Today's Daily Brief
1. Bush to Congress: Have Faith, Work Together - Fox News
President Bush advised Congress Monday to put trust in the American people to keep the state of the union strong, urged the legislative body to take quick action to prevent a recession and stood strong in his support for ongoing operations in Iraq.
· "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." (Mt. 6:10)
2. Severe Cold and Snow Hit Midwest - The New York Times
The upper Midwest braced for an Arctic blast on Tuesday with temperatures expected to drop as much as 50 degrees during the day, as areas farther west dug out from a snowstorm on Monday that snarled highways, closed schools and interrupted power to thousands of homes and businesses.
· Lord, we pray that You will calm all these storms that are troubling the people and animals in the Midwest. In Your mercy, we ask You to place a shield around our nation, protecting us from bad weather, fires, or any terrorist attacks. AMEN!
· The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. (Psalms 18:2, 3)
3. Stimulus Package Will Boost Deficit - AP
A proposed economic stimulus plan could boost this year's deficit by $100 billion, but political leaders believe the flood of red ink is worth the cost if it keeps the country from falling into a prolonged recession.
· Lord, help us to balance our budget in the U.S. We are borrowing money from China to stimulate the U.S. economy, but with the trade exchange with China, we will wind up buying Chinese products which will then enrich China. The same thing is true with buying oil from our enemies in the Middle East. Help us to get these things straightened out! Let us be fruitful and mighty in spreading the gospel and the love of Jesus Christ in this nation and throughout the world, for the export of the Gospel is the most important export of all.
· For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness." (1 Corinthians 3:19) · Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15, 16, 17)
4. US spy satellite set to hit Earth by early March: Pentagon - AFP
An out-of-control US spy satellite is expected to crash to Earth in late February or early March, the Pentagon said Monday without specifying where it might land.
We praise the Lord that, when things are out of control, He is IN CONTROL. Lift up this need before our Lord, for He can and will answer, if we but ask. "Father God, we thank You for taking control over this satellite, and for bringing it safely to earth." In Jesus' Name, amen.
· "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Mt. 21:22)
5. Russia accelerates nuclear fuel shipments to Iran - World Tribune
Russia has stepped up the pace of nuclear fuel shipments to Iran. Officials said Moscow plans to conclude the shipment of 82 tons of nuclear fuel for Iran's Bushehr nuclear energy reactor by early February. Around 80 percent of the nuclear fuel has already been delivered.
· Lord, we pray that You will slow down this acceleration of nations that are building weapons to use against other nations. We pray that Russia, China, and Iran will not be able to come to any agreements to help each other. Bring confusion to their communications!
· "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." (Genesis 11:7)
6. UN Says Bird Flu Remains a Global Threat - VOA
The United Nations is warning that bird flu outbreaks have spread to 15 countries, making the disease a global threat that requires close monitoring.
· You have promised Your people that You would be a covering for them. And we know that anyone who runs to You will be safe. Let the scientists quickly find the vaccine that will be able to overcome this flu outbreak. Let the glory for this discovery go to You, Lord!
· Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast. How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. (Psalms 36:6, 7)
7. Pakistan rejects secret request by U.S. to increase CIA presence - Int'l Herald Tribune
The top two U.S. intelligence officials traveled secretly to Pakistan this month to press President Pervez Musharraf to allow the CIA greater latitude to operate in the tribal territories where Al Qaeda, the Taliban and other militant groups are all active, according to several officials who have been briefed on the visit.
· Lord, we know that Musharraf is fearful of alienating these tribal leaders. Let him have confidence that they will not depose him because he is working with the U.S. Give us favor with both President Musharraf and these tribal leaders. Please open the doors of opportunity that are good for us and that are in the free world's best interests! Amen!
· But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield. (Psalms 5:11, 12)
The Middle East in Focus 1. Bush: The time has come for peace in the Holy Land - Jerusalem Post 2. Olmert: Delay talks on Jerusalem to avoid derailing peace process - Ha'aretz 3. Blair Wants Mideast Peace in 2008 - AP 4. Egypt agrees to Abbas control over Gaza border, Palestinian officials say- Ynet News 5. Barak: Iran nuke program 'quite advanced' - Ynet News
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"[Nebuchadnezzar] was driven from the sons of men . . . till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and He appoints over it whomsoever He will." (Daniel 5:21)
US President George W. Bush reiterated his commitment to working toward lasting peace in the Middle East in his final State of the Union address on Monday night.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that discussion over the future of Jerusalem should be held off until a later phase in negotiations with the Palestinians, to avoid the risk of derailing peace talks.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair told the final session of the World Economic Forum on Sunday that he wants an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal and a pact on climate change by the end of 2008.
Egypt has agreed to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' plan to assume control of Gaza's crossing with Egypt, excluding Hamas Islamists who rule the territory, Palestinian and Egyptian officials said on Sunday.
Israel suspects that Iran is pursuing a clandestine nuclear enrichment operation and is "probably already working on warheads for ground-to-ground missiles," Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the Washington Post in an interview published Saturday.
· Heavenly Father, there is nothing that escapes Your eyes. We pray that You will reveal the secret plans of our enemies. Go before us, Lord!
· The Lord has made bare His holy arm In the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God . . . For you shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight; for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. (Isaiah 52:10, 12)
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
(Mt. 5:44)
1. Malaysia: Indigenous Group Sues Over Demolished Church - Worthy News
An indigenous church community has filed a lawsuit against local authorities in the state of Kelantan over the demolition of their church building on June 4, 2007.
2. Egypt: Tempers Flare into Melee at Convert's Hearing - Worthy News
An Egyptian judge is scheduled to rule next week on the case of a Muslim-born convert to Christianity whose court hearing threatened to turn into a brawl earlier this month, the convert's lawyer said.
3. Protestant Pastor Shot Dead In Philippines - Worthy News
Christians in the Philippines on Saturday, January 26, mourned a Protestant pastor after police confirmed he was shot and killed, the second member of the Philippine clergy to die violently in nine days.
LETTERS FROM KENYA: INTRODUCTION
[Editor's note: We continue to receive desperate requests for prayer from pastors in Keny6a. This week we will share some of these with you. Here is an introductory letter for the prayer request that follows.]
Good Morning,
As many of you are aware, Kenya is in the midst of a civil war. Thought it is a beautiful country, the tribal divisions are as strong as ever. these uprisings are not little villages with huts - they are cities like ours.
The election they had over the holidays was not "clean" and is in dispute. There is uprising between the two tribes. Believers Ministry Int'l. has churches from both tribes and their cities are in riot at this time and have been throughout the last month.
Last night, however, Pastor Kenny's city was hit and many were killed. Pastor Kenny is over our ISOM ministry (Bible colleges) and is our main pastor over all of our churches there. Kisumo, where our main pastor is Pastor George, is our other main base has been hit the same. Families are scattered and prayers are going up for their safety.
Please join as we pray for Kenya.
Have a wonderful day and God bless you.
Pastor Karie
Our town has been a no go zone since Thursday. We had violence engulf the entire town. We could not venture out. We had houses burnt down and people from different tribes killed. It's been terrible. We had over sixty killed by last night. Cloning, Embryonic Stem Cell Research The recent news that scientists have produced embryonic-like stem cells from skin cells - without killing embryos to produce them, was followed by news last week that a cloned human embryo was produced from a scientist's own skin cells. Oddly, says FRC's Senior Fellow for Life Sciences, Dr. David Prentice, "scientists probably are responsible for the media downplaying this unbelievable news." To accomplish this, female donors were hormonally stimulated to harvest dozens of immature human eggs from which 6-12 were used in the experiments. The results? No Embryonic stem cells were produced and all the embryos were destroyed. This unethical, inefficient, "non-therapeutic" cloning "instrumentalizes" human life, says Prentice. It increases the risk that someone will use the technique to bring clones to birth and increases risk to women's health (lots of eggs required). This kind of "research" has no benefit for patients and is useless compared to adult stem cell research which has produced scores of therapies that are helping thousands of patients right now. Also now, adult stem cells programmed to behave like embryonic stem cells can do everything that embryonic stem cells can, but are efficient, easy, cheap, and fundable. The good thing about this cloning event is that it could revive congressional debate over Sens. Sam Brownback (R- KS) and Mary Landrieu's (D-LA) bill to outlaw human cloning vs. Sen. Orin Hatch's bill to "protect" the practice. (FRC Prayer Targets) · May Congress revive the cloning debate and may the American people, through their elected representatives, say "NO!" to all human cloning! May the truth about successful adult stem cell therapies, so obviously blessed by God, become common knowledge in America! May the failure of embryonic stem cell research, the tumors such research produced, the high cost in human life and disdain for human dignity and ethics that accompany it, similarly be understood in America and around the world! · "Thou shalt not murder." (Exodus 20:13) Traditional Marriage on November Ballots In places like Iowa, Indiana, Maryland, and Florida, the President's annual State of the Union address is taking a backseat to what many see as the troubling state of their own unions. Pro-family Hoosiers, who recently celebrated the legislature's decision to vote their marriage protection amendment out of committee, are facing a do-or-die battle to get the initiative on the November ballot. If House Speaker Pat Bauer (D) sabotages the bill, as he has promised to do, voters will have to wait four to six years for another shot at protecting marriage. If Bauer, who is an award- winning opponent of traditional marriage (so honored by the ACLU), bars citizens from defining marriage, it will only be a matter of time before Indiana's courts do so for them. In the Sunshine State, where residents are consumed by the presidential primaries, another race hangs in the balance--the race against time for traditional marriage proponents. Florida4Marriage has been scrambling to gather thousands of new signatures to place a marriage protection amendment on this November's ballot. As a result, left-wing groups are out in full force, countering the petition drive with the same scare tactics that defeated the Arizona marriage amendment. Preying on the fears of the elderly, liberals are wrongly arguing that the amendment would threaten their well being. It would not, but homosexuals aren't letting a little thing like the truth get in the way of an effective campaign. Elsewhere, Iowans are so outraged at the activism of a lower court in striking down the ban on gay marriage that they have petitioned the legislature to impeach the judge responsible for last year's ruling. At a January 16 rally, protestors demanded that their leaders take up a marriage protection amendment before the case goes to the Iowa Supreme Court. Although Governor Chet Culver (D) pledged to "stop gay marriage from coming to [his] state," he has yet to do a single thing to prevent it. On the contrary, he's publicly refused to push any legislation until the high court rules. In the brief time since Maryland's General Assembly has convened, proponents of same-sex "marriage" have already canvassed the State House, lobbying members to introduce bills that would overturn the existing ban on homosexual marriage. Reports indicate that a handful of those bills are making their debut in the legislature today. Time is of the essence! If you live in these states or have friends who do, we urge you to make your voices heard. On the future of marriage, it could make all the difference! (Family Research Council)
As I write the situation is somehow back to normal in some parts but it's tense. Everybody is alert. On Friday we had to accomodate a family of five at our place. Saturday we had to more. Sunday we had no church service in church or neither in our slum church.
Our people are scattered with fear becoz we don't know the wherebouts of others. Last night I had to seek refuge in some house and leave my family alone coz my community was the target. At midnight my wife called me to let me know that gunfire was just outside our home. She was crying and this made me sorrowful. My wife is from another community. It was long night for both of us. I'm now on my way back home to collect my wife and daughter. Please pray with us that peace may be restore in Kenya. Any support to help us out is welcome. Keep us in your prayers.
pastor ken
still going strong no matter what
Monday, January 28th
States Work to Pop the Question on November Ballots
Common Ground With Islam Regarding the Identity of God is Heresy
Common ground with a common enemy could be a sin of heresy, yet religious leaders are sprinting toward a new understanding of peace. Omar Usama bin Laden, the son of the terrorist who masterminded the attack on innocent Americans that left nearly 3,000 dead on September 11, 2001, wants to promote common ground and understanding between Christians and Muslims. In a sense, from a common ground perspective, there is not much difference between this son of a murdering terrorist and a group of leading American evangelists who, in response to Muslim scholars, implied that allah and Jehovah are the same and apologized for America's excesses in the war on terror.
Omar bin Laden wants to be an ambassador of peace between Islam and the West. bin Laden, the son, says he wants to be a negotiator and wants to find a way to peace other than fighting. In October, some 138 Muslim scholars invited Christian leaders to join them in common ground. The letter partially quoted the Koran throughout, emphasizing the positive sayings without the entire context-omitting the parts of the same Koran verses that suggest that anyone not accepting Islam is an infidel. Dawa, an invitation for dialogue with hope of conversion, was extended to the Christian community. This reasonable offer turns sour, however, when there is no conversion, then there is either submission or death.
So-called Christian leaders responded with a letter, first by defining God in Islamic terms when they asked forgiveness of "the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world" for excesses in the war on terror and for past sins against their "Muslim neighbors." Later in the letter they confirmed their reference to God from an Islamic perspective, "In the Muslim tradition, God, "the Lord of the worlds," is "The Infinitely Good and All-Merciful." And the New Testament states clearly that "God is love"." They called for interfaith dialogue to "begin the earnest work of determining how God would have us fulfill the requirement that we love God and one another."
This letter has been signed by some 300 people claiming to represent Christianity, including leftist Jim Wallis of Sojourners; Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life; Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church; and Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals. Yes, we are called to seek peace. But where these people have crossed the line is by inferring that the god Islam worships is the same God that Christians worship. This is heresy. Either Christ is the Son of God who was crucified and rose from the dead, or He isn't. Islam says He isn't. The first commandment is "You shall have no other gods before Me." There can be no common ground when the Creator of the ground is disputed.
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
Prayer for the Primaries
Today the last primary for this month is taking place in Florida. Next week is SUPER TUESDAY, when more than 20 states have scheduled their contests for the earliest date allowed by the party without special exception.
· Earnestly intercede against media and special interest manipulation during this primary season. Pray that moral, God-fearing, pro-life, pro-marriage, and pro-family men and women be selected, supported, and find favor in local, state, and national campaigns. Intercede that the Lord reveal His choices, expose corruption, immorality, bribery, the occult, and hidden anti-biblical agendas.
(Source: Intercessors for America)
" . . . if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:19)
For a complete guide to the Republican primaries, go here:
For a complete guide to the Democratic primaries, go here:
Links to Other Resources
Recommended links are now posted on our CHPP Blog. Click here to visit our blog for more information.
We particularly wish to cite Intercessors for America as the source to find all other ongoing prayer initiatives at this time.
For news at the state level (including court decisions re: gay rights), please see the links for the Family Research Council and for Citizen Link (Focus on the Family.) Thank you!!
