I got this letter from Lea Carawan
Executive Director
Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation

This whole thing just breaks my heart……..our families, schools, Churches, OUR ENTIRE COUNTRY keep being torn apart by Satan……Here at FGGAM we stand in the gap for God, join us, please.

“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one” Ezekiel 22:30

Dear Dewey,

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is an organization attempting to remove all references to God and faith in our nation. The FFRF recently sent a letter urging the Clovis Municipal School District to remove/cover up a large mural painted inside the Freshman Academy that depicted a dove and an anchor, and included a quote from Hebrews 6:19 that said “hope anchors the soul.” Because of this, the District decided to comply with their request.

The New Mexico Legislative Prayer Caucus recently sent a letter to Clovis School District Superintendent, Jody Balch, encouraging him to reconsider; letting him know that they would stand behind the District’s decision to reinstate the mural. The letter also provided legal support to protect similar murals in the District. Furthermore, they sent the letter with a cover letter to the Mayor and city council to affirm the Constitutionality of the display of religious symbols in the public square. You can read the letter here and below.

Please continue to pray for Superintendent Balch and take a few minutes to encourage him by contacting him at (575) 769-4320 or by email.

For Faith and Freedom,

Leas_Signature_First_name_jpg.jpeg

Lea Carawan
Executive Director
Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation


August 28, 2017

Mr. Jody Balch
Superintendent
Clovis Municipal School District
1009 Main Street
Clovis, NM 88101

Re: Religious Mural Inside Freshman Academy

Dear Superintendent Balch:

I am State Representative David Gallegos, District 61.  I am the Co-Chairman of the New Mexico Prayer Caucus.  We formed this Caucus because we believe in the power of prayer, and we firmly believe that the First Amendment’s Free Exercise of Religion protects Americans who want to glorify God in word and actions.

We recently learned from news reports that an out-of-state organization urged the School District to remove/cover up a large mural painted inside the Freshman Academy that depicted a dove and an anchor, and included a quote from Hebrews 6:19 that said “hope anchors the soul.” A former art teacher had painted this mural with the approval, but not at the urging, of the District. We further understand that the District decided to comply with the request of the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

The Foundation claimed that the mural violated the First Amendment because it amounts, in their view, to an endorsement of the Christian religion. The organization, unfortunately, failed to understand that such references, as well as other religious symbols that grace government buildings and monuments, are simply an acknowledgement of religion’s rich influence on the development of this nation and its institutions. This Judeo-Christian historical influence is well documented in American history, as evidenced by the fact that Laus Deo, meaning Praise be to God, is engraved upon the aluminum capstone of The Washington Monument, and that inside the monument, there are a number of memorial stones with scriptural engravings from the Old and New Testaments. Similarly, the walls of the Library of Congress have inscribed upon them Psalm 19:1 (“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showest His handiwork”); John 1:5 (“The light shinest in the darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not”); and Micah 6:8 (“What does the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and love mercy and walk humbly with thy God?”).

America’s religious heritage is literally etched into our collective memory as a nation, from the federal level to our counties, cities, and towns. Though atheists may desire to remove every cross from every military cemetery and every religious reference upon our monuments and buildings, such hostility to religion is contrary to our nation’s Founders, our Constitution, and the will of our people. As the U.S. Supreme Court stated well in Zorach v. Clauson, 343 U.S. 306, 314 (1952): “[W]e find no constitutional requirement which makes it necessary for government to be hostile to religion and to throw its weight against efforts to widen the effective scope of religious influence.”

In 2005, Chief Justice Rehnquist, writing for the Court in the case of Van Orden v. Perry, 545 U.S. 677, wrote that the proper analysis to apply to the use of Scripture on monuments/buildings is the nature of the monument/building and our Nation’s history. The Chief Justice wrote the following regarding the portion of Scriptures called the Ten Commandments:

Such acknowledgments of the role played by the Ten Commandments in our Nation’s heritage are common throughout America. We need only look within our own Courtroom. Since 1935, Moses has stood, holding two tablets that reveal portions of the Ten Commandments written in Hebrew, among other lawgivers in the south frieze. Representations of the Ten Commandments adorn the metal gates lining the north and south sides of the Courtroom as well as the doors leading into the Courtroom. Moses also sits on the exterior east facade of the building holding the Ten Commandments tablets.

Similar acknowledgments can be seen throughout a visitor’s tour of our Nation’s Capital. For example, a large statue of Moses holding the Ten Commandments, alongside a statue of the Apostle Paul, has overlooked the rotunda of the Library of Congress’ Jefferson Building since 1897. And the Jefferson Building’s Great Reading Room contains a sculpture of a woman beside the Ten Commandments with a quote above her from the Old Testament (Micah 6:8). A medallion with two tablets depicting the Ten Commandments decorates the floor of the National Archives. Inside the Department of Justice, a statue entitled “The Spirit of Law” has two tablets representing the Ten Commandments lying at its feet. In front of the Ronald Reagan Building is another sculpture that includes a depiction of the Ten Commandments. So too a 24-foot-tall sculpture, depicting, among other things, the Ten Commandments and a cross, stands outside the federal courthouse that houses both the Court of Appeals and the District Court for the District of Columbia. Moses is also prominently featured in the Chamber of the United States House of Representatives. . . .

These displays and recognitions of the Ten Commandments bespeak the rich American tradition of religious acknowledgments. Of course, the Ten Commandments are religious – they were so viewed at their inception and so remain. The monument, therefore, has religious significance. According to Judeo-Christian belief, the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God on Mt. Sinai. But Moses was a lawgiver as well as a religious leader. And the Ten Commandments have an undeniable historical meaning, as the foregoing examples demonstrate. Simply having religious content or promoting a message consistent with a religious doctrine does not run afoul of the Establishment Clause. 545 U.S. at 688-89.

We believe that the mural painted by the District’s art teacher is much less “religious” than the Ten Commandments cited approvingly by the Chief Justice. We encourage you to reconsider, and certainly would support the District’s reinstating the mural.

Jim Davids is Special Counsel for CPCF and Steve Fitschen is Senior Legal Advisor for CPCF in his capacity as President of the National Legal Foundation. Together, our legal team has decades of experience litigating in state and federal courts. They have won important related victories at the Supreme Court of the United States, various federal courts of appeals, and state supreme courts and courts of appeals. If you believe you need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Steve at (757) 463-6133 or via email at nlf@nlf.net.

Sincerely,

Representative David Gallegos
Senator Bill Burt
Senator Pat Woods
Representative Randal Crowder
Representative Dennis Roch
Representative Bob Wooley
Representative Yvette Herrell
Representative Greg Nibert
Representative Rod Montoya
Representative Sharon Clahchischilliage
Representative Larry Scott
Representative Jim Townsend
Representative James Strickler
Representative James Smith
Representative Rebecca Dow
Representative Candi Sweetser


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The Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization established to protect religious liberty, preserve our nation’s spiritual foundation, and sustain the elected leaders who are uniting in prayer and calling the nation to action.
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Daily reporting and analysis of current events from a biblical and prophetic perspective
Bill Wilson
The trend against Christ and liberty

NOTEWhen writing about God and Jesus, The Daily Jot means YHVH as God and Yeshua Ha Mashiach as Jesus–the actual original names and the true nature and character of them.
Friday, September 15, 2017
Many point to the social issues in the United States and conclude that Americans are turning away from Jesus Christ. It is an obvious statement. Polls indicate that America is at the very least a type and shadow of 1 Timothy 4:1, “Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” According to Pew Research, “While nationwide surveys in the 1970s and ’80s found that fewer than one-in-ten US adults said they had no religious affiliation, fully 23% now describe themselves as atheists, agnostics or “nothing in particular.” There is no doubt, Christianity is losing ground. The problem, however, is even deeper and more complex.
Last week, the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) shared the results of its poll of over 100,000 Americans. It indicated that the religions of youth in America are becoming more non-Christian: “At least one-third of Muslims (42%), Hindus (36%), and Buddhists (35%) are under the age of 30. Roughly one-third (34%) of religiously unaffiliated Americans are also under 30.” According to an August Annenberg Public Policy Center poll, 37% of Americans could not name any rights guaranteed by the First Amendment; 85% did not know the First Amendment guaranteed freedom of religion; 86% didn’t know it guaranteed freedom of the press; and 52% didn’t know that freedom of speech was guaranteed.
On January 10, 1963, Congressman Albert S. Herlong Jr. of Florida read a list of 45 Communist goals into the Congressional Record. Number 17 read: “Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for Socialism and current Communist propaganda…Put the party line in textbooks.” Numbers 27-29 were: “Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with “social” religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a “religious crutch.” Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of “separation of church and state.” Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.”
The infiltration of communist doctrine against our children and us has had a long-term impact on our nation. This, combined with the extra-biblical, self-indulgent and emotional teachings of much of the “Church” in America, and we have a perfect storm. Many people are unaware of the truth of Christ, and as a whole they are ignorant of the fundamental rights that protect the truth of Christ and their very liberty. Moreover, the fastest growing demographic of these aimless souls are among our youth, which in half a generation is our nation. 2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” In truth, without the Spirit of the Lord, our nation’s freedom will fall away. Let us be more diligent and intentional in letting our light shine before men.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
PS. Please use the “Share This Email” link below to pass this on to as many people as you can!
Our Feeding and Clothing Ministry Outreach in Ghana

By Pastor William Agbeti
[NOTE: This is an account of just one of many feeding and clothing programs conducted by The Daily Jot and our ministry partner Redeem West Africa in the rural areas of Ghana, West Africa. These are often areas under heavy Islamic pressure. We are also providing clean water in rural areas with our well projects. It’s your kind donations that make this possible–Blessings, Bill W]

KROBO-ODUMASE, Eastern Region, Ghana:

As early as 8am Sunday morning, February 5, they started pouring in. Two hundred and sixteen children, forty eight parents and a handful of the disabled, coming from various poor homes and communities, eagerly looking forward to a good, free meal.
The atmosphere was electrifying and heartrending – an entire community of children and parents showing up for a free meal.
Meals were served to the satisfaction of all. All had soda to drink and water to quench their thirsts.
Everyone participated in some sort of games and danced to popular local music. Joy, laughter, merry making and the spirit of love hung heavily in the air. This was heaven to many.
Then what we always dread at our feeding functions happened. It was time to say goodbye and depart. A surprise announcement was made, that all the children and their parents, including the disabled, would be given free food to take home!
They were asked to line up for the extra food. Suddenly there was a joyous stampede! Both children and adults started rushing to gain the best place in the queue to receive their free meals.
Tears rolled down the cheeks of volunteers, as they served in total silence.

The Daily Jot is totally reader supported. My wife, Chris, and I do not take a salary or receive any remuneration for this work. Your gifts go directly to assisting us in maintaining this column, the website, outreach, and the Lord’s work we do in Ghana, West Africa. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day,

Bill Wilson
The Daily Jot

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