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American Pastors Network Stands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands before Congress this morning to warn of the dangers of a nuclear Iran, reports continue to spread of a rift between the United States and Israel. While Netanyahu believes Iran must be prevented from enriching uranium, President Obama supports a deal that would allow Iran to engage in uranium enrichment for supposedly peaceful purposes and that would create a ‘breakout period,’ meaning it would take one year for Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon should it decide to do so.

As U.S. foreign policy increasingly stands at stark odds with Israel’s safety, American Pastors Network (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net), on behalf of thousands of member pastors across the nation, today re-emphasized its unwavering support for Israel and explained why this support must come from individuals, from the church, and from the United States as a nation.

“The simple reason we as individuals must support the State of Israel is because God does,” said APN President Sam Rohrer, who is also President of the Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastors.net). “The Jews are His chosen people, and He gave His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that He would not only bless them but also bless every nation that blesses them and curse every nation that curses them. It was through the Jews that God brought Messiah—Yeshua. The entire plan of redemption and all of Scripture came to us through the Jews. God prophesied that He would bring His people back to the land He gave them—the land of Israel. He has done this and He is still doing it. Throughout history, God has miraculously protected the Jewish people although the nations around them have sought to annihilate them.” 

Gary Dull, Executive Director of PPN, echoed this truth:

“God promised Abram in Genesis 12:1-3 that those who bless Israel will be blessed by God and those who curse Israel will be cursed by God. All true believers today recognize that covenant is still active. The conviction of every real Christian is that the fundamental component for the Church to be strengthened and used by God is for the Church to have a genuine love for Israel.” 

Added the Rev. Dave Kistler, President of the North Carolina Pastors Network, a state network of APN:

“We as a church must support Israel because John 4:22 says that ‘salvation is of the Jews,’ meaning that through the Jewish people came our Savior. We, as individual believers owe an eternal debt of gratitude to the nation of Israel.  Additionally, Romans 15:27 states that as we are Gentile beneficiaries of salvation, the very least we can do is support the Jewish people in material things.” 

Additionally, Rohrer emphasized why the United States as a nation must stand with Israel against a nuclear Iran rather than form deals with the Islamic state.

“There is no closer ally in ideology and system of law in the Middle East than Israel. Should the United States and Western nations oppose Israel and stand with Islam? Can our historic republic, based on the values of Judeo-Christian law and governance, be overlooked, discounted or cast aside and our Constitutional republic survive? When the rise of Islam and Sharia law, which seeks the genocide of Israel, all Jews, all Christians and the Western world, raises its evil head and begins to march, should I, you, or our nation stand idly by while the demonic efforts of Islam like its former allies—the Nazis of years past—be simply overlooked? Should we not understand that those who wish for the destruction of Israel seek our destruction as well?”

APN concluded by saying that regardless of where the Obama Administration chooses to stand, America’s pastors stand with Israel.

American Pastors Network: Beheading of 21 Christians Demands Swift World Action

The American Pastors Network (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net)issued the following statement today in the wake of the ISIS beheading of 21 Coptic Christians.

“With each passing day, the face of demonic evil grows more ominous as the Islamic ideology expands its modern day crusades against the rest of the world,” said APN President Sam Rohrer, who is also president of the Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastors.net).  “The gang execution of 21 Coptic Christians in Libya by ISIS only ratchets up the intended terror by these Islamists. If the rest of the world does not respond soon with swift justice against expanding genocide against Christian and Jews, we will soon witness destruction on an even greater scale.

“The refusal of the Obama Whitehouse to even recognize these 21 victims as ‘Christians’ and the killers as Islamic radicals will unfortunately ensure there will be more death and destruction. There is no substitute for righteous leadership in a time of crisis, and unfortunately, the lack of morally defined leadership is inviting further aggression against all Christians and Jews worldwide.”

National Prayer Breakfast Becomes Worship of Political Correctness, Rather Than God

Thursday’s National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., a 63-year tradition, was a chance for President Obama to unite the nation in faith, especially in the wake of violence and terror around the world. 

Instead, says the American Pastors Network (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net), the event has strayed from the Christian faith it was founded upon and instead now seeks to validate every other religion around the world.

“Sadly, the president’s words last week were not only lacking in biblical truth but they were also outright deceptive,” said APN President Sam Rohrer, who is also President of the Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastors.net). “The National Prayer Breakfast is meant to be a time to come together for fellowship and prayer ‘in the spirit of Jesus’. This president turned it into an event that worships the god of political correctness while attempting to create some feeble moral parity between Christians and radical Islamic terrorists. The president took particular care not to mention Islam or Muhammad in a negative light yet willingly attacked Christ, demonstrating the truth of his words years ago, that ‘should the political winds ever shift in an ugly direction,’ he will ‘stand with Muslims.’ What we saw last week was his making good on that promise and prioritizing Islam over Christianity.” 

 In his address, the President did condemn those who seek to use religion as a rationale for carrying out violence around the world, declaring that “no god condones terror.” However, instead of addressing directly the violence at hand being carried out by radical Islam, he chose to liken today’s violence to that carried out more than 700 years ago by those who claimed Jesus Christ.

“And lest we get on our high horse and think that this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ,” Obama said. “In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often was justified in the name of Christ. … So it is not unique to one group or one religion. There is a tendency in us, a sinful tendency that can pervert and distort our faith.” He added a call for all people of faiths to show humility about their beliefs and reject the idea that “God speaks only to us and doesn’t speak to others.”

“The president’s remarks were astounding in their fallacy,” Rohrer continued. “While any atrocity committed in the name of Jesus Christ directly contradicts the example Jesus himself set throughout the New Testament, every atrocity committed in the name of Islam directly mirrors the example of Muhammad, who called for and carried out violence such as that which we continue to see today. When our leadership uses today’s radical Islamic violence as an excuse to target Christians, it’s a clear indication that this administration is calling good evil and evil, good, and attacking the very Judeo-Christian foundation on which our nation was built. I am glad that so many people have spoken out against the president’s words, but unless we go to our knees in prayer and open our mouths and preach the Truth and live out the Truth in boldness coupled with love, we will see persecution on a large scale right here. We must study and know the Truth in order to discern the Truth in times of great deception.”

As Mormons Endorse LGBT Anti-Discrimination Laws, American Pastors Network Says Churches Must Focus on Absolute Truth

In a rare public announcement last week, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said it would endorse anti-discrimination laws that protect the LGBT community, provided that the same rights were extended to those acting on faith convictions.

According to CNN, Mormon leaders last week pledged to support anti-discrimination laws for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people. There was one caveat, however; the laws must also protect the rights of religious groups.

The American Pastors Network (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net) says religious organizations of all stripes are increasingly ceding ground to pro-homosexual activists, and unfortunately, the Mormon Church is simply the latest in a long line of those to give validity to the gay lifestyle by calling for special protections for it or endorsements of it.

“Increasingly, we’ve seen churches and other religious groups distance themselves from God’s commands in order to accommodate the culture,” said APN President Sam Rohrer, who is also President of the Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastors.net). “But once anyone or any organization sets aside Biblical standards for cultural considerations, God’s blessings cease and His discipline begins. When Truth is compromised, the light goes out and the culture decays. Endorsing special protections for the homosexual community is a compromising of the Truth and a step toward validating the gay lifestyle.”

According to a 2014 report by the Pew Research Center on where major religions stand on same-sex marriage, many churches now either endorse same-sex unions, openly sanction same-sex marriage, or allow individual ministers to make their own decisions. These include the Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United Church of Christ, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Churches, the Society of Friends (Quakers), the Reform Jewish Movement and the Conservative Jewish Movement.

The Mormon Church has not necessarily joined the ranks of the above, as it continues to oppose same-sex unions as “contrary to the laws of God.” However, Mormon leaders endorsed the Boy Scouts’ decision to allow gay scouts in 2013. “The Book of Mormon” and “Doctrine and Covenants,” two publications that the LDS Church considers to be scripture, are silent on subjects specific to homosexuality.

“Certainly this is not the only area where major denominations, organizations and individuals stray from God’s Word,” Rohrer continued, “but the pattern is clear. Seeking to avoid controversial topics, Truth is compromised if not fully rejected. There is no room in God’s justice for compromise on the moral standards He has established. History shows that cultures decay not from singular events but an incremental ceding of Truth and corrupting of God-established universal moral standards. The return to God’s blessing as a nation will occur when individuals, led by pastors in the pulpit, once again preach the ‘whole counsel’ of God and understand that blessing arises only from complete obedience to God’s Word.”

As Unchurched Numbers Grow, American Pastors Network Says the ‘Remnant’ Will be Key to Change in a Time of Chaos

To close out 2014, the Barna Group released 10 facts about the unchurched in America, especially salient as their numbers grow and as fewer Americans attend church.

According to Barna, the number of unchurched people in America would make up the eighth most populous country in the world. As of 2014, the estimated number of people in the U.S. who are “churchless”—meaning they have not attended a Christian church service, other than a special event such as a wedding or a funeral, at any time during the past six months—stands at 114 million. Add to that the roughly 42 million children and teenagers who are unchurched for a total of 156 million U.S. residents who are not engaged with a Christian church.

American Pastors Network’s (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net) says while these numbers are disappointing and alarming, true change in America will happen through the “Rise of the Remnant,” or those who are left with a passion that still remains for God.

“Let’s contrast the ‘Rise of the Churchless’ with the ‘Rise of the Remnant,’” said APN President Sam Rohrer, who is also President of the Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastors.net). “God’s people have a crucial role in the midst of chaos, and especially among these millions of unchurched. And the American Pastors Network is committed to helping encourage and mobilize this ‘remnant,’ both by equipping and educating them and by providing resources to their pastors so that the messages from the pulpit unequivocally uphold the authority of Scripture.” 

The “remnant” is described in the Bible as “what remains of a group of people after most of that group has been destroyed or lost through dispersal brought upon by judgment or the following of apostasy.” As more and more churches water down or even flatly reject biblical truth in favor of seeking the world’s approval, this remnant will become even more apparent.

Several verses in the Bible address this “remnant,” including 2 Kings 19:31, which says, “For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors; the zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this,” and Isaiah 28:5, “In that day the Lord Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people.” Paul also talks about the “remnant” in Romans 11:5: “So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.”

“The whole of God’s people can focus on their important role in the midst of confusion, and as the number of churchless rises, the ‘remnant,’ armed with the power of truth, can recalibrate a culture that has jettisoned its moral compass,” Rohrer said. “This ‘remnant’ will be bold to speak the truth on how morality and God’s standards can reset broken families, organize an aimless society and secure God’s blessings on our nation.”

Governor Mike Huckabee to promote Pennsylvania Pastors Network 2015 Conference titled “U-Turn: A Conversation with Pastors on Society, Culture, and Leadership”

The Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastors.net) is confident that its upcoming conference on March 19 will help pastors, church leaders, and laypeople alike become passionate about “standing in the gap for truth” and effecting true change in America.

One of the nation’s most influential leaders and commentators is confident of that fact, too.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who recently left his Fox News television program for a possible run at the U.S. Presidency in 2016, has committed to helping promote PPN’s 2015 conference, titled, “U-Turn: A Conversation with Pastors on Society, Culture and Leadership,” which will equip attendees to “stand in the gap for truth.”

Huckabee will shoot a special video message to be shown at the PPN “U-Turn” event on March 19 at Lancaster Bible College.

“We are honored to be partnering with Gov. Mike Huckabee in our upcoming Pennsylvania Pastors Network ‘U-Turn’ conference,” said PPN President Sam Rohrer, who is also President of the American Pastors Network (APN, www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net). “Mike Huckabee combines two ordained callings, one of a minister of God in the pulpit and the other as a minister of God in government.  He clearly articulates the truth of Scripture as he effectively applies biblical principles to the problems facing our culture. We hope his voice will encourage attendees to be a force for change in today’s culture.”

The powerful one-day conference is open to pastors, leaders and laypeople and is specifically designed to answer questions about society, culture and leadership, with a focus on how cultural trends can be strategically impacted with the truths of God’s Word.

Headlining speakers at the “U-Turn” conference are social science researcher George Barna, founder of the Barna Research Group, and historian David Barton of WallBuilders.

Mike Huckabee served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 until 2007, becoming one of the longest serving Governors in his state’s history. He left a legacy of tax cuts, job creation, the reconstruction of his state’s road system, K-16 education reform and a nationally heralded and duplicated health initiative that focused on the less expensive approach of prevention rather than the costly big-government approach of intervention. His administration fought long-standing corruption in the state’s political machine, resulting in numerous indictments and convictions of powerful legislators and other elected officials.

He is a New York Times-bestselling author of 11 books, and his 12th book, “God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy,” was released this month.

Other confirmed speakers for PPN’s “U-Turn” conference include: author Steve Scheibner, Gary Dull of the American Pastors Network, Sandy Rios of the American Family Association and American Family Radio, Jeff Mateer of the Liberty Institute, Paul Blair of Reclaiming America for Christ, and Ralph Drollinger of Capitol Ministries, who will speak on PPN’s Ministers Together project, an initiative which brings together pastors and elected officials on a biblical rather than political basis.

All sessions will be held on Thursday, March 19, at Lancaster Bible College’s Good Shepherd Chapel from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Early bird tickets are available for $29 through Feb. 25. For more information on the conference or to register, visit www.UTurnConference.org.

Stand in the Gap Weekend: 140 Stations Nationwide

American Pastors Network’s (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net) one-hour radio program, “Stand in the Gap Weekend,” is now airing on 140 stations within the American Family Radio (AFR) network.

“Stand in the Gap Weekend” airs on AFR-Talk stations at 7 p.m. EST on Sundays, and the addition of the AFR stations brings APN’s daily and weekly radio programming to more than 180 stations across America.

“We are honored to be able to share the ‘Stand in the Gap Weekend’ radio program with American Family Radio’s many listeners,” said APN President Sam Rohrer, who is also President of the Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastors.net). “Every week, pastors around the country deliver compelling sermons that are speaking truth into the culture on pressing issues facing every American. ‘Stand in the Gap Weekend’ allows those messages to reach an even wider audience, so this virtual congregation of listeners can apply biblical and constitutional truth to their own lives.”

APN and PPN began their radio presence in 2012 with “Stand in the Gap,” short features that currently air daily on more than 40 stations. In 2014, “Stand in the Gap” expanded to the weekend edition, providing hosts and pastors the opportunity to delve more deeply into the constitutional and biblical issues surrounding news headlines. “Stand in the Gap Weekend” features a pastor speaking truth into the culture, followed by a short analysis and practical application from Rohrer and PPN Executive Vice President and Executive Director Gary Dull.

To find an American Family Radio station in a particular listening area, visit http://afr.net/station-map/.

To listen to archived Stand in the Gap Weekend Programs, click HERE.

Roe v. Wade Still Leaving Scars on Parents, Communities, Churches—42 Years Later

The Supreme Court placed a dark mark on American history 42 years ago this week with the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in January 1973, which made abortion legal in America.

Since then, National Right to Life estimates that more than 56 million abortions have taken place in America.

The American Pastors Network (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.netsays that four decades of abortion have left lasting scars on never-to-be mothers and fathers, families, communities and churches.

“Legalized abortion has been a shameful stain on our society for decades—and actually a ‘legal’ murderous choice in America for 42 years,” said APN President Sam Rohrer, who is also President of the Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastors.net). “Abortion not only steals life from a human being with a God-given spirit and potential to do great things on this earth, but also leaves many, many wounds on everyone it touches—mothers, fathers, families, churches and entire communities.

“Today,” he continued, “thousands of pastors across the country struggle with the sadness, regret and broken-heartedness of people in their churches who have been deeply scarred by abortion. And perhaps more than anything in our nation’s history, the heartache of abortion, which has led the taking of more than 56 million innocent unborn lives, demonstrates that what is ‘legal’ can often be far from what is ‘right’.  

“Indeed, our Supreme Court’s decision violated our own Declaration of Independence—the basis for our Constitution—which recognizes that each of us has a God-given right to life. This week, we mourn 42 years of a decision that stripped the rights of those who were never given the chance to be born, and we recommit ourselves to speaking the truth about abortion in our churches, in our communities and in our culture.”

Churches, Rohrer added, have the responsibility to speak out regarding the impact and the gravity of abortion. APN offers pastors many resources on abortion so they can address this crucial societal issue with their congregations. These resources, some free and some for purchase, highlight topics such as the history of abortion in America, stories of women who regret their abortions, the pro-life movement in the United States, and the secrets of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider.

Some of the resources include:

  • “180,” a 33-minute DVD (viewable online) that teaches congregations not only to help save the lives of the unborn, but also to help save lives for eternity.
  • “Baby Parts for Sale,” a 48-minute presentation that delves into the ugly side of abortion.
  • “RC Sproul on Abortion,” an audio message from the longtime pastor, author and theologian.
  • “10 Truths about Abortion,” a 60-minute DVD that exposes why abortion is no mere matter of “choice.”

 

As ‘Je Suis, Charlie’ Messages Span Globe, APN Says Islam Grows More Dangerous

Last week’s violent terrorist attacks in France that took the lives of 17 have sparked messages of unity and gatherings of support and made headlines around the globe. World leaders and entertainers alike communicated messages of “Je Suis Charlie” in support of the satirical newspaper that was attacked, as well as rallied in massive groups worldwide.

American Pastors Network (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net) President Sam Rohrer said on a recent radio program that the dangers of Islam are growing every day, and the only way to counter them is with a moral and biblical worldview.

“These terrorists attempted to make a moral statement by avenging the honor of their prophet,” said Rohrer, who is also President of the Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastors.net). “This is a fight we’ve been involved in since the beginning of time. As a nation, we’ve fought wars over ideological differences where there were individuals who believed the moral position under which they viewed life was worth killing other people for. Islam is in that same category. They attempt to hold a moral position and claim it to be the basis for their actions.” 

Rohrer recently sat down with Gary Dull, APN board member and Executive Director and Vice President of the PPN, and David Kistler, President of the North Carolina Pastors Network (NCPN, www.ncpastors.net ), a chapter of APN, to talk about headlines surrounding Islam on “Freedom Focus,” a radio program from the Faith and Freedom Institute committed to encouraging Americans to return to the values of our founders as proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bible.

“We should ask ourselves,” Rohrer added, “do we believe here in America that the position that undergirds our view of what is right and what is wrong, what is evil and what is righteous, is a moral issue? I think not. We’ve been backed into a corner where what we believe is a political consideration, not a moral consideration.

 “Acts like this are in every way evil and fly in the face of justice,” he continued. “If you do not believe this evil is a morally challenged position, you can’t refute it properly; you can’t lead in opposition against this type of evil. We’re coming to a point where we must ask ourselves, ‘What do we believe? What is our moral position on how we view life and justice?’ It must be rooted in the Bible, in what Christ said and what God Himself established as justice. That is what is literally under attack by Islam. They are attacking God, and they are attacking God’s view of justice and right and wrong.”

 Dull agreed that many American leaders would not call these acts morally evil, but instead politically evil. Rohrer added that it comes down to the fundamental worldview a person holds.

 “Once, we were a Judeo-Christian-based nation,” Rohrer said. “Our justice is based on it, and our laws are based on it. Those who reject that fall into a secular postmodern worldview that says there is no God and no absolute right or wrong. And that is our problem in political leadership today. Leaders are not morally grounded in the view that there is right and there is wrong; there is righteousness and there is evil. And the inability to grasp this will mean we will not be able to counter the rising forces of evil that seek to destroy and eliminate everything we’ve come to know and enjoy in this nation, and frankly, in the Western world.”

 

92% of 114th Congress Identifies as Christian

Last week, as the 114th Congress started a new session, lawmakers began anew in their leadership roles to serve the country and work for the best interests of the American people.

And, according to new research, the new Congress is more “heavily religious” than ever. A Pew study found that close to 92 percent identify as Christian—nearly 20 percent more than the general U.S. population. Just one member of Congress identifies as religiously unaffiliated.

American Pastors Network (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net) President Sam Rohrer, a former lawmaker, says that the country’s leaders must strive for the godly leadership that should go along with their religious identifications, including respect for God’s law and a commitment to the rule of law.

“If the Pew study is true and we don’t soon see radical changes in legislation coming from Congress, then it suggests that many who identify as Christian may not hold a biblical worldview,” said Rohrer, who is also President of the Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastors.net). “Otherwise unborn life would immediately be protected, marriage defined by God would be upheld, religious liberties would be protected and the rule of law would be respected.”

Rohrer recently sat down with Gary Dull, APN board member and Executive Director and Vice President of PPN, and David Kistler, President of the North Carolina Pastors Network (NCPN, www.ncpastors.net), a chapter of APN, to talk about godly leadership on “Freedom Focus,” a radio program from the Faith and Freedom Institute committed to encouraging Americans to return to the values of our founders as proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bible.

“Performance in a position of leadership is not just based on competence from a standpoint of making sure that the process is efficient and transparent,” Rohrer said, “and some past leaders have violated and distorted their own policies by interjecting their own personal opinions so extraordinarily that it deprived other members of their rightful duty to speak to and address issues.”

Kistler also added that godly leadership involves keeping promises rather than making deals, and always working in the best interest of one’s constituents.

In the Pew study, of the 535 members of Congress, 57.2 percent identify as Protestant, 30.7 percent identify as Roman Catholic, and 5.2 percent of Congress is Jewish. Nine representatives refused to answer the survey.