Please pray for American believers

Peanut Gallery: Yesterday I watched the film – “Last Ounce of Courage.” I would describe it as a B Movie with an A+ message… it received a standing ovation from the dozen or so people at the early afternoon showing.

It’s the message that prompts me to ask you to pray for American believers: American believers have been, and are now, undergoing a “soft” – but systematic – persecution that has gradually eroded our First Amendment “free exercise of religion” rights.

“Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.” Galatians 5.1 MSG

Consider, for example, the Christmas celebrations and displays of 25-30 years ago – in schools, parks, market places, on TV and other public spaces – with those of today’s non-descript “Winter” Celebrations. We have become so brainwashed that a simple “Merry Christmas” in the grocery store feels like some major act of civil disobedience. What has happened to us?

Religion in America: The majority of Americans (76-80%) identify themselves as Christians… 36% say that they attend worship services every week or more… and a majority of Americans report that religion plays a “very important” role in their lives, a proportion unique among developed nations (see Wikipedia “Religion in America”).

The text of the First Amendment to the country’s Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” It guarantees the free exercise of religion while also preventing the government from establishing a state religion. The Supreme Court has also interpreted this as preventing the government from having any authority in religion.

Please pray that American believers:

would have the courage of our convictions,
would speak up for God’s Truth as we see it,
would be prepared to give a reason for the hope that is in us;
and would do so kindly, gently and clearly.

Please pray for believers in Malaysia

September 14 | Malaysia – Please pray for the Christian workers in Malaysia who have dedicated themselves to nurturing Muslim-background believers. They are isolated from one another and seldom receive encouragement. Pray that their strength and passion for the ministry will be renewed.

Malaysia (Wikipedia) is a federal constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia. It consists of thirteen states and three federal territories and has a total landmass of 329,847 square kilometres (127,350 sq mi) separated by the South China Sea into two similarly sized regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo. Land borders are shared with Thailand, Indonesia, and Brunei, and maritime borders exist with Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. In 2010 the population exceeded 27.5 million, with over 20 million living on the Peninsula… of which approximately 2.6 million are Christians.

Christianity has established itself in some communities, especially in “East Malaysia”. It is not tied to any specific ethnic group.

Religion in Malaysia (Wikipedia) – Religion often follows ethnic lines, with most Muslims being Malays. The code of Islam enforced is “Sunni”. Islam was introduced by traders, becoming firmly established in the 15th century. The government promotes a moderate form of Islam known as Islam Hadhari. Any teaching which deviates from the official Sunni code is illegal, and no other forms of Islam are allowed. The country has both civil and Sharia courts, with all Muslims having to follow Shariah laws. These are enforced by the government and police forces.

Relations between different religious groups are generally quite tolerant. Christmas, Chinese New Year, and Deepavali have been declared national holidays alongside Islamic holidays. Various groups have been set up to try to promote religious understanding among the different groups, with religious harmony seen as a priority by Malaysian politicians. However, it is illegal to convert Muslims to other religions, and disputes have arisen over the use of the word “Allah” for God in religions other than Islam. Restrictions on religious freedom exist, especially for Muslims, who are often not allowed to legally convert to other religions, and are forced into rehabilitation camps if they attempt to.

Open Doors describes the difficulty facing believers –

The government has banned the use of the Malay language Bible and other Christian books because it deems their contents to be detrimental to public peace. There are a few Christian workers in Malaysia dedicated in reaching out to local believers. Expatriate Christian workers have declined in numbers due to visa restrictions.

Please pray that they will learn to cast their cares on Jesus and enter His rest every day.

But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed. (2 Tim. 4:17)

Please pray for believers in Brunei

September 10 | Brunei – The Good News of Jesus Christ is reaching the Bruneians through today’s technology. Some of them go to the extent of looking for Christians to talk about Jesus. Please pray for the Christian children in Brunei, to be ready to share their hope in Christ.

BRUNEI – officially the Nation of Brunei, “the Abode of Peace,” is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the state of Sarawak, Malaysia, and it is separated into two parts by the Sarawak district of Limbang. It is the only sovereign state completely on the island of Borneo, with the remainder of the island belonging to Malaysia and Indonesia. Brunei’s population was 401,890 in July 2011. (Wikipedia)

OIL RICH – Brunei has the second highest Human Development Index among the South East Asia nations after Singapore, and is classified as a developed country.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Brunei is ranked 5th in the world by gross domestic product per capita at purchasing power parity. The IMF also states in a 2011 estimate that Brunei was one of two countries (the other being Libya) with their public debt 0% of the national GDP. Forbes also ranks Brunei as the fifth richest nation out of 182 nations due to its extensive petroleum and natural gas fields. (Wikipedia)

CHRISTIANS represent approximately 10% of Bruneians however their activities are strictly limited:

Christianity is the religion of about 10% of the population of Brunei. Contact with Christians in other countries, the import of Bibles and public celebration of Christmas are banned by decree. Christians in Brunei are not allowed to proselytize. Schools are not allowed to teach Christianity. If religious organizations fail to register, its members can be imprisoned. Teaching of non-Muslim religions in schools is prohibited. Marriages between Christians and Muslims are prohibited. People, who change their religion from Islam to another, are subject to societal and official pressure. There was 0.6% Evangelicals in 1996. (Wikipedia)

OPEN DOORS – warns of the threat posed by Sharia Law:

About two-thirds of the people in this tiny Islamic nation are ethnic Malays. Although in theory all other religions may be practised in peace, in practice only non-Malays are allowed to choose their faith. If a Malay converts, this ‘disturbs peace and harmony’ and they are automatically scheduled for re-education to Islam. The monitoring of Christian meetings increased in 2011. In October the Sultan announced the introduction of an Islamic Criminal Law which will complicate the situation for the Christian minority further, especially those known to have converted.

Since most Christians in Brunei are either expatriots and migrants, the government’s strategy seems to be to isolate them from any religious interaction with the Malayan Muslim population.

“He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thes. 2:14)

Who is Mitt Romney?

Peanut Gallery: I’m not really a big Romney fan… I voted for Gingrich when I had a chance here in the South Carolina primary… as a protest against the GOP Establishment.

But here I am and Romney is my only choice… if I care anything about Life, Religious Freedom, Family Values, Economic Solvency, and America as an exceptional nation – "a shining light on a hill." Oh… and did I mention Health Care, Education, Medicare, Social Security, Immigration, National Security, Israel and Judeo-Christian values. I know I've forgotten something….

So… I really have no choice but to vote for Romney (except not to vote at all, I suppose, which would be a total dereliction of public responsibility – as far as I'm concerned.) But who is Mitt Romney?

Why not let him tell you his own story… instead of relying on a hostile media and his deceiptful opposition? Here's a link to his home page – click here. Is he putting his best foot forward? Of course, there’s a lot at stake in this election. So filter what you read through honest skepticism.

But in the end you will not be able to escape the reality that Romney is an accomplished, essentially decent man with basic American values and a desire to restore the American dream. So check him out – maintain a healthy skepticism – and consider the alternative.

God help us!

“Eat Mor Chikin” – I DID!

Peanut Gallery: Today was the big “Free Speech” / “Religious Freedom” day for culture warriors and I did my part. So did hundreds of other folks in Aurora, IL where we’re visiting our family. I waited 2 hours in line for inside counter service. Drive through wait was about 45 minutes. And the lines were just as long when I left. This was big!

It was a lot like a tea party gathering without signs – lot’s of regular folks waiting for hours in the hot sun to make a point for freedom… it had very little to do with the food. It took time, energy and passion… and people were glad to do it. It would have been a terrific place for conservative voter registration effort.

The people in line with me couldn’t wait to express their support for traditional family values. And they can’t wait for November 6th to express their opinion again. The sleeping American giant has had enough. Look at the variety of people – men, women and families.

Here are some photos and videos –

This slideshow requires JavaScript.