In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• Russia: "Desperate Deal"
• S.O.S. on Hate Crimes Bill!
• New Landscape in the Senate
• Support Drops for Sotomayor
• A SERIOUS HOUR . . . A TIME TO REPENT
• Repentance: Step One
• The Good News Corner
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief - Tuesday, July 7, 2009
"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way." (2 Thess. 3:16)
The Daily Brief
1. Sarah Palin: 'I've Determined It's Best to Transfer the Authority of Governor' - CNS News
Gov. Sarah Palin (R.-Alaska) made a surprise announcement last wek that she was resigning her office, effective before the end of July, and that she will be replaced by Alaska Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell.
• Lord, we thank you for people who You are raising up to bring our country back to You. We pray for mighty wisdom to be on Sarah and for You to direct her steps. We pray she will have favor with everyone she meets. Raise up more people with Godly values to lead our nation back to you. In Your Name we pray, amen.
• "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14)
• Now the young woman Esther pleased the king, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. (Esther 2:9)
2. Thunderous applause greets Bush on July 4 - MSNBC
Former President George W. Bush was greeted by thunderous applause on the Fourth of July as he told thousands of spectators in a rural Oklahoma rodeo arena that the U.S. was "the greatest nation on the face of the earth."
• Lord, we thank you for President Bush and all his efforts during his time in office. He came during a very troubling time and held the reins during those turbulent times. Bless him and give us another great president, we pray. Amen.
• And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding. (Daniel 2:21)
3. Evangelist Warren to Muslims: Let's partner - MSNBC
Defying some of his fellow conservative Christian critics, one of the most prominent religious leaders in the country told several thousand American Muslims on Saturday that "the two largest faiths on the planet" must work together to combat stereotypes and solve global problems.
• Lord, Your word is very clear to us that while we are to be peace makers, we also cannot compromise what You have told us. We pray there will be not confusion over this and that You will block anything that is not of You.
• Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)
4. Honduras Standoff Heats Up - Wall Street Journal
Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya tried -- and failed -- to fly to this Central American nation on Sunday to reclaim his post, as clashes at the airport here appeared to lead to the first two deaths in the country's deepening political crisis.
• Lord, we pray for peace n this region and in this country. We pray that You will put in place leaders in Honduras that will be good for the nation and open to the gospel.
• When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. (Proverbs 29:2)
5. China won't press for new global currency at G8 - Sydney Morning Herald
China will likely push for a bigger voice for developing countries in international monetary policy at the G8 meeting this week, but a top Chinese diplomat said it won't raise its proposal for a new global currency to replace the dollar.
• Lord, we pray for those who are destroying our nation financially and spiritually to be removed from their place of authority. Raise up people who are wise and who serve You!
• O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. (Daniel 9:8)
6. G8 must back 'global deal to end hunger' - Scotsman
Leaders of the world's richest nations meeting at this week's G8 summit in Italy must put their weight behind "a new global compact to end hunger" if millions of people in poorer countries are to be saved from malnutrition, a report has warned.
• Lord, we pray for You to direct the actions of these countries in the G8 summit. We pray that everything that is righteous will be enacted toward the poor nations and there will not be any dishonesty.
• He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given. (Proverbs 19:17)
7. Obama to Meet Pope on July 10 - AFP
US President Barack Obama said in an interview published Friday he thought Pope Benedict XVI would "share my approach" on policy in the Middle East.
Obama, who is due to meet the pope on July 10, told Catholic Italian newspaper Avvenire he was keen to discuss the situation in the Middle East with the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
• If there be any plans afoot to divide Jerusalem, ask our Holy and our MIGHTY GOD to stop them . . . unless the time is to be fulfilled. May God yet have mercy upon our people.
• "A man's heart directs his way, but the LORD directs his steps." (Proverbs 16:9)
8. Obama Turns to Pope to Back Mideast Plan - Israel National News
U.S. President Barack Obama is turning to the Pope to back his vision of a new Arab state on all of Judea and Samaria and eastern Jerusalem. The president told the Catholic Italian newspaper Avvenire, one week before a scheduled meeting with the Pope in Italy, "It [the Middle East] is a subject I am keen to discuss with the pope. I think he will share my approach."
• "Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us." (Isaiah 8:10)
9. Jewish Three-Week Period of Mourning to Begin on Thursday, July 9 - Glory of Zion Ministries
In traditional Judaism the time period between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av is called 'bein ha Metzarim' which is translated between the narrow places or dire straits. It comes from Lamentations 1:3: 'Amidst affliction and harsh labor, Judah has gone into exile. She dwells among the nations; she finds no resting place. All who pursue her have overtaken her IN THE MIDST OF HER DISTRESS'. . .
As I was praying this morning for the word which came forth on Tuesday morning about walking in the narrow places so we can go higher I realized that the 17th of Tammuz begins next week (July 9) and that even in Judaism it is a 'narrow' place. We must watch that there are no breaches in our walls during this season. We must walk in faith and not in fear and grief. But just be aware of the narrow place and God's goodness in the narrow place." (Chuck Pierce)
• As the kings of the world gather this week in Italy, pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
• " . . .weep with them that weep." (Romans 12:15b)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the LORD,
give yourselves no rest,
and give him no rest till he establishes
Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth."
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the LORD,
give yourselves no rest,
and give him no rest till he establishes
Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth."
(Is. 62:6,7)
1. Report: Saudis Give Nod to Israeli Strike on Iran - Fox News
The head of Mossad, Israel's overseas intelligence service, has assured Benjamin Netanyahu, its prime minister, that Saudi Arabia would turn a blind eye to Israeli jets flying over the kingdom during any future raid on Iran's nuclear sites.
2. Iran ready for Israel attack on nuclear facilities - Ynet News
Iran is ready to take "real and decisive" action if Israel attacks its nuclear facilities, a senior Iranian parliamentary official said Monday.
3. Israel won't base submarines in Red Sea, official says - Ynet News
Israel has no plan to station submarines in Eilat, a defense official said on Sunday, playing down speculation the Red Sea port could become a forward base for naval attacks on Iran.
4. Netanyahu: Israelis support two states - Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's use of the words "two states for two peoples" at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting was "most certainly" the result of intensive efforts by the US to restart the diplomatic process with the Palestinians, senior diplomatic officials said Sunday.
5. IAF to train overseas in coming months in face of Iranian threat - Jerusalem Post
On the day that US Vice President Joe Biden seemed to give Israel a green light for military action to eliminate Iran's nuclear threat, The Jerusalem Post learned that the IAF plans to participate in aerial exercises in the US and Europe in the coming months with the aim of training its pilots for long-range flights.
Russia: "Desperate Deal"
Tom Rose and I interviewed Ralph Peters on the Bauer and Rose radio show last weekend. Peters retired from the U.S. Army in 1998 as a Lieutenant Colonel, and he is currently a military and intelligence analyst. This morning in the New York Post, he wrote about what Obama has just done in Moscow. Here are some of the excerpts from the article titled, "Desperate Deal."
"Obama went to Moscow desperate for the appearance of a foreign-policy success. He got that illusion- at a substantial cost to America's security.
- - We got nothing of real importance. But the government of puppet-master Vladimir Putin (nominally just Prime Minister) got virtually all it wanted. In Moscow, this was Christmas in July. . .
- - "[Obama] agreed to trim our nuclear warhead arsenal by one-third and-even more dangerously-to cut the systems that deliver the nuclear payloads. In fact, the Russians don't care much about our warhead numbers (which will be chopped to a figure "between 1,500 and 1,675). What they really wanted-and got- was a US cave-in regarding limits on our nuclear-capable bombers, submarines and missiles that could leave us with as few as 500 systems, if the Russians continue to get their way as final details are negotiated.
- - "Our problem is that many nuclear-delivery systems -- such as bombers or subs -- are 'dual-use': A B-2 bomber can launch nukes, but it's employed more frequently to deliver conventional ordnance. Putin sought to cripple our ability to respond to international crises. Obama, meanwhile, was out for 'deliverables' - deals that could be signed in front of the cameras. Each man got what he wanted."
"Obama also got some generalizations about North Korea and Iran, but no hard commitments. Russia-which designed many of Iran's nuclear facilities- wouldn't even promise to permanently deny Iran the sophisticated air-defense systems that would make it harder to hit Tehran's nuke sites. . . Great news for the Russian Federation. Bad news for America. Until an adoring media spins it of course." (Gary Bauer; End of Day; July 6, 2009)
S.O.S. on Hate Crimes Bill!
S.O.S. on 909!
Senate Armed Services Chair Carl Levin (D-Mich.) confirmed that a "hate crimes" bill will make its debut in a matter of days. Levin said he plans to attach an expansion of hate crimes law to the defense policy bill, meaning that a vote on the legislation, S. 909, could be as early as this week. Conservatives have been bracing for a fast and furious push, but we need you to engage immediately. Contact your senators today and urge them to reject the bill. Both Republicans and Democrats need to be reminded that our laws should not create special protections for people based upon their sexual behavior.
And don't assume that Democrats won't listen to your objections. There are plenty of Democrats who are either conservative or represent conservative states, and they can't afford to turn a deaf ear to voters. Sens. Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), Evan Bayh (Ind.), Mary Landrieu (La.), Byron Dorgan (N.D.), Bob Casey (Penn.), Tim Johnson (S.D.), Jim Webb (Va.), and Mark Warner (Va.) promised to govern from the middle. Ask them to prove it by voting against S. 909. (Family Research Council)
New Landscape in the Senate
Once a party reaches the magic 60-seat threshold, Senate rules tend to tip in its favor. In the House, where Democrats have a virtual stronghold, very little can stop the leadership's agenda. In the Senate, the landscape is a little different. Although 60 votes would end the GOP's hopes of filibustering legislation, the reality is that it will be extremely difficult for the leadership to persuade every Democratic Senator (particularly those from conservative states) to side with their radical policies.
Obviously, the addition of Sen. Franken will help Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on controversial issues like immigration reform, taxpayer-funded abortion, and Obama's health care takeover. But in the end, containing Al Franken's abrasive and unpredictable personality may be a bigger a headache than help to the Left. (Family Research Council; Washington Update; 7/6/09, excerpt)
Support Drops for Sotomayor
Public Support for High Court Nominee Drops
A new poll shows that U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor is falling out of favor with the American public, a development that may be tied to the current high court's reversal of one of her decisions.
The Rasmussen Reports survey found that 37 percent believe Sotomayor should be confirmed while 39 percent disagree. Those numbers contrast from two weeks ago, when 42 percent were in favor of confirmation, and 34 percent were in opposition.
The latest poll was taken two nights after a controversial ruling Sotomayor took part in as a judge on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was overturned by the Supreme Court. In that decision, Sotomayor was part of a three-judge panel that rejected claims of New Haven firefighters who said they were not getting promotions because they were white.
Gary Bauer, president of American Values, said support for Sotomayor has waned because more Americans recognize what really qualifies someone for a seat on the Supreme Court.
"I think the poll shows that the American people, in fact, have bought in to Martin Luther King's dream, which was a country where we judge people not based on the color of their skin, but on rational items -- their skills, their abilities and so forth," Bauer said.
Sotomayor's confirmation hearings are scheduled for next week. (Source: CitizenLink)
A SERIOUS HOUR . . . A TIME TO REPENT
"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:32)
Dear Friends,
REPENTANCE is a difficult topic . . . one that causes us to wriggle and squirm and suddenly find something else to do.
But REPENTANCE is the trumpet call of the hour: and from the Call2Fall on July 5th, all through this month to the National Day of Repentance (sponsored by Promise Keepers) on July 31st, the LORD is calling us to come "home" to Him.
All across our nation, the people of God are hearing the same message from the Throne Room of God. Here, for example, is one note we received recently from one of our own Partners in Prayer:
"As I read the Daily Brief - it comes to me again - THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE ENEMY IN HIS TRACKS is for a move of God in Revival for the weary and HOLY GHOST FIRE OF REVELATION to those who don't know Him. America must once again find her SPIRITUAL ROOTS - not only her Constitutional roots - to turn the tide of destruction.
We REALLY need to pray for these days of repentance before us."
Marsha
Yes, Marsha! WE AGREE! It is time to get right with God, to clean house, and to ask Him to teach us His ways. REPENTANCE CANNOT TAKE PLACE IN ONLY ONE SETTING, OR ON ONLY ONE DAY. REPENTANCE MUST BECOME A LIFESTYLE OF DEVOTION TO OUR LORD - in which we freely admit, every morning, that without His help and His Grace, we are powerless over the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil in our lives.
"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Corinthians 15:57)
In 1956, an evangelist by the name of E. Stanley Jones wrote a book called "The Way." The entire theme of this little book is on how to walk in an attitude of repentance, one day at a time. For the next ten days, we will share excerpts from Rev. Jones' book, called "Preparing Our Hearts to Enter In" - one step at a time.
God has also made a way for us to join in a solemn assembly of prayer and repentance on Friday, July 31st, at Fulsom Stadium in Boulder, Colorado. Sponsored by Promise Keepers, a National Day of Repentance has been called so that, together, we might walk out the mandate of 2 Chronicles 7:14.
And, in preparation for the National Day of Repentance on July 31st, may we recommend the following video? Go here.
In this desperate hour, let THIS be the cry of our hearts:
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. (Psalm 51:10-13)
Thank you, and may God be with you.
Sara Ballenger, Founder
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
Repentance: Step One
"PREPARING OUR HEARTS TO ENTER IN"
Step One: Consider Your Ways
As we consider our ways, we must ask our Lord to shine His searchlight upon our hearts to reveal the sin that so easily entangles us. As we do so, we may be tempted to shortchange the full blessing of this step in three ways:
a) You will be tempted to defend yourself. Emotional attachments gather around the old ways. Had they not done so, you would not have been able to remain in them so long. These emotional attachments gather reasons around themselves to justify themselves, as a magnet gathers iron filings. We think with our emotions in very large measure. We rationalize our wrongs, give excuses for the inexcusable, try to bolster up impossible positions by propping them up with props gathered from anywhere. ONLY THE TRUTH CAN MAKE YOU FREE.
b) You will be tempted to justify yourself. You will do so by looking at the actions of others -- "Everybody does it." You are not going to dodge into that road with a dead end; you are out for reality. The conduct of others cannot be your criterion. Christ is. You are going to be a person and not a thing.
c) You will be tempted to fasten upon marginal sins. You will try to confess only those "small" items, but leave the central ones alone. You will probably try to keep the self intact, central, and controlling, while you confess to sins of anger and impatience. You may be selfish in your business relationship and confess personal sins.
-- These three attitudes may keep you from a frank, honest-to-goodness appraisal. The first step to release is complete honesty.
"O Christ, Thou of the honest eyes and the honest attitude, help me have honest eyes and honest attitudes, for I would be free. Amen."
The Good News Corner
NEWARK: PRAYER UP, MURDER DOWN
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY HAD A PROBLEM, namely murders, reporting a devastating 107 of them in 2006 alone.
In response, Harvest Evangelism partners Drs. Lloyd and Joanne Turner, a husband-wife businessman and health-care professional, teamed up with Rev. Bernard Wilks and World Impact-Newark to attempt something big: enlist people to adopt the streets of Newark - every street - in daily prayer to reverse the staggering murder rate.
Did it work? Absolutely!
By the end of 2008, 33% of the streets were adopted, and the murder rate had dropped a corresponding 33%. That year, Newark led the nation in the reduction of murders. Crime rates have continued to drop in 2009, as total crime is down an additional 21% through April, with 49% of Newark's streets now adopted.
This is a sparkling reminder that wherever God's kingdom goes, death has met its match!
(Source: Harvest Evangelism)
