Who Will Rise Up Against the Wicked? ANNE GRAHAM LOTZ

Who Will Rise Up Against the Wicked?

10/21/2014 ANNE GRAHAM LOTZ   CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Christians gather to pray for Houston pastors. ((Pray for the Pastors of Houston Facebook page))

Who will rise up for me against the wicked?  Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?  Psalm 94:16

"...If the church doesn't wake up now and stand and fight there IS no church in America. This is the red line. It has been crossed. When I read about this I immediately thought THIS IS RIGHT OUT OF MY BONHOEFFER BOOK."

So wrote Eric Metaxas on October 18, 2014 in an email exchange that included me. He is the author of the NY Times bestselling biography, Bonhoeffer, which describes the heroic stand of one pastor against the rise of the Third Reich in Nazi Germany. Eric was voicing his outrage over what he had just read concerning the subpoenas issued by the Houston mayor's office to five Houston pastors. 

Mayor Parker has demanded that the pastors turn over to her office their private papers in 17 different categories, including sermons, "speeches," phone or private conversations that in any way touch on homosexuality, the mayor herself, and the city ordinance concerning transgender people using public restrooms.

The subpoenas were clearly issued to intimidate not just the five pastors on whom they were served, but every pastor and Christian leader in Houston and beyond.  The message was clear.  If you oppose the lesbian/bisexual/gay/transgender community or agenda in any way, you will pay.

Eric further urged every Christian leader to send the mayor a Bible.  And Governor Mike Huckabee has urged every pastor to send her their own sermons.  So...I have written a note to Mayor Annise Parker, City Hall, 901 Bagby Street, Houston, Texas 77002, telling her that God loves her, that I am praying for her, and urging her to read the Bible I included with my note.  Although I am not a pastor, I also sent her a copy of the "speech" I delivered at the Official Observance of the National Day of Prayer in Washington, DC. , calling on people to repent of their sin, cry out to the Lord...for the Day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.  Joel 1:14-15 

I agree with Eric Metaxas. The red line has been crossed. Persecution of God's people has begun. In response to the question the Lord voices in Psalm 94:16, I want to answer clearly, I will!

Will you?

Anne Graham Lotz is the founder of AnGeL Ministries. She is also the author of several books.

'Houston Five’ Pastor Steve Riggle Makes a Bold Call

10/21/2014 JENNIFER LECLAIRE  CHARISMA NEWS

Steve Riggle

Mayor Annise Parker may have thought she could subpoena the sermons of Houston pastors without much of a battle but the lesbian politician has opened the flood gates of resistance freedom-loving Americans from sea to shining sea.

Some are calling it extremism. Others are calling it tyranny. Others are refusing to let Parker "put us in the closet."

But Steve Riggle, senior pastor of Grace Community Church and one of the so-called "Houston Five," isn't leaving it there.

"Those we elect to lead our government are charged with stewarding the public trust. When elected officials abuse the power of their office by denying the people the basic right to vote, we must stand against that action whatever the cost," Riggle told Charisma News.

As he and other Bible-believing Christians see it, Parker and her city attorney have denied citizens of the fourth-largest city in America a right to vote yes or no.

"All citizens—on both sides of the issue—should be outraged," Riggle says. "Her blatant actions to subvert the referendum process of the Houston City Charter must not be tolerated with impunity."

Riggle is making a bold statement and a bold call:

"If her actions are allowed to continue without being investigated for violations of our voting rights, we will have failed ourselves, each other, our children, and devalued the price many have paid for our 'process' of freedom," he says. "As one of the 'Houston Five' whose sermons and any comment ever made about Mayor Parker have been subpoenaed, I call for her actions and those of the city attorney to be thoroughly investigated."