Detailed LCCC English News Bulletin For March 19/17

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Detailed LCCC English News Bulletin For March 19/17

Click Here to read the whole and detailed LCCC English News Bulletin for March 19/17

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Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published On March 18-19/17
The Lost Son Parable and Repentance/Elias Bejjani/March 19/17
Are the Hard Leftists Aligned with Radical Islamists/Najat AlSaied/Gatestone Institute/March 18/17
The Trump Administration Searches for a MidEast Policy/A briefing by Thomas /Middle East Forum/March 18/17
The Euro-Turkish Impasse/Samir Atallah/Asharq Al Awsat/March 18/17
Iran Policy: Pre-emptive Surrender is No Option/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/March 18/17
A Month of Islam and Multiculturalism in France: February 2017/Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/March 18/17
The President’s Syria Conundrum/Dennis Ross/New York Daily News/March 18/17

Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published On March 18-19/17
The Lost Son Parable and Repentance
Nasrallah: New Taxes Unnecessary to Fund Wage Scale, Concessions Must be Made to Reach Electoral Law
Berri Accuses Banking Mafias of Obstructing Wage Scale Funding
Bassil Satisfied With ‘Unprecedented’ Corporate, Banks, Property Taxes
Geagea Rejects New Tax Hikes, Suggests Keeping Last Year’s Budget
Khatib: Electoral Laws Similar to 1960 Will be Rejected
Senator Richard Burr Visits Lebanon
Fayyed Suggests Switch to Approve Wage Scale then Find Funding Sources
Netanyahu Says Syria Raid Targeted ‘Advanced’ Hizbullah Arms
Abu Faour: Citizens are fedup of all talk about reform and require action!
Former President Amine Gemayel questions why current cabinet perceives not itself as ’emergency government’ in face of corruption
Israeli patrols along Wazzani border
Aoun from Roma: We overcame difficult stages in history and our national unity is intact
LAF captures Palestinian affiliated with ISIS
Berri: Parliament is targeted to abort electoral law, elections

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published On March 18-19/17
Man Shot Dead at Paris Orly Airport after Taking Soldier’s Gun
Pope Francis to Visit Egypt on April 28-29
Evacuation of Last Rebel-Held District of Syria’s Homs Begins
Iraq Forces Near Mosul Mosque where IS Declared ‘Caliphate’
Libyan Warplane Downed Striking Jihadists in Benghazi
Gaza Rocket Hits Israel Prompting Retaliatory Shelling
Saudi Intercepts Yemen Rebel Missile as Camp Toll Rises
Iran MP Slams Guards for Social Media Arrests
Erdogan Expects Parliament to Restore Capital Punishment

Links From Jihad Watch Site for March 18-19/17
Sharia BBC: Muslim presenter asks, “What is the right punishment for blasphemy?”
Michigan: Iraqi Christians join suit to stop construction of mosque in their neighborhood
Paris airport jihadi had Qur’an, screamed “I’m here to die for Allah, there will be deaths”
Video: Robert Spencer on why the blocks on Trump’s immigration ban are illegitimate
Erdogan: EU ruling on headscarf bans starts “clash between Islam and Christianity”
Pakistani girls given extra credit at school for wearing hijab, classes must begin with Hadith
Paris jihadi on terror watch list, texted family “I shot police,” cops say terror “possible motive”
Germany: Muslim charged for going to Syria to join the Islamic State
Angelina Jolie attacks “nationalism masquerading as patriotism”
Paris: Muslim seizes soldier’s gun after shooting police officer
Canadian poll: Only 14% like anti-Islamophobia motion M-103

Links From Christian Today Site For March 18-19/17
Man shot dead at Paris airport ‘after trying to grab a gun’
Gordon Brown sets out ‘third option’ for Scotland of more powers in bid to preserve the Union
Trump stands by claims Obama tapped his phones, despite denial by GCHQ
Bangladesh police shoot suspected militant armed with explosives
Christian churches pledge funds to help Jewish community centre after wave of bomb threats

The Bulletin’s Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias/english.march19.17.htm


The Lost Son Parable and Repentance
Elias Bejjani/March 19/17
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=37357
Lent is a prime time for spiritual change through genuine praying, serious and in depth self-examination, return to the roots of faith, repentance and forgiveness.

Almighty God is ready and always willing to turn everything around and take the hands of those who seriously and honestly pursue His mercy with perseverance forgiveness and repentance. He, with love and extreme happiness leads their steps towards all virtues of righteousness. He who in the Cana Wedding changed the water into wine and cleaned the Leper is willing all the time also to transform our minds and consciences from wickedness to goodness and salvation if and when we call for His help.

In our Maronite Catholic Church’s rite, on the Fourth Lent Sunday we recall and cite the biblical Lost Son’s parable that is known also as The Prodigal Son. This impulsive, selfish and thoughtless son, as the parable tells us, fell prey to evil’s temptation and decided to take his share of his father’s inheritance and leave the parental dwelling.

He travelled to a far-away city where he indulged badly in all evil conducts of pleasure and corruption until he lost all his money and became penniless. He experienced severe poverty, starvation, humiliation and loneliness. In the midst of his dire hardships he felt nostalgic, came back to his senses and decided with great self confidence to return back to his father’s house, kneel on his feet and ask him for forgiveness. On his return his loving and kind father received him with rejoice, open arms, accepted his repentance, and happily forgave him all his misdeeds. Because of his sincere repentance his Father gave him back all his privileges as a son.

The Lost (prodigal) Son’s parable: Luke15/11-32: He said, “A certain man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’ He divided his livelihood between them. Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. 15:17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants .”’ “He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate; for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’

They began to celebrate. “Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the servants to him, and asked what was going on. He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.’ But he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore his father came out, and begged him. But he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.

But when this, your son, came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ “He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.

This parable is a road map for repentance and forgiveness. It shows us how much Almighty God our Father loves us, we His children and how He is always ready with open arms and willing to forgive our sins and trespasses when we come back to our senses, recognize right from wrong, admit our weaknesses and wrongdoings, eagerly and freely return to Him and with faith and repentance ask for His forgiveness.

Asking Almighty God for what ever we need is exactly what the Holy Bible instructs us to do when encountering all kinds of doubt, weaknesses, stumbling, hard times, sickness, loneliness, persecution, injustice etc. Matthew 7/7&8: “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened” All what we have to do is pray and to ask Him with faith, self confidence and humility and He will respond. Matthew 21/22: “All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

We are not left alone at any time, especially when in trouble, no matter how far we distance ourselves from God and disobey His Holy bible. He is a Father, a loving, caring and forgiving Father. What is definite is that in spite of our foolishness, stupidity, ignorance, defiance and ingratitude He never ever abandons us or gives up on our salvation. He loves us because we His are children. He happily sent His only begotten son to be tortured, humiliated and crucified in a bid to absolve our original sin.

God carries our burdens and helps us to fight all kinds of Evil temptations. Matthew11/28-30: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
God is waiting for our repentance, let us run to Him and ask for forgiveness before it is too late