In This Issue• On Capitol Hill This Week: Vol. XVI, No. 19a
• This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .
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On Capitol Hill This Week - Volume XVI, Number 19a
June 15 - 19, 2009
June 15 - 19, 2009
INTERNATIONAL ISSUES
"The LORD Almighty is the One you are to regard as holy, He is the one you are to fear." (Isaiah 8:11-13)
1. OBAMA'S DANGEROUS POLICY AGAINST ISRAEL
2. MITCHELL: US-ISRAEL ALLIANCE INDISPUTABLE
3. NETANYAHU'S SPEECH OUTLINES ISRAEL'S PLAN FOR PEACE
4. SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR P.M. NETANYAHU AND FOR ISRAEL
5. WHITE HOUSE SAYS SPEECH "IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD" IN PEACE PROCESS
6. GUSH ETZION RESIDENTS: KEEP CARTER OUT OF OUR TOWNS
7. IRAN DECLARES WIN FOR AHMADINEJAD IN DISPUTED VOTE
8. US URGES NORTH KOREA TO END ITS PROVOCATIVE MOVES
9. PRESIDENT OF SOUTH KOREA TO VISIT WHITE HOUSE ON TUESDAY
10. CONSERVATIVE VICTORIES IN EUROPE THREATEN DEMOCRAT PARTY
1. OBAMA'S DANGEROUS POLICY AGAINST ISRAEL
Obama's speech last week in Cairo, Egypt was highly dangerous in that he did not say that America will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. During his presidential campaign, he said his administration would not allow Iran to possess nuclear weapons. As evidence of yet another broken campaign promise, Obama said in his Cairo speech that taking out a nation's nuclear weapons is not a decision left to one nation, but to a community of nations or words to that effect. Bill Kristol on Fox News Sunday yesterday said that Obama hardly mentioned anything about this serious threat from Iran during his Cairo speech.
Ultimately, if the United States does not act to eliminate Iran's nuclear weapons program or to assist Israel in doing so, Iran will actually use a nuclear weapon against Israel which will result in a loss of much of Israel's population. It will also result in a massive retaliation by Israel not only against Iran but against many other Muslim capitals and cities. (Christian Coalition of America) Read more.
• It's time to pray and to take action. Pray about the current president's view towards Israel - that God will yet turn his heart towards biblical truth. Then take action - contact your congressmen and senators saying that you want them to stand against any legislation that endangers Israel. God has blessed America because we have provided a safe home for the Jews, and we must not allow anyone to cause us to abandon our support of Israel.
• "The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect." (Psalm 33:10)
2. MITCHELL: US-ISRAEL ALLIANCE INDISPUTABLE
Special American envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell said on June 9 that the US commitment to Israel's security was unquestionable. Mitchell, who met with President Shimon Peres, added that the recent disagreement noted between Jerusalem and Washington was not a disparity between rivals, stressing that the United States and Israel were friends and allies and would stay as such.
Both countries, he continued, were working hard to reach a comprehensive peace agreement in the Middle East, one which would include a Palestinian state alongside Israel. The recent strain in relations, he added, has nothing to do with any change in US policies regarding Israel.
(By Ronen Medzini, Ynetnews.com, June 9, 2009) Read more. [Reported by: Bridges for Peace]
• Blessing Israel is a key to success. Pray that the United States and other national leaders will know the fear of the Lord in their Middle East negotiations.
• "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'" (Matthew 25:40)
3. NETANYAHU'S SPEECH OUTLINES ISRAEL'S PLAN FOR PEACE
Netanyahu: PA Must Defeat Hamas in Gaza Before We Negotiate
On Sunday evening at Bar Ilan University, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu delivered his long-awaited reply to U.S. President Barack Obama's historic Cairo speech. Netanyahu did say the words 'Palestinian state' which nationalists hoped he would not say. However, he also laid down stringent conditions for establishment of such a state, and -- arguably -- even for negotiations to take place.
Toward the end of the speech, Netanyahu said: "Above all else, the Palestinians must decide between the path of peace and the path of Hamas. The Palestinian Authority will have to establish the rule of law in Gaza and overcome Hamas. Israel will not sit at the negotiating table with terrorists who seek their destruction." This appears to indicate that the very act of restarting negotiations with the PA is conditional upon its defeating the Hamas terror militia in Gaza. (IsraelNN.com)
Other key points in this speech included the following:
1. Prime Minister Netanyahu is firm in his announcement that Jerusalem will remain united.
2. Prime Minister Netanyahu is firm on his demand that the Arabs must recognize and accept Israel as the Sovereign Jewish State that it is.
3. Prime Minister Netanyahu is firm in his decision to not evacuate a single Jew from Samaria and Judea...the Land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
4. Prime Minister Netanyahu is firm in his demand that a Palestinian State must be totally demilitarized.
4. SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR P.M. NETANYAHU AND FOR ISRAEL
[The following prayer requests, in the aftermath of this historic speech, have been issued by In The Cleft of the Rock Ministries, Israel.]
- Pray that the Netanyahu government would stand following this speech . . . that if there is any division that takes place it will be a division in the Kadima party with half of that faction moving to the right. Pray to shut down Tzippi Livni and to make her of no effect or influence in the opposition.
- Pray the favor of the Lord upon Netanyahu, as well as [giving him] the heart of King David against this Goliath.
- Pray for the steadfast courage of Judah Maccabee (the liberator of the Jews from the bondage of the Greeks) upon the Prime Minister tonight and in the days ahead.
- Pray that those who listen to the speech will hear through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Pray that his words would unite the Jews and bring them to new vision of the role, place, and reality of Israel as a nation.
- Release hope in the Lord to fall upon the Jews tonight.
- Pray that Netanyahu would inspire the Jewish people to arise and claim their nation and their right to self-govern the nation, for our own security and prosperity even if he angers the West and the Arabs.
- Bind down all retaliatory spirits that will try to arise as a result of this speech.
- Pray for absolute clarity tonight and absolute solidarity with the way, will and word of Israel's God.
• [For P.M. Netanyahu] "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him. The Lord is their strength, and He is the saving refuge of His anointed. Save Your people, and bless Your inheritance; shepherd them also, and bear them up forever." (Psalm 28: 7-9 NKJV)
5. WHITE HOUSE CALLS NETANYAHU SPEECH "IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD" IN PEACE PROCESS
The White House praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conditional endorsement Sunday of a Palestinian state as an "important step forward" in the Middle East peace process, even as Palestinian leaders condemned the prime minister's terms as unreasonable.
The conservative Israeli leader for the first time conditionally endorsed the creation of a Palestinian state. Speaking near Tel Aviv, he said Israel would be ready to accept such a state provided the Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people, as well as demilitarize their territories and offer security guarantees for Israel.
"The president welcomes the important step forward in Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in a written statement. "The president is committed to two states, a Jewish state of Israel and an independent Palestine, in the historic homeland of both peoples. He believes this solution can and must ensure both Israel's security and the fulfillment of the Palestinians' legitimate aspirations for a viable state, and he welcomes Prime Minister Netanyahu's endorsement of that goal."
Sunday's address was widely seen as a response to Obama's address to the Muslim world from Cairo more than a week ago. However, while Netanyahu said he supports the "idea of a regional peace that (Obama) is leading," he by no means echoed Obama's talking points on the matter. (Fox News)
• Be sure to review the key points in Mr. Netanyahu's speech (above, number 2) before praying over the White House's reaction to his statements. Pray that this initial positive statement, released by the Obama administration, not turn to the negative in the days ahead. All men want peace and good will; we rejoice that the Israelis are pointing the way to a real and lasing peace on their land. Amen.
• "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." (Matthew 5:37)
6. GUSH ETZION RESIDENTS: KEEP CARTER OUT OF OUR TOWNS
Three days after declaring that "Mideast peace is impossible without Hamas," and a day after receiving one of the highest awards bestowed by the Palestinian Authority, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is set to visit Neve Daniel in Gush Etzion on Sunday - and residents say they are very unhappy with the visit.
In a letter, a grassroots residents' committee urged residents to contact Gush Etzion Regional Council Head Shaul Goldstein, whose home Carter is supposed to visit Sunday, and express their disapproval of the meeting. Several petitions are being circulated condemning the visit. The committee's letter said that the former U.S. president, known for his hostility towards Israel, was trying to put on a guise of "even-handedness" in visiting a town in Judea and Samaria (Yesha), but "Carter is unfair and is far from being objective."
"Carter has always, and will always, speak up and defend those who wish to destroy the State of Israel. He pushes an anti-Israel agenda, while presenting himself as a good-willed broker who seeks peace and is ready to listen to 'both sides.' This makes him all the more dangerous," the letter added. The letter says that Carter long ago crossed the line, and that "he is a clear supporter of our enemies. Now he is attempting to present himself as an 'honest broker.' We cannot allow ourselves to be the instruments of his rehabilitation. We must tell him: 'You are working against the Jewish nation in its land, and you cannot be an honest broker.'"
Receiving the Palestinian Authority's International Award for Excellence and Creativity on Saturday, Carter said in Ramallah that he has "been in love with the Palestinian people for many years. I have two great-grandsons that are rapidly learning about the people here and the anguish and suffering and deprivation of human rights that you have experienced ever since 1948," he said. Adding that he supported fully President Barack Obama's call for a freeze in construction in communities in Judea and Samaria, Carter said that "in the future, I am sure, he will call for the dismantling of the settlements that exist." (Arutz News 6/14/09)
• Although former President Carter is a Sunday School teacher, he seems not to know that God loves Israel and that His Son is returning to Jerusalem to rule and reign there. Pray that Carter is driven by the Holy Spirit to learn the truth about Israel. Pray that the letter from the Israelis reaches Carter so that he can understand what a mess he is making in this conflict and repent for his trying to find favor with terrorists and giving false hope to the Palestinians. Praise the Lord for the alertness of the residents of Gush Etzion.
• ". . . that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you [Jimmy Carter] the spirit of wisdom and the revelation of the knowledge of Him." (Ephesians 1:17)
7. IRAN DECLARES WIN FOR AHMADINEJAD IN DISPUTED VOTE
Iran declared President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner Saturday of an election that pitted the conservative establishment against candidate with broad backing from the country's youth. Riot police attacked opposition supporters, beating them with clubs and smashing cars.
Demonstrators wearing the trademark green color of Mir Hossein Mousavi chanted slogans condemning the results that gave 62.6 percent of the vote to Ahmadinejad. Protesters set fire to tires outside the Interior Ministry in the most serious unrest in Tehran in a decade. Police attacked the demonstrators near the Interior Ministry, where the election results were announced, beating them with clubs and smashing cars. Police also moved to disperse any large gatherings of people around the city. An Associated Press photographer saw a plainclothes security official beating a woman with his truncheon.
Interior Minister Sadeq Mahsouli, who supervised the elections and heads the nation's police forces warned people not to join any "unauthorized gatherings" as he gave detailed results for the elections. "If there are gatherings in some places, people should not join them," he said. "Lets not give opportunities to people who aren't affiliated to any candidates." He added that in Tehran itself, Mousavi won more votes than the incumbent. Overall, however, Mousavi only took 33.75 percent of the vote in a contest that was widely perceived to be much closer than the official results. (Associated Press)
• Pray for truth to be revealed in the Iranian elections, because many of the citizens do not support Ahmadinejad and his radical, often bizarre, thinking. Pray against the violence being exercised against the people. Pray for the establishment of freedom of speech in Iran and ask the Lord to protect our freedom of speech here in the United States. Ask the Lord to erase from the thoughts of Iranians the idea of "divine assessment," for there is nothing divine in Iran.
• "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord." (Psalm 24: 4, 5a)
8. US URGES NORTH KOREA TO END ITS PROVOCATIVE MOVES
Dialogue Not Ruled Out
Senior U.S. diplomats pressed North Korea to halt its belligerent behavior and return to nuclear disarmament talks even as the isolated communist nation pushed ahead with preparations to launch a long-range ballistic missile.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and a team of top envoys visited Seoul during an Asian tour to seek a unified response to Pyongyang's May 25 underground nuclear test and subsequent missile launches. The U.N. Security Council meanwhile continued to discuss how to punish the North. The latest missile, believed capable of reaching the U.S., was being assembled under cover at a newly completed facility in Dongchang-ni near China, according to South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo newspaper. Earlier reports said it could be ready for launch in a week or two. [World News]
• Continue to pray for a miracle in this tense situation. Only God knows how to soothe the troubled souls of North Korea's president Kim Jong-Il and his advisors. Pray for a miracle.
• " . . . 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)
9. PRESIDENT OF SOUTH KOREA TO VISIT WHITE HOUSE ON TUESDAY
New Sanctions Considered Against North Korea
New sanctions being considered against North Korea include curtailing its financial dealings with the outside world, freezing company assets and enforcing an arms embargo, U.N. diplomats said Wednesday.
The likelihood of unified Asian support for new sanctions remained uncertain. Japan has already come out in favor of tough sanctions, but South Korea has been more restrained because of fears of chaos on its northern border. China has also expressed hesitancy about strong sanctions.
China - Pyongyang's closest ally and main aid provider - is a key player in any action on the North, and Obama discussed the nuclear crisis with Chinese President Hu Jintao in a phone call early Wednesday, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. But China and Russia, key allies of Pyongyang, have raised questions about some of the proposals, diplomats said on condition of anonymity because the consultations are private.
South Korea meanwhile moved to further coordinate its response with the U.S., its prime ally. Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan left for Washington to consult with his counterpart and prepare for a June 16 summit between Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. Reports have suggested that North Korea may try to time its next missile launch to coincide with the summit. (World News).
• Pray over that last statement, highlighted in red. On May 18, we informed the nation of Israel that it had to "stand down" from defending itself against a nuclear neighbor, at least for now, to give diplomacy a chance to work to bring peace. Less than one month later, we face our own possible nuclear disaster at our own border. Pray for mercy . . . for we may have to reap what we have sown.
• "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." (Gal. 6:7)
10. CONSERVATIVE VICTORIES IN EUROPE THREATEN DEMOCRAT PARTY
The world conservative movement won a huge victory in Europe this past weekend because European voters rejected left-wing take-overs of businesses and huge government spending to combat the severe world-wide recession. They are rejecting the Nanny state said Glenn Beck on his show on Monday.
Considering that those socialist policies are exactly what the Obama administration is forcing upon America -- with the help of an extreme left-wing United States Congress -- the European election results portend disastrous consequences for the Democrat Party in next year's congressional elections -- unless the "Blue Dog Democrats" and others with common sense stop their party's rabidly partisan and ideological leadership.
The center-right elected candidates picked up 267 seats in the European Parliament. On the other hand, the center-left politicians won only 159 seats. Daniel Hannan, conservative British Member of the European Parliament, said on the Glenn Beck Show on Fox News this past Monday that people make a mistake when they assume that liberal democracies are a permanent fixture in Europe. (Christian Coalition of America).
• Praise the Lord that Europeans are finding the common sense to realize that socialism just doesn't work for very long, that initiative is deadened by socialism, and that economies go flat. Praise the Lord for the intellectual and creative gifts that He has given us to grow not only as individuals but also as nations. Pray that Americans still have enough sense to see truth and not entitlement from the government. Plead with the Lord that Americans remain ever vigilant to the actions of the three branches of our federal government.
• "Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." (Isaiah 9:7)
On Capitol Hill This Week: Vol. XVI, No. 19b
DOMESTIC ISSUES
"The LORD Almighty is the One you are to regard as holy, He is the one you are to fear." (Isaiah 8:11-13)
1. HEALTH CARE ISSUES
2. HATE CRIMES/"GAY RIGHTS" ISSUES
3. PRO-LIFE ISSUES
4. OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
5. OTHER ISSUES TO NOTE
A. HEALTH CARE ISSUES:
1. OBAMA PUSHING CONGRESS TO PASS HEALTH CARE BILL BEFORE AUGUST RECESS
When the President's push for the stimulus package ran into opposition in Congress a few months ago, he hit the road campaign-style. Yesterday he took this same approach by holding a townhall meeting in Green Bay, Wisconsin as questions mount about his massive health care "reform" bill. Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, the Democratic leadership released a timeline for action on the legislation that leaves little time to read the 615-page bill.
According to sources on the Hill, the President is pushing for the bill's passage before Congress adjourns in August for their summer break. Meanwhile, confusion still lingers over how much the reform would cost, what it will achieve, and how it would protect the fundamental values of life and conscience. The only thing that was clear after Thursday's chat is that the administration has no intention of slowing down this train to address the uncomfortable details. (Family Research Council)
• In our opinion, the bigger the outlay, the more careful one must be in determining its parameters. Why is the Obama administration once again seeking to rush a bill through Congress that would essentially overhaul the entire health care system in our nation? Wouldn't a program this huge deserve more time to consider? Pray that this Congress would not cave into the intimidating tactics of the White house to pass this health care package, but would rather take its time and do it right. Pray!
• "There is a way that seemeth right to a man, but the end thereof is death." (Proverbs 14:12)
2. CO-OP COMPROMISE GIVES WHITE HOUSE A HEALTH OPTION
With opposition to a new government-sponsored health plan strengthening, some Democrats in Congress are advancing alternatives they say will help cover millions of today's uninsured without excessive government involvement. Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) has been meeting with Senate Republicans to discuss his idea for health care cooperatives. The idea echoes the Depression-Era example of rural electric cooperatives, which have brought power to smaller and remote communities across the U.S.
The distinctive features of these co-ops include the facts that they are nonprofit, owned by their consumer-members, and self-governing. Senate Democratic leaders have directed Conrad to work with Sen. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) on the idea, which faces opposition from Senate liberals who want a government-owned plan to compete with the private sector and view Conrad's proposal with suspicion.
Several Republicans who oppose a public plan are said to be intrigued by the Conrad co-ops, but there are many issues. Schumer reportedly wants government officials to manage the co-ops. What about the scope of services to be covered under government mandates? Will there be many regional co-ops, or just a national entity? Conservatives favor more such alternatives, but federal and state rules already limit consumer access and make new health entities hard to form. Conrad says the co-ops may need federal start-up capital. Can Uncle Sam's helping hand really avoid becoming a heavy hand? Will that heavy hand force taxpayers to directly subsidize abortion for the first time in over 30 years? (Family Research Council; Associated Press)
• There will doubtless be many ideas put forward before we get to the end of this "reforming health care journey" -- and one of them may be to not reform this system, after all. Pray for GRACE and for WISDOM for every member of Congress -- both House and Senate -- as they weigh the numerous options in this complicated health care debate. Ask that they be given "just enough light for the next step," as the rabbis did of old.
• "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105)
3. U.S. DEBT GROWS; U.S. DEBT IS AT $1 MILLION PER FAMILY
Today, President Obama trekked to Chicago, where he tried to convince the nation's biggest physicians' association that overhauling the country's health care system could also cure the economy. His reform plan is "the single most important thing we can do for America's long-term fiscal health," he told members of the American Medical Association (AMA).
Sound familiar? The President said the same thing about his economic "recovery" package, which was supposed to be the silver bullet for the country's worst recession since the 1930s. "The economy is very sick," Obama said in January. "The situation is getting worse . . . We have to act and act now." Well, act they did. But months later, the American markets are still in critical condition, and a massive health overhaul topping $1 trillion is no remedy.
Naturally, the AMA's doctors are skeptical about the President's government-run plan--and so are economists, who recognize that Congress would be committing money for reform that it simply does not have. Of course, it doesn't help the administration's cause that new numbers are circulating about Washington's spending binge. According to the New York Post, former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker now estimates the national debt at $1 million per family! When Walker crunched the numbers for federal, state, local, and private debt, it adds up to $75 trillion in obligations--or $250,000 per man, woman, and child in the country. So by all means, let's keep spending!
With this gigantic burden already bearing down on families, how likely are voters to support another $1 trillion health reform boondoggle? According to a Rasmussen Report, nearly half of Americans (45%) are already calling on the administration to cancel the stimulus spending, agreeing that it hasn't produced the jobs or financial rebound the White House promised. Imagine their remorse if a public health option further erodes our freedom. (Family Research Council)
• Lord, please give us wisdom so that we will not be overwhelmed by earthly things and do not trust the shelter of Your hand. We pray that those in authority will be awakened to the dangers of relying on earthly powers for our sustenance.
• "Abandonment to earthly things is a state of enmity to God. Such a mind does not submit to God's Law, and indeed cannot do so." (Romans 8:7)
B. HATE CRIMES/"GAY RIGHTS" ISSUES:
1. HATE CRIMES BILL TO BE SMUGGLED THROUGH SENATE AS A LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENT
The US Senate intends to smuggle controversial hate crimes legislation into federal law by passing it as an amendment to another major piece of legislation instead of a stand-alone piece of legislation, according to remarks by a representative of a major homosexual organization. "We understand that Senate leadership does not believe a hearing or mark up on the bill is necessary and plans to bring it directly to the floor as an amendment to another moving vehicle," said Trevor Thomas, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), in a statement provided to the Washington Blade, a homosexual news journal.
Although the US House of Representatives had passed H.R. 1913, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, as a stand-alone bill by a 249-175 margin in April, the Senate leadership had until lately been debating how to pass its version S. 909 - either as a stand-alone piece legislation which could attract opposition and a possible filibuster, or as an amendment. Thomas told the Blade that the senate had opted for the latter as "the most efficient way" to guarantee the measure arrived as quickly as possible at President Barack Obama's desk for signature.
The HRC told the Blade that they are pushing to have the legislation approved before the end of the August session. It stated that senators in favor of the "hate crimes" bill are looking for "any and all options" as vehicles for the passage of the amendment. (LifeSite News) Read more.
• Please call the offices of your senators to tell them to not vote for any legislation that promotes "Hate Crimes," whether as 'stand alone' resolution or as an amendment. If necessary, remind your senators' offices that the senators represent the electorate, not Harry Reid nor the president. Stand for the truth and God's principles. Be bold, for we cannot allow our freedom of speech to be violated in any way. There is no viable reason for the passage of this bill.
• "Therefore, to him that who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." (James 4:17)
2. S. 424; H.R. 1024: "UNITING AMERICAN FAMILIES ACT"
This past week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on a bill called the "Uniting American Families Act," legislation that would allow homosexual "partners" to immigrate to the United States just like the spouses in a traditional marriage. In other words, it's another way to slowly chip away at federal laws that define traditional families in America.
And US Senator Chuck Schumer (NY) recently announced he has changed his position and is now in favor of full "gay marriage" - and overturning the 1996 Federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The Senate version of this bill is: S.424 and the House version is H.R. 1024.
Their language is identical: "A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate discrimination in the immigration laws by permitting permanent partners of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the same manner as spouses of citizens and lawful permanent residents and to penalize immigration fraud in connection with permanent partnerships." (Christian Coalition of America; Library of Congress)
• Pray that both bills die in committee.
• "In the evening it is cut down and withers." (Psalm 90:7)
3. CITIZENS PROTEST NAMING OF GAY ACTIVIST TO KEY EDUCATION POST
The Department of Education is doing its best to shut conservatives out, but that only means we have to speak louder! Earlier this week I shared with you that Education Secretary Arne Duncan had chosen homosexual activist Kevin Jennings to head the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools. We asked you to contact Secretary Duncan and voice your concern about his past, which includes founding the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), an endorsement of the book Queering Elementary Education, and his failure to report sexual abuse to the authorities.
Thousands of you contacted Duncan, and as a result the Department of Education (DOE) began blocking emails that came through FRC. We received lots of complaints at our offices yesterday that people were unable to get through the DOE's server. Apparently, officials there tried to filter out your complaints. (Family Research Council)
• Once again, men are calling good evil, and evil good. This is getting to be a disease in our day . . . Pray that this appointment be nullified and that only a man or a woman be chosen to fill this post. Pray!
• "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! " (Isa. 5:20) "And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck." (Mark 9:42)
C. PRO-LIFE ISSUES:
1. H.R. 2458 : "SCHOOLCHILDREN'S HEALTH PROTECTION ACT"
It is outrageous that school-based health clinics are receiving American tax dollars to distribute the "morning-after pill" or as the abortion industry calls them: "emergency contraception." Colorado Republican Congressman Doug Lamborn has introduced a bill -- which has 44 original co-sponsors -- called the "Schoolchildren's Health Protection Act."
What is equally outrageous is the fact that before an aspirin can be given to schoolchildren, permission from their parents or guardians must be obtained. Yet, the "morning-after pill" -- what some call the "abortion pill" -- can be given to children without their parents knowing. These dangerous pills can induce chemical abortions.
The Lamborn bill will ban public schools from distributing the "morning-after" pill. If schools fail to comply and continue distributing the "morning-after" pill, these schools will lose federal funding. Americans who are concerned about the distribution of such dangerous drugs to their children, with taxpayer money, and most of the time without their parents knowing, need to demand that the United States Congress pass this commonsense legislation. (Christian Coalition of America)
• Gracious Heavenly Father, we ask that You will continue to guard, guide and protect our nation's youth from this infanticide. Our children need to know the truth: that only abstinence works to prevent getting pregnant, and that they need to reserve sexual relations until marriage. May youth know that this is for their mental, spiritual and physical well-being. And, please bless Congressman Lamborn for caring to write the "Schoolchildren's Health Protection Act." In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
• "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man' but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what yu are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (1 Corin.10: 13)
2. H.R. 2410: BILL SEEKS TO PROMOTE OVERSEAS ABORTIONS
Family advocates are concerned about legislation that would promote abortion overseas through the creation of an Office for Global Women's Issues. The bill to create the office, H.R. 2410, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, passed the House and now moves on to the Senate for a vote.
U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, stated that the new office, if created as now conceived, runs counter to what's good for women. "At precisely the same time as President Barack Obama continues to assiduously assure Americans, including graduates at Notre Dame University last month, that he wants to reduce abortion at home and abroad," Smith said, "his administration is aggressively seeking to topple pro-life laws in sovereign nations -- a clear, deeply troubling contradiction."
Smith also pointed out that even Planned Parenthood's Guttmacher Institute admits that in most countries, after abortion is legalized, the incidence of abortion rises sharply for several years. "Contrary to what President Obama says about reduction," he said, "the numbers go up." (CitizenLink)
• Congress has the choice to rein in the pro-abortion ideology by demanding abortion neutrality in the language creating the Office for Global Women's Issues. Pray they choose WISELY.
• "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live . . . " (Dt. 30:19)
D. OBAMA ADMINISTRATION:
SENATOR ROBERT BYRD: "OBAMA IN POWER GRAB"
President Obama appointed Washington Lawyer Kenneth Feinberg as "Pay Czar" today, a "Special Master" charged with vetting compensation for executives of large corporations that have received federal bailout funds, including AIG, Citigroup and Bank of America. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner held a press conference to outline the "Special Master's" new regulatory powers. (USA Today 6/10/09) Foreign Policy magazine columnist David Rothkoph pointed out in mid-May that, with the appointment of "Border Czar" Alan Bersin, the Obama administration had matched the number of czars produced during the reign of the Russian Romanov Dynasty, a mere 18. None of the Obama czars were vetted nor approved by the Senate. The Razor blogger Scott Kirwin facetiously announced on May 29th that President Obama had created a "Czar czar" to oversee the growing number of these non-Cabinet level "top" officials who were not vetted or approved by the U.S. Senate and yet have incredible power and authority to shape national policy.
In a letter to the President Obama, Byrd, a Democrat, said that the czar system "can threaten the Constitutional system of checks and balances," Byrd added that oversight of federal agencies is the responsibility of officials approved by the Senate. "As presidential assistants and advisers, these White House staffers are not accountable for their actions to the Congress, to cabinet officials, or to virtually anyone but the president," Byrd wrote. "They rarely testify before congressional committees, and often shield the information and decision-making process behind the assertion of executive privilege. In too many instances, White House staff have been allowed to inhibit openness and transparency, and reduce accountability." Sen. Byrd (91) has been hospitalized since May 15, first for an "elevated temperature" and then for a continuing staph infection. He has been a longtime critic of policies that concentrate power in the executive branch. He often fought with the Bush Administration and his letter to President Obama shows that he doesn't mind going after a president from his own party. (CBS 6/10/09) Read more. [Reported by: Intercessors for America]
• Offer thanksgiving for Sen. R. Byrd's warning about the unconstitutional nature of this growing number of "czars."
Pray that the names, functions and powers of all such "invisible, anonymous and unaccountable" Obama officials be revealed and brought into congressional and public scrutiny and under constitutional "checks and balances."
Pray for the exposure of hidden agendas by these czars.
Pray that all the unconstitutional "remaking of America" by the Obama/Biden administration be exposed and ended.
Pray against the secret employment of Islamic jihadists in the Obama/Biden administration and in Washington, DC.
• "Again, I tell you that 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)
2. NAPOLITANO ADDS ADVISER WITH TIES TO TERROR BACKERS
Swears in leader of Arab group that hailed jihadists as 'heroes'
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano swore in to her official advisory council the head of an Arab American organization whose officials have labeled deadly anti-U.S. jihadists as "heroes" and opposed referring to Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Last week, Napolitano swore in Damascus-born Kareem Shora, the ADC's national executive director, to a position on the Homeland Security Advisory Council, an outside-the-department group of national security experts that advises the secretary. Shora is the first Arab rights advocate on the panel. At the ceremony in Albequrque, Shora reportedly recounted how he watched with his immigrant father Obama's address last week to the Muslim world. Shora said his father cried when he heard Obama's message of reconciliation.
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, or ADC, also has close ties to anti-Israel professor Rashid Khalidi, whose association with President Obama - first exposed by WND - stirred controversy during last year's presidential campaign. The ADC also leads the opposition to domestic anti-terrorism measures taken after the 9-11 attacks, such as watch lists, background check delays for visas and an initiative meant to more comprehensively screen visitors from select Mideast countries or specific individuals labeled as possible national security threats. (WorldNetDaily) Read more.
• Pray that each and every member of the Obama administration be vetted carefully and properly, especially by tnose who have been charged with overseeing our own national security. Ask that those who would function as quiet "sleeper cells" against our own best interests be found out, rooted out, booted out, and cast out. Pray for their souls.
• "For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open." (Mark 4:22)
3. OUSTED AMERICORPS WATCHDOG DEFENDS WASTE PROBE
An inspector general fired by President Barack Obama said Friday he acted "with the highest integrity" in investigating AmeriCorps and other government-funded national service programs. Gerald Walpin said in an interview with The Associated Press that he reported facts and conclusions "in an honest and full way" while serving as inspector general at the Corporation for National and Community Service. In a letter to Congress on Thursday, Obama said he had lost confidence in Walpin and was removing him from the position.
Obama's move follows an investigation by Walpin's finding misuse of federal grants by a nonprofit education group led by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, who is an Obama supporter and former NBA basketball star. Johnson and a nonprofit education academy he founded ultimately agree to repay half of $847,000 in grants it had received from AmeriCorps. Walpin was criticized by the acting U.S. attorney in Sacramento for the way he handled the investigation of Johnson and St. HOPE Academy.
"It is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as inspectors general," Obama said in the letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Vice President Joe Biden, who also serves as president of the Senate. "That is no longer the case with regard to this inspector general." The president didn't offer any more explanation, but White House Counsel Gregory Craig, in a letter late Thursday to Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, cited the U.S. attorney's criticism of Walpin to an integrity committee for inspectors general. [Associated Press] Read more.
• Pray for the truth to be exposed in Walpin's dismissal, for on the surface Mr. Obama's firing of Walpin does seem to be politically motivated. Lift up Sen. Grassley to the Lord so that he has the courage and strength to continue to demand that the president follows the law in expressing in writing the reasons for Walpin's dismissal.
• "For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." (Revelation 3:17)
E. OTHER ISSUES TO NOTE:
1. ELIMINATING RELIGION IN THE U.S. CAPITOL BUILDING
United States Senator Jim DeMint (R - SC) and Congressman Dan Lungren (R - CA) are trying to return God to the public square; in this case to the United States Capitol Building. Incomprehensively, the bureaucrats running the show at the U.S. Capitol Building seemed to forget that this nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles when they built the new Capitol Visitors Center (CVC). Sen. DeMint introduced a resolution which tells the Architect of the Capitol to engrave America's national motto, "In God We Trust," and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag inside the gigantic CVC.
Congressman Lungren's resolution, H. C. Res. 131, will force the Architect of the Capitol to have engraved in the CVC, the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. The Cybercast News Service (CNS) reported yesterday that the resolution approved by the House Administration Committee on Wednesday also corrects a mistake in the visitor center, which wrongly identified the National Motto as "E Pluribus Unum" - Out of many, one.
After the DeMint and Lungren resolutions are signed into law, members of Congress must ensure that "In God We Trust" is etched permanently in the most prominent place in the Capitol Visitors Center. (Christian Coalition of America)
• Praise the Lord that our Congress has members who believe in God and are ever alert to the shenanigans of those who do not know the Lord or simply do not care. You might want to call the offices of DeMint and Lungren to thank them. If you visit the Capitol, note that the tour guides know little about the Judeo-Christian faith expressed in many of the paintings and the statues.
• "Restore to me [the Capitol] the joy of Your salvation and uphold me [America] with Your generous Spirit." (Psalm 51:12)
2. JEWS ARE "VERY CONCERNED" ABOUT OBAMA, LEADER SAYS
President Obama's strongest supporters among Jewish leaders are deeply troubled by his recent Middle East initiatives, and some are questioning what he really believes, Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, tells Newsmax in an exclusive interview.
Though Hoenlein says he is only offering his personal views, the conference he represents is a political powerhouse that includes 50 major Jewish groups. Among them are the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), B'nai B'rith International, the American Jewish Congress, the American Jewish Committee, the Zionist Organization of America, Hadassah, and the Anti-Defamation League. Hoenlein has been the professional head of the conference since 1986, overseeing its day-to-day activities as the coordinating body for American Jews on issues of concern in the U.S. and globally. (Newsmax) [Read more]
• Offer praise that this very special group of people are beginning to "see through" the slick and deceptive ways of this president. Ask that they be granted even greater discernment in the days ahead, and that others in our nation will follow suit! There may yet be time to turn this thing around, after all!
• "And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken. The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly." (Isaiah 32:3,4)
3. MILITARY HUSH-UP: INCOMING SPACE ROCKS NOW CLASSIFIED
For 15 years, scientists have benefited from data gleaned by U.S. classified satellites of natural fireball events in Earth's atmosphere - but no longer. A recent U.S. military policy decision now explicitly states that observations by hush-hush government spacecraft of incoming bolides and fireballs are classified secret and are not to be released, SPACE.com has learned.
The satellites' main objectives include detecting nuclear bomb tests, and their characterizations of asteroids and lesser meteoroids as they crash through the atmosphere has been a byproduct data bonanza for scientists. The upshot: Space rocks that explode in the atmosphere are now classified.
"It's baffling to us why this would suddenly change," said one scientist familiar with the work. "It's unfortunate because there was this great synergy . . . a very good cooperative arrangement. Systems were put into dual-use mode where a lot of science was getting done that couldn't be done any other way. It's a regrettable change in policy."
Scientists say not only will research into the threat from space be hampered, but public understanding of sometimes dramatic sky explosions will be diminished, perhaps leading to hype and fear of the unknown. ( http://www.Space.com )
• We don't know about you, but we would kind of like to know what's going on out there, in God's universe! Please join us in praying that this ruling would be reversed. Thank you!
• "Ask, and ye shall receive . . ." (John 16:24)
This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .
ALMIGHTY (Shadi)
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 91:1)
How I praise You, El-Shadi, Almighty, maker of heaven and earth! There is peace in my soul when I come into Your secret place. There is no other place that I would rather be than under Your shadow. Thank You for Your ever-present protection over my life, El-Shadi, Mighty God of Israel. Amen.
(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)
