A Nation Divided Against Itself Can Not Stand! Part 1

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Americans, change, Conservatives, constitution, Cruz, democrats, divisions, election 2016, Founders, history, Liberals, obama, Republicans, Trump

A house divided against itself cannot stand.

It’s written in the Bible (Mark 3:24-25), and it is the foundation of one of President Abraham Lincoln’s most important speeches.

On June 16, 1858 more than 1,000 delegates met in the Springfield, Illinois, statehouse for the Republican State Convention. At 5:00 p.m. they chose Abraham Lincoln as their candidate for the U.S. Senate, running against Democrat Stephen A. Douglas. At 8:00 p.m. Lincoln delivered this address to his Republican colleagues in the Hall of Representatives. The title reflects part of the speech’s introduction, “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” a concept familiar to Lincoln’s audience as a statement by Jesus recorded in all three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke). House Divided Speech, Springfield, Illinois, June 16, 1858. Read more HERE.

Decades later, running on a platform that publicly declared his intention to “fundamentally change America,” against the wishes of millions of Americans, President Obama has succeeded in is goal to piece by piece dismantle and disrespect the very foundation of our nation: our Constitution and the rule of law.

A house divided against itself cannot stand.

A Historical background via Obama the Great Divider, by J. Robert Smith

 “Throughout our nation’s history, division has been the rule; unity, the exception.  That goes back to the Revolution.  When it was clear to the Founders and outraged colonists that the British had no interest in redressing their grievances, they elected to divide, to fight for independence.

“Lucky for us and the world that they chose to do so. 

“Today, many Americans aren’t acquainted with the fact that colonists weren’t unanimous for independence.  A sizeable minority — Tories — backed the Crown.  They supported British troops and some fought alongside them. 

“The nation’s early, formative political era was marked by sharp divisions.  Federalists versus Jeffersonians.  Pro-Jackson versus Anti-Jackson factions.  Disputes over slavery were ongoing.  There was a whiskey rebellion and another war with the British.

“By the mid 1800s, the nation divided into sections and fought a civil war.  That, assuredly, was a tragic division.  620,000 military casualties, north and south, say so.  A ravaged South and a depleted North say so, too. 

“But as Lincoln stated, the war came, despite efforts at reconciliation.  The good that resulted from the war was the abolition of slavery.  And though it would take another hundred years, and yet more divisions and trials, abolition set African-Americans on the path to gaining their full God-given rights.  

“In the 20^th Century, Americans divided about other wars as well.  World Wars I and II, Vietnam and the Iraq War.  Toward the end, they divided about the Cold War.  

“And they’ve divided about the New Deal, the Fair Deal, The Great Society and the Reagan Revolution.  They’ve divided culturally, starting in the 1960s, over drugs, sex and rock and roll.  They’ve divided over abortion.

“As we look back over the long arc of the nation’s history, we see that from divisions came resolutions.  Freedom, more often than not, was advanced.  Our rights better secured.  Our nation, strengthened.   

“We live in a time of momentous divisions.  Many of us will not live to see the resolutions completely.  Since the early part of the 20^th Century, a great conflict has not only been playing out abroad, but at home, between statism and freedom. 

“At home, the statists – call them progressives, liberals or leftists – have worked diligently to advance government, to centralize authority in a political elite and bureaucracy and to, thereby, abridge the rights of the individual.  They dismiss the original intent that undergirds the Constitution, claiming a right to make interpretations that are frequently aimed at pressing their causes and increasing their power.  Many disdain our values, faith and traditions.

“Where shall we find common ground with the statists?  Compromise?  Compromise must invariably lead to less, not more, freedom.  And wasn’t that tried by our parents’ and grandparents’ generations?  Aren’t we, in part, struggling against a looming tyranny – albeit a soft tyranny – because of the good will and accommodations of our predecessors? 

Though ideological opponents, these two responsible leaders were also friends.

“Note, too, that overseas, in the 20^th Century and now, tyrants, established or aspiring, all sought or seek unity.  Unity under their rule in the service of the state.  Inevitably, they use force to achieve that end.  Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Mao, Pol Pot and an assortment of lesser dictators all bullied, imprisoned, maimed or killed millions who failed to unite with their will. 

“Today, the Castro brothers are still at it.  Hugo Chavez is attempting it in Venezuela.  The mullahs are at it in Iran.  Kim Jong-Il has been at it in North Korea.  So are the Chinese.  Putin isn’t far from reasserting unity in service to the Russian state. 

“In our nation, we are fortunate that the Founders had great insight into human nature and the wisdom to arrange our government in ways that divided and authority.   They instituted checks and balances to thwart the tyranny of any faction, or combination of factions, to impose unity on us. 

“In the last ninety years, the barriers erected by the Founders to protect us from the tyranny of unity have been breached.  But they still stand.  It falls to us to repair and strengthen those barriers.  To reclaim the full measure of freedom which is our birthright and was intended us by the Founders.  And pass on that freedom to our children and theirs.” Read more HERE

If you listen to both Hillary and Bernie, they are so angry, so victimized, so … dead set on the next chapter in the self-destruction of America, that cannot or will not change course. Even the “driveby” media has nothing good to say, nothing hopeful, nothing uplifting to point to in anything going on. MORE coming soon.

 

 

 

Our Constitution: A Firm Foundation Crumbling? (Warning – Historical Content!)

Tags

63rd NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, Founders, JFK, liberty, NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER 2014, President D.D. Eisenhower, President Truman, US Constitution, US History, We Pray, WE THE PEOPLE

if My people who are called by My name put away their pride and pray, and look for My face, and turn from their sinful ways, then I will hear from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

STRENGTH
RESILIENCE
BALANCE
TIMELESSNESS

It’s the 63rd NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, instituted by Pres. Truman. Since that time, thirty-four of the 44 U.S. Presidents have signed proclamations for National Prayer. Three of the Presidents who did not sign a proclamation died while serving in office. Two Presidents, not included in the count, William Howard Taft and Warren Gamaliel Harding, signed proclamations for Thanksgiving and Prayer.

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, James Madison proposed the plan to divide the central government into three branches. He discovered this model of government from the Perfect Governor, as he read Isaiah 33:22;

“For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; He will save us.”

This is the birth of the branches of government.

Election season is upon us, and once again, We-the-People have the awesome responsibility of choosing our leaders. Most of us will agree that BOTH parties are corrupt. We can therefore NOT vote by party as we have in the past, as our parents and grandparents did. We must investigate the individuals who seek office, and choose as though our future, and perhaps our lives, depend on it. Something must be the guiderule, the standard by which we decide, the plumbline by which we measure the men and women who seek office.

But what?

The Founders goal was that this nation be a nation of Law and not of men. That “all men” would be judged equally under the Law. Clearly, we have drifted from this standard, and only We-the-People have the authority to turn us back in that direction, or continue toward the tyranny of men ruling over men. It is clear in our inspired Constitution, which direction is “FAIR,” but the political winds have perverted fairness and truth. America was built on God’s word by people who understood and accepted His sovereignty. Do not give ear to those who say otherwise Investigate on your own! Let’s choose those who will stand strong on our Constitution, rather than those who seek to rewrite it.

President D.D.Eisenhower, on the say of his inauguration, placed his hand on a specific verse in the Bible – Psalm 127: 1 which says:

Unless the Lord builds the house (America),
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city (cities),
The watchman stays awake in vain.

What will our course, then, be?

On that fateful day in Dallas, the day President Kennedy was assassinated, he was slated to give a speech. From that speech …

I have spoken of strength largely in terms of the deterrence and resistance of aggression and attack. But, in today’s world, freedom can be lost without a shot being fired, by ballots as well as bullets. The success of our leadership is dependent upon respect for our mission in the world as well as our missiles — on a clearer recognition of the virtues of freedom as well as the evils of tyranny.

America depends on us. It is not just a nation. It is an ideal, a hope, the God-ordained leader of nations, not for the sake of power-mongers or financial/political gain, but for the GOOD of the nations. No other nation has been as helpful in catastrophe, no other nation has been so compassionate in tragedy, no other nation has been so merciful in the collection of debt … no other nation has been the home of as much innovation, scientific advancement, medical development and academic prowess, but each of these fields has also fallen victim to corruption and abuse. Nevertheless, the goodness, the compassion continues as a result of God’s goodness to US!

For the tired and the weary
Lost and confused
Hopeless and needy
With nothing to lose
For those who are falling
Or have already fallen away

Cause Our hearts are exploding
With compassion and love
For a world that is dying
To be lifted up (oh)

We pray
Humbly we seek Your face
Broken yet unafraid to be, you hear
We leave it all in Your hands
Know that you hear us when we pray

Peace and forgiveness
For the nations at war
Strength in their weakness
When they can take no more
Mercy, redemption, healing
And for You to be Lord of all

Our hearts are exploding
With compassion and love
For a world that is crying
To be lifted up (oh)

Father in Heaven
The Giver of life
Your Kingdom forever be glorified
You’re all can will unite us
And heal our divide
We bow down before You
Oh Lord hear our cry

We pray, humbly we seek your face
Trust that you hear us when we pray

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
LAGERBERG, CLINT/PRICE, OTTO MONTGOMERY JR.

Follow the Matrix of Liberty

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America, character, Christianity, education, faith, Forefathers' Monument, Founders, freedom, justice, LAW, liberty, Matrix of Liberty, mercy, morality, Pilrims, Separatists, tyranny, youth

Matrix of Liberty: The Founders’ Monument

or
Where Do We Go From Here?

Unknown or unacknowledged by many, our forefathers erected a “Matrix of Liberty” for the purpose of documentation. It documents the road map they followed to win and establish LIBERTY in AMERICA. The monument has been there for decades, built with government funds, in the off chance We, the People would lose our way and allow the government to assume tyrannical power. Oops! Good thing, right? Yet, it is ignored.

Below, the matrix is explained. Each of the granite figures carries meanings like pieces of a puzzle. I have outlined each figure below, but the video completes the explanation. Please watch and be amazed!!!

FAITH
Meet FAITH! She is paramount! She is pointing upward toward the God of the Bible. FAITH in God is what brought the first Pilgrims, or Separatists, to Plymouth. Not the sour, pious stiffness we were told in school, but a LIVE FAITH that carried them through persecution and hardship as they broke free from tyranny.

MORLITY
Morality is internal liberty, and starts in the HEART of the individual. As we pursue our God in faith, He teaches us true fairness via internal morality of heart.

EVANGELIST
EVANGELISTS preach the message that transforms the heart. TRUE Freedom and Morality are products of FAITH in GOD and His Promises, the BIBLE, studied and taught to every person.

LAW
A MORAL SYSTEM translated from God’s Law into civil law, balanced by MERCY and JUSTICE, with Equality under the LAW for each individual.

EDUCATION
A Woman training her young children (YOUTH) according to heart-held principles and an honorable character, preparing the next generation to carry forward the “Matrix of Liberty!”

LIBERTY
LIBERTY is the result of following the “Matrix of Liberty!” LIBERTY is seated in Victory. He is holding the broken chains of the manacle of tyranny attached to his leg. He has slain the Lion Tyrant, yet bears the marks as a remembrance on his shoulder. Liberty has his foot on the chest of Tyranny, holding it down by following God’s principles only – no bloodshed! Strength based on Morality, overcoming evil with Goodness!

So much of what we were taught in school, and even more of what our children are being taught in school today is simply untrue based on historical documents still in existence. Notably, the first Bibles printed in the United States were funded by CONGRESS in 1782 for the use of our SCHOOLS – First public school law!!! Bibles were used in schools starting in 1647 through 1963 (which I remember!)

LEARN MORE … PLEASE WATCH VIDEO!!!!!

So … where do we go from here, America? Toward FAITH or TYRANNY?

Related reading: The Forefathers’ Monument Explained – VERY COOL!

AMERICA is More than the Sum of Her Parts

Tags

Declaration of Independence, democracy, Founders, freedom, Idea of America, liberty, representation, US Constitution

America is a IDEA. She is much larger than her expansive borders. She is far more profound than her vast natural resources. She is richer than Wall Street or the FED or Fort Knox. She is …

• All people created equal under the Law.
• All people free to express their thoughts, beliefs, opinions, and religious experiences.
• All people free to pursue their own version of the American Dream, their personal road to happiness.
• All people have the inherent right, given by their Creator, to LIVE, to make their own choices on how to live, and to find their own dream.

The idea of America is rooted in her people.

You know the rest … “If one sentence captures the quintessential idea of America, surely it the famous assertion contained in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Almost every word of this remarkable sentence, 236 years old today, is pregnant with meaning and strikingly relevant.”

Our Founders were not like the majority of idiots/scoundrels who now reside in Washington, DC. They were brilliant, realistic men who were well educated, not just with books, but with life travels and adventures. They had a profound understanding both of the nature of mankind and the nature of government and, more importantly, they wanted above all else to create a government that would function within specific, restricted boundaries to maintain the individual freedoms guaranteed the American people. Our Founding documents record an Ideal that became America. It is unique in the world. It is NOT democracy … it is representation.

Democracy is mob rule, majority rules, and “might makes right!” In spite of the various national histories, languages, cultures, religions, and experiences of this nation of legal immigrants, America remains unique in the world. All are welcome. All, according to our Constitution, are offered the same opportunity to reach for your dreams. Sometimes reality doesn’t match up to the ideal, but the Ideal remains!

“Neither blood, history, religion, language [bind Americans together] — what else is left? Only an idea: that you could come to America and be whatever you wanted to be. You might have been a bog-trotter in Ireland or a baron in Silesia; in America, you were free to become whatever you could make of yourself.”

The enormity of President Obama’s numerous crimes against our Constitution and the faith & trust the American people placed in him is heinous. The ease with which he can stand before us and openly & deliberately speak lies is disgraceful. Everything he says and does is designed to further cripple the the American people, to enlarge their (our) dependency on the government, and build a uninformed “slave class” who will blindly accept the promise of an easy life in exchange for their “pursuit of happiness!”

BUT … The idea of America, the idea of individual freedom issues from the throne of GOD, as does the idea of individuals created equal under the Law. These ideas are rooted and grounded in Biblical truths. While humans are innately imperfect and sinful, G-D planted inside each of us a desire to be free to live as we see fit under His Natural Law. The result is that we each must work to improve our character, our self to obtain our dream of freedom.

President Obama has been ruthlessly successful in his effort to “divide and conquer,” to exploit our inherent differences, yet the idea of America As devious as the President has shown himself and his administration to be, as regards our Constitution over the last 5 years, he has no power over the idea of America that resides within a vast majority of her people still.

#1MVetMarch

Video streaming by Ustream

Hundreds of veterans descended on Washington, D.C. on Sunday under overcast skies and light rain to protest the closure of the war memorials during the government shutdown — and tore down the barricades surrounding the memorials to sounds of horns from truckers and cars and the roar of motorcycle engines.

Call it what you want, “evil” always overplays its hand and causes the GOOD to rise up in retaliation. Even today (10-13-13), Veterans so abused by the policies and decisions of this administration have gathered in DC to voice their anger. The harder the President pushes to control, to regulate, to corral the American people or any segment of us into a behavioral pen, the more likely a “push-back” will occur. It is the very Nature of the American Idea! We Will Not Be Intimidated! We will Not be Ruled! We are AMERICANS, and we KNOW LIBERTY!

The Violent Seize It by Force

Tags

aspiration, crossroad, definace, difficulties, energy, Founders, hope, personal struggle, perspiration, rebellion, SALVATION, temptations, trials

“And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time,
the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault,
and violent men seize it by force, as a precious prize; a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion.”
Matthew 11:12 AMP

There are many puzzles in our daily walk, both as a Christ-follower and as an American. The verse quoted above has long been one of those puzzles because it seems to be contradictory to the overall message of the Gospel of Love. We get glimpses of the true sentiment from time to time … the righteous indignation of Jesus (Mt 21: 12-13) as he overturned the tables of the money changers in the Temple because they had turned the “place of prayer & worship” into a mercantile or the righteous indignation of Paul as he chastised the slave girl (Acts 16: 16- 40) following him. It’s not a popular topic of either teaching or conversation.

I. The CONFLICT: As human beings, our tendency is to most highly value only that which we work to earn or possess. In Philippians, we’re told to “work out our own salvation.” (Philippians 2:12-13 Later, in the same book, we’re told to “press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.” (Phil 3: 14)

SALVATION is free … It is the Gift of God. (Romans 6:23) The moment we ask, salvation is ours, BUT … it is a daily calling which we have to put on each day. It’s like buying a new, warm woolen coat. It is ours, but for it to accomplish its purpose, it must be put on. So salvation must be put on, must be wrestled with on a daily basis because it does NOT come naturally. Even when we believe, even when our motivation is love … our minds and bodies want to do their own thing. We are asked to fight for it, and take it by force, sometimes, as though someone else wants our new woolen coat. We have the coat, and no one really can take it from us, but we can lay it down and walk away without enjoying its warmth and comfort.

Our Founders prayed for God to help them build a nation that would endure.

Our nation is at a vital crossroad, and the people of America must make the choice. Either we will resign ourselves to live out our lives in the compromised civilization that we see around us, and settle for the life of dependency and lack, OR we can put on our warm, woolen coat of salvation, accept that God’s ways are better, are SUPERIOR to our ways,admit our error, and walk into the abundance God always has for His people. Do we wish to bow to those in government or to the King of Kings? Do we bow to the government of men or the government of God? God’s ways are more difficult, for sure, and sometimes more uncomfortable, but ultimately much better and healthier! We choose not just for ourselves, but for our children, our grandchildren and for our nation.

I’m not sure that’s the best way to explain it, but … Maybe John Bunyan did a better job in his amazing book, Pilgrims Progress (highly recommended book):

” Then the Interpreter took him, and led him up towards the door of the palace; and behold, at the door stood a great company of men, as desirous to go in, but durst not. There also sat a man at a little distance from the door, at a table-side, with a book and his inkhorn before him, to take the names of them that should enter therein; he saw also that in the doorway stood many men in armor to keep it, being resolved to do to the men that would enter, what hurt and mischief they could.

“Now was Christian somewhat in amaze. At last, when every man started back for fear of the armed men, Christian saw a man of a very stout countenance come up to the man that sat there to write, saying, “Set down my name, sir;” the which when he had done, he saw the man draw his sword, and put a helmet on his head, and rush towards the door upon the armed men, who laid upon him with deadly force; but the man, not at all discouraged, fell to cutting and hacking most fiercely. So after he had received and given many wounds to those that attempted to keep him out, Matt. 11:12; Acts 14:22; he cut his way through them all, and pressed forward into the palace; at which there was a pleasant voice heard from those that were within, even of those that walked upon the top of the palace, saying,

“Come in, come in,
Eternal glory thou shalt win.”

So he went in, and was clothed with such garments as they. Then Christian smiled, and said, I think verily I know the meaning of this.

Now, said Christian, let me go hence…”

II. APPLICATION: Again, I say … Nothing worth having comes easy. None of us learned to walk without falling down a few times. None of us learned to love without having our hearts broken a time or two. None of us learned to stand alone on God’s grace without failing miserably AND being hurt a few times.

“To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me!” (Col 1: 24-29 NCV)

Salvation, like Liberty, is an individual accomplishment. I can’t accomplish yours, and you can’t accomplish mine. All we can do for one another is facilitate the decision and encourage each other along the way.

Jacob wrestled with the Angel of God and would not let him go without a blessing. Genesis 32:24-28

As we walk out our salvation, we walk into greater and greater Liberty. We free ourselves from the dictates of men and focus on what pleases God. We learn to revel … to play inside God’s abounding love for us, free from worrying about what others might think of us. We know that as long as we walk inside God’s grace, whatever happens is blessed, ordered of God, and ultimately permitted GOOD for us. However, we must all realize, too, that while there are plenty of peaceful and restful times, there are also numerous “battles” we must walk through to make forward progress. We cannot stand still long, so we must choose to push ahead, upward or fall backward. The way is ready, but we must walk it.

III. CONCLUSION: God does not implant His character into our lives as the weaver might set in gold or silver threads. He does not automatically remove and replace our ugly, sinful traits with holy ones. It is through our personal struggle, each of us must work our way through temptations, trials and difficulties toward our upward goals. The help of God is given in cooperation with our aspiration, perspiration and energy. While God is at work in us, we are to work out our own salvation. The struggle is between our human nature and the implanted nature of God simultaneously occupying the same space! Our base human nature, when left unchecked produces the culture we’re looking at in the news – perverted, selfish, and violent, but the Holy Spirit within us will build into us the Character of Christ, if we permit Him. IF we permit Him. Will we? This is America’s only hope. It is OUR only hope, but it is more than enough!

*Online version of Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyon

Only Prayer Can Fix What’s Broken

Tags

America, Benjamin Franklin, Constitutional Convention, Founders, freedom, Petra, prayer, US Constitution

Only a fool has said in his heart there is no God! (Psalm 14:1 & 53:1)

America is in trouble, really big trouble. For decades, the “good” people of this nation slept and trusted our elected officials to take care of business properly. Ooops! We goofed! With increased power and decreased accountability, corrupt human nature took over. Washington DC is now occupied, and it might as well be by a foreign entity. The men and women who are charged with the responsibility to lead our nation have failed and turned us away from our heritage, away from the ideals and practices that made the US the most prosperous, most creative, most inventive, most satisfied people on earth. The way back to the Constitution, the only viable stable ground, is virtually impossible to reach simply because of the extent of the corruption and the depth of our overindulged and pampered population.

So … do we throw in the towel? Give up? HECK NO! As an old rock band used to sing, “It’s time to get on our knees and fight like men!” (and women!)

As our nation’s Founders designed their plan for a more perfect union, they understood that the success of a modern republic would require more than a political document like the Constitution. From their study of history, the Founders had learned of the pitfalls of republics before this one. They concluded that even the Constitution alone could not curb individual selfishness. They believed that virtues were necessary for sustaining the American experiment. Their fervent prayers were an integral part of the birth of our nation.

In fact, during the process, when the men were at an impass in the writing of the Constitution, it was Dr. Benjamin Franklin, (not the most devout Christian in the group!) that suggested they all pray for God’s guidance.

I have lived, Sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth — that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that “except the Lord build they labor in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall be become a reproach and a bye word down to future age. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human Wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest.

I therefore beg leave to move — that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that service.

The Presidential PrayerTeam suggests the following:

• Pray for President Obama as he prepares to more fully lay out his agenda in next month’s State of the Union address. Pray he will seek to serve the needs of the nation.
• Pray For Congressional Leaders

  Senator Jay Rockefeller (West Virginia) said the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will likely hold hearings on the problems plaguing the Boeing 787 “Dreamliner,” after its grounding by the FAA.

Representative Paul Broun (Georgia) is moving rapidly to assume Texas Congressman Ron Paul’s mantle, beginning with pressuring lawmakers to get a tighter grip on the Federal Reserve. He believes support is growing. 

Pray for the new Congress as it sets out its legislative agenda for the year, especially on debt ceiling and spending.

• Pray For Judicial Needs:
  The U.S. Supreme Court dashed a Chicago-area atheist’s final legal bid to challenge the use of state funds to renovate a towering cross in Southern Illinois known as the Bald Knob Cross. The Court did not comment on its decision.

  A federal appeals court upheld a controversial Wisconsin law that restricts the power of public sector unions, the passage of which sparked the unsuccessful effort last summer to remove Governor Scott Walker. 

  Pray for the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court who will be taking up same-sex marriage issues this spring.

Current Events

WARS AND TERRORISM

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers delivered a newly completed Afghan Uniformed Police District Headquarters in Herat Province to Afghan authorities. The structure was built by Afghan contractors under U.S. supervision. 

Afghan officials say a suicide squad launched an eight-hour assault in the capital on traffic police headquarters, killing three police officers. Authorities say all five attackers were killed in the offensive in Kabul. 

Pray about the Taliban’s intention destroying facilities such as police headquarters and killing civil officers.

FOREIGN INTERESTS AND CONFLICTS

Several Egyptian members of the squad of militants that lay bloody siege to the Algerian gas complex last week also took part in the deadly attack on the U.S. Mission in Benghazi, Libya, a senior Algerian official reported. 

The broader challenges the U.S. and its allies face in confronting terrorist cells that have taken up sanctuary across northern Africa was brought into focus by the bloody hostage crisis in Algeria. 

Pray about the increasing levels of Islamist militant attacks in the African continent and level of U.S. response.

THE ECONOMY

Nearly half of eligible ex-service members who served in Iraq or Afghanistan are snubbing free federal healthcare they earned in uniform because many harbor “huge distrust” of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Even though much has changed over the past four years, the un-employment rate is the same today as it was when President Obama first assumed office in 2009. The current reported rate is 7.8 percent; some believe it is higher.
 

Pray for our ex-service members, many of whom count themselves among America’s unemployed.

ISRAEL AND THE MIDDLE EAST

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies were sharply weakened in election results Tuesday, pushing him to try to form a coalition government with his opponents that stands to be more moderate but less stable.

The Palestinian Authority Wednesday said it would deal with any Israeli government that abides by UN resolutions calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state with the pre-1967 lines and Jerusalem as its capital. 

Pray for the strength and resolve of the new government that Prime Minister Netanyahu must now assemble.

HEALTH CARE

Millions of low-income people could be required to pay more for health care under a proposed federal policy that would give states more freedom to impose co-payments and other charges on Medicaid patients. 
The next edition of psychiatry’s diagnostic manual will include a listing for Internet-Use Disorder as a condition worth studying. Excessive internet use is a “drug” to the new generation, some claim. 

Pray about ever-escalating costs of medical care, and for America’s youth in the Facebook and Twitter culture.

Look among the nations and see; wonder and be astounded.
For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.

Habakkuk 1:5