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Dear John,
One of the most hope-filled verses in Scripture foretells the birth of Christ: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6 ESV).
I am grateful for Isaiah's words, written approximately 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. They are a reminder to pause and shift my focus to the celebration of our Savior who is our hope, sent to us as "the light of the world" (John 8:12).
As Christians, our voices are guided by the knowledge of the Word of God as we share the light of Christ that pierces the darkness of sin and brings healing and freedom to a hurting world.
Your partnership in 2022 has enabled Family Research Council to engage the culture from a biblical worldview. But as the Left pushes their anti-life and anti-family agenda in 2023--with some Christians tempted to be silent or cave on biblical principles--our calling to shine the light of truth and be torchbearers for freedom has become increasingly urgent.
To stop the Left's agenda and defend biblical truth, FRC must raise $3.5 million before the end of the year. Thanks to generous friends of FRC, the year-end $1 Million Challenge Match means your gift today will have double the impact!
DOUBLE MY GIFT NOW
When we are guided by the light and are torchbearers for freedom, just look what we can accomplish . . .
In February, FRC mobilized American Christians to pray for a Finnish member of parliament, Dr. Päivi Räsänen. She was on trial for sharing a Bible verse on Twitter in 2019, expressing her biblically grounded views on marriage and sexuality. Over 14,300 FRC supporters like you signed the prayer pledge, which was then hand-delivered by our Special Advisor for Religious Freedom, Pastor Andrew Brunson.
Your prayers prevailed.
Three long years after her Bible tweet ignited an international firestorm, Päivi was acquitted by a three-judge panel of the Helsinki District Court thanks to the hard work of our allies at ADF international.
But unfortunately, her fight continues. The state prosecutor appealed the ruling, and the court date has been set for August 2023--dragging her case out for at least a year!
Päivi's case is an important reminder that freedom of speech includes religious speech . . . A point that we will need to underscore here in America in the days ahead as our culture embraces the radical LGBT agenda while vilifying millions of Americans who believe in natural marriage.
Those opposed to freedom never quit, so neither can we.
Prayer support is a pivotal part of your faithfulness to FRC's mission and reminds me of the apostle Paul's instruction to "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12).
Along with your financial support, will you commit to pray for FRC?
PARTNER WITH FRC
Prayer is only the first step in our responsibility as citizens grounded in the Word of God. We must also raise our voices for pro-faith, pro-family, and pro-freedom policies.
That's why FRC also rallied Americans when the city council of Haven, Kansas abruptly decided to remove "In God We Trust" decals from their police vehicles. Within days, 19,568 people signed a petition in support of our national motto, and an FRC team member presented it at Haven's next council meeting, where they ultimately reversed the decision.
Removing God from the public square has been a tactic of the far Left for decades, but when we stand together and make our voices heard at every level of government, religious freedom wins in our communities.
Will you raise your voice and join FRC in being a torchbearer for freedom?
Remember, your gift today will be doubled to reach our 2022 year-end $3.5 Million budget goal.
And as a small token of our appreciation, we will send you a selection of beautiful Scripture wallpapers you can download to your phone to remind you to pray regularly for faith, family, and freedom. But don't delay--the deadline to meet our year-end goal ends at midnight on December 31.
When the light of Christ guides us, we find freedom from the power of darkness. This is the hope of Christmas.
And let's remember, the Scripture I opened this email with was a prophecy given by Isaiah to God's people, who were living in a culture that rejected God. They were surrounded by darkness, but God promised to send a light.
God broke through the darkness so we could accept the gift of the Savior.
As you gather with your family and friends this holiday season, I encourage you to reflect on the Light of the World--our eternal hope!
Thank you for standing with us through your prayers and generosity.
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2022 Family Research Council.