In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• State Dept. Revises Policy
• About Those Dead Birds --
• Christian Persecution: Middle East
• PRAY FOR SUDAN
• The Good News Corner
• Worship with Us Today!
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief - Friday, January 7, 2011
And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice. (Psalm 50:6)
The Daily Brief
1. House Clears Way for Floor Vote on Health Care Law Repeal - Fox News
The House of Representatives has cleared the way to hold a vote next week on repealing the health care overhaul, while at the same time dealing with a parliamentary snag over the credentials of two GOP lawmakers. In a test vote Friday, the House formally approved the rules for debate on the health law repeal. The procedural measure passed largely along party lines on a 236-181 vote. "Today we are taking the first step in fulfilling a key promise to the American people," said Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif., who led the GOP side in the debate. "We are setting in motion a process to repeal President Obama's job-killing health care bill and replace it with real solutions."
- Pray that the Lord will bring the votes necessary to repeal Obamacare in both the House and Senate, with enough votes to override any Presidential veto. Though the media and the world tell us it is impossible, nothing is impossible with God. Also pray that Congress will come up with real healthcare solutions that actually help the citizens of America without drastic socialization.
- "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, 'Remove yourself;' and it shall be removed: and nothing shall be impossible to you." (Matthew 17:20)
2. DOWN WITH THE 'CZARS': GOP Targets Obama Advisers - Fox News
House Republicans ready a bill that would order Congress to cut funding for so-called White House czars and the offices they oversee, forcing the president to seek Senate confirmation to reinstate them.
- Offer a chorus of praise for the many creative ideas already being demonstrated by this new Congress. We say "YES" to the concept, above, and ask that this initiative would move through the Senate and, by a miracle of the Hand of God, signed into law in the Oval Office. Pray!
- "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD." (Prov. 21:30)
3. US Treasury asks Congress to lift debt ceiling - AFP
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner asked Congress to raise the US debt ceiling Thursday, firing the starting gun on a fresh political battle over the country's massive deficit.
a. IRS tax liens jump by 60%, but how effective are they? - USA Today - IRS liens filed against taxpayers jumped 60% since the start of the national recession, according to a new federal report that urges the tax agency to moderate the collection policy and study its effectiveness.
- By now, everyone seems to agree that the federal deficit and spending level has gotten way out of hand. Pray that our leaders will find ways to ease this oppressive burden on the backs of our taxpayers, while bringing spending levels into alignment with the ways of Biblical stewardship. PRAY.
- "For he who sows to the flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." (Gal. 6 v 8,9)
4. Pentagon to cut spending by $78 billion, reduce troop strength - Washington Post
The Pentagon will have to cut spending by $78 billion over the next five years, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Thursday, forcing the Army and Marine Corps to shrink the number of troops on active duty and eventually imposing the first freeze on military spending since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
- I will say to the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, My God, in Him I will trust." (Ps. 91:2)
5. China's Missile and Stealth Fighter Advances Draw U.S. Attention - Bloomberg
Advances in Chinese military technology, including a new anti-ship ballistic missile and possibly a radar-evading fighter plane, are drawing scrutiny from Pentagon officials days before Defense Secretary Robert Gates is due to meet with his counterpart in Beijing.
- Lord, we pray for wisdom for Mr. Gates and a deep understanding and knowledge of the agenda of China. May he see hidden secrets prior to any agreements, and may he move away from actions which would endanger American security.
- "So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul: when you have found it, there will be a reward, and your expectation shall not be cut off." (Proverbs 24:14)
6. Flood-hit Queensland braced for fresh storms - BBC
More heavy rain is forecast for eastern Australia, threatening flash floods for communities where hundreds of homes are already under water. - Lord once again we pray for mercy over the land of Australia, and ask for comfort for those who are affected by these floods.
- "Thou art my hiding place; Thou shalt preserve me from trouble; Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance." (Psalm 32:7)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget it's skill! If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth--if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy. (Psalm 137:5-6)
1. Ashton meets Abbas, Fayyad; urges return to talks - Jerusalem Post
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad separately on Thursday and reiterated the EU's position that Israelis and Palestinians must "find a satisfactory way to engage without delay in substantive negotiations on all final status issues."
2. Arab states work to finalize anti-settlement draft - Jerusalem Post
A group of Arab states launched negotiations on a resolution against Israeli building in West Bank settlements and aimed to finish a final draft in the near future, chief Palestinian UN delegate, Riyad Mansour was quoted as saying by Reuters on Wednesday.
3. Netanyahu vows to double gov't funds given to Birthright - Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday night promised to double the state's investment in Birthright, the program that brings Diaspora Jews aged 18-26 to Israel on free 10-day heritage trips.
4. Jordan to Netanyahu: Commitment to peace is not enough, take practical action - Ha'aretz
The ongoing impasse in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is jeopardizing the security of the Middle East, Jordanian King Abdullah II told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Wednesday.
The Daily Jot
Repealing socialized medicine--results speak louder than votes or words
The overwhelming party line vote to repeal socialized medicine, or "Obamacare," is a symbolic and political measure more than an effective vote that will in actuality result in rolling back what some courts are already deeming unconstitutional. Americans should not be fooled into believing false hopes that socialism is not alive and well in the newly elected Congress. The Bible says of the end times in 2 Timothy 2:13, "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." Rest assured there is deception rampant in Congress and the news media over the repeal of the beloved big government foray into socialism.
The question will remain, "Who can you trust?" Republicans have made good on their campaign promise to schedule a vote to repeal socialized healthcare. Democrats already have mobilized their sympathizers in the news media to vilify those who are working against Obamacare. They are liars, ogres, mean spirited, the liberals say--drawing attention away from the vast evidence that Congressional cost estimates far exceed the nation's ability to pay for socialized medicine, the circuitous route of public funding of abortions, the many, many burdens it puts on employers, the lack of any authentic and effective health insurance for those who apply, and the mere fact that Americans overwhelmingly reject the entire concept.
Who can you trust? Certainly, not the media--the media is biased. Certainly, not the Democrats. The Democrats are the socialists. Remember that after the election, 78 of the 186 Democrats in the US House of Representatives, many of them holding leadership positions, are members of the House Progressive Caucus, and 90% of those are also members of the Socialist Party USA, according to the party's website. And you cannot trust the Republicans, especially the Republicans. They must be held accountable to not only pass legislation that will not see the light of day in the Senate, and would face a certain veto at the White House, but also to pursue to the brink of violence, a repeal of the socialist laws that have been passed.
Being that neither the media nor the political parties can be trusted, our trust must be in Jesus Christ. If we trust in Christ as exhorted in 2 Corinthians 3:4, "And such trust have we thought Christ to God-ward"; If we, as the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 12:21, "overcome evil with good"; If we are ambassadors as portrayed in Ephesians 6:20, "that therein I may speak boldly, as I out to speak"; If we, having done all, stand; then these marauders and coveters will at the very least be held accountable or be voted out of office. If they do not hold the line to the Christ-centered standards of good government, we must shout out, vote out, impeach out. We must set the example of our behavior immediately.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
State Dept. Revises Policy
The Mother of All Controversies
State Department Removes Words "Mother" and "Father" from Birth Certificates Issues Abroad
Only in the topsy-turvy world of political correctness could it be considered an "improvement" for a birth document to provide less information about the circumstances surrounding it. But that's the result of the State Department's decision to remove the words "mother" and "father" from Consular Reports of Birth Abroad. The dictionary defines "birth" as "the emergence of a new individual from the body of its parent" or "the act or process of bringing forth young from the womb." Since science has yet to create an artificial womb, that "body" or "womb" always belongs to a female parent, i.e., the mother. And since science has yet to master human cloning, the newborn human being has always received half of his or her genetic inheritance via th e sperm of a male parent, i.e., the father. It would be helpful if a certificate related to "birth" would identify which is which.
Obviously , this is designed to advance the causes of same-sex "marriage" and homosexual parenting without statutory authority. But in so doing, it takes a big swing at the spirit--if not the letter--of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). And it does so at the expense of fundamental biological and social reality. This abolition of motherhood and fatherhood would be almost comical, if it didn't fly in the face of growing social science evidence that children are most likely to thrive when born into a family led by their own married biological mother and father. President Obama's Justice Department is purposefully failing to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in the courts, so it comes as little surprise that his State Department would show the same disrespect for U.S. law. The only recourse is for the House of Representatives to take their oversight rule very seriously and intervene in both these circumstances. (Family Research Council)
About Those Dead Birds --
GI NEWS: THE BIRD AND FISH PHENOMENA
By Cindy Jacobs; Generals International
There are a number of strange and unusual physical phenomena taking place around the world, one being the blackbirds and fish that are dying in masses. During such occurrences, one of the roles of the prophets is to interpret these signs. We cannot attribute every one to simply a coincidence in nature, nor can we, without discernment, give credence to over-spiritualizing what is simply a fluke.
However, there are some things that must be interpreted and understood from a spiritual standpoint, because, often, the Lord will speak by displaying signs in the heavens and on the earth.
Acts 2:19-21 says:
"I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath; blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
So why are hundreds of thousands of fish and birds dying at one time? Biblically, there is a correlation found in Hosea 4:1-3:
". . . there is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land. You make vows and break them; you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere - one murder after another. That is why your land is in mourning and everyone is wasting away. Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea are disappearing."
I believe this is the Lord calling us to intercession for our nations and governments. It's time to pray and apply 2 Chronicles 7:14 to heal our lands.
By Cindy Jacobs; Generals International
From CHPP:
Other verses to ponder regarding this strange phenomena are:
"I will sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. The wicked will have only heaps of rubble when I cut man off from the face of the earth, declares the Lord." (Zephaniah 1:3)
" Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come. As fish are caught in cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them." (Ecclesiastes 9:12)
"The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beast of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground." (Ezekiel 38:20)
Note:
Louisiana and Arkansas aren't the only places that are witnessing 500 to 5000 birds falling dead or carpets of fish floating. It's becoming a worldwide phenomenon. 100 tons of fish are floating in Brazil since 30 December 2010, countless fish floating in Maryland since last week, birds falling in Sweden on 5 January, a carpet of snapper fish New Zealand since 4 January, dead birds in Kentucky, 40,000 crabs in England, FMD outbreak on pigs and cattle in South Korea . . .are some more to be added onto the list. Read more here.
To view a map that tracks all reports of dead birds and fish, go here.
Christian Persecution: Middle East
The Middle East's "Religious Cleansing"
Western leaders are finally beginning to speak out against the wave of violence and terror that is targeting Christians in the Middle East. "We cannot accept and thereby facilitate what looks more and more like a particularly wicked program of cleansing in the Middle East, religious cleansing," one leader said this week. Unfortunately, those words were not spoken by President Obama, but by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The attacks that began during the Christmas season are continuing. Today's Wall Street Journal reports that the Islamic regime in Iran has arrested dozens of Christians, and Tehran's governor says more arrests are coming. While Catholics were the victims of a horrific bombing in Baghdad, the governor of Tehran is targeting evangelical Protestants, whose presence in Iran, he believes, amounts to a "cultural invasion of the enemy."
To give you some idea of what tolerance looks like under the Iranian adherents of the "religion of peace," consider this: Bibles are banned in Iran, and pastors are prohibited from delivering sermons in Persian, the country's official language. Iranian security forces began raiding Christian homes on Christmas morning. Those arrested were charged for converting from Islam to Christianity. According to the Journal, such "actions [are] considered sins under Islamic law and punishable by death in Iran."
It never ceases to amaze me how political and media elites in this country can get so worked up by Tea Party members and conservative Christians, yet they can't seem to find their tongues when outright evil stares them in the face. The alliance of the political Left and radical Islamists is united by one thing: their shared intolerance for Judeo-Christian civilization. (Gary Bauer)
PRAY FOR SUDAN
WIN PRAYER ALERT
SUDAN - THE EXODUS
SUMMARY: Thousands of Christians are frantically attempting to flee from North Sudan as radical Muslim groups continue their threats of violence. With the January 9 referendum vote approaching, the atmosphere is growing confused and chaotic, and many of the people are fearful.
On Friday, December 24, a group of Muslim clerics announced that the referendum to decide whether the South would continue to be part of Sudan was something that should never have been agreed to. They also called for Shari'a law to be implemented throughout the nation.
President Omar al-Bashir and his government have been trying to convince the residents of the South to remain part of Sudan. He has also stated that if the South secedes, Shari'a law will be instituted in the North and an Islamic constitution will be adopted. This would be disastrous to those Christians still living in the North.
There have already been accusations of harassment against journalists who are in Sudan to cover the voting, as well as problems with voter registration. But for now, the referendum is still scheduled to be held on Sunday, January 9, 2011. The United Nations panel charged with monitoring the vote is confident it "will take place as planned despite remaining challenges, including limited resources and the need to raise awareness among voters."
Many Christians in the North are struggling to reach the South before the January vote. However, there is not adequate transportation. Thousands are migrating South each day and thousands more are living in temporary camps without adequate medical care or schools for children. The scene has been described as an exodus - like the Israelites leaving Egypt. These internal refugees are also reportedly at great risk of attack by the jihadists.
PRAY FOR:
• Christian Believers in Sudan to engage in spiritual warfare and enforce their spiritual authority in Christ Jesus. Pray for them to put on the full armor of God and stand confidently against the enemy's schemes. (The Bible, Ephesians 1:15-23; 6:11).
• the LORD to arise and defend His people. Pray for unity in the Body of Christ in Sudan and for the Church to overcome the enemy through prayer and fasting. (The Bible, Psalm 68:1; I Corinthians 12:12; Matthew 16:10)
• Christian Believers to know those who are with them are more than those who are against them. Pray for the LORD to open their eyes to see the Army of God encamped around them. (The Bible, II Kings 6:16,17)
• the Lord to raise up prophets who will speak His instruction, hope and vision to the people, helping them during this difficult time. (The Bible, Ezra 5:2)
• nothing to stand in the way of the voting - not threats, corruption, intimidation, violence, or evil of any kind. (The Bible, Psalm 97:5)
• an opening of doors so the people of South Sudan can escape the oppression of the North and enter into physical, political and spiritual freedom. (The Bible, John 8:36)
• a safe exodus for those fleeing the North and a great awakening of the people. Petition the Lord to provide an angel of the Living God to be a pillar of cloud to them by day and a pillar of fire by night.
• the fear of God to fall on the people of Sudan - North, South, East and West. Pray for Christians to reverently worship their Lord and for Muslims to fall down in awe and surrender to the Lord of lords and the King of all kings. (The Bible, Psalm 2:11)
• President Salva Kiir Mayardit (South) to rise up during this crisis and call upon the LORD. Pray for him to lead his people with courage and determination under the guidance of the Lord God Almighty. (The Bible, Psalm 18:3)
• the LORD to accomplish His purposes and desires in Sudan, bringing His Kingdom in power. (The Bible, Matthew 6:10)
SOURCES: Sudan Tribune, Bloomberg, UN News Centre, Christian leaders in Sudan
The Good News Corner
Dream from God Prompted Man to Record Video Before Death
On November 13, 2006, Eric Jacobs died in a plane crash, leaving behind his pregnant wife, Heather, and four children. But there was a silver lining, if you can call it that, in a video Eric took earlier in the year when he was prompted by the Holy Spirit to get up after a dream and videotape his "last words" to his family.
Heather found the DVD two days after Eric's death.
As reported in The Des Moines Register, the video starts out with Eric saying: "Hello, everybody. If you're watching this, something bad's probably happened to me. I had this dream last night, or, this morning, only a few minutes ago, that I died early. And I don't know what to make of it. I don't know if this is God's way of saying, 'Record this,' and it was divinely inspired, or if I'm just paranoid. So I wanted to record my thoughts while I had them. And then if it was divinely inspired, then this is God's way of showing that he truly does work through people's lives. And I want you to show this to people to witness to them. Because my life was cut short."
To his sons, Jacobs says: "I need you to pray, and pray often. Don't pray for me. I'm in a good place. I need you to pray for the people who don't know about it. I need you to pray that they may come to know the Lord."
(Source: Reid Forgrave - The Des Moines Register) Read more.
Worship with Us Today!
Matt Maher - "Love Comes Down"
Beautiful lyrics about the love that came down in the King who is so far above us, but in mercy came to us. Once again, beautiful verses with the photos.
Praise Him with us now!!
