I encourage everyone who has a heart to pray for our nation, to get together with 2 or 3 others as many times as possible. More can be accomplished in corporate prayer than any other way. (Quote from Kenneth E. Hagin.)

Early 2017 I wanted to pray for America but I just COULDN'T seem to do it. I asked a couple friends to join me on a conference call and it has grown to 5 faithful pray-ers, praying 7 nights a week (including holidays :)) for close to four years.

We met Sal T. at a retirement home in Falls Church VA. He gave us an amazing testimony of God's protection while he was fighting in Korea. Sal told us that while he was in Korea, his mother never received any of his letters. He could only guess that the U.S. wanted to avoid the public's receiving first-hand news. When he arrived home, Sal's mother was overcome when she met him at the door. Since she had heard nothing from her son for so long, she thought he had died. Although 240,000 men died in Korea, he said that, until recently, the conflict was called a police action rather than a war. Sal said that wasn't right.

Sal killed 108 of the enemy. He killed five in regular maneuvers and 103 of them single-handedly with two hand grenades tied together. In one particular battle, there were 200 Allied troops against 500 North Koreans. Back in the Bronx, Sal was an excellent baseball player although he was only 5 foot 3 inches; so he could throw a ball! When An Young B., a good friend and a South Korean soldier he had trained was shot down next to him, he was incensed. Sal ran into the woods toward the enemy. He could hear them making plans. After being in Korea for a year, Sal could understand what they were thinking of doing. He tied two grenades together, pulled the pin, waited 3 seconds, and let go of the clip. So that more damage could be done by the pieces of exploded lead, he threw the grenades over the enemy's heads. 103 North Koreans were killed in that one action.

In one battle, 12 men were sent on assignment. The commanding officer was warned it was sure death, but the officer sent them anyway. Because Sal was short, he was the last one in line. The first man stepped on a mine that exploded, and all 11 men in front of Sal died. Sal ran to catch the medics, but by the time they got to the scene, all had bled to death.

At one point, Sal fell in a huge hole. He was up to his knees in mud and up to his neck in water. Poisonous snakes were swimming all around him. He kept saying "He will never leave me nor forsake me." One snake came right up to Sal's face. In order not to give away their position, he splashed and the snake swam away. Pepe, a hero and Hungarian freedom fighter, who didn't like Sal because he was kind to the soldiers who were afraid, found Sal and got him out of the hole. With a cute smile Sal said, "My boots are still stuck in the mud".

I suggest you read Foxe's Book of Martyrs. Although at first I thought reading about martyrs was something to avoid, I realize now the stories are vital to our fulfilling our God-given destinies. I realize THESE are the REAL people cheering ME on from the grandstands of heaven. They fought the good fight.. I have come to realize that hundreds of thousands of people died so that I can preach the gospel without fear of reprisal and use the uncompromising undiluted Bible--and all because of them. Below are the stories of the original disciples, but the stories that follow covering the next 2000 years are astoundingly inspirational.

JESUS said in Mathew 16:18 "I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

STEPHEN: stoned to death about AD 35. About 2000 people were martyred after this, including Nicanor, one of the 7 deacons.

JAMES: John's older brother was the 1st of 12 disciples to be martyred. He was executed by the sword. It happened about AD 44. One of his captors was so impressed with his courage he fell on his knees asking forgiveness and was beheaded with James. Around the same time, Timon and Parmenas, 2 or the 7 deacons were executed, one in Philippi and one in Macedonia. Then Philip is said to have been scourged, imprisoned and crucified in Phrygia.

MATTHEW: Legend says he went to Ethiopia and was pinned to the ground and then beheaded.

JAMES, brother of Jesus: His death was likely in AD 66. There are two conflicting accounts as follows a) he was stoned b) he was thrown from the temple and then clubbed.

MATTHIAS: stoned at Jerusalem and then beheaded.

ANDREW: brother of Peter. Tradition says: Preached to many Asiatic nations and martyred in Edessa on an X shaped cross (came to be known as the St Andrew cross).

MARK: tradition says he was dragged to pieces in Alexandria when he spoke against the idol Serapis.

PETER: when he was old, Nero planned to put him to death. Peter was persuaded to leave Rome but as he was walking out the city gate, Christ came walking toward him. Peter asked where He was going, and He said "to be crucified again." Peter knew this was his time. He asked to be crucified upside down counting himself to be unworthy to be killed the same way as his savior.

PAUL: Had a Roman imprisonment in AD 61 where he wrote 3 books of the Bible. In AD 64 Rome burned. Paul was free for a while and then put back in prison when they blamed Christians for the fire. He was beheaded in AD 66.

JUDE: crucified in Edessa (Mesopotamia) in AD 72.

BARTHOLOMEW: Translated Mathew's gospel into language of India. Taught there. Cruelly beaten and crucified by pagan idolaters.

THOMAS: preached in Persia Parthia, and India. In India, he was tortured by pagans, run through with spears, and thrown into the flames of an oven.

LUKE: a Gentile, possibly Greek. The details of his conversion to Christianity are unknown, but it probably took place in Troas when Paul preached there. Luke began traveling with Paul from Troas. After Paul dies, Luke evangelized. Ancient sources say he a) fell asleep full of the Holy Spirit in Boeatia at 84 years old b) was martyred by being hung from an olive tree in Athens.

JOHN: John, brother of James, is credited with founding the seven churches of Revelation. It is said he was arrested in Ephesus and sent to Rome where he was cast into boiling oil that did him no harm. He was banished to the Isle of Patmos and after his release, returned to Ephesus where he died an old old man in AD 98.

Here is a checklist to get you started leading a singalong of your own: 1. $15 to $25 Karaoke mic. 2. Song sheets (It took a long time to perfect our songsheets to suit the residents.) 3. Reach out to a nursing home, a shelter, or a place where GIs hang out. 4. Feel free to call me for advice.  

I went to KMart several years ago the Sunday before Memorial Day. When I went into the ladies department a sales lady mmediately came up close to me and said, "when you were here the last time, you prayed for me and God healed me of cancer." I did not remember the incident, but God had used a prayer I had prayed to heal this Afghani woman. It was Mark 16:18. Those who believe will lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. She is still cancer-free.

I was working for DoJ in DC on the ground floor. I saw an Indian woman in the Ladies Room rubbing her hand obviously in great pain.We left the same time and as we were passing some elevators I asked if I could pray for her. She said yes and I quickly tapped her hand and said according to Mark 16:18, I speak healing to your hand. She got on the elevator and I went back to my office. I saw her three weeks later and she said "Who are you? What did you do? After you left all my pain went away. I wasn't going to go to the office party that day because I couldn't hold a plate. But after what you did, I went. I was all better and the pain hasn't come back.

Around 1996, I went to the ladies room in the Bureau of Labor Statistics where I worked and saw Norma, the cleaning lady, doubled over in pain. She said she needed a hysterectomy (She was about 32 at the time). I prayed Mark 16:18 before anyone came in. A week later she told me the doctor said she didn't need the operation. Several months later she was pregnant (This was her third child.) She had a boy and 6 months after he was born, she brought him in to work so I could see him.  Several years later she brought him into work again so that I could see what never could have happened without that prayer. Jesus did it. I just did what Jesus commands all of us to do...lay hands on the sick so they will be healed-Mark 16:18. I saw Norma 2 or 3 years ago in the new Springfield Towne Center in Virginia. She told me her son was now a healthy young man.