In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• The Libya Speech That Wasn't
• Update: Budget Battle
• Update: ENDA
• Two Prayer Alerts on the Hill
• Important Pro-Life Hearing Tomorrow
• The Good News Corner
• Worship with Us Today!
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
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The Daily Brief - Wednesday, March 30, 2011
"But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail." (Luke 16:17)
The Daily Brief
1. Japan on 'Maximum Alert' Over Nuke Crisis - Fox News
Japan's prime minister insisted Tuesday that the country was on "maximum alert" to bring its nuclear crisis under control, but the spread of radiation raised concerns about the ability of experts to stabilize the crippled reactor complex.
- God, when men exhaust their human limitations then it is time for them to call out for God's help. Should they refuse to bow their knees to You, they are left in the lurch of their own schemes. Father, what will it take for men to turn to the God of the Universe, who has all power and all knowledge and has the answer for all situations? We pray the Japanese will humble themselves and in repentance turn their hearts toward the Lord for help. In Jesus' Name.
- "Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes unto God, but by Me." (John 14:6)
2. Gunmen Kill 21 After Storming Iraqi Government Headquarters - Fox News
An Iraqi government spokesman says the death toll in a hostage standoff at a local government building in the city of Tikrit has risen to 21.
- Father, we pray that the ravages of this incident that changed the destiny of many lives will cause the people to turn to God in heaven for help. Cleanse the wickedness in this country by the powerful blood of Jesus. Reveal yourself to these hardened hearts that they melt in the presence of the Lord. Save souls from an eternity in the fires of hell. Their answer is salvation by the revelation that Jesus is their Savior who died for their sins to be forgiven. Deal with them by the Holy Spirit and draw them unto God. In Jesus' Name.
- "And this is the will of God that sent Jesus, that everyone which sees the Son of God, and believes on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. No man can come to Jesus, except the Father which has sent me draw him." (John 6:40, 44)
3. Gadhafi Forces Push Rebels Back - Wall Street Journal
Rebels retreated Wednesday from the oil-refinery port of Ras Lanuf along Libya's coast, after they came under heavy shelling from ground forces loyal to leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi, the Associated Press reported.
- God, when anything begins to disintegrate on every hand, as is happening in Libya, our strong recourse is to turn to Almighty God to establish peace - a peace that goes beyond the natural and enters into the heavenly. We ask that angels come down with full manifestation of their presence and establish peace in Libya. Bind and break the forces of evil controlling Libya by the power of the blood of Jesus. Oh that men would fall on their faces before God and ask for forgiveness of sin and accept Jesus into their hearts as Savior of their souls. In Jesus' Name.
- "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes." (Romans 10:3-4)
4. Al Qaeda: Arab revolts herald "great leap forward" - NewsDaily
Al Qaeda's most influential English-language preacher said revolts sweeping the Arab world would help rather than harm its cause by giving Islamists freed from tyranny greater scope to speak out.
- God, we pray that You will stop the mouths of the adversary wherever they may be. Pull down the works of darkness and all strategy that would allow them to move forward. By the blood of Jesus they were defeated at the Cross of Christ, and we stand on that fact today. Nothing they can do will prosper - ever. In Jesus Name.
- "And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed." (Daniel 11:27)
5. Syria confirms Assad to address nation Wednesday - AFP
Syrian state media has confirmed that President Bashar al-Assad will deliver an important speech on Wednesday, in his first address since unprecedented dissent erupted two weeks ago.
- God, we ask that You close the mouth of anyone whose speech would eventually sow discord. Call forth warring angels to fight against the enemies of heaven and plant seeds of godliness in the hearts of the Syrian people. In Jesus' Name.
- "The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hastes greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly." (Zephaniah 1:14)
6. China economist blasts dollar dominance on eve of G20 - Reuters
Dollar dominance is sowing the seeds of financial turmoil, and the solution is to promote new reserve currencies, a Chinese government economist said in a paper published on the eve of a G20 meeting about how to reform the global monetary system.
- God, keep Your hand on the dominance of the U.S. dollar, and call a halt to reforms in the global monetary system. Cast out that which would cause world chaos. Break off the tentacles of evil that they cannot spread. Stabilize our economy. In Jesus' Name.
- "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows them that trust in Him. But with an overrunning flood He will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue His enemies." (Nahum 1:7-8)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name. Deliver us, and purge away our sins, for Your name's sake. Why should the gentiles say, "Where is their God?" (Psa.79:9-10a; cp.115:1-3)
1. UN chief: End occupation, divide Jerusalem - Ynet News
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon slammed Israel's policy and called for the division of Jerusalem on Tuesday. In a message delivered by his assistant at a UN regional meeting in Uruguay, Ban said: "The target date for completing the Palestinian Authority's two-year State-building program is fast-approaching."
2. Jerusalem lobbies against UN recognition of Palestinian state - Jerusalem Post
Israel's efforts to rally countries against Palestinian Authority plans to ask the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 lines are hindered by the fact that Israel has not presented any plan of its own, diplomatic officials said Tuesday.
3. IAF kills Islamic Jihad militant, strikes tunnel - Jerusalem Post
IAF aircraft struck a terrorist cell in the southern Gaza Strip early on Wednesday. Palestinian sources reported one death in the attack.
4. Hating Israel on Facebook
The Background: A Facebook page called, "The Third Intifada" urged its readers to copy the link, place it in their personal profiles and publish it on all pictures, videos and pages - everywhere they can. An alert announces that a march to "Palestine" will begin from neighboring countries on May 15 and soon after, "Palestine will be liberated and we will be freed. Our goal now is to reach millions of subscribers on this page before May."
Update:Justice triumphs again! Due to the efforts of Aish.com and other concerned individuals and organizations, Facebook has now deleted the group "Third Intifada" from its website. Free speech has its limits, and Facebook cannot be used to launch a terror war against Israel. This shows that activism does make a difference.
But the fight is not over. Palestinian groups are simply playing cat-'n-mouse, posting the "Third Intifada" page elsewhere on Facebook on personal profile pages. Beyond this, Facebook still has dozens of groups calling for violence against Israel and the killing of Jews. (See video here.)
Please sign the petition NOW urging Facebook to remove dozens of pages promoting hatred of Israel and incitement to kill Jews. May we show our love and support for our brethren from the tribe of Judah!
The Daily Jot
The encouragement of these prophetic times
The headlines in the news these days can be very frightening. The Middle East is in an uproar and it appears that the United States has been complicit in bringing it about--paving the way for enemies of Americans and Israel to take power. Gasoline prices are moving higher every day. Food prices are inflating at record rates. The United States is running record deficits and record debt--even the new White House budget adds another $80,000 of debt to every American household, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The frivolous war in Libya already is costing taxpayers nearly a billion dollars. These are very prophetically significant events in that they demonstrate the calamities in the wake of wickedness.
Yet the preachers are preaching self improvement, prosperity, personal empowerment, self indulgence, and strange theologies. The politicians are bringing about wars and rumors of wars. There are earthquakes, famines and pestilences and persecutions. Jesus prophesied these things would come about. In Luke 21:8,9, Jesus said, "Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by."
In fact, as the days of the world grow worse and worse, and the persecutions increase as do the signs of the times, Jesus has these words of comfort in verses 18-19, "But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls." Jesus promises when he lays out the Great Commission in Matthew 28 that he will never leave you nor forsake you. He also says of your clothing, food and needs in Matthew 6:33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." We are to be about our Father's business, seeking the kingdom of God, seizing opportunities for a testimony. We should see these times as a time of victory rather than through a lens of fear. Be encouraged!
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
The Libya Speech That Wasn't
After watching Obama's speech on Monday night defending his military intervention in Libya, I turned to my wife, Carol, and said, "That was not a Libya speech -- that was an Obama reelection speech." Talking to members of my staff this morning, I said the same thing -- that the address to the nation about Libya was a speech whose purpose was more about keeping Obama in power than about getting Qadhafi out of power.
We've seen this over and over again -- particularly since the Democrats' losses in last November's elections. The polls show the public is tired of big government, so with great fanfare he announces an initiative to repeal unnecessary regulations. Meanwhile, his bureaucrats are regulating more than ever. The public sees Obama as anti-business, so he brings business leaders to the White House and spends hours getting their advice. Meanwhile, he continues to wage war on entrepreneurs, small businesses and capitalism.
And now he's doing it on foreign policy. Recent polling shows that Obama is seen by U.S. voters as a tremendously weak commander-in-chief. Only 17% of Americans regard Obama as "decisive and strong" in that role. Last night's speech was intended to make Obama appear decisive and presidential. I am happy to say Rush Limbaugh agrees with me. Leading off his show today, Rush said that Obama's speech was all about 2012.
Obama is incredibly vulnerable on his mishandling of U.S. foreign policy. He has severely damaged relations with our strongest allies while kowtowing to our enemies. His Middle East policies in particular have been a failure.
He has repeatedly berated Israel, while begging Iran to negotiate with him. His insistence on Israeli concessions BEFORE negotiations with the Palestinians has given Palestinian leaders an excuse not to negotiate at all. He refuses to acknowledge the motivating force of radical Islam in the violence aimed at the U.S., Israel and the West in general. Unable to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, Obama tries to make Qadhafi sound like the big threat, when he is a sideshow.
I safely make this prediction: If the thug Qadhafi is forced to step down in the days ahead, the liberal media will report it as if Obama were a modern day Eisenhower who just liberated Europe. That is the goal of this Libyan adventure. (Gary Bauer; excerpt)
Update: Budget Battle
More Daffy Deals in Bloom
With 11 days left on the latest temporary budget, you could cut the tension on Capitol Hill with a knife. And that may be all some Democrats are willing to cut as both sides dig in for a messy two weeks. After six continuing resolutions, the time for cosmetic fixes is over. Americans need some finality on the budget, and it will take painful decisions from both parties to achieve it. After weeks of dealing, leaders have a lot to lose in sewing up their plan for the next six months. On one hand, House freshman want to prove that they aren't drinking the Washington kool-aid and have the stomach to make the tough choices voters expect of them. On the other, their leadership is trying to balance that eagerness with the political reality that the House is just one-third of the decision-making process. Add that to a group of Senate Democrats, who seem more inclined to score political points than make tough decisions, and it all amounts to one big stalemate.
As recently as yesterday, liberals were trying to bait the GOP with a new offer: a loosely defined $20 billion in cuts (which, depending on whose math you use, may only amount to about $7 billion--less than what members cut in the last three CRs). If Republicans take the deal, they stand to lose more than $30 billion in cuts from H.R. 1--and, more importantly, the trust of the people who elected them. "For the sake of our economy, it's time for mainstream Republicans to stand up to the Tea Party," Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said, "and rejoin Democrats at the table to negotiate a responsible solution that cuts spending while protecting jobs."
The GOP has been responsible. Republicans don't need to stand up to the Tea Party; they need to stand up to irresponsible Democrats and strengthen their position before heading into an even tougher budget battle over 2012. The time to show resolve is now--not later, when Republicans will be bargaining from a weakened position. It' s the same principle as disciplining kids. It only takes one time to show you're serious before they start respecting your authority. But if you threaten to follow through and never do, the kids will run all over you. Besides, who are Republicans going to listen to? Sen. Harry Reid, whose party was pasted at the polls for doing exactly what he is advising the GOP? Or the people, who entrusted them with the House in the first place? Either way, it makes for a difficult two weeks. By the end of it, Americans will know what this Congress is made of.
For more on what's at stake over the next 260 hours, check out FRC Action's "28 Facts on Spending and Debt." (Family Research Council)
Update: ENDA
Freedom Gets the Short ENDA the Stick
If Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) is anything, he's persistent. In an interview with Metro Weekly, the openly homosexual Congressman confirmed that he's planning on introducing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) this week, even though it's a political long-shot. "[ENDA] is an organizing tool," Frank said. "Obviously, with the Republicans in power, you're not going to get the bill even considered."
What he didn't acknowledge is that the concept is so radical that it wasn't even pursued when Democrats had total control. Most leaders backed away from the bill when Frank insisted that it include special transgender protections. Once members realized that schools and other employers could be forced to hire cross-dressers, they pulled their support altogether. "The focal point," Frank explained, "should be to make sure that everyone who's supportive of ENDA supports the transgender inclusion"--a tall order in a House full of conservative freshman.
During the interview, Frank was blunt about where this agenda is headed. ENDA, he inferred, is the bridge to destroying marriage--a point that FRC has made for years. Asking businesses to give up their hiring rights and religious beliefs is the key to unlocking the entire homosexual wish list. "ENDA will pass before [the Defense of Marriage Act] will be repealed congressionally," Frank admitted.
Although ENDA may not be a threat in the House, it's a very real threat in this administration. Yesterday, Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) threw his support behind an executive order that would bypass Congress and impose ENDA on the government without a single debate. To see where this nightmar e could lead, click over to our website and witness what life without religious freedom would look like. (Family Research Council)
Two Prayer Alerts on the Hill
The following two prayer alerts are about pending activity on the Hill this week. Please pray in agreement with the prayer requests cited, according to Matthew 18:19. (Source: Mark Williamson; Federal Intercessors)
Prayer Alert: On Friday, April 1st, the House Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the Defense Department's "Repeal Implementation Plan" to accommodate "LGBT" personnel in all branches and communities of the armed forces. Pray that the TRUTH - not the ill-conceived fraud and deception of political correctness - would be revealed and made manifest!
Prayer Alert: The Senate is to vote soon on measures to halt the EPA from implementing their own Greenhouse Gas regulations, according to liberal, man-made global warming standards of deception. Pray that this vote "turn" against the EPA, and that the Administration's attempts to "go-around" the legislative process (to implement "Cap and Trade" via "regulation in place of legislation") be stopped!
Important Pro-Life Hearing Tomorrow
House Ways and Means Committee to Review Language of H.R. 1232, "To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to eliminate certain tax benefits relating to abortion"
This is a "Mark Up Hearing" to adjust the language in H.R. 1232, in preparation for the passage of H..R. 3, the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act."
Hearing to be held in Room 1100 Longworth House Office Building at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 31, 2011.
H.R. 1232 specifically makes the following pro-life changes to the tax code:
- Disallows premium tax credits - also known as "exchange subsidies" - created by the 2010 health care law for subsidizing the premiums of health insurance plans offered in the government-run exchanges that offer abortion coverage.
- Disallows small business tax credits, also created by the 2010 health care law, for a subset of small businesses purchasing, for employees, health insurance plans that offer abortion coverage.
- Ends the policy of providing tax-preferred status for abortion through Archer Medical Savings Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, and Health Flexible Spending Arrangements (FSAs).
- Disallows abortions to be included as an itemized deduction for medical expenses exceeding 7.5% (10% after 2012) of adjusted gross income.
For a list of the members who currently serve on the House Ways and Means Committee, go here.
TAKE ACTION!!
If your own member of Congress is serving on this committee, please call him or her and ask that they vote FOR the changes proposed in H.R. 1232. You can reach your member of Congress by calling the Capitol Switchboard at: 202- 224-3121.
The Good News Corner
Can Someone be Saved on an Atheist's Website?
This Man Was
"Science and philosophy do not have the answer to everything. If you are willing to listen with an open mind and an open heart and just say 'perhaps I do not possess all the truth,'that is an act of humility and I know that God never rejects or ignores acts of humility." -Richard Morgan
The Christian Post has published a detailed report of how former atheist Richard Morgan was saved after being part of a long-term, on-line religious debate on Richard Dawkins' website.
Morgan, who spoke recently at Apologetics315, explained how he, an avid Dawkins' supporter, was initially part of a group who ridiculed David Robertson, a Scottish pastor who had responded to Dawkins' atheist book "The God Delusion" with open letters he later published in a book called: "The Dawkins Letters."
Though most of Dawkins' on-line community made fun of Robertson as being the site's "resident fruitcake," Morgan was eventually drawn to Robertson's humility, patience, fortitude, and kindness in the face of vile criticism.
Says the report: Eventually "writing to Robertson about how he appreciated his responses and comments, Morgan shared how he couldn't believe in God. 'I'm not an atheist because I want to be an atheist. I'm not a happy atheist. I'm an atheist because I can't believe in God.'"
In response to Morgan's post, Robertson, reportedly asked him two questions which subsequently changed his life: 1) Why don't you believe in God? 2) What could make you believe in God?
Follow the link provided to read about Morgan's spiritual journey from that point and why "Morgan is still amazed and feels the love of God even more now every day, being plugged into a church, which Robertson referred him to." (The Christian Post)
[Reported by: Breaking Christian News]
Worship with Us Today!
"One Thing I Have Asked of the Lord" - Marty Goetz
"Oh keep the fire in this temple burning high, my Lord; burning higher, my Lord . . . all the days of my life."
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