ChurchWatch

The Church Fights Back: The Manhattan Declaration

Craig von Buseck — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:31:35 GMT

The year was 1776. American patriots were fighting to defend their freedom from a tyrannical king and parliament in England. They had tried diplomacy; it had failed. They had extended an olive branch; it was rejected. The issue was freedom, and the Americans had come to a point where they had to draw a line and tell the king, "You have pushed us far enough. We will be pushed no further."

So in order to secure their freedom -- that which the colonists understood derived from God and not from any king -- the Continental Congress made a Declaration of Independence for the people of America.

Thomas Jefferson penned these immortal words in the opening of that famous document of liberty that set the stage for the revolution that was already underway:

"When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

Today, Bible-believing Christians find themselves in an eerily similar situation as the activist Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of the U.S. Federal Government move swiftly to deny religious liberties, and impose a radical anti-family, anti-Christian agenda upon the people of America.

Christian leaders today have arisen to echo the words of the colonial patriots, "You have pushed us far enough. We will be pushed no further."

To counter this anti-family, anti-religious movement, some key Christian leaders gathered on Friday, November 20th, in Washington, D.C., to announce what is being called The Manhattan Declaration -- a 4,732-word statement signed by a collection of Orthodox, Catholic and evangelical Christian leaders who are collaborating around moral issues of great concern.

You can read The Manhattan Declaration here.

More than 125 Christian leaders from various faith backgrounds have also signed this declaration, affirming the following:

The sanctity of human life;
Marriage as defined by the union of one man and one woman; and
Religious liberty and freedom of conscience.

Addressed not only to Christians, but to the president, Congress, and civil authorities, the document calls for protection of the sanctity of life, traditional marriage and religious liberty.

The Manhattan Declaration endorses civil disobedience under certain circumstances if it becomes necessary to defend our constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of the press.

Read the text of the Manhattan Declaration with a list of the 125+ signers at http://www.demossnews.com/manhattandeclaration/press_kit/manhattan_declaration_signers.

For more information, go to ManhattanDeclaration.org.

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Somalia: A Country with no Christians?

Craig von Buseck — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:32:23 GMT

Where is the hardest place in the world to be a Christian citizen? North Korea, perhaps? Saudi Arabia? According to Lars Widerberg of Intercessor's Network, it is the nation of Somalia. There are thought to be no more than a thousand Christians in a resident population of 8 million people, with perhaps a few thousand more in the diaspora. The Islamist Shabab militia, which controls most of southern Somalia, is dedicated to hunting these remaining Christians down and eliminating every one of them.

Christian men attend mosques on Fridays, so as not to arouse suspicion. Bibles are kept hidden. There are no public meetings, let alone a church. Catholic churches and cemeteries have been destroyed. The last nuns in the smashed capital, Mogadishu, were chased out in 2007. The year before, an elderly nun working in a hospital there was murdered. The only Christian believers left are local Somalis.

Catching and killing these Christians is useful propaganda for the Shabab, not least for indoctrinating its young fighters and suicide-bombers in the belief that America, Britain, Italy, the Vatican, along with Ethiopia and Kenya, are all “crusaders” trying to convert Somalis to Christianity. The UN lurks nefariously behind. Israel, of course, is also doing its bit to undermine Islam.

The shaky transitional government led by Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, whose writ runs weakly across the territory the Shabab does not yet run, is unlikely to speak up for any of its citizens caught with a Bible. Though professing moderation, he promotes a version of Sharia Law whereby every citizen of Somalia is born a Muslim and anyone who converts to another religion is guilty of apostasy, which is punishable by death.

Every month several Somalis are killed for being Christian. Sometimes that is just a label that the jihadists stick on people they suspect of working for Ethiopian intelligence. But many are simple believers. According to Somali sources and Christian groups monitoring Somalia from abroad, at least 13 members of underground churches have been killed in the past few months. Most were Mennonites, evangelized by missionaries on the Juba River in southern Somalia.

The martyrs include:

A 46-year-old woman shot dead near the town of Jilib after a Swahili-language Bible was found in her shack;
a 69-year-old man killed near a port south of Mogadishu after Shabab fighters found 25 Somali Bibles in a bag he was carrying;
and two boys, aged 11 and 12, who were beheaded by the Shabab after their father refused to divulge information about an underground church.

Hundreds of Somalis may have been killed for being Christian since the Shabab arose in 2005.

According to Simba Tian, also of Intercessors Network, three masked members of a militant Islamist group in Somalia recently shot and killed a Somali Christian who declined to wear a veil as prescribed by Muslim custom, according to a Christian source in Somalia.

Members of the comparatively “moderate” Suna Waljameca group killed Amina Muse Ali, 45, on October 19th in her home in Galkayo, part of Somalia’s autonomous Puntland region, said the source who requested anonymity for security reasons.

Ali had told Christian leaders that she had received several threats from members of Suna Waljameca for not wearing a veil, symbolic of adherence to Islam. She had said members of the group had long monitored her movements because they suspected she was a Christian.

The source said Ali had called him on October 4th saying, “My life is in danger. I am warned of dire consequences if I continue to live without putting on the veil. I need prayers from the fellowship.”

“I was shocked beyond words when I received the news that she had been shot dead,” the source in Somalia said by telephone. “I wished I could have recalled her to my location. We have lost a long-serving Christian.”

Her death follows the murders of several other Christians by Islamic extremists in the past year.

Learn more at CBN.com's Understanding Islam Special Feature

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U.S. Says China, N. Korea, Iran Repress Religious Freedom

Craig von Buseck — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:53:22 GMT

The United States condemned China, North Korea and Iran Monday for continuing to persecute religious minorities and for restricting freedom of worship, but said China has made some positive steps toward increasing religious freedom.

The State Department released its' annual report on international religious freedom examining the status of religious liberty in almost every country and recording the positive and negative developments on religious tolerance.

"It is our hope that the International Religious Freedom Report will encourage existing religious freedom movements around the world and promote dialogue among governments and within societies on how best to accommodate religious communities and protect each individual's right to believe or not believe as that individual sees fit," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in introducing the report.

According to the Associated Press, the report criticizes China for interfering with religious groups and violating the rights of the members of unregistered religious groups. China restricts religious practice to five state-sanctioned organizations called "Patriotic Religious Associations."

China's persecution of religious groups in its autonomous regions and the government's opposition to pledges of loyalty to outside religious figures, such as the Pope and the Dalai Lama, were cited with concern in the report.

"The government's repression of religious freedom remained severe in Tibetan areas and in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region," or XUAR, the religious freedom report said.

"Religious adherents in the XUAR, the Tibetan Autonomous Region, and other Tibetan areas suffered severe restrictions on religious activity, as a consequence of the government's tendency to conflate concerns about separatism and religious extremism with peaceful expressions of religious beliefs and political views."

But the report also noted that China had taken some positive steps toward increased religious tolerance over the past year.

"(Chinese) government officials allowed increased space for some unregistered religious groups they viewed as non-threatening," the report said. "The government took cautious measures to promote Buddhism, Taoism, and some folk religions within the framework of the Patriotic Religious Associations."

"What we're trying to do is encourage the Chinese government to recognize and allow people of various faiths to practice," Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Michael Posner, the official in charge of overseeing the report, told reporters.

North Korea and Iran were among the countries where respect for religious freedom showed no improvement.

North Korea continues to be among the world's worst violators of religious freedom.

"Genuine religious freedom does not exist," the report said of North Korea. "There was no change in the extremely poor level of respect for religious freedom during the reporting period."

Respect for religious freedom in Iran continued to deteriorate as well, the report said.

"Government rhetoric and actions created a threatening atmosphere for nearly all non-Shi'a (Shiite) religious groups, most notably for Baha'is, as well as for Sufi Muslims, evangelical Christians, and members of the Jewish community," the report said.

China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan are designated as "Countries of Particular Concern" that have "engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom" in the report and are subject to U.S. sanctions.

The 2009 Report on International Religious Freedom

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CLASS Christian Writers Conference: There's Still Time

Craig von Buseck — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:34:52 GMT

I will be speaking and ministering at the upcoming CLASS Christian Writers Conference at the Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico, November 4-8. This is one of the premier conferences each year where some of the leading publishers, editors, writers and speakers are represented.

If you are a writer or speaker, or if you aspire to be one, I'd love to see you at this conference.

Here are some of the highlights for this year:

Keynote Speaker: Alex Kendrick, writer, producer, and director of Facing the Giants and Fireproof, and also Associate Pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. His message will be "With God Nothing is Impossible."

Keynote Speaker: James Bryan Smith, writer and speaker in the area of spiritual formation. An ordained United Methodist Minister, Smith is a founding member of Richard J. Foster's spiritual formation ministry, Renovare. His message: "The Good and Beautiful God"

I will be the main speaker on Saturday night and my message will be "The American Way, or God's Way." I will also teach a comprehensive class on writing and the Internet called "NetCasters: Using the Internet to Make Fishers of Men." Here's a description of the three-day class:

The Internet has become a part of everything we do as writers and communicators. If you do not have an understanding of how digital media works, and how it can work for you and your ministry, you will be "left behind" in this rapidly changing world. In this series of classes, Craig von Buseck of CBN.com will explain the current trends in digital media. He will teach communicators how to use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, and online radio outlets like BlogTalkRadio to add planks to the Christian communicator's platform. Learn how to write for the Web and whether a blog or vlog is the right fit for your ministry and career. Now is the time for NetCasters to harness digital media to take the Word to the world!

This conference is a continuation of the Glorieta Christian Writers Conference. CLASS sees 'Writing at the Ranch' as a new and unique writers conference.

"Writers will be inspired by the beautiful location while building solid, lasting relationships with other writers and editors," says conference director, Linda Gilden. "We hope writers will leave not only with their writing skills raised to a new level but also with a deeper walk with God because He has met them at the ranch. We want to encourage writers to write from the overflow of what God has put in their hearts."

For years CLASS has run a top of the line writers conference at the Lifeway Glorieta Conference Center. Because of changes in their operation, the conference had to move. The Ghost Ranch is a beautiful location and will inspire writers to take their writing and their relationships with God to a new level.

For more information and to register, go to the CLASSeminars Web site.

Travel

Fly in to the Albuquerque (ABQ) airport.

The bus will depart from the ABQ Sunport (airport) on Wednesday afternoon around 1:30 p.m. Those planning to ride the bus to the Ghost Ranch need to arrive at the ABQ Sunport by noon on Wednesday. The bus will depart the Ghost Ranch on Sunday between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Return travelers should book flights no earlier than 12:00 noon on Sunday.

For those planning to arrive on Tuesday to participate in the add-on programs or the On-Ramp orientation, transportation to the Ghost Ranch will be available on Tuesday afternoon. You should plan to arrive at the ABQ Sunport no later than noon on Tuesday.

Transportation on days other than Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday will need to be arranged by the individual. Renting a car is also an option but driving around the Ghost Ranch property is discouraged.

Schedule

Registration begins at 1 o’clock on Wednesday, November 4. Activities begin with dinner on Wednesday at 5 p.m. so please allow ample travel time. The conference ends with lunch on Sunday, November 8.

Learn more at http://classeminars.org/Events/Writers-Conference/

Continuing Teaching Labs include:

Fiction Track -- Nancy Moser

Nonfiction Track -- Bucky Rosenbaum

Career Track -- Karen Porter

Children's Track -- Jeannie St. John Taylor

Writing for the Next Generation -- Jerome Daley

Technology/Writing for the Web -- Craig von Buseck

Advanced Fiction Mentoring -- DiAnn Mills

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H1N1 Crisis: Flu Guide for Ministries

Craig von Buseck — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:38:08 GMT

The first doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine are being delivered this week as the virus spreads like wildfire across America and around the world. Seven million doses of H1N1 flu vaccine will arrive across America this week, with forty million more doses scheduled to be distributed in the next couple of weeks.

Health care workers will be innoculated first, since it is important they stay healthy in order to help everyone else receive the vaccine.

And it is important that leaders of organizations such as schools, churches, and outreach ministries stay informed in the midst of this health emergency.

To keep ministry leaders informed, Christian Emergency Network (CEN) has announced a new Flu Guide for ministries and faith-based groups. Developed by the Health and Human Services (HHS) Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships with the support of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), this guide is downloadable at http://www.flu.gov/professional/community/cfboguidance.html. The guide, H1N1 Flu Guide for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, will be updated as needed, both the online and in print versions.

CEN Chapters are in place to help present this information and other training to local Churches, preparing them to successfully minister in times of crisis.

CEN Chapters Respond

CEN Chapters continue to develop in local communities nationwide to inform and train churches in preparedness and response to handle H1N1 and other types of crisis situations. The Church is often the best source of tangible help and information, working alongside public health and emergency response organizations. CEN Chapters are available to connect churches and ministries with local emergency and health groups within the local and regional community, while also training ministries in how to provide a biblical response in times of crisis.

Steps to Take

The new flu guide is specifically targeted at faith-based and neighborhood groups who are trusted by their local communities, and can therefore help convey important information in a timely manner and even provide vaccine sites and other services in preparation and response to H1N1. Proper steps are included in this guide for:

Finding local H1N1 vaccine depositories;
Learning high-risk groups for the virus;
Helping local medical personnel;
Dismissing school;
Quarantining school-aged children; and more.

Urgent application steps include:

Staying home if sick;
Being prepared with food in the likely case you'll be quarantined at home for a few days;
Getting your daycare and schools to have plans for things like making homework avaible to the homebound; and
Avoiding group settings when the virus is spreading fast in your area.

Christian Leaders -- Be Aware and Ready

CEN is encouraging local Christian leaders to become familiar with this guide and to implement applicable details, if possible with a local CEN Chapter. Pray about how Jesus would have you prepare and respond. Is there an H1N1 infected family close by to whom you can offer meals? Can you help get your church's high-risk groups vaccinated?

Download the H1N1 Flu Guide for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

You can register your own interest in being part of the leadership of a Chapter in your local area and CEN will follow up with more information.

For Christian Emergency Network chapter information,contact CEN at their web site.

Learn about CBN's humanitarian outreach, Operation Blessing.

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Abortion Support Slips in Pew Poll

Craig von Buseck — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:59:22 GMT

The Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life and the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press have released the results of a new national poll that finds that fewer Americans express support for abortion than in previous years.

Conducted from Aug. 11-27 among a total of 4,013 adults, the new poll reveals less support for abortion among most demographic and political groups. The survey also finds that the abortion debate has receded in importance, especially among liberals. At the same time, opposition to abortion has grown more firm among conservatives.

No single reason for the shift in opinions is apparent, but the pattern of changes suggests that the election of a pro-choice Democrat for president may be a contributing factor.

Other notable findings include:

One of the largest declines in support for legal abortion has occurred among white, non-Hispanic Catholics who attend Mass at least weekly. Substantial change has also occurred among Democratic men (with support for legal abortion down nine points) but not among Democratic women.
Even as the public expresses support for finding a middle ground on abortion, most Americans are quite certain that their own position on abortion is the right one, with only one-quarter saying they ever wonder about their views on the issue.
A large number of people on both sides of the issue say that the opposite point of view on abortion is not a "respectable" opinion for someone to hold.
Overall, roughly three-in-ten Americans think that President Barack Obama will handle the abortion issue about right, while four-in-ten are unaware of his position on the issue.
About two-in-ten worry that Obama will go too far in supporting abortion rights.

In Pew Research Center polls in 2007 and 2008, supporters of legal abortion clearly outnumbered opponents. Now Americans are evenly divided on the question, and there have been modest increases in the numbers who favor reducing abortions or making them harder to obtain.

The report, including a detailed executive summary, methodology and topline questionnaire, is available online (http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=441). Pew says that additional results from the survey will be released in subsequent reports.

Related Stories from CBN News: Pregnancy Group to Step-Up Volunteer Efforts

Committee Strikes Down Pro-Life Amendments

Could Abortion Issue Delay Health Care Vote?

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2012: The End of the World?

Craig von Buseck — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:33:16 GMT

I grew up in the height of the Charismatic Movement where the "End Times" were always "at hand". I can remember hearing dozens of scenarios for how Jesus was coming back any day. And there were also dozens of songs pining away about how "I wish we'd all been ready." And who can forget the action-packed epic movies like "A Thief in the Night" and "A Distant Thunder".

That was nearly 40 years ago, and while the Christians who produced these movies and books were no doubt sincere, they were all wrong -- Jesus did not come back in the 1970s. And all the 88 reasons why Jesus was supposed to come back in 1988 turned out to be false as well.

Now we are hearing a growing chorus of voices -- including the upcoming Hollywood movie, also called 2012 -- saying that the world is going to end in 2012. We'll see.

Fuel has been added to the fire recently with the release of scientific reports that there is an expectation of major solar storms in 2012.

I find great comfort and wisdom in the words of Jesus that, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Matthew 24:36, NIV). So I don't allow myself to get caught up in "rapture fever". I find it to be mostly a waste of time and energy that could be better spent helping hurting people and preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ.

But just to stay in balance, the Lord instructed that disciples were to be aware of the "signs of the times" and when these things begin appearing to "...stand and look up, for your salvation is near!" (Luke 21:28b, NLT) So we are to study the signs of the times, but not to be so caught up in "end-times theology" that we are distracted from the important work of the Great Commission.

In light of this, I believe this prophetic exhortation by R. Loren Sandford, pastor of New Song Fellowship in Denver, Colorado, is timely. This prophetic word was published in Charisma Magazine's online Prophetic Insights section.

In recent weeks I've found I can no longer turn to the History Channel (my favorite) without being confronted with the Nostradamus Effect, the Mayan calendar, the Chinese I'ching or the Christian prophet, Malachy, from the 12th century, each of which has been said to have declared the end of the world in this time period. Even people who don't read their Bibles seem to be focused on the last days.

Will the world end in 2012? I don't believe so. But in that time period and leading up to it we will see an acceleration of instability and uncertainty in the world. This will not be a collapse, but rather an intensification of fear as the whirlwind of change across the globe gathers speed.

It will appear that major nations once at war with one another are making peace. In terms of the possibility of major wars, therefore, there will be a diminished sense of danger, while smaller conflicts in more localities will likely escalate, in both number and intensity. It will be a time of "wars and rumors of wars" (Matt. 24:6, NASB), but not on a world scale.

We will also see an increase in natural disasters in various places—earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, hurricanes and tornadoes. Earth can no longer bear up under the weight of the sin of mankind (see Matt. 24).

The coming turmoil will be felt primarily in global power shifts in both comparative military might and economic influence. These shifts are already taking place. America will remain a big fish in the world's pond, but it will no longer be the only big fish in the world's pond and will therefore feel itself diminished in terms of significance on the world stage.

These changes, among other influences, will lead to increased political turmoil and greater ideological polarization in America. We will be an increasingly divided nation with an escalating risk of erupting violence as frustration grows; ethnic and cultural groups see themselves disempowered; and people seek outlets for the fear and anger they feel due to not being heard by their government and/or other ethnic and cultural groups.

In days to come believers must not feed these divisions or participate in them at any level or in any way. We have been called as reconcilers who have been given a ministry of reconciliation, not division (see 2 Cor. 5:18).

That being said, no matter what we do, we will be increasingly marginalized culturally as a result of societal disfavor in days to come, but we must take care that our own attitudes and behavior in response to such disfavor do not draw unnecessary levels of opposition upon us.

In the years to come it will become more and more necessary that we live as the first and second century Christians did under the Roman Empire. They didn't equate their Christian faith with a political movement or party as so many of us do today—"My kingdom is not of this world," Jesus told his disciples (John 18:36)—but rather became known for their love when everyone else's love grew cold. They openly modeled a moral and glorious lifestyle without issuing scathing condemnations of Roman immorality.

"See how the Christians love," became the testimony of those who observed their character and their conduct toward one another as well as toward outsiders. It wasn't that they didn't address sin. They did, in fact, call for repentance, but left judgment, vengeance and condemnation up to God. This made them wonderfully attractive to growing numbers of Romans who were hungering for an alternative to the destruction brought on by the sin that infected the core of Roman society.

Historically, societal decay has always set the stage for revival because sin brings death—and death makes people hungry for healing. If we will set a course to be Christlike in days to come, we can turn the tide of disfavor and win multitudes to Jesus.

The years to come may therefore be tumultuous and fearful ones for the world, but if we will take our rightful places as ministers of the kingdom of God—a kingdom of love, service, and signs and wonders—the coming years will be the most glorious the church has ever known. Romans 8:19: "For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God." This is our hour! Matthew 24:14: "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come."

See Fox News Report: Nasa Warns Of Super Solar Storm in 2012

About the author: R. Loren Sandford is the founder and senior pastor of New Song Fellowship in Denver, Colorado. He is also the author of several books, including Understanding Prophetic People and The Prophetic Church (both published by Chosen). Audio and video recordings of Sandford's messages may be purchased on his church's Web site, newsongfellowship.org.

Prophetic Insight is a weekly bulletin offering timely and relevant messages for the body of Christ from recognized prophetic voices. It is prepared by Maureen Eha, features editor for Charisma magazine. Used with permission.

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Praying for the Peace of Jerusalem

Craig von Buseck — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:59:06 GMT

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May they prosper who love you.'" (Psalm 122:6)

The annual International Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem is scheduled for Sunday, October 4th. Here is an important message from the co-chairmen of the Day of Prayer, Rev. Robert Stearns and Dr. Jack Hayford. Please pass along this information to your pastor, friends and family.

Dear Praying Friends,

As the Bible said it would, Jerusalem has become a cup of controversy on the global stage today (Zech. 12:2-3).

RIGHT NOW . . . there are increasing threats from many nations against God's covenant city, there are escalating tensions surrounding the inhabitants of the land of Israel, and there are ever-increasing global repercussions for all mankind because of the critical situation.

As these global challenges arise, however, GOD is present. His response has been to stir the hearts of Christians from China to Germany and from Kenya to Brazil, to raise their voices in fervent intercession with His Son, on behalf of Jerusalem and all her inhabitants, both Jew and Arab alike.

Are you one of those voices?

We are weeks away from a powerful moment. On Sunday, October 4th, tens of millions of Christians in literally every corner of this planet will unite for the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, a day specifically set aside by more than 1,200 global leaders.

YOU can make your presence felt and pray for God's power and His peace to flood the streets of Jerusalem by doing three simple things:

1. Make sure your local church is participating on October 4th.

The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem is NOT a single location event but rather a worldwide celebration day when LOCAL CHURCHES pray for Jerusalem in their Sunday services, in accordance with Psalm 122:6. There will be a Jerusalem Celebration on this day carried live on GOD TV around the world, but the real thrust of the initiative is on the local church level. Please BE SURE that your church is participating!

To receive your FREE equipping packet now, and to obtain helpful materials such as posters, prayer cards, videos, flyers, and children's resources for your local church, go now to http://www.daytopray.com/.

2. Please forward this e-mail to as many people as you can.

Our goal is to reach 100 million Christians within the next 30 days with this timely message for the Body of Christ. Help us meet this goal for the Lord's sake and for His advancing Kingdom! If you will simply take a moment right now and forward this on, especially to your pastor, close friends, and prayer partners, we can literally sound a global trumpet to bring clear focus and awareness to this urgent prayer effort.

It really, really makes a difference if you will take only five minutes and forward this e-mail.

3. Sign the "Call to Prayer Resolution".

Thousands of Christians from all over the world have signed this document, calling for a day of global prayer for Jerusalem and all her inhabitants. Add your voice to this growing number today.

Click here to sign the "Call To Prayer Resolution".

Finally, the Jerusalem Celebration of the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem will be carried live into 192 nations on GOD TV. If you are in Israel at that time, please plan to join us for this celebration. If you cannot be in Israel, GOD TV will be broadcasting this event internationally, LIVE on October 4th (broadcast schedule will be available closer to the event date). Also consider having your church link with the Jerusalem celebration of the DPPJ by viewing the event on GOD TV!

Go to www.god.tv for more information.

We thank you for putting action to your prayers and for taking part in seeing God's true peace for Jerusalem unfold in this hour of history!

May the Lord's shalom rest over each of you,

Rev. Robert Stearns
Co-Chairman, Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem

Dr. Jack Hayford
Co-Chairman, Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem

Learn more at http://www.daytopray.com/

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John Paul Jackson: Get Rid of Your Fear

Craig von Buseck — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:33:29 GMT

Charisma Magazine reprinted this prophetic message from John Paul Jackson, I believe it is an important reminder that faith and fear are both spiritual forces that influence our lives and ministries, depending on how we respond.

Over time, I have discovered that God takes our fears very seriously. We often do not. Most of us have been afraid of the same things for so many years that we almost don't notice how they're affecting us anymore—or worse, we choose to ignore them.

This isn't fear, we may think. I just don't do that sort of thing. I'm not outgoing enough.

It's not because I'm afraid of failing. I've just decided not to see this through.

I know God doesn't want me to be afraid of this (person, event, situation), but I am.

Our fears may seem small and insignificant to us, but they aren't to God. He will often go to great lengths to see that we are delivered from them.

Several years ago, I had nightmares for 69 nights in a row. Most of the time, I would wake up sweating, yelling and thinking I was going to die. I begged God to stop the dreams, but He didn't—at least, not in the way I had been expecting.

By the time Night Number 70 rolled around, I was staying up until 1 or 2 a.m. and avoiding going to bed for as long as I could. That night, when I finally fell asleep, I dreamed that I was in a huge, beautiful house. Everything was peaceful. But then I saw a bee outside the window, and I thought, Oh, no! Not again! I am not going to let them in this house!

I got out my duct tape and taped up every window, door and even the fireplace. I was determined the bees were not going to get into the house, and when I had finished, I was relieved. I had done it! I had conquered them! I couldn't see out the windows because the swarm was so thick—but I had conquered them.

Suddenly, an angel stood beside me. "Come with me," he said.

But I knew better. "No," I replied. "I know you. You've been here before! Every time I go with you, you take me outside, and if I go outside, the bees are going to know I'm there, and they will sting me, and I will die!"

Rather forcefully, he said, "I said, ‘Come with me!'"

The next thing I knew, I was standing outside about 100 feet away from the house. The bees blanketed the structure completely. You couldn't even see it anymore.

The angel looked at me. "Blow on it!"

Once again, I knew better. "No," I told him. "If I blow on it, they are going to know I'm here, and then they are going to come and sting me, and I'll die!"

"I said, ‘Blow on it!'" he repeated.

It was clear that either the bees were going to kill me or this angel was. So, coming up with a plan, I took a small breath and whispered at the house. I thought that maybe if I blew only a little bit, the bees wouldn't notice I was there, and the angel would be satisfied.

But no. He turned to me again. "I said, ‘Blow on it!' Let the breath of God blow through you! Blow on that!"

Knowing I was facing imminent death, I took a deep breath and blew with everything I had. To my shock, a huge number of bees lifted off the house and disappeared! Full of courage, I did it again. Three breaths later, I could see that the house was completely clean.

The angel looked at me and said, "Never allow the enemy to do that to you again! The Spirit of the Living God will stop it if you will let Him come forth from you. Never stop the breath of God!"

God takes our fears very seriously. None of them is inconsequential, and no matter how small they may seem, every one of them affects us. Our heavenly Father wants us to be free from their negative and binding consequences—but we have to want that freedom, too.

We need to view our fears the way God views them. Take some time and ask Him which fear, or fears, He wants to address in your life today.

What does He want to remove? What do you need to start thinking differently about? It could be that God has a great blessing waiting for you on the other side of the fear, a blessing that has been available to you but that you couldn't see because the fear kept it hidden from your sight.

Let the breath of God blow through you at your fear, and you will reap the benefit true freedom brings.

About the author: John Paul Jackson is the founder of Streams Ministries International (streamsministries.com) and a well-known authority on dream interpretation and prophetic evangelism who ministers nationally and internationally in churches and conferences. He is also the author of numerous books, including the best-selling titles Unmasking the Jezebel Spirit and Needless Casualties of War.

This prophetic word was posted on Charisma Magazine's Prophetic Insight Section

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Muslims to Gather on Capitol Hill for Day of Prayer

Craig von Buseck — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:22:21 GMT

It has been a staple of Evangelical Christianity in America for decades -- the massive gathering of Christians on the Mall in Washington D.C. for prayer and political action. From Promise Keepers, to TheCall, to the annual March for Life on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Christians have made their voices known to heaven and to the politicians in our nation's capitol in prayerful and peaceful demonstrations.

Now a New Jersey mosque is leading a national Muslim prayer rally in Washington, D.C., that organizers expect will attract tens of thousands from across the country. Though Louis Farrakhan held the "Million Man March" in Washington, D.C., which was aimed at men of all faiths, this gathering is exclusively an Islamic event.

Leaders of Dar-ul-Islam in Elizabeth, N.J., expect 50,000 Muslims from around the world to gather for the September 25th rally being held on Capitol Hill. Hassen Abdellah, president of Dar-ul-Islam, said the event will not include political speeches, but instead will be centered only on prayer.

"There are a lot of people who are Muslims who feel that the image of Islam has been portrayed very derogatorily, Abdellah said. "We believe that it's very important that the other side of Islam, the real reason people become Muslim, is portrayed as opposed to what people believe in the politics of Islam."

Charisma News reports that mosque members secured a permit for the event in July and have been working since then to gain sponsors and spread word through e-mails, phone calls and a Web site, Islamoncapitolhill.com, that declares, "Our time has come."

Abdellah said participants will pray for salvation—for individuals, communities and nations—and "that people get along better, and move forward with more humanity toward each other."

"We're trying to illustrate the spiritual component," he said. " Because there's too much emphasis on other things in Islam, and that's the problem. Too much emphasis on the politics as opposed to the spirituality. You're not getting to heaven for your politics. The politics will get you in hell; spirituality will get you salvation."

Abdellah, who is African-American, said President Obama's words at his inauguration, describing the U.S. as a nation of Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and nonbelievers, and his speech this summer in Egypt seeking to build bridges with the Muslim world led him and a New Jersey imam to begin discussing the idea.

"He's articulated a position that's consistent with the Constitution of the United States, that there would be no discrimination based on race, religion, national origin," he said. "That was inspirational. He used passages that are more Islamic-friendly than cause tension and intimidation."

The gathering will occur by the site where presidents have been inaugurated since 1981. In fact, it was President Obama’s words at his inauguration in January, and then his speech in Egypt in June, that led Abdellah and an area imam, Abdul Malik, to begin discussing the idea, Abdellah said.

“For the first time in my lifetime,” Abdellah said, “I heard someone of his stature speaking about Islam and Muslims not in an adversarial sense, but in the sense of being welcome and acknowledging we are integral citizens in the society — that we’re gainfully employed, we’re educated.”

“He said he had his hand open to the Islamic world,” he said. “The Islamic world wants to open their hand and shake it.”

The website set up for the event, islamoncapitolhill.com, features a logo with a red, white and blue hand shaking a light brown hand, with the words to the preamble of the Constitution and a page of Arabic text in the background.

Charisma is reporting that some Christians are also mobilizing to pray on that day. An e-mail circulating virally calls for Christians to oppose what they see as Islam's growing influence on the U.S. through prayer.

"If ever we needed to be crying out for mercy for America, it is now," the e-mail reads. "We must stand strong and speak Truth wherever we are and at every given opportunity. ... May there be multitudes come in to the kingdom of God while there is yet time."

In a recent e-mail newsletter, Intercessors for America President Emeritus Gary Bergel said Muslims have been holding Jummah prayers on Fridays in the Capitol building for several years now. While he understands why Christians would be concerned that those prayers are being made more public he urges understanding. He suggested that Christians should respond to events such as this not "in a spirit of agitated civil religion" but with a heart of compassion for their Muslim neighbors.

"An appropriate response would be to go in our prayer closet and fall on our face—realizing our own need for mercy, grace, forgiveness and our own redemption—and see how the Lord would direct each one of us to take up this matter in prayer to pray compassionately for our Muslim neighbors."

"If we live the gospel and demonstrate the love of Jesus, then we can defend the truth," he added. "Then we'll get a better hearing, and we'll get a better response. We won't just trigger more angry reactions."