Welcome to the edition that generally heralds two major national holidays!  One of them sees a host of normally reserved people suddenly break out in red and white, bbq block parties, multicultural celebrations across the nation and fireworks displays by certified pyrotechnic teams.  The other holiday sees typically patriotic people putting on the red, white and blue, taking off to baseball games, breaking out the bbq and engaging in backyard fireworks displays for themselves and the rest of the street.  At both holidays flags are flown, worn, draped, hung, displayed as cakes, artwork, fruit trays and anything else that can be decorated in the national colours.  

I think by now, most of my readers know which two holidays I'm talking about, and they both take place next week!  I'm referring to Canada Day on July 1st when Canada celebrates it's 148th birthday, and Independence Day on July 4th, when the United States celebrates it's independence from the Crown of England.

To citizens of both countries, I wish you joyful, sober merry-making, and a time when you are able to gather with friends and family to remember the best of what both countries have to offer, giving thanks to God for granting us the mercies He has over the years and seeking His guidance going into another year as a nation.

These days, national leaders are more in need of God's wisdom, discernment, insight and foresight than ever before!  To my Canadian readers, remember that your Prime Minister is a fellow believer in Christ and is deeply in need of your prayers for God's wisdom to permeate his decisions.  He isn't a perfect leader, but no nation on the planet is able to make that claim.  Pray for your brother in Christ and for his family, that they will seek God in all they do.  Give thanks to God that our Prime Minister unequivocally stands by Israel when almost every other nation is against them.  In making this stand, our national leader has ensured God's blessings on our own land no matter what mistakes you may have trouble forgiving him for.  

To my US readers, I am seeing quite a bit of dismay at the things your federal government has been doing, and there is much discontent with your President in many circles of society.  Scripture commands us to pray for our leaders, and I urge you to pray for your President like never before!  Bombard heaven's gates to have God turn his head in the directions God wants him to go as Proverbs says God does.  Scripture says if we pray for our leaders, that we will invite God's blessings over our own lives and families.  So while it's currently quite popular to dump on Obama and his surrounding leadership, may I instead ask as we approach July 4th this year, that you take time to intercede, to repent on behalf of your nation and government, and seek God's face on behalf of those who lead your nation.  Stand in the gap and pray for wisdom, for guidance, for discernment, for insight for foresight, both for yourselves at home and for your government at all levels.  Examine your life, your hidden thoughts and hidden convictions, and seek God's cleansing and restoration for yourself, your family, your church and your community.  It is only as people allow God to move through the dark recesses of their individual lives that entire communities and even entire nations can be changed.  Gather in your prayer groups this July and fall on your knees before the only God who will hear and take action on your behalf.  May July 4th 2015 be known as the date when American fell to it's knees in humble repentance, and rescued a nation on the brink of disaster.

To those who live overseas, as you scan the news online or flip the channels on your television set, it is clear that there is trouble brewing worldwide at this time.  Unrest has taken over major areas of the globe as governments and religious groups try to crack down on those who do not follow their creeds.  As these scenes cross your screen, reach out a hand toward that screen and pray over those going through these troubling times.  Pray for comfort for those losing family members, pastors, and community leaders.  Pray for those committing such crimes and claim their souls for the Kingdom of God outloud so that they are unable to die until they have made Christ Lord.  Pray that the Holy Spirit will invade troublesome governments and tight-fisted regimes, that in these last days the name of the Lord will be lifted up.  Pray for peace, wisdom, guidance, discernment, insight and foresight for the governments and leaders at all levels right where you live.

Yes, this is a call to prayer.  This is a call to self-examination.  This is a call to surrender to the cleansing fire of the Holy Spirit so that you are free to do battle in the heavenly realms on behalf of those who can't.  This is a time for the army of Christ to stand up and be counted!  Nation after nation is falling prey to the forceful voices of sin demanding that their sin be legalized, accepted, respected, and not only tolerated but engaged by those who these voices know right well will not do so.  Christians in "free" countries are being dragged through courts and heavily penalized for standing up for their beliefs where once they used to be free to do so.  

Darkness is falling across the globe as we enter the wee hours before morning when Christ will return for His Church, the Bride of Christ.  The birth pangs as of a mother in labour according to Matthew 24, are upon us and getting closer and closer together.  The frequency of these pangs are causing some to think we have entered the Tribulation period, although Christ said these were only precursors to that time.  Even as precursors however, they are catching people off-guard.  They are creating panic and heartbreak and even the earth is not immune.  The saying goes that it's always darkest before dawn.  However it is also said that one small candle can light an entire room when that room is darkened.

We live in dark days that are only going to get darker and more troublesome before the great and terrible Day of the Lord comes.  The enemy of our souls knows his time is short and he has begun his offensive.  Christ when looking out across time to this period says Himself, will He find faith on the earth when He returns?  Indeed, will He?  Only you and I can answer that question for ourselves and for those we love.  Only we can engage in intercessory prayer for those God places on our hearts.  Only we can ensure our own hearts and minds and our own outward daily walk is upright and clean before the Father.  Only we can ensure that our Robes of Righteousness have been washed by the Word so that Christ can present us blameless to the Father.  

Remember that your heart-felt prayers are powerful!  Not because of what you say, but because of Who is listening!  Lastly, remember Psalm 91. . . Read it before you go to bed tonight, and read it often in the days to come.  Create a poster and copy and paste the passage into it, print it and post it on your kitchen or living room wall for all to see as the days get darker.  If you were tried in a court of law, would there be enough evidence to brand you a Child of the King?  Take time this coming week of celebration, to make sure you will be celebrating your citizenship in Heaven.

Seasonal News

June was marked by one major word for this author this year. . . GRADUATION!!!  As a soundtech at my church, I do events at various times of the year.  This month I did three graduation ceremonies, one for a nursing school and two high school graduation ceremonies.  These were followed by a middle school awards night.  Amongst all that were two funerals, which were graduations of a sort all their own.  I'm not sure where one graduated to, but the other for sure graduated into Heaven.  Two copies of "Mom's Little Black Book: Godly Advice for the High School Graduate" sold this month as well, bringing the final total to somewhere around 33 books being given to grads this year.  It is my prayer that this little book blesses each and every graduate receiving it, long into their young adult years and beyond.

Prayer Cards From "A Year in Prayer With Jesus"

"A Year in Prayer With Jesus" prayer cards continued, with month's three and four added to the list over at gumroad.com.  I need to schedule month four into hootesuite but finally have the picture versus link figured out.  Now the focus is where it should be, which is on each prayer card every five minutes from 7am Pacific time to 7:30am PST.  These are being shared via      
-Facebook,
-Twitter,
-LinkedIn,
-and my author profile on G+. (although twitter users must click the FB link to see the images).  I've begun work on month five, but as you can imagine, life has been busy and I have either been too exhausted, or had other things to keep track of.

Month One: https://gumroad.com/l/PC-YPWJ
Month Two: https://gumroad.com/l/PC2-YPWJ
Month Three: https://gum.co/PC3-YPWJ
Month Four: https://gumroad.com/l/PC4-YPWJ

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Wrap-up

It's interesting as I look back over the past month, that subjects God's had me writing about on my blog tie in so closely with what I felt I had to write in this newsletter tonight.  Obedience, Gratitude, reverence for God's Word, guarding our heart, and remembering the nature of God Himself.  I would strongly urge, if you don't already follow my blog as sporadic as it is, that you take time to read the blog posts shared at the end of this newsletter this month.  Some of the posts below contain links to other posts because it made more sense to share previous blog post links than to write everything out all over again.

So grab a cold tall iced tea and plate of your favourite summer snacks, and take time to read through these articles.  In light of all that is going on in the world, the Church around the globe, and in our very own lives, these thoughts are timely and challenging.

One more article that isn't below, but that I pray encourages many of you, will be seen in the sidebar of any article you click on.  "I am thy part and thine inheritance".  Take a gander at that one as well.  You won't regret it.

May God go with you into the coming week.

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View past newsletters.

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