Dear Friends and Intercessors,

I just received this email from Rolland Baker, who just arrived back in
Mozambique:

“I finally got home to Pemba after five flights, but on arrival had to turn around immediately and take Heidi to an emergency clinic in Maputo, and now we are on our way to a hospital in South Africa. She has an extremely dangerous, life-threatening staph infection that has re-surfaced after she was hospitalized with the same thing three weeks ago in Malaysia. This type of staph is highly drug-resistant, and in Malaysia was affected by only one kind of antibiotic in the world. Heidi has been taking that antibiotic for these three weeks, but now the infection has flared up severely and is out of control. She has had this infection a number of times over the years, passing it on to me once. Each time it gets worse and harder to treat. Now it is spreading quickly and she is in great pain. We and all at our base in Pemba are praying, and now we are asking for our friends around the world to pray and join with us in trusting Jesus with all our hearts.”

Please go with us before His throne for healing and victory. We will keep you posted on developments.

Together in His Love,
Gordon Haggerty for Rolland & Heidi

–

IRIS Ministries, Inc.
Gordon Haggerty
Email: gordon@irismin.org

USA:
Home Phone (Seattle): +1-206-878-2400
USA Cell Phone: +1-206-228-0468
USA FAX / Voicemail: +1-206-374-3031

PO Box 493995
Redding, CA 96049-3995
USA

I got a mass email today from a local pastor titled, “The Truth.”

Since this man is known for his writing skill I was interested in reading what could be an exposition on the Gospel. How wrong I was. Instead “the truth” was a list as evidence that the real blame in New Orleans should rest on the local officials. Why would he feel the need to send this out? What does this have to do with the Kingdom? What would cause a man of the cloth to do this?

On the Great Day, many church leaders will have to answer for getting their sermons and even their doctrine from government spin doctors. Regardless of your view of the government (in)action, the Christian perspective is not to be one of politics. Unfortunately, in this day of the political church, this passes for pastoral care.

Preacher, do you want to see a genuine move of God or do you want to be well received by kings? Its time for our religous leaders to turn off the poitical commentaries and open the biblical commentaries.

I have a link to the right for donations to the Salvation Army.

Please pray and send money, then pray some more. This is aweful.

::Lord Jesus, please do a miracle so that no more will die for lack of food and water.::

Is it mere coincidence that this massive hurricane destroyed one of America’s most perverse redlight districts? Is it just the luck of the draw that those casinos were tossed? Was it just wordplay when news broadcasters said there was disaster of “Biblical Proportions?”

Yes.

Was Katrina the judgement of God? Quick answer, No.

Jesus is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. It is impossible to intercede and judge at the same time.

Surely the judgement of God will fall upon the earth but it did not happen in August of 2005. If the judgement of God came upon a city there would be no escaping, no evacuation, no rescue, no roving journalists. It would be unmistakable.

In the coming weeks you will surely see the prophets of doom declare the vengeance of our God but do not be fooled by their words of judgement.

Yes, casinos were destroyed. Yes, avenues of decadent perversion have been swamped. For this I do not mourn. They say it will take months for New Orleans and Biloxi to get back to normal. I hope they never do. I pray that this catastrophe will cause people to realize that time is short and they need to turn their hearts to God. I hope the church will show the love of Jesus with uncompromised truth for His glory.

There was a great wave of revival after earthquakes destroyed San Francisco in the early 20th century, but God did not cause that event either. He used that earthquake to wake sinners from their slumber. I hope He will do the same with Katrina.

There is a great article on Bishop Gilbert Patterson over at Newsweek. It is part of a cluster of articles this week on religion in America.

Part of Patterson’s appeal: his moral rigor. As he sees it, signs of social depravity abound, from gangs to gay marriage (though he sides with President George W. Bush on moral issues, he’s a vehement opponent of the Iraq war and a staunch supporter of programs like affirmative action). “People are totally confused,” Patterson says, “and they keep looking for something that they can believe is real and something that will keep them grounded.” That “something” is Scripture, whose teachings Patterson has emphasized more than past presiding bishops. He “has restored a level of spirituality and Biblical focus that the denomination had somewhat lost over the last several decades,” says Bishop Charles Blake, head of a large COGIC congregation in Los Angeles that includes celebrities like Denzel Washington. That’s a welcome change for church member Dolores Allen, 53. “I love his preaching and teaching,” she says. “It strengthens me to be rooted in the word of God.”

While most of the articles are on groups with false revelation, if you are at least charismatic (or charismatic curious) this is worth reading.

I know COGIC people and the majority seem extremely religious, something that smacks in the face of Pentecost, but Bishop Patterson preaches the Word and I enjoy listening to him.

If katrina had taken its originally projected path the eye would have gone directly over my home. Last year we lost power for almost a week between the two hurricanes. Believe me when I say it was not fun. Though I do not think God loves me more than he does the people south of me, I thank Him for the storm taking a left.

The power went out more than a dozen times but never for more than a few minutes.

If you think about it, pray for the people in South Florida who have been emotionally scared by the storms. I was amazed to find out how many people were seriously affected by the fear surrounding the storms of last year.

A common fear is that the storm will destroy all that they have and they will be left with nothing. For older people with little time to recover, this is a particularly frightening possibility.

The War’s Realists
At some point the truth must be exalted. You can shuck and jive for only so long. That time is rapidly approaching this administration. My pastor says, “It is never to late to start doing the right thing. he should be a presidential advisor.

The War’s Realists

By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Post
Tuesday, July 12, 2005; A21

“We’re fighting the enemy in Iraq and Afghanistan and across the world so we do not have to face them here at home.”

That’s what President Bush said in his speech yesterday at the FBI Academy in Quantico. After the attacks on Britain, our closest ally in the war on terrorism, it is an astonishing thing to say. “It’s a very insensitive statement with regard to the British,” said Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.). “Tony Blair must absolutely have blanched when he heard that.”

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it Just Gets Worse - New York Times

July 11, 2005
It Just Gets Worse
By BOB HERBERT
Back in March 2004 President Bush had a great time displaying what he felt was a hilarious set of photos showing him searching the Oval Office for the weapons of mass destruction that hadn’t been found in Iraq. It was a spoof he performed at the annual dinner of the Radio and Television Correspondents’ Association.

The photos showed the president peering behind curtains and looking under furniture for the missing weapons. Mr. Bush offered mock captions for the photos, saying, “Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere” and “Nope, no weapons over there … maybe under here?”

If there’s something funny about Mr. Bush’s misbegotten war, I’ve yet to see it. The president deliberately led Americans traumatized by the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, into the false belief that there was a link between Iraq and Al Qaeda, and that a pre-emptive invasion would make the United States less vulnerable to terrorism.

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This is an interesting article that challanges the current thought on why marriage is declining.

The Heterosexual Revolution - New York Times
July 5, 2005
The Heterosexual Revolution
By STEPHANIE COONTZ
Olympia, Wash.

THE last week has been tough for opponents of same-sex marriage. First Canadian and then Spanish legislators voted to legalize the practice, prompting American social conservatives to renew their call for a constitutional amendment banning such marriages here. James Dobson of the evangelical group Focus on the Family has warned that without that ban, marriage as we have known it for 5,000 years will be overturned.

My research on marriage and family life seldom leads me to agree with Dr. Dobson, much less to accuse him of understatement. But in this case, Dr. Dobson’s warnings come 30 years too late. Traditional marriage, with its 5,000-year history, has already been upended. Gays and lesbians, however, didn’t spearhead that revolution: heterosexuals did.
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EU votes on Turkish entry plan
Christian

EU votes on Turkish entry plan
by Joe Grima

Joe Grima says that he is against Turkey joining the EU
Thursday, 30 June, 2005

“The executive of the European Commission meets in Brussels this Wednesday to decide whether to adopt a plan for opening membership talks with Turkey. If the draft negotiating mandate is approved, the document will form the basis for entry negotiations with the government in Ankara. Formal discussions are due to start in October. The European Commission’s mandate must be approved unanimously by all of the 25 member states. But political pressure is growing for a suspension of Turkey’s EU entry after French and Dutch voters rejected a proposed EU constitution a month ago.” Deutsche Welle
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