In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• EMERGENCY ALERT: HEALTH CARE BILL
• Rallying for Family Health
• Americans Reject Socialism
• THIS JUST IN
• THIS JUST IN #2
• The Good News Corner
• Quote of the Day
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief - Thursday, July 30, 2009
"Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand." (Matthew 3:2)
PLEASE NOTE:
Tomorrow is the National Day of Repentance, across our land. In honor of this time, we will NOT PUBLISH the Daily Brief on Friday, July 31st, choosing instead to draw aside and to seek our Lord in quiet prayer.
Thank you.
The Daily Brief
1. House Seems To Be Set on Pork-Padded Defense Bill - Washington Post
The Democratic-controlled House is poised to give the Pentagon dozens of new ships, planes, helicopters and armored vehicles that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates says the military does not need to fund next year, acting in many cases in response to defense industry pressures and campaign contributions under an approach he has decried as "business as usual" and vowed to help end.
• Lord, we pray that the Defense Bill will be properly administered, and any pork-laced portions be mitigated by wisdom. May You protect our military from lacking in any area, while keeping a balance of funds for appropriate items that are needed.
• "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." (Psalm 118:8)
2. US missile defense funding may increase - Jerusalem Post
The US House of Representatives is expected to overwhelmingly approve a defense spending bill Thursday that increases next year's funding of Israeli missile defense programs to $202 million dollars.
• Father, we thank you for this provision in the defense bill and ask that You preserve this portion. We pray that in the politics of all that is before the Congress, Your people Israel will be protected. We thank You for helping them understand the necessity of Israel, not only for the sake of America, but as Your Chosen people.
• "Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you." (Genesis 27:29c)
3. A) Lawmakers Cut Health Bills' Price Tag - Washington Post
Key lawmakers on Wednesday moved to cut roughly $100 billion from the cost of health-care reform proposals as they sought to break weeks of gridlock on President Obama's signature legislative initiative before Congress departs for a month-long recess.
B) Support Slips for Obama's Health Plan, With Recess on Horizon - Fox News
The longer the Democrats' health care plan sits on the table, the less the American people seem to like it, several recent polls suggest.
A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll conducted over the weekend found that more people think President Obama's health care proposal is a bad idea than a good one.
C) House Republicans unveil health care plan - AP
House Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a $700 billion health care plan that would offer tax credits to help people buy insurance, yet unlike Democratic proposals, wouldn't require either individuals or employers to get coverage.
• Lord, as this healthcare bill continues to be filled with hidden agendas and plans of the enemy, we ask that You make full disclosure to the American people. We thank You that many are beginning to see the dangers and are backing off from supporting the bill. We pray that You would guard the excellent health care available in America, and protect us from socializing and destroying the entire system.
• "Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it." (Jeremiah 5:1)
4. Conyers to Introduce Constitutional Amendment Making Health Care a 'Right' - CNS News
During his speech at a recent National Press Club luncheon, House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) said he is introducing a constitutional amendment that would establish health care as "a right" for all Americans.
• Lord, as high and lofty as this may sound to some, it is really a call for entitlement, or socialization for all. We ask that Mr. Conyer's amendment fall to the ground and be rejected by the legislature, so that personal liberty with responsibility will be restored as the baseline of our rights .
• "The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness." (Eccl: 10:13)
5. Schwarzenegger Vetoes $656 Million in Welfare, Signs California's $85 Billion Budget - NewsMax
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a revised $85 billion budget Tuesday that he said contains "the good, the bad and the ugly," including additional cuts to child welfare programs, health care for the poor and AIDS prevention efforts.
• Father, we again pray wisdom for Governor Schwarzenegger and the legislature of California, that they would respond with wisdom to their crisis. We ask, that in these cuts, foolish use of resources would be removed, yet compassion with wisdom would remain.
• "My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding." (Psalm 49:3)
6. US terror arrests spur warning to police - Jerusalem Post
Anti-terrorism officials are increasingly concerned about American-bred extremists who travel abroad for terror training and then return home, sometimes quietly recruiting followers over the years.
• Lord, we bind the lies and demonic forces that are turning any American citizens into terrorists. We thank You for revelation and cleansing in our nation. We take authority over all plans of the enemy in the Name of Jesus and speak truth and the conviction of the Holy Spirit into every situation. We loose Your Spirit to move in and among Americans of every background to change hearts and minds.
• "And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." (John 16:8)
7. Obama's 'Beer Summit' Effort to End Racial Dispute - Fox News
Can three guys sit down over a beer and close the nation's racial divide? Perhaps, but when President Obama hosts Harvard buddy Henry Gates and Cambridge cop James Crowley, they all might want to ask - what's on tap?
• We commend the president's desire to move towards healing the racial divide in our nation. Please pray that this "small step" in the right direction would be the beginning of a process of bringing racial reconciliation over time. Ultimately, it is not a beer that can finally resolve this thorny issue; instead, this raw wound can only be resolved by the work of the Cross in all of our lives.
• "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit." (Eph. 2:14-18)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mont Zion in the far north, the city of the great King. (Psalm 48:2)
1. Obama begins pressuring Arab leaders on deal with Israel - Ha'aretz
Freezing the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank was once seen as a unilateral Israeli obligation. But the Obama administration is now treating this as part of a package that will require concessions from Arab states as well.
2. Netanyahu okays swine flu vaccine purchase - Jerusalem Post
There is as yet no vaccine that protects against H1N1 "swine flu" virus, and Deputy Health Minister Ya'acov Litzman believes there won't be one available anywhere before the fall-winter regular flu season is under way. But Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who met with Litzman on Wednesday evening, said he had "decided to order vaccines for all Israeli citizens."
3. UN, aid groups: Let building supplies into Gaza - Jerusalem Post
UN agencies and two dozen international aid groups urged Israel on Tuesday to lift its blockade of Gaza or at least allow in construction materials to repair war-damaged schools.
EMERGENCY ALERT: HEALTH CARE BILL
[Please note: this article is a REPRINT from Monday's OCAP, Number 24a, Issue #1. Due to the URGENCY of this matter, we wanted to be sure that ALL OF YOU have read and taken note of the links below. Thank youl]
Shock: Inside the Healthcare Bill (H.R. 3200) - New York Times; Economic Policy Journal
It pays to take a look at what is actually in the healthcare bill. Peter Fleckstein is reading it and has been posting on Twitter his findings.
His research has since been confirmed by many others, including Matt Staver of Liberty Counsel.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE LIST OF CONCERNS ABOUT THIS BILL IS ENTIRELY TOO LONG FOR US TO PRINT HERE. WE URGE ALL OF OUR READERS TO READ AND STUDY THIS LIST FOR YOURSELVES, BY GOING HERE.
Each of these concerns are cited BY PAGE NUMBER in this mammoth bill, which is now 1,017 pages long!
• Please pass this information on to all who are in your own networks of prayer. As of today, the news on the Hill is that final action on this bill, in both the House and the Senate, WILL BE DELAYED until September. Praise God! Pray that MANY VOICES will be raised in concern for the impact that Obamacare will have upon every American citizen, and that, in the end, the LORD GOD JEHOVAH will BLOCK this bill from passing. Praise God!
• "Then it came about that when the ark set out that Moses said, 'Rise up, O Lord! And let Your enemies be scattered! And let those who hate You flee before You!'" (Numbers 10:35)
Rallying for Family Health
Just how concerned are Americans about the President's health care "reform"? Well, if last night's webcast is any indication, this issue has completely exploded. Thanks to all of you who tuned in, FRC Action had over 76,000 streams for Tuesday night's program, which featured a great mix of Hill insiders and health care experts. The demand for the webcast completely exceeded our expectations, so I apologize to those of you who experienced technical difficulties. Our servers were so overwhelmed that there was sometimes a delay for people trying to access the event. If you missed the program or if you didn't catch the whole stream, it's available in its entirety at www.frcaction.org/takeover.
Rest assured that we are working out the kinks so that our system can accommodate tens of thousands of viewers in the future. In the meantime, we're grateful to everyone who participated and appreciate your interest. The FRC team looks forward to keeping your family updated on this and other issues with more events like this one. You can also go to FRC Action's site and view our TV ad that was shown for the first time last night. (Family Research Council)
Americans Reject Socialism
As Americans Reject Socialism, Attorney General Says Citizens Are More Radicalized
At the same time new poll numbers are showing that the man who occupies the Oval Office is at his lowest approval ratings ever, the Attorney General is saying that he is deeply troubled over the rising radicalism of Americans. Not clear whether he was speaking entirely of the threat of Islamic terrorists or those who are pro-life, Christians as reported in the Administration's recent terrorist assessment, Attorney General Eric Holder told ABC News, "The constant scream of threats, the kind you have to be aware about, the whole notion of radicalization is something that didn't loom as large a few months ago . . . as it does now."
Obama has suffered a major setback. His approval numbers have fallen about 16 points since May. He is now saying that there may not be a vote on his socialized healthcare scheme until October. That this vote is pushed back means that Americans are pushing back hard on spending another trillion dollars of taxpayer money for socialized medicine. When things are going bad for politicians, they often hope for a diversion or they create one in order to get the public's attention. Call me cynical, but the timing of Eric Holder's ABC News remarks about the radicalization of America is not a random act. This Administration has downplayed all along the threat of Islamic terrorism to this nation.
Holder said that "the whole notion of radicalization is something that didn't loom as large a few months ago." It is no coincidence that a few months ago, Obama's approval ratings were at the top of the charts and his political clout looked unstoppable. Now that Americans are pushing back from radical healthcare reform, radical socialization and government takeover of major free market industries, it appears that the White House wants to point to American citizens as those who are becoming radicalized. Could it be the strategy of the Administration to paint as radical anyone who does not agree with the radical government agenda being thrust upon them?
It is no coincidence that Obama's popularity is running amuck in conjunction with the radical social and economic agenda he and Congress are implementing. It also may be no coincidence that the Attorney General is signaling to the news media that Americans are becoming radicalized during the same time White House approval ratings are dropping and its agenda is being delayed. This is also a sign that our efforts to educate people are reaching critical mass. 2 Timothy 4:2 says, "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." Now is the time to relate the day's events to the word of God to all you know.
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
THIS JUST IN
PRAYERSURGENOW HOSTS NATIONWIDE CALL TOMORROW MORNING
FOCUS: THE NATIONAL DAY OF REPENTANCE
All intercessors from Capitol Hill Prayer Partners are welcome to join this call.
FRIDAY MORNING, 7/31
7-9am Pacific, 8-10am Mountain,
9-11am Central, 10-12pm Eastern
Special Prayer Focus
Intercession for Days of Repentance & Promise Keepers
7/31 & 8/1
Boulder, CO
Conference Call & Access Numbers
1-712-432-9998 & 526338#
Alternate: 1-712-451-6000 & 274821#
(Please use *6 to MUTE & UNMUTE)
THIS JUST IN #2
Questions For Your Congressmen
(Source: Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families, Special Alert)
It's been a very busy time here in Washington. Fighting ObamaCare has dominated our work in recent days. In fact, we've published more than a dozen items on ObamaCare in this daily report in the past two weeks. We were able to stop the march of Big Government socialism for a while. But with news that the "moderate" Blue Dog Democrats have cut a deal with liberal House leaders, ObamaCare is on the move once again. The battlefield now shifts from Capitol Hill to each congressional district, and we're calling in reinforcements - YOU!
Yesterday, President Obama conceded that there probably won't be a vote on healthcare reform until "the end of September or the middle of October." That means you have August to attend town hall meetings with your representative and senators, stop by their congressional offices, write letters to the editor and educate your friends and family members about the dangers of ObamaCare. To help you in that effort, we've produced a short list of key concerns and questions, which are copied below. You can also find them posted online here . Please share this report with like-minded folks and those who may be undecided and willing to listen. Thank you for everything you do to defend our shared values in your community!
[A note from CHPP. We will print this article, in its entirety, on Saturday. In the meantime, here are the topics suggested. If you are interested in receiving Mr. Bauer's daily report by e-mail.]
Topics for your member of Congress and Senators
all addressing issues in H.R. 3200 -- the Health Care Plan
1. ABORTION
2. EUTHANASIA
3. COST
4. RATIONING CARE
5. MORE BURDENS ON SMALL BUSINESSES
6. QUALITY CARE
7. THE PEOPLE ARE BEING IGNORED
8. LOSS OF FREEDOM
9. RACIAL PREFERENCES
10. PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS
The Good News Corner
UPDATE: EMERGENCY APPEAL!
Dear Friends,
"Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the LORD!" (Psalm 150:6)
On Tuesday evening, July 14th, we issued an emergency appeal for help for this work, as our funds had become dangerously low. We want to thank ALL OF YOU for hearing, and for responding, to our plea for help. In only two weeks, you have opened your wallets and you have POURED INTO THIS WORK in GREAT PORTION, and in short time, too!
So, TODAY WE ARE STANDING IN VICTORY! May GOD be praised!!
I will be honest with you, though . . . I have sensed the enemy telling me to NOT report this good news to you, for "fear" that the saints will then cease giving into this work.
Well . . . get thee behind me, Satan!
We trust GOD to meet all of our needs, according to His riches in Glory, through Christ Jesus. Amen!
Although we are out of immediate danger, our needs for support will continue in the months ahead. And, bless God, the MATCHING GRANT is still in place through August 31st, so any offering given through the end of next month will continue to be "doubled" by the grace of God!
So, we close this update with a HUGE THANK YOU to those who have been able to help sustain us, and with a gentle reminder to all that, yes, our Summer Campaign remains in effect.
In these times of economic challenge, may God be glorified through the giving of His saints! Praise be to His Holy Name!!
Amen and amen,
Sara Ballenger and the team at Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.S. A special "thank you" also goes to those many of you who have taken the time to write a note of appreciation for our work. Your words are the "oil" that comforts and encourages us to keep on plowing here. . . one day at a time.
Every offering WILL be acknowledged with a return response, by the end of the summer!
