PRAY CENTRAL
FLORIDA
Dear
Fellow Prayer Warrior, May, 2007
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ. On the Global Day of Prayer, May 27th, hundreds of
millions of Christians will be crying out to the Father for global
transformation. The
Global Day of Prayer is a world-wide celebration centered around
Pentecost Sunday. The mission of this celebration is to unite the global body
of Christ, to seek God for revival, intercede on behalf of our world, and
collaborate for the blessing and transformation of our cultures. It is preceded
by ten days of prayer (Acts 1:14); celebrated in public venues on Pentecost
(Acts 2:1) and followed by "90 Days of Blessing" on communities after
Pentecost (Acts 2:42). Please see below for more details.
Global Day of Prayer – May 27th – in 2006, millions of Christians in 199 countries
joined together to pray for global revival. Join us in 2007. Locally, 24/7
prayer rooms will be open for the 10 days prior in various spots throughout our
area. Youth prayer teams will be praying in the high places the day of (May 27th)
and various gatherings are being planned for that night. See www.gdopusa.com for information and
resources (including a great 10 day prayer guide and a “Prayer for the World”
to be prayed on the GDP). Through a kind donation we have been able to put a
prayer guide in the hands of over 300 of the inmates Pray Central Florida
ministers to each month in the Orange and Seminole County jails. Some of these
inmates are very excited to be a part of this global move of God and are
planning to spend much time in prayer.
Global Day of Prayer season – May 17 - 27th
– Some Local Observances
Our local GDP contact is Maureen Bravo - Maureen@ruii.org, 407-332-7286.
Orange County - 24 hours / day - May
17 – 26 – Restoration Christian Center in Orlando, 1600 N. Chickasaw Trail. 2nd floor - main building – Room 203 / 204. Instructions
on the glass doors to gain access between 10 PM – 6 AM daily. Contact:
Pastor Mike: 407- 382-2056.
Orange County – 7:00 a.m. to 7:00
p.m. – May 17 – 26 - Campus Crusade for Christ
International HQ Prayer Center in Orlando, 100
Lake Hart Drive 3000. Contact: Milt –
407-826-2691.
Orange County - 24 hours / day - May
17 – 26 – Worship House of Prayer in Ocoee, 120 W. McKey
Street. Contact: George – (407) 877-5970 x 204, george@lwcocoee.com, www.worshiphouseofprayer.com.
Seminole County – 9:00 a.m. to Midnight – May 17 – 26
- The Gathering Place Worship Center in Sanford, 1721 S. Orange Blvd.
Contact: Tanya - (407) 324-0200 x 7004 (Office),
www.tgpworship.com.
Osceola County – 24 hours / day - May
17 – 26 – Ridgeland Community Church in Kissimmee, Vista Del Lago Center, 8681 W. Irlo Bronson
Pkwy (Hwy 192). Contact: Sheila - (352) 217-3236.
Lake County – 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
May 22-25 – Hope International Church in Groveland. Contact: Pastors Jenny or Jodie at (352) 429-4722, www.hopeinternationalchurch.net.
Brevard County – 2:00 p.m. May 27 – YMCA Gym at the
Brevard Community College in Cocoa. Contact: Space Coast Prayer Network –
Pastor Larry Booth, 321-777-0057.
See page 2 for Current Prayer Events
An E-mail version of this
newsletter (with more stuff!) is also available - send me an E-mail to sign up.
See this newsletter on the web at www.christiansnet.com/praycf/praycf.htm.
George Kern, 405 East Jersey St, Orlando, FL 32806,
407-245-1132, praycf@juno.com
Pray
Central Florida – Praying for Central Florida and encouraging the Church in
Central Florida to pray
PRAY CENTRAL
FLORIDA
Page 2 May,
2007
For
additional Christian events see the Z88.3 events web site - http://zradio.org.
It is recommended to verify the event details with the
contact person or web site.
May 27 – Global
Day of Prayer – www.gdopusa.com. See
previous page for information.
June 2nd – 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. - Make ‘m Smile event at Lake Eola. Make ‘m Smile is a community event that celebrates
the lives of VIP kids (kids with special needs) and their families and features
a Buddy Stroll where VIP families are "buddied
up" with people from around the community for a stroll around Lake Eola. Enjoy free food, entertainment, prizes, and a chance
to visit exhibitors that service the special needs community. www.nathanielshope.org
June 7th –
6:00 p.m. - Full
Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship Monthly Dinner Meeting. Location: Holiday House on Aloma.
Speaker: Don Mounts, National Director of the Fellowship. Contact Joseph
Shaia for info - 407/682-3216.
Daily – various times
– Worship House of Prayer - get a
taste of IHOP without having to fly to Kansas City. Location: 120 W. McKey St., Ocoee. Web site
for info and schedule: www.worshiphouseofprayer.com,
or call 407.877.5970, ext. 201.
Weekdays –
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – all day worship and prayer hosted by Love of Christ Ministries (Mack McCambridge). Location: Faith World church, Orlando. Call
407-292-0966 for info.
Tuesdays – 6:00 a.m. - Sanford Ministerial Fellowship -
Pastors Praying for Sanford. Info: Jim
Bradshaw - 407-322-4371, jimbrdshw@bellsouth.net.
Tuesday and Friday
mornings – Full Gospel Businessmen’s
Fellowship.
Fellowship and bible study breakfasts and monthly evening meeting. Contact Joseph Shaia for info -
407/682-3216.
Tuesday
evenings - 6:00 p.m. – Community Healing & Prayer Service. All Saints Church, 338 East
Lyman Av. Winter Park.
Call 407-647-3413 for info. www.allsaintswp.com.
Tuesday
evenings - 7:00 p.m. - Servants of the Most High Interdenominational
prayer group meets in the Longwood area. For more info, call Maureen at
407-332-7286.
Second Tuesday
– 6:30 p.m. – Aglow – women’s
fellowship and prayer meeting for Apopka/Ocoee. Contact: Rhonda, 407-884-0238.
Thursday
Evenings – 7:30 p.m. Oviedo Healing
Rooms - Healing in the Name of
JESUS through the Power of GOD's Presence and Prayer. 145 W. Broadway Blvd., Oviedo. Call 407-529-7111 for
appointment (suggested but not necessary) www.OviedoHealingRoom.com.
Friday
evenings – 7:30 p.m. – International Concert of Prayer – prayer for
Orlando, USA & the world. At Greaterlife Church in
Oviedo, call Pastor Jeff Good for information at 407-365-5950.
First Saturday of month - Prayer
for Muslims - 10:00 a.m.-Noon, Orlando. Peter Shadid
- 240-6272.
Peter has a team reaching Muslims in
Kissimmee and can train people for outreach in Orlando.
Second
Saturday of month – 9:00 a.m. - KNEC (Kingdom Network Empowering
Communities) –Orlando. Contact: Pastor Helligar –
407-299-6677.
Second and Third
Saturdays – 5:00 a.m. City-wide Prayer
Meeting. Hampton
Inn at 7448 International Drive, Orlando. Sponsor: Pastor Mary Norman,
321-276-5352.
Second Saturday of month – Aftercare Network Prayer Meeting. Networking ex-inmates
and Aftercare Providers. Call Chaplain Fleeks
at 407-836-0384.
Second Saturday of
month – 4 p.m. - Pray for the Troops
– Location: WHOP - 120 W. McKey St., Ocoee.
Info: www.lzrussell.org/PrayForTheTroops,
or call Greg at 407-327-4422.
Third Saturday of month – Prayer
for the Persecuted Church. Longwood. Email
amystrang@aol.com.
Daily - Lighthouse Report (with Steve Douglass) – on the web at www.lighthousereport.com
And
here is the extra stuff you don’t get with the snail mail version...
=================================
(1) Special Prayer Night – Monday May 21st
(1.5) First Friday Prayer and Fasting
(2) 40 Days for 40 Years – by Lou Engle. Fasting and The Call Nashville on 7/7/07
(3) Patriot Post on “Gay Days at Disney”
(4) Apostles
Roundtable – George Barna compares morals of Busters
and Boomers, and Iraq’s Persecuted Christians.
(5)Victory
& Glory at Martyr's Funeral
*NPPN -
NATIONAL PASTORS' PRAYER NETWORK - US
A
Ministry Network Of The Mission America Coalition
OUR
VISION-
Identify
And Encourage Pastors' Prayer Groups In Cities And
Communities
Across
America So That Pastors Lead Their
People Into Praying For And Sharing Christ With Everyone In Our
Nation.
Subscribe
to the NPPN: http://www.nppn.org/subscribe.htm
<http://rd.bcentral.com/?ID=757173&s=5913893>
*************************************************************
(1) Special Prayer Night – Monday May 21st
From:
Worship House of Prayer <newsletter@worshiphouseofprayer.com>
To:
praycf@juno.com
Date:
Sat, 19 May 2007 10:00:13 -0400 (EDT)
--Special Prayer Monday Night
The WHOP Missions Base (Livings Waters Church, WHOP, Food Pantry, Solomon Company, Forerunner Miracle Institute) have partnered with The Gathering Place for 21 days of prayer and Daniel fasting, May 7- 27. We are following the direction from the Lord given in January to join with The Gathering Place for seasons of fasting during 2007. This is our second joint effort.
This Monday, May 21, we are calling for a special time of corporate prayer during this season of fasting. Plan to participate during this set apart time, 6-10pm. We will meet at Worship House of Prayer.
This time of united
prayer and fasting focuses on two main kingdom issues for these ministries and
for the Bride of central Florida:
Location:
120 W. McKey St., Ocoee.
407.877.5970,
ext. 201.
***************************************************************
(1.5) First Friday Prayer and Fasting
From: INTERCESSORS FOR AMERICA
<ifa@ifapray.org>
To: praycf@juno.com
Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 16:38:45 -0400
(EDT)
ORGANIZATIONS CALL
YOUTH TO PRAYER,
PURITY AND FIRST FRIDAY FASTING
Washington, D.C. - A new coalition of Christian Ministries have
joined forces to more effectively reach America's Youth (see below). They
issued the following statement on the May 3, 2007 National Day of Prayer,
urgently calling young people across America to pray and fast on the first Friday
of every month beginning June 1, 2007:
"Recognizing the challenges facing America's youth, and the
devastation that sexual immorality and moral relativism have had and are having
on this generation of young people, we urge students to pursue sexual purity
and to pray for their generation and for our nation (1 Cor
6:18).
We the undersigned call upon students, Christian teachers and ministry leaders
to join together on the first Friday of every month to pray and fast for our
nation and for spiritual awakening among the youth of our nation (2 Chr 7:14)."
Tony Perkins, Family Research Council. www.frc.org
Tim Echols, TeenPact, www.teenpact. com
Gary Bergel, Intercessors for America, www.ifapray.org
Jeff Eckart, Kentwood Community Church, www.kcconline .org
Charles Gilmer, Impact Movement, www.i mpactmovement.com
Jason Hershey, YWAM, www.ywam.org
Banning Liebscher, Bethel Church, www.ibethel.org
Randy Sims, Worldview Academy, www.worldvie w.org
Ron Luce, Teen Mania Ministries, www.battlecry. com
Alan Chambers, Exodus International, www.exodus.to
Terry Millender, Victorious Life Church, www .victoriouslifechurch.org
Johnnie Moore, Liberty University, www.liberty.edu
Dick Simmons, Men for Nations, www.menf ornations.org
Karen Wheaton, Karen Wheaton Ministries, www.kare nwheaton.com
Bob Morrison, The Witherspoon Fellowship, w ww.witherspoonfellowship.org
Gary Gilbertson, Prepare Ministries, www.p repareministries.com
Lou Engle, The Call USA, www.thecall.com
Matt Lockett, Bound4Life, www.bound4 life.com
Derek McCoy, High Impact Leadership Coalition, www.himpact us.com
Marcus Harris, Global Outreach Campus Ministries, www.gocm.org
Mike Schutt, Institute for Christian Legal Studies , www. clsnet.org/lsmPages/IS
David Kiehn, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, www.fca4dc.org
Minh Chau, Youth
Interceding for America, www.yifa.org
Dean Nelson, Wellington Boone Ministries, www.wellingtonboone.com
PLEASE "FORWARD" THIS TO YOUR PRAYING FRIENDS - IFA | YIFA is privileged to be a part of
this mobilization and fresh call to America's youth. Having observed first
Friday prayer and fasting for almost 35 years, we are encouraged to see this
great "amplification" of united prayer and fasting. The Pilgrims,
Puritans and other founding New England pastors and churches formed
"prayer covenants" and regularly called the members of their
congregations to unite in days of earnest prayer, repentance and fasting. The
following prophetic exhortation made by Jonathan Edwards during the First Great
Awakening shows the historic pattern of awakening we are again walking in:
Walking out the vision
of America's Christian founders . . .
"I have often said it would be a thing very desirable, and
very likely to be followed with a great blessing, if there could be some
contrivance, that there should be an agreement of all God's people in America .
. .to keep a Day of Fasting and Prayer to God; wherein, we should all unite on
the same day . . .It seems to me, it would mightily encourage and animate God's
saints, in humbly and earnestly seeking God, for such blessings which concerns
them all; and that it would be much for the rejoicing of all, to think, that at
the same time such multitudes of God's dear children, far and near, were
sending up their cries to the same common Father for the same motives."
- Jonathan
Edwards, 1742
INTERCESSORS FOR
AMERICA
P O Box 915 Purcellville, VA
20134
Fax 540-751-0984 ifa@ifapray.org
web: http://www.ifapray.org
**************************************************************
(2) 40 Days for 40 Years – by Lou Engle. Fasting and The Call Nashville on 7/7/07
There are moments in history when a door for massive change opens,
and great revolutions for good or evil spring up in the vacuum created by these
openings. In these divine moments key men and women and even entire
generations risk everything to become the hinge of history, the pivotal point
that determines which way the door will swing.
The rebellious generation of the 60’s seized its moment, and history crashed
into the deep abyss of drug addiction, sexual immorality, hatred for authority,
and a rejection of the law of God. 1967 was a culminating and defining
moment in that rebellion. In 1967, 100,000 young people, aged 15-25
flocked to San Francisco to experience the hippie movement. This mass
convergence was sparked by the hit song, San Francisco, (Wear a Flower in your
Hair). Once there, they experimented with LSD, pot, casual sex and
Eastern mysticism in what became known as the “Summer of Love.”
When these newly recruited Flower Children returned home at the end of the
summer, they brought with them new styles and ideas, flooding the cities of the
US and Europe with a message that opposed authority and scorned conservative
morals. This counterculture rebellion was fueled by music and art, and it
rapidly shifted global culture.
For 40 years we have been falling headlong into a black moral morass in America
and all through the west. We are reaping the waves of destruction in
every sector of our post Christian society. Can America survive another
40 years? We are declaring NO! A thousand times NO! Unless a
massive spiritual shift occurs at this moment our children will live under an
antichrist system and Godless enculturation that will bring about the demise of
America, as we know it.
But God has a prescription for such a massive shift
and it is revealed in the power of the great transitional 40-day fast.
God in His sovereign control over the parade of history delivered the
Israelites out of Egypt. Longing to release a moral code that would give
foundations for righteousness, for time and eternity, God summoned Moses to a
40-day fast on Mount Sinai. In that fast all of history changed and the
law of God was delivered from heaven to earth. And if America is going to
return to God it must recover that law again as its foundation for truth.
Elijah, at the height of Jezebel’s cultic dominion over Israel fasted 40 days,
broke the spell of Jezebel off of his own life and received a mandate to anoint
the next generation. That fast unleashed a movement that toppled Jezebel’s
regime of hell, which perpetrated the destruction of family, the killing of innocent
children, the silencing of the voice of God’s people and the widespread culture
of sexual immorality. The fruit of that fast culminated in the utter
destruction of Baal worship in Israel.
Also in the fullness of time the glorious gospel era was born when Jesus fasted
40 days and those who sat in darkness saw a great light. Clearly the
40-day fast is heaven’s great transitional prescription, moving nations from
failure to fulfillment of promise. Is it any surprise that when Jesus was
to enter into His great sacrifice where death would be swallowed up in victory,
Elijah and Moses appear with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration.
All three of them were together as the 40-day fasters. They presided over
the great transitions of history.
When the Israelites were poised to move into the Promise Land, spies were sent
out for 40 days. When they returned carrying an evil report, a whole
generation was infected with unbelief and they turned there back on the Promise
Land. God’s sentence on that generation was, “And your sons shall be
wanderers in the wilderness for 40 years and bear the brunt of your infidelity
until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. According to the
number of the days in which you spied out the land 40 days, for each day you
shall bear your guilt one year, namely 40 years, and you shall know my
rejection.” (Numbers 14:33-34) It was 40 years of judgment for 40 days failure.
Conversely the great prophet Ezekiel received a 40-day prayer assignment for a
40-year failure of Judah’s iniquity. “Lie again on your right side, then
you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah, 40 days I have laid on you a
day for each year.” (Ezekiel 4:6) It was clearly 40 days prayer for 40 years of
failure.
When Jesus fasted 40 days and was tempted of the devil he quoted from the book
of Deuteronomy saying, “It is written man shall not live by bread alone but by
every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” And again, “You shall
not tempt the Lord thy God” and again, “You shall worship the Lord your God and
Him only shall you worship.” Jesus in His victory over Satan was quoting
the book of Deuteronomy, the portion of scripture delivered by Moses to the
generation who failed in the desert. Jesus in His 40-day fast was clearly
identifying with that passage of scripture and that generation that came out of
Egypt. As an intercessor in His 40-day fast he was fulfilling what a
generation had failed in for 40 years.
40 years are up! Could the church of America in a 40-day fast deliver a nation
out of a 40-year curse? We have scriptural precedent to believe for such
a turning! Therefore, we are trumpeting a call to 40 days of fasting like
Moses, like Elijah, like Ezekiel, and like Jesus. We must bear the
iniquity in 40 days of fasting and intercession for the past 40 years of
divorcing God in America, embracing a culture of sexual immorality, hedonism,
materialism, abortion, and the rejection of Christ in the public place.
But we are also calling for 40 days of fasting and prayer for the greatest
outbreak of the kingdom power, in signs and wonders, and spiritual awakening in
America that will collide with this present darkness and topple its cultural
dominion over our people. Thousands went on 40-day fasts in 1946 and in 1947
the great healing revivals broke out. In 1948 the latter rain outpourings
began. Bill Bright and Billy Graham’s ministries were born at the same
time, and Israel became a nation. Could it be that the 40-day fast
preceded this explosion of power by the Spirit. After Jesus’ 40-day fast
the scripture says He returned in the power of the Spirit. Yes the
promise of Joel 2 is that after the fast I will pour out my Spirit on all
flesh…
40 years ago in 1967 the Jesus Movement broke out, a youth revival starting on
the streets that swept across the country, exploding in college campuses and
coffee houses. People were being saved everywhere. Now 40 years later we
are crying, do it again God, way beyond the Jesus movement!
In 1967, in a war and obviously by the supernatural hand of God, Jerusalem was
taken and once again brought under the control of the state of Israel. This was
a monumental signpost in the shifting of eras. The dispensation of the
times of the Gentiles was now beginning to shift to the times when Jerusalem
will become the last days focus for God’s activity in the earth. For 40
days we are joining Israel in a 40-day fast crying out to God that they would
see there Messiah and that they would begin to receive their greatest spiritual
awakening since the days of the Apostles.
Brothers and sisters moments like these come only once in a lifetime. To
miss such a moment could be to miss the purpose of God for a generation.
The generation that refused to cross over the Jordan did not know that they had
only one day to make the decision, and missing that day meant 40 years in the
desert.
Even now we are receiving reports that other countries are calling 40-day
fasts. Could we be in a Global 40-day season of fasting like Jesus to see
a global outbreak of light when great darkness is covering the earth?
Beginning the evening of May 28th we are calling 2 generations to 40 days of
fasting and prayer culminating on 7-7-07, the perfection of time, in a massive
national gathering of fasting, intercession, repentance, and worship declaring
we want to remarry the Lord. We want to cross over into the promise land
of national revival. We want to break this 40-year curse. May
thousands seek God in water, juice, and Daniel fasts from May 28th through
7-7-07, The Call Nashville.
What would happen in America if for 40 days we sealed the electronic cultural
sewer that flows nightly into our living rooms and spent our strength seeking
the Lord? What if tens of thousands of fathers and mothers across our
nation fasted for 40 days repenting and cleansing themselves of inward
toleration of sexual immorality, pornography, addiction to food and
entertainment, and materialism? What if they prayed daily for their
spiritual and physical children to see them converted to Christ and freed from
rebellion, from addictions, depression, and suicide? What if the young
generation fasted for 40 days to be cleansed from lust, media addiction,
rebellion toward there parents, believing that a double portion of the Holy
Spirit would come upon there lives?
Moses fasted 40 days and mentored a spiritual son named Joshua, which means the
Lord saves. Elijah fasted 40 days and threw his mantle on a double
portion son Elisha, which means the Lord saves. And John the Baptist fasted in the desert
and prepared the way for a double portion son named Jesus, which means the Lord
saves. Jesus fasted 40 days and unleashed the apostolic glory of the
eternal Son of God into the earth. What If we are preparing a generation
for the greatest day of salvation in history? And so, what if tens of
thousands of both generations fast together and gather on 7-7-07 for The Call
Nashville in LP Field, to cry out to God in a Joel 2 moment for great national
returning to the Lord?
The parade of history has brought us into a profound generational landmark, and
a great vacuum has opened again. If the church does not seize this moment
Muslims will! Antichrist rage will! Sexual perversion will! Anarchy
will! But now is the time for key men and women, even an entire
generation to risk everything to become the hinge of history, the pivotal point
which determines which way the door will swing in America and in the nations of
the earth. Its 40 Days or 40 Years! Seize the Day!
We will be launching this fast with a worldwide simulcast on God TV on
May 26th. For all information on the 40-day fast and The Call Nashville
please visit www.fastandpray.com
and www.thecall.com.
*************************************************************
(3) Patriot Post on “Gay Days at Disney”
13 April
2007
Patriot
Post Vol. 07 No. 15
Digest
In time
for the annual "Gay Days at Disney" festival (29 May - 4 June this
year), that special week when hordes of gender-confused
disciples descend on
the Disney theme park in Orlando, Florida, Walt Disney
Company has announced
that it will offer its Fairy Tale Wedding packages to
same-sex couples.
These
Fairy Tail "marriages" start at $4,000 and include nuptial celebrations
at one of the park's marriage pavilions. In addition,
they feature
Disney-costumed
characters for the reception and a horse-drawn, glass-enclosed
carriage to escort the happy couple through Disney property
for all to see.
Leslie
Goodman, a senior VP for Disney Parks and Resorts, said, "This is the
very logical extension of a business we are already
in." Disney Parks spokesman
Donn Walker added, "We believe this change is
consistent with Disney's
longstanding policy of welcoming all guests in an inclusive
environment."
Joe Solmonese, president of the Human (read: Homosexual) Rights
Campaign,
notes, "When an iconic company like the Walt Disney
Company recognizes
the value of treating all customers fairly, gay or
straight, it reaps the
benefits."
And, I
might add, the consequences.
There is
nothing "gay" about gender disorientation
pathology (http://PatriotPost.US/alexander/edition.asp?id=482), despite
all the Soulforce and Disney
fanfare. Just ask the former patients of
Dr.
William Ayres.
(The
Christian family is under assault from many quarters, one of the
most ominous being the secular challenges to traditional
sexual morality
as outlined in the basic canons of Christian foundational
guidance, Holy
Scripture. For an excellent booklet on this topic, link to
"Gender
Identity." (http://PatriotShop.US/product_info.php?cPath=57&products_id=616))
SUBSCRIBE:
The Patriot Post is FREE by E-mail! To get your own
subscription, link to -- http://PatriotPost.US/subscribe/
or if you don't have Web access, send a blank e-mail to:
mailto:subscribe@PatriotPost.US
*****************************************************************
(4) Apostles
Roundtable – George Barna compares morals of Busters
and Boomers, and Iraq’s Persecuted Christians.
Apostles Roundtable
http://groups.google.com/group/apostlesroundtable?hl=en
apostlesroundtable@googlegroups.com
Today's
topics:
* A NEW
GENERATION OF ADULTS BEND MORAL AND SEXUAL RULES TO SUIT THEMSELVES -
1
messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/apostlesroundtable/browse_thread/thread/a3687e6821152d63?hl=en
* TIME
RUNNING OUT FOR IRAQ'S PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS - 1 messages,
1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/apostlesroundtable/browse_thread/thread/5c5b6304c9321c71?hl=en
TOPIC: A
NEW GENERATION OF ADULTS BEND MORAL AND SEXUAL RULES TO SUIT
THEMSELVES
http://groups.google.com/group/apostlesroundtable/browse_thread/thread/a3687e6821152d63?hl=en
=====
== 1 of 1
==
Date:
Sun, May 13 2007 4:54 am
From: ap
A NEW
GENERATION OF ADULTS BEND MORAL AND SEXUAL RULES TO SUIT
THEMSELVES
Editors note: This article and the survey results it reveals
should
ring alarm bells for the future spiritual and moral health
of western
nations whose society's have been built on biblical
values. Unless
the Church is able to find meaningful ways of
communicating biblical
truth on moral values to a generation that is not listening
to
"outdated" moralising, western
civilisation will not survive. Is this
the outcome "we had to have" resulting from the
Church's failure over
many years to call "sin" for what it really is?
Most
people say they are concerned about moral values and the vast
majority of adults describe themselves as moral people. But
many have
difficulty agreeing on what a "moral" life should look
like - much
less how to make ethical decisions or how to define moral
standards.
A new
nationwide survey from The Barna Group in America
examines the
difference between those in their twenties and thirties (the
so-called
"Buster"
generation), and
those over the age of 40.
The new
study shows a significant divide between the nation's
young
adults and its older residents. Perhaps no moral dimension
has changed
as much as people's perspectives and behaviours
related to sexuality.
Among the
32 factors examined in the research, eight of them related
to such topics as extramarital sex, pornography,
homosexuality, and
sexual fantasies. In all eight of these areas, Busters were
significantly different from older Americans.
Some of
these differences show up in the sexual activities engaged in
during the past month. Busters were twice as likely to have
viewed
sexually explicit movies or videos; two and a half times more
likely
to report having had a sexual encounter outside of
marriage; and three
times more likely to have viewed sexually graphic content
online.
But many
Busters also defy sexual convention in their attitudes. For
instance, more than two-thirds of the generation said that
cohabitation and sexual fantasies are morally acceptable behaviours,
compared with half of older adults. Almost half of Busters
believed
that sexual relationships between people of the same sex
are
acceptable, compared with one-quarter of older adults.
The new
rules of morality also affect how young adults interact with
others, creating less civility, respect, or patience.
Busters were
twice as likely as their parents' generation to use profanity
in
public, to talk about others behind their back, to lie or do
something
to get back at someone who hurts or offends them, to
steal, or engage
in acts of violence.
Given
their familiarity with and access to technology, the study also
showed that young adults were ten times more likely than
older adults
to download or trade music online illegally. While some
of that gap
can be attributed to the relative comfort of the younger
adults with
the technologies involved, a considerable degree of the
gap must be
credited to the different moral standards of the two adult
segments.
The
lifestyles of young and old were indistinguishable in a few ways.
Out of
the 16 areas of moral behaviour, adults across the
generations
were equally likely to have given someone "the
finger" while driving,
to smoke, to buy a lottery ticket, and to place a bet or
gamble.
Busters'
perspectives were no different from that of their elders on
three issues: the acceptability of abortion, allowing the
"f-word" on
broadcast television, and deeming divorce not to be a sin.
However,
other large generational gaps emerged when the survey
explored how people decide what is right and wrong. Nearly
half of all
pre-Busters said they view moral truth as absolute, but only
three out
of 10 Busters embraced the concept of absolute truth.
Two-thirds of
those over 40 said humans should determine what is right
and wrong
morally by examining God's principles; less than half of
Busters felt
this way. Instead, nearly half of Busters said that ethics
and morals
are based on "what is right for the person,"
compared with just one-
quarter of pre-Busters.
When
asked to describe how they make moral and ethical choices, a
majority of pre-Busters said they follow a set of principles
or
guidelines, while less than half of Busters (including just
one-third
of those in their twenties) said they follow such
external ideals.
To what
extent does faith make a difference among Busters? Born again
Busters
were somewhat less likely to illegally download music, to
smoke, to view pornography, to purchase a lottery ticket,
or to use
profanity. However, young believers were actually more likely
than non-
believers to try to get back at someone and to have stolen
something.
Moreover,
on eight of the 16 behaviours, the profile of born
again
Busters
was virtually identical to that of non-born again Busters.
In terms
of attitudes, the typical pattern was for born again adults
over 40 to be most closely aligned with biblical
perspectives,
followed far behind by other segments, including younger
Christians.
For
example, just 33% of born again pre-Busters believe that
cohabitation is morally acceptable. However, among born again
Busters
nearly twice as many (59%) agreed, representing a majority
of young
Christian adults. This same response pattern was evident when it came
to gambling, sexual fantasies, abortion, sex outside of
marriage,
profanity, pornography, same-sex marriage, and the use of
illegal
drugs.
The
director of the research, David Kinnaman, pointed
out, "The
research shows that people's moral profile is more likely to
resemble
that of their peer group than it is to take shape around
the tenets of
a person's faith. This research paints a compelling
picture that moral
values are shifting very quickly and significantly within the
Christian community as well as outside of it."
When
asked to put the findings about Busters in context, especially in
comparison to the views and behaviours
of Baby Boomers, Kinnaman
explained that "the morality of Busters comes from a very
different
background. For instance, divorce, crime, single-parent
households,
and suicide were much more prevalent while Busters grew
up. Boomers
took moral experimentation to new heights, but Busters now
live in a
world where such experimentation is the norm, not the
exception.
Busters
have a more disconnected, individualized, less
trusting spin
on morality. They are trying to create a sense of
identity because
they feel that shaping influences such as family, church,
and
community have failed them. Boomers experimented to overthrow
the
morals of their parents, while Busters live with a mindset
of trying
to survive.
"It
is important for churches to understand the natural scepticism
of
Busters
as well as their desire for spiritual and conversational
depth," he continued. "Young adults do not want
to hear on-the-stage
monologues about moral regulations. To earn access to their
hearts and
minds, you have to understand each person's unique
background,
identity, and doubts, and must tangibly model a biblical lifestyle
for
them beyond the walls of the church."
The
researcher also put the sexuality data in perspective. "It is rare
to see such large gaps between population segments and
it confirms a
major shift in the way Busters think and behave sexually.
Sexual
experimentation is not new. But it is striking to see sexual
behaviours and attitudes that were uncommon now becoming part of
the
accepted, mainstream experience of young people." The
Vice President
of the Barna Group added,
"We expect to see this mindset of sexual
entitlement translate into increased appetites for pornography,
unfiltered acceptance of sexual themes and content in media, and
continued dissolution of marriages due to infidelity. It seems
entirely possible that current events such as instances of
abuse by
clergy, and the sexually oriented school shootings of recent
months
are not mere aberrations, but symptoms of a sexually
unrestrained
society."
Kinnaman encouraged churches to help individuals grasp
sexuality from
a biblical perspective in ways that do not demean
people's personal
struggles in the blunt and permissive culture we inhabit.
"Young
adults are deaf to the same old complaints and cautions
typically
offered up by church leaders, whether those conditions are
biblically
accurate or not. Busters have created their own music,
language,
media, technology and relational networks. For Christians
to connect
with Busters requires fresh ideas and connecting points to
help young
adults deal with overwhelming amounts of sexually charged
media. The
strategies that affected Boomers are falling flat among Busters.
We
need thoughtful means of intervention and discussion, a
new emphasis
on biblical counselling, and
meaningful forms of accountability. Every
church has a responsibility to provide its congregants with a
menu of
relevant and biblical resources that will help people live
morally
healthy and fulfilled lives."
Source: Barna Research Group
TOPIC:
TIME RUNNING OUT FOR IRAQ'S PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS
http://groups.google.com/group/apostlesroundtable/browse_thread/thread/5c5b6304c9321c71?hl=en
=====
== 1 of 1
==
Date:
Mon, May 14 2007 1:29 pm
TIME
RUNNING OUT FOR IRAQ'S PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS
The
growing collapse of law and order in Iraq is a tragedy. All Iraqis
are affected, but the country's Christian minority is
bearing the
heaviest burden.
Christianity in the territory now known as Iraq
dates back to at least the 4th century A.D., well before
the advent of
Islam. The church survived various forms of persecution over
the
centuries, but faces what may be its greatest challenge yet.
Although
Saddam Hussein was no friend of Christianity - no dictator
can be - he did not target Christians for their faith.
They were no
more free than anyone else, but at least they were
insulated from
jihadist violence. The overthrow of Hussein initially created
space
for evangelism, and thousands of Iraqis responded. New
believers
flocked to new churches.
But the
explosion of crime and lawlessness, rise of domestic
insurgents, and influx of foreign jihadists
have made life impossible
for many Christians. Gangs have targeted Christians for
extortion and
kidnapping. Bombings and shootings have caught Christians as
well as
Muslims. And Islamic extremists, notes Jacobson, "have
targeted
Christians
for everything from violating Islamic dress codes to
simply
being Christians."
By some
estimates half of the pre-war population of 1.2 million
Christians-a
mix of Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox faiths-have
fled Iraq, many going to Syria. Other Iraqi Christians have
sought to
emigrate to America and Europe. Time is running out to save
Iraq's
Christians.
Source:
Christian Freedom International
**************************************************************
(5)Victory
& Glory at Martyr's Funeral
Donna
Chappell
May 3, 2007
Beloved Warriors:
Here is the most recent post regarding the funeral of one of the martyrs in
Turkey. I am keeping the comments of the one who sent it, the same person
who sent the last one I posted.
Only our God could turn such horror into glory! This was no sad defeat of
grieving folks who have no hope! What a contrast!
Pray that the voice of the blood of these courageous martyrs will continue to
preach Truth and Love from beyond the grave. Blood has a voice. It
continues to cry -- literally "shriek" -- from the ground.
(Gen. 4:10) There has been so much blood spilled contending for the soul
of muslim nations. We will
see the harvest of these nations!
Keep praying for Turkey, and for the Lord of the Harvest to send in many who
will further the work of the Kingdom there!
Blessings, precious ones.
Donna
Tampa Bay, Florida
PS -- See you at the next Day of Refreshing, May 19!
------
I
recently sent you the gory details of the martyrdom of 3 men in
Turkey. Here is a first hand report of one of their funerals that will
rescue our hearts from hate or fear or anger, and give us understanding
of God's heart and purposes. Here it is:
A Powerful witness in the funeral of the Turkish Martyrs
On Wednesday April 18, 2007, the fledgling Christian community in this
nation of 70 million Muslims, suffered a devastating blow, when three of
its finest, were brutally murdered for their faith. One German and two
other Turkish brothers were found in the print shop, in south central
Turkey, where they published and sold Bibles. They had been tortured,
stabbed repeatedly, and bound with their throats slit. Sadly, it was at
the hands of five trusted young men, who had claimed to be seekers of
our LORD. The murder was skillfully pre-meditated and ruthlessly carried
out. Needless to say, as members of the Body, we have been deeply
grieved by this terrible tragedy. Yet, what appeared to be a victory for
the enemy has since resulted in the most OPEN DECLARATION of the GOSPEL
this nation has seen since the Apostle Paul! Therefore, we rejoice that
not one drop of blood shed by these dear saints has fallen to the ground
in vain.
Last Saturday, approximately 500 believers gathered in a demonstration
of solidarity, to honor the lives of these colleagues. Despite the heavy
police and media coverage in a country that is 99.9% Muslim, each of us
had determined that is was worth the risk and exposure, to stand
together for our LORD. After all, it seemed a small sacrifice, compared
to the loss experienced by the wives, children and fiancé of the
deceased.
What we witnessed has FOREVER changed our lives! As the body was carried
into the courtyard, high upon the shoulders of our Turkish brothers,
spontaneous applause burst forth! I leaned over to my national friend
and queried, "Is this normal for funerals, in your culture?"
"No," he
asserted, "it's because he's a martyr!" As the casket continued its
journey toward the front, ethereally beautiful worship music
erupted-somewhat reminiscent of a Gregorian chant. Then everyone joined
together in the singing of Turkish praise songs.
However, what followed
nearly took our breath away! Approximately ten [Christian] Turkish
leaders proclaimed openly the GOSPEL in front of television cameras,
newspaper reporters, police officials, the Deputy Governor of Izmir and
several other important officials. FEARLESSLY, yet with GENTLE STRENGTH
each shared his faith in CHRIST, and HIS FORGIVENESS of those who had
committed the heinous murders! Additionally, they shared that CHRIST had
won the VICTORY, and at this very hour the martyrs were standing before
the very throne of GOD! Several mentioned that the lives of these men
were perhaps the seeds that must be planted in order for a harvest to
come forth. One pastor passionately exclaimed, "We will spread this
message, God's Word, because we are children of the Word! You may kill
us all, but we will spread this message, because we love you and because
Jesus loves you! We forgive the attackers, because we too, have been
forgiven." Powerful applause, "Amens"
and "Hallelujahs" erupted from
among the scores of nationalities represented there! It was awesome!
However, what happened next.....can ONLY be explained by the
SUPERNATURAL LOVE and STRENGTH that GOD ALONE can give. Spontaneously,
in an unplanned moment-- Necati's wife asked if she
could speak. "Amid
her tears she spoke of her forgiveness of the very men who had tortured
and killed her precious husband, and the father of her children! In an
emotion filled voice, she asserted: "I know my Necati
was praying for
them, even while he was being tortured." She also spoke of the wonderful
love they shared as a family and their joy in serving the LORD together.
Lastly, she stated "I loved my husband very, very much---but, I love my
Jesus even more. And that is how I can face tomorrow." Again
thunderous applause burst forth! We were spell bound!
In the closing moments of this incredible service, one of the pastors
shouted "Afferin Necati!!!
Afferin Tilman!!! Afferin Ugur!!!---Which
translated means--- "Well done Necati!! Well done Tilman!! Well done
Ugur!! We are certain the LORD echoed those same
sentiments, as he
received those precious men into HIS heavenly kingdom!!! Then, as
Necati's body was lovingly ushered onward to its
final resting place,
applause and praise resonated throughout the garden! As we looked up,
we noticed that the media stood utterly dumbfounded! We were quite
certain they had NEVER witnessed anything like this before. Yet, as
believers we knew we had been in the very presence of the LORD! It
seemed as if we had observed church history in the very making. Most
importantly, we believe that the precious blood of these saints was NOT
shed in vain, but will be used to further GOD'S KINGDOM in a manner that
has not occurred since the time of the apostles! So let it be
written--- so let it be done!!!!!!
"No man is greater than his prayer life." -- Leonard Ravenhill
For His glory,
Donna Chappell
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