Prayer Targets: John MacArthur, David's Tent, More Mandate Lawsuits, Pulpit Freedom, Target States
October 10, 2012
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness... Romans 1:18-19
Dear Praying Friends,
Dr. John MacArthur is pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California. A prolific writer, conference speaker, founder and President of The Master's College and Seminary, Dr. MacArthur's radio program, Grace to You, is aired world-wide more than 1,000 times daily in English and nearly as many in Spanish. Widely known for his strong feelings that politics should take a distant back seat to the gospel mission, MacArthur nevertheless warns that our nation is at a crossroad:
This is a new day in our country. Parties which used to differ on economics now differ dramatically on issues that invade the realm of God's law and morality...
[One party platform] advocates a homosexual marriage, which is an oxymoron, an utter impossibility, and a gross violation of the law of God. And then, to add to that, the murder of abortion, and then a platform originally leaving God out. All of that's Romans 1, [which] says God will judge, God has judged throughout human history, nations that experience sexual freedom. Romans chapter 1 lays that out clearly: the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against those who advocate sexual freedom, sexual conduct outside of marriage. And that's an indication of the demise of a nation...
Romans 1 also says that God will judge... nations that advocate homosexual behavior, men with men, women with women, doing what is unnatural. They are also haters of God, haters of God--leaving God out, advocating abortion, advocating homosexuality, advocating free sexual conduct and government-provided condoms so that everybody can do what they want. That is literally creating a platform out of what God hates.
This is not about politics, although there are things we could talk about: You're not voting for a pastor, you're not voting for a spiritual leader, you're voting for someone who has some sense of morality. Since the Bible says that the role of government is to punish evil doers and protect the good, you better have somebody in power who understands what is good and what is evil. And if you think homosexuality, abortion, sexual freedom, hating God are not evil, then you better go back and check your Bible again. How can people with that kind of agenda protect those who do good and punish those who do evil? That's Romans 13's definition of the role of government. We could talk about foreign policies, should we protect as many defenseless people from evil aggressors as possible? We could talk about economics, Is it right to get into irreparable debt? Is that responsibility? We could talk about that...
We get all caught up in the politics of this election. That isn't the issue. There are things vastly more important than that, than personalities. It's about whether this society exists in the future at all, as we know it. The land is so defiled, God will spew it out. First He abandons it, and then He destroys it... "Don't practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves with them." Why? "I am the Lord...You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy." He's saying to His people, you have to stand against this. It's a shocking thing when this becomes the agenda to support. (MacArthur, Abortion and the Campaign for Immorality; Homosexuality and the Campaign for Immorality, videos & Transcripts).
David's Tent - Jason Hershey, Director of Youth with a Mission (YWAM) in Washington, DC, is founder of the Washington House of Prayer. Sixteen days ago, Jason and his team of young leaders erected David's Tent on the DC Ellipse, the large open area between the White House and the Washington Monument in our nation's capital. Local and national agencies granted permits to erect the tent for an unprecedented 43 days: September 25 thru Election Day, November 6th, 2012, inspired by David's Tabernacle, the tent King David erected on Mount Zion for the Ark of the Covenant (2 Sam 6:17, 1 Chr 16:1-42; Amos 9:11, Acts 15:16). Just as David appointed singers and musicians to serve 24 hours per day, 7 days per week in unbroken worship to God, David's Tent in Washington, DC is being manned by church worship teams from nearby and across the nation, offering worship 24/7. Without offering partisan prayers, the Tent is serving as a sort of anchor for the multi-denominational, multi-faceted pre-election prayer efforts that are taking place across the nation. If you can, please visit. If you are not yet engaged in election prayer, please join FRC and Call2Fall in daily prayer with Dr. Greg Frizzell's daily guide: Seeking God in United Prayer for Revival and the Elections (see David's Tent DC, Other Election Prayer Efforts).
- May God sanctify this and the extraordinary prayer efforts now in progress across America! May they continue long after November 6th, not only impacting the Elections, but sparking Biblical Revival in our churches and Awakening in our land that will transform our cultural institutions, including civil government! (Nu 10:8-10; Josh 6:3-5; 1 Chr 16: all; 1 Chr 6:12-14; 7:14)
More Lawsuits against Contraceptive Mandate - Each week some new employer files a federal lawsuit against Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for violating its constitutional rights by requiring all employers to provide insurance that gives their employees sterilization, contraception and abortion-inducing drugs free of charge, despite the employer's religious convictions against such a practice. The most recent one to file suit is Tyndale House, a Christian publisher. HHS refused to grant Tyndale House a religious exemption because, as a "for profit" business, it is insufficiently religious. John Kennedy, a Roman Catholic and CEO of Autocam, a major manufacturer of precision auto, machine and medical equipment parts, has also filed suit saying the mandate violates the company's "deeply held religious convictions about the dignity of the person." Meanwhile, President Obama addressing an audience in DC's Virginia suburbs, bragged about the mandate saying, "I don't think a college student in Fairfax or Charlottesville should have to choose between text books or the preventive care that she needs. That's why we passed this law. And I am proud of it. It was the right thing to do. And we are going to keep it." A lawsuit by the largest non-Catholic Christian company yet to sue HHS, Hobby Lobby will proceed October 24th in Oklahoma. The company says it would face $1.3 million in daily fines if it holds to its faith convictions. Meanwhile, a federal judge in St. Louis dismissed a suit by O'Brien Industrial Holdings ruling that the "regulations do not impose a 'substantial burden'" on the company and "do not violate (their) rights." O'Brien will appeal (see Obama Brags, Tyndale, Autocam, Hobby Lobby, O'Brien).
- Pray all who stand for Religious Liberty will prevail in the courts. May candidates who will defend religious liberty prevail in elections across America! (Dt 5:9; Lev 25:10; Is 61:1; 2 Cor 3:17; Dan 3:14-18; 6:7-10; Acts 4:18-31)
Pulpit Freedom Sunday - On Sunday, October 7th, at least 1,586 pastors openly challenged the IRS code that has inhibited political speech within our churches since 1954. Pastors recorded their Sunday sermons for the IRS. They endorsed or opposed candidates for office (speech condemned by the IRS), so placing their church's tax exempt status in jeopardy. The Alliance Defending Liberty (ADF) has long been looking for a case with which to challenge the unconstitutional law and end its intimidation of pastors and churches, whose voices are sorely needed in the political and public policy arena (see 1586, No Government Intrusion at All!, ADF).
- May America's pastors arise to pray, preach and partner to communicate the whole Word of God as it pertains to our elections, our candidates and our nation without fear and intimidation. May the election of God-fearing public servants and God-sent Revival be the result! (Ps 68; Jer 23:4; Joel 2:17; 2 Tim 4:2 ff)
Finally, citizens of four states will vote on whether to redefine marriage for persons of the same sex to "marry" (ME, MD, MN and WA). The Presidential Election will be decided by voters in "swing states" (chiefly FL, OH, VA, WI and CO, but also NV, PA, IA, NH and NC). People in these states need our prayer attention! Thank you for praying!