Exchanged News: May 2015

EXCHANGED

t month.

his ministry update is from Hope of Life in Gospel Ministries Pakistan.

MAY 2015

Continued inside...

With your permission we would like to add you to our mailing list and we will send you the ministry update each

By the Grace of God, Hope of Life in Gospel Ministries, along with IOM America, is serving in Pakistan for His kingdom.

Please pray and consider if your church/ministry would have the opportunity to support us, as it would be a huge blessing. The ministry needs resources to reach out to the remote areas‌ We welcome your support in the form of Bibles, books, money, and of course, prayer.

Dears in Christ, because Pakistan is a Muslim country, it is very difficult to do ministry here. But by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are winning many non-believing souls to Him each day. He is using us for His work with full passion.

Please let us know how we can pray for you.

Blessings, Amir Nadab Hope of Life in Gospel Ministries Pakistan An IOM America Sponsored Ministry

>>> Dears in Christ,

because Pakistan is a Muslim country, it is very difficult to do ministry here. —Amir

SOFTER SIDE OF SATAN Quotes From A Frightened World

By Dr. Stephen Phinney In a world that has separated evil into subcategories such as radical Muslims, religious extremists, peace-loving Muslims, radical Christianity, orthodox Jews, ISIS, universal faith, ISIL, Islam - Sunni and Shia – what is a person to believe? I will tell you what it is forcing the common culture of our day to believe and accept that of embracing The Soft Side of Satan. All of what I will share with you in this writing project will be based on a war that has been going on between two brothers for thousands of years – that of Ishmael and Isaac.

The Qur'an tells us: “not to make friendship with Jews and Christians" (5:51), "“kill the disbelievers wherever we find them" (2:191), "murder them and treat them harshly" (9:123), "fight and slay the Pagans, seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem" (9:5). The Qur'an demands that we fight the unbelievers, and promises "“If there are twenty amongst you, you will vanquish two hundred: if a hundred, you will vanquish a thousand of them" (8:65). – Institute for the Secularisation of Islamic Society You can start receiving highlights from my new publication by signing up for our Thursday emails.

If you are already a member, you should start receiving them soon!

The State Department knew that al-Qaida-backed jihadists per petuated the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the Benghazi consulate the day after the attack that killed four Americans. On Sept. 12, State released a secret memo including "not finally evaluated intelligence" that had none of the Obama administration's false narrative about a spontaneous protest over a YouTube video. "The attack was planned ten or more days prior on approximately 01 September 2012," the memo said. "The intention was to attack the consulate and to kill as many Americans as possible to seek revenge for U.S. killings of Aboyahiye (ALALIBY) in Pakistan and in memorial of the 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center buildings." The document was pried loose from State by Judicial Watch, which also released documents showing the Obama administration knew of the looming threat of Syrian violence before the civil war broke out. Judicial Watch's Tom Fitton asserted that if the public knew in 2012 what it knows now regarding the Obama administration's conduct surrounding the Benghazi attack, "Mitt Romney might very well be president."

Source: The Patriot Post | An IOM News Source

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Politics and Policy: Obama's 'Ban' on Military Supplies for Police Recently, Barack Obama announced a ban on some of the surplus military style gear that has been transferred to police departments over the last several years. The announcement is surprising, given Obama's track record of being on the wrong side of almost every policy. As with all of his policy decisions, though, this move is entirely for political reasons.

We have previously expressed concern about the militarization of police forces across our nation. Is it really necessary for local police forces to use military gear and vehicles in their duties to serve and protect? Perhaps one might point to violence and rioting in Ferguson and Baltimore as a reason for this military equipment, but it's also arguable that — at least in Ferguson — it only made things worse.

None of this is to say there aren't legitimate concerns for officers who seek protection from violent criminals. "We need to only look back to Baltimore to see what happens when officers are sent out ill-equipped in a disturbance situation," said James Pasco, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police, in response to Obama's order. "Because you don't like the optics, you can't send police officers out to be hurt or killed."

Indeed, our society has devolved in dangerous ways and law enforcement officers are on the front lines. That said, this escalation and war-like view of civilian law enforcement is troubling for those who love Liberty.

Police departments have been able to arm themselves in recent years through the Defense Department's 1033 Program for excess property. Since its inception in 1997, more than $4.3 billion worth of equipment has been transferred to local police departments with at least half a billion dollars' worth transferred in 2013 alone.

We can't blame police departments for accepting surplus military gear. Think about it; in an era of budget constraints amongst police forces across the nation, who wouldn't accept such a sweet deal? On another note, at least some of the military gear was staying in our own country instead of being sold or given to our past, future or even present enemies. Oh, wait, that's still happening.

The Washington Post highlights that "banned items are tracked armored vehicles, bayonets, grenade launchers, ammunition of .50-caliber or higher and some types of camouflage uniforms. ... Other equipment, including tactical vehicles [such as MRAPs], explosives and riot equipment, will be transferred only if local police provide additional certification and assurances that the gear will be used responsibly."

Two points: First, other than bayonets, everything on this list was already banned. Second, as Reason's Scott Shackford notes, however, the layer of certification is merely "another layer of bureaucracy." And with a federal bribe to the tune of $163 million to get law enforcement agencies on board, who will be first in line?

Speaking before a crowd in Camden, New Jersey, Obama stated, "We've seen how militarized gear sometimes gives people a feeling like they are an occupying force as opposed to a part of the community there to protect them. ... Some equipment made for the battlefield is not appropriate for local police departments."

In the wake of protests against police across the nation, Obama's remarks reveal his political motivation. He's saying, "I'm with you, the people of these cities who are the victims of out of control cops, and I'm going to do something about it."

Source: The Patriot Post | An IOM News Source

Editorial Comments: Kathy Hill, CO editor@iomamerica.org Entire content of this publication is under © supervision of IOM America 2015 Reproduction permitted when entire publication remains intact.

Digital view or copies can be obtained online at: click here All Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963,1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

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Identity And Sexuality

By Sharon Slater Family Watch: An IOM Sponsored Ministry

Important LINKS FOR IOM America

Yesterday the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments on a case that will result in a landmark decision that will affect all U.S. marriage laws and the future of the family in the United States. Of course, this will have international implications as well.

Although same-sex marriage is currently legal in 37 states, this was forced on the majority of these states through rulings by federal district court judges that were affirmed on appeal. However, one U.S. federal appeals court did uphold the man/woman definition of marriage in the states of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. So the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) must now resolve these conflicting decisions at the federal circuit court level.

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Family Watch

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The Patriot Post

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Network 220

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LEAD Pakistan

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GBI Ministries

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Joel Rosenberg

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One News Now

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In Touch Ministries

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Christ In You

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Preston Gillham

Did you know same-sex marriage was imposed on about two dozen states by the ruling of a single federal judge?

So today SCOTUS considered two specific questions: Does the U.S. Constitution require states to legalize homosexual marriage; and does the U.S. Constitution require states, which do not permit homosexuals to marry in their states, to recognize homosexual marriages that are legally performed in another state.

On both issues, the justices seemed deeply divided and considered social, historical, religious and other implications raised by these questions. Most observers believe that the position the justices took during the oral arguments will be the same as their ultimate positions in the written opinion expected by the end of June.

Three of the most liberal justices—Ginsberg, Sotomayor and Kagan— appear to have their minds made up that, at a minimum, all states must be required to recognize homosexual marriages performed in another state. It appears they likely also will support a finding that there is a constitutional right for homosexuals to marry each other.

Justice Breyer, usually a liberal, showed he had some reservations about “nine people deciding outside the ballot box” to force same-sex marriage on states that do not want it. He asked, “Why cannot those States at least wait and see whether in fact [same-sex marriage occurring] in the other States is or is not harmful to marriage?” However, he eventually is expected to join the court’s liberal wing as he usually does.

The three reliably conservative justices, Allito, Scalia, and Thomas, seemed unwilling to find a constitutional right to homosexual marriage or to force the states to recognize those same-sex marriages performed in other states. Justice Alito debunked the key argument by one of the attorneys arguing for same-sex marriage that laws limiting marriage to man and a woman are typically based on prejudice and discrimination.

The vote is secret, and the final decision is not expected to be handed down until late June. Such sadness, identity truly does affect policy!

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