Franklin Graham Paving the Way for Religious Freedom - TIFFANY JOTHEN/BGEA CHARISMA NEWS

Franklin Graham Paving the Way for Religious Freedom

/20/2016 TIFFANY JOTHEN/BGEA  charisma news

Photo above: Some of the participants in Franklin Graham's New Hampshire stop in the Decision America tour. (Courtesy/BGeA)

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"We could be on a beach where it's nice and sunny and warm, but we want to be here."

Elaine Taylor and her husband, Leonard, could have traveled anywhere Tuesday, but chose to drive the two and a half hours north of their home in Marshfield, Massachusetts, to be part of a prayer rally in 18-degree Concord, New Hampshire, where the wind chill made it feel much colder.

But since when has a little cold kept New Englanders from staying in?

The couple joined about 1,500 others in front of the State House to be part of Franklin Graham's 50-state Decision America Tour as he encourages Christians to pray for America and live out their faith—at home, in public and at the polls.

The Taylors heard about the tour during a trip to the Charlotte-based Billy Graham Library last month. They wanted to see what it's all about and take back the excitement to Massachusetts, where Franklin Graham will visit later this year.

"We live about 10 miles from Plymouth," Leonard said, the Pilgrims' first stop when they came to America seeking religious freedom. Today, however, Leonard said the country seems to be "corroding" spiritually and wants to see it "set on a godly track again."

Gathering with other like-minded Christians may just be the first step.

"We love Jesus, and we're happy to hear Franklin Graham ... and be united as Christians," said Jennie Chisholm, a resident of Salem, New Hampshire, who came with her parents and four boys.

The boys, ages 5 to 10, stood with scarves tight around their necks, their hats covering their ears and their noses turning pink. But all four wore smiles and seemed happy to be there.

"I want them to see that there are other Christians around us, even though it doesn't always seem like it," Jennie said, adding that she also wants to teach them the importance of prayer.

Franklin Graham re-enforced her thinking when he took the stage moments later: "The best thing we can do on your Capitol steps today is pray," he said.

He spoke about America's emphasis on political correctness, in which people are afraid to stand up for their beliefs at the risk of offending someone.

But now isn't the time to be silent or ashamed of Almighty God.

What we need, Franklin Graham said, is revival now. And he's confident that it's possible.

So is Gayle Lamm, who came to the prayer rally with her 20-year-old son, Jordan.

"We need help to bring people together ... people of all denominations," Gayle said, explaining her gratefulness for the Decision America Tour. "I've been praying for the country for years."

Gayle was at the State House in Concord just a couple years ago for the National Day of Prayer. So when her husband read about Decision America in the newspaper, she cut it out and put it on the fridge as a reminder.

But why not just pray at home and avoid the freezing temperatures?

"You can pray by yourself ... but praying with others who feel the same as you and think the same as you can make a big difference," Jordan said.

Many people Jordan's age are drifting from God, distracted by their phones, media and material things, he said, and the further people get from God, the more the nation will suffer.

"Before our nation can be healed, our individual hearts must be healed," Franklin Graham said from the stage.

He led a time of prayer not only for the nation, but for each person there to ask Jesus Christ for forgiveness in their own lives. And it doesn't end when people leave the prayer rally.

Franklin Graham encouraged people to start community prayer groups and to encourage other believers to run for office at all levels.

"Let's just see what God can do," he said. "Let's become a nation that can once again say 'In God we Trust.'"

Judging by the affirming amens, the spontaneous hallelujahs and sustained applause at every mention of Christ, an out-of-towner might never know that New Hampshire has the second highest percentage of people in the country who claim no religion or faith.

But with people enveloped head to toe in blankets, ski pants, face masks and anything they could find to keep warm, all to be present for a prayer rally, it's evident that many still care about where their state stands with God.

Jim Madden of Derry, New Hampshire, stood out in the crowd with a red, white and blue USA fleece and two small American flags in hand. He said he's been praying for each stop on the tour using his Decision America prayer journal.

"I just feel like there's not much time left," he said about the country turning back to God. "How much more is God going to put up with?"

Jim accepted Jesus around 30 years old, and a tear rolled down his face as he talked about what God has done in his life. His hope is that many more will come to know Christ and live out their faith. And it all starts with prayer.

"I wish we could do this every day," he said.

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Franklin Graham Decision America Tour - How Long Will We Have Religious Freedom?

“What will our religious freedoms be in a few years?”  Dear Friend, I’m getting ready to head to Concord, N.H., for our fourth Decision America Tour prayer rally. I know it may be bitter cold—but it will be worth it to stand in prayer for our nation. If you live in that area, I hope you will join me for the event. If not, please pray that believers there will be emboldened to be salt and light. Last Tuesday, I stood before 3,500 people in front of Florida’s Historic Capitol for Tallahassee’s prayer rally. I was moved by their great concern for America and by their burden to see our nation turn to God. That same day, in buildings not far away from us, several legislators introduced the Pastor Protection Act in the Florida House and Senate as a measure to protect pastors and churches in that state from government sanctions if they refuse to serve weddings that violate their beliefs. If we don't all begin taking a stand for biblical truth and morality, where will our religious freedoms be in a few years?    GET INVOLVED Nearly 450 miles away—and 24 hours later—a crowd of 4,200 people joined us in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, next to the Old State Capitol, to pray for our nation. There were many children and youth in the crowd—and they are one of the primary reasons why I’m doing this. Unless God heals our land, what kind of country will our children and grandchildren inherit? Thank you for your prayers and support. Sincerely, Franklin Graham P.S. Many churches in the first three cities brought vans and buses to the prayer rallies, and I encourage you to do the same. Check out the tour schedule at DecisionAmericaTour.com. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” —Proverbs 14:34, NKJV

Time to Pray for God's Merciful Judgment on America - Larry Tomczak

Madonna sports a crown of thorns in a recent performance. (YouTube)

Time to Pray for God's Merciful Judgment on America

10/14/2015 LARRY TOMCZAK  charisma magazine

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"Larry, I'm shocked that you say you are actually praying for judgment on our nation! That's not loving. That's not scriptural!"

I respectfully disagree. I'm not on a crusade, trying to convince others of my position, yet I do invite your prayerful consideration at this critical time in our history. My actions spring from God's recent dealings with me and the conviction that we have crossed a line in our ever-escalating sinfulness before a holy God who has blessed this nation like none other in history.

Some will dismiss biblical passages I cite as applying only to Israel, God's covenant people, whom He designated as a "city on the hill," yet they turned from God. Let's remember America was also established as a covenant people, designated as a "city on a hill" by our Pilgrim and Puritan forefathers. We have likewise turned away from God.

Survey the cultural landscape over just the past number of weeks:

• Unfettered baby-killing (now over 57 million) and selling of body parts goes unchecked, as Planned Parenthood, a private organization specializing in abortion (they do no mammograms), continues receiving our tax support.
• Homosexual "marriages" are now the law of the land, overturning 4,000 years of Western civilization history. President Barack Obama aggressively celebrates this. Former President Jimmy Carter, who says he is born again, declared, "I think Jesus would encourage any love affair if it was honest. ... I believe Jesus would approve gay marriage."
• Religious freedoms erode at warp speed. Dr. Paul Church, Boston urologist, expelled for "discrimination" in voicing his perspective on homosexuality and its high risk disease factor.
• A Portland bar owner was fined $400,000 for respectfully requesting LGBTs refrain from patronizing his establishment to avoid the impression of being a "gay" bar.
• Hostility and persecution of Christians increases, including a recent college massacre of nine Christian students. Saturday Night Live mocks of Kim Davis as a crazed moron, along with Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee portrayed as delusional, dementia patients.
• 177 congressional representatives vote down the law requiring doctors to save babies who survive an abortion—infanticide. Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide is legalized in numerous states, letting doctors drug patients to death.  Get ready aging baby boomers!
• Cable and now network TV feature nudity, profanity and homosexuality as standard fare.
• Drug and sex-saturated concerts/festivals include "Burning Man" week of debauchery and Madonna's profane "Rebel Heart" tour with the theme "Desecration of the Bride and Arrival of Fallen Angels." 

Let's stop here and do a reality check. The trajectory is clear about where this nation is heading. We need a sense of urgency. Our children's and grandchildren's lives are at stake, in addition to the unborn babies facing the guillotine.

We need to shake ourselves and challenge our pastors that this is not a time for maintaining the status quo in religion by lifting up a few mini-prayers and enjoying some uplifting, happy "3 Ways to Beat the Blues" sermons!  Are you listening?

America is on a precipice and our only hope is in the gospel proclaimed to transform hearts and fervent prayer that I believe now includes a component of appealing for God's justice and His judgment. I know this message won't go over well with both unbelievers and many Christians, but the time has come. When respected leaders cited God's judgment after 9/11, remember the outcry and outrage that followed? Get ready.

America's last Great Awakening (1790-1850) was launched when a narcissistic, proud attorney was body slammed with the reality of God's judgment.

Charles Finney experienced divine intervention when God audibly questioned him about that for which he was living. When Charles faced the issue of death and responded tremblingly, "The judgment is next!", he ran like the "Roadrunner" a half-mile to the woods to get right with God. A dose of the fear of God and the prospect of God's judgment shook him to the core.

Charles entered the ministry and millions were saved when brought face to face with God's judgment and His mercy. For more than 50 years during the ebb and flow of America's Second Great Awakening, Mr. Finney and his "Revival Lectures" helped turn America back to God.

 Clarifying the Call for God's Judgment

For the record, I am not calling for God to send fire and destroy human beings. I'm not petitioning the Almighty to send asteroids, tsunamis or city-destroying earthquakes. My fists are not clenched or my veins bulging. I just don't see any other way for our nation to turn back to God without some drastic and dramatic divine intervention.

We need a jolt to awaken us from our stupor. We need a loving "slap in the face" to jolt us back to reality and out of our present insanity and sexual anarchy—kind of like a parent reaching the saturation point with a rebellious smart-mouthed teenager constantly talking back disrespectfully and mocking parental authority.

I'm aware of the episode in the Gospels were Jesus admonished His disciples about calling down fire to destroy resistant people. "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them" (Luke 9:55-56). This is not what I'm describing.

I believe what the Bible says, "Mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13). Yet these two are not mutually exclusive as God extends His mercy and when it is consistently rejected, Scripture reveals He eventually sends judgment so that people will repent, cry out for mercy and return to Him!

Psalm 107 is such a beautiful depiction of this dynamic. Some rebellious people experienced "bitter labor" (v. 12); others "suffered afflictions because of their iniquities" (v. 17); still others "were at their wits' end" (v. 27).  Yet each grouping came out of God's judgment on their lives and experienced His unfathomable mercy when they "cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress" (v. 13, 19, 28). In this way, mercy triumphs over judgment.

As I pray for God's judgment on the nation that I so love, I am not dictating or demanding how or when it comes. God is Sovereign and the specifics are left with Him. But if we sense an increasing God-given burden that it will take judgment to turn this sinking ship around, I encourage people everywhere to enter agreement with God on this plank before it's too late.

 It's Biblical to Pray for God's Judgment

Genesis 6 reveals the grieving heart of God as He "saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was continually only evil. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him in His heart. So the Lord said, 'I will destroy man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—both man and beast, and the creeping things, and the birds of the sky, for I am sorry that I have made them'" (Gen. 6:5-7). Judgment came to return people to Himself.

Following in the footsteps of David, Jeremiah and Paul, there come times when God stirs people to agree with Him that the time for judgment to be released has come. We should then pray accordingly and with a right spirit.

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• David was "a man after God's own heart" (1 Sam. 13:14). Read in Psalms 35, 55, 58, 59, 69, 109 and 139 how this giant of the faith prayed for and proclaimed God's judgment in his day. He did not pray for carnal revenge but to highlight God's abhorrence of evil and ongoing sin.

• Jeremiah struggled with deep inner turmoil concerning the judgment he proclaimed. This came from anguish of spirit and deep identification with what God was feeling as His heart broke over people's persistent sin. He said, "I am pained in my very heart" (Jer. 4:19) as he called for justice and judgment. Like Jesus who wept over the sinful state of the Jews, Jeremiah was not gleeful or gloating when he prayed for and pronounced judgment. He was overwhelmed and in tears (Jer. 4:19-22). God even directed him to stop praying for the people because of the depth of their wickedness (Jer. 7:16; 11:14; 14:11)! Child killing. Homosexuality. Apostasy. Idolatry. Blasphemy. Lawlessness. Sound familiar?

• Paul, in his masterpiece to the Romans, quoted David's judgments in Psalm 69:22-23. In proclaiming judgment upon the Jews, his words are sobering, disturbing and straight from the heart of God.

Let's stop kidding ourselves; apart from divine intervention in holy judgment, America will simply slide deeper down the spiral of sin and destruction. We are deceived if we buy into the misguided approach of many who believe there will eventually come some kind of backlash to all our wickedness, corruption and brazen immorality.

Some believe that people, like a rubber-band, will return to God if we just remain patient and pray long enough. I don't think so, and I am a four-decade board member of a ministry promoting prayer and fasting for America for over 40 years!

It's time to examine our lives in light of God's holiness and turn from our wicked ways as 2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us. I am persuaded that it is also time to add another dimension to our petitions. Rejecting any self-righteousness, praying with a humble heart and passionate to see a massive harvest of people who get right with God, having experienced His judgment in their lives, are you ready to pray like David did in Psalm 28:4-5? The passages reads: "Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavors; give them according to the work of their hands; return to them what they deserve. Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, nor the work of His hands, He will destroy them and not build them up."

It's time for us to appeal to heaven for God to take a stand and show himself strong. The "bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints" (Rev. 5:8) will overflow in the judgments described in chapter 8. These are terrifying and intended to cleanse the earth of sin and bring those remaining back to the living God! It is the "great and dreadful day of the Lord" described in Joel 2:31 and Mal. 4:5. These times will be both gory and glory!  

God's judgments are intended to bring people to repentance so they can be blessed and live in union with Him as a bride with her bridegroom. God's zeal is designed to purge the earth of all rebellion. Will we rise to the occasion and embrace a call to pray some gutsy, muscular prayers for both justice and the necessary judgments to bring this to pass? We don't have a lot of time left.

Prayer for Justice

"Lord, You decreed, 'He has shown you O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you? To do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God' (Mic.6:8). We pray that You hear our plea for justice. May our hearts align with Yours and break with those things that break Your heart. As Your ambassadors may we look out for those that are in legitimate need—the weak, neglected and less fortunate. As Christians, help us to live authentically and make a difference as change agents for Your glory and the establishment of Your Kingdom. In Jesus Name, Amen."

Prayer for Judgment

"Lord, you decreed, 'Righteousness exults a nation but sin is a reproach to any people' (Prov. 14:34). Like Moses, Nehemiah, Daniel and Paul, we identify with sins committed brazenly and increasingly throughout this land. May our hearts grieve with Yours at our serious, sinful state. We have departed from Your liberating Word and removed You from Your rightful place as the One, true and living God in whom we are to trust. Repeatedly ignoring Your warnings sent through Your servants and shamefully yielding to the fear of man instead of speaking up for righteousness, we humbly ask that You release Your necessary judgments that they may awaken us from our ongoing rebellion and deception. 'Lord, we have heard of Your fame. We stand in awe of Your deeds. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in Your wrath remember mercy' (Hab. 3:2). If this is Your will and Your time as we believe, help us to emerge as a holy people of whom it is said, 'Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord' (Ps. 33:12)."

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KY Clerk Ordered to Jail over Gay Marriage Licenses

Kim Davis - Kentucky County Clerk standing on God's Word

KY Clerk Ordered to Jail over Gay Marriage Licenses

By Gary Lane

CBN News Chief International Correspondent

Thursday, September 03, 2015

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A federal judge has ordered a defiant Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis to jail after she refused to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.

U.S. District Judge David Bunning told Davis she would be jailed until she complied with his order to issue the licenses.

Davis said "thank you" before she was led out of the courtroom by a U.S. marshal. She was not in handcuffs.

Earlier, Davis had filed an emergency motion to stop the governor from ordering her to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

Davis says issuing those licenses would violate her beliefs and, she argues, God's authority trumps even the Supreme Court.

Police are now guarding the Rowan County clerk's office, making sure order is maintained. Tempers are flaring from people on both sides of the gay marriage issue.

Davis' supporters say federal courts have violated her First Amendment rights.

"I'm here for religious freedom because it's been stripped away," supporter Serena Smith said.

At the heart of the controversy is disagreement over belief. Davis, a Democrat, refuses to issue marriage licenses to anyone at this time, including homosexual couples.

"We're here to get our marriage license," a gay couple recently told her.

"So, presently we are not issuing marriage license pending an appeal to the system," Davis replied.

Davis is now asking a U.S. district court judge to block an order from the Kentucky governor requiring county clerks to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.

She's set to appear before another judge at a contempt-of-court hearing. Davis could face jail time or at least a major fine for refusing to issue the licenses.

Same-sex couples have been challenging Davis all week.

"Under whose authority are you not issuing licenses?" one gay couple asked her.

"Under God's authority," she responded.

Davis says her religious convictions prevent her from signing the licenses. She proposes that other Rowan County officials sign them instead.

Some Republican presidential candidates have weighed in.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul suggests governments get out of the marriage license issuing business. He proposes all couples, heterosexual and homosexual, sign marriage contracts that could be used instead of licenses.

But other candidates, like South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, say government employees must comply with the rule of law or resign.

Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers, a Republican, has also weighed in. Stivers is asking the federal judge to withhold a ruling on the governor's order until the state passes a new marriage law. The state legislature will not be in session again until January.

Kentucky law, like many other states, must be revised after the Supreme Court's decision in June to legalize same-sex marriage in the United States.

"The Supreme Court ruling has completely obliterated the definition of marriage and the process for obtaining a marriage license in Kentucky," Stivers said in a press release. "The General Assembly will be compelled to amend many sections of Kentucky law, not just for the issuance of marriage licenses, to comply with the recent Supreme Court decision."

Meanwhile, Davis insists she's ready to suffer the consequences rather than compromise her beliefs.

"I'm willing to face my consequences," she told her critics. "And you all will face your consequences when it comes time for judgment."

WATCH: Jonathan Cahn's Prophetic Warning About the Consequences of Bowing to the Spirit of Baal

WATCH: Jonathan Cahn's Prophetic Warning About the Consequences of Bowing to the Spirit of Baal

4/30/2015 JESSILYN JUSTICE  charisma news

The parallels between the children of Israel and modern-day America are more than uncanny, they're frightening. 

"We, too, have profaned the sacred and made sacred the profane," Rabbi Jonathan Cahn said at the Washington Man of Prayer event.  

And now, America has ignored all prophetic warnings and is invoking the judgment of God. 

"If America should ever turn away from God and his ways, should ever disregard His eternal rules of order and right, then His blessings and the smiles of heaven will be removed from the land," Cahn says.

We're seeing the absence of blessings as the Supreme Court looks to redefine marriage, as religious freedoms are stripped from Christian business owners, as prominent Christian icons disregard a biblical foundation.

But there is hope. Watch the video to see how Cahn says we can appeal to heaven.

Watch here: Jonathan Cahn's Prophetic Warning

Kentucky Printer Wins Religious Freedom Battle

CBNNews.com

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

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A custom message printer in Kentucky is legally allowed to decline orders that ask him to print messages that conflict with his religious beliefs.

A Kentucky court ruled Monday that the government cannot force the Lexington business Hands on Originals (HOO) to print messages that conflict with the owner's religious and moral beliefs.

The ruling comes a year after the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission ruled that HOO owner Blaine Adamson must print all messages customers order.

The Alliance Defending Freedom appealed the ruling to the Fayette County Circuit Court.

"The government can't force citizens to surrender free-speech rights or religious freedom in order to run a small business, and this decision affirms that," ADF Senior Legal Counsel Jim Campbell  said.

"The court rightly recognized that the law protects Blaine's decision not to print shirts with messages that conflict with his beliefs, and that no sufficient reason exists for the government to coerce Blaine to act against his conscience in this way," he added.

Adamson came under fire when he declined to print custom T-shirts promoting a gay pride festival.

Since he did not agree with the message conveyed on the shirts, he offered to connect the customer with a different printer who would produce the shirts at the same price he would have charged.

Unsatisfied with that solution, the Gay and Lesbian Services Organization filed a complaint against Hands on Originals with the county Human Rights Commission charging HOO with illegal discrimination.  

But the Fayette County Circuit Court concluded this week that Adamson did not violate the law when he declined to print the gay pride T-shirts.

The court reasoned that since Adamson employs and regularly does business with people who identify as homosexual, his decision not to print the shirts was not about discriminating against a homosexual customer, but rather about defending his freedom to decline to convey a message with which he disagrees.

"In short, HOO's declination to print the shirts was based upon the message of GLSO and the Pride Festival and not on the sexual orientation of its representatives or members," the court said.

The court continued, "There is nothing in the record before the Commission that the sexual orientation of any individual that had contact with HOO was ever divulged or played any part in this case."