In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• House Passes the SOAR Act
• House Considers Pro-Family Legislation
• IFA: MOBILIZING PRAYER
• Update: FACEBOOK v. Israel
• 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 - Thursday, March 31, 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. Fukushima 50: We Are Ready to Die - Fox News
The brave Japanese workers who sprung into action to stop a nuclear meltdown at earthquake-ravaged plant say they won't survive repeated exposure to dangerous radiation.
- We call upon Your mercy for these precious souls who have risked their lives to save a nation. We understand "inevitable." We also know the God of miracles. We pray Your mercy and personal touch for Mr. Sato and the other believers who willingly set foot in danger to make a difference; we ask for salvation for those who do not know You.
- "Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth." (Jeremiah 33:6)
2. Un-Conventional Warfare Hits GOP on 2012 Primaries - Fox News
South Carolina's Republican Party proposes slapping sanctions on Florida over early primary plan.
- Lord, as we enter the season of elections in 2012, we ask for sanity in the midst of chaos. We pray that free and fair elections will supersede underhanded manipulation of the voting in every state.
- "There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the Lord's counsel-that will stand." (Proverbs 19:21)
3. Threats Claim Nuclear Bombs Hidden All Over U.S. - CBS News
The threats came in the mail and to date, there have been 25 letters that warn of nuclear bombs destroying America.
- Father, if any of this report is true, we ask for Your direct intervention against all plans of the enemy.
- "No weapon formed against you shall prosper." (Isaiah 54:17)
4. Washington in fierce debate on arming Libyan rebels - MSNBC
The Obama administration is engaged in a fierce debate over whether to supply weapons to the rebels in Libya, senior officials said on Tuesday, with some fearful that providing arms would deepen American involvement in a civil war and that some fighters may have links to Al Qaeda.
- Lord, since our government has no clue who the rebels really are, we ask that clarity and information that is truthful be widely known before any decision is made to arm Libyan rebels. Father, we seek democracy and freedom for the Libyan people, but we ask for protection for them and the world against incursion of jihadist influences.
- "Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us! Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, for we have been brought very low." (Psalm 79:8)
5. Republicans Pitch Unusual Backup Plan as Fragile Budget Talks Resume
- Fox News
In the latest gambit out of Washington's head-spinning budget debate, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor announced Wednesday that if the Senate fails to act by next week, Republicans will proffer a bill forcing an earlier House GOP plan that did not pass Congress to become the "law of the land."
- Father, we pray against gridlock, and ask for a free flow of wisdom over Congress as these budget proposals are brought forth. We ask that You intervene for the sake of Your people in America.
- "You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance." (Psalm 65:11)
6. Ancient Books Uncovered in Jordan May Date to Start of Christianity - Fox News
One of the largest and best-preserved collections of ancient sealed books has been discovered in a cave in Jordan and are believed to be some of the earliest Christian documents, according to the BBC.
The 70 tiny books could date back to the first century. Carbon dating tests found that a piece of leather found with the scrolls was over 2000 years old.
Experts say the books, made of lead and copper and bound by rings, may be more significant than the Dead Sea Scrolls, BBC reports.
- Praise You, Lord, for more archeological evidence that reveals Your Word in the Middle East. From the revelation of a buckle with Goliath's name on it to mosaics and names written in stone, to evidence of the ancient Jews under the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, You are slowly and methodically bringing confirmation about Yourself to light.
- "but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith," (Romans 16:26)
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. Israel releases map of Hezbollah bunkers in Lebanon - Ynet News
An Israeli security official provided the Washington Post with a map detailing no less than 550 bunkers, 300 surveillance sites and 100 other facilities the Jewish state believes belong to Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon.
2. Barak inaugurates Iron Dome trial run in Beersheba - Jerusalem Post
Defense Minister Ehud Barak visited the Beersheba battery of the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system on Thursday, announcing that its trial deployment has begun.
3. Peres: End conflict in order to help Arab democratization - Ynet News
President Shimon Peres currently in London said Israel "must take advantage of this window of opportunity and end the conflict with Palestinians" so as to help the democratization wave sweeping the Arab countries in the Middle East.
4. 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."
The Daily Jot
The Threat and the Challenge
In reading some of the headlines today, I have to say that the entirety of what I have always held as the American moral ideal in dealing with foreign nations and American citizens is shattered. Its not a Republican thing or a Democratic thing, its just plain insanity. Many people who email me or talk to me about the world's current affairs are beside themselves regarding what is happening. We have to hand it to the current Administration. They ain't playin'. They just come out and say what they are going to do and then they do it, much to any man's chagrin that anyone could be so blatant. Much less, they get away with it. Nobody of any substance is standing up and saying, "Wait a minute, you are wrong."
The Republicans are huddled in their corner acting like they know more than the rest of us about how to handle these terrible, nation-threatening policies that have been adopted. They are making deals as if they have to. They are essentially quiet about the terrible decisions that are being made on behalf of the American people. The Democrats also seem to be in a stupor over the policies spewing forth from their own people. Just one small example, this Administration is helping al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood take over Libya. It helped the Muslim Brotherhood take over Egypt. These are enemies of the United States and destabilizers of the Middle East. With impunity these things have been done.
Then there is the Church and those who say they are Christians. We are not without blame in this. We, too, have been so busy with our buying of church buildings, our self indulgent man-made doctrines, our self-righteous prayer circles, our self improvement conventions and retreats, that we have not been about our Father's business. Romans 12:21 says, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." By shrinking back and waiting for a rapture or trying to command God to do this or that, or by swallowing do-gooder doctrines, have we not become ineffectual? Where is the standard that our Lord and Savior set for us? Can we honestly look in the mirror and say, "I've done my part"?
Now I know that there will be some who will read this and become so indignant that they will press the unsubscribe button. And others will reply and say, "What else can I do?" The fact is we have evil staring us down every day, across the board in our lives from the media we watch and hear to the politics to the finances and other things in our lives. It has become a tipping point. Either we are going to succumb and watch as our freedom to worship and speak are swept away by the critical mass of current events, or we are going to stand in the gap with both prayer and action. The Lord knows your heart. 1 Samuel 15:22 says, "to obey is better than sacrifice." Let us not be perplexed or confused, but find what we can do to overcome this evil before us.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
House Passes the SOAR Act
The House voted 225 to 195 today to reauthorize the successful D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.
The program, which passed Congress in 2004 with bipartisan support, allows low-income students to compete for private-school scholarships worth up to $8,000 for elementary school students and $12,000 for high school students.
Obama, whose administration began phasing out the scholarships when he took office, added insult to injury on Tuesday. He claimed the program is "not an effective way to improve student achievement" and "has not yielded improved student achievement by its scholarship recipients."
However, a federal evaluation of the program found that students who used the scholarships were nearly four months ahead in reading. A later study of the program found that students had graduation rates 21 points higher than their peers.
House Speaker John Boehner, who authored the legislation, said the program is a model that can work well in other cities.
"There's only one program in America where the federal government allows parents from lower-income families to choose the schools that are best for their children, and it's right here in D.C.," he said when he introduced the bill. "If we're serious about bipartisan education reform, then this bipartisan education bill should be the starting point."
Sen. Joe Lieberman has introduced similar legislation in the Senate. (Citizen Link)
-- We repeat below the prayer we offered on Tuesday, asking for passage of this bill; and we thank all of you who prayed along with us to this end. Let's continue to lift up the SOAR Act, now that it will reach the Senate floor for debate and for passage; and for the president to sign the SOAR Act into law when it reaches his desk. Amen.
- Father, we know we are in a climate of cutting spending, and the irony of this case is that the annual cost per student in this program is less than in the public schools. For the students, their families, our budget, and even the public school system, we ask you for a resoundingly affirmative vote for this bill in the House this week.
- "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old , he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6)
House Considers Pro-Family Legislation
From a pro-family perspective, the U.S. House of Representatives is having a busy week.
Also this week, the House is negotiating yet another spending bill; the resolution that is currently funding the federal government expires April 8. Life advocates are encouraging House members to include several pro-life provisions in any spending measure.
The four key pro-life amendments would: defund Planned Parenthood; reinstate the Mexico City Policy, which prevents federal funds from going to international groups that promote or perform abortions; defund the U.N. Population Fund; and stop government-funded abortions in Washington, D.C
"Now is the time for those lawmakers who profess to be pro-life to step up and demand the defunding of Planned Parenthood," said Ashley Horne, federal policy analyst at CitizenLink. "There is no more time to wait."
On Thursday, the House Ways and Means Committee will consider legislation that would eliminate certain tax benefits relating to abortion. H.R. 1232 would amend the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 3), which would protect several pro-life budget provisions in federal law. (by Jennifer Mesko, managing editor; CitizenLink)
- Continue to offer prayer that these key, pro-life provisions be included in the final language of H.R. 1, and that Congress passes it, as is.
- "Therefore, choose life, that you and your seed may life." (Dt. 30:19)
IFA: MOBILIZING PRAYER
INTERCESSORS FOR AMERICA:
MOBILIZING PRAYER
Our friends at Intercessors for America have launched a campaign to stand in the GAP for America, called "Get America Praying."
By learning about this key strategy for targeted prayer for America, you can find others of like mind in your own area, and join in with them to form a GAP team!
When you sign up for the GAP program, you will also find supplies and resource tools to be able to intercede effectively and strategically for our nation in these perilous times.
CHPP encourages all of our Prayer Partners to learn more about this exciting program by visiting IFA's website at www.ifapray.org.
"Every joint supplies" as we stand in the GAP together for our nation! Amen and amen!!
Update: FACEBOOK v. Israel
Strategy to invade Israel posted on Facebook
Campaign states goal: 'May the state of the sons of Zion fall'
Social-networking sites, specifically Facebook, are being used to promote a campaign that appears to target the very existence of Israel, with hundreds of thousands worldwide seeking to join in a plan to "return" to and take over the original homes of their families in "Palestine" on May 15.
According to an in-depth report by L. Barkan, a research fellow at the Middle East Media Research Institute, which monitors and analyzes media reports throughout the Middle East, the idea being circulated is "for millions of Palestinian refugees to march en masse in return to the original homes of their families in Israel."
The movement's plans call for this to be much more than just a visit, however.
All the families of Jewish settlers in the Galilee area, including in the areas of Safed, Tiberias, and all the way down to Acre, must proceed to the port of Haifa and board ships back to their countries of origin in Europe," explained one posting that is part of the campaign.
It provided instructions for others to report to other ports - all by the middle of March, a deadline long past.
"The message also warned that anyone trying to take 'archeological artifacts [or anything belonging] to the Palestinian heritage, even a single ball of falafel, will be pursued and arrested by Interpol in his new place of residence,'" the report said.
One of the Facebook pages soliciting participants in what apparently would be an invasion and attempted overthrow of the region's existing government has been removed by the Facebook administration, but not before collecting some 350,000 endorsements from readers. Other pages remain.
. . . MEMRI documents that a page titled, "The Palestinian Refugees' Revolution (The Advance of the Millions)," warned, "We will reach out our hand and build a bridge that will bring us to our green land, to our territorial waters, to the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, to our desert ... to the beautiful Galilee, to Jerusalem, our proud capital, to the neighborhoods of Nablus, Ramallah, and Jenin, to the hills of Lod and Ramla, and to all the [other] places ... We will return, and soon. Long live our cause. May the state of the sons of Zion fall."
Also, on the page called "The Third Palestinian Intifada" was the warning there could be violence.
"After the Tunisian, Egyptian, and Libyan intifadas, the time has come for the Palestinian intifada. The first Palestinian intifada was in 1987 and the second in 2000, but the third Palestinian intifada [will commence] on May 15, 2011," it said, according to MEMRI's documentation. . . .
"It should be noted that, while urging the public to join the mass demonstrations on May 15, the page administrators also hinted at a coming war on the Jews and called on the readers to prepare for martyrdom," Barkan's report confirmed.
"For example, they posted a well-known hadith, which states that the Day of Judgment will only come after the Muslims fight the Jews and vanquish them: 'The hour [of Judgment] will not come before the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them.'" (WorldNetDaily) Read more.
The Good News Corner
Opening Prayer in the House of Representatives
Offered by the Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin
Chaplain, U.S. House of Representatives
Join us today as we are blessed by the words of the Chaplain of the House of Representatives, as he uttered this prayer on Tuesday morning, March 29, 2011.
Cherry blossoms draw thousands of visitors to the Capitol city, Lord. Their silent beauty causes busy residents to stop their frenzied motion and simply gaze for a moment. Reflected in pools or clustered together on lawns, wrinkled with age, their new life displays a unified motion of gentle friendship.
Today, in our prayer, Lord, we offer voice to their song of spring and praise You and bless You for this momentary revelation of Your unique mystery and the blessing upon this Nation. Lord, this powerful gift of the Japanese people invites us to pray for our friends in their hour of need and suffering. Spring's fragile beauty will not be manipulated or contained for very long. In and through this passing glimpse of glory, the truth of Your promise is revealed. So, we learn the importance of Your timing and the art of subtle cohesion in natural forces.
Lord, grant us patience that You will have Your way with us now and always.
Amen.
Worship with Us Today!
"Your Love" - Oslo Gospel Choir
Worship with this beautiful Gospel Choir as they put Psalm 139 into song!
