A group advocating for gay marriage is leading a campaign seeking to revoke the tax-exempt status of churches that supported the repeal of Maine’s gay marriage law.

Maine Marriage Equality reports that 80,000 people have joined its online effort to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) churches that advocated for Question One, which revoked the state’s same-sex marriage law Nov. 3 with 53 percent of the vote.

Claiming the IRS “clearly forbids churches from participating in political campaigns in any form,” Maine Marriage Equality provides complaint forms and contact information for the IRS at its Web site. The group also lists churches and organizations that campaigned for Question One along with major financial contributors.

“It’s no secret that the Catholic Diocese led the ‘YES on 1′ effort in Maine, among many other churches encouraging their congregations to vote ‘YES,’ handing out signature forms and collection plates during service, and constantly asking for ‘sacrificial contributions’ from churchgoers,” the group claims

Erik Stanley, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), said the campaign is an “all-too-obvious attempt” to use the IRS to intimidate pastors.

He says the IRS almost always allows churches to support ballot initiatives such as Question 1.

“Pastors and churches have a right to speak about biblical truths from the pulpit without fear of punishment,” Stanley said. “They can encourage their congregations to take a stand for marriage and can directly support legislative issues like Question 1 without running afoul of IRS rules.”

ADF is offering free legal assistance to any church the IRS targets.

“Groups that want to redefine marriage are intentionally threatening the tax-exempt status of churches through fear, intimidation and disinformation to silence their voice,” Stanley said. “ADF will stand with these churches to defend their right to free speech and religious expression against these baseless scare tactics.”

Two weeks ago, just after Maine’s successful reversal of the state legislature’s decision to sanction same-sex marriage, MSNBC’s Contessa Brewer asked me a profound question: “Would Jesus have spent $550,000 to oppose same-sex marriage?”

The question was exactly what many secular parties had been asking in Portland, Maine, where she was speaking to me by satellite. My answer was that Jesus would have given the money to oppose same-sex marriage. My reasoning was simple: Jesus would have upheld his own teaching; refusing to be a loving, permanent enabler of a misguided local government. I mentioned in the interview that Washington, D.C. was struggling with the same question.

Since the interview, the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington gave notice to the D.C. City Council that if it approves the currently proposed same-sex marriage legislation, there will be dire consequences for the city. D.C.’s same-sex marriage bill undoubtedly will be passed next month. Although the bill does not require religious organizations to perform or make space available for same-sex weddings, it would require that religious charities obey new marriage laws. This could require the Catholic Archdiocese to extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples. Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the archdiocese explained, “If the city is saying in order to provide social services, you need to be secular … that’s really a problem.” Gibbs noted that any religious group that receives city funds would be required to give same-sex couples healthcare benefits, open adoptions to same-sex couples, and rent church space to a support group for same-sex couples.

Catholic Charities serves 68,000 people in the city. This includes one-third of the district’s homeless people who use the city-owned shelters, which are managed by the church. All in all, Catholic Charities donates $10 million annually for its work in the capital city. If other denominations and independent churches withdraw the help, the city could be left with a gaping hole in its social safety net.

The reaction of council members has been more about protecting their stand on same-sex marriage than the city’s poor. The Washington Post, in a Nov. 12 interview, quoted council member Mary M. Cheh as labeling the Catholic Church as “somewhat childish.” In a separate interview David A. Catania, openly gay councilman and initiator of the measure, said, “They don’t represent … an indispensable component of our social services infrastructure. If they find living under our laws so oppressive that they can no longer take city resources, the city will have to find an alternative partner to step in to fill the shoes.” Other council members have accused the church of “blackmail.”

The question of what the Catholic Church will do is being debated in every corner of the city. Washington Post reporter Petula Dvorak attempted to fan the flames of the opposition to the church’s position with these remarks on Nov. 13, “By trying to play political hardball with the District, no matter how carefully they word their objection to the bill, officials at the Archdiocese of Washington and Catholic Charities are telling our city’s most vulnerable people — homeless families, sick children, low-income mothers — that they are willing to throw them on the table as a bargaining chip. What the Church is doing is an uncharitable and cruel maneuver.”

Nothing could be further from the truth. The city council and its cronies are so committed to making national news that they are leaving the weakest citizens of a cash-strapped city uncovered. A popular comedian I know would make the following statement concerning the city’s projection of malfeasance upon the church, “Don’t spit in my face and call it rain!”

Thankfully, the Catholic Church’s spokespersons are much more gracious than many of the guys and gals in the pew. For example, the Rev. Barry C. Knestout, auxiliary bishop of Washington, sent out a letter explaining the church’s actions:

“Recent news reports have mistakenly claimed that the Archdiocese of Washington and its social services arm, Catholic Charities, are threatening to cease providing social services in the District of Columbia if the proposed bill to legalize same-sex marriage is passed.

“Catholic Charities is not threatening to end its services …  Catholic Charities is vowing to continue its services even if a same-sex marriage bill passes. However, the bill, as it now reads, will diminish the resources we have to do so.  Why is that so?  Because without a meaningful religious exemption in the bill, Catholic Charities and other similar religious providers will become ineligible for contracts, grants and licenses to continue those services.

“What we have said to the Council is this: While we are opposed to redefining marriage in the District of Columbia, if the Council moves forward to do so, we respectfully request that religious individuals and organizations be afforded protection from restrictions on their deeply held religious beliefs and that the Council preserve the ability of Catholic Charities and other providers to continue to serve the growing and unmet needs of the poor and most vulnerable residents of the District of Columbia. “

I applaud the archdiocese’s courage in making the stand articulated above.

Thinking back to my interview with Brewer, I wish I had the presence of mind to mind to answer a little more like this:

People want the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian organizations to give their resources to the secular community when our doctrines on compassion and giving to the poor agree with their concepts and needs. Unfortunately, when our doctrines strongly contradict popular concepts, many communities want to take our money and press the mute button on our teachings. The community cannot have it both ways. If you want our help, you have to receive it on our terms.

Finally, the biblical Jesus, who confronted both the political and religious hypocrites of his day, would never let himself be blackmailed into becoming a permanent agent of any corrupt government.

Have you ever had mixed thoughts and emotions about your spouse? I have-just this morning, in fact.

Today started out as any other day, but for some reason things just affected me differently than they usually do. I got out of bed and began my regular devotional time with the Lord, reading the Word, studying a powerful book, and praying. When I stood to my feet, I was filled with peace and gratitude.

“I feel great!” I thought to myself. And off I went to begin what I thought was going to be a wonderful day.

The kitchen was first on my agenda. I don’t know why, exactly, but I have a plaque over my stove that reads, “A kitchen is the heart of the home.” When I was growing up, my mother always kept a clean kitchen, with a pot of something deliciously fragrant simmering on the stove.

The only thing fragrant about my kitchen this morning was a hot, empty coffee pot, left sitting on the coffee maker with the switch in the “on” position, by my husband.

“I get so tired of this,” I thought. “Why do I have to clean up his mess?”

I picked up the pot and carried it over to the sink. There I discovered the spoon he’d used to stir the sugar in his cup. It had been set beside the sink and now lay in a brown, sugary puddle. I grabbed a cloth and began to wipe the counter-muttering the whole time.

“That man!” I said in frustration. “Why can’t he just put the spoon in the sink where it belongs?”

I decided to tackle the bathroom instead. You can probably guess what I found-beard clippings and blobs of toothpaste in the sink, and puddles of water on the counter top. I turned to grab a towel.

As I did, I looked at my towel, folded neatly in thirds over the rack (Mom said double is allowed, too, but not as nice looking). My husband’s towel was bunched and crumpled, as if he doesn’t care at all about being neat. I stood there staring.

After a few moments, I started to unravel and re-fold his towel. But something happened to change my whole mind-set and along with it, my feelings. I looked from his towel to mine, back and forth.

I felt myself begin to soften. I started to appreciate and praise God for our differences. Feelings of love, softening my heart, began to manifest. I tenderly touched his towel, leaving it as it had been.

Then I went back into the kitchen to clear the table, where he had been sitting and drinking his cup of coffee. My eyes caught sight of his open Bible and a yellow highlighting pen. I remembered the early morning I discovered him sitting in the same chair with closed eyes and folded hands, offering up a silent prayer to God.

Hebrews 13:1-25 This chapter begins with an interesting two verses: “Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.”

In thinking over our lives I recall several encounters with what I am sure were angels. I just finished reading a book called Awakened by Angels, so these two verses in Hebrews particularly interest me. In this book the author had his eyes opened to see into the spirit realm, and he had ongoing encounters with angels. I must caution the reader to be careful about what kind of material he reads about angels as there are many counterfeits out there, especially in the New Age Movement. We have to remember there are two kinds of angels—the ministering spirits sent by God to minister to the saints and the angels of darkness that clothe themselves and make themselves out to be angels of light. This book on angels, however, I felt was valid because Jesus was always lifted up. The author received no teachings from the angels. He only received short messages from the angels. The Holy Spirit, who is the Great Teacher, gave all the teachings to the author, and they were all scripturally based.

One of the encounters the author had is described in the book, and I have heard many similar stories. He and his wife were traveling home by car when they saw a stranger wanting a ride. They almost picked him up, but were hesitant, so they drove to their home. Only fifteen minutes later this stranger appeared at their door. He asked for food, so they allowed him to come in and fed him. He then left. The Holy Spirit told the author later that this was not a man, but was an angel sent by the Lord to test their hospitality.

I had an encounter with what I am sure was an angel. It was right after Martin Luther King was assassinated. I had started an interracial prayer group in the inner city. As I was driving from this meeting, an African American man dressed in a gray suit was thumbing a ride. I gave him a lift, and when he entered the car, I asked him if he was a pastor. He said, “No,” and then he delivered this message to me: “The day is coming when there will be people standing in line to get into the churches in Atlanta to hear the gospel preached and to experience the power of God.” He then asked me to drop him at the next corner. When I looked in my rearview mirror to see where he was going, he was no longer there.

One of the End-Time exhortations is to be given to hospitality. I understand now why we are urged to open our doors to people more than ever as the day draws close to the Lord’s return. I believe God will send more and more angels our way to minister to us because the days are going to be hard before He returns. We may face persecution as many are already facing this. Don’t hesitate to be hospitable, because you never know whom you may be hosting.

READ: Ezekiel 33:1-34:31; Hebrews 13:1-25; Psalm 115:1-18; Proverbs 27:21-22

I have often wondered why some great men and women of faith die young. Recently a great servant of the Lord named Ruth Heflin died. I personally felt she had many more years of service to offer the Lord here on earth. She wrote a book called Glory. As I thought about her death, I felt the Lord had revealed the fullness of His glory and the glories that awaited her in heaven. The realms of glory she saw in the Spirit made this earth grow strangely dim to her, so the light of her life was transferred into the light of that city where there is no need of light—the city of our God, Zion, the New Jerusalem. 

The early heroes of our faith could not get near the glory of God. Moses had to be hidden in a rock while God’s glory passed him. When God’s glory burned on the mountain, the children of Israel were warned not to come near the mountain, because truly our God is a consuming fire. Because of the cross, however, we can now all be friends with God just as Moses was counted as a friend to God. We now have entrance into the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and we are welcomed in the assembly of the saints.

The thought of seeing some of these great heroes of our faith face to face blows me away. We also experience now the great cloud of witnesses on earth, and an innumerable company of angels surrounds us. Even though we cannot see these things with our natural eyes, the truth is the kingdom of God is at hand. When we reach our hands up in praise to God, we are able to touch the kingdom of God.

Glimpses of God’s glory are available to us daily. Have you taken a peek lately?

Lord, I know the things that keep me from experiencing Your glory daily are my concerns and cares. There are so many things on this earth to think about, and these things seem to dull my eyesight. Help me not to be nearsighted. Help me to catch glimpses of Your glory daily. I think I caught a glimpse yesterday as I looked at the smiling face of my eleven-month-old grandson. Thank You, Lord. Show me Your glory.

Read: Ezekiel 31:1-32:32; Hebrews 12:14-29; Psalm 113:1-114:8; Proverbs 27:18-20

Officials in Israel on Thursday indicted the man accused of sending a bomb to the home of a Messianic minister in March 2008 that nearly killed the pastor’s teenage son.

Jack Teitel, 37,  was indicted for attempted murder, among other charges, for allegedly sending a bomb hidden in a gift basket to the home of David Ortiz, pastor of a Messianic congregation in Ariel, Israel.

(Photo of Ami Ortiz, Compass Direct News)

The package, opened by Ortiz’s 15-year-old son, Amiel, damaged the family’s apartment and left Amiel covered with blood and burns, and full of needles and screws contained in the bomb. Now, 20 months later, 16-year-old Amiel is back in school and playing basketball.

When Teitel walked into court, the West Bank settler shouted that God was proud of him. “It was a pleasure and honor to serve my God,” Teitel reportedly said. “God is proud of what I have done. I have no regrets.”

Police said Teitel is an ultra-Orthodox Jewish nationalist who picked out his targets based on his nationalist philosophy.

Along with the Ortiz case, police said Teitel is responsible for the June 1997 shooting death of Samir Bablisi, a Palestinian taxi driver who was found in his cab with a single bullet wound to his head. Two months later, police said, Teitel shot Isa Jabarin, a Palestinian shepherd who was giving Teitel driving directions to Jerusalem.

Police also said that Teitel attempted to burn down a monastery and unsuccessfully planted several bombs. He is also accused of the September 2008 bombing of Zeev Sternhell of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The bombing left the emeritus history professor slightly wounded.

Teitel told police he was trying to kill David Ortiz, not injure his son.

In all, Teitel has been indicted for two cases of pre-meditated murder, three cases of attempted murder, carrying a weapon, manufacturing a weapon, possession of illegal weapons and incitement to commit violence.

Adi Keidar, Teitel’s attorney, reportedly said his client is “mentally unstable.” He cited Teitel’s alleged confession to acts he did not commit. After a psychiatric evaluation by the state, Teitel was deemed fit to stand trial.

Keidar is representing Teitel or behalf of the Honenu organization, a nationalistic law firm endorsed by Mordechai Eliyahu, a rabbi known for his far-right Orthodox views.

Honenu is known for defending, among others, Ami Popper. Popper was convicted in 1990 for shooting seven Palestinian workers who were waiting for a ride at a day labor pick-up site. Popper’s attack, like all others cited in Honenu’s website, was said to come “in response” to Palestinian aggression. Despite numerous attempts to contact Keidar, he could not be reached for comment.

David Ortiz said he is not surprised by Teitel’s claim that God is proud of him. Ortiz cited biblical verses where the early Christians were warned that one day people would kill them and think that they were doing the will of God. Teitel, Ortiz said, saw him as an enemy of the nation of Israel.

“He saw me and the professor as false prophets,” Ortiz said.

Police have brought no evidence linking Teitel to any other co-conspirator. But Ortiz’s wife, Leah, said she thinks Teitel worked with others. Teitel’s neighbor, Yosef Espinoza, was brought in for questioning and later released. Teitel does not speak Hebrew, but when he was arrested he was distributing handouts written in Hebrew criticizing homosexuals in Israel.

When his apartment was raided, police found a cache of illegal weapons he has been indicted for owning. Ortiz also said that a tape from a closed-circuit television camera taken on the day of the bombing shows Teitel was driven to the Ortiz apartment by another person.

Regardless, Leah Ortiz scoffs at the claim that Teitel was politically motivated. Instead, she said, he used politics and religion as a foil to justify murder.

“He is a serial killer,” she said.

In spite of all the pain that the Ortiz family has gone through, Leah Ortiz said she has seen much good come from the tragedy, including miraculous healings. She said that the bombing has helped soften the opinion of people in Israel toward Jews who believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah.

“It has made them face the facts of how they see Jesus,” she said.

Howard Bass, a leader of a Messianic congregation in Beer Sheva, Israel, said he isn’t so sure.

“It’s not that simple,” he said, adding that such attacks may help tolerant people to eschew violence, but that others will actually be encouraged by the bombings. “It makes people aware of how far they [people set against the Messianic Jews] will be willing to go and abhor them. It’s bringing things to light and forcing people to make a decision: What is good and what is evil?” 

Hostile Environment

Bass himself was a victim of at least one attack by anti-missionary, Orthodox extremists. On Dec. 24, 2005, several hundred Orthodox Jews mobbed an outdoor service Bass held. The mob destroyed church equipment, terrorized congregants and threw Bass into a baptismal pool.

Bass has since sued Yad L’Achim, an Orthodox, anti-missionary organization he said is responsible for inciting the attack. A court decision in the case is due later this month.

On its website, Yad L’Achim asserts that missionaries are “devious” and are trying to “destroy the Jewish people.” The organization makes no distinction in its website between missionaries and Messianic Jews. The site also goes as far as to accuse Messianic Jews of “playing the victim to the hilt” in reference to the Ortiz bombing.

Despite numerous attempts to reach members of Yad L’Achim, no one was made available for comment.

According to the 2009 International Religious Freedom Report issued by the U.S. Department of State, there are 10,000 Messianic Jews in Israel. The report documents several cases of violence against Messianic Jews, including one case on May 15 in which “ultra-Orthodox residents of the Tel Aviv suburb of Rehovot attacked and beat a group of Messianic Jews who were handing out New Testament pamphlets on the street.”

Additionally, Bass cites a book published this week in Israel titled, The King’s Torah. Bass said the book encourages the killing of gentiles and anyone else deemed to be a threat to Israel.

“We’re seeing a spirit rising,” Bass said, “where they feel they have a legitimate right to kill anyone who threatens the Jewish state.”

Mentioning the book, David Ortiz agreed with Bass, calling the bombing and recent anti-Christian aggression “a shadow of things to come.”

As for what the Ortiz family wishes for Teitel, Leah Ortiz said she hopes he will receive a sentence that is “equal to his crime.” Because Israel has no death penalty, this very likely would mean life in prison.

Regardless of what happens in court, members of the Ortiz family say they have forgiven Teitel.  David Ortiz hopes one day to sit down face-to-face with Teitel and talk. He said he hopes Teitel will become another Apostle Paul.

“There is something inside him that makes him want to kill people. If God has had mercy on me, maybe he’ll have mercy on others,” Ortiz said. “The Lord forgave David and many people in the Bible—my goal and my prayer for him is that he will repent and be saved.”

Hebrews 11:32-12:13 These heroes of the faith pressed forward to the goal, and they received the gold. As we see by the lives mentioned in this passage of Hebrews 11, many were martyred and tortured for their faith. How did they get through these great trials of faith, which are even more precious to the Lord than gold? The answer is simple: They kept their focus on the Provider, not the problem. We read in Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus knew the joy we would all experience because of His sacrificial death and resurrection. He knew the joy He would experience every time someone was liberated from rejection, disease, sickness and bondage of all kinds. He saw the joy we would receive when we repented of our sins and received His forgiveness and cleansing. He saw the joy we would encounter when we would be translated from the kingdom of darkness into His kingdom of light where there is peace, right standing with God and joy. This joy provided Him strength to get through every trial and to even endure the torture of the cross for our sakes. What got Jesus through every trial was His focus. He kept His eyes ever on the Father. What will get us through every trial is our focus. We must keep our eyes upon Jesus.

We all will experience trials, troubles and temptations. Some of the promises in the Bible we seldom claim are, “In the world you will have tribulation,” and “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all.” The righteous are also promised persecution. Only as we look unto Jesus will we be able to endure these last days. The following prayer was shared with me today, and I thought I would pass it on to you:

Lord, help me to look at my problems in the light of Your power instead of looking at You in the shadows of my problems.

READ: Ezekiel 29:1-30:26; Hebrews 11:32-12:13; Psalm 112:1-10; Proverbs 27:17

A Florida-based ministry is racing to end human trafficking.

Run for Freedom will host a 5K race in Cocoa Beach Saturday to raise money and awareness about what the United Nations calls one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world.

“Our main purpose is to raise awareness about human trafficking,” said Rachel Manzo, whose parents founded Run for Freedom. “Most people think that it only happens overseas … but [it’s] right here in our own back yard.”

Every year 1.2 million children and teenagers worldwide are abducted or coerced into prostitution, pornography or forced labor. This year the average victim is 13 years old.

Roughly 100 people are expected to walk or run just over 3 miles Saturday. The event is Run for Freedom’s fifth 5K since September.

“[Sex trafficking is] nothing new,” said Mary Ann Manzo, who co-founded Run for Freedom with her husband, Pat. “It’s been around a long time, but in the day and age we live in, it is one of the fastest growing criminal activities happening in our world.”

The Manzos, who launched the ministry earlier this year, plan to use donations from the 5K to open a home for rescued trafficking victims. The ministry seeks to house 14 young women in the Dream Home, which is expected to open on Jan.1.

“It’s not the same as a drug rehab or an abused domestic violence situation,” Mary Ann Manzo told Charisma. “It’s very unique and different.”

The women, rescued by Florida law-enforcement during brothel raids, will be given spiritual rehabilitation through counseling and chapel services, and will be taught a trade. Upon leaving the one-year program, the women will be assisted with job placement.

Mary Ann Manzo says Christians who can’t run for freedom can help victims of sex trafficking through donations and prayer. She notes that some churchgoers also may be unwittingly contributing to the problem by secretly viewing pornography online.

“Unfortunately, statics are high in Christians being involved in pornography privately online,” Mary Ann Manzo said. “We need to know that anytime we visit a site and click on something to view, whether it’s paid for or unpaid for, we are becoming part of the demand. And the supply will need to be met. As we cut that demand back and become more holy in our style of living before God, we are able to help the problem that way as well.”

Believers around the world look to the Middle East for signs of peace. And the Bible tells us to pray for our enemies, for the peace of Jerusalem and more. Any human attempts to accomplish peace apart from God are futile, a temporary fix to a centuries-old problem. Scripture says, “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Prov. 16:7). There will be no rest without intervention from the Prince of Peace. Click below to watch video.

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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said President Barack Obama must choose between Israel and Iran. The comment was made Tuesday in Istanbul during an economic address before the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference.

“The support of both Israel and Iran can’t go hand in hand. No change is made unless great choices are made,” said Ahmadinejad. “We will clasp any hand that is extended sincerely toward us, but changes should be made in practice.”

During a briefing at the Middle East Institute in Washington, Undersecretary of State William Burns responded to the remarks: “We seek a relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran based upon mutual interest and mutual respect. We do not seek regime change. We have condemned terrorist attacks against Iran.

Burns said he recognizes “Iran’s international right to peaceful nuclear power.” He said the U.S. and its international partners are prepared to have serious discussions with Iran about “how it can resolve longstanding doubts about the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear ambitions … reinforced by the recent revelation of a clandestine enrichment facility near Qom.”

“We are ready to move with Iran along a pathway of cooperation, not confrontation, of integration, not animosity,” he explained. “But it depends squarely on the choices that Iran makes, on its willingness to meet its international obligations and responsibilities.”

[Source: International Christian Embassy Jerusalem; ]