festival sponsors Best Dressed Chicken, its parent company Jamaica Broilers, and Glory Music have collaborated with local churches to host several evangelistic events across Jamaica, including the Luis Palau Crusade at which Andrew Palau accepted Jesus Christ. The full, gripping account of Andrew's raw journey to faith is told in his debut book, The Secret Life of a Fool, available now. For more information about Andrew Palau and his ministry, visit andrew.palau.org.
Friday, July 6, 2012
It's in the doing
I persuaded myself to go to the gym this evening and called my husband to tell him where I'd be. He told me to "have fun." I told him that was unlikely but once inside, the words came back to me. Well obviously the workout was not going to be fun but maybe I could find another source. People watching, now that's the ticket.
Now here comes a young lady everything matching beautifully, she strolls around the perimeter and finally settles daintily on a bike. Out comes the smart phone all the better to text you with. Up goes the hair, no down goes the hair. Up goes the hair, no down goes the hair. Oh, pedal, that's it very slowly ...
Arrange the jacket, continue texting ... pedal, pedal, really, really slowly ...
Obviously, being at the gym is the same as a workout in the same way sitting in a garage makes one a car, or going to church makes one a Christian.
Doing matters. Jesus said the ones who do the will of the Father are blessed, they reap the benefits of the exercise.
If we believe these are indeed the last days, it's going to take a lot more than simply "showing up" at the right places (church and church related activities) in order to impact our world. It will take a lot more than simply asking the "WWJD" question. We will definitely need, at all cost to do what Jesus would. Forget being, cute, comfortable, and correct! It's not about us being on parade but Christ displayed by the lives we live. Break a sweat!
Saturday, June 23, 2012
A Childhood Treat Revisited
I love Florida and specifically, Miami. Why? It is almost the Caribbean and as a result, most of our native flora and fauna (lizards I can do without) thrive here. On Wednesday a co-worker asked if I cared for a breadfruit. "Yes," I quickly replied since the only place I have seen a "live" breadfruit is in Key West. Well, it turned out on Thursday morning the breadfruit was in fact a Jackfruit. The cloying, sticky-sweet scent, coiled out of the plastic bag as soon as I opened it.
Not wanting to have that particular brand of air-freshening all the way home I deposited it the back of my truck. (If you are not familiar with any of this, Wikipedia has beautiful pictures). Anyway to continue the story. The Jackfruit proved to be very ripe - a little too much so for my liking as a plain snack. So, Internet to the rescue. I typed in jackfruit recipes and Viola! Scads of recipes popped up including a Biryani that I must take a shot at as soon as I find a green Jackfruit.
Anyway, last night the versatility of the the Jackfruit became evident as I carefully removed a light and airy, yellow gold cake from the oven. Yep - a Jackfruit cake. I kept the recipe as simple as it was written adding only a splash of rum and a teaspoon of grated nutmeg to the mix. My freezer has a small container of Jackfruit pods to make pancakes at a later time.
Oh, I must mention the large cherry-tomato-sized seeds of the Jackfruit. Boiled in slightly salted water for about an hour, one has the added delight of a slightly sweet, potato-textured or boiled-peanut type edible that can be mashed (if there is enough of them) and served as a side dish. Like the boiled peanuts however, its just more fun to shell and eat without wondering how much starch is being consumed. Talk about fun!
Who can forget green Jackfruit pods added to soup, fat Jackfruit seeds popping as they roast in the hearth, and luscious barely-ripe Jackfruit pods shaken in a jar with a generously accompaniment of scotch bonnet peppers, salt and vinegar. I would be considerably less than honest if the stomach ache from eating too much of the ripe fruit was not mentioned. Ow! And does anyone remeber the thick, gooey, stretchy, gum that had the power to doom anything with which it came in contact? Awww, childhood.
Thanks Margaret. The Jackfruit was really good..
Not wanting to have that particular brand of air-freshening all the way home I deposited it the back of my truck. (If you are not familiar with any of this, Wikipedia has beautiful pictures). Anyway to continue the story. The Jackfruit proved to be very ripe - a little too much so for my liking as a plain snack. So, Internet to the rescue. I typed in jackfruit recipes and Viola! Scads of recipes popped up including a Biryani that I must take a shot at as soon as I find a green Jackfruit.
Anyway, last night the versatility of the the Jackfruit became evident as I carefully removed a light and airy, yellow gold cake from the oven. Yep - a Jackfruit cake. I kept the recipe as simple as it was written adding only a splash of rum and a teaspoon of grated nutmeg to the mix. My freezer has a small container of Jackfruit pods to make pancakes at a later time.
Oh, I must mention the large cherry-tomato-sized seeds of the Jackfruit. Boiled in slightly salted water for about an hour, one has the added delight of a slightly sweet, potato-textured or boiled-peanut type edible that can be mashed (if there is enough of them) and served as a side dish. Like the boiled peanuts however, its just more fun to shell and eat without wondering how much starch is being consumed. Talk about fun!
Who can forget green Jackfruit pods added to soup, fat Jackfruit seeds popping as they roast in the hearth, and luscious barely-ripe Jackfruit pods shaken in a jar with a generously accompaniment of scotch bonnet peppers, salt and vinegar. I would be considerably less than honest if the stomach ache from eating too much of the ripe fruit was not mentioned. Ow! And does anyone remeber the thick, gooey, stretchy, gum that had the power to doom anything with which it came in contact? Awww, childhood.
Thanks Margaret. The Jackfruit was really good..
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