Dear Praying Friends,
In 1994, Congregational minister Rev. Richard Owen Roberts reintroduced America's churches to the seemingly forgotten Biblical truth about "Solemn Assembly." His article of the same title from his book, Sanctify the Congregation, has been reprinted again and again to help Christians in America and around the world respond to God's call for corporate repentance and prayer. But have we met God's requirements to prevent our nation from moral, spiritual, economic, and political collapse? Or will judgments against our nation only increase? Our patriot pastors, colonial governors, Continental Congresses, and many Presidents frequently called for days of sincere fasting, humiliation and prayer. They were taken seriously and nearly universally observed. We cannot save ourselves. God's Word declares hope for our nation, but only as we seek Him (Is 1:4-20; 2 Chr 7:14).
Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) - The President has not kept his word on a range of issues, but he is aggressively working to keep his promises to the nation's homosexual activists. With an expanded Hate Crimes Law already in force and a plan to open the U.S. military to homosexuals underway, Congressional Democrats are now promising a vote on ENDA (H.R.3017, S.1584) during the next few weeks. If passed, ENDA will require businesses, charities, schools, day care centers, etc., to hire, retain, and promote persons who could have been arrested as criminals in many states until just seven years ago under sodomy laws (Lawrence v. Texas U.S. 558 [2003]).
Suspected violators of what some refer to as "Cross-Dresser Protection" legislation will be investigated by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which will facilitate lawsuits by homosexual activists. The bill gives special employment protection to homosexual, bisexuals and "transgender persons" and covers both "actual" and "perceived" "sexual orientation or gender identity." There is some (but not enough) protection for religious organizations. Chai Feldblum, who drafted the measure, was recently appointed by President Obama to the EEOC. Feldblum, a law school professor and lesbian activist, believes first amendment religious rights must bow to homosexual rights, "Gays win; Christians lose," she says (see Feldblum, Fight ENDA).
May God intervene to stop this evil bill. May God's people exercise their duty as citizens to demand that their representatives uphold religious liberty over sexual immorality by defeating ENDA (Pr 16:10-11; 20:23; Mic 6:11; Rom 1:32; 1 Ti 5:21; 2 Tim 4:2-3; Jas 3:17).
DC. Same Sex Marriage - Next Tuesday, May 4th at 10:00 AM, a nine member panel of the D.C. Court of Appeals will hear Stand4MarriageDC Coalition's appeal defending their right under the D.C. Charter to conduct a citizen initiative (a proactive referendum) on the issue of marriage. The Board of Elections and Ethics has called the initiative discriminatory and an unfit topic for a citizen initiative, simply because it seeks to keep the legal definition of marriage that has been in force since D.C.'s inception. The court ruling could further challenge the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage for federal purposes as a union between a man and woman. When the D.C. Council passed a same-sex marriage bill in December, Congress had 30 legislative days to override the bill. Only a handful fulfilled their duty to act to overturn the law. The city began issuing marriage licenses to homosexuals in early March. Activists want to make our nation's capital the homosexual capital. According to a recent report by the D.C. AIDS office, more than 3% of D.C. residents have HIV or full blown AIDS (the actual number is much higher than the number of reported cases). D.C.'s rate is similar to that in African Uganda, which, for many years had the highest AIDS rate for any nation (Hearing, Stand4MarriageDC).
May God move upon the Court to uphold D.C. citizens' right to define marriage in their city. And may they win the Initiative at the polls! May our federal legislators fulfill their duty to uphold DOMA. If taken to the U.S. Supreme Court, may God grant a wondrous victory! (Gen 1:27-28; 2:20-25; Dt 16:18-20; Ecc 12:13; Mt 19:4-6; Rev 12:11).
National Day of Prayer - Rev. Franklin Graham, son of the world's best known evangelist and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse, was unceremoniously disinvited from speaking at the Pentagon on May 6th. Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, wrote Secretary of Defense Robert Gates "demanding" that the Pentagon choose another speaker. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Washington-based Muslim lobbyist group with ties to HAMAS, a certified terrorist organization, complained about Graham, pointing to his statements that Islam is an "evil and wicked religion." Now they are demanding that Graham be disinvited from speaking at the main NDP event on Capitol Hill Graham stands by his statements, originally made after the terrorist attacks in 2001 (Story, Hearings, Weinstein, CAIR, Capitol Hill Event).
May the Commander-in-Chief make amends for this discourteous act in which the Pentagon bowed to the demands of a competing religious group with a questionable history. May God-fearing people across America, outraged by this provocation, speak out, and may the Pentagon's posture be reversed! May Rev. Graham and others be strengthened to speak the truth! (2 Sam 22:1 ff; 2 Chr 7:14; Ps 50:14-15; Is 1:10-20; Joel 1:14, 2:12-18; Mt 18:18-20; John 10:10-15; 16:23-27).
Finally, this Saturday, May 1, from 6 AM - 2 PM, Christians from many denominations will gather on the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial to "Cry to God for a Nation in Distress." This gathering promises to be a powerful antecedent to National Day of Prayer activities scheduled in Washington, D.C. and across the nation. On Thursday May 6th, the NDP Task Force prayer meeting on Capitol Hill will be aired live via God TV (9 AM - 12 Noon); an NDP Eastern National Area Solemn Assembly will be conducted West of the Capitol (11:30 AM - 1 PM), and the Capitol Region NDP Committee will conduct a pastors and leaders meeting (2 - 4 PM), and a Prayer and Unity gathering on the Capitol West Lawn (4:30 - 8:30 PM). Thank you for praying!
Sincerely,
Rev. Pierre Bynum
National Prayer Director
Email: pbynum@frc.org
Family Research Council
801 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-2100
Fax: 202-393-2134
Web: www.frc.org
