"Liberty and Justice For All"



By Zoe


"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice" (Proverbs 31:8-9).

 

To the Obama Administration and ALL AMERICANS:

Pastor Saeed is an American citizen, who pledges allegiance "to the flag of the United Sates of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, INDIVISIBLE, with LIBERTY and JUSTICE for ALL."

In addition, the Declaration of Independence states that, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that ALL men are CREATED EQUAL, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, LIBERTY and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That WHENEVER ANY FORM OF GOVERNMENT BECOMES DESTRUCTIVE OF THESE ENDS, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it..." "But when a long train of abuses and usurpations (wrongful/illegal action without authority), pursuing invariably the same Object evinces (reveals) a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism (absolute power/control), it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security..."
 

 

Whether you are a believer or not - Christian or not - you are an American. The Pledge of Allegiance and the Declaration of Independence clearly state LIBERTY and JUSTICE for ALL. Yes, I know, the Declaration of Independence applies to the "United States of America" only, not Iran. But the Declaration clearly states that it is our "duty" as Americans to fight for what we hold dear and true: LIBERTY and JUSTICE for ALL. So when one of our own is in danger and not receiving "these rights," the government must act "to secure these rights" and/or "for the future security" of these rights "for ALL" men/women as it is stated on the Declaration of Independence of the UNITED States of America.

In the words of the late Mother Teresa, "I alone cannot change the world but I can cast a stone across the waters and create many ripples." We must stand UNITED and create some ripples!

This is an urgent matter. President Obama, please take action. Please make direct contact with the Iranian government to release Pastor Saeed Abedini so he may be reunited with his wife, Naghmeh, and two young children.

 

 

For Liberty and Justice,

Zoe Howard, American Citizen
Omaha, NE

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice" (Proverbs 31:8-9).

 

 

 

 

 

Sign Petition: www.savesaeed.org

 

Declaration of Independence: http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/document/

 

 

"My Holy Discontent"

 

By Zoe

 

Holy discontent, what does that mean? To be discontent means to be unhappy or not satisfied; to want something better. What is your holy discontent? What is something that just breaks your heart and makes you want to weep? Something that you just can't stand by and watch it happen because it is simply NOT RIGHT; for example, social injustices such as human/sex trafficking (an industry where children are 50% of the victims), domestic abuse, homelessness, and poverty to name a few.

 

 

WHAT IS MY HOLY DISCONTENT?

 

My holy discontent, what makes my heart weep, is INJUSTICE of any kind, shape or form. I am particularly burdened by the injustice of human/sex trafficking. I am burdened by the statistics and the knowledge that every day - this very hour, even right now as I am typing this - there are children my daughter's age (8) and my son's age (4), who are being sold and traded, used and abused, against their will for somebody else's benefit, pleasure, and gain (profit). I am burdened by the fact that human/sex trafficking is a $15 BILLION industry.

 

 

"ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER AND BUILD EACH OTHER UP" (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

I encourage you to identify what your "holy discontent" is and then evaluate your resources. How could you use your time, talents and/or money to be part of the solution. We can all be part of the solution. We can all serve in some way or another. Each and every one of us has at least one thing or one talent we could use to make a difference. And the one thing we can all do, PRAY! Let's fight this battle on our knees, because God is faithful and He honors those who humbly go before Him and acknowledge Him in all their ways (Proverbs 3:5-6).

 

And may I remind you, as I am being reminded by the power of the Spirit who dwells in me, that our fight is not against flesh and blood.

 

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth....breastplate of righteousness....your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace....take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one....the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And pray in the Spirit on ALL occasions" (Ephesians 6:10-18).

 

You may be thinking or asking yourself, "What could I possibly have to contribute? You don't know my situation, I don't have much to give/I don't have time to volunteer at this time. How could little, ordinary me possibly make a difference to change the world anyway?" To me the answer is simple. In the words of Mother Teresa:

 

"I (you) alone cannot change the world, but I (you) can cast a stone across the waters and create many ripples" one life at a time. Every person we reach out to and help, whose life and dignity are restored, is one less person living in captivity; one person set free. One life at a time!

 

Join others who are like-minded and share your holy discontent because we are BETTER TOGETHER!! Alone we can do good things, but together we can do GREAT things!

"WHAT IS 'YOUR' HOLY DISCONTENT?"

 

 

Heavenly Father, You deeply care about all your children. Please break our hearts for what breaks Your heart. We desire to be used by You, to be Your hands and feet here on earth. Give us the wisdom to evaluate and identify the condition of our hearts as well as our resources. Teach us how to use our talents and resources to serve You. In Jesus' name, Amen, and thank You Lord.


Click on the following link to listen to a message on "Holy Discontent" from Christ Community Church's Lead Pastor Mark Ashton: http://www.cccomaha.org/message-media.php?id=122.

My Resolution

By Martin

I just received a great reminder that some things are more important. Too often, I feel that I am not there for my wife and kids like I should be. Because I have that feeling, I know that it is true. Therefore, I need to take steps to better myself for them. I want to be the man my wife can trust to be the leader of our household. I want to be the daddy that my kids can look up to for guidance and stability while remaining humble and generous with my time, my love, and not just my money.

Starting today, I resolve to be the man God has called me to be.

To my wife, I resolve to be a devoted and faithful husband. To love, honor, and cherish her. To guide and protect her.

To my children, I resolve to be a devoted father. To teach them to love God always. To lead them in the ways of the Lord and protect them from the evil one.

I resolve to love my wife and my children with my time. I know that they need me more than the money I bring home.

I resolve to resist the devil's temptations. To remember that God has a free gift for me and I will no longer buy what Satan is selling.

I resolve to smile more and to be happy more. For the Lord is joy and I want others to see His joy through me.

Father God, please send your Holy Spirit to guide me through these resolutions. For it is through Your strenght, and not my own, that all things are possible. I pray that others will see Your love through me. Help me to be the leader You have called me to be. I pray that I will continue to lead my family and be a blessing to them and not be just the man who pays the bills. Father, I know that you have given me the strength to resist the devil's temptations. But, sometimes I forget and so I pray that Your Word will remain on my lips to thwart the devil's schemes. Please lead me in the way everlasting. I love you Father and I thank you for all of Your provisions in my life. For I know that through You all things are possible. It is in the mighty name of Your son Jesus Christ that I pray these things. Amen.

For those of you reading this, I ask that you help and encourage me. We all live in a fallen world and we need each other to stay sharp. Proverbs 27:17: As iron sharpens iron, so one man shall sharpen another. To rely not on my own understanding, but to trust in God. Thank you.

Marriage Conference

By Martin

This past weekend, my wife and I went to a marriage conference here in Omaha.  We had a good time and enjoyed the conference very much.  We have been to a number of marriage conferences and retreats over the years.  It is good to reconnect with each other in an environment specifically geared towards marriage.

One thing that I noticed was the number of times that the speaker would reference topics that I cover in my book, “My Purpose vs. God’s Purpose: For My Life”.  About the couple being a team and not one dominating over another.  But, there does have to be a structure set forth in the household.  That is why the Bible tells us that the man is the head of the wife as Jesus Christ is the head of the church.  And that wives should submit to their husbands in everything (Ephesians 5:22-24). 

Now, that is not to be abused by either the man or the woman because right before that passage, in verse 21, it says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ”.  My wife knows that I view marriage as a partnership.  We are equal partners.  However, I know that I am the one who will be held accountable for the actions of my family.  I am the one who is to sacrifice my life for them.  And I am the one who is ultimately held to lead them.

During the conference, the speaker touched several chapters in my book, but more specifically on chapters 9, 15, and 23.  Chapter 9 being the quote from a husband, “I don’t mind if she is the head of the household”.  Chapter 15, “I have changed for him/her, but he/she won’t change for me”.  And Chapter 23, “Is it okay to date/marry someone who is not a Christian?”

But, that wasn’t the first time that this has happened.  There have been several instances when I will either hear a sermon, or listen to a speaker, and they will go over these different things that are in my book.  Why do you think that is?  Well, as you may or may not know, this book was completely inspired by the Holy Spirit.  If I did not feel it came from the Holy Spirit it didn’t get written.  And by hearing it over and over again, from different sources, just re-affirms that for me.

The information in this book are relative to everyone, because we all go through these types of situations throughout the course of our lives.  That is another reason why it continues to come up; because we all are dealing with it.  I have written it in a way that will provide guidance and encouragement through the direction from the Bible.  Each chapter begins with a passage from the Bible and has scripture references throughout.

If you haven’t had the chance to read it yet, I highly recommend that you get a copy for yourself and a loved one.  Your life may never be the same again.

Here are some testimonies from just a few of the readers:

"This book is phenomenal. It is a must read for all new believers." - Sue Peffer

"It was an easy read. Informative and a great book especially for new believers. I also loved how you opened up and made yourself known and vulnerable." - Randy Kirk

"I love this book. I read something from it every day." - Sheila Guenther
 
"Thank you so much for this eye-opener..may God bless you!" - Samantha Koyesiga

"I just completed reading this book, it's very inspirational. great depiction of nadir and zenith.. I would definitely recommend reading this book at least once.   Nadir.. the low times and Zenith.. the high time.. are like the sinusoidal wave pattern. A person will never have the not so pleasant time in his/her life forever.. so lets start our day with a smile on our face.. Amen!! I can't thank you enough Martin, as your book answers, the most of the complicated questions that life puts in front of us.. thank you.." - Ajay Bhowmick