HAPPY THURSDAY - HAPPY JULY 4TH

Mountains Need Moving

Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers.

BIBLE MEDITATION: “Jesus answered and said...if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.” Matthew 21:21

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
When a nation loses its ability to discern morality, it embarks on a slippery slope toward self-destruction, especially when it comes to basic sexual morality.

When a nation turns its back on the commands of God, He will say, “That’s the last step. I wash My hands. You asked for it. You got it.”

America is in a crisis, and unless we have a moral rebirth, we will join the graveyard of the nations—it’s time to wake up. Time is passing—it’s time to look up. Jesus is coming—it’s time to sober up. Satan is working—it’s time to pray up. Mountains need moving.

ACTION POINT:
Ask the Lord to heal our land, forgiving the iniquities of the wicked by bringing salvation to their souls.

In The News:

Syria: Catholic Priest Beheaded by al Qaeda-Linked Rebels as Men and Children Cheer Syrian Catholic priest Francois Murad was beheaded last weekend by jihadi fighters, The Blaze reports. Murad, 49, who was setting up a monastery in Gassanieh, in northern Syria, was attacked at the monastery last Sunday by extremist militants trying to topple President Bashar Assad. While earlier reports suggested Murad may have been shot to death, Catholic Online reported Saturday: "The Vatican is confirming the death by beheading of Franciscan Father Francois Murad, who was martyred by Syrian jihadists on June 23." The Catholic news service quoted local sources who reported that the radical al Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra, or Al-Nusra Front, was behind the savage killing. In video posted by Live Leak purporting to show the execution, dozens of men and boys are seen cheering on as three men are seated on the ground awaiting their grisly fate. The men are methodically beheaded one at a time by men holding what appears to be a simple kitchen knife, after which the heads are placed on top of the bodies. According to Catholic Online, the first victim was Murad. A frenzy ensues, with dozens drawing out their smartphones to capture the bloody scene, as a chorus of Allahu Akbar ("Allah is the greatest") is sung. Several observers are seen moving within inches of the bodies in an effort to capture close-up photos. Catholic Online is raising alarm that western nations are providing support to the rebels who have shown a proclivity toward persecuting Christians: "This should make it clear to Christians around the world what jihadists are about. Make no mistake. Catholics and [other] Christians around the globe are under dire threat, particularly from the spread of militant Islam. Until the threat is recognized and taken seriously, martyrdoms like this will continue."

China Clamps Down on Families Who Rescue Abandoned Babies (WNS) -- Orphaned children hold on to their toys at the Bethel foster home for the care and education of blind and disabled children in Lan Fang, China. China has banned groups and individuals from privately adopting abandoned infants, making it much harder for babies without families to find good homes. The country’s Ministry of Civil Affairs announced Tuesday that people who find an abandoned child must immediately tell local residential committees and the police and not adopt the child at will. Tens of thousands of infants are abandoned each year in China due primarily to its strict one-child policy, which limits most urban couples to one child and rural couples to two. A traditional preference for male heirs leads many families to abandon the girls and disabled children that have not been aborted, hoping to have a boy. Poverty and the social stigma for unwed mothers are also factors. China’s adoption law forbids baby trafficking, including in the name of adoption, but did not specify whether individuals could keep abandoned babies. The new rules that forbid keeping such babies are outlined in a document from several government departments that was posted on the Ministry of Civil Affairs’ website. The new rules mean people who want to adopt Chinese children domestically must meet the requirements leveled under official channels, including being healthy, over 30, and childless. People who use abandoned children for illegal and profitable ends will be severely punished, the rules say, without specifying what that entails. The document also sets out measures police should take when an abandoned baby is found, requiring them to try to find the parents or guardians. The police are to transfer children to a government-sanctioned nursing home for temporary care. The homes only take the children under official care if no guardian is found within a certain period. China’s chronically underfunded state orphanage system has been unable to adequately provide shelter for many of the children who have been abandoned. Often, such services have been left to private citizens with few resources and no legal authority. In January, the issue was highlighted when a fire at an illegally run orphanage killed six children and one young adult. Zhou Xiaozheng of Renmin University’s School of Society and Population Studies said around 200,000 babies are abandoned in China each year, mostly girls whose parents wanted to try again for a boy. “It’s good for the government to strengthen its management of abandoned children, but it will also bring revenue to the government because any potential adopters must pay a handsome adoption fee,” Zhou said. But the revenue will only come if families are willing to pay the fee to adopt. In a country where thousands of children are orphaned, some question whether making the process more difficult and expensive is going to remedy the problem. c. 2013 WORLD News Service. Used with permission.

Massive Crowds of Egyptians Take to Streets in Protests Calling for Morsi to Step Down Washington, D.C. (ICC) -- International Christian Concern continues to monitor the situation in Egypt as millions of Egyptians took to the streets in protest against Islamist president Mohammed Morsi. June 30 marked the one-year anniversary of Morsi's entrance to office, but the majority of Egyptians feel betrayed due to his dictatorial style, his now-apparent radical Islamist agenda and his economic mismanagement. They are demanding that Morsi step down.   Estimates of the number of demonstrators who opposed President Morsi are as high as 14-17 million, according to the Egyptian Interior Ministry, Al-Jazeera reported. The opposition group represents people from a wide swath of Egyptian society, including liberal secularists, moderate Muslims and Egypt's Christian community. Tamarod, or "Rebel," one of the organizing groups of the demonstrations, reportedly collected more than 22 million signatures calling for early presidential elections and urging the masses to work to "achieve a society of dignity, justice and freedom." The 22 million signatures are nearly 10 million more than the number of votes Morsi received in the 2012 elections. Hal Meawad, a spokesman for Coptic Solidarity, told ICC, "He is not the president of the majority; he was only voted in by 14 percent of Egyptians." The massive crowds filled Cairo's Tahrir Square, the area outside the presidential palace in Cairo's Heliopolis district, and cities throughout Egypt. The clashes between Morsi's opponents and supporters resulted in the death of at least seven people; and more than 600 were injured, Ahram reports. The protests continued through the night. Early Monday morning, the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) was stormed and set on fire, though no MB members were thought to be in the building. "The millions of Egyptians who demand Morsi step down don't understand that they face a strong [movement], not just one person [Morsi] or even a group [the Muslim Brotherhood]," Yasser Khalil, a journalist from Cairo told ICC. "The [Islamic movement to turn Egypt into a theocracy] is backed by many groups and supporters. The Muslim Brotherhood though [which Morsi is a member of] is the biggest loser of popularity. However there are more than 26 Islamic political parties and religious groups still popular, and they back the [movement] and some of them are ready to fight for it," Khalil continued. "The huge demonstrations of June 30, 2013, reflect that the experience of political Islam is at the beginning of the end," Khalil said. The Tamarod group has issued an ultimatum calling for President Morsi to step down before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 2, threatening a civil disobedience campaign if he does not. "This date [July 2 at 5 p.m.] can be considered the beginning of a general civil disobedience for the sake of implementing the will of the Egyptian people," Tamarod said in a statement published on its website. The economic collapse under the Morsi government, the growing Islamization of the country, and the abuses of human rights are at the center of the protests. "The country is suffering in every area of life, unemployment is sky-rocketing. There is no security. The country is suffering from a total breakdown of law and order. The only industry that is booming is kidnapping for ransom," said Meawad. There is a fear that the removal of another president via massive public protests makes the establishment of a stable political system even more challenging. Yet, the opposition feels that Morsi has lost all legitimacy and that dialogue will not change anything fundamentally. Despite pressure from Morsi to keep Christians from joining, many took part, as they have been especially abused during Morsi's year in office. "Christians were struggling under Mubarak; but there is a huge difference between Mubarak rule and Brotherhood rule. Morsi and the Brotherhood want to establish an Islamic state in Egypt. Now we have active persecution. We have the government actively participating in the persecution," Meawad told ICC. Todd Daniels, ICC regional manager for the Middle East, said: "The opposition protests taking place in Egypt represent a huge swath of society that are opposed to Morsi and his MB's Islamist government. Morsi's Islamist agenda has alienated large segments of the population, pushed the country to the brink of economic collapse, and contributed to a culture of violence and abuse especially directed toward Christians. Whether this movement leads to a new government and fundamental rights for all of its citizens remains to be seen." International Christian Concern is a Washington, D.C.-based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides awareness, advocacy and assistance to the worldwide persecuted church.