Justice at the Gate
Building strategic partnerships to mobilize Christians
to pray effectively and to vote righteously
PO Box 681148
San Antonio, Texas 78268
Alice Patterson, President
(210) 677-8214     
http://www.justiceatthegate.org/     
 

Over the past several updates, we have mentioned the momentousness of this election -- not only for our nation, but for the world. Time and again, spiritual leaders in the nation have come forth talking about the clash of evil and righteousness in this election and the choice that we as Christians must make. Lou Engle, who founded The Call and has now organized the Elijah Revolution and A Cause ministries, wrote in a recent article:
 
"God is certainly neither a Republican nor a Democrat. He is neither for George W. Bush nor John Kerry. He is for Himself! He is for His own throne! This election is far greater than a battle between Bush and Kerry. The issue in this election is far more important and contentious than the war in Iraq; it is a titanic clash of worldviews where one view stands with moral clarity and the other is awash in a sea of relativity. Do not be fooled in this matter and be careful how you cast your vote in November.  To vote for those who support the legalization of evil is to have fellowship with them and we will all be held accountable before God for the fellowship that we join. . . . Because of our desires to hold onto our supposedly precious 501(c)3s, the Church has surrendered Her voice for economic benefits.  This is wrong!  Jesus told us that we were to render our taxes unto Caesar, but we were never to render our voices. Can you imagine the prophet Elijah worrying about the IRS taking away his tax breaks if he anointed (i.e., endorsed) Jehu as king?  Can you imagine John the Baptist worrying about the government taking away his cave if he dared expose Herod and call him to repentance? Perhaps the greatest sin of the present Church in America is that we have succumbed to silence and political correctness. . . . It is time for our cries to ascend to the heavens to end this scourge that comes up out of the depths of hell." (To read the rest of this powerful article and mandate to the nation, go to http://www.elijahrevolution.com/ .)
 
As the time for the election quickly approaches, we want to equip you with some important information so that you can make your voice heard and so that you in turn can help equip others. We urge you to pass this along to friends, church members, and anyone that you believe would benefit from this information. It's time not only for us to pray, but for us to act. However, we want you to be informed before you make any decision!!!
 
Sunday, September 26, there is going to be a national surge of churches registering people to vote because, in many states, this is the last Sunday to register to vote (for example, in Texas, you have to be registered 30 days out from the election date). We encourage you to talk to your pastor this week (or if you are a pastor, please consider doing this in your church!) about joining with churches across the nation and holding a voter registration drive in your church (http://www.justiceatthegate.org/civic01d.asp <http://www.justiceatthegate.org/civic01d.asp>  -- this link contains information on how to hold a voter registration drive).
 
As I mentioned, not every state has the same timeframe for when citizens must be registered to vote. To find out what your state's deadline is, you can find a link to your Secretary of State's Election division at http://www.justiceatthegate.org/civic04C.asp <http://www.justiceatthegate.org/civic04C.asp>  . Also on your state's webpage, be sure to look at times when you can take part in early voting. In some states, you can vote early for any reason and in other states, you must meet certain qualifications. If you know that you are going to be out of town on Nov. 2, please find out about early voting in your state and how you can cast your vote before you leave -- either at an early voting polling location or by absentee ballot.

www.redeemthevote.com <http://www.redeemthevote.com/>  -- Redeem the Vote, through the influence of leading Christian musical artists, aims to reach America's young people of faith and engage them in the 2004 election where voters will determine the direction of cultural issues that impact their lives.
 
www.operationvote.com <http://www.operationvote.com/>  -- Have friends who want to register to vote, but you don't know how to get them a voter registration card? Send them to this website where they can fill out the form online and follow the instructions to register!
 
www.prayvotepray.com <http://www.prayvotepray.com/>  -- This website gives a three-step plan on what you should do this election: 1. Pray about who to vote for. 2. Vote for who God leads you to vote for. 3. Pray for our next elected leaders.
 
www.40daysusa.org <http://www.40daysusa.org/>  -- A growing coalition of churches and community prayer leaders is calling pastors, prayer coordinators, congregations, and networks throughout each state and region to set aside a 40-day period between September 24 and November 2, 2004, for corporate fasting, prayer, repentance and seeking the face of God. Derek Prince said, "The most powerful weapon is not prayer and fasting -- it is collective prayer and fasting."  If there ever way a time in the history of our nation that we need the power of "collective prayer and fasting," it is now.  Our desire is to “stand in the gap” for our communities, regions, states, and nation as it passes through a time of war and perhaps the most critical national election of our lifetime. For more information on how to participate in this, visit the website!
 
www.voteandpray.com <http://www.voteandpray.com/>  -- The vision is to mobilize 1 million Christian young adults to vote, pray and recruit 10 other Christian young adults who have never registered to do the same. This is a part of Lou Engle's outreach with A Cause USA.
 <http://www.elijahrevolution.com/>  

www.citizenleader.com <http://www.citizenleader.com/>  -- Citizen Leader Coalition is a new organization, dedicated to restoring America's constitutional government and founding principles. It is especially focused on reaching young people with its educational and civic engagement programs. In summary, they want young people to understand America's founding principles and to become engaged in defending these founding principles, as written in the Constitution of the United States. They also have a powerful comparison of the two presidential candidates that would be beneficial for anyone! (http://www.citizenleader.com/pdfs/2004_voter_guide.pdf <http://www.citizenleader.com/pdfs/2004_voter_guide.pdf> )

www.ivotevalues.com <http://www.ivotevalues.com/>  -- So here's the question: Does the candidate you plan to vote for share your values? The mission of this group is to help you register to vote, encourage you to register a friend, and then equip you to vote your values—because how you vote today impacts tomorrow.

http://www.reclaimamerica.org/PAGES/fastfacts.asp <http://www.reclaimamerica.org/PAGES/fastfacts.asp>  -- These fact sheets are packed with valuable information and statistics to help you handle any of the hot issues of today. FASTFACTS are published by the CENTER FOR RECLAIMING AMERICA, an Outreach of Coral Ridge Ministries, to inform citizens and offer vital resources so you can take a stand in your community.
 
It is time, as it says in Hosea 14:1, for America to return to the Lord our God! Thank you for the part that you are playing in seeing our nation return to our Christian roots and to once again seek the face of God so that He may save and restore us!
 
Damaris Barton
National Field Director
Justice at the Gate