Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few!
Winston Churchill - September 1940

It's been a long time, but I just added some new wallpaper on my art page.

Way to go, Mr. Gingrich! Good stuff

A fool declares his whole anger,
but the wise reserves it in part.
Proverbs 29:11 (NETS)

If you see a man hasty in speech,
be sure there is more hope for a fool than for him.
Proverbs 29:20 (NETS)

Are you quick to show your teeth?

Consider Gideon. You know the story of Gideon and his three hundred men well. After they had pursued the Midianites, the men of Ephraim came to Gideon. With Midian defeated, there would be new land and plunder, and they didn't want left out.

"Why have you done this thing to us, not to call us when you were setting out to fight against Madiam?" And they disputed with him forcefully. And he said to them, "What have I done now as you have? Are not the gleanings of the grapes of Ephraim better things than the vintage of Abiezer? God has given up in your hand the commanders of Madiam, Oreb and Zeeb, and what have I been able to do as you have?" And they desisted. Then their spirit abated because of him, when he spoke his word.
Judges 8:1-3 (NETS)

Gideon could have jumped to defend himself, but he showed restraint. He didn't explode at them. Being hot tempered is always wrong. He was wise, and the result was peace.

The fool isn't like that. He announces his anger to everyone. And, unfortunately, a few verses later, Gideon did show his teeth when he cut to pieces the men of Succoth with thorns and briers and broke down the tower of Penuel (8:7-21).

In the New Testament, James said in 3:13-18

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (NKJV)

We've got to remember to not let everything in our heads flow out of our mouths. The fool shoots first and asks questions later. There is nothing wrong with waiting to give a response, even waiting a day or longer. That's wisdom.

Chazah (see, 29:20) is stronger than merely observing. Solomon was telling his son, "Hey, check it out! Come here, I want you to see something." In Psalm 11:4, David said, "The Lord is in his holy shrine; the Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes focus [chazah] on the needy; his eyelids examine the sons of men." (NETS) Solomon was training his son and wanted to give him a real example of what he was about to teach him. (Hey, dads, this is a good pattern for us). I believe he wanted his son to see and observe this hasty man. But I think there was still more there than closely observing and studying someone. I believe he wanted his son to keep a "sharp eye" for that kind so he could avoid him.

Someone who is hasty disregards the consequences of his actions. He does not reflect first on what he is about to do.

Again, James said in 3:5-8:

Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.(NKJV)

How long is your tongue? Can you cut your own throat with it? Once your words are out, cannot pull them back in.

I was playing Lego Star Wars with my son one day, and there was some task we had tried five or six times and always some little mistake made me fail at it. Finally, I cussed. I immediately told him that what I had said was wrong, I should not have said it, and apologized.

About a week or so later, I was tucking him into bed. You may know that my wife has been setting many Proverbs to music and teaching the songs to our children. Well, Ethan asked me why I say bad words. I couldn't remember when I had, but he reminded me of the Lego game. I told him I had said it without thinking. Then he quoted this verse to me:

Do you see a man hasty in his words?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.

He said, "Dad, if you are hasty in your words, then there's more hope for a fool than for you. And you have to be careful with what you say, because I want to be just like you but I don't want to say bad words." Rebuke taken.

The praise band played this on Sunday, and I've had it stuck in my head all day. Not a bad one to have stuck:

why we don't believe in evolution... (yep, this one's pretty gross. Don't say I didn't warn you.)

Within each of us, ofttimes, there dwells a mighty and raging fury.

The Incredible Hulk, opening credits
1978

Anger. It can be good or bad. Psalm 7:11 says, "God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day." In Mark 3, Jesus met a man with a withered hand in the synagogue. The Pharisees tested Jesus. "And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other" (v. 5). Paul instructed us in his letter to the Ephesians, "'Be angry, and do not sin': do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil" (4:26, 27).

I want to -- well, frankly, I need to -- spend some time studying anger Biblically. I'm going to start with that last passage.

As you know, I like to grasp the context of a passage before I study it. So, we can actually go back to the Acts of the Apostles to learn more about the setting. In Acts 21:27-40, the Jews accused Paul of bringing Trophimus the Ephesian, a Gentile, into the temple. On this charge, he was arrested and eventually brought to Rome (28:11-16). [Rabbit trail: I've always liked that last passage as it mentioned a placed called The Three Taverns (Lat. Tres Tabernae) and I think that sounds cool.] There was great enmity between the Jews and Gentiles, which is also a theme of this letter. Most scholars place this letter as being written circa 60-62. Festus was governor of Palestine at this time and relatively fair, but the Jews themselves were still persecuting the Christians. (Nero was still a couple years in the future.) Paul stressed the need for righteous living to be a good witness to their neighbors (Ephesians 5, 6). There is also an emphasis on the sovereignty of God as many Ephesians were consumed with astrology (Acts 19:13-20) and the power of "Fate" (Ephesians 1, 3).

In Ephesians 4, Paul shows how to live the New Life. He tells them to "be renewed in the spirit of your mind." We could camp out here for a long time. Be renewed. Ananeoo. The verb is present - its fact, its real, its happening now. The verb is passive - be renewed. You're not renewing yourself, but are being renewed. Someone else is doing the renewing. Guess Who? What's also startling here is that what Paul described as the new life, the result of this renewing, is really quite agreeable to both the Jews and the Greeks. This is a rather universally ideal life. But the Jews would place this renewal in an eschatological category. The Jews expected such change only in the world to come, after the resurrection of the dead. Remember, the Jews believed in the resurrection at the last day (John 11:24). But Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live" (John 11:25). Those eschatological hopes of the Jews were fulfilled in Jesus. We do not wait until the last day to be renewed in the spirit of our minds, but we experience it now, in the present, in Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Okay, that's very exciting, but I've got to get back to this present study.

This new life is not only universally ideal, but it also represents universal struggles. Honesty, for example, is not only a struggle for Gentiles, but also Jews. But Paul turns to the Old Testament for authority on these "new" ethics. That might be startling for anyone who thinks they may limit themselves to one Testament. You may notice that in our passage, "Be angry, and do not sin" is in quotations. This is from Psalm 4 (I like the New English Translation of the Septuagint):

(By the way, we really don't know what Selah means. It could very well mean an interlude, even on strings, as suggested in this translation. There could have been a phrase from the Psalms that would be repeated here. Another option is that it could have meant to beat on a drum to emphasize the words. Consider a drum beating out with "Be angry, and do not sin.")

On February 28, 1712, Thomas Boston wrote a sermon entitled, "Anger Not to be Sinfully Indulged" on this very passage. In it he wrote:

It is not left to our option, whether to be angry or not, when there is a just cause. Coldness in God's matters, is hateful stupidity. The passions in the soul, are as winds in the air. If the winds blow not at all, or too calmly, they leave the ship at a great disadvantage; though it is sad when they blow so violent as to dash her upon the rocks. And what though anger in itself is neither good nor evil? The same may be said of love and other passions which are not in themselves evil, as envy is; yet doubtless it is a command, "Love as brethren." The apostle here, is directing us in practice, not what to think of anger in the abstract; which is never found in a subject, but vested with its due circumstances, and then it is either holy, good and just; or else it is irregular and impious. Thus the meaning must be, be holily angry, but not sinfully.

I think Mark Driscoll does a good job of demonstrating this:


Rev. Boston went on to say:

This we may discribe holy anger to be a commotion of the spirit, arising from the apprehension of a real sinful evil, with hatred of it, grief for it, and a regular desire of the vindication of the right and honour of the injured, for the destruction of sin.

He gave these boundaries for holy anger:

1. The grounds of holy anger are just and weighty, such as God's dishonour by our own sins, and the sins of others (2 Corinthians 7:11; Exodus 22:9).
2. The degree of holy anger is proportioned to the fault. [This is where I blow it all the time!]
   
3. The end of holy anger which it is directed, is the glory of God and the good of our neighbour (Proverbs 13:24; John 2:16, 17).
4. The effects of holy anger directly and indirectly, are just and good, for the man has rule over his own spirit, and no holy affection is inconsistent with another.

From this, he described a "twofold sinful anger":

1. There is an anger, which is originally, and in itself sinful; that, where there is no just ground at all to be angry, to which men's weakness of judgment and strength of passion often expose them.
2. There is an anger accidentally sinful, where there is indeed just ground to be angry, but by reason of the corruption of men, is carried beyond the proper bounds.

Okay, let me revise the above confession: I blow it on both of those. Interruptions are my pet peeves, whether it is my children interrupting me when I'm talking to my wife, or ... well, actually that's really it, isn't it? It is my children interrupting me when I'm talking to my wife. And they should not interrupt me. It's rude and disrespectful. But peeves make poor pets, and I need to send this one back to the pound.

We can read about overnight anger in Hosea 7:

These dome-roofed ovens have been found in excavations at Taanach and Megiddo. There was a hole with a door in the middle of the roof. You could open the door and drop in the fuel - wood or dung or grass - and light it. The flames escaped through the hole and once the flame had died down, the door could be closed, allowing the heat to be trapped within the dome. Bread dough was then stuck to the inside of the dome where it could cook over the coals. (I wonder how dung-fired bread tastes? On second thought, I don't really need to know.) When you let your anger burn over night, you burn the bread on one side and leave the other uncooked. In other words, you're half-baked.

You should settle your disputes on the same day. But this requires you to learn how to communicate. To do so, you must "let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29).

I believe the imagery of 4:27 is further developed in chapter 6. We are at war. When you let anger cook overnight, half-baking your thoughts, so that you'll awaken with corrupt words in your mouth, you are surrendering precious ground to our Enemy. Paul is saying, "Hold your ground!"

Jeremiah Burroughs entitled his work, The Exceeding Sinfulness of Sin. That is something we too often miss. Rev. Boston gave these considerations to the exceeding sinfulness of sinful anger:

1. It is a degree of murder (Matthew 5:22).
2. It is a fit of madness, in which a man hath no rule over his own spirit, till he come to himself, for he goes out of himself in anger.
3. It makes a man most unlike Christ, who was meek and lowly.
4. It has most bitter effects.

So, what is our cure? Rev. Boston offers these suggestions:

1. Let us consider our own vileness and unworthiness, and how often we are provoking the Lord, and so turn our anger against ourselves.
2. Let us consider these things with which we are so ready to be hurried away, are the trials of our patience, and we are on our trial for heaven.
3. Let us propose to ourselves the example of the meek and lowly Jesus.
   

He then concluded his sermon:

Out of a sense of our utter inability to resist the least temptation, look to Jesus for strength, and by faith draw strength from him. When the temptation is like to catch us, let us lay hold of the promise, and of Christ in the promise. Without this, nothing will avail, acceptably to prevent or suppress it; and this is the reason, why sometimes Christians bear great affronts and injuries better than small ones. For in the latter, they trust to themselves; in the former to Christ. No wonder all goes to wreck, when men instead of the golden shield of faith made by the true Solomon, they like fools think to do with the brazen ones of their own stock. Amen.

My take: If you've seen the Truth Project, then you know how the cell is "chock full of miniature machines." I also believe that God has a sense of humor. So when molecular biologists view the intricate machines within cells, they find that God put a cross there just to get up their noses. But I don't think this is on the same level as seeing Jesus in your toast.

In case you haven't seen the inside of a cell, check this out:

If I Were President
by Chuck Baldwin

Due to my frequent criticisms of President George W. Bush, I am often asked what I would do if I were President of these United States. This column will serve as an attempt to answer that question. If I were President, I would begin the process of safely extracting our troops from Iraq. In the first place, our troops are no longer fighting a war, they are an occupation force, which occupies a sovereign country. And this is being done without a Declaration of War. The Iraqi people resent our occupation as much as we would resent another nation stronger than ours invading and occupying America. If such a thing happened to our beloved country, I’m sure many of us would also become "insurgents."

In the second place, the invasion and occupation of Iraq was absolutely unnecessary. Instead of sacrificing more than 4,000 American lives and the lives of tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens (not to mention some 2-3 trillion dollars), President Bush should have supported Ron Paul’s bill, H.R. 3076, the September 11 Marque and Reprisal Act of 2001. This is the constitutional way to deal with rogue terrorist organizations. This is the way President Thomas Jefferson responded to the Barbary pirates.

According to Congressman Paul, "A letter of marque and reprisal is a constitutional tool specifically designed to give the President the authority to respond with appropriate force to those non-state actors who wage aggression against the United States while limiting his authority to only those responsible for the atrocities of that day. Such a limited authorization is consistent with the doctrine of just war and the practical aim of keeping Americans safe while minimizing the costs in blood and treasure of waging such an operation."

Had President Bush responded in this manner, tens of thousands of lives would have been saved, trillions of dollars would not have needed to be spent, Osama bin Laden and most of his fellow terrorists would likely be dead, and we would not be bogged down in a nightmarish military quagmire in Iraq. And, if I were President, this is exactly how I would handle terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda.

Furthermore, it is absolutely ludicrous to say we are fighting a war on terror half way around the world when we refuse to secure our borders and ports. If I were President, I would immediately seal our borders. I would also see to it that employers in America who knowingly hire illegal aliens are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. In plain language: any employer who consciously hires illegal aliens would go to jail. They would not pass Go; they would not collect $200; they would go straight to jail.

By sealing the borders and by cutting off the money supply to illegal aliens, the problem of illegal immigration would dry up. As it is, we have no idea how many potential terrorists--not to mention violent gang members such as MS-13--have snuck (and are sneaking) through our borders.

And speaking of illegal immigration, as President, I would enforce our visa rules. This means anyone who overstays their visa or otherwise violates U.S. law is immediately deported. There would be no "path to citizenship" given to any illegal alien. That means no amnesty. Not in any shape, manner, or form. I would not allow tax dollars to be used to pay for illegal aliens’ education, social services, or medical care. As President, I would end birthright citizenship for illegal aliens. There would be no "anchor babies" during my administration.

If I were President, I would use the bully pulpit of the White House to encourage Congress to pass Congressman Ron Paul’s Sanctity of Life Act. In short, this bill would do two things: First, it would declare that unborn babies are persons under the law. Second, under the authority of Article. III. Section. 2. of the U.S. Constitution, it would remove abortion from the jurisdiction of the Court. In essence, this bill would immediately overturn Roe v. Wade and end legalized abortion.

Republicans tout themselves as being "pro-life." Yet, the GOP controlled both houses of Congress and the White House for six years and did absolutely nothing to overturn Roe or end abortion-on-demand. Under my administration, we could end legal abortion in a matter of days, not decades. And if Congress refused to pass Dr. Paul’s bill, I would use the constitutional power of the Presidency to deny funds to protect abortion clinics. Either way, legalized abortion ends when I take office.

On the subject of foreign policy, as President, I would end foreign aid. I would also end the current infatuation with nation-building, empire-building, and interventionism. America is not the world’s policeman. Neither are our military personnel the personal militia of the United Nations.

Remember that President Bush told the U.N. in 2003 that the reason we invaded Iraq was for the purpose of securing the "peace and credibility of the United Nations." (I lie not; that is what he said.) President Bush also placed the U.S. back under UNESCO in spite of the fact that President Reagan had heroically taken the U.S. out from under that sinister organization.

I am sure that readers recall that the U.N. Charter was authored by a Soviet communist agent (Alger Hiss) and that the U.S. has been fighting wars for the U.N. ever since the organization was created back in 1945.

Speaking of the United Nations, as President, I would withhold funds from the support of the United Nations. In other words, I would get the U.S. out of the U.N. Beyond that, when I move into the White House, the U.N.’s rent is up! They move out of New York City post haste.

By the same token, there is absolutely no reason for us to be in NATO. We should not be antagonizing Russia by attempting to expand NATO. There is no reason why Russia could not become a friend and ally of the United States. Free and fair trade with Russia and a noninterventionist foreign policy in Europe would do much to endear American interests to Russia. To insist on expanding and empowering NATO only serves to further alienate Russia and drive her to make alliances with Communist China.

Speaking of China, it is time that we recognize the very serious threat that China poses to the peace and security of the United States. Our trade practices serve only to allow corporate America to continue to invest in what will surely become an albatross around the neck of our well-being. We must discontinue the practice of allowing China to export its cheap products to the U.S. with no protection for America’s jobs and manufacturing, not to mention the lack of protection for our safety. This must stop, and it will stop when I become President. "Free trade" will no longer mean a free ride for Red China.

Furthermore, as President, I would take the preservation of our nation’s sovereignty and independence extremely seriously. This means that the burgeoning North American Union is dead on arrival the day I am sworn in as President. Gone, too, is the NAFTA superhighway. And for that matter, I would lead the United States out of NAFTA and CAFTA altogether. And any prospect for the FTAA would be dead as well.

As President, I would be the best friend that gun owners (and lawful gun dealers), homeschoolers, and veterans ever had in the White House. These are three of the most persecuted, harassed, or overlooked groups of people in the country. But not if I were President.

There is no reason why our veterans should wait for weeks and months to receive the medical care they need. It is disgraceful that we would ask our brave men and women of the U.S. armed forces to fight our country’s battles and then leave them to pretty much fend for themselves when it comes to receiving adequate health care. I would make taking care of our veterans an extremely high priority, if I were President.

If I were President, I would also do everything in my power to locate and retrieve any and all MIAs. I personally believe that there are hundreds of our servicemen who are yet being held against their will in various parts of the world. I would make finding them and bringing them home of utmost priority, if I were President.

On the home front, if I were President, I would end corporate welfare. I would also work to disband the Department of Energy (along with the Department of Education and many other federal departments). There is absolutely no reason for us to be dependent upon OPEC. There is enough gas and oil under the soil of Alaska (not to mention the Dakotas and the Gulf of Mexico) to meet the energy needs of the United States for the next 150-200 years. There is also no reason that gas should cost more than $1.50 a gallon (which is about what it was before Bush became President).

We must begin drilling for the domestic oil that we know exists; we must build more refineries and nuclear power plants. There is no reason why the United States cannot be mostly energy independent. It is time we started putting the people and interests of the United States ahead of the CEOs and interests of international corporations.

Lastly, if I were President, I would work feverishly to overturn the Sixteenth Amendment, which would repeal the Income Tax. And, no, I would not promote a national sales tax. That would be disastrous! Can you imagine what a 30% sales tax would do to the cost of EVERYTHING? Plus, give politicians a national sales tax to increase and just imagine what kind of percent that would grow into!

I would also work to repeal the "death tax," inheritance taxes, and property taxes. The American people are already paying somewhere between 30% and 40% of their income to Uncle Sam. It must stop. We are bankrupting our country with this incessant and burdensome tax system. In addition, I would work to expunge the Federal Reserve and to restore the American economy to sound money.

Now, I hear people say, That’s easy for you to say; you are not a candidate for President. Ah, but now I am.

Last week, in its national nominating convention in Kansas City, Missouri, the Constitution Party nominated me as its 2008 Presidential candidate. Party delegates nominated me over Ambassador Alan Keyes by a margin of 74% to 24%. Therefore, I am now a candidate for President of these United States.

See the CP website ConstitutionParty.com

My Vice Presidential running mate is Darrell Castle, an attorney and Vietnam War Marine Corps veteran from Memphis, Tennessee.

Our web site is not online yet, but will be soon. We will be able to receive credit card donations when the web page is uploaded. The address of my campaign web site is: Baldwin2008.com

In the meantime, if anyone wants to support our campaign, checks may be written to:

Baldwin 2008
P.O. Box 131
Palmyra, New Jersey 08065

I believe it is only fair, as I continue to write these columns, that one understands the full disclosure of my candidacy.

As readers know, I enthusiastically supported Ron Paul during the Republican Primary season. I plan to continue to trumpet his call for limited government, non-interventionism abroad, constitutional government, and freedom into the general election as a Third Party candidate.

I do not expect the national media to pay us much heed; they seldom do. I do not expect to receive large donations from corporate America. I do expect criticism and ridicule. That is nothing new. However, I also anticipate tens of thousands of freedom-loving people from all religious persuasions and walks of life to rally to our cause. Why? Because thousands of principled people will not be bullied into voting for the "evil of two lessers" being shoved down our throats by the two major parties. Because this campaign is not about Chuck Baldwin. It is not about a political party. It is about freedom. It is about constitutional government. It is about restoring America to the founding principles bequeathed to us by our Founding Fathers. If you believe in those principles, join us!

In the meantime, these columns will continue to serve as a voice for America’s founding principles, as they have for the past eight-plus years. In addition, unlike the candidates from the two major parties, the taxpayers are not underwriting my campaign, and I will continue my day job. (Imagine that: a Presidential candidate who actually works for a living!) And all of this is just in time for my 56th birthday, which is tomorrow, May 3.

There you have it: this is what I would do if I were President of these wonderful United States of America.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1-2)

INDONESIA

UPDATE: Pastor Released from Prison - VOM Sources

Praise God! On April 27, Pastor Abraham Bentar was released from prison. According to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts in Indonesia, "Pastor Bentar was released two days ago; because he had served two-thirds of his sentence, he could be paroled. His wife received more than 10,000 letters and photographs from families around the world who were praying for them. The family is thankful for the support they received and rejoice in the pastor's release." VOM rejoices with Pastor Bentar's family and thanks believers around the world for praying and encouraging him. Continue praying for protection and wisdom for Pastor Bentar as he returns home to his family and congregation. Ask God to protect believers in Indonesia. Psalm 100

INDIA

"Anti-Conversion" Law Implemented in Gujarat State - VOM Sources

On April 1, an anti-conversion law passed in 2003, in Gujarat State, India, came into effect, increasing Christians' concerns that it will encourage false accusations by Hindu extremists. According to VOM sources, "The law is supposed to curb religious conversions made by 'force,' 'fraud' or 'allurement.' However, Christians and human rights groups believe that the law actually obstructs all conversions, as Hindu extremists invoke it to harass Christian workers with arrests and imprisonments, which are often accompanied with violence against the accused." The law dictates that any person who intends to convert must notify the government or they will be declared an offender and prosecuted under criminal laws. It also stipulates that those convicted of "forcible conversion" could be jailed for up to three years. Anti-conversion laws are now enforced in five Indian states-Gujarat, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh-and have been passed, but are yet to be implemented in Arunachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. Ask God to strengthen Christian workers in Gujarat as they face more opposition in serving the Lord. Pray the faithfulness of Indian Christians will be a light that draws many to the love of Christ. Matthew 5:14-16

KAZAKHSTAN

Churches Facing Administrative Charges - Forum 18 News

On April 21, the government in Kazakhstan brought charges against the Salem Church in the capital city of Atyrau, in Atyrau province, for holding "illegal" meetings under Article 374, part 1, of the Administrative Code, which punishes unregistered church activity. According to Forum 18 News, "The charges are a response to a group of Russian-speaking church members meeting regularly in a private home instead of the church's registered address. The church's leader, however, stated that the Administrative Code allows such groups to meet in a member's private home, so long as important religious ceremonies-such as baptisms and weddings-are not conducted." Meanwhile, local authorities have asked the New Life Church, also in Atyrau city, to re-register since their old registration did not indicate a legal address. Forum 18 reports, "Since the church does not currently have a building, re-registering will be difficult as Kazakhstan's amended Religion Law demands that a church indicate a legal address. Church members fear they will be subject to penalty because authorities will now consider their church activity 'illegal.'" Pray for wisdom for these churches and their leaders as they face pressure and opposition from authorities. Pray that the Word of God will continue to spread throughout Kazakhstan. Psalm 5:11-12


www.persecution.com

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us a kingdom and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
Revelation 1:3-8

Today we celebrate Christ's coming with the clouds in His glorious Ascension to the Father!

As Daniel had seen:

"I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed."
(7:13, 14)

Jesus has ascended to His heavenly throne, the throne of David. As the Apostle Peter said:

Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. "For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: "The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."' "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
(Acts 2:30-36)

The Apostle Paul echoed the same:

"which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."
(Ephesians 1:20-23)

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love...
(Colossians 1:13)

With His Ascension, Christ sealed His triumph over Satan! (Luke 10:17-24; John 12:27-36; Ephesians 4:2-16; Colossians 2:13-15; Hebrews 2:14-18) The Old Covenant has ended, the New Covenant has begun!

Christ is enthroned! Hallelujah!

Prayer is the mainspring of the American spirit, a fundamental tenet of our people since before the Republic was founded. A year before the Declaration of Independence, in 1775, the Continental Congress proclaimed the first National Day of Prayer as the initial positive action they asked of every colonist... It took the tragedy of the Civil War to restore a National Day of Prayer. As Abraham Lincoln said, "Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us." ...From General Washington's struggle at Valley Forge to the present, this Nation has fervently sought and received divine guidance as it pursued the course of history...

Ronald Reagan
National Day of Prayer, 1983: A Proclamation