In This IssueThe Daily Brief
The Middle East in Focus
The Daily Jot
Thoughts on Prayer
The Good News Corner
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief - Tuesday, October 6, 2009
"And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven . . ." (Luke 21:11)
The Daily Brief
1. Obama Moves to Muzzle Top Military Commanders - NewsMax
In his speech, McChrystal defended his request for 40,000 more soldiers to wage a counter-insurgency campaign in Afghanistan, warning "a strategy that does not leave Afghanistan in a stable position is probably a shortsighted strategy."
· Heavenly Father, we pray that this attempt to derail the General's attempt at getting more troops will not succeed. We pray that generals will get the necessary troops and equipment to ensure success in Afghanistan. Protect our troops and give us the Victory, Lord!
· "When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
2. Gen. Petraeus Treated for Prostate Cancer - Yahoo News
WASHINGTON - Gen. David Petraeus, the Top U.S. commander for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February and has since undergone two months of radiation treatment.
· Heavenly Father, we thank you for Gen. Patraeus and his great ability to direct the wars. We pray that no weapon formed against Gen. Patraeus and all our troops will succeed. Let our army be one of mighty valor, favor, and protection!
· Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains. (1 Chronicles 12:8)
3. Barack Obama Cancels Meeting with Dalai Lama 'to Keep China Happy' - REUTERS
President Barack Obama has refused to meet the Dalai Lama in Washington this week in a move to curry favor with the Chinese. The decision came after China stepped up a campaign urging nations to shun the Tibetan spiritual leader. It means Mr. Obama will become the first president not to welcome the Nobel peace prize winner to the White House since the Dalai Lama began visiting Washington in 1991.
· Heavenly Father, we pray our government will no longer go out of its way to recognize and exalt other religions. We pray that our nation will be a strong Christian nation with believers full of faithfulness, obedience, and zeal for the Lord.
· He follows My decrees and faithfully keeps My laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign Lord.
4. AG: ACORN Embezzlement Totaled $5M, Not $1M - Fox News
Caldwell issued subpoenas in August seeking documents related to ACORN International then-President Wade Rathke and his brother, Dale Rathke, who kept the group's books. Those subpoenas targeted possible violations of state employee tax law, obstruction of justice and violations of the Employee Retirement Security Act.
But Caldwell said last month that the statute of limitations prevented prosecutors from taking action on the alleged embezzlement, and that his investigation was not focused on that issue.
· Lord, if there is any embezzlement or any corrupt actions taking place in ACORN or other agencies, we pray that the culprits will be caught and brought to swift justice. And we pray no loopholes will prevent them from being prosecuted.
· For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. (Psalms 37:9, 10)
5. D.C. to Introduce Same-Sex Marriage Bill - The Washington Post
Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill said it appears unlikely that Congress will block a bill to be introduced Tuesday that would allow same-sex marriages in the District.
"I hate to say this, but I think this is going to be rough sledding," said Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.). "I don't think [conservatives] are going to give us a pass. . . . I don't think we can always escape this issue coming to the floor."
· Heavenly Father, as gay activist seek to pervert our laws, we pray that their plans will be thwarted. Let them be surrounded by God's Word and His truth so they can come to repentance and salvation.
· You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice. (Exodus 23:2)
6. Vaccine Arrives as Flu Spreads - USA Today
"The level of activity we're seeing for this time of year is really unusual," said Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "We just really don't see the level of activity we're seeing."
· Lord, we pray for this season that people will not be overwhelmed by much flu and we bind it from spreading - especially to the weak. We pray a hedge of protection around our citizens and especially our troops so they will not catch the flu.
· Have You not made a Hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. (Job 1:10)
7. Sources: Plot Suspect Contacted Senior al-Qaida - MSNBC
Prosecutors said Zazi received explosives training at an al-Qaida training camp. They have accused him of planning an attack in New York, perhaps on the city's subway system around the anniversary of the 9/11 World Trade Center attack, using powerful homemade bombs of hydrogen and flour. Would-be shoe bomber Richard Reid attempted to use the same type of explosive in 2001 and the material was used by the terrorists in the London bombings in 2005.
· Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your mercies! We are grateful this plot and schemer were revealed. We pray that other plots will also be stemmed before any harm can come to us.
· He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by strength no man shall prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. (1 Samuel 2:9, 10)
8. Sotomayor Makes Voice Heard on First Day - Washington Times
Justice Sonia Sotomayor quickly established her presence on the Supreme Court on the first day of her first term, asking dozens of detailed and specific questions in a case related to whether police can ever seek to question a suspect after he asks to speak with an attorney.
· Lord, as this new Justice takes her place in the Supreme Court, we pray that Your mind and Holy Spirit will guide her. We pray she will turn out to be more conservative along the lines of Alito, Scalia, and Thomas.
· You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. (Deuteronomy 16:19)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent" (Isaiah 62:1)
1. Clerics urge Jerusalem's Muslims to 'protect al-Aqsa' - Ynet News
The Jerusalem Police declared a high state of alert on Monday night ahead of Tuesday's traditional march through the capital's streets, in the wake of the riots plaguing the Old City.
2. PA calls on Palestinians to confront Israel and its plans - Jerusalem Post
The Palestinian Authority on Monday evening condemned Jerusalem's decision to restrict entrance to the Aksa Mosque compound on the Temple Mount, calling on Palestinians to confront Israel in light of the "Israeli aggression."
The Daily Jot
UN Meeting Reveals Prophetic Reality of End Times and Israel
The recent meeting of the United Nations accelerated the prophetic end times as the United States acted as an international community organizer toward a one world order, and one nation, Israel, stood out as a nation besieged by the others. The US still has a way to go before it completely abandons Israel, but the signs are there: The US ambassador attended the Iranian madman's rant against Israel prior to walking out during the speech. The US should have never attended the speech as it knew that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was going to slander Israel. But the White House is sympathetic to Iran and is currying favor with forces of evil around the world--Russia, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela, Libya and others.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recognizes the shift in American policy toward Israel and the sympathizers of what is evil in the world. In his landmark and prophetic speech to the UN, Netanyahu said, "But to those who gave this Holocaust-denier a hearing, I say on behalf of my people, the Jewish people, and decent people everywhere: Have you no shame? Have you no decency? A mere six decades after the Holocaust, you give legitimacy to a man who denies that the murder of six million Jews took place and pledges to wipe out the Jewish state. What a disgrace! What a mockery of the charter of the United Nations!"
He continued, "The struggle against this fanaticism does not pit faith against faith nor civilization against civilization. It pits civilization against barbarism, the 21st century against the 9th century, those who sanctify life against those who glorify death." He reminded the UN that its human rights report accusing Israel of war crimes against Palestinian terrorists was a justification of terrorism. He said, "If this body does not reject this report, it would send a message to terrorists everywhere: Terror pays; if you launch your attacks from densely populated areas, you will win immunity. And in condemning Israel, this body would also deal a mortal blow to peace...This biased and unjust report is a clear- cut test for all governments."
The Israeli Prime Minister asked the UN, "Will you stand with Israel or will you stand with the terrorists? We must know the answer to that question now. Now and not later. Because if Israel is again asked to take more risks for peace, we must know today that you will stand with us tomorrow. Only if we have the confidence that we can defend ourselves can we take further risks for peace." Netanyahu's answer is found in Zechariah 12:3, "And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it."
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
Thoughts on Prayer
"Some people pray just to pray and some people pray to know God." -- Andrew Murray
The Good News Corner
Simple Great Smokies Church Service Evokes the Mood of 100 Years Ago
By Teresa Neumann, Breaking Chrisitan News
September 30, 2009
"Because the service is in a simple, old church, the preacher talks about special [worship] "places that some may have in their homes or deep in the woods, where they may meet with God. Throughout history, he says, when church buildings weren't available or were destroyed, God's people have met where they could, even in caves, to worship."
(Asheville, N.C.)-The Citizen Times has published a nostalgic report on a Sunday meeting held recently by Deitz Memorial Baptist church at the historic Lufty Baptist Church, near the entrance to Smokemont campground in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It notes that although the old church was rebuilt in the early 20th century, the original stood here among the same trees since well before the Civil War.
"In these days, when almost every church feels compelled to amplify voices and music," writes reporter Steve Dixon, "some to the point of requiring earplugs, it's wonderfully refreshing to hear Bruce Buchanan's flute fill the space with music and to hear the voices of the congregation echo around the wooden room as the simple words and melody to 'Jesus Loves Me' open the service."
Adds Dixon: "When the Rev. Robert Blanton rises to preach, dressed in sparkling clean bib overalls with a white shirt and red tie, his voice crackling with the years of preaching and tromping the mountains, the year could easily be 1909. Blanton's mountain accent has not been purified by the modern world, and his delivery is down-home and firm."
"We meet here today in an old place," preached Blanton, "where people have come to meet with God for many years. [Though it's a simple structure] souls have met their creator here and been satisfied."
