AP Photo

Gay marriage may be legal in New York today, but the National Organization for Marriage isn’t ready to bless the homosexual unions. In fact, NOM President Brian Brown just promised to spend at least $2 million during the 2012 elections to make sure Republicans get this message loud and clear: Voting for gay marriage has consequences.

“The Republican party has torn up its contract with the voters who trusted them in order to facilitate Andrew Cuomo’s bid to be president of the U.S.” Brown says. “Selling out your principles to get elected is wrong. Selling out your principles to get the other guy elected is just plain dumb.”

Few God-fearing Christians would disagree that gay marriage has widespread consequences. As Brown sees it, politicians who campaign one way on marriage—and then vote the other—need to understand that betraying and misleading voters won’t be tolerated. Brown has vowed not to continue to fight to protect marriage in New York, just like NOM is doing in New Hampshire and Iowa.

NOM’s pledge to commit at least $2 million in the 2012 elections to hold politicians accountable for their vote includes independent expenditures as well as through NOM PAC New York.

“The New York Republican Party is dysfunctional. When Democrats control a chamber, they refuse to permit the people to vote for marriage. When they are a minority, as in Wisconsin and Indiana, they even flee the state to prevent a vote on a bill their base disapproves,” notes NOM Chariman Maggie Gallagher. “Contrast that with the behavior of the Republican Party today.

“The Republican Party in New York is responsible for passing gay marriage, and sadly it’s the families of New York who will pay the worst price of the new government-backed redefinition of marriage.”

The Church of God in Christ Bishop James Oglethorpe Patterson Jr. died on Saturday.

Patterson was born in Memphis, Tenn., on May 28, 1935, to the late President Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Bishop J.O. Patterson, Sr. and Deborah M. Patterson. He was the grandson of the COGIC founder Bishop Charles Harrison Mason.

Known as both a churchman and a statesman, Patterson served as chairman of the General Assembly, the legislative body of the church for nearly 11 years. As chairman of the General Assembly, Patterson supervised all sessions of the legislative authority of COGIC.

“Bishop J.O. Patterson was a wise and faithful chairman who served in one of the highest offices of the Church of God in Christ,” says Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake. “The General Assembly of the church is the doctrine-expressing body of the church, and Bishop Patterson led that entity effectively and with vision. He will be greatly missed. We offer our sincere prayers to his wife, family and the Pentecostal Temple congregation.”

Known for his quick wit and incredible sense of humor, Patterson practiced law in Memphis.  He became active in state and local political life as a state representative for one term, state senator for two terms, Memphis city councilman for five terms and as interim mayor of Memphis in 1982.

The local home going celebration is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. The jurisdictional home going celebration will be held on Thursday at 7 p.m. Both services will be at the Pentecostal Temple Institutional Church Of God In Christ  Memphis. The National Home going Celebration will be on Friday at 11 a.m. at Mason Temple in Memphis.

His words struck a chord. Maria felt chills run up
her spine when Franklin Graham talked about the temporal nature of the
human body on this final night of the Festival de Esperanza.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association hosted the Festival de Esperanza, the first-ever American Hispanic festival, Saturday and Sunday at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles.

“The
body is made out of dust of the ground,” said Graham. “Your soul is the
real you and it will never die. What should it profit a man to gain
whole world but lose his soul?”

Death was on
Maria’s heart. Several miles away, her 89-year-old father was resting at
Memorial Hospital of Gardena in preparation for open heart surgery.

“I
am worried about my papa,” she said after coming forward to recommit
her life to Christ at The Home Depot Center in Carson. “The message
about eternal life—I hope to share with him tomorrow. I want to know for
sure he understands about salvation.”

Maria, a
native of Mexico, understood Graham as he preached in English, but when
Festival Director Galo Vasquez translated the message into Spanish, it
resonated in a deeper way.

Carlos understood only the Spanish translation.

A
recent arrival to the United States from El Salvador, he told a
bilingual festival advisor that he is grateful to the Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association for bringing the festival
to the greater Los Angeles area.

“I needed
this,” he said with a tear running down his cheek. “I carried so much
guilt. I did bad things at home for money when I was very young, but now
I can have a brand new beginning in Jesus.”

Yolanda
committed her life to Jesus in 2004 at a Billy Graham Crusade held at
the Rose Bowl in nearby Pasadena. But then the pressures of raising a
child on her own led her back to the bottle. “Tonight I feel strong to
live again for Jesus after listening to the son, Franklin. I will be
filled with the Holy Spirit instead of wine.”

Miguel
also rededicated his life to the Lord. The 24-year-old was baptized as a
baby and attended church as a child, but when he entered his teen
years, he wanted to enjoy an intimate relationship with his girlfriend.
“I didn’t want to follow what the Bible says, but I heard what Franklin
said about sin and burning in hell.

“I didn’t believe that just trusting in Jesus could save me—until now,” said Miguel. “I am glad for this festival.”

And
so are local pastors and church leaders. For months they have joined
together in prayer for the Hispanic community in greater Los Angeles.
“We pray the Lord will heal this city, heal our schools and heal our
familes,” said Pastor Roberto Moreno. “We have been praying this festival will begin a revival, especially in the hearts of pastors.”

Carlos
Quintero, president of the Festival Executive Committee, presented
Franklin with a plaque at the end of the evening, thanking him on behalf
of Hispanic churches in Los Angeles for “the seeds of love and
compassion you have planted in our city during this first Hispanic
Festival.

“We say, ‘Muchas Gracias.’”

The founders of Liberty Counsel just returned from Israel. Mathew and Anita Staver met privately with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express the strong support of the America people for Israel.

President Obama has called for Israel to return to the indefensible pre-1967 borders, which would make Israel only nine miles wide and thus lead to the complete destruction of the Jewish people.

During the meeting, Netanyahu said that conflict over the right of Israel to exist is at its core a battle over values and Western civilization. “In America, you need to ask the question, WWAD, What Would America Do?” he asked.

Indeed, what would we do if England or Spain asked us to return to our pre-1776 borders? Every Israeli leader the Stavers met with over the past week expressed the same sentiment.

 In Netanyahu’s recent address to a joint session of the United States Congress, he said that he is willing to accept a Palestinian state; however it is time for President Abbas to stand up before his people and say, “I will accept a Jewish state.” For peace negotiations to be successful, Palestine must acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as a state. Netanyahu said, “With those six words, the Israeli people will be prepared to make a far-reaching compromise.”

Already, preparations are being made for a second flotilla attempt on Gaza. The first time brought significant outcry against Israel, event though videos of the interaction clearly showed Israel reacting in self defense as their boat was boarded and they were beaten by the demonstrators. Israel, just as America, must have the ability to defend itself or it will be destroyed by those committed to its annihilation.

Liberty Counsel condemns the Obama Administration’s current policy toward Israel. It must be thoroughly reexamined and then changed appropriately. In September, the United Nations is slated to vote whether to recognize a Palestinian state. If they do, they will be sanctioning Israel’s sworn enemy who, for a generation, has refused to even acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as a nation. Liberty Counsel has created a sticker that proudly proclaims “Stand with Israel.”

“Now more than ever, Israel needs America and America needs Israel,” concludes Mat Staver.

Tens of thousands of Americans have signed Liberty Counsel’s “Stand with Israel” petition.

AP Photo

As celebrities, government officials and regular Joes and Janes alike celebrate the legalization of gay marriage in New York, Christian family organizations are offering some harsh words for the Republican-dominate New York Senate.

As Family Research Council President Tony Perkins sees it, enormous political coercion has resulted in a profound failure of moral courage in the New York Senate.

A clear majority of the people of New York oppose counterfeit ‘marriage,’ he notes, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo and anti-family lawmakers have shown that their allegiance is to a small but vocal minority seeking to redefine marriage and family.

“The so-called religious protections that were tacked on to the bill will ultimately do nothing to protect the religious rights of New York citizens. As we go forward there is little doubt that the ‘incentives,’ some taxpayer funded, used to sway votes, especially Republican ones, will be exposed,” Perkins says.

While it was the Democrats who were pushing this agenda, it is the Republicans in the NY Senate who ultimately allowed this to happen, especially Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, Perkins says.

“Sadly, the families of New York are not represented well by either of the state’s major parties on this issue. This battle however, is not without its heroes.  State Senator Ruben Diaz, Rev. Duane Motley, Jason McGuire and the National Organization for Marriage worked tirelessly for the families of New York in this battle, and they should be praised for their work—it is not all for naught,” Perkins says.

“The New York state legislature’s denial of its citizens a chance to vote on the issue of marriage shows it is long overdue that the U.S. Congress begin taking these threats to marriage seriously. They should move to allow the people of the U.S. the right to vote on an issue they clearly understand, as evidenced each time the issue of marriage is put to a direct vote of the people.”

Hundreds of people used to go to Sampat for healing. His witchcraft would temporarily rid them of their ailments. Yet when Sampat fell sick, he wasn’t able to heal himself.

He tried using his powers to find a cure, and when that didn’t work, he sought the help of doctors. But the doctors weren’t able to do much. Instead, they gave him the bad news that his kidneys were failing, and he didn’t have much longer to live.

In deep discouragement, Sampat was awaiting his death—that is, until a Gospel for Asia-supported missionary visited his home and prayed for him. It was after that prayer that Sampat began to feel “a little free inside, like some burden was removed from his body,” said a GFA field correspondent.

That evening, he asked for something to eat, which surprised his family because the sickness had robbed him of his appetite. They had been forcing him to eat. Slowly but steadily, Sampat felt improvement in his body. Although he isn’t completely healed, Sampat gave his life to Christ and is quick to share his testimony about how the Word of God changed his life.

Just like Sampat, Laboni Badaseth experienced the Lord’s mercy in her life after a terrible bout with boils. Swollen, infected lumps covered her body. The pain kept her confined to bed. When GFA-supported film-team missionaries saw 13-year-old Laboni lying in bed, compassion filled their hearts and they asked her parents what happened. But Laboni’s parents couldn’t give a lot of details about the boils. They didn’t know what caused them and were too grief stricken to talk about it much.

When the missionaries prayed, asking Jesus to heal this young girl, God heard their prayers, and Laboni’s strength began to return. Her father rejoiced at seeing this small miracle and invited the missionaries to visit and pray for his family again, which they did.

The missionaries request prayer for Laboni and her family, that she will be completely healed and they will embrace the love of Christ.

AP Photo

Kansas may not be completely free of abortion clinics, but the battle is raging for God’s will there.

A
new Kansas abortion law will close one of the state’s three remaining
abortion facilities and is likely to force a second to discontinue
providing surgical abortions. The Aid for Women clinic in Kansas City
was denied a license by the state health department last week.

However, Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri President Peter
Brownlie are optimistic following a 20-hour inspection of the
organization’s Overland Park location. “The findings of the inspection
indicate we will be in full compliance with the abortion facility
license regulations when they go into effect on July 1,” Brownlie told the Associated Press. “Thus, I believe we should be granted a license.”

Personhood Kansas weighed in on the developments. “The legislature has
passed every abortion regulation imaginable. No baby is safe from the
grasp of the abortionists until the personhood of every human being is
affirmed by law,” explains Committee Chairman Bruce Garren.

Meanwhile, Mila Means, a family practitioner who has been training to
perform abortions, revealed plans last week to form a non-profit for the
purposes of raising a million dollars and opening a new abortion
facility in Wichita.

“The requirements are not discouraging,” she says.
“There are so many redundancies that are not important for the woman’s
safety that are built into this bill specifically to deny access, and
that really makes me angry. That probably reinforced my decision to keep
working in this direction.”

Similarly, a law enacted last year in Nebraska that restricts abortion
after 20 weeks forced notorious abortionist, Leroy Carhart, to leave the
state for the less restrictive laws of Maryland. The move prompted
Planned Parenthood to announce their intentions to open six new
locations throughout the state.

“Laws that regulate abortion may temporarily disable the abortion
industry, but they do not end it. Anyone with the resources to do so can
and will continue to kill children in our state,” continues Garren.
“The people of Kansas deserve to have their voices heard, and we renew
our call to recognize the God-given and inalienable rights of the
preborn.”

AP Photo

Gay marriage may be legal in New York today, but the National Organization for Marriage isn’t ready to bless the homosexual unions. In fact, NOM President Brian Brown just promised to spend at least $2 million during the 2012 elections to make sure Republicans get this message loud and clear: Voting for gay marriage has consequences.

“The Republican party has torn up its contract with the voters who trusted them in order to facilitate Andrew Cuomo’s bid to be president of the U.S.” Brown says. “Selling out your principles to get elected is wrong. Selling out your principles to get the other guy elected is just plain dumb.”

Few God-fearing Christians would disagree that gay marriage has widespread consequences. As Brown sees it, politicians who campaign one way on marriage—and then vote the other—need to understand that betraying and misleading voters won’t be tolerated. Brown has vowed not to continue to fight to protect marriage in New York, just like NOM is doing in New Hampshire and Iowa.

NOM’s pledge to commit at least $2 million in the 2012 elections to hold politicians accountable for their vote includes independent expenditures as well as through NOM PAC New York.

“The New York Republican Party is dysfunctional. When Democrats control a chamber, they refuse to permit the people to vote for marriage. When they are a minority, as in Wisconsin and Indiana, they even flee the state to prevent a vote on a bill their base disapproves,” notes NOM Chariman Maggie Gallagher. “Contrast that with the behavior of the Republican Party today.

“The Republican Party in New York is responsible for passing gay marriage, and sadly it’s the families of New York who will pay the worst price of the new government-backed redefinition of marriage.”

The Church of God in Christ
Bishop James Oglethorpe Patterson Jr. died on Saturday.

Patterson was born in Memphis, Tenn., on May 28, 1935, to
the late President Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Bishop
J.O. Patterson, Sr. and Deborah M. Patterson. He was the grandson
of the COGIC founder Bishop Charles Harrison Mason.

Known as both a churchman and a statesman, Patterson served
as chairman of the General Assembly, the legislative body of the church
for nearly 11 years. As chairman of the General Assembly, Patterson supervised all sessions of the legislative authority of COGIC.

“Bishop J.O. Patterson was a wise and faithful chairman who served in
one of the highest offices of the Church of God in Christ,” says Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake. “The General
Assembly of the church is the doctrine-expressing body of the church,
and Bishop Patterson led that entity effectively and with vision. He
will be greatly missed. We offer our sincere prayers to his wife, family
and the Pentecostal Temple congregation.”

Known for his quick wit and incredible sense of humor, Patterson practiced law in Memphis.  He became active in state and
local political life as a state representative for one term, state senator for two terms, Memphis city councilman for five terms and as
interim mayor of Memphis in 1982.

The local home going celebration is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. The jurisdictional home going celebration will be held on Thursday at 7 p.m. Both services will be at the Pentecostal Temple Institutional Church Of God In Christ  Memphis. The National Home going Celebration will be on Friday at 11 a.m. at Mason Temple in Memphis.

The founders of Liberty Counsel just returned from Israel. Mathew and Anita Staver met privately with Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express the strong support of the
America people for Israel.

President Obama has called for Israel to return to the indefensible
pre-1967 borders, which would make Israel only nine miles wide and thus
lead to the complete destruction of the Jewish people.

During
the meeting, Netanyahu said that conflict over the right of Israel
to exist is at its core a battle over values and Western civilization. “In America, you need to ask the question, WWAD, What Would America Do?” he asked.

Indeed, what would we do if England or Spain asked us to return to our
pre-1776 borders? Every Israeli leader the Stavers met with over the past week expressed
the same sentiment.

 In Netanyahu’s recent address to a joint session of the United States
Congress, he said that he is willing to accept a Palestinian state;
however it is time for President Abbas to stand up before his people and
say, “I will accept a Jewish state.” For peace negotiations to be
successful, Palestine must acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as a
state. Netanyahu said, “With those six words, the Israeli people
will be prepared to make a far-reaching compromise.”

Already,
preparations are being made for a second flotilla attempt on Gaza. The
first time brought significant outcry against Israel, event though
videos of the interaction clearly showed Israel reacting in self defense
as their boat was boarded and they were beaten by the demonstrators.
Israel, just as America, must have the ability to defend itself or it
will be destroyed by those committed to its annihilation.

Liberty
Counsel condemns the Obama Administration’s current policy toward
Israel. It must be thoroughly reexamined and then changed appropriately.
In September, the United Nations is slated to vote whether to recognize
a Palestinian state. If they do, they will be sanctioning Israel’s
sworn enemy who, for a generation, has refused to even acknowledge
Israel’s right to exist as a nation. Liberty Counsel has created a
sticker that proudly proclaims “Stand with Israel.”

“Now more than ever,
Israel needs America and America needs Israel,” concludes Mat Staver.

Tens of thousands of Americans have signed Liberty Counsel’s “Stand with Israel”
petition.