Source: http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=28630

How un-American is that to cut out the American holiday? Would Christians have asked the same? No, so why the change all the sudden. Simple solution for now: buy Purdue and not Tyson chicken. 

July 24, 2008

Dear Friend,

You may have heard the recent news: Two huge victories for homosexual activists—along with a collection of smaller triumphs—sent shockwaves through our nation.

First, Gov. Bill Ritter of Colorado signed into law an outrageous bill that, in the name of providing “equality” for homosexuals and transgenders, actually allows men to use women’s restrooms—right alongside women and little girls. The new law does much more—I’ll get to that in a moment—but this frightening aspect alone makes one ask: If the privacy of innocent children isn’t enough to derail the homosexual activists’ agenda, what is?

This isn’t just a Colorado problem. Already, similar proposals are popping up in various states. And with Tim Gill and his cadre of mega-donors pumping millions into state legislative races (see last month’s Update), the same menacing threat may soon be coming to a bathroom near you.

Second, as you are no doubt aware, last month the state of California began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Yes, we’ve seen this before (Massachusetts), but what makes this threat so grave is that California—unlike Massachusetts—allows non-residents to get married, even if they are from one of the 48 states that still prohibit so-called same-sex “marriage.”

That means that very soon, the God-ordained structure of marriage will be on trial in state and federal courts around the nation, as homosexual couples return to their states and demand to have their “marriage” recognized. The scenario we began warning about in the mid-1990s is almost upon us.

But thankfully, this chapter in our nation’s history is not yet complete. But the question now is: “How will the people respond?” With your help and by God’s grace, Focus on the Family Action is laying it all on the line to ensure that this chapter ends well.

Rocky Mountain reflux: Open bathrooms . . . or face fines and prison
In Colorado, the loss of bathroom privacy is just the glaring tip of the iceberg. The new law starts with civil penalties of up to $5,000 for any business whose beliefs and practices run contrary to the promotion of homosexuals, bisexuals, transgenders . . . or anyone who is perceived as such. But then it goes a step further by threatening criminal penalties of up to a year in prison.

Focus Action left no stone unturned in seeking Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter’s veto. We met with his senior staff in a very respectful meeting in which all of the facts were laid out. We launched a full-scale advertising campaign on the top radio stations in the state. And the efforts of our media team produced scores of media opportunities, from TV and radio interviews to op-eds like one published by the Denver Post. (To see our SB 200-related ads, op ed and video feature, please click here.)

Informing the public:
Focus Action Judicial
Analyst Bruce Hausknecht, Esq., gives one of many interviews on the
impact of SB 200.

Above all, we made sure that the governor heard from thousands of Colorado citizens. Thanks especially to numerous e-mail blasts and a full national broadcast on the daily Focus radio program, Focus Action was able to shut down the governor’s phone lines with a massive outpouring of opposition to this bill (SB 200).

In the end, Gov. Ritter chose instead to listen to Tim Gill and the homosexual lobby. But that’s not the end of the story, as I’ll share with you in a moment.

Legal nightmare: California opens the “marriage” floodgates . . . for now
The 4-3 ruling by the California Supreme Court not only manufactured a novel interpretation of the state constitution, but it also overturned the will of 4.6 million Californians who had voted to protect marriage in 2000.

The ramifications of this ruling are two-fold. First, California is so large and so influential that, if the ruling survives a vote of the people in November, it will likely have a social and political impact that will allow same-sex “marriage” to spread to other states.

Second, as I mentioned earlier, California law allows non-residents to marry—even from states where same-sex “marriage” is illegal—which opens wide the door to legal challenges all over the country. State laws and constitutional amendments will be challenged. The federal Defense of Marriage Act will be challenged. Already, the governor of New York has declared that the Empire State will recognize all same-sex “marriages” performed in other states or foreign countries.

But the people of California hold the key to victory. Once again, this story isn’t over yet.

Threatening our first freedom: Religious liberty is at stake
But before I get to the good news, consider with me what’s at stake if the homosexual agenda continues to advance. In addition to the obvious ramifications for moral decency and the impact on children, what’s most at stake is our religious liberty.

As the gay agenda has advanced around the world, it has trampled on religious freedom in country after country:

• In Sweden, Pastor Ake Green was sentenced to prison (though later acquitted) after preaching a sermon challenging homosexuality.
• In England, an employment tribunal fined a church bishop more than $100,000 for refusing to hire a youth worker because of his homosexual identity.
• In Ontario, Canada, the provincial Human Rights Commission fined a Christian ministry $23,000 for insisting that its employees be practicing Christians who uphold a biblical view of homosexuality. In addition to the fine, staffers must undergo a state re-education program regarding their views on sexuality.

Fired by the state: Crystal Dixon lost
her job for stating
her opinion
on homosexuality

Some respond that this may happen in other countries, but not in America where we have First Amendment protections. Not so fast. Consider what’s happening right here in the U.S.:

• In New Mexico, a husband and wife who are photographers were fined more than $6,000 by the New Mexico Human Rights Commission. Their “crime”? Refusing to photograph a lesbian “commitment ceremony” because it violated their religious beliefs.
• In New Jersey, a church-run Christian camp lost part of its tax-exempt status for refusing to host a lesbian “commitment ceremony.”
• In Ohio, Crystal Dixon, an associate vice president at the state-run University of Toledo, was fired for writing a column in which she, as a black woman, objected to the homosexual movement being compared to the civil rights movement.

Each of these examples have happened recently, and more are sure to come as a result of the strategic work of the gay rights movement:

• As I reported last month, Tim Gill and his well-heeled cohorts continue to exert their influence in the political arena through huge cash gifts in strategically selected state races.
• Non-discrimination bills and local ordinances—similar to the new Colorado law—are popping up all over the country. Gainesville, Florida, is the latest target.
• And the biggest legal advocate of the homosexual agenda, the ACLU, has announced that it has raised nearly 80 percent of a $335 million expansion into conservative and battleground states. “Gay rights” is one of four causes that they’ll pursue in these states.

Help Focus Action write a better ending to this chapter
Now the good news—we don’t have to take all of this lying down! In our system of government, no victory or defeat is ever permanent. We can—and must—stand up for truth and righteousness in a prayerful, loving and energetic manner. And, indeed, that is happening as I write.

In California, our associated state organization—which Focus helped launch five years ago—providentially began the effort last year to put a state marriage amendment on the ballot. With help from Focus and many others, they succeeded in gathering more than a million signatures and placing it on this November’s ballot. If it passes, this constitutional amendment will overturn the court’s ruling and shut down the same-sex “marriage” spigot. To that end, Focus has now contributed additional financial and resource support to the ProtectMarriage.com ballot committee.

The only way that Focus is able to support this effort to such an extent is because Focus Action is able to shoulder the load for all of the issue advocacy that would otherwise push Focus up against IRS limitations on lobbying. The bottom line: Your support for Focus Action has helped make all of this possible.

In Colorado, Focus Action is not about to let the people of Colorado forget about what their elected officials have done. We've recently run a major ad in Colorado newspapers to expose what has happened and turn up constituent heat on Gov. Ritter and the liberal legislators. The politicians must be held accountable!

Finally, in just a couple of months, we’ll begin rolling out letters, postcards, e-mails, and advertisements in select House and Senate races to let values-minded Americans know exactly where their candidates stand on key issues. This may be the most important project that we do every two years, but it is by far the most expensive, and we will need a major infusion of support to be able to do all that we have planned. Your gift right now will help us plan accordingly and reach more voters with a very clear message. Please do what you can as the Lord directs.

Above all, I hope you’re encouraged from this to pray for our nation and to take a stand for truth in your circle of influence. To borrow words from Joshua, “Be strong and courageous.... Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you” (Joshua 1:9, NIV). Take heart... and take action!

Sincerely,

Tom Minnery
Senior Vice President
Focus on the Family Action

P.S. Another way Focus Action will equip pro-family voters this fall is through the Values Voter Summit, which we're cosponsoring with FRC Action. I hope you'll consider joining us in Washington, D.C., in September for this outstanding event.

For the last year, I have been struggling with the direction of the ministry and the work of it.  I have resigned effective July 31.  I will continue in Lynchburg and still try to keep speaking engagments and mentorship but will not be doing this along with the ministry.
 

As I said, yesterday I set out for certain short amount of time but the time ended clocking 4 hours and 42 minutes.  Let me describe the terrain, mountainous.  After two hours of mixed running and hiking, I began to wander when this trail was going to end.  I purposely took what I thought would be the longer trail and assumed, just as every other trail I had been on, that it would bring me to where I started.  When I saw the intersection of two roads through the woods, I knew I had troubles.  I did not recognise the roads.  Lost?  This depends on which definition you are using.  According to The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, lost is defined as “unable to find one's way.”  In this case, I could find my way, but the problem was that it meant backtracking (remember the two hours.).  In another definition they say, “beyond reach, communication, or influence”.  In this case, I was described perfectly.  My cell phone had no service so I could not call anyone and was left with the safest thing to do in this situation, do not assume.  Assumption based on feelings can cause your situation to get worse.  In this case, two hours more of travel would be preferred to the possibility of risking real lostness.

This particular day, I had only eaten two biscuits and they had expired.  My muscle were already sore because I had recently started running cross-country and the going up and down was not helping.  The funny thing was is that though I knew how to get out but part of me did not want to call someone so that I could find the easiest way out.  Why?  Because, it would be said that I was lost.  I was not lost in the normal sense of being unable to find my way.  Otherwise, I would not be writing now.  However, I was lost in the sense that I was beyond communication, reach, and influence of any outside person.  As Christians, we will never be lost in the sense of not finding our way, because we have the ultimate source of Light.  When we follow Christ, we will be led.  We do, however, tend sometimes to become beyond reach, influence, or communication.  This happens when sin fills our life and we lose communication with God and others.  Our lostness will never again be equal with that of someone who does not know Jesus as saviour.  Sometimes we allow ourselves to be like Laodiceans of Revelation who are lukewarm or like the church at Ephesus who forgot their first love. 

Then again, maybe God has other plans for you.  We give so little while He gave and continually gives so much.  My plan was for about an hour long time in the mountains but was multiplied fourfold.  Was it easy?  No.  Would I do it again?  Yes.  During my journey back, I remember a new cut road and thought to myself, “I know this road leads to where I need to be.”  I had assumes that it was the current road and that it would cut some time of my travel, as it probably did.  I walked down the middle of this muddy road for a while and then got off of the road and walked through the woods.  I finally come to the path that I had crossed earlier.  I was correct.  Guess what.  I crossed the road and got to the other side to see that the path was leading to where I had just come.  I was on the other side of the road and the whole time the trail I needed was on the other side.   I could have saved probably a little over half a mile.  So yet I learned again I had backtracked.  One other time, I looked at this mountain and I knew that the other side was where I needed to be.  So, I climbed the mountain and went partially down the other side.  I could not see the trail but I was certain it was there but if I were wrong, it was going to pull away a lot of energy that I needed.  So, I turned around.  When I got back to the trail, I learned that I had to climb the mountain again.  Needless to say, when I finally saw the familiar gravel road, a sense of relief had come.  I only had about 10-15 minutes more to walk.  When it was all said and done though there was a great sense of pride and accomplishment with humility right smack in the middle, on top, and under it.  The funny thing was that yesterday I had decided to download some extra sermons.  Little did I know that I was going to listen to all of them plus some.  My day was planned.  I was going to come back and do some other things that needed to be done, but instead I wandered around a mountain spending my time with more value than I would had intended.  The things I learned and the things I was reminded are things that shape who I am and who I will become.  Our personal time with Christ is more important than an agenda. 

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20

Of the graduate student survey respondents, 93% would have liked more information on financial management topics before they started school and would like financial management education made available to them now.

Anyway,  I do want to challenge you about how God may use you this coming year...in Ecuador, Mexico, Souheast Asia or some other part of the globe.  For opportunities we have, please visit http://cm.fortheeone.com. 

 

I mentioned before that Wachovia gives you and me $25/ newly created checking account (new customer) for up to 20 people/ year. The full detail can be found here. So just list me as your referrer and we both get $25.

http://michaelsagt.com 

The thing I hate to see is the closed-mindedness of many today about the subject.  From those currently serving to those who do not do anything at all.  I have read a lot of information on the internet and through other blogs that comes off as it was written arrogantly and without fault or flaw.  Sometimes maybe we become so caught up in ourselves that we forget what the calling is.  My prayer and hope is that others would become informed and would also keep an open mind but more than that that all would be taken to Christ in prayer.  Prayer is the most vital part of missions.  Without it, there is no direction or support and all would be vain.

I have wandered through the last three years, what impact if any has been made on the lives of our missions partners.  Has their life changed at home?  I believe that part of every missionaries job is to teach their missions partners and also to learn from their missions partners.  I look forward to the years to come and the new friends we will make.  I thank all of our past partners as they are part of the organisation.  God has already called us.  It is a matter of when and where will we go.  For opportunities or questions, please feel free to send me an email or post your question.

Please remember us in your prayers and those we come in contact.  Also, pray that it will open the eyes of the churches to the need in our own community. 

Romans 5: 1-2    1Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:   2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.