DAY 6 - DAILY BIBLE VERSE (WITCHCRAFT) - MAY 30, 2014

May 30

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 ESV 


“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.

DAY 6 - DAILY PRAYER (THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS) - MAY 30, 2014

May 30

A PRAYER FOR MASSACHUSETTS

Our Heavenly Father,
We thank you for our State of Massachusetts and its unique purpose and role as the birth place of our great nation.  We thank You that our state serves as a strategic power base of politics, education, medicine and business within America and the World.  We have blindly surrendered our children, families, schools, churches, communities, cities and state to the forces of evil.  As the Body of Christ in Massachusetts, we ask that you forgive us for forsaking our God-given territory and authority as Your ambassadors within this region.

We now come boldly as David stood before Goliath to reclaim all that we have surrendered and what was stolen by the evil one.  We are confident that we shall pursue and recover all by the power of the Holy Spirit!  It is not by power, nor by might, but by My Spirit says the Lord!  We come against every opposition in the spirit or by human will. 

Father, we pray the prayer of Jesus,  "that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me."- John 17:21  We tear down the walls of division and separation within Your body and speak that this generation of believers will stand together in unity upon the earth.  

We pray "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven".  


In the name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.  

Prayer taken from: http://www.praymassachusetts.org

DAY 6 - DAILY QUESTION ABOUT GOD'S WORD - WERE THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS BIBLICAL?

May 30

Question: "Were the Salem Witch Trials biblical?"

Answer: A very dark period in the history of the United States, the Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex, Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693. Hundreds of people were arrested, imprisoned and tried for the crime of witchcraft and nineteen of them were hanged. One was crushed under heavy stones and at least five more died in prison. Numerous social, religious, psychological, and political reasons have been put forth as contributing factors to the bizarre events, but one thing is certain: the Salem Witch Trials were not biblical from a number of perspectives.

Some proponents of this kind of action have pointed to Old Testament commands like Exodus 22:18, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" or Leviticus 20:27, "A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or is a wizard, shall surely be put to death" as justification for the trials. They would say that since God commanded death for anyone found guilty, then we are obligated to carry out those commands today. If that were the case, then we would have difficulty understanding what happened in Acts 19:19. As Paul ministered in Ephesus, many who had practiced witchcraft brought their books and burned them, confessing their sinful deeds. Instead of stoning these people, Paul welcomed them when they confessed and repented of their sins. Likewise, Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8:9 was not stoned, but was rebuked by Peter.

Why didn't Peter and Paul obey God's commands from the Old Testament? First of all, the Law was given to the nation of Israel as the basis of a theocracy. Israel was the only nation in all of history to legally and politically come under the direct authority of God. He did not originally establish a king to rule over them, but declared Himself to be their only true king (1 Samuel 10:19). By the time of Jesus and the apostles, Israel was no longer a sovereign nation, and could no longer carry out all of the laws God had given them. When Jesus was presented for crucifixion before Pilate, the Jewish leaders had to get permission from the Roman governor to carry out their plans. Secondly, in this church age, we are no longer under the law, but under grace (Romans 6:14). This doesn't give an excuse to sin, but does open the door of mercy to anyone who will confess and forsake their sin, no matter how grievous that sin is.

Another reason the witch trials were unbiblical was the manner in which they were carried out. The historical accounts of the trials make it pretty clear that most of the accused were really the victims of mass hysteria, petty jealousy, or gossip. Little evidence was produced to verify the charges leveled, and that which was produced was hearsay or circumstantial. In most cases it was one person's word against another, and once the charge was made, the victim's word was rejected. Those responsible for the trials were in most cases probably guiltier of sin than those who were accused. Lies, gossip, and slander were the rule of the day, and God was certainly not honored in anything that was done there. First Corinthians 13:4-7 stands as an indictment on those who carried out the witch trials, showing that they did not have the love of God within them.

Recommended Resources: Christianity Through the Centuries by Earle Cairns and Logos Bible Software.

While he is not the author of every article on GotQuestions.org, for citation purposes, you may reference our CEO, S. Michael Houdmann.



Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/Salem-Witch-Trials.html#ixzz33A54PE5N

DAY 6 - DAILY HISTORY - AMERICAN MINUTE FOR MAY 30, 2014

May 30

American Minute for May 30th:

On MAY 30, 1774, the members of the Virginia House of Burgesses met at the home of Speaker of the House, Peyton Randolph, the older cousin of Thomas Jefferson.

They had all just been fired and sent home by Virginia's Royal Governor Lord Dunmore, because they proclaimed a Day of Fasting and Prayer to be observed the same day the British navy was to block Boston's harbor as punishment for the Tea Party.

At Peyton's home, they decided to invite delegates from all of Virginia's counties to a Convention.

Citizens of Fairfax County met in Alexandria's court house July 18, 1774, where they approved George Mason's Fairfax Resolves which identified American rights and stood against abusive British oppression.

George Washington was chosen to carry the Fairfax Resolves to the First Virginia Convention in Williamsburg, Virginia, August 1, 1774.

The Fairfax Resolves stated:

"'People's being governed by no laws to which they have not given their consent'...if this part of the Constitution was taken away...the Government must degenerate...into an absolute and despotic monarchy...and the freedom of the people be annihilated..."

"The British...extort from us our money without our consent...diametrically contrary to the first principles of the Constitution...totally incompatible with the privileges of a free people and the natural rights of mankind...calculated to reduce us...to slavery and misery..."

"We will use every means which Heaven hath given us to prevent our becoming its slaves..."

The Virginia Convention sent delegates to Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress, including Peyton Randolph, Patrick Henry and George Washington.

Carrying the Fairfax Resolves, they met at Carpenter's Hall, beginning September 6, 1774.

Payton Randolph was chosen as the first President of the First Continental Congress, making him the first to have the title "Father of our Country."

The Fairfax Resolves were revised and approved as the Continental Association of October 20th, 1774.

The next year, Peyton Randolph was President of the Second Continental Congress in Richmond, Virginia.

This is where Patrick Henry gave his speech, March 23, 1775:

"...Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston!

The war is inevitable - and let it come!...

Gentlemen may cry, 'Peace! Peace!' - but there is no peace. The war is actually begun!..

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!

I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!"

Hide Endnotes

On MAY 30, 1774, the members of the Virginia House of Burgesses met at the home of Speaker of the House, Peyton Randolph, the older cousin of Thomas Jefferson.

They had all just been fired and sent home by Virginia's Royal Governor Lord Dunmore, because they proclaimed a Day of Fasting and Prayer to be observed the same day the British navy was to block Boston's harbor as punishment for the Tea Party.

At Peyton's home, they decided to invite delegates from all of Virginia's counties to a Convention.

Citizens of Fairfax County met in Alexandria's court house July 18, 1774, where they approved George Mason's Fairfax Resolves which identified American rights and stood against abusive British oppression.

George Washington was chosen to carry the Fairfax Resolves to the First Virginia Convention in Williamsburg, Virginia, August 1, 1774.

The Fairfax Resolves stated:

"'People's being governed by no laws to which they have not given their consent'...if this part of the Constitution was taken away...the Government must degenerate...into an absolute and despotic monarchy...and the freedom of the people be annihilated..."

"The British...extort from us our money without our consent...diametrically contrary to the first principles of the Constitution...totally incompatible with the privileges of a free people and the natural rights of mankind...calculated to reduce us...to slavery and misery..."

"We will use every means which Heaven hath given us to prevent our becoming its slaves..."

The Virginia Convention sent delegates to Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress, including Peyton Randolph, Patrick Henry and George Washington.

Carrying the Fairfax Resolves, they met at Carpenter's Hall, beginning September 6, 1774.

Payton Randolph was chosen as the first President of the First Continental Congress, making him the first to have the title "Father of our Country."

The Fairfax Resolves were revised and approved as the Continental Association of October 20th, 1774.

The next year, Peyton Randolph was President of the Second Continental Congress in Richmond, Virginia.

This is where Patrick Henry gave his speech, March 23, 1775:

"...Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston!

The war is inevitable - and let it come!...

Gentlemen may cry, 'Peace! Peace!' - but there is no peace. The war is actually begun!..

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!

I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!"


Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. November 11, 1932, inscription on back panel. Thomas Vorwerk, The Unknown Soldier (Springfield, MO: Pentecostal Evangel, June 28, 1992), p. 12. Vice-President Calvin Coolidge, May 31, 1923, Memorial Day Address, "The Destiny of America," The Price of Freedom - Speeches and Addresses (NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1924), pp. 331-353. Dear Bill Federer, Many thanks for your reference to VP Coolidge May 1923 Memorial Day address...I am with the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, an educational nonprofit organization with the mission to open the eyes of the world to Calvin Coolidge. I invite you to visit us in Vermont and to review our website http://www.calvin-coolidge.org/ William F. Brooks, Jr. Development Director, Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation, bbrooks@calvin-coolidge.org (802) 672-3389, Ext. 4


(Brought to you by AmericanMinute.com)

DAY 6 - STATE HISTORY - MASSACHUSETTS

May 30

One of the original 13 colonies and one of the six New England states, Massachusetts (officially called a commonwealth) is known for being the landing place of the Mayflower and the Pilgrims. English explorer and colonist John Smith named the state for the Massachuset tribe. Boston, the state capital, was a hotbed of activity, including the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party, during the American Revolution. In addition to its revolutionary spirit, the state is known for sparking the American Industrial Revolution with the growth of textile mills in Lowell, and for its large Irish-American population.

Date of Statehood: February 6, 1788

Did You Know?
The chocolate chip cookie was reportedly invented in 1930 at the Toll House Restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts. In 1997 it was designated the official cookie of the commonwealth.

Capital: Boston

Population: 6,547,629 (2010)

Size: 10,554 square miles

Nickname(s): Bay State

Motto: Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem (“By the sword we seek peace, but peace only underliberty”)

Tree: American Elm

Flower: Mayflower

Bird: Chickadee

INTERESTING FACTS

After a harsh winter that claimed the lives of half of the Mayflower’s original immigrants from England in 1620, the Pilgrims were taught to plant corn and survive in the wilderness by Native American Indians. In November of the following year, the Pilgrims organized a harvest feast in Plymouth to celebrate their new crop—an event widely regarded as America’s “first Thanksgiving.”

Established in Cambridge in 1636 by vote of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Harvard University was the first institution of higher education in the United States.

Nineteen people were hanged at Gallows Hill in 1692 for worshipping the devil and practicing witchcraft, and close to 200 others were similarly accused. In 1711, after judge Samuel Sewall and others involved in the Salem witch trials had admitted wrongdoing, the colony restored the good names of all accused and granted restitution to their heirs.

Massachusetts observes a legal holiday called Patriots’ Day on the third Monday of April each year, commemorating the first battles of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.

Following the American Revolutionary War, many people struggled to support their families under the heavy tax burdens levied to pay off war debt. Faced with losing their property, a group of insurgents led by Daniel Shays—a farmer and veteran of the war—forced the closure of several debtors’ courts and attempted to occupy a federal arsenal in Springfield on January 25, 1787. Although repelled, Shays’ Rebellion highlighted the need for a stronger national government and influenced the creation of the U.S. Constitution.


Dr. James Naismith, a physical education teacher at the International YMCA in Springfield, invented the game of basketball in December 1891 as a way to occupy his students indoors during the cold winter months. The first game was played with a soccer ball and two peach baskets nailed to railings 10 feet above the floor.

DAY 5 - DAILY BIBLE VERSE (RESTORE) - MAY 29, 2014

May 29

Psalm 51:12   English Standard Version (ESV)
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.

DAY 5 - DAILY PRAYER (THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT) - MAY 29, 2014

May 29

Jehovah Rophi, as I look out over the land of Connecticut in pictures and on maps, I see the blood of innocent victims.  From the early witch trials to the senseless murders of innocent school children, the land has been stained with human blood.  As Jeremiah states in 17:14; Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.  Let the people of Connecticut praise Your Holy Name, that the curse of bloodshed be removed from their land, and that life would blossom out of tragedy.

We pray for the livelihood of Connecticut's inhabitants, businesses, and churches.  Prosper them Oh God, that they may have enough to meet their daily need with extra to share.  Bless the laborers, and equip those who are without work.  Bring freedom to those on assistance programs, and humble the mega rich.  

Father, calm the stormy seas, and harness the destructive winds of the sky.  Hold back Your wrath from the people and land of Connecticut,  and protect them from the devils schemes for great disorder.

We say a special prayer for Connecticut's Governor Dannel Malloy, and for all those who serve the people of Connecticut.  May they follow the most basic laws of Your word, and put behind them any laws that go against righteousness.  May they overturn the law allowing gay marriage in their state, and protect the rights of the righteous.   Protect Connecticut's elect from the temptations of corruption and conspiracy, and allow them to be worthy of honor and praise.

Bless the land of Connecticut, Oh Father...and return her roots as a Christian lead state.

In Jesus' Mighty Name we prayer. Amen!