Last week was momentous in the battle for marriage in the U.S. It was a little like riding a roller coaster. On Tuesday, the D.C. City Council finished their first of two readings of their proposed same-sex marriage law. The reading passed by a margin of 11 to 2. The council seems determined to prevent the people from voting on this issue. Their rationale is that “civil rights” is not something that should be voted on by the masses. One councilman, who represents a strong, pro-marriage ward, looked visibly shaken. He spoke with a quavering voice. Ironically Harry Thomas, Jr., son of a former city council member, stated that he would not allow anyone in his ward to be “disenfranchised.” Undoubtedly, he meant to say that he did not want anyone to experience discrimination.

Disenfranchisement, however, is exactly what is happening to the average voter in D.C. The council feels that it has a right to vote on this issue, but it will not allow the citizens to vote. They also chafe at the fact that the District does not have a genuine vote on the Hill – it only has a shadow congresswoman. Sadly, there was only voice for democratic justice on the council — Marion Barry. The former mayor correctly told the group that the city council had not gone far enough in allowing liberty and true democracy to have their way. As a result of the fact the city is “deeply divided,” he announced that he would be working for a popular vote on the issue.

History and national polls suggest that a popular vote in D.C. could land conjugal marriage between a man and a woman in the win column. Therefore, same-sex marriage proponents in the city will put up every obstacle they can to prevent a popular vote. Importantly, even if a same-sex marriage law is passed, it can be overturned. Just like the powerful grassroots battles in Maine and California, outraged D.C. citizens can turn the marriage picture around.

Yellow journalism has replaced objective reporting in many corners of the region. Some writers have been bold enough to suggest that 80 percent of white voters support same-sex marriage in D.C. If true, such a number would place D.C. politically somewhere left of San Francisco. (To the contrary, private polling that I have seen confirms Marion Barry’s “gut feel” about the issue.) Regardless of which poll is cited, same-sex marriage advocates are not about to risk a 32nd defeat at the hands of an unpredictable electorate.

Others have written about apathy on the part of the D.C. electorate on this issue. The Washington Post has gone out of its way to suggest that the faith community is equally divided over the issue of marriage.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Even in D.C., clergy who support same-sex marriage are far from the mainstream. How could it be otherwise? Most faith traditions around the world do not celebrate same-sex marriage. The Manhattan Declaration, which I have written about in previous pieces, unites Christians from most denominations to stand for pro-life, pro-marriage and pro-religious liberties.

The House of Representatives, if it chooses to, can veto D.C. laws. For this reason, openly gay city council members are “briefing” friendly Congressmen on the Hill this week. At the same time, pro-traditional marriage advocates will address scores of representatives. Could this be the beginning of the federal battle over DOMA – the Defense of Marriage Act? In addition, Stand For Marriage leaders are stopped everywhere they go in the city by people] who repeatedly declare, “We are behind you!”

As the political pot in Washington slowly rises to a boil, there certainly have been other significant developments in the marriage battle around the nation. On Wednesday, for example, opponents of gay marriage won a decisive victory in the New York State Senate; a measure attempting to legalize same-sex marriage was defeated 38 to 24. The liberal state legislature once considered gay marriage passage inevitable – with the same level of certainty that D.C. Council members currently display. In fact, David A. Paterson was poised to sign it into law.

Maggie Gallagher, president of the National Organization for Marriage, believes that New York State represents a game changer in the marriage wars. “I think you put it all together and it most likely spells the end of the idea that you can pass gay marriage democratically anywhere else in the United States,” she told reporters. This implies that gay marriage advocates will have to rely on activist judges and the legal system to advance their agenda.

Last week, I was interviewed by U.S. News and World Report and asked an interesting question: “What lessons can Christian conservatives take from the loss they received at the hands of the D.C. Council?” I said that we needed to complement our grassroots organizational success with an increase in political sophistication. This means we need to start earlier in order to apply the same kind of pressure that gays have done for over five years. Although the opposition’s efforts made an impact on the mayor’s office and the D.C. Council, it has not changed the opinion of the mass voters in the District. Our efforts will be seen in the upcoming elections when we watch the current council members lose due to their disregard for the people whom they serve. In fact, we will strive to find our own candidates for these positions.

Become an advocate for marriage. E-mail your congressmen and senators and let them know how you want them to vote. Go to and learn more about how you can help. Today, you can make a difference!

I used
to be a consummate Christmas shopper. By the time December hit, I was way ahead
of the game. I would have a mountain of bargain finds, admired goodies and toys
to die for tucked away on a shelf just waiting to be wrapped and stowed lovingly
under the tree. I found that shopping ahead spread the financial burden
throughout the year and helped me avoid the last-minute holiday shopping
rush.

Sounds like a plan, doesn’t it? I thought so, too, until several
years ago. Something happened that made me rethink my supposedly brilliant
strategy.

It was the night before Christmas, and all through the house,
not a creature was stirring, but I felt like a louse! The tree looked bulimic —
only I was the one who had binged. Brilliantly wrapped packages were
bulging from every available nook and cranny.

I slumped to the floor and
thought, “We have only two children. There’s enough here for
10!”

My husband and I stared at each other. We realized that
things had gotten out of hand. We had to ask ourselves: What message are we
giving our children?

One by one we started dismantling the swollen pile.
This present can wait for a birthday, this one for next Christmas, this one for
a special reward for hard work.

Finally the stack looked
sensible.

Right then and there, we made a decision. In the future,
Christmas gifts would be limited to three types: (1) A gift really desired; (2)
a needed item; 3) something educational. Of course, our children hated the idea
and hoped we would eventually come to our senses.

We haven’t.

And
we’ve seen a change. No longer is Christmas an endless list of “wants.” There is
a new emphasis on cherished gifts. This represents a stark contrast to the
disturbing trend among kids today to feel entitled to get whatever they want,
whenever they want it.

As I’ve listened to children move through the
hallways of our house, I’ve heard the chatter of “more.” “We have more videos
than you.” “I have a CD player in my room.” “You don’t have your own phone
line?” “I’m asking for a laptop.” “You need a cell phone to look
important.”

They get it from their parents. My favorite is the mother who
proudly boasts that her daughter will outdo everyone in the neighborhood. She
will have the best of everything — before everyone else. The daughter knows
this strategy and is horrified if anyone beats her to the material
punch.

Not understanding her conscious intention to overload her daughter
with “stuff,” I naively asked, “Aren’t you worried you’re spoiling her?” The
blank stare she gave me was enough to answer my question.

One summer the
hot ticket was a scooter. Everyone on our block ran to the stores to buy one. My
kids asked, but they knew what was coming: “Tell me again why I should run to
the store to buy you a $100 item?”

Materialism not only distorts the
meaning of Christmas but also creates ungrateful kids. It’s time to stop the
madness. Instead of a new scooter, take your kids to a soup kitchen and let them
serve. Visit a homeless shelter or a hospital children’s ward, and put things in
perspective.

I know what I am saying isn’t new, but we need to hear it
regularly. It’s so easy to indulge our kids this time of year. But we need to
examine our motives.

Is our overindulgence related to guilt from being
absent or unavailable? Is it an attempt to communicate love, compete with
others, create an identity or look successful? Is it the result of idol worship,
a lack of self-restraint or misguided thinking?

When I see kids quickly
open presents and throw them off to the side without even a thank you, I know
something is wrong. When little Suzie tells me Christmas was no fun because she
didn’t get what she wanted, I am concerned. The Grinch hasn’t stolen Christmas;
our ungratefulness has.

Christmas is about God’s giving His Son as a
glorious gift to mankind. Don’t clutter that gift with so many others that He
gets lost in the fray. This season teach the children in your life to cherish
the gift they already have — Jesus.

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3 John 1:1-14 Not too long ago there was a lot of prosperity teaching. One of the examples given to try to prove God wanted to bless our giving was the promise of the hundredfold return for the gifts we give to God. Some of these evangelists preaching such a return on gifts were expecting the gifts of money to be given to them. They wanted the hundredfold return, and often were manipulating people by putting guilt trips on them to give monies to their ministry. These evangelists never told the whole truth about the hundredfold return. We are only promised the hundredfold return if we forsake certain things. Listen to what the Bible actually says about the hundredfold return. “Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30, KJV).

Did you see anything in the promise of the hundredfold return about money? God wants us to prosper financially, spiritually and every way. Jesus said, “I came to give you life and life more abundantly.” When we hear this verse, our minds immediately think, Show me the money. Because we live in such a materialistic society, we think prosperity means more money. The abundance Jesus promises has very little to do with money. The hundredfold return speaks of the return we will experience in the true treasures of life—people. Whenever we forsake anything for the gospel’s sake, God’s promise is to return to us hundredfold for our loss, and He promises this in this life, not just the world to come in eternity.

The prosperity that will always be ours here on earth and also in heaven is the prosperity of the soul and the souls we have touched for the Lord. John writes, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2).

Whenever we put the Lord first in our lives, we invest in His storehouse of souls. Our own souls are strengthened, and we receive much more than worldly riches. We receive peace, joy and righteousness. We also receive the joy of knowing we will live eternally with those people with whom we have shared the gospel. Our soul truly prospers when we think of the possibility of seeing hundreds in heaven who will say, “I’m here because you cared enough to share God’s truth of the gospel with me.” Doesn’t this make you want to invest today into God’s storehouse? His storehouse is filled with souls who are now prospering because Jesus has given them abundant life.

READ: Hosea 6:1-9:17; 3 John 1:1-14; Psalm 126:1-6; Proverbs 29:12-14

Psalm 125:1-5 We have led many tours to Israel, and sometimes people are hesitant to go because they are fearful of terrorists and possible war in Israel. When they express those fears, Tom and I always share that we feel safer walking the streets of Jerusalem than we do walking the streets of Atlanta. There is a sense of God’s peace and presence in Israel that supersedes the threat of war and terrorism.

This psalm is one of the psalms of ascent that the Israelites sang as they made their pilgrimage three times a year to Jerusalem for the feasts of the Lord. This psalm especially expresses the security we have in the Lord, even though there may be trouble all around. Listen to these comforting words: “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever” (v. 2).

We had the opportunity after the Scud missile crisis to have a Jewish couple share about their experiences during this time. They were living in Jerusalem, and they said they would speak Psalm 91 aloud during the times when the Scud missiles were soaring over Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. When all hell is breaking loose, we find ourselves trying to find comfort with heavenly thoughts. There are so many heavenly thoughts in the psalms that bring peace to us in the midst of troubled times. This psalm promises such security to all who put their trust in the Lord and abide in Him. When we trust in the Lord we do not have to run in terror, and our hearts can be fixed upon the Lord. We do not have to fear evil tidings. Listen to these comforting words: “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.”

We are going through a time in history when everything that can be shaken is being shaken. There is a hiding place we can run to during these times. That hiding place is the presence of the Lord, and the path to this hiding place is the Word of God, praise and worship. We enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. A good way to do this is to begin to sing some of the psalms. David was on the run most of his life, but he found a place of safety and security—a place where the shaking around him would not shake him. That place is a place of trust. He said, “When I am afraid, I will trust in the Lord.” We all experience fearful times, but now we know how to overcome fear. We overcome fear by trusting in the Lord and remaining in His presence. Try singing some of the psalms today.

Lord, sometimes I get in a panic over things that are happening in my life. Forgive me. I choose today to put my trust in You instead of being afraid.

READ: Hosea 4:1-5:15; 2 John 1:1-13; Psalm 125:1-5; Proverbs 29:9-11

1 John 5:1-21 Few know the power God has given them through Jesus Christ to confess and remit the sins of others. This is the ministry of reconciliation. God was in Christ Jesus reconciling the world to Himself. The possibility of the whole world being reconciled to God was extended on the cross when Jesus died not only for your sin, but also for the sins of the whole world. When Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,” Jesus was entering into the ministry of reconciliation.

What does this ministry of reconciliation involve? Just after Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into His disciples, He said these words: “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained” (John 20:23, KJV).

At this time the disciples and all those who would believe in Jesus after them were given the power to remit sins. John speaks of this power in this letter. He says, “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it” (v. 16, KJV).

When we see a brother sin, we are to cover that sin and not talk about it to others. We also have the great privilege of confessing that sin to the Father in Jesus’ name for our brother. Then we can ask God to have mercy and not count this sin against our brother. Jesus set the example of the ministry of reconciliation on the cross. We also see Stephen minister reconciliation when he was being stoned. He said, “Father, lay this not to their charge.” What a great privilege we have as priests of the Lord. Priests confess the sins of others for them to God.

Wouldn’t you want someone talking to God about your sin rather than talking to others about your sin? Much more is gained through prayer than through talk. The promise in this scripture is that as we ask for mercy for our brother who sins, God will give him life. Death is always the result of sin. Something in our soul dies. Our mind, will and emotions are affected by sin. God promises to bring life once again to the one who has sinned, and where sin brought death, the Lord can bring life. Remember always that the same Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead is able to quicken our mortal bodies (able to give life to us). When we confess the sins of others, we are releasing them to the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will then be able to bring conviction to this person about his own sin, and the Holy Spirit can also soften this person’s heart so he will confess his own sin and repent.

READ: Hosea 1:1-3:5; 1 John 5:1-21; Psalm 124:1-8; Proverbs 29:5-8

Atheists are not the only doubters to scoff at the existence of the Bible. For centuries people have rejected the truth of the Word and its ability to set men free. But like their predecessors, they have failed to disprove the authenticity of its existence. Scriputre says Yeshua was “made flesh and dwelt among us.” And God Himself inspired men of old to tell His story. To see archeological evidence of the validity of the Bible, watch video below.

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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday Israel and its Western backers “cannot do a … thing to stop Iran’s nuclear work.”

In a televised speech at an Iranian uranium conversion plant in Isfahan, Ahmadinejad rejected the “illegal” censure of his nation by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He said the agency was “under pressure from a few superficially powerful countries.”

The IAEA passed a resolution Friday denouncing Iran for constructing a secret enrichment plant near the city of Qom. Tehran responded by announcing plans to build 10 more uranium enrichment sites.

Ahmadinejad said Iran would enrich its uranium to higher levels despite international calls to halt its enrichment activities. He also said international sanctions would be ineffective. “Aggressors will regret their action as soon as they put their finger on the trigger,” he said.

“Iran’s nuclear issue has been resolved… [and] there is no need for [more] talks,”Ahmadinejad said. He added that Tehran is “not obliged to inform the International Atomic Energy Agency about our plans to build nuclear sites unless the technology is imported. Friendly relations with the [IAEA] are over.”

The German news journal Der Spiegel reported that Iranian scientists are believed to have successfully simulated the detonation of a nuclear warhead, one of the most technologically challenging problems it would face in developing a nuclear weapon.

Experts believe it could take Iran as little as a year to acquire the expertise and a sufficient quantity of highly enriched uranium to build a real nuclear warhead.

The same paper also cites intelligence reports as warning that a restructuring has been ordered within the Iranian Defense Ministry, which is an indication that the department responsible for Tehran’s military nuclear program is under government pressure to push ahead with its activities.

Janes Defense Weekly reported on Wednesday that it has satellite images that prove that construction activity at the site near Qom has increased since the enrichment facility was exposed in October.

Iranian officials have said they would like to have the plant up and running by early 2011.

[Source: International Christian Embassy Jerusalem; ]

Christians have long made pilgrimages to the ancient Village of Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle. More recently, couples have begun visiting the Franciscan Wedding Church to get married or renew their marriage vows.

Jesus performed His first miracle, turning water into wine at a wedding, thereby validating and blessing the covenant of marriage.

Father Garret Edmunds, a pilgrimage leader to the Holy Land, points out that Jesus’ primary reason for being there was for the wedding.

“He was there to celebrate marriage with his friends. Jesus is anxious to bless marriage.”
That concept is not lost on Christians.

Israel’s Ministry of Tourism reports that annually 200,000 tourists visit the city, many are couples from a variety of nations and churches who want to renew their vows at the Wedding Church.

While on their first tour of the Holy Land earlier this year, Nancy and Joe Karabinus had a spur-of-the-moment opportunity to renew their vows at Cana. And the year was significant: their 50th wedding anniversary was just a couple months later on Oct. 10.

“We thought it was an awesome experience and would recommend it to any couple because of the history and the sacramental value of the occasion and the location,” Joe tells Travelujah, “Nancy and I are Catholic and are very aware of the sacramental significance of Cana as Jesus’ first miracle.”

God’s blessing on marriage is inherent in the land, said one of the nuns who serves at the church.

“Here in the place where Jesus came to bless the couple, there is something more significant,” the nun tells Travelujah. “For couples, we explain, when you got married you received the blessing of God from the sacrament. Now, here you will receive a double blessing because this is the very place Jesus walked and He himself blessed the place and the couple.”

In the lower Galilee near Nazareth, Cana is now an Arab Israeli town where local Christian couples wed in either of the two churches. Ruins indicate that it was a Jewish town during the time of Jesus and then had a Christian presence from the fifth century. The Franciscans have been there since 1641 and began building the present Wedding Church in 1879. Beside it is the Greek Orthodox Church, St. George, built in 1886.

Getting married at the church requires official documentation if it is being done through the Catholic Church. If you are not Catholic you must bring your own pastor to perform the ceremony. The fee is $200 for the church and $200 for flowers. For renewals, it is recommended to reserve in advance. Vow renewal is free, but you may receive a certificate afterward for a small donation.

Ohioan David Lohnes said he plans to renew his marriage vows when he and his wife come to Israel in 2011.

“With Cana being the location where Mary asked Jesus to help the wedding party it has great meaning to us as Catholics,” he said. “As sinners we are always looking for opportunities to obtain grace from God, and renewing our sacramental wedding vows at Cana is another opportunity for us to have God’s graces poured out on our marriage.”

Joe Karabinus said the marriage vow renewal and his visit to Israel was life changing. “Having been there, our reading of the sacred scriptures has never been the same.”

is the only Christian social network focused on travel to the Holy Land. It is a vibrant online community offering high quality Christian content, user and expert blogs, travel tours and planning services for people interested in connecting to the land.

Atheists are not the only doubters to scoff at the existence of the Bible. For centuries people have rejected the truth of the Word and its ability to set men free. But like their predecessors, they have failed to disprove the authenticity of its existence. Scriputre says Yeshua was “made flesh and dwelt among us.” And God Himself inspired men of old to tell His story. To see archeological evidence of the validity of the Bible, watch video below.

{youtube}4e20Cq5yob4{/youtube}