Therefore behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know My hand and My might; And they shall know that My name is the LORD. (Jer. 16:21)
| On Capitol Hill This Week; Vol. XIV, No. 3 | |
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- PRESIDENT ATTENDS NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST
- FEBRUARY 15-21: PRESIDENT TO VISIT FIVE AFRICAN COUNTRIES
- HOUSE DEMOCRATS HIJACK PRESIDENT'S BILL FOR AIDS RELIEF IN AFRICA
- BUSH CALLS ON SENATE TO GIVE NOMINEES A FAIR VOTE
- SENATOR CALLS FOR OFFICIAL APOLOGY TO NATIVE AMERICANS
- SUPERBOWL ANSWER TO PRAYER: DERANGED MAN'S PLANS TO ATTACK ABORTED
- THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES: WHERE WE ARE NOW
- US INTELLIGENCE CHIEF WARNS OF CONTINUED THREAT FROM AL-QAIDA
- U.S. SHIFTS FOCUS IN IRAQ: PROVIDES TRAINING, TOOLS FOR IRAQI CITIZENS
- REPORT: EGYPTIAN RADICALS ENTER GAZA TO AID PALESTINIAN MILITANTS
- STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS FOR ISRAEL OF THE GAZA-EGYPT BORDER OPENING
- ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY: SHARIA LAW IN UK IS "UNAVOIDABLE"
1. PRESIDENT ATTENDS NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST
A crowd of 4,000, including President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, lawmakers, judges, heads of state and others from more than 100 countries, came together for coffee, conversation and spiritual contemplation at the annual National Prayer Breakfast held this morning in Washington, D.C. The National Prayer Breakfast is an outgrowth of a separate private weekly prayer breakfasts that various members of Congress have attended since the 1940s.
In remarks to the gathering, the President said prayer has helped him cope with the stresses of leading the nation. "I believe in the power of prayer, because I have felt it in my own life. It has helped me meet the challenges of the presidency. I understand now clearly the story of the calm in the rough seas." (AP; Wall Street Journal 2/7/08)
Read the President's entire address at the White House web site.
· Offer praise that our Lord has blessed us with a president who knows and understands the calming power of prayer. May others in our nation come to this revelation, as well. · "Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord." (Ps. 150:6)
2. FEBRUARY 15-21: PRESIDENT TO VISIT FIVE AFRICAN COUNTRIES
Beginning on Friday, President Bush and first lady Laura Bush will visit five countries - Benin Republic, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Liberia - in a one- week tour of Africa. He will leave on February 15 and return on the 21st. The trip will be an opportunity for President Bush to "review firsthand the significant progress" made in the fight against HIV/Aids and malaria. The United States has spent billions on programs fighting HIV/Aids, malaria and other diseases.
The President has called on Congress to double funding for "President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief" (PEPFAR) to.$30 billion. PEPFAR focuses primarily on Africa. According to government statistics, the program has helped more than one million people get antiretroviral treatment. "Difficult challenges remain, including ending genocide in Darfur, restoring peace and stability to Kenya, and bringing freedom to the Zimbabwean people," said the President. (allAfrica.com; AFP 1/25/08)
· Offer thanksgiving for a shift toward the recognition and incorporation of faith, religion, and reconciliation in U.S. statecraft. Intercede for biblically informed U.S. foreign policy. Ask the Lord to protect President and Mrs. Bush, their staff and Secret Service team members. Offer thanksgiving that the President's AIDS/HIV policies and funding have been successful in reaching and helping over a million Africans. (Intercessors for America)
· "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." (Ps 32:8)
3. HOUSE DEMOCRATS HIJACK PRESIDENT'S BILL FOR AIDS RELIEF IN AFRICA
In his State of the Union address on January 28, 2003, President Bush announced the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR/Emergency Plan). The Emergency Plan is the largest commitment ever by any nation for an international health initiative dedicated to a single disease -- a five-year, $15 billion, multifaceted approach to combating the disease around the world. The United States now leads the world in its level of support for the fight against HIV/AIDS.Through the Emergency Plan, the U.S. Government is working with international, national and local leaders worldwide to support integrated prevention, treatment and care programs. This program is bringing hope and life to the African continent by promoting abstinence and being faithful within marriage.
Unbelievably, the Family Research Council is now reporting that this year, as PEPFAR comes before Congress for continued funding, House Democrats have drafted a bill that would hijack the PEPFAR program and turn it into a distributor of taxpayer funds to groups that support abortion. Page 11 of the current draft of the legislation being circulated reveals the Democratic Leaderships' true goal by claiming that pregnancy and sex within marriage are serious threats to women's health!! Can you imagine that? (Sources: Family Research Council; http://www.pepfar.gov/about/)
· Come against the forces in prayer that would seek to subvert the President's agenda for Africa and turn it into something else. Bind the spirit of rebellion that is operating here -- rebellion which Scripture states is "as witchcraft." Ask our Lord to forgive those who are twisting the language of this bill; and ask Him to make the crooked paths straight, restoring what the locust has eaten. In His Name, amen.
· "And I will restore what the locust has eaten . . ." (Joel 2:23)
4. BUSH CALLS ON SENATE TO GIVE NOMINEES A FAIR VOTE
President Bush called on the U.S. Senate last week to fulfill its constitutional duty to give presidential nominees a prompt vote and ensure federal courts and agencies are sufficiently staffed. There are more than 180 highly-qualified nominees - including 28 judicial nominees - awaiting a fair vote in the Senate. Of these, 30 have been waiting more than a year for a vote, and nine have been waiting more than two years.
"I have nominated skilled and faithful public servants to lead federal agencies and sit on the federal bench," Bush said at a White House briefing today. "The Constitution also gives senators an important responsibility. They must provide advice and consent by voting up or down on these nominees. Unfortunately, the Senate is not fulfilling its duty. "The confirmation process has turned into a never-ending political game, where everyone loses. It is clear that the process is not working," he said. "That's no way to treat men and women who have stepped forward to serve our country, and it's got to stop."
The Senate Judiciary Committee has 28 pending nominations for federal judgeships before it. On Feb. 21, the committee will hold its first hearing for a circuit court nominee since September.
· In prayer, ask our Lord to move on the hearts of Senators Patrick Leahy and Harry Reid to schedule hearings for President Bush's judicial nominees. Father God can and will break up this logjam, if we but ask.
· "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases." (Proverbs 21:1)
5. SENATOR CALLS FOR OFFICIAL APOLOGY TO NATIVE AMERICANS
Former Presidential candidate Senator Sam Brownback believes the U.S. government needs to apologize to Native Americans and ban use of Federal Indian Health Service Funds for abortions in most cases. "We need to extend a formal apology from the United States to tribal governments and native peoples nationwide," said Brownback. "For too much of our history, the federal tribal relationship has been marked by, unfortunately in many cases, broken treaties, mistreatment, and dishonorable dealings. [N] ot that all the bad dealings were one-sided-it wasn't." He is also urging passage of an amendment sponsored by Senator David Vitter that would ban the use of federal Indian Health Service funds for abortions, except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest of a minor. (OneNewsNow 2/4/2008)
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE ON THE APOLOGY:
Senate: (S.J.RES.4) House (H.J.RES.68) - A joint resolution to acknowledge a long history of official depredations and ill-conceived policies by the United States Government regarding Indian tribes and offer an apology to all Native Peoples on behalf of the United States.
Senate Sponsor: Sen Sam Brownback (R-KS)
Cosponsors (12) Latest Major Action: 6/18/2007 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders; awaiting a vote on the Senate floor
House Sponsor: Rep Dan Boren (D-OK)
Cosponsors (19) Latest Major Action: 12/11/2007 Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
See information on the Resolution of Apology to the Native Peoples at http://www.nativeres.org/
· Offer thanksgiving for the Church's growing awareness of its Kingdom call to the "word and ministry of reconciliation." Intercede for racial reconciliation, the healing of America's ethnic wounds and divisions, domestic tranquility, and for harmony and cooperation among Bible-believing Christians.
· "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God." (2 Cor. 5:18-20)
[Reported by: Intercessors for America]
6. SUPERBOWL ANSWER TO PRAYER: DERANGED MAN'S PLANS TO ATTACK ABORTED
A would-be bar owner angry at being denied a liquor license threatened to shoot people at the Super Bowl and drove to within sight of the stadium with a rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition before changing his mind, federal authorities said. Kurt William Havelock, who ultimately turned himself in, had vowed to "shed the blood of the innocent" in a manifesto mailed Sunday to media outlets, according to court documents. "No one destroys my dream," he wrote.
The documents say he was armed with an AR-15 assault-style rifle Sunday when he reached a parking lot near University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, where pre-game activities were happening. "He waited about a minute and decided he couldn't do this," FBI agent Philip Thorlin testified at a detention hearing for Havelock on Tuesday. Havelock's father testified that his son then called his fiancee and met his parents at his condominium in Tempe, like Glendale a Phoenix suburb."He was very upset; he was sobbing hysterically," Frank Havelock said. "He said, 'I've done something terribly, terribly wrong."' Kurt Havelock, 35, was charged Monday with mailing threatening communications. He is being held without bail, and additional hearings have yet to be scheduled. (Fox News)
· Offer praise for this mighty answer to prayer, and rejoice that all were kept safe at the Stadium in Glendale. Pray for Kurt Havelock, asking that he receive all the help needed to come out of his distress and into a sound mind.
· "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16) "The LORD has not given us [him] the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Tim. 1:7)
7. THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES: WHERE WE ARE NOW
Mitt Romney is out, McCain and Huckabee are still at it on the Republican side while Hillary and Obama fight for the position of "candidate" of the Democratic party. Below is a list of the upcoming primaries and caucuses during February and March. It seemed like we needed a rest after Super Tuesday, but -- there is no sign of rest for the voters or the campaigns. (Source: Mary Fox Murphy; The International Prayer Network; prayer@cwoi.org)
PRAYER POINTS:
-- Pray for each of the candidates. Each of them must be exhausted and pray that they seek the Lord for strength to keep up with this hectic pace.
-- Pray for the voting public will make their decisions across this country with Godly wisdom and insight.
-- Pray that the Lord direct His People how He wants them to vote.
-- Pray for each of these states as they enter into their primary elections and caucuses.
[Note: On Tuesday, Feb. 12th, the "Chesapeake Region" will hold their primary elections for both parties: Virginia, Delaware, and the District of Columbia. Please refer to the Daily Briefs for updates on the primary elections yet being held in the states.]
· "The LORD is nigh unto all that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth." (Psalm 145:18)
8. US INTELLIGENCE CHIEF WARNS OF CONTINUED THREAT FROM AL-QAIDA
In his annual report to Congress, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell told the Senate Intelligence Committee that al-Qaida remains 'the preeminent' terror threat facing the United States both at home and abroad. "Despite our successes over the years, the group has retained or regenerated key elements of its capability, including its top leadership, operational lieutenants, and a defacto safe haven in the Pakistani border area with Afghanistan," McConnell said.
McConnell said al-Qaida's affiliates - particularly al- Qaida in Iraq - pose a significant regional threat. "We are increasingly concerned that even as coalition forces inflict significant damage on al-Qaida inside Iraq, they may deploy resources to mount attacks outside that country,' he said." (Voice of America)
[Please note the detailed report of this hearing, cited in "Global Hotspots," below.]
· "But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him." (Psalm 37:39-40)
9. U.S. SHIFTS FOCUS IN IRAQ: PROVIDES TRAINING, TOOLS FOR IRAQI CITIZENS
In a Jan. 30 quarterly report to Congress, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen called 2008 a 'year of transfer' in Iraq. The report says the United States has spent about 90% of a fund created by Congress in 2003 for public-works projects, such as electrical generating stations and health clinics. The U.S. State, Defense and Treasury departments are funding training programs for officials at Iraqi ministries. Those projects are meant to teach Iraqis how to plan and implement budgets, buy goods and services and manage employees.
The U.S. Agency for International Development began a three-year program in 2006 that provides U.S. advisers to 10 Iraqi government ministries. At the local level, 24 'provincial reconstruction teams' of U.S. military and civilian experts are working to improve Iraqi municipal and provincial governments' abilities to provide services such as education, sanitation and security." (USA TODAY, 2/6/08)
· Intercede for all troops deployed and for their families-for protection, good health and morale. Intercede for all Christians and churches in Iraq. Pray that wisdom and strategy be granted to U.S. commanders in Iraq. Intercede for Iraqi President Jalal Talabani (Kurdish), Prime Minister Nouri al- Maliki (Shiite Muslim), the Parliament, and all officials- that a form of good government that is representative of all Iraqi socio-religious ethnic groups be established and maintained. [From: IFA]
· [Pray . . .] for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. (I Tim. 2:2)
10. REPORT: EGYPTIAN RADICALS ENTER GAZA TO AID PALESTINIAN MILITANTS
Approximately 2,000 Egyptian activists in radical Islamic organizations have infiltrated into the Gaza Strip in order to assist militant Palestinian groups since the fence between Gaza and Egypt was pierced, according to a report in the Egyptian Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper on February 6. The report is based on sources from the Ezzedin Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, who said that the 2,000 Islamic fundamentalists poured into the Palestinian enclave in order to join the struggle against Israel. The sources claim the motivated jihadists met with Islamic Jihad and Hamas leaders and requested to join the Al- Qassam Brigades and engage in "martyrdom operations." The leaders declined to accept, asking the men to return to Egypt, in order to avoid a confrontation between Egypt and Israel.
The sources added that the potential recruits visited Hamas gunmen stationed along the border with Israel and watched the military wings of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah carry out training maneuvers. According to the report, Hamas officials simply asked the Egyptians to pray for them. An Egyptian security source said on Wednesday that national forces have taken total control of the border-this despite clashes took place alongside the frontier Monday when an armed Palestinian group attempted to storm the border again. (By Roee Nahmias, Ynetnews.com, February 6, 2008) [Reported by: Bridges for Peace]
· Pray that the Lord will protect Israel and the Jewish people in coming weeks. Hamas has been strengthened with these Egyptian radicals and with large quantities of cash and military resources brought in through the current border crisis. Pray that the murderous plans of the terrorists will be thwarted by the Lord.
· "The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect." (Psalm 33:10)
11. STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS FOR ISRAEL OF THE GAZA-EGYPT BORDER OPENING
Some had hoped that pressuring Hamas in Gaza, via sanctions, while helping to create a stable and prosperous Palestinian society in the West Bank [Judea and Samaria] under Mahmoud Abbas [Abu Mazen], would trigger support for Abbas's leadership in Gaza. However, Hamas, via Gaza's new-found access to Egyptian materials, goods, and services, can now ease Gaza's depressed condition and diminish the differences between Gaza and the more prosperous West Bank .
For the first time in the history of the modern Middle East, Hamas-the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and the ideological cousin of Al-Qaeda- has gained full control over contiguous territory and population, and has now effectively become a state government without real opponents.
In sharp contrast to Fatah's yet unfulfilled promises, the Palestinian public sees Hamas's dramatic opening of the Gaza-Egypt border as the latest in a series of successful actions. Others include Hamas's surprise January 2006 electoral victory over Fatah, its kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, sustained rocketing of southern Israel, and Hamas's expulsion of Fatah forces from Gaza and the establishment of its control over the government there in June 2007.
Terrorist operatives and groups such as Al-Qaeda, that have already used the Egyptian Sinai as a rear base, can now reach Gaza without interference. Gaza has transformed from its prior status as part of the Palestinian Authority to its new role as a mini-state that is now an integral part of the Arab world. Hamas will now be able to obtain weapons, ammunition, explosives, and training more freely via Egyptian Sinai. Since the border opening, weapons have flowed unimpeded into Gaza, enabling the transfer of higher- grade weapons such as anti-aircraft missiles.
(By Maj-Gen (res) Yaakov Amridror and Dan Diker, Institute for Contemporary Affairs, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, February 5, 2008)
[Reported by Bridges for Peace]
· Consider the remarks in this report. Pray through the web of intrigue and the various attempts of the enemy to isolate Israel and make her vulnerable to attack. Pray about the emerging status of Hamas and their claims for acceptance in the Arab world as the rightful government in Gaza.
· "Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake." (Isaiah 54:15)
12. ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY: SHARIA LAW IN UK IS "UNAVOIDABLE"
Rowen Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, just said that it "seems inevitable" that parts of Islamic Sharia lawwill be incorporated in British legislation. This is a pretty accurate picture of large parts of the Western Church's modern day submission to the Spirit of Islam. As opposed to resisting it - by intercession and evangelization - the Church thinks that "peace between men" is their highest call. It is peace between man and God that we are called to proclaim - not peace between the God of the Bible and the Allah of the Koran. (Intercessors for Israel)
- Lord, wake up Your Bride.
- And wake her up to what You are doing in Israel for Your glory (Ezekiel 36:1-38).
- Help British Anglicans to rise up and resist this call by Dr. Williams - and if need be, to replace him.
- Strengthen and bless the African Anglican Bishops who are wanting to only follow Your Word.
- Protect the true remnant in Britain and the rest of the West.
· "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the ways thereof are the ways of death." (Prov. 14:12)
GLOBAL HOT SPOTS
In testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell highlighted what he called key threats to U.S. interests around the world. The following key points have been summarized by Intercessors for America.
IRAQ - Violence among Shiites remains on of the biggest threats, particularly in the south after the departure of British forces.
SAUDI ARABIA - Last year, Saudi authorities arrested 400 extremists as part of their internal fight against al Qaeda. But private Saudi citizens still remain a source of terrorist financing, and recruits from here make up the largest number of foreign fighters and suicide bombers in Iraq.
IRAN - Iran has continued its production of fissile material. There are differences within the intelligence community about when Tehran could get enough highly enriched uranium for a weapon, with some saying 2009, others 2010 to 2015, but all recognizing the possibility that it could not come "until after 2015." Tehran is providing weapons to some Taliban commanders in Afghanistan.
AFGHANISTAN - The death or capture of this year of three top Taliban leaders "does not yet appear to have significantly disrupted insurgent operations." The country struggles with corruption, drug trafficking and incompetent bureaucracy.
RUSSIA- Moscow is seeking to expand its influence from Europe to East Asia by using its energy supply and transportation networks to control the flow of oil and gas.
CHINA - Beijing's global engagement is driven by the need for access to markets and resources rather than by military expansionism. But its arm sales to the Middle East - particularly missile sales to Iran - are "destabilizing" and a threat to U.S. forces in the region.
PAKISTAN - Radical elements are now a threat to the survival of Pakistan, prompting Pakistani military leaders to recognize that more aggressive efforts are needed to get the elements under control. The nation faces "an unparalleled level of suicide attacks ordered by Pakistan-based militants," many allied with al-Qaeda. In the last year, the number of terrorist attacks and deaths were greater than the past six years combined. (Washington Post 2/6/08)
View a map which corresponds to this article at the Homeland Security page of the IFA website - www.ifapray.org- see "latest postings."
· Father, this report can either fill us with fear or resolve. We pray, oh LORD GOD, that we would remember that You are in control; You have a plan, and You have promised to never leave us or forsake us. Because of this, we place our trust in You and believe that no matter what the plans of the enemy may be, You hate wickedness and therefore will confuse their plans. May Your hand continue to be on this nation, and may we acknowledge where our help comes from. You, oh LORD GOD will be victorious, on this we can be sure; for Your plans and Your purposes will be fulfilled.
· Confuse the wicked, O Lord, confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city. Day and night they prowl about on its walls; malice and abuse are within it. Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets. Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the grave, for evil finds lodging among them. But I call to God, and the LORD saves me. (Psalm 55:9-11, 15, 16) Election Prayer Request: A call has been issued to all Americans to stop, pray and ponder our role in helping to create peace within our nation regarding the 2008 Presidential Election and the Republican candidates. May we remember to pray for God's presence in these men's lives and for the Democratic candidates, too. May America be saved unto Jesus! Gracious, Heavenly Father. We have seen so many miracles from You in this 2008 Presidential Election Season. . . . safety for the candidates, an increasing awareness of Your Son, Jesus; and an increasing interest in Your Judeo-Christian values. We thank You in advance for the man you will select to lead our nation. We know that it has been a tumultuous time for Republican voters to decide which candidate will be the one who will most glorify and honor You when he assumes the Presidency of the United States. So, we now humbly come before Your throne and ask for Your peace to descend upon the remaining primaries and caucuses and then onward to the national GOP Convention to be held September 1-4, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We ask you to also protect the city of Denver and the state of Colorado, August 25-28, as they host the 2008 Democratic national convention. May we remember to pray for all of the candidates who have participated in the 2008 Presidential Election Process. May they, both Democrat and Republican, be saved unto Jesus Christ as their Savior. May those who know You as their Savior be strengthened in their walk with You. And may we remember that You are in control of this presidential election and that You have promised us to be there in all things. We pray for wisdom and for Your grace for Mike Huckabee, John McCain and Ron Paul; along with Hillary Clinton and Barack Hussein Obama. May these current candidates see and feel the Immutable Presence of the Living God. May it so affect their lives that they will turn to You for all things for the rest of their lives. "I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps." (Psalm 40: 1-2 NKJV)
"Be Still And Know That I Am God"
"God is a refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psalm 46: 1 NKJV)
May those candidates who deceive and wish to elevate themselves to a "type of god" level, be exposed for their duplicity and be stopped so that they might come to know You as their Savior.
"Be Still and know that I Am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" (Psalm 46: 10 NKJV)
Thank You for this promise to us as we wait expectantly upon You to act and be glorified in America's life!
In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .
STRONG FORTRESS (Tsoor Mahoz)
Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save me. (Psalm 31:2)
Oh, Lord, what a Rock You are!
How I thank You for Your strength in my life! Be my strong rock, my Rock of the Ages. You are the defense of my life; how I praise You for that. Help me live today with the calm assurance and peace of knowing that You are my strong fortress.
(Taken from: Intimate Moments with the Hebrew Names of God, by Barri Cae Malin and Shmuel Wolkenfeld; Bridge-Logos Publishers; Gainesville, FL, 32614. ISBN: 0-88270-801-5)
