Tuesday, February 22, 2011

CHPP Daily Brief - February 22, 2011

• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• Libya: Why The Difference?
• Weapons of Mass Distraction
• More on Planned Parenthood
• Thursday: Collegiate Day of Prayer
• The Good News Corner
• Worship with Us Today!

Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." (John 6:27)

The Daily Brief

1. Pirates Killed Killed Four Americans Who Traveled the World Handing out Bibles - Worthy News

Four Americans distributing Bibles around the world have been killed by Somali pirates, Worthy News has learned.

The yacht Quest was hijacked last Friday off the coast of Oman. Those killed were yacht owners Jean and Scott Adam from Southern California. Along with the Adams were two other passengers, Phyllis Mackay and Bob Riggle.

The Adams have been sailing the world since 2004 distributing Bibles. [See more about their lives under Good News, below.]

- Pause briefly tonight and offer a word of prayer for these four brave souls who have died in the service of our Lord. Pray for the family and friends who have been left behind, that they may know the comfort of our Savior in this hour.

- "And they loved not their lives unto death." (Rev. 12:11)

2. U.S. Cautious as Libya Unravels - AP

U.N. Condemns Libya Crackdown

As turmoil in Libya rages for a seventh day Tuesday, the Obama administration so far has offered a cautious response to protesters even as it receives widespread encouragement to take stronger action against dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi. Not unlike the U.S. response to protests in Egypt and Tunisia, the U.S. has been tempered in its support for protesters. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that the U.S. is watching the situation in Libya "with alarm" and condemned the violence.

- If we ever needed to ask that this administration be granted "wisdom from above," it is now. Ask, that we may receive, on behalf of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and all who work with her in foreign affairs. It's time for America to take a stand for freedom at the global level. Amen.

- "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you." (Psalm 32:8)

3. Saudi Arabia chides U.S. for vetoing UN resolution on Israeli settlements - Haaretz

The United States on Friday vetoed a draft U.N. Security Council resolution which described the settlements as "illegal" and urged Israel to halt all settlement activities "immediately and completely." Saudi Arabia voiced regret on Monday over a U.S. veto of a U.N. resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank, in a rare criticism of Washington by its close Arab ally.

- Father, we thank you for allies both in Israel and in Saudi Arabia. We ask that our friends would seek unity in You, Father, and not just in each other.

- "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you." (Psalm 122:6)

4. Lawmakers: Attack shows need for reform of policies with Mexico - The Hill

Lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee are considering whether U.S. agents operating in Mexico should be allowed to carry weapons in the wake of an attack by a drug cartel that killed one agent and wounded another. The brutal attack that saw at least 83 bullets fired at two Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last week also has members pushing to extradite the attackers to the U.S. if they are captured alive. "It's a direct attack the Obama administration needs to respond in a very forceful way," Rep. Michael McCaul said.

- Lord, we have a desolate and dangerous border to our south. We ask you to cover that territory with your presence, and send your holy angels to protect our nation, our land, and bring about your will and your plans for your people on both sides of that border.

- "Your borders are in the heart of the seas; Your builders have perfected your beauty." (Ezekiel 27:4)

5. Political Fight Over Unions Escalates - Wall Street Journal

The clash between Republicans and unions that caught fire in Wisconsin last week escalated Monday: Labor leaders planned to take their protests to dozens of other capitals, and Democrats in a second state considered a walkout to stall bills that would limit union power.

- Father, we thank you for both men and women eager to work, and for men and women who have put their good names forward to lead your people both in business and in government. Insofar as we sin against one another, and have not sought You for Your forgiveness, we confess our sin and the sins of our people. We ask you to bring reconciliation between people, for they were created in the image of God to be creators like you in the workplace. We ask for forgiveness, reconciliation, and workplaces in Wisconsin and across this land where people would flourish in You!

- "I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you." (Nehemiah 1:6).

6. Home prices hit new lows in many metro areas - USA Today

Home prices in major U.S. cities tracked by a private trade group have fallen to their lowest levels since the housing bubble burst.

- Lord, we simply ask for an economy built on trust in you, not in trusting man and what he can do, but for an economy that only brings you glory. Build up what brings trust and your glory, and tear down and root out what does not.

- "Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house." (Proverbs 24:27)

7. San Francisco May Vote on Circumcision Ban - NewsMax

San Francisco voters may be called on to decide whether to ban male circumcision in November. Ballot initiative proponent Lloyd Schofield called the measure a "human rights issue," the San Francisco Examiner reported.

- Father, sometimes we don't even have words for what we see in this evil age. Insofar as this could be a matter of religious freedom, we ask you to root it out and keep the United States a beacon for your light.

- "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God." (Romans 2:28-29)

8. High court rejects new case on Ten Commandments - Washington Times

The U.S. Supreme Court has passed up a chance to take another look at a 6-year-old ruling that struck down the display of the Ten Commandments in two Kentucky courthouses.

- Lord, we ask that You would help us keep our laws consistent with Your law. We thank you for the heritage of those who have come before us, and may we be a heritage for those who come after us.

- "You shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes." (Deuteronomy 11:18)

9. FBI: Moslem Brotherhood deeply rooted inside U.S. - WND

Staff investigators with the House and Senate intelligence committees say they are probing the domestic security threat posed by the radical Muslim Brotherhood and, specifically, whether Brotherhood operatives have penetrated the U.S. government.

- Lord, we thank you that members of Congress on both sides are still taking serious looks at the Moslem Brotherhood. We ask that their full intents be revealed, and that you would protect your people from evil desires. May our leaders seek the counsel of the Lord!

- "Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord." (Joshua 9:14).

10. Fatalities Reported After Massive Earthquake Strikes New Zealand - AP

Multiple fatalities have been reported after a strong, 6.3-magnitude earthquake rocked the southern New Zealand city of Christchurch on Tuesday, seriously injuring people and damaging buildings throughout the city. Christchurch has been hit by hundreds of aftershocks since a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Sept. 4 last year, causing extensive damage and a handful of injuries, but no deaths.

- Father, we ask that Your goodness and Your Glory to be known in this land - for You are the God of Redemption - as New Zealand seeks to recover and rebuild. May Your people rise up stronger than ever in You, and may all the earth know that You are the God in New Zealand.

-"God sends earthquakes and shakes the ground; he rocks the pillars that support the earth." (Job 9:6)

The Middle East in Focus

This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:

The LORD has prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom rules over all. ( Psalm 103:19)

1. Arrow 2 missile defense system successfully tested - Jerusalem Post

In face of Iran's continued race for nuclear power, Israel conducted a successful test of the Arrow 2 ballistic missile defense system off the coast of California early Tuesday morning, when it destroyed a target simulating an Iranian ballistic missile.

2. Israel's first openly gay judge appointed - Ynet News

Attorney Dori Spivak was appointed on Friday as a judge in the Tel Aviv Labor Court. He is the first openly gay judge appointed in Israel.

3. IDF deputy chief: Israel's army needs faith in God more than tanks - Ha'aretz

The events currently shaking the Arab world "were ordained from above" by a guiding hand, Israel Defense Forces Deputy Chief of Staff Yair Naveh said on Sunday. Naveh added that the Israeli army needed faith in God now more than its supply of planes and tanks.

The Daily Jot

A prophetic shaking throughout the Middle East

The news media and the Director of National Intelligence have been proven wrong that the Moslem Brotherhood is a non-violent group with mainly secular ties. AFP reports that the "spiritual leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood", also the head of the International Union for Moslem Scholars, cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi issued a religious edict, or fatwa, that fellow sponsor of terrorism Moamer Kadhafi is to be killed. Al-Qaradawi told Al Jazeera television from his base in Qatar, "Whoever in the Libyan army is able to shoot a bullet at Mr. Kadhafi should do so...to rid Libya of him." This should be a clear indicator to the White House that the Moslem Brotherhood is assisting in the unrest of the entire Middle East.

The Middle East is in uproar. This obvious statement belies explanation. The Western news media says it is an uprising of people around the region who want freedom and democracy. But what does not fit this picture is the Moslem Brotherhood. This group is a terror sponsoring group that advocated a worldwide Caliphate--that is Sharia Law established in every country on the earth. Democracy is the antithesis of Moslem Brotherhood doctrine. Peace is only the peace of Islam, which is found in Sharia law. And freedom is the freedom found in the shackles of Sharia. No other political body on the face of the earth promotes human rights violations and slavery more than the so-called "peaceful" religion of Islam.

That the Moslem Brotherhood is working with its natural opposition, the Shiite Iranian Ayatollah, in overthrowing what many consider radical regimes, means one of two things: either a more moderate government is sought, or a more radical government is on the horizon. Given the rhetoric that one reads on the signs of the protestors and hears in their chants, the hate for Israel and America does not give much hope for a moderate, democratic replacement of these regimes. Once again, to discern this "movement" properly, one has to look at the actions of the people, not the reporting of idealist left-leaning journalists.

The sinister and warlike characteristics of Islam were long adopted before Mohammed chose the greatest of the pagan gods in the temple at Mecca to be the one and only allah. Ishmaelites descended from Ishmael and are mentioned no less than eight times in the Old Testament. In Psalm 83, Asaph writes in verse 4, "They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance." Then he lists those who wish to destroy Israel and among them are the Ishmaelites. The more things change, the more they remain the same. This Islamist uprising is not about democracy, perhaps more about demon-ocracy. Take heed that you are not deceived.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com

Libya: Why The Difference?

When Egyptian protestors took to the streets to demand an end to the Mubarak regime, the White House was quick to side with the protestors. Obama dispatched a highly respected former diplomat as a special envoy to tell Mubarak that he had to step down. As the protests escalated, Obama and Secretary of State Clinton urged an immediate transition to a new government that could include the Moslem Brotherhood.

Contrast their support for the Egyptian protestors with their cautious approach to the violence in Libya. The Libyan people are rising up against Col. Muammar al-Qadhafi, a dictator who has held power for more than 40 years. He has responded with a brutal campaign to crush the resistance -- bringing in mercenaries, tanks and even airplanes to strafe demonstrators.
Secretary Clinton issued a statement yesterday noting that "The government of Libya has a responsibility to respect the universal rights of the people, including the right to free expression and assembly." The violence in Libya is far worse than anything we witnessed in Egypt, but Obama's response to it is tepid compared to how quickly he undermined Mubarak.

Qadhafi has a long history of promoting and paying for terrorism. Ronald Reagan tried to kill him because he blew up American soldiers in a Berlin bombing in 1986. Two years later, he brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing more than 260 people. Last week, Qadhafi urged the Palestinians to revolt against Israel. Yet the best Obama and Clinton can muster is to encourage him to "respect the universal rights of the people." Good luck. (Gary Bauer)

Weapons of Mass Distraction

While his girls are out in Colorado enjoying the local skiing, President Obama is dealing with his own slippery slope. For the first time since the Planned Parenthood tapes were made public, the organization's cheerleader-in-chief fielded questions about the controversy over child prostitution. As the most powerful ally Planned Parenthood has ever had in the White House, Obama recognizes his vulnerability on the issue. During an interview with NBC12, reporters asked him if Lila Rose's videos were the proof his administration needed to start examining Planned Parenthood more closely.

NBC12: "There's as debate raging over a conservative group that went into Planned Parenthood with a video camera and taped what appeared to be Planned Parenthood workers turning a blind eye to sex trafficking. Republicans in Washington have now turned this into a call for you and for other leaders to strip Planned Parenthood of funding from the federal government. How would you react to it?"

Obama: "I think sometimes these issues get manufactured. They get a lot of attention in the blogosphere. You know my bottom line is I think that Planned Parenthood in the past has done good work. If there was a specific problem at this center, it should be addressed, but we shouldn't get so distracted with some of these issues."

As the father of three girls, I don't understand how Obama--or any parent--could call child sex slavery a "distraction." These would have been eighth graders, sent to the streets by the men Planned Parenthood protected. Nor was this an isolated incident. The organization didn't turn its back on teenage prostitution in one clinic, as Obama suggests, but in seven! And that doesn't include a dozen tapes in which Planned Parenthood agrees to everything from accepting race-based abortion donations to covering up statutory rape.

Considering this administration's flat-out refusal to help exploited kids, this should come as no surprise. If child pornography is a distraction, why wouldn't sex slavery be? Ironically, this claim comes from a President who has spent plenty of time sidetracked on issues unrelated to his office. Chicago Olympic bid, anyone? How about the beer sum mit? Or the protests by Wisconsin's teachers unions? If our President believes that protecting children is a "distraction," America has bigger problems than I thought. (Family Research Council)

More on Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthoodlums on the Run . . .

Staring down a multi-million dollar loss, Planned Parenthood is launching what its headquarters calls "the most intense short-term campaign we have ever run." Now that Lila Rose's videos have lifted the veil on the real Planned Parenthood, leaders are starting to realize that the government cannot be a part of such deep-seated corruption. When the House passed the continuing resolution (CR) last week, it temporarily defunded Planned Parenthood.

While this was a huge victory for pro-lifers, the hard part is yet to come. The CR will have to be hashed out in the Senate and sent to the White House--both of which are controlled by pro-abortion politicians. With Planned Parenthood in a panic, their army is on the move. Calls are flooding into Hill offices, and money is streaming in from liberals all over America . The Left understands that if this can happen to Planned Parenthood, it can happen to any of their causes. With hundreds of thousands in lobbying dollars at their disposal, Planned Parenthood can buy influence everywhere.

And while we can't compete with their government funding, we can outnumber their troops. This CR is the best--and perhaps only--opportunity we have this Congress to defund the billion dollar enterprise known as Planned Parenthood. It's up to our movement to seize this moment. We have just days left to double our efforts in this fight and remind people, including our friends, that protecting life is non-negotiable.

This week, both the House and the U.S. Senate are scheduled to be back in their home districts. My urgent request is that you call, write and, visit the district offices in your state to let them know not to back down in the cause of life. If you do stop by your leaders' offices, take along a copy of our Planned Parenthood fact sheet to give to them. Also, join us around the country this Friday, February 25 in a noon prayer vigil outside the members' district offices. Thanks to Lila Rose, Congress has seen the horrors inside the windowless offices of Planned Parenthood. What they know, they're accountable for. So help us gather as many pro-lifers as possible in your area to pray for those leaders. Ask God to show them the significance of this moment and give them the wisdom to act on it. (Family Research Council)

Thursday: Collegiate Day of Prayer

The God Who Answers United Prayer!

Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011

We are living in times that should provoke us to pray fervently. Yet, before we can accurately estimate the needs of our times, we must remind ourselves to whom we are praying - Who is the object of all our fervent prayers? It is Jehovah, the Lord and King of all heaven and earth - Our Father in heaven is the only one who answers prayer. The Almighty Christ hears our prayers and feels the burdens of our broken hearts. He sympathizes with our all weakness, remembers the humble and listens to the cry of the needy. He alone is worthy of all praise, honor and glory, and in our time of need we look to Him alone and pray!

This exalted view of God doesn't allow us to hide from the needs of this present generation. No, it empowers us to face these needy times with great faith and hope. The future of America's colleges, and that of our whole nation seems to be hanging in the balance. Yet, this is not a time to shrink in fear and hide - Our God and King is still on the throne and ready to hear and answer our prayers. Now is the time to unite and focus our prayers of faith on the spiritual needs of our College Students.

Please join us as we seek to unite 2000 prayer groups across all 50 states to pray for every college campus by name on February 24th, 2011.

You can participate by:

1. Gathering with others! Gather on your campus or in your church on February 24th. We encourage you to register your planned participation, and let us know which campus(s) your group is planning to pray for by name on the 24th when you gather. Register Here

2. Forward this email to everyone you know!
Together for Awakening on our Campuses,

The Collegiate Day of Prayer team
"My soul, wait for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my defense; I shall NOT be moved." (Psalms 62:5-6).

The Good News Corner

"They Loved Not Their Lives Unto Death . . ."

Honoring Those Who Have Served . . .

Pirates Killed Four Americans Who Traveled the World Handing out Bibles

Four Americans distributing Bibles around the world have been killed by Somali pirates, Worthy News has learned.

The yacht Quest was hijacked last Friday off the coast of Oman. Those killed were yacht owners Jean and Scott Adam from Southern California. Along with the Adams were two other passengers, Phyllis Mackay and Bob Riggle.

The Adams have been sailing the world since 2004 distributing Bibles.
The Adams have been chronicling their journey on their website. (http://svquest.com)

The website includes information about Jean's interest's, their 2010 and 2010 travel plans, and past voyages the couple have gone on.

Their mission statement on their website is, "To allow the power of the Word to transform lives. We seek fertile ground for the Word and homes for our Bibles. Often, the ultimate homes are best found by people who are already living locally and seeking and cultivating that fertile ground.

AND even more extraordinary are the times when people have been praying for Bibles for their group or their schools and when we arrive we are often greeted by the attitude of, "We were expecting you." (Worthy News)

Worship with Us Today!

I Can Only Imagine

MercyMe w/ London Symphony Orchestra

RECOMMENDATION:

Drop the video, turn up the volume, close your eyes and just listen . . .
This is THE most powerful version of this song we have heard. . . I can only imagine . . . amen . . .