In This Issue
· The Daily Brief
· The Middle East in Focus
· Pray for the Persecuted Church
· GOOD NEWS FROM OKLAHOMA!
· GOOD NEWS FROM SOUTHERN BAPTISTS
· Church Investigations Ongoing
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
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The Daily Brief Thursday, July 10, 2008
"Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith." (Isaiah 26:2)
The Daily Brief
1. Black Churches Gather to Promote 'Reproductive Choice' - CNSNews.com
Members and leaders from black churches gathered at Howard University School of Divinity this week to discuss sexuality, including how to make churches inclusive for homosexuals and what they say is the failure of federally funded abstinence-only education programs.
· Father, we cry out to You for mercy over Your church. We cannot understand how any Christian can be pro-abortion, so we ask that You release truth and revelation, visitation, and heart change to Your Body.
· "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." (Psalms 51:1,2)
2. Bible Publishers Sued for Anti-gay references - Newsmax.com
A Michigan man is seeking $70 million from two Christian publishers for emotional distress and mental instability he received during the past 20 years from versions of the Bible that refer to homosexuality as a sin.
· Father, we ask that no court will take this lawsuit seriously, and that all legal actions be dropped. We pray that You will stem the onslaught of the enemy against Your Word of truth.
· "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him." (Isaiah 59:19)
3. U.S. Food Inspectors Made No Trips to China Last Year - CNSNews.com
U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspectors made 13 visits to Fiji in 2007 for food inspections and no visits at all to China, according to a study released to Congress recently by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
· Father, we seem to continue to make foolish decisions in all areas of our government; decisions which can place our citizens in harm's way. We ask that You will gather wisdom to our leaders in all areas of our government. We seal our food supplies by the Blood of Jesus, and pray that You will be a hedge of fire around our nation.
· "'For I,' says the Lord, 'will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.'" (Zechariah 2:5)
4. China Foils Terrorist Targeting the Olympics - Newsmax.com
China said on Thursday, that it had foiled five "terrorism groups" plotting attacks targeting the Beijing Olympics, as the government cracks down on perceived threats to the Games which open in less than a month.
· Father, we thank You that these terrorist plots have been foiled. But we do ask that any innocent people caught up in the sweeps of the Chinese government be protected and released.
· "Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked." (Exodus 23:7)
5. Six Die in Attack on U.S. Consulate in Istanbul - Int'l Herald Tribune
A group of unidentified gunmen opened fire Wednesday, on Turkish security guards outside the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul, the Turkish authorities said, and at least three police officers and three assailants were killed.
· Lord, as Al-Qaida is suspect in this case, we thank You that more people were not killed. We pray that this attack will add fuel to the Turkish resolve not to allow extremists a foothold in their government. May Your comfort be with the families of the victims, and Your Spirit find a path to reach the people of Turkey with the knowledge of Jesus.
· "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:17)
6. Measles Outbreak Spreads to 15 States -- Largest in 10 years - Fox News
A measles outbreak has sickened more than 120 people in 15 states - making it the biggest outbreak in the U.S. in more than 10 years, Reuters is reporting.
· Father, we stand before You in the gap for our nation, by the righteousness of Jesus and His shed Blood. We remind You that You are Jehovah Rapha, the God Who heals, and that Jesus bore stripes for that healing. We ask that You stay the hand of these plagues which have come among us: cancer, measles, HIV, every foul and evil disease that has come upon our nation.
· "So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it . . ." (Ezekiel 22:30)
7. Militiamen Attack U.S. Troops in Iraq with New Low-Tech Weaponry - Fox News
U.S. troops in Iraq are facing new rocket-propelled bombs used by suspected Shiite militiamen, adding to the array of weapons used against the American military there, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
· Lord, we request deployment of Your Heavenly Host to assist in the battle against new weapons which target our troops. We stand on Your word as our banner, and call upon Your Name as our shield as we fight against terrorism in Iraq.
· "Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield." (Psalm 33:20)
The Middle East in Focus
The Middle East in Focus This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming
THIS DECREE: "May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob defend you." (Psalm 20:1)
1. At 3.225 shekels, dollar hits lowest point in 12 years - Ha'aretz
The shekel strengthened further against the dollar on Wednesday, slithering to a 12-year low point last seen in November 1996. Its official exchange rate fell by 1.1% to 3.23 shekels, after which the greenback continued to weaken in interbank trading to 3.225 shekels. One dealer surmised that foreign banks were soaking up shekels and selling dollars.
2. Olmert agrees Kadima primary winner will replace him - Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed Wednesday night to allow the winner of September's Kadima primary to form a new government and immediately replace him, senior sources in the party said, confirming a report on Channel 1.
3. Website exposes Israeli 'nuke secrets' - Ynet News
The Armageddon website claims to sport vast amounts of information about Israel's nuclear program and its manufacturing and storage facilities, as published by various foreign sources.
Pray for the Persecuted Church
Prayers for the Persecuted Church This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE: "May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob defend you." (Psalm 20:1)
1. Evangelist Beaten Up by Hindu Radicals in India - Worthy News
A group of Hindu radicals attacked an evangelist and beat him up.
2. Indonesia: Church in West Java Bulldozed - Worthy News
Public Order officials on June 26 demolished a church building in Cimahi regency of Bandung district, West Java, to make way for a new shopping mall and bus terminal after church leaders failed to convince authorities that they owned the land on which it was built.
3. Iran Police Tortures And Detains Couple For Converting To Christianity - BosNewsLife
Iranian security police in Tehran have detained and tortured a married couple who recently converted from Islam to Christianity and threatened to put their 4-year- old daughter in an institution, a Christian news agency reported late Wednesday, June 25. Well-informed Compass Direct News, which investigates reports of persecution, said Tina Rad, 28, and her husband Makan Arya, 31, were arrested June 3 after holding Bible studies and attending a house church. A relative apparently informed Iran's security police about their activities.
GOOD NEWS FROM OKLAHOMA!
Oklahoma Supreme Court Rejects Gay 'Divorce' CaseFamily News in Focus
SUMMARY: 'Recognizing a same-sex divorce would mean recognizing a marriage that doesn't exist.'
The Oklahoma Supreme Court has sided with a lower court that refused to grant a "divorce" to a lesbian couple who were never legally married in the state.The women were married in Canada in 2002. Four years later, one of them filed for "divorce" in Tulsa, Okla.
Voters amended the state constitution in 2004 to define marriage as between one man and one woman. A state statute prohibits recognition of same-sex "marriages" that take place out of state. Alliance Defense Fund litigation counsel Jim Campbell said the courts were correct to respect the will of the people.
"Recognizing a same-sex divorce would mean recognizing a marriage that doesn't exist under the laws of most states, and specifically, in this state," he said. Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said homosexual activists are using a familiar strategy.
"They have always attempted to get their agenda legislated by judges rather than through the people," he said. "They refused to try to convince their fellow citizens to vote for same- sex 'marriage' because they know it would fail."In November, voters in California, Arizona and Florida will decide on the definition of marriage in their states. (Source: CitizenLink)
GOOD NEWS FROM SOUTHERN BAPTISTS
Good News: Southern Baptists Launch Web Site to Encourage Christians
The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Commission recently unveiled a new Web site - iLiveValues.com - to encourage Christians to live out their values and beliefs.
The site - a sequel to iVoteValues.com - will explore critical issues and values surrounding each week's headlines. iLiveValues.com also includes audio, blog and podcast features.
"Christians have a very important role to play in their communities every day of the year," Dr. Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said in a statement. "These individuals must live out their faith in daily decisions, influencing their society toward righteousness and truth. Our culture is facing too many grave social issues today for the people of faith to sit on the sidelines."
NOTE: Referral to Web sites not produced by Focus on the Family is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.
SECOND NOTE: Capitol Hill Prayer Partners echoes the note above. Thank you!
(Source: CitizenLink)
Church Investigations Ongoing
Last year Senator Charles Grassley (R-IN), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, launched an unprecedented inquiry into the ministries of six nationally and internationally known Christian evangelists. Grassley requested detailed financial data from them and commissioned a report from a private investigatory group that specializes in religious fraud. Most have refused to comply. (Source: FRC Prayer Targets)
· May pastors and churches realize the unconstitutional nature of this inquiry and support the defendant Christian leaders even if they do not agree with them on every matter of theology!
· "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king." (I Peter 2:12-17)
