In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The First 100 Days
• Obama's "Perverted Science"
• Give Me That Ole Time Religion
• Over His Head?
• Good News Corner
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief - Tuesday, March 10, 2009
"For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." (Psalm 50:10)
The Daily Brief
1. Obama opens up stem cell work, science inquiries - AP
"It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda - and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology," Obama said. In Congress, Reps. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., and Mike Castle, R-Del., said they would seek a quick vote on legislation to codify Obama's order in federal law, after failing twice in the past to overturn Bush's restrictions. DeGette said she doesn't want stem cell research to become "a pingpong ball going back and forth between administrations."
But Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., chairman of the Republican study committee, said the president's new policy would "force taxpayers to subsidize research that will destroy human embryos." De Gette and Castle said their legislation tries to minimize destruction of embryos.
• Heavenly Father, we repent that we have allowed people who are against You and Your laws to come into power through our apathy. We pray You will stop this action against life and that more people will rise up against these new laws.
• If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small. Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. (Proverbs 24:10, 11)
2. Obama orders review of Bush legal maneuvers - Int'l Herald Tribune
Calling into question the legitimacy of all the signing statements that former President George W. Bush used to challenge new laws, President Barack Obama on Monday ordered executive officials to consult with Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. before relying on any of them to bypass a statute. Bush's use of signing statements - official legal documents issued by a president the day he signs bills into law, instructing executive officials how to implement the statutes - led to fierce controversy.
• Lord, we pray that every law that is passed will be only the laws You allow. We pray that any agenda to circumvent moral laws will not succeed. We pray for righteous laws and leaders who will obey You.
• For I looked, and there was no man; I looked among them, but there was no counselor, Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word. (Isaiah 41:28, 29)
3. Stimulus Loophole Gives 300,000 Jobs to Illegals - Fox News
The House version of the $787 billion stimulus bill required verification of the legal residency of anyone put to work by its spending. But that provision was removed from the bill before members of Congress met to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the bill. "E-Verify is our most effective tool for preventing illegal immigrants from getting jobs, and they chose not to use it," says Camarota.
The Council on Foreign Relations, for example, estimates that in 2004 Mexican nationals pumped $22.2 billion back into Mexico's economy via remittances sent back home. How well U.S. taxpayers tolerate the export of stimulus dollars given the rapidly rising unemployment at home remains to be seen.
• Lord, we pray for this problem of allowing illegals from any country to not be able to receive the same rights and services as citizens. We pray for illegals to desire to go home and for them to do so on their own.
• "How shall we sing the Lord's song In a foreign land?" (Psalms 137:4) "Go and say to them, "Return to your tents." (Deuteronomy 5:30)
4. US intelligence chief says 'difficult' to halt Iran nuclear drive - Breitbart
US intelligence chief Dennis Blair warned Tuesday it will be "difficult" to convince Iran to give up its suspected quest for nuclear weapons through diplomatic means. "Iran does not currently have a nuclear weapon" because of difficulties in acquiring or producing the fissile material necessary, but could obtain enough as early as 2010, Blair said. But the agencies cannot "rule out that Iran has acquired from abroad or will acquire in the future a nuclear weapon or enough fissile material for a weapon."
• Lord, we pray for vigilance on our part to watch and know what we need to do in order to keep our nation safe. Let there be no division on the plans but only agreement on innovative plans in all matters related to national security.
• "Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish." (Isaiah 41:11)
5. Most Religious Groups in USA Have Lost Ground, Survey Finds - USA Today
So many Americans claim no religion at all (15%, up from 8% in 1990), that this category now outranks every other major U.S. religious group except Catholics and Baptists. In a nation that has long been mostly Christian, "the challenge to Christianity . . . does not come from other religions but from a rejection of all forms of organized religion," the report concludes. Meanwhile, nearly 2.8 million people now identify with dozens of new religious movements, calling themselves Wiccan, pagan or "Spiritualist," which the survey does not define.
• Father, we pray for revival in this nation. We pray that the influence of Hollywood and its values on our nation will end and that Christians will reclaim the ground that has been lost!
• "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil . . . if you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword"; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." (Isaiah 1:16, 20)
Note: Please see the article from Family Research Council, below, titled "Give Me That Ole Time Religion." This information will bring us a more accurate perspective on these polling results as we pray.
6. Why People Don't Heed Tornado Warnings - LiveScience Staff
When weather alarms go off and tornado sirens begin their baleful wail, some people run for shelter, while others try to ride out the storm. A new report from the National Weather Service sheds light on the reasons why some people don't heed the warnings. The report also found that many people minimized the threat of personal risk through a thought process called "optimism bias," the belief that such bad things only happen to other people.
• Father, we pray that we will have good weather this season. We also pray that people will head the warnings and take the right measures to ensure the protection of their lives and their family's lives.
• The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether . . . moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalms 19:9,11)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"Thus says the Lord GOD; I am not doing this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which you profaned among the gentiles, where you went. And I will sanctify My great name . . . and the gentiles shall know that I am LORD, says the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you [Israel] before their eyes." (Ezekiel 36:22-33)
1. Israel tells Clinton military option must remain on table - Ynet News
The identical message Israel's leaders made an effort to hammer home as they met with visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in rapid succession on Tuesday is that Israel expects US President Barack Obama's administration to lead the international charge against the Iranian nuclear threat.
2. PA official: Time to impose 2-state solution - Ynet News
Senior Palestinian Authority officials believe that now is the time to exert massive international pressure on Israel, following US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to the region and ahead of the establishment of a new Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu.
3. Report: Hizbullah now $1B richer - Ynet News
Hizbullah's treasury has recently received no less than USD 1 billion. The bulk of the sum, some USD 600 million, was transferred to the Lebanese terror organization from Iran in a bid to strengthen the former's standing prior to the upcoming general elections in Lebanon this June.
4. Iran using nuclear talks to buy time for bomb: Israel - AFP
Iran is trying to use the talks with Western powers on its nuclear ambitions to buy time to produce an atomic bomb, Israel's military intelligence chief said on Sunday.
5. EU report: Israel pursuing annexation of East Jerusalem - Jerusalem Post
An internal report by EU diplomats made public Saturday claimed Israel was undermining prospects for a Palestinian capital in east Jerusalem by building more housing for Jews there and demolishing Palestinian-owned homes.
6. White House Remains Quiet About Terrorist Attack in Jerusalem - WND
Government officials in Jerusalem are stunned the White House did not release a statement condemning last Thursday's bulldozer terrorist attack in the nation's capital. Two police officers were wounded when an Arab bulldozer driver overturned their police car and drove it into a bus before being shot dead by an armed taxi driver. No response to the terrorist incident came from either the White House or Clinton's State Department.
The First 100 Days
DAY 50
"The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases." (Proverbs 21:1)
1. Obama: Higher Education Standards Key to Keeping Country Competitive
President Barack Obama said the country must set higher education standards, including a quicker start for children in kindergarten and a much better high school graduation rate.
2. Bernanke: Financial Regulatory System Must Be Overhauled
WASHINGTON -- The nation's financial regulatory system must be overhauled to strengthen oversight of banks, mutual funds and large financial institutions whose collapse would put the entire economy in peril, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Tuesday.
3. Biden Warns of 'Deteriorating Situation' in Afghanistan
Vice President Joe Biden says the "deteriorating situation" in Afghanistan poses a security threat to every NATO country and beyond.
4. Obama to Outline Education Plan, Leave No Child Left Behind Intact
President will propose tightening standards for teachers and reducing the dropout rate for students as part of an education plan that will leave the Bush-era policy of No Child Left Behind largely intact.
5. Geithner Asks Democrats for Patience Over Grim Economy
WASHINGTON -- Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urged House Democrats to be patient with President Obama's young administration on Monday as lawmakers conveyed the frustrations of their economically anxious constituents. (All articles from Fox News)
Obama's "Perverted Science"
President of 'Hope' Gives Patients Anything But
Yesterday . . . "perverted science" took root in America in a powerful new way, as President Obama tore down the wall between the federal government and embryonic stem cell experiments. By executive order, he took the first step in overturning the restrictions on taxpayer-funded embryonic stem cell research. His decision will allow government agencies to use federal money to encourage experiments on innocent human life, abolishing a ban that Bush put in place in 2001.
Supporters of the decision are quick to point out that Americans won't be financing the death of embryos. Although we may not be funding the killing, we are funding the killers. For now, the one law that prevents Obama from using taxpayer dollars to fund the destruction of embryos directly is still in place. The Dickey-Wicker amendment, approved by Congress every year since 1996, bans the use of federal funds to create human embryos. Unfortunately, even that safeguard could be in jeopardy under the liberal majority. As with the other pro-life riders, Dickey- Wicker must survive the appropriations process--a feat that could now be monumentally more difficult. . . .
While the Obama administration and its supporters claim to be on the cutting-edge of science, the new President is pursing old technology. And thanks to the latest stimulus package, he will have at least $8 billion to do so. In a clever political move, Obama put the money in place at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) during the second "bailout," then moved ahead with rescinding Bush's restrictions. As he stated today, it will be up to NIH to decide in the next 120 days on the guidelines for ESC research.
Of course, scientists will lobby to obtain the money without strings or congressional oversight. According to the White House, their wish may be granted in the form of a presidential memo which Obama released today that seeks to insulate scientists from political accountability. In instances like this one, a lack of transparency is unacceptable, particularly when taxpayers are footing the bill. . . Please contact your leaders and urge them to uphold the ones that still exist. Urge them to right Obama's wrong by voting for the Patients' First Act. Instead of asking taxpayers to fund the destruction of life, this bipartisan bill would promote stem cell research that is making progress on principle. (Family Research Council; excerpt)
Give Me That Ole Time Religion
The Washington Post reported yesterday on a new survey of Americans' religious affiliation. Among the highlights: "The percentage of Americans who call themselves Christians has dropped dramatically over the past two decades," and "The only group that grew in every U.S. state since the 2001 survey was people saying they had 'no' religion." It sounded like bad news for faith--until we looked more closely at the numbers. This survey has now been done three times- -in 1990, 2001, and 2008, but the decline in people identifying as Christian and the increase in those with "no religion" took place between 1990 and 2001. From 2001 to 2008, the percentage of Christians dropped only from 76.7% to 76.0%, and the number with no religion increased only from 14.2% to 15.0%.
Thanks to the media sensationalism, a key fact of the survey was buried. Among Christians, 44% identify themselves as "born again or evangelical," including substantial numbers of "mainline" Protestants and Roman Catholics. The report says, "These trends also suggest a movement towards more conservative beliefs and particularly to a more 'evangelical' outlook among Christians," and it calls this an "important historical trend." Meanwhile, the biggest decline among Christians is found in the more liberal "mainline" denominations, which plunged from 17.2% to only 12.9% just since 2001. The biggest drop came in two of the most liberal denominations, the Episcopalian and United Church of Christ, and it's not unreasonable to suspect that their growing embrace of homosexuality and same-sex marriage is a big part of the reason. (Family Research Council)
Over His Head?
Is President Obama already overwhelmed by the burdens of the presidency? According to a report in the London Telegraph this weekend, he is, and that explains a series of mistakes he has made in these first weeks. The Telegraph article quotes numerous unnamed sources both in and out of government.
One source said, "Obama is overwhelmed," and can't "attend to economic issues" while also formulating "the national security agenda." A Democrat strategist quotes White House aides who say, "The president has regularly appeared worn out and drawn during evening work sessions with senior staff in the West Wing." They say he has had to "hurry back from eating dinner with his family to conduct urgent government business." Another strategist said of Obama, "There have been flashes of irritation when he thinks he's being pushed to make a decision sooner than he wants to make it."
Can this really be true? Less than 50 days in office and the president is already worn out? What happens if there is a 9/11-type crisis on top of what he is already dealing with? Many of us raised questions about whether Barack Obama was prepared to be president. Community organizer, state senator for eight years, United States Senator for four years. His résumé hardly inspires confidence. The world doesn't wait until a president is ready to govern.
The new president would be well advised to cancel his initiatives on socialized medicine and his planned environmental tax hikes until he gets his work load down to reviving our economy. (Gary Bauer; End-of- Day; March 10, 2009)
Good News Corner
Prayerfully Arranged Marriage
TGIF: Today God Is First
Volume 2
by Os Hillman
Wednesday, February 18 2009
"The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:16)
James Rutz, author of MegaShift, tells a wonderful story of God's supernatural hand in answering prayer.
"I have a good friend named Barclay Tait who sells vacation real estate in Niceville, Florida. Back in 1977, he was a 36-year-old Florida basketball coach. That summer, he decided to hitch-hike to a Christian conference in Front Royal, Virginia. Arriving four days early, he went to a nearby forest and pitched his tent by a stream. On the last day, a tall, thin hiker with a notebook under his arm suddenly appeared, startling him as he read his Bible. Barclay explained that he came out there to fast and meditate.
Dave, the hiker, replied, "Well, I'm an intercessor. What would you like me to pray for?"
Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, Barclay said, "Uh, frankly, I'd like prayer for a wife." The man wrote the request in his notebook and walked on.
By 1988, Barclay, now married to Sherry, has been divinely guided to move to Asheville, North Carolina. A chance encounter in the Holiday Inn parking lot led to an invitation to join a gathering of a Christian group outside of town. Arriving just before the 7:00 P.M. meeting, the host walks in from the kitchen and stops dead in his tracks. "I know you!" he exclaims, pointing his finger. "You're Barclay Tait!" Barclay draws a blank.
"Just a minute. I have something I want to show you," the host announces. He scampers upstairs, leaving the puzzled Taits standing in the middle of the suddenly hushed room. In a moment the host reappeared with a well-worn ledger book. "See here? This is where I wrote your prayer request in column one when I met you in Front Royal in 1977: 'Barclay Tait: God's choice for a wife.'" Barclay looked down at the journal entry. It was the most detailed, methodical prayer journal he'd ever seen.
"I prayed for you for seven years," proclaims Dave. "Then in the middle of the night on December 30, 1984, God woke me up out of a sound sleep and said, 'Write in your journal, "Prayer answered." So I did. See? Here in column two, "Prayer answered.'
Barclay and Sherry look at each other with their mouths open. They sat down, and their eyes fill with tears. Quietly, Barclay tells Dave, "That was the day we were married."
[Footnote from our Prayer Partner, RV, who submitted this story to us from the State of Texas]
Clearly, the Holy Spirit is telling us to not give up and faint, for those issues the Lord has placed on our hearts to keep praying for. If we keep praying the same old thing, without results, we're just filling up the bowls in Heaven and one day - a day of His choosing - it will be time and He will empty those bowls by answering our prayers.
AMEN!!!!
