~~FREEDOM WATCH ~~

~~"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" --(Psalm 33:12)

~~STUDENTS TAKE A STAND TO PRAY!

--The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) wrote a letter to the Board of Education at Opelika High School in Alabama, threatening to bring legal action against them unless the school stops allowing prayer before their football games, as was their practice for many years. Although the school superintendent complied and officially ended the practice, he replaced the prayer with a moment of silence.

The students and fans, however, had another idea. Instead of being silent, the students rose up and recited 'The Lord's Prayer' in unison.-- Thank God for their boldness. ~~

~~Abiding Word Ministries --. / /Source: faithwire.com
--

--RELIGIOUS LIBERTY~~

~~Carl and Angel Larsen are devout Christians and run a media business called Telescope Media Group in Minnesota. They wanted to expand their services to include wedding videos but did not want to offer their services for same-sex weddings. The recently passed Minnesota Human Rights Act prevented them from offering their wedding video services at all unless they offered them for all weddings. They recently won a decision in their favor by the 8th Circuit of Appeals that said, "Minnesota can't force free and independent individuals to endorse ideas they find objectionable." --

~~Abiding Word Ministries // Source: alphanewsmn.com
~~~~~~

--FRONT LINES~~

'News and stories from around the world in the battle for Biblical truth and the proclamation of the Gospel' ~~
--[Article from: DECISION / December 2019]

---KENTUCKY~

~~CHRISTIAN PRINT SHOP OWNER WINS SEVEN-YEAR LEGAL BATTLE~

~~The Kentucky Supreme Court on October 31 ruled in favor of Lexington promotional print ship owner Blaine Adamson.

~~In 2012, the Gay and Lesbian Services Organization (GLSO) asked Adamson to print shirts promoting the Lexington Pride Festival. Adamson politely declined, explaining that the requested message conflicted with his Biblical beliefs.

The GLSO then filed a discrimination complaint with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission, which ruled against Adamson, ordering him to begin "diversity training" and to print messages contrary to his religious beliefs.

In May 2017, the Kentucky Court of Appeals rescinded the commission's ruling on religious liberty grounds, but the Human Rights Commission appealed the decision to the Kentucky Supreme Court.

The state's high court sided with Adamson, writing in its opinion, "This matter must be dismissed because the Gay and Lesbian Services Organization....lacked statutory standing to assert a claim against Hands On Originals under the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government ordinance."

"Today's decision makes clear that this case never should have happened," said Jim Campbell, Alliance Defending Freedom senior counsel. "Government officials used this case to turn Blaine's life upside down. The First amendment protects Blaine's right to continue serving all people while declining to print messages that violate his faith." ~~
~~~~~~

--FREEDOM WATCH / FOR YOUR INFORMATION ~~

~~~OVER HALF MILLION BRING THEIR BIBLE TO SCHOOL!

~~On October 3, 2019, over 500,000 students across the country participated in the 'Bring Your Bible to School Day.' This is an annual event sponsored by Focus on the Family, and is a wonderful opportunity for students to celebrate religious freedom and share God's love in their school environment. It also raises awareness of the legal right students have to bring their Bibles to school.
"They are absolutely constitutionally guaranteed the right to bring their Bible to school, to set up a little Bible study at lunch, whatever they want to do. They just can't interrupt class time," said Focus on the Family president Jim Daly. ~

--source:focusonthefamily.com
--Abiding Word Ministries ~~

--IT"S TIME TO REOPEN!

~~Brian Gibson, pastor of His church in Owensboro, KY, is rallying other pastors and calling them to reopen their churches, saying, "It's not reasonable or logical that businesses like Walmart and Kroger can reopen while churches stay closed. When did one hour on Sunday morning become the deadliest hour in America?"

Gibson further asserts that the government has overreached the bounds of constitutional liberties. -- "Every day that the church is not open, a little bit of liberty dies," he concluded. Over 130 other churches have joined him in reopening their doors. ~

-'Abiding Word Ministries'
--Source: newsmax.com

--IN THE 1920's --Dietrich Bonhoeffer ~~

---Christianity was a dominant part of German culture. For a time, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party pretended to work with religious institutions to gain their support. But eventually, as the new regime's power grew, it became clear that the intention was to repress and ultimately eliminate the church.

Pastors like Dietrich Bonhoeffer opposed efforts to put the church under the state. He called out their bigotry in his writing and preaching, led an underground seminary, and began a movement of Christians actively working against Hitler's persecution of Jews. Bonhoeffer was imprisoned and ultimately killed for his actions. But even as he suffered, he persisted in trusting and serving the Lord. He wrote from prison, "As I see it, I'm here for some purpose, and I only hope I may fulfill it ... we mustn't for a moment lose sight of the great things that we're living for." Throughout it all, he remained faithful, emphasizing that the Christian life is one of obedience to Jesus. ~~

[**Bonhoeffer's faith drove him to act in ways that went against the dominant cultural climate. And he suffered greatly for it--this German pastor was eventually hanged for his dissidence. Contemplate what he wrote while he was in prison. Perhaps you can rewrite his thoughts in your own words or read them out loud. Think of his statement as an encouragement to have faith in Jesus above all else. ~~]

**MEMORIZE=
"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." --[Matthew 5:11-12 / ESV]

--IN TOUCH~

---FREEDOM WATCH

--"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."
---[Psalm 33:12]

~~APPOINTMENT / DISAPPOINTMENT~

~~In a recent interview, Vice President Pence conveyed his frustration with Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts,. "We have great respect for the institution of the Supreme Court of the United States, but Chief Justice Roberts has been a disappointment to conservatives," Pence said. Starting with the decision to uphold Obamacare and also the decision to strike down a Louisiana pro-life law that would have forced abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a local hospital, Roberts sided with the other liberal judges.

This is just an example that serves as reminder of how important this election is for the future of the Supreme Court. Pence concluded, "I think it's been a wake-up call for pro-life voters around the country who understand, in a very real sense, the destiny of the Supreme Court is on the ballot in 2020."

--Source: www1.cbn.com ~
--Abiding Word Ministries

--FREEDOM WATCH ~~

---VOTE YOUR FAITH ~

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy spoke recently about the importance of this election. He said,"This time around, it feels different. If we do not win this election, I don't know if we'll have an opportunity to win it again, because they will change the rules of the game."

Jason Yates of My Faith Votes agreed. He said, "It feels like the election of our lifetime. We're asking every church across America to engage their congregation in voting. It's the number-one topic in our nation, and we should all be bringing the influence of our faith into elections." To that end, his ministry created the website OurChurchVotes.org to help facilitate this at the local church level. "We just simply want to call people to vote--and to vote from a Biblical worldview versus their partisan worldview," he stated. ~

--Source: onenewsnow.com
--Abiding Word Ministries ~
[Friends, your VOTE matters. Please go to the polls and vote. If you are unable to do so, please vote Absentee. Call your County Court House for information, City Hall, or perhaps, City Registrar. If we don't voice our opinions as citizens of the United States of America, we must not complain. In God We Trust. --"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." (Psalm 33:12)~]

--Friends,

--- Please be aware of the post below from Liz Wheeler. A wonderful Christian Newscaster ~

We MUST NOT allow Nancy Pelosi or the Democrats to take over our United States of America!
Banning the use of Gender Pronouns ~

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRm-BN_Vn-E>

--DEMOCRATS INTRODUCE ELECTIONS REFORM PACKAGE / DECISION -[FEB 9, 2021]

Democrats, the controlling majority in the U.S. Senate by virtue of Vice President Harris’ power to cast tie-breaking votes, have put forth a sweeping elections reform package as the first bill in this congressional session. And one of the requirements has some religious and other nonprofits crying foul.

H.R. 1, dubbed the “For the People Act,” includes changes to voter registration requirements, more funding for election security, requirements for presidents and vice presidents to disclose their tax returns and new ethics rules for members of Congress.

But conservatives warn that the bill heavily benefits the federal government—not “the people.”

“Under H.R. 1, massive amounts of elections-related power would be transferred from the states to the federal government,” said conservative policy advocacy organization Heritage Action for America. “The bill interferes with the ability of states and their citizens to determine qualifications for voters, to ensure the accuracy of voter registration rolls, to secure the integrity of elections, to participate in the political process and to determine the district boundary lines for electing their representatives.”

Tucked in the 785-page bill are policies that would “move our nation toward a secular and socialistic state,” said Dr. James Dobson, president of the James Dobson Family Institute.

One such policy would require nonprofit organizations to disclose the names and addresses of their donors to the public.

“We’ve seen the lengths the left will go to in order to ‘cancel’ anyone who stands in their way,” Dobson warned. “Think of how many freedom-loving Americans would be scared to support the conservative ideals that made this country great, knowing that their names could be made public, and their employers might be pressured to fire them. This is absolutely shameful and constitutes an assault on the First Amendment.”

A previous version of the For the People Act had passed the House during the last Congress but stalled in the GOP-controlled Senate. Yet Democrats aren’t giving up, indicating that H.R. 1 is a top legislative priority to them. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) even went so far as to say, “There’s probably nothing more important than passing the For the People Act.”

But Dobson disagrees, and encouraged people to reach out to their U.S. House representative and tell him or her to oppose H.R. 1. “America’s majestic light of liberty is flickering,” he said. “If there was ever a time to stand and speak out, it is now.”
~~~~~~~~

--Transgender Policies for Virginia Schools Put On Hold ~~

--Decision Magazine Staff // [2/08/2021] ~

Controversial transgender policies for Virginia public schools have been put on hold due to parental opposition.

“… More than 9,000 Virginians had made their voices heard on the state-run public comment site for [these policies],” said Victoria Cobb, president of The Family Foundation of Virginia. “… Those comments reflected that the majority of Virginians were speaking 2-1 against [them].”

The policies, outlined in the document “Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia Public Schools,” are in response to Senate Bill 161, which directed the state’s Department of Education to establish clear standards concerning the treatment of transgender students in public elementary and secondary schools.

The document instructs teachers and other school staff to address transgender students by the “name and pronouns that correspond to their gender identity.”

It also encourages educators to hide a child’s gender identity or transgenderism from his or her parents if they are not supportive of their child’s decision:

“Regardless of the circumstances, the school should support the student’s need for privacy and not disclose a student’s gender identity to other students or parents,” the document reads.

It even suggests that teachers address the student with his or her asserted name and pronouns while at school, but use the student’s legal name and pronouns when communicating with parents or guardians.

“State law is requiring every single K-12 public school to adopt measures that align with [these] transgender [policies] that—in one fell swoop—erase basic parental rights and protections for the bodily privacy and safety rights of even our youngest students,” Cobb said.

She continued: “… Thankfully, our law does say if guidelines are issued and any of the comments that are given during that period actually say that these are unlawful—which these are unlawful, they do violate other state laws—then there has to be a 30-day delay for the Department of Education to respond and, we hope, adjust the policy.”

On Feb. 4, Peter Vlaming, a high school teacher who was fired from Virginia’s West Point High School for not using someone’s preferred pronouns, joined Cobb in a virtual press conference about the transgender policies.

“It would be one thing if the guidance were suggesting true tolerance, asking teachers to respect differing views on gender—but that’s not what this is,” he said. “It’s saying there is only one view on gender and everyone must adopt and advocate that specific view.

“Tolerance is supposed to be a two-way street—and in this case that’s not what is going on,” Vlaming added.

Although Cobb is focused on what’s going on in her home state, she encourages all parents pay attention for possible transgender policies that would affect their children.

“Parents across the country need to stand guard and be a watchful eye for what’s happening in your locality,” she urged.

--Nigerian Christian ~~ Voice of the Martyrs ~~
[Please pray for the Nigerian Christians and Others to be saved by Jesus. Thank you. ]

~~Ibrahim was filled with joy when he heard that Christians in the United States care about him and are praying for him. Violent attacks by Boko Haram and Fulani Islamic militants have affected many families and churches in Nigeria, resulting in the loss of spouses, parents, places of worship and homes. But faithful Nigerian believers like Ibrahim continue to follow and serve Christ.

Ibrahim lost his eyesight in 2008 when a Fulani Islamic shot him in the face. Though he lost his physical sight, Ibrahim gained spiritual insight when he committed his life to Christ. While struggling with bitterness toward his attackers, he was challenged through a sermon to show forgiveness to those who hurt him. "The message really gave me insight," he said. "I saw the best thing was for me to forgive. So, I forgave."

As with many Christian sin northern Nigeria, Ibrahim has experienced repeated attacks because of his Christian faith. Nevertheless, he remains hopeful because he knows he is not alone.
"The larger body of Christ cares about me?" he asked. "Wow. I'm extremely glad, incredibly happy, I am telling you...I just find joy being a part of the family of Christians." ~~

--Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."
--[PSALM 33:12]

--VICTORY FOR CHURCHES~

--The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled to end California's Governor Gavin Newsom's total ban on indoor worship, which had been in place for over a year in the state. This ruling forced Governor Newsome to revise his strict Coving-19 regulations to now allow churches to meet with a 25% to 50% building capacity limit, depending on prevalence of Covid-19 cases being experienced in the communities in which the churches reside. The case is still working its way through the appeals process, so that final disposition has not yet been settled. However, for now, California churches are allowed to reopen.
This is a huge victory for churches and pastors that face enormous fines and threats of jail. ~~

--Source:lc.org
--The Vine and Branches.

--FREEDOM WATCH
----PRESIDENTS CANCELED ~

--The San Francisco School Board has voted 6 to 1 to remove names of former presidents and other founding fathers from their public schools.
Specifically mentioned were George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson, who they said had "dishonorable legacies." Other presidents included William McKinley, James Garfield, James Monroe and Herbert Hoover. Other men on the list were Francis Scott Key, Paul Revere, and Robert Louis Stevenson. Any school in their district that utilizes one of these name must choose a new name by next April. In defense of the move, board member Kevine Boggess stated, "I think we need to examine our naming policies across the district and really consider how the way we go about naming schools reflects our true values."

The cost of the change is expected to up to $1 million in a district that is already operating with a $75 million deficit ~

--Source: thehill.com
-Abiding Word Ministries ~

---THE POLICE CAPTAIN'S CAP~~
--[A Bible Smuggling Story] --

~~~AN AGING man boarded a bus in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, with a long journey ahead of him--possibly a 12-hour ride. In his hands, he clutched a box of about 30 Bibles that he was taking to tribal Christians in the highlands. As he looked for a seat on the crowded bus, he pondered how he would get through the many checkpoints along the way without the precious goods being discovered.

~~After finding an empty seat along the aisle, he sat down and placed the box of Bibles on the floor against his leg. A police captain who had followed him onto the bus then took the seat across the aisle from him, casually removed his hat and placed it on the man's box.

As the bus coughed and sputtered its way down the road, the man occasionally glanced down at his precious cargo, wondering if he would succeed in the delivering it to his destination. All too soon, they reached a checkpoint. Police officers boarded the bus to check a few ID cards, but they were especially focused on any boxes the passengers had with them.

The man's heart skipped a beat as the officers advanced down the aisle. Soon they were standing by his box of Bibles, and he expected the worst. But when they looked at the box and saw the police captain's cap resting on it, they continued down the aisle to the next passenger. Eventually, the man reached his destination and safely delivered God's Word to awaiting believers in the highlands.

Miracles occur in different and sometimes simple ways. God's hand was at work protecting His precious Word. When we think about it, miracles happen often. In the rush and bustle of life let us not fail to recognize God's hand, lest we miss the blessing. ~~
--VOM/MK~

--30 YEARS OF SAVING BABIES ~~

--30 years ago, Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, decided to open a pregnancy center across the street from a Planned Parenthood facility. In 30 years' time, they have helped 90,000 expectant mothers choose life. The center provides "practical and tangible support" to the moms and ensures that each expectant mother knows that they are not alone. Leanne Jamieson, the executive director, sees each opportunity as a divine appointment with each of the young women who come to see them. A young mother's unplanned pregnancy often points to other areas in life where she is struggling.

Expectant mothers are often "broken and looking for hope," and are given help to find solutions to the problems they face. "Some of the stories we hear would break your heart," says Jamieson. "But I'm so grateful to know a Lord that specializes in the broken."

The Prestonwood Pregnancy Center provides medical services free of charge, offering pregnancy tests, untrasounds, STD testing, and even classes for parents on breastfeeding, finances, and parenting. Most women who reach out for post-abortion help or resources admit that they had an abortion because of the pressure they felt from parents, partners, or their life circumstances. Pro-life facilities like Prestonwood Pregnancy Center provide women with the support they need, so they know that abortion is not their only option, enabling them to make a confident choice for life for their baby. ~
-[If you are in need of help with pregnancy issues, please call a 'Pregnancy Help Center' [Pro-Life] in your area. There are many people wanting to help or offer assistance with your baby.]

--Abiding Word Ministries/ Source: liveaction.com
----

--PRO-LIFE FOUNDER PASSES~~

--The man affectionately called the "godfather of the Pro-Life Movement" Passed away on January 18, 2021, at the age of of 93. Joe Scheidler was well known as the defendant in the RICO lawsuit, NOW v Scheidler, a landmark case that went to the Supreme Court three times and fought to protect free speech right for pro-lifers. Joe Scheidler was the founder of the Pro-Life Action League and was a very active proponent of the pro-life movement. Joe attended a Pro-Life conference in 1972 where he saw photographs of aborted babies. He responded by learning all that he could about the issues and eventually became a pro-life activist. He was most likely the first national leader to convince abortionists to leave the industry. He would invite them to dinner and treat them respectfully. In a 2017 interview with Life Action News, Joe shared what he thought the pro-life movement had accomplished over these many years.

Joe continues, "We have gone to the clinics, We have converted the doctors. We have saved thousands of women from abortion through going to the clinics, talking to the women, talking to the doctors. Many women are going around speaking about abortion --how bad it is."

--ABW/Source::liveaction.com
-[Friend, there is a better way. Please contact the Pregnancy Help Center in your area. It is important that you do NOT go to the planned parenthood. ]

----OPEN DOORS ~

--2021 PERSECUTION REPORT ~~

--According to Open Doors 2021 World Watch Lists on Christian persecution, every day 13 Christians worldwide are killed, 12 churches are attacked, 12 Christians are unjustly arrested and imprisoned, and 5 are abducted. There has been a 60% increase over the last year in number of Christians killed for their faith. Open Doors also documents the top 50 countries where Christians are most persecuted. Among these 50 nations, 309 million Christians are living in places with very high or extreme levels of persecution.

The report identifies 3 main trends driving an increase in persecution. 1.) Covid-19 acted as a catalyst for religious persecution through relief discrimination, forced conversion, and a justification for increase in surveillance and censorship. 2.) Extremist attacks opportunistically spread further throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. 3.) Chinese censorship systems continue to propagate and spread to emerging surveillance states. North Korea has topped the list for the past 20 years.
This year, the top 10 worst persecutors are North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Eritrea, Yemen, Iran, Nigeria and India.

--AWM/Source:opendoorsusa.org
--[Friends, please continue praying for these Persecuted Christians, in Jesus Name. Thank you and may the Lord bless you. "Remember those in prison as if you were bound with them, and those who are mistreated as if you were suffering with them." -[Hebrews 13:3] - ]

--BIBLE and CULTURE ~~

--Half of LGBTQ Adults Are Religious--
and All Need the Truth ~~

--In a gallup Daily Tracking Survey, 47% of 16,000 LGBTQ respondents indicated that they were either moderately or highly religious (categorized by church service attendance and importance of religion in their daily lives). But the percentage of gay Americans who identify as religious is still considerably lower than the general population. In an interview with NBC News, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of Congregation Belt Simchat Torah, a New Your LGBTQ synagogue, claims that gay people deeply crave spirituality. "Everyone has a desire for meaning or purpose," she said. "But for LGTB people, it's right there on the surface."

However, lead author and research director Kerith J. Donron says, "Fewer and fewer people in young adulthood are choosing religion. It's a pattern we see in non-LGBT people, as well...People are consciously deciding to step away from the religion of their youth because it doesn't embrace their values."

People of all backgrounds are hungry for spiritual fulfillment, but that comes only from repenting of our sin and turning to Christ. We must continue to love God and our neighbor by reaching out to the world with the Gospel of truth --the only ultimate spiritual fulfillment.~~

-AIG/KH~

----THE TRAGIC MISTAKE OF THE MODERN CHURCH~~
----

--Do you know why the early church was so successful? It enjoyed God's favor because the Holy Spirit directed all of its activities. The early church allowed the Holy Spirit to direct where it should go and what it should do. He was in charge. The Spirit ordained and established the leadership of the church. ~~

'We have thousands of high-tech programs, but the tragic fact is that the church is failing to reach this world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We need to return the Holy Spirit to His rightful place as Director of activities; a church where the Holy Spirit roots out hypocrisy and corruption; a church where the Holy Spirit edifies, comforts and exhorts His people; in short, a church where the Holy Spirit is in charge.
"Let God arise and his enemies be scattered." ~~

--Decision//Chuck Smith~

---FREEDOM WATCH ~~

~~LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT of HAPPINESS~~

--"If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed."
---[John 8:36]

--This is the time of the year when many people think about freedom. July 4 is called Independence Day in the United States, because the Declaration of Independence of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776.
The most memorable sentence in the document reads, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

The Declaration goes on to say that these undeniable rights are the responsibility of the civil government, so people think that the government owes them life, liberty, and happiness. They also assume that freedom means, "nobody should tell me what to do!" However, many nations have come to realize that for freedom to be beneficial, it must come with responsibility. This gets close to what the Bible says about freedom. Indeed, the Bible best defines true life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. John 1:4 says of Jesus, "In him was life and the life was the light of men."

Some imagine that there is no freedom in following Jesus, but He gives the only true liberty that there is. Jesus said that we are "free indeed" if He makes us free. Psalm 16:11 speaks of God leading us to find true happiness. "Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore."
Come to Jesus today, repent of your sins, and confess Him as Lord of your life. He alone can truly grant you life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Come to Jesus and live eternally.

--BSW/RB