"The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth." (Psalm 145:18)
On Capitol Hill This Week; Vol. XIV, No. 4
1. RICE HOSTS MIDDLE EAST PEACE TALKS IN WASHINGTON
2. US SENATE TO VOTE TODAY ON WAR RESOLUTION
3. REPORT: PRESIDENT BUSH REMAINS IN GOOD SPIRITS
4. KEY HEARING ON IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION TO BE HELD TOMORROW
5. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
6. ATTORNEY GENERAL CREATES NEW UNIT TO COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING
7. IMAM LEADS DEMOCRATS IN PRAYER OF CONVERSION
8. SUMMARY: ELECTION ‘08
9. SLEEPER CELLS IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA
10. CHRISTIANS NERVOUS AS CHAVEZ GAINS MORE POWER
11. IRAN CELEBRATES REVOLUTION VOWING NUCLEAR ADVANCE
12. INTRA-PALESTINIAN VIOLENCE CONTINUES IN GAZA
1. RICE HOSTS MIDDLE EAST PEACE TALKS IN WASHINGTON
A year after Hamas' surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections put renewed peace efforts with Israel in doubt, the United States hosted other would-be peacemakers for a strategy session last Friday. The gathering of diplomats from the U.S., United Nations, European Union and Russia follows months of mounting street violence between Hamas and the rival Fatah Party. Discussions will focus on efforts to establish a Palestinian State within the borders of Israel. European diplomats said their governments are considering a separate effort to train and equip Fatah, the party Abbas heads.
A goal of Friday's meeting at the State Department is the demonstration of tangible support for the [“secular”] Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas through increased money, training and other aid for his Fatah security forces. The group hosted by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is the sponsor of a dormant 2003 peace plan that would lead eventually to an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel [using Israeli land]. That goal, although popular among both Israelis and Palestinians, has seemed especially remote as the internal Palestinian dispute worsened this year.
Rice plans to meet later this month with Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in a largely symbolic attempt to revive Palestinian hopes for independence. (AP)
• Ask the LORD to raise up government leaders in Israel (and worldwide) who will not seek to “divide the land” and who recognize the unique significance of Jerusalem in God’s end-time purposes. Pray that Israel’s relationship with the United States be strong and that our nation's leaders and citizens recognize and support God’s purposes for Israel. • "And I will bless them that bless thee [Israel] and curse him that curseth thee." (Genesis 12:3a)
2. US SENATE TO VOTE TODAY ON WAR RESOLUTION
The US Senate will vote today on a non-binding resolution opposing the troop surge in Iraq. The resolution is being sponsored by Sen. John Warner (R- VA) and Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI). Some Republicans have threatened to filibuster the resolution. Presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has stood virtually alone in support of President Bush’s decision to increase troop levels in Iraq in an effort to stop the violence in Baghdad. (Sons of Issachar)
• Pray for wisdom for President Bush and our other leaders as they wrestle with the conduct of the war in Iraq. Pray for unity. Our continued disunity sends the wrong message to our troops and to our enemies as well. (Bill Lewis; Sons of Issachar)
• Pray the Democrats will not be able to work against the President at every turn but they will work with him in spite of themselves and bless him and the troops! Pray they will no longer say they support the troops and then work against what they’re doing! • "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing." (1 Peter 3:8, 9)
3. REPORT: PRESIDENT BUSH REMAINS IN GOOD SPIRITS
I had an extraordinary opportunity yesterday to join a dozen other individuals who were invited to the White House to meet with President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Karl Rove and others. The discussion centered on Iraq and the larger war with Islamofascism. The meeting . . . provided a fascinating glimpse of a president who believes strongly that retreat is not an option. The president repeatedly asserted that he sees the war we are fighting as a clear struggle between good and evil. America’s foreign policy elites, Big Media, the secular Left, and most of our European allies hate that kind of language, for they believe in moral relativism, where there is no objective standard of right and wrong. The president's talking about war in moral terms is speaking a language they just don’t understand. Yet, evil describes people who blow up children intentionally, behead people, shoot school teachers for educating girls, and proudly tell us in video after video that they worship death.
At one point in our conversation, the president spontaneously spoke in defense of Israel, which was encouraging since the tiny Jewish state is also fighting the same jihadist enemy. Our nations are united by a common bond of shared values in faith and freedom, and the security of one nation is linked to the other. While some ignorantly perceive Israel as the source of our troubles, if Israel disappeared tomorrow the full fury of the jihadists would be directed at us. We, after all, are the “great Satan” in the minds of many in the Middle East.
The president I saw yesterday did not appear depressed, down, or frustrated. He made it clear he would be content to let history make its own judgment about his performance and decisions. He commented on how reassuring it was to be told as he traveled the country that people were praying for him as he confronts life and death decisions on a daily basis. I urge you to continue praying for him and I also want to urge you to encourage him. Send any thoughts you have to me and I will personally deliver them to the White House. (Gary Bauer)
• Praise the Lord for journalists like Gary Bauer, who see truth and do not believe deception. Ask the Lord to open the doors for more such journalists to speak out to the public and to remove the disinformation and distorted "facts" that much of our media dumps on us hour after hour. Do exhort the president to do what is right, to stand firm against his critics, and to stand with Israel. Continue to pray that the president is deaf to wrong counsel that often seems to surround him but that he seeks the wisdom of the Lord. • "Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." (Isaiah 12:3)
4. KEY HEARING ON IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION TO BE HELD TOMORROW
Tomorrow morning, the House Oversight and Reform Committee, now chaired by Democrat Henry A. Waxman of California, will hold a hearing to review the financial decisions made by the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) during Iraq's transition from tyranny to democracy. Witnesses will include former CPA Director, J. Paul Bremer III, as well as staffers and advisors who served with him at that time. This is a hearing by the full committee, scheduled for 10:00 a.m. in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building. (CHPP)
• As the debate over the war in Iraq rages on, this is just one of many committee hearings we will see in the days ahead, each one examining a different aspect of the administration's past planning and policy in this war. Intercede that only the facts would be debated, and that all questioning would be based in truth -- not hearsay. For all those who are being called to testify throughout this process, ask that each one be given the "mind of Christ" in framing the answers to his or her questions as they are being asked. • " . . . and a wise man's heart descerns both time and judgment." (Eccl. 8:5b)
5. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
a. The Public Expression of Religion Act
Presidential hopeful Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) has reintroduced the Public Expression of Religion Act (S. 3696). The bill would prevent judicially activist groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) from challenging religious displays on public property and then claiming their attorneys' fees from the federal government. This bill failed to pass in the last Congress.
b. The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act
Sen. Brownback has also reintroduced the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act (S. 51). This bill would mandate that women seeking an abortion after twenty weeks be told that the child could feel pain. The women would then be offered the choice of providing the child with an anesthetic if they choose to go through with the abortion.
c. The Pledge Protection Act
Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) has reintroduced the Pledge Protection Act (H.R. 6099). This bill would limit the jurisdiction of the federal courts in cases related to the Pledge of Allegiance. The measure is designed to protect the phrase “under God” in our nation’s pledge.
• Pray for all these legislative initiatives as they are sent to their respective committees. None of them stand much of a chance in the natural, given the Democratic control of both houses in the new Congress. (Source for all of the above: Sons of Issachar) • "All of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause a disturbance in it. But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night." (Neh. 4:9)
6. ATTORNEY GENERAL CREATES NEW UNIT TO COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales yesterday created a Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and assigned it the task of developing strategies to combat modern-day slavery and expand the Justice Department's anti-trafficking enforcement programs. "With the creation of the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, we will expand and enhance our ability to fight this crime by working together with federal, state and local investigators to tackle the enormous challenges posed by this evil," Mr. Gonzales said. "We will continue to develop new ways to help victims and to bring their captors to justice." Mr. Gonzales said the unit will work to enhance the department's investigation and prosecution of significant human trafficking and slavery cases, such as multijurisdictional cases and those involving financial crimes. (The Washington Times, 2/1/07)
• Father God, Shine forth Your Wisdom to Atty. General Alberto Gonzales as he carries out his mission to end the inhumane sexual trafficking of adults and children here in the West.We ask this in Our Saviour's Name, Jesu Christ of Nazareth. Amen. • "Grant not Oh Lord the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves." (Psalm 140:8)
7. IMAM LEADS DEMOCRATS IN PRAYER OF CONVERSION
With heads bowed reverently, Democrats were led in prayer yesterday by a Muslim imam who essentially asked Allah to assist in converting the party members to Islam, according to a scholar and author. Robert Spencer, director of Jihad Watch and author of "The Truth about Muhammad," took note of the prayer given at the Democratic National Committee winter meeting by Husham Al-Husainy, imam of the Karbalaa Islamic Education Center, a shiite mosque in Dearborn, Mich.
According to a transcript of the prayer, which can be seen on a video clip provided by HotAir.com, the imam echoed the Fatiha, the first sura, or chapter, of the Quran and the most common prayer of Islam. It asks allah: "Show us the straight path, the path of those whom thou hast favored; not the (path) of those who earn thine anger nor of those who go astray." The traditional Islamic understanding is that the "straight path" is Islam, Spencer points out. On the other hand, he continued, the path of those who have earned allah's anger are the Jews, and those who have gone astray are the Christians. Spencer added that these two paths are the paths of the Christians and Jews, a fact that the believer should beware of so that he avoids them.
This prayer was spoken during the Annual Convention of the Democratic National Committee at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. (WorldNetDaily; 2/2/07)
• Pray that Christians be made known of the deceptive practices of Islam, lest they unwittingly make a covenant with this falst god and thereby bring a curse upon themselves. Ask our Lord to forgive this imam, for he knows not what he does; and ask that those who have uttered this prayer, unwittingly so, be rescued and delivered from its consequences. • "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6)
8. SUMMARY: ELECTION ‘08
The 2008 presidential campaign is already underway as potential candidates for both parties test the waters, raise funds, and crisscross the country in search of support and endorsements. Though the next election is almost two years away, it is NOT too early to begin interceding. This election will be crucial for the future of our country. The nation is still divided 50-50, and we have not yet seen a breakthrough. Below are the primary candidates for both parties. Please pray for all of them.
Democrats:
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
Former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC)
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)
Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE)
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)
Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM)
Gov. Tom Vilsack (D-IA)
Republicans:
Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R)
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS)
Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA)
Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR)
Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO)
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA)
• Pray for all the potential candidates. Ask the Lord to expose the truth and bring to light all that may be hidden in darkness. Pray that the American people would be discerning. Pray that our next president would be like “Hezekiah,” fearing God and seeking His favor. (Bill Lewis; Sons of Issachar) • "Choose wise and discerning and experienced men from your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads." (Deuteronomy 1:13)
9. SLEEPER CELLS IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA
There is every reason to suspect that we will endure suicide missions by Islamist sleeper cells. They are already in place. They are waiting for the right time. Terrorist operations are active in the U.S. and are being operated/financed in Michigan. U.S. citizens need to understand there are people trained and prepared to carry our suicide missions in the U.S. and nothing is off limits. Churches, malls, and even the schools our children attend are not off limits to suicide bombers. It is only a relatively short time before the U.S. will begin seeing suicide terrorist missions.
Every terrorist organization has a strategy in order to meet their objectives. The objectives of the Islamic extremists are to destroy Israel and to destroy any country who supports Israel, specifically America. Al- Qaeda, Hezbollah and Iranian leaders have told us point blank these are their objectives. It is time we believe them. The primary strategy for terrorist organizations pertaining to America is to have one American fighting another American over political issues. The more they can make Americans fight one another the closer they are to their goals. Currently we are seeing the Islamic terrorists get closer and closer to achieving this goal. Never in our short history have we been so far apart from one another. One would have thought that after 9/11 we would have drawn closer, yet the opposite has happened.
What can we do? A better question is what we must do. We must unite together to fight this enemy before it destroys us. We must support our President 100%. This doesn't mean we have to agree with all decisions that are made, but it does mean support him 100%.
(Article in American Thinker Magazine; written by Dave Gaubatz)
• President Bush has been consistent in speaking out and taking action in the War on Terror on our homeland. Pray that the American people would wake up to these dangers before disaster strikes, and pray that, indeed, we WILL give our president the 100% support he needs to be effective in finding and dismantling the terrorists who are on our own soil. Pray that Congress will hold public hearings on this menace, so our people can know the truth of this danger in our midst. Finally, pray, too, for the safety of our children in our schools. The need to protect them is dire. • "The ruthless will vanish, the mockers will disappear, and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down." (Isaiah 29:20)
10. CHRISTIANS NERVOUS AS CHAVEZ GAINS MORE POWER
“We know he’s not a friend of the church in his country,” said Todd Nettleton, director of news service for Voice of the Martyrs, “So, you just look at the evidence and you look at the past and you look at who Hugo Chavez’s friends are, it’s got to make you nervous if you have Christian workers in Venezuela.” Although Nettleton said religious freedom is not getting worse in Venezuela, he urged Christians to pray for Chavez to have a “personal relationship” with Jesus Christ which will lead to changes in Venezuela and the world.
Among Chavez’s critics are some Catholic leaders, with whom the president has a long history of hostility, often erupting into verbal sparring matches. Christian leaders against Chavez’s leadership say they fear Venezuela is moving towards a communist state, which will result in the loss of freedoms. Chavez's opponents at home have been strongly critical of the “enabling law” approved Wednesday by the entirely pro-Chavez National Assembly, calling it a lurch toward authoritarianism. The measure gives Chavez, who is beginning a new six-year term, the power to pass dozens of laws by decree during the next 18 months in areas from the economy to the judicial system.
With his new power, Chavez, an avowed socialist who sees Cuban dictator Fidel Castro as his role model, will be able to carry out his plans to nationalize Venezuela’s largest telecommunications company and the electricity sector, impose new taxes on the rich, and enforce greater state control over the oil and natural gas industries. (Gospel Herald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2/2/07; NY Times, 1/28/07) [Reported by: Intercessors for America]
• Adolf Hitler, too, passed "enabling laws" in Germany, which enabled him to gain absolute dictatorial power over that nation, sending six million Jews to the gas chambers. Lift up urgent prayer for the citizens of Venezuela, that they might escape a similar fate. May there be an establishment of law and leaders to uphold and preserve true religious freedom in Venezuela, South and Central America, the United States, Israel, the whole of the Middle East and all nations of the earth. May the Lord make it come to pass. Let all the inhabitants of the earth stand in awe of Him. (From: Intercessors for America) • "For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish, and the nations will be utterly ruined."(Isaiah 60:12)
11. IRAN CELEBRATES REVOLUTION VOWING NUCLEAR ADVANCE
Iran began 10 days of celebrations last week marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution, with officials promising the unveiling of a major advance in its controversial nuclear drive. The festivities known as the "Decade of Fajr" (Dawn) culminate on February 11, the date 28 years ago when the US- backed Shah's regime fell to revolutionaries led by the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has already said he will announce "good news" about the development of the nation's nuclear program during the anniversary celebrations.
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran's former president and the current head of its powerful arbitration body, will make a speech at the shrine which marks the spot where Khomenei told throngs of his revolutionary supporters about the creation of an Islamic regime. "Iranian people, with faith in God, wisdom and resistance, will defend their inalienable rights and celebrate the realization of their peaceful nuclear rights during Fajr," Ahmadinejad said Wednesday. "The country's overall policies are decided by the supreme leader and the government has to apply them. The president, who heads the executive power, announces our nuclear position," said Ahmadinejad, who has faced increasing domestic criticism over his handling of the nuclear issue. (Agence France Press) [Reported by: Intercessors for America]
• Praise the Lord that Iran is so vocal about its plans. Ask the Lord to use the celebration of Decade of Fajr as an opportunity for domestic unrest to rise against the tyranny of this regime that is leading Iran to its destruction as well as the nuclear destruction of others. God is not mocked! Iran is so reminescent of the celebrations of Hitler's Germany and its plans. Cry out to the Lord on behalf of the free people of the world, whom Iran would hold in captivity. We know that God has a greater plan! • "Yet amid all these things we more more than conquerers and gain a surpasssing victory through Him Who loved us." (Romans 8:37 AMP)
12. INTRA-PALESTINIAN VIOLENCE CONTINUES IN GAZA
Hamas and Fatah forces continue to clash in Gaza despite efforts to restore a shaky cease-fire. The continued fighting threatens to derail new efforts to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The militant group, Hamas, which controls the Parliament, refuses to recognize Israel’s right to exist. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and PM Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas are scheduled to meet this week in Mecca for reconciliation talks.
Even though the current Palestinian parliament is controlled by Hamas terrorists and the PA may be on the brink of civil war, the US continues to support an acceleration of implementation of the “Road Map.” The US pressure on Israel is unbelievable given the reality on the ground.
Unfortunately, both Israeli leaders and the Israeli people don't seem to be prepared to stand up to the US or to their enemies. Both Israeli and Western leadership are asleep at the wheel when it comes to recognizing the danger of militant Islam.
• Continue to pray that the eyes of both the Israeli people and leaders would be opened to the threat they face to their very existence. Pray that the people would begin to insist on stronger leadership from their prime minister and other governmental officials. Ask the Lord to expose the true intentions of the Arab leaders in the Middle East. Continue to pray for wisdom for Israeli leaders as they seek to defend their people from terrorist attacks.
• Continue to pray that President Bush and the United States would not continue to pressure Israel to make peace with enemies set on her destruction. Pray that the US would abandon the disastrous Road Map for Peace. Pray that the US would stand in strong support of Israel. Pray for the salvation of both Arabs and Jews in Israel and throughout the world. (Sons of Issachar) • "Pray without ceasing . . ." (I Thess. 5:17)
