Archive for category: Release

Between 24/7 headlines and social media, news travels faster than ever before. Christians are much more aware of cultural and societal issues—even compared to a decade ago—because of the way information flows freely and rapidly.

Today, believers find themselves engaged in debates concerning gun control, religious liberties, abortion, the economy, immigration and threats to America, just to name a few—oftentimes even if they don’t want to be.

The mission of the American Pastors Network’s (APN) radio ministry, “Stand in the Gap Today,” is to equip listeners with how to think about and respond to all these issues both biblically and constitutionally.

Now, APN and “Stand in the Gap” are offering a checklist of sorts so Christians can consider almost any issue of freedom by asking four questions.

“Recently on ‘Stand in the Gap Today,’ we’ve been discussing gun control from this framework, in light of the tragic shooting that took 17 lives at a Florida school,” said APN President and radio host Sam Rohrer. “But in actuality, nearly any issue of freedom can be considered from the basic principles upon which our representative republic sits. If these considerations are not made, we will begin to lose our civil freedom, and it will not return. Decisions regarding freedom and liberty must be linked to eternal moral principles, linked to history and linked to reality.”

To help Christians consider these issues from the viewpoint of what the Bible says, what the Constitution permits, what freedom requires and what justice demands, APN has created an infographic titled “Knowing Where to Stand on Today’s Toughest Issues: A Dynamic 4-Step Approach to Evaluating Today’s Most Challenging Issues:”

1. What does the Bible say? If God explicitly says it, we obey (Deuteronomy 30:15-19). If God is not explicit, we apply biblical principles. Example: God made mankind in His image and, therefore, all life is sacred. He mandates: Thou shalt not murder. This is explicit. Human life is sacred; therefore, abortion, euthanasia and other forms of murder violate God’s law. Self-defense and protection of life is a logical extension into the issue of weapons and defense of innocent life.
2. What does the Constitution permit? The Constitution complements the Bible, not vice versa. Established laws must conform to the Constitution that recognizes God created rights. Example: Self-defense is biblical and a natural right; therefore, the Second Amendment recognizes and guarantees this right.
3. What does freedom require? The end result of accepting biblical truth is freedom. Freedom is the result but also the goal. The Declaration of Independence recognizes this right and the Constitution guarantees it: our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Government’s duty is to preserve these rights. Example: The Second Amendment, and protection of innocent lives of citizens and their property, is inherent with the immigration reform debate.
4. What does justice demand? The primary purpose of government is to enact justice—to punish the evil doer and reward those who do good. The administration of justice must conform to biblical principles and constitutional law. Example: Undermining the Second Amendment, or other rights by legislative action or by judicial activism, violates the very concept of enacting justice and fulfilling the primary purpose of government and constitutional law. 

“I believe this framework and roadmap will permit any person, whether in office or a private citizen, to come to the right solution regarding a variety of challenging issues,” Rohrer added, “providing that they, in fact, want to come to a conclusion that protects our Constitution and our freedom—that is the hinge pin.”

Listen to the program on gun control where this four-step approach is discussed: “The Parkland Killings and Gun Control: Essential Considerations to Maintain Freedom.”

President Donald Trump claimed a victory today in the ongoing goal of a border wall to protect America’s security, tweeting that “Our country must have border security!” and “45 year low on illegal border crossings this year. ICE and Border Patrol Agents are doing a great job for our Country.”

On Tuesday, a judge whom Trump had previously accused of bias ruled against an environmental challenge to the president’s central campaign promise, Fox News reported.

As the ongoing debate about immigration and border security continues, the American Pastors Network  has addressed these topics from a biblical perspective through its daily, live radio ministry “Stand in the Gap Today.”

In a segment titled, “Immigration Revisited: What Does the Bible Say?” APN President Sam Rohrer, co-hosts and guests discussed topics such as “America the Melting Pot,” DACA and the response of church leaders, the increase of Christian refugees coming to America and the opportunity to reach souls from around the world in Christians’ own backyard.

“It’s no secret that President Trump feels strongly about putting America first and protecting her borders,” Rohrer said. “Many have reacted to that policy, including Christians who have criticized the president and claimed that his view is unloving or ungodly. But when we look at the Bible and at biblical history, it is absolutely acceptable to favor and support one’s own country. If we understand God’s view—a biblical worldview—we understand that God forms nations. The Book of Acts talks about God laying out the nations with their geographical borders, from before time, so God established countries because He works through them. That’s also why He instituted civil government, which is explored in Romans 13. 

“Nations have personalities,” Rohrer continued. “Consider Israel, a very distinctive nation. God picked Israel and said, ‘I’m going to make of you, Abraham, a great nation and I am going to bless the nations of the world,’ so God clearly favors nations. With that comes the ability and the right to support nations and to pray for them. When we pray for those in authority, we don’t necessarily pray for everyone in positions of authority everywhere in the world. The idea is that we pray for those in authority over us and in our nation.”

The idea of “our nation first” is indeed biblical, Rohrer added. This concept fits the biblical precedent and the model of what God established with Israel.

“Our president is on solid ground when he says we should favor, protect and support our nation because this is where we are citizens,” Rohrer added. “We’re hopefully citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven first, but we are citizens of the United States, and therefore, we have a loyalty to this nation. Our country was founded on Christian principles, and despite the fact that those principles seem to be eroding, one of the things that makes our nation great is that we are founded upon freedom. The average Muslim-majority country is nowhere near as accepting of foreigners and those from other religions as we are in America. And even with the refugee crisis, we will not see Muslim countries stepping up to do more for Muslim refugees—and certainly not more than America and European countries are already doing.”

Rohrer also added that former President Barack Obama had some of the same ideas as President Trump when it comes to immigration. In fact, the “Stand in the Gap Today” hosts shared a clip of then-Sen. Obama promising comprehensive immigration reform and border security as a top priority in his first year as president. Listen to the program here.

“Barack Obama and Donald Trump both recognized a problem that faces all Americans,” Rohrer said, “and all citizens know it. But the goal was different. Obama’s goal was to fundamentally change America. He wanted to change the mix and the culture of America through immigration. But Obama’s idea of immigration reform was clearly something different from Donald Trump’s. One diminishes the role of America and our culture as we have known it, and the other controls immigration so that we don’t fundamentally forever change the culture of America so that it’s no longer what it used to be.”

The American Pastors Network is addressing Christian persecution head-on, both through its radio ministry “Stand in the Gap Today” and as a member of a newly formed coalition called Save the Persecuted Christians.

In recent shows, host and APN President Sam Rohrer has welcomed multiple guests to the show to help raise awareness about numerous worldwide incidents of Christians suffering for their beliefs.

“Christian persecution has reached terrible and alarming heights, yet so little is being done about it, so we were honored and moved to join a large coalition made up of concerned individuals and action-oriented organizations who are working together to ‘Save the Persecuted Christians’ around the world,” Rohrer said. “It will take an all-hands-on deck approach—and now—to address the horrendous persecution worldwide. Specifically, we have discussed the attacks on Christians in Muslim countries, and namely, that the worst persecution happens when the power and the sword of government joins forces with the ‘moral’ imprimatur of a religious ideology.”

APN is a member of the new Save the Persecuted Christians coalition, which has the mission to protect Christians worldwide who are suffering discrimination, torture, rape, slavery, banishment and murder—simply because they believe in Jesus Christ.

The goal of the STPC coalition is to greatly reduce—and to deter—the further, global persecution of Christians. Beyond calling attention to the oppression of Christians worldwide, the immediate task is to disseminate actionable information about ways in which the American people can help those being persecuted.

The initiative was announced Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14, by asking faith leaders and houses of worship across America to post banners outside for two reasons: 1) build awareness and 2) encourage engagement by visiting www.SaveThePersecutedChristians.org, where resource kits can be ordered and downloaded. The banners feature the “nun” letter, which has become an international symbol for the oppression of Christians ever since the Islamic State used this first letter of the Arabic word for “Nazarene” to designate homes of followers of Christ targeted for persecution.

A model for the coalition was the Save the Soviet Jewry campaign of the 1970s, which started out with banners and signage outside synagogues and churches across America and turned into a powerful political movement and catalyst for policy changes that ultimately helped free the USSR’s oppressed Jews.

“For far too long, and particularly under the Obama presidency, the plight of persecuted Christians and Jews at the hands of not only Islamic ideology-driven but also the atheistic ideologies of North Korea or China was given little attention,” Rohrer concluded. “This has, in part, contributed to the nearly unrestrained increase in Christian persecution worldwide. It has reached a point where no civil person, certainly no God-fearing or liberty-loving person can any longer sit to the side. We have an obligation biblically to assist where we can those who are persecuted for their faith.”

Listen to the two recent programs on Christian persecution here and here.

“Stand in the Gap Today,” which airs on 425 stations nationwide, can be heard live online from noon to 1 p.m. EST at American Pastors Network.com at the orange “Listen Live” button on the right-hand side of the webpage; find a station here.