DAY 27 - DAILY PRAYER (BRING SALVATION) - JUNE 20, 2012

June 20


Father in Heaven,


Bless those who wrong us, and point their lives towards Christ.  Give compassion and mercy to those who have wandered down the wrong path, and place their foot upon a firm rock.  Where satan has wrought corruption and evil, wash it away with the blood of the lamb.  Where there is destruction and violence, repair it with new beginnings and peace.  Destroy the stronghold of the enemy in their minds, hands, and hearts. 


Father God, we are plagued by evildoers who have no sense of wrong.  Restore in them a right conscience - leading of the Holy Spirit.  Bring them to their knees in repentance vs. to a cell of iron bars.  Lead others to forgive them, as You have forgiven each of us in our transgressions.  Give them a way to retreat from the pit of sin, and strengthen them as they seek to do Your will.


We pray for an end to senseless destruction of property, human lives, and eternal souls.  We rebuke satan and his agents of chaos in the Mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  May the enemy retreat from his strongholds, and never return to the reclaimed ground in Christ's name.  Restore order and peace in the campsites of the enemy, and let Your light shine upon territory that was dark and evil.


The Authors personal petition (for wherever two or more at gathered) - For the situation in our neighborhood where arson is rampant...restore peace and order to the darkness, and remove the cloak of evil that lurks in the shadows.  Bring the perpetrator(s) to the knowledge of salvation, and let them place their burdens at the foot of the cross.  Have mercy on their souls Father, and hear our prayers for their redemption.


We pray this in the name of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen!


Wally Ziolo
40DAYPRAYER4USA
Lancaster, Ohio

DAY 27 - DAILY HISTORY - AMERICAN MINUTE FOR JUNE 20, 2012

June 20



JUNE 20, 1632, King Charles I of England granted a charter for the Colony of Maryland, named for his Catholic wife, Queen Henrietta Maria, stating: 


"Charles, by the Grace of God, of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith...


Whereas our well beloved...subject Coecilius Calvert, Baron of Baltimore, in our Kingdom of Ireland...being animated with a laudable, and pious Zeal for extending the Christian Religion...hath humbly besought Leave of Us that he may transport, by his own...expense, a numerous Colony of the English Nation, 


to certain...parts of America...partly occupied by Savages, having no Knowledge of the Divine Being..." 


Maryland's Charter continued: 


"With the increasing Worship and Religion of Christ within said Region...shall...be built...Churches, Chapels, and Places of Worship." 


Lord Baltimore sent two ships, the Ark and the Dove, to settle the colony. 


Buying land from the Indians, they founded the city of St. Mary's as a refuge for persecuted Catholics. 


In 1649, they extended liberty to Protestants by issuing the Toleration Act, which stated: 


"That no person... within this province...professing to believe in Jesus Christ shall...from henceforth be any ways troubled or molested...in respect of his or her religion."

Maryland, Charter of. June 20, 1632, issued by King Charles I to Cecilius Calvert, Second Lord Baltimore. Ebenezer Hazard, Historical Collection: Consisting of State Papers & other Authentic Documents: Intended as Materials for an History of the United States of America (Philadelphia: T. Dobson, 1792), Vol. I, pp. 327-328. William McDonald, editor, Select Charters & Other Documents (NY: The Macmillan Co., 1899), pp. 53-54. Frances Newton Thorpe, ed., Federal & State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, & Other Organic Laws of the States, Territories, & Colonies now or heretofore forming the United States, 7 vols. (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1905; 1909; St. Clair Shores, MI: Scholarly Press, 1968), Vol. III, pp. 1677 ff. Henry Steele Commager, ed., Documents of American History, 2 vols. (NY: F.S. Crofts & Co., 1934; Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc., 1948, 6 ed, 1958; Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc., 9 edition, 1973), Vol. I, p. 21. William McDonald, ed., Documentary Source Book of American History, 1606-1889 (NY: Macmillan Co., 1909), p. 32. Charles E. Rice, The Supreme Court & Public Prayer (NY: Fordham University Press, 1964), pp. 160-161. Richard L. Perry, ed., Sources of Our Liberties: Documentary Origins of Individual Liberties in the United States Constitution & Bill of Rights (Chicago: American Bar Foundation, 1978; NY: 1952), p. 105. Pat Robertson, America's Dates With Destiny (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986), pp. 31-32.

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DAY 26- DAILY BIBLE VERSE (JESUS) - JUNE 19, 2012

June 19


John 14:6-7 (The Voice Bible)


Jesus: 6I am the path, the truth, and the energy of life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7If you know Me, you know the Father. Rest assured now; you know Him and have seen Him.


http://hearthevoice.com/search-bible

DAY 26- DAILY DEVOTION - JUNE 19, 2012

June 19



Say the Name of JESUS


When you don’t know what else to do or when you need a good jumpstart to your day.. Say the Name JESUS- demons and everything else trembles and falls to the ground at the name of Jesus… I love the name of JESUS..


When I was having my 4th daughter Alivia, they were having trouble giving me the spinal tap.  I started saying, JESUS, JESUS, JESUS. They had to give it to me like 3 times.. I kept saying JESUS, JESUS, JESUS.  While saying His name, I had such complete peace.  And when they finally let Bryan in the room, I was so relaxed for my C-section, that Bryan kept asking me if I was ok since my eyes were closed and I wasn’t saying anything. I had such peace that I can’t describe.  That only comes from Him!


Peace, Peace, wonderful peace- that ONLY comes from JESUS not a spouse, child, or money.


Whatever you are facing today, call out JESUS & watch His peace surround you as a shield..  JESUS, JESUS, JESUS!!


In partnership with Katherine Clift of DailyLiveWorship

http://dailyliveworship.com/blog/say-the-name-of-jesus/

DAY 26 - DAILY PRAYER (PRAYER FOR THE NATION) - JUNE 19, 2012

June 19



Prayer for the Nation


God of ages,
in your sight nations rise and fall,
and pass through times of peril.
Now when our land is troubled,
be near to judge and save.
May leaders be led by your wisdom;
may they search your will and see it clearly.
If we have turned from your way,
help us to reverse our ways and repent.
Give us your light and your truth to guide us;
through Jesus Christ,
who is Lord of this world, and our Savior. Amen.


--- Presbyterian Church USA

DAY 26 - DAILY HISTORY - AMERICAN MINUTE FOR JUNE 19, 2012

June 19



The first formal "Father's Day" was celebrated JUNE 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington.


Sonora Louise Smart Dodd heard a church sermon on the newly established Mother's Day and wanted to honor her father, Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, who had raised six children by himself after his wife died in childbirth.


Sonora drew up a petition supported by the Young Men's Christian Association and the ministers of Spokane.


In 1916, Woodrow Wilson spoke at a Spokane Fathers' Day service. President Nixon, in 1972, established Father's Day as a permanent national observance.


On Tuesday, December 6, 1904, in his Fourth Annual Message to Congress, President Theodore Roosevelt stated:


"No Christian and civilized community can afford to show a happy-go-lucky lack of concern for the youth of to-day; for, if so, the community will have to pay a terrible penalty of financial burden and social degradation in the to-morrow....


The prime duty of the man is to work, to be the breadwinner; the prime duty of the woman is to be the mother, the housewife. All questions of tariff and finance sink into utter insignificance when compared with the tremendous, the vital importance of trying to shape conditions so that these two duties of the man and of the woman can be fulfilled under reasonably favorable circumstances."


On May 20, 1981, in a Proclamation of Father's Day, President Ronald Reagan stated:


"'Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it,' Solomon tells us. Clearly, the future is in the care of our parents. Such is the responsibility, promise, and hope of fatherhood. Such is the gift that our fathers give us."


On Father's Day, 1988, Ronald Reagan said:


"Children, vulnerable and dependent, desperately need security, and it has ever been a duty and a joy of fatherhood to offer it.


Being a father requires strength...and more than a little courage...to persevere, to fight discouragement, and to keep working for the family."


Reagan continued:


"With God's grace, fathers find the patience to teach, the fortitude to provide, the compassion to comfort, and the mercy to forgive.


All of this is to say that they find the strength to love their wives and children selflessly."


President Reagan ended:


"Let us...express our thanks and affection to our fathers, whether we can do so in person or in prayer."


Williams Jennings Bryan gave over 600 public speeches during his Presidential campaigns, with his most famous being "The Prince of Peace,” which was printed in the New York Times, September 7, 1913:


"Christ promoted peace by giving us assurance that a line of communication can be established between the Father above and the child below."

Fathers Day. June 19, 1910. The first formal "Father's Day" celebrated in Spokane, Washington, by Sonora Louise Smart Dodd. In 1972, President Richard M. Nixon established Father's Day as a permanent national observance of on the third Sunday of June. Sharron G. Uhler, B.Phil., Archivist, Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum; former Curator, Hallmark Historical Collection, "Father's Day," World Book Online Americas Edition, http://www.aolsvc.worldbook.aol.com/wbol/wbPage/na/ar/co/192440, October 20, 2001. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/2328/father1.htm, http://www.arose4ever.com/roses/fathersday.htm, http://morning-glow.com/holidays/father/father.html Proclamation 5810--Father's Day, 1988, May 3, 1988, By the President of the United States

of America A Proclamation, Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 2:54 p.m., May 4, 1988.


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DAY 25- DAILY BIBLE VERSE (HOPE) - JUNE 18, 2012

June 18



Jeremiah: 29:11 (The Voice Bible)


11For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Eternal, “plans for peace, not evil, to give you a future and hope—never forget that.

http://hearthevoice.com/search-bible

DAY 25- DAILY DEVOTION - JUNE 18, 2012

June 18



Great is His Faithfulness
Posted on May 10, 2012 by katherine
Lamentations 3:22-23(NLT) “The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.”


Most of you know me well enough to know, I always have a song in my mind and on my heart.  For me, there is something about worship music that soothes the soul and heals the heart.  I have experienced that time and time again.


As I was preparing for this devotional, I was thinking of God’s Faithfulness.  Then, as I was listening to some of my late husband’s worship, Bryan began singing the hymn, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”.  As Bryan was singing the song, I was intrigued how someone could write such incredible words.  When I read about the man who wrote the great hymn, I was in awe of God.  You have to hear his story.


Thomas Chisolm had such a difficult life with serious illnesses to where he would be confined to bed for periods of time.  He would somehow push himself so hard and make himself get out of bed just to make ends meet with his jobs.  After getting saved in his late 20’s, he found great comfort in the Word of God.  He began writing many poems.  Great is Thy Faithfulness became one of his greatest songs.  Read the words to the song, and let them settle in your spirit and encourage you as you read them.  Let it be a faith declaration for you today- Great is His Faithfulness!





Great is Thy faithfulness!


Morning by morning new mercies I see.


All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;


Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!





Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;


There is no shadow of turning with Thee;


Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;


As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.





Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth


Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;


Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,


Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!





Maybe, you can relate to the writer of this song and you’ve had some bad things that have happened to you.  I can see the mighty hand of God reaching down to scoop you up just like a Father would his children.   Get your faith eye glasses on and see it while you sing, Great is His Faithfulness!


As it says in Psalms, I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread.  Great is His Faithfulness!


I sense there might be someone reading this devotional and maybe the pain in your body is so intense, maybe you don’t understand why your loved one had to die, or maybe things seem at their darkest hour.   Life sometimes doesn’t make sense.  I know for me, it really hasn’t made sense at all.  I could allow the enemy to take me down, but instead I choose to Trust in Him.   When I look back and think about the Lord, all I can say is, Great is His Faithfulness!


Maybe, you are like me and just feel like the enemy is trying to take you down.   I am here to tell you that He is Faithful.  Look at 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (TNIV) says, “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”  The Lord is with you.   He is calling you a mighty warrior!  Don’t give up.  I encourage you to find comfort in God’s Word & let His Word be your weapon.  He who called you is So Faithful!


Lord, I ask that you would come and fill each person that is crying out to you now.  Give them new hope and a brighter outlook on their future.  Fill them up with fresh anointing and new mercies I pray in Jesus Name


“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 89:1)


In partnership with Katherine Clift of DailyLiveWorship

http://dailyliveworship.com/blog/great-is-his-faithfulness/

DAY 25 - DAILY PRAYER (HOPE) - JUNE 18, 2012

June 18


Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus; that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:5-6, 13)

DAY 25 - DAILY HISTORY - AMERICAN MINUTE FOR JUNE 18, 2012

June 18



The War of 1812 began on JUNE 18, 1812. 


The British captured American ships and enslaved sailors. 


They incited Indians to capture Fort Mims, massacring 500 men, women and children. 


They captured the Capitol, burnt the White House, bombarded Fort McHenry and attacked New Orleans. Outraged, many volunteered for the Army, including Davy Crockett. 


In his Proclamation of War, President James Madison stated: 


"I do moreover exhort all the good people of the United States...as they feel the wrongs which have forced on them the last resort of injured nations...to consult the best means under the blessing of Divine Providence of abridging its calamities." 


In the three years of the War, President Madison, who had introduced the First Amendment in the First Session of Congress, issued Proclamations of Public Humiliation and Prayer in 1812 and 1813, followed by a Proclamation of Public Fasting in 1814, in which he stated: 


"in the present time of public calamity and war a day may be...observed by the people of the United States as a day of public humiliation and fasting and of prayer to Almighty God." 


After the War, in 1815, James Madison proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving to the 


"Divine Author of Every Good and Perfect Gift."

Madison, James. June 19, 1812, in a Proclamation of War between Great Britain & the United States. James D. Richardson (U.S. Representative from Tennessee), ed., A Compilation of the Messages & Papers of the Presidents 1789-1897, 10 vols. (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, published by Authority of Congress, 1897, 1899; Washington, D.C.: Bureau of National Literature & Art, 1789-1902, 11 vols., 1907, 1910), Vol. I, p. 512.

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DAY 24- DAILY BIBLE VERSE (OUR FATHER) - JUNE 17, 2012

June 17


Matthew 6:9 (The Voice Bible)



Our Father in heaven,
let Your name remain holy.

http://www.hearthevoice.com/search-bible

DAY 24- DAILY DEVOTION - JUNE 17, 2012

June 17



You Are My Everything


At church yesterday, we sang a precious song that went something like this: Jesus, you are everything to me, O, Jesus, you are everything to me.


And, in the midst of singing, the Lord nudged me and asked, “Am I your everything?”  I very quickly said, “O, Yes, Lord.”


Then, in a split second, God revealed some things that I hadn’t surrendered to Him.  I immediately said, “Today Lord, I surrender ALL to You!  I give you my heart, life, and YOU ARE MY EVERYTHING!”  I let go of the things that that I see now as worthless.  This world has nothing to offer- Just give me Jesus.  Knowing Him and letting Him be your everything is priceless!


Is He Your Everything or almost everything?  He has your name on His heart and He wants to be your EVERY THING.


He is our bright and morning star- the reason we wake up in the morning. He is our bread of life, He is the one who walks on water, He is our ever-present help in trouble, and He is our answer for the world today.


I encourage you to let Him be Your Everything!


Philippians 3:8 (AMP) “Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win gain Christ the Anointed One”



In partnership with Katherine Clift of DailyLiveWorship

http://dailyliveworship.com/blog/you-are-my-everything/

DAY 24 - DAILY PRAYER (OUR FATHER) - JUNE 17, 2012

June 17


Matthew 6:9-13 (The Voice Bible)


Our Father in heaven,
let Your name remain holy.
10Bring about Your kingdom.
Manifest Your will here on earth,
as it is manifest in heaven.
11Give us each day that day’s bread—no more, no less—12And forgive us our debts
as we forgive those who owe us something.
13Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
[But let Your kingdom be,
and let it be powerful
and glorious forever. Amen!


http://www.hearthevoice.com/search-bible

DAY 24 - DAILY HISTORY - AMERICAN MINUTE FOR JUNE 17, 2012

June 17



"Don't Shoot Until You See the Whites of Their Eyes!" was the order given JUNE 17, 1775, by Colonel William Prescott to troops on Breed's Hill, adjacent Bunker Hill, guarding the north entrance to Boston Harbor. 


They were aiming at 2,300 British soldiers, under General Howe, marching at them with bayonets fixed. 


Twice the Americans repelled them until they ran out of gunpowder. 


The British then burned the nearby town of Charlestown. 


This first action of the Continental Army saw over 1,000 British killed, and nearly 500 Americans. 


This same day, 300 miles away in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress drafted George Washington's commission as commander-in-chief, for which he refused a salary. 


Washington wrote to his wife, Martha: 


"Dearest...It has been determined in Congress, that the whole army raised for the defense of the American Cause shall be put under my care, and that it is necessary for me to proceed immediately to Boston to take...command...


I shall rely therefore, confidently, on that Providence which has heretofore preserved, and been bountiful to me." 


Washington ended: 


"I...got Colonel Pendleton to Draft a Will...the Provision made for you, in case of my death, will, I hope, be agreeable."

JUNE 17. Prescott, William. 1774, in writing to the citizens on the occasion of the British blockade. George Bancroft, History of the United States of America, 6 vols. (Boston: Charles C. Little & James Brown, Third Edition, 1838), Vol. VII, p. 99. Lucille Johnston, Celebrations of a Nation (Arlington, VA: The Year of Thanksgiving Foundation, 1987), p. 76. Peter Marshall & David Manuel, The Glory of America (Bloomington, MN: Garborg's Heart 'N Home, 1991), 7.27. Letters of Delegates to Congress: Volume 1 AUGUST 1774 - AUGUST 1775

George Washington to Martha Washington, Pages 510-511, JUNE 18, 1775. RC (Armistead Peter III, Washington, D. C., 1974). Reprinted from Armistead Peter III, Tudor Place (Georgetown: Privately printed, 1969), pp. 44-45. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hlaw:@field(DOCID+@lit(dg001452))


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DAY 23- DAILY BIBLE VERSE (FATHER) - JUNE 16, 2012

June 16



Psalm 103:13 (The Voice Bible)


13An earthly father expresses love for his children; it is no different with our heavenly Father; The Eternal shows His love for those who revere Him.


http://hearthevoice.com/search-bible

DAY 23 - DAILY DEVOTION - JUNE 16, 2012

June 16



Father to the Fatherless


As Father’s Day approaches, God put something a little different on my heart.  Let me first say, in no way, do I want to take away from honoring Father’s.  We so desperately need Godly Fathers setting the example for our children.  In fact, I highly respect and honor ALL Godly Fathers.  We love you, need you, and pray Proverbs 20:7 over you, “The righteous man walks in integrity; blessed (happy, fortunate, enviable) are his children after him.”


The other day a friend of ours was over for dinner and he asked me if Father’s Day was a hard day for us. Then, he looked at Alyssa and asked if Father’s Day bothered her knowing that Bryan was not here.  She nodded and said yeah, its pretty tough knowing that Bryan was the best dad ever & now he’s not here to hug, kiss, or thank for setting the example of what a true Father was.  Then, he looked at both of us and said, I am going to take all of you out for Father’s Day.  We both looked at each other, like, Wow… What a great idea!


Honestly, that has been my hearts cry ever since Bryan went to be with the Lord.  I knew somehow I would be ok, but my 4 girls: how will they make it in life without their father? Who will keep the boys away when they want to date my girls?  Who will kill the bugs if any come into our home?  Who will take care of the car? Who will fix things around the house? Who will teach Alivia to ride her bike without training wheels since Bryan taught the other 3 girls?  Who will teach my girls technical stuff since I’m not too savvy with it? Or who will make a sled out of an old satellite dish to slide up and down the yard when a miracle happens and it snows in Dallas? Who will get all the heavy Christmas stuff out of the attic when we need to decorate for Christmas?  And, most importantly, who will walk my 4 girls down the aisles when they get married?


I know God put this message on my heart again last night while washing dishes because he wants me to be the voice for the Fatherless children.  I know for the girls and me, we will believe and trust what Psalms 68:5 says; “The God who is in his holy dwelling place is the father of the fatherless and the defender of widows.”


Ever since my friend asked me about Father’s Day, I haven’t stopped thinking about how deeply it touched me.  It won’t bring Bryan back, but making new memories and laughing again means a lot right now.


I want to encourage everyone and not just Fathers to find a Fatherless child to do something special for.  You never know how just reaching out to that Fatherless child could help change his life forever.  Jesus said in Matthew 19; Let the little children come to me.


Will you reach out and care for a Fatherless child?  I know it will not only change the child’s life, but I truly believe it will change yours as well.


James 1:27 “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows.”  Lord, I pray that you would help all of us and not just Fathers to care for, look after, and even mentor Fatherless Children.


Happy Father’s Day You Mighty Men of God!


In partnership with Katherine Clift of DailyLiveWorship


http://dailyliveworship.com/blog/father-to-the-fatherless/

DAY 23 - DAILY PRAYER (PRAYER FOR A BURDENED FATHER) - JUNE 16, 2012

June 16



Most loving, God and Father, I turn to you today to thank you for my father and to ask you to be with him.


He is such a wonderful man and I love him with all my heart. Thank you for the gift he has been in my life.


Right now, he is struggling so much and has so many burdens to carry. I simply ask that you protect him from the pressures he's facing. If it is possible, relieve some of those pressures so that he can live with more peace and with so much less stress. Above all, I ask you to give him courage and hope. Let him keep it all in perspective and not lose his priorities. Let him have some fun and help him to stay close to those who love him and want to support him in all of this. Strengthen his faith in you so that he can be a living example of service, dedication, commitment and love to all the people with whom and for whom he works.


And, help me, Lord, know how to support him and love him, with your own love for him.

http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Fathers/

DAY 23 - DAILY HISTORY - AMERICAN MINUTE FOR JUNE 16, 2012

June 16



The father of the American space program died JUNE 16, 1977. 


He developed the V-2 rocket for Germany before emigrating to the US, where in 1958, he launched America's first satellite. He was director of NASA and the U.S. guided missile program. 


His name was Wernher von Braun. Founder of the National Space Institute, Wernher von Braun stated: 


"The laws of nature that enable us to fly to the Moon also enable us to destroy our home planet with the atom bomb. 


Science itself does not address the question whether we should use the power at our disposal for good or for evil. 


The guidelines of what we ought to do are furnished in the moral law of God." 


Wernher von Braun continued: 


"It is no longer enough that we pray that God may be with us on our side. We must learn to pray that we may be on God's side." 


To the California State Board of Education, September 14, 1972, Wernher von Braun wrote: 


"Some...challenge science to prove the existence of God. But must we light a candle to see the sun?" 


In American Weekly, February 10, 1963, Wernher von Braun wrote: 


"It is difficult for me to understand a scientist who does not acknowledge the presence of a superior rationality behind the existence of the universe...


Viewing the awesome reaches of space...should only confirm our belief in the certainty of its Creator."

Braun, Wernher Magnus Maximillan von. Statement. Charles E. Jones, The Books You Read (Harrisburg, PA: Executive Books, 1985), p. 120.

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DAY 22- DAILY BIBLE VERSE (GUIDE) - JUNE 15, 2012

June 15



Psalm 48:14


14For so is God,
our True God, forever and ever;
He will be our guide till the end.

http://hearthevoice.com/search-bible

DAY 22 - DAILY DEVOTION - JUNE 15, 2012

June 15



It Is Well With My Soul


I was preparing for www.dailyliveworship.com podcast & Bryan was singing, “It Is Well With My Soul” and I looked up the meaning behind the song.


The writer of the great song, Horatio G. Spafford, was a successful lawyer in Chicago, and was very dedicated to Christ.  He lost some substantial real estate in the Chicago fire that devasted Chicago in the 1870’s. Prior to that, he lost his son.  Then, 2 years later, his four girls drown aboard an English vessel accident.  After going to where the girls drown, with pen & paper in hand, he wrote this incredible song titled, “It Is Well With My Soul”


“When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,


When sorrows like sea billows roll;


Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,


It is well, it is well, with my soul.”


So, prior to reading this, I was complaining about loosing Bryan and how hard it is to be a single parent to four girls, but after reading Spafford’s story.  I decided instead I will say, “IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL”


What are you going through that you might just need to say with me now, out loud- IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL!!


In partnership with Katherine Clift of DailyLiveWorship

http://dailyliveworship.com/blog/it-is-well-with-my-soul/

DAY 22 - DAILY PRAYER (GUIDANCE) - JUNE 15, 2012

June 15



A Prayer of George Washington


"O eternal and everlasting God, I presume to present myself this morning before thy Divine majesty, beseeching thee to accept of my humble and hearty thanks, that it hath pleased thy great goodness to keep and preserve me the night past from all the dangers poor mortals are subject to, and has given me sweet and pleasant sleep, whereby I find my body refreshed and comforted for performing the duties of this day, in which I beseech thee to defend me from all perils of body and soul....


Increase my faith in the sweet promises of the gospel; give me repentance from dead works; pardon my wanderings, and direct my thoughts unto thyself, the God of my salvation; teach me how to live in thy fear, labor in thy service, and ever to run in the ways of thy commandments; make me always watchful over my heart, that neither the terrors of conscience, the loathing of holy duties, the love of sin, nor an unwillingness to depart this life, may cast me into a spiritual slumber, but daily frame me more and more into the likeness of thy son Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time attain the resurrection of the just unto eternal life bless my family, friends, and kindred."


~George Washington

DAY 22 - DAILY HISTORY - AMERICAN MINUTE FOR JUNE 15, 2012

June 15



On JUNE 15, 1215, King John of England was forced to sign the Magna Carta, the Great Charter of the Liberties of England, but the story behind it is worth noting, and it is tied to Jerusalem.


Jerusalem had been a Jewish city since time of King David, around 1000 BC, and it had been a Christian city since Emperor Constantine, 313 AD.


Muslims under Caliph Umar took Jerusalem away from the Byzantine Christian Patriarch Sophronius and forced Christian and Jewish inhabitants to be second class citizens through "Jim Crow" type laws called dhimmi.


Christian pilgrims began to be harassed, massacred and crucified. In the 700's, Christians were banned from giving religious instruction to their children and displays of the cross were banned in Jerusalem. In 772 AD, Caliph al Mansur ordered Jews and Christians to be branded on the hand.


In 923, Muslims began destroying churches in Jerusalem. On Palm Sunday in 937, Muslims plundered the Church of Calvary and the Church of the Resurrection. In 1004, Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah began a ten year persecution where thousands were forced to convert or die and 30,000 churches were destroyed. In 1009, Caliph al-Hakim ordered the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem destroyed.


In 1075, the Muslim Seljuk Turks captured Jerusalem from Arab Muslims. Gregory Bar-Hebraeus (1226-1286), a Syrian Orthodox Church leader, wrote how Seljuk Turkish Muslims initially treated Christian subjects tolerably, then:


"...having seen very much modesty and other habits of this kind among Christian people, certainly the Mongols loved them greatly at the beginning of their kingdom, a time ago somewhat short. But their love hath turned to such intense hatred."


Pilgrims returning from the Holy Land shared reports of Muslim persecution and cruelty toward dhimmi Christians. 


Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Egypt, which had all been Christian lands, were conquered by Muslims. Muslims conquered Sicily. 


In 1057, the Norman adventurer Robert Guiscard took control of Calabria in the toe of Italy and fought against the Muslims of Sicily.


Italian city-states of Pisa, Genoa and Catalonia fought the Muslims who were raiding Majorca, Sardinia, Catalonia and the coasts of Italy. 


In 1071, the Muslims delivered a major defeat to the Byzantine Christians at the Battle of Manzikert and took control of all but the coastlands of Asia Minor. 


Cries were carried back to Europe, begging for help. Europe sent help, it was called the Crusades. By most numbering, there were nine major Crusades and numerous minor ones, continuing from 1095 till 1291 when Acre was finally captured by the Muslims. 


The Crusades began when, in desperation, the Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Comnenus humbled himself and sent ambassadors to the Council of Piacenza in March of 1095, appealing for help from his religious rival, the Roman Catholic Pope. The seriousness of this appeal is underscored as it occurred just a few years after the Great East-West Schism between the Roman Catholic Church and the Byzantine Church.


Pope Urban II gave an impassioned plea at the Council of Clermont in 1095 for Western leaders to help their Byzantine Christians brethren, whom Muslims compel to extend their necks and then, attacking them with naked swords, attempt to cut through the neck with a single blow. (Robert the Monk, Medieval Sourcebook, Fordham University.) 


With Spain exuberant after driving the Muslims from Toledo and Leon a few years earlier, the First Crusade began in 1097, led by Godfrey of Bouillon. It freed Iconium from the Muslims, though it was later taken back. 


The First Crusade defeated Turkish forces at Dorylaeum and Antioch, and captured Jerusalem in 1099, holding it for nearly 100 years. 


After the Muslims conquered Edessa, another crusade was called for by Bernard of Clairvaux in 1147. It was made up of French and German armies, led by King Louis VII and Conrad II. 


In 1148, Muslim leader, Nur ed-Din, slaughtered every Christian in Aleppo. The Second Crusade failed to take Damascus and returned to Europe in 1150. Bernard of Clairvaux was disturbed by reports of misdirected violence, especially toward some Jewish populations. 


In 1190, Pope Gregory VIII called for a Third Crusade. It was led by German King Frederick I, called Frederick Barbarossa (meaning Redbeard), who was the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. He was joined by Philip II of France and Richard I of England. 


Frederick led 100,000 soldiers across Byzantium, driving out Muslims and temporarily freeing Iconium. He most likely would have freed Jerusalem and the surrounding area from Muslim domination had he not fallen off his horse while crossing the G�ksu River in Cilicia, Asia Minor. Being 67 years old and weighted down with heavy armor, he drowned in waist deep water and the Crusade went into confusion. 


Richard the Lionheart assumed leadership of the Crusade and captured Acre, but due to rivalries, Philip II returned to France in 1191. 


Richards troops came within sight of Jerusalem in 1192, but narrowly failed to drive out Saladin (1138-1193). Western resolve for the war diminished and political unrest back home increased from King Phillip II of France and from Richards ambitious brother John, who ruled England in his absence, as chronicled in the legends of Robin Hood. 


This situation put Richard in the position of having to negotiate a hurried truce with Saladin, who, it was later discovered, was on the verge of defeat. Saladin captured Crusaders at Hattim, July 4, 1187, and ordered their mass execution. Saladin allowed Christians to leave Jerusalem only if they paid a ransom, but according to Imad al-Din, approximately 7,000 men and 8,000 women could not make their ransom and were enslaved. The vessel Richard sailed away on was shipwrecked, so he decided to travel with a party across Europe in disguise. 


He was recognized near Vienna and captured by Duke Leopold V of Austria. The Holy Roman Emperor, Henry VI, imprisoned Richard at Dumstein. England had to place burdensome taxes on its populace to raise the kings ransom. 


In 1197, Henry VI, the Holy Roman Emperor, was preparing for another crusade but died due to malaria. Once Richard was back in England, he ruled only a few years before being shot with an arrow during the siege of a castle. 


His brother became the oppressive King John, who lost Britains claim to French lands. This caused Englands noblemen to surround John on the plains of Runymeade in 1215 and force him to sign the Magna Carta, a document which began the long process of limiting the arbitrary power of monarchs and guaranteeing rights of citizens.


The The Legend of Robin Hood speaks of Richard the Lionheart, so named for his courage in leading the Third Crusade in 1190AD to win back Jerusalem from the Muslims. 


Though he did not retake Jerusalem, Richard made a truce with Saladin in 1192 AD for safe passage of religious pilgrims. 


When approximately 15,000 inhabitants of Jerusalem could not afford ransom, Saladin sold them into slavery. 


On Richard's return trip to England, he was captured by rival Duke Leopold of Austria, and spent three years in prison. 


Legend has it Richard's loyal minstrel, Blondel, traveled from kingdom to kingdom, singing Richard's favorite song and heard Richard sing the second verse from the prison tower. 


Freed by an enormous "king's ransom," Richard returned to England and took back the throne from his brother John. 


Five years later Richard died in battle and John ruled oppressively in England. 


The angry barons captured London and, on JUNE 15, 1215, surrounded King John on the plains of Runnymeade, forcing him to sign the Magna Carta. 


This was the first time in history the arbitrary powers of a king were limited. 


The Magna Carta ends: 


"for the salvation of our souls, and the souls of all our...heirs, and unto the honor of God."


Hide Endnotes


Magna Carta. 1215. Benjamin Hart, Faith & Freedom - The Christian Roots of American Liberty (Dallas, TX: Lewis & Stanley, 1988), p. 17.


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DAY 21- DAILY BIBLE VERSE (LOVE) - JUNE 14, 2012

June 14


1 John 4:16 (The Voice Bible)



16We have experienced and we have entrusted our lives to the love of God in us.
God is love. Anyone who lives faithfully in love also lives faithfully in God, and God lives in him. 

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DAY 21 - DAILY DEVOTION - JUNE 14, 2012

June 14



Dying for Love


We say we love all sorts of things: cars, clothes, foods, movies, sports, & etc.…   Is that really Love?


I want to propose to you today that love is more than just saying I love you.   It is giving of YOU.   Love actually is dying to self.   Without death, love is selfish!


Look at John 3:16 (NLT) “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son..”  He gave His only son.  I have to ask you, will you give yourself away for love?  Will you die for love?


Yesterday, I was telling God how a friend had not treated me fairly.  You know what God told me?  He said, “Love them and show them the love of Christ even if they don’t deserve it.”  That is how you win people by loving and giving of yourself.  It’s DYING- Dying to self and anything else that hinders you from giving and showing un-conditional love.  Love truly is patient and kind.


It’s a daily dying to self and giving yourself to God to allow Him to use you for His Glory.   Can you picture with me now the cross of Jesus? He gave it all.  Will you give your all?  Call out to Him now and He will help you.  Just say here I am Lord, I give myself to you?  Help me to show love to a lost and dying world.


Jesus gave it all.  John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”


Maybe you’ve never had a good earthly example of love, then look at the best example known to man:  JESUS!   He laid down His life for you.  He gave it all for love!


Lord, we ask that you would exchange the old way of what we thought love was for this new love that You came to give.  What a beautiful exchange of love you gave us, O Lord!  You are so worthy of all our love and adoration.  Psalm 89:1 (NLT) “I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love…”


We have a reason to sing today of His un-failing Love for us.   Will you join me in worshiping Him with a heart of gratitude?  Lord, we ask that you would help us to love like you.   And, help us to die to our flesh, inabilities, or anything else that would try to hinder our love for you and others.  Let our LOVE, draw others to a deeper relationship with You.


I like what Amy Carmichael, a Protestant Christian missionary in India once said,  “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”



In partnership with Katherine Clift of DailyLiveWorship


http://dailyliveworship.com/blog/dying-for-love/