In This Issue
• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• Military Retirement Plan Overhaul
• News from the ATF
• In England . . .
• Obama and Jerusalem
• Quartet Makes Statement
• The Good News Corner
• Worship with Us Today!
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
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The Daily Brief - Friday, August 19, 2011
"The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul." (Psalm 121:7)
Reminder!
Our MATCHING GRANT program will continue through the end of this month. Please see details, at the end of this alert.
We welcome all gifts, and we thank the LORD who is our supply.
Blessings to you all,
Sara Ballenger
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
The Daily Brief
1. Obama Administration Grants De Facto Amnesty to Many Illegal Immigrants - AP
Many illegal immigrants who were facing deportation despite having no criminal record will be allowed to stay in the country and apply for a work permit under new rules from the Homeland Security Department. Republicans are balking at the change.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced Thursday that the department will focus on deporting illegal immigrants who are criminals or pose a threat to national security or public safety.
Napolitano announced the plan in a letter to a group of senators who support revamping the immigration system. Under the change, approximately 300,000 deportation cases pending in immigration court will be reviewed case by case.
- The LORD judges us on a case-by-case basis, too. Are our actions according to the law of God, or the darkened "law" of man? In this case, this action is illegal, as it bypasses the Constitution and is outside of congressional authority. Stand in the gap for this administration's devious ways, asking God to forgive all, as He judges, case by case. May He rule and overrule in the heats of men, so that our nation can get back on track again, in His will. Amen.
- "Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments." (Rev. 19:1,2)
2. Republicans Decry DHS Deportation Review as 'Amnesty' - Fox News
Republicans accused the Obama administration of instituting "backdoor amnesty" after officials announced they would launch a case-by-case review of illegal immigrants slated for deportation in an effort to thin the list and focus resources on kicking out criminals.
Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul said the plan circumvents Congress. "It is just the latest attempt by this president to bypass the intended legislative process when he does not get his way," McCaul said. Read more:
- Pray that more members of Congress will arise and call this administration to task for its illegal ruling. This decree bypasses congressional authority and must be challenged in the courts, if necessary. Pray!
- " . . . so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)
3. 'Flash mobs' pose challenge to police tactics - USA Today
Armed with cellphones and connected through Facebook, bands of young people have been rushing into stores to steal goods or assaulting bystanders in a spate of recent "flash mob" incidents across the USA.
- Lift up all law enforcement agencies as they struggle to keep the peace in light of this new tactic of the enemy. God will make a way; let's ask Him for grace and wisdom for those in authority over these flash mobs. Pray, too, for the criminals involved in these mobs, for they surely need to find Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
- "No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise." (Isaiah 60:18)
4. Report: Standard & Poor's is Under Investigation - VOA News
A major American newspaper says the U.S. is investigating the financial services company that downgraded the U.S. credit rating for its faulty rating of mortgage securities that played a major role in the country's 2008 recession.
- Offer a chorus of praise that this credit rating firm will now be under investigation -- an action which is long overdue. Pray that every hidden thing regarding the practices of Standard & Poor's will be revealed, and that corrections will be made, in time. As believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, we do not base our own "credit rating" on any organization, but on the finished work of the Cross, where ALL debts were paid and where our credit is assured. Praise God!
- "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Eph. 2:8,9)
5. Small investors fleeing stock market - MSNBC
If the recent wild leaps and plunges in financial markets have prompted you to cash out your stocks, you're not alone. Individual investors are bolting for the exits.
- Pray for those who still own investments in the stock market, that they be granted "wisdom from above" in the stewardship of their resources. First things first is always to present the tithe unto the LORD, for He has given us this provision and, as an act of worship, we return only ten percent unto Him in gratitude. Then, He WILL provide wisdom and counsel as we seek His face in this, and in all decisions we make in this life. Amen.
- "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." (Psalm 32:8)
6. U.S. Stocks Tumble on Global Economy, European Funding Concerns - Bloomberg
U.S. stocks tumbled, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average down more than 400 points for the fourth time this month, on concern the global economy is slowing and speculation that European banks lack enough capital.
- Some would call us naive, but we trust and believe in the Word of the Lord. We repent that our nation over time has compromised the values of our Founding Fathers on the altar of coming into alignment with the humanist agenda of the nations of Europe and with its plans for a global economy. We ask our Lord to forgive us, and we thank Him that, in His economy, there is no lack. Amen.
- "The gold is mine; the silver is mine." (Haggai 2:8)
7. Russia FM: Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant to be fully operational 'very soon' - Ha'aretz
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday he hoped that talks between global powers and Iran on Tehran's nuclear program would resume soon and use Moscow's proposal as their basis.
- This news certainly gives us cause for concern so, once again, we turn to our Omnipotent God for help in time of need. Abba God is the Author and the Finisher of our faith. Offer praise that He is in control, and thank Him for His saving grace for us all.
- "Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns." (Rev. 9:6)
8. Russian company unveils 'bomb in a box' cruise missile system - RIA Novosti
A Russian company has unveiled a unique "Pandora's Box" cruise missile system which is deployed and can be fired from a standard 40-foot shipping container, from ships, rail cars or even off the back of a truck.
- One can only imagine the full implications of this report, and where these new weapons may end up. May God have mercy! His angels are there to protect us from all evil; let's petition our Father for supernatural, divine intervention and protection from these new weapons now.
- " . . . and deliver us from evil . . ." (Matthew 6:13)
9. Spacecraft Sees Solar Storm Engulf Earth - NASA
August 18, 2011: For the first time, a spacecraft far from Earth has turned and watched a solar storm engulf our planet. The movie, released today during a NASA press conference, has galvanized solar physicists, who say it could lead to important advances in space weather forecasting.
"The movie sent chills down my spine," says Craig DeForest of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. "It shows a CME swelling into an enormous wall of plasma and then washing over the tiny blue speck of Earth where we live. I felt very small."
Footage of the storm released today was recorded back in December 2008, and they have been working on [their new technique] ever since. Now that the technique has been perfected, it can be applied on a regular basis without such a long delay.
- This is NASA's official report of the press conference held yesterday. To read the full report, go here. Offer praise that, with this new technology, we may be given advance, accurate warning of when a solar flare may be headed our way, and be able to take the needed precautions as a result. Continue to lift up the hard-working scientists at NASA, for they are certainly doing a great service for our country.
- "Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:19)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"Keep not silence, O God. Hold not Your peace, and be not still, O God. For, behold, Your enemies make a noise, and they that hate You have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people . . . 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.'" (Psalm 83:1-4)
1. After Iran strike, Israel gets cyber unit - UPI
Israel's military has set up a cyberdefense division, primarily against the Iranian threat, thus boosting the country's cyberwar capabilities after it allegedly attacked Tehran's nuclear program in 2010 with the Stuxnet virus and changed the face of warfare.
2. Iron Dome intercepts 2 rockets fired at Israel - Ynet News
While the IDF continued to search for the terrorists who committed four deadly attacks in the south, the Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted two rockets fired at Ashkelon from Gaza.
3. Israel kills PRC leadership in Gaza airstrike - Jerusalem Post
Israel's response to the terror attacks from the Sinai Peninsula came swiftly Thursday evening when the Israel Air Force bombed the southern Gaza Strip, killing the leadership of the Popular Resistance Committee (PRC), who had orchestrated the attacks.
4. IDF strikes Gaza in response to attacks; 5 reported dead - Jerusalem Post
The IDF attacked terror targets in Rafah in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, in response to a three-stage terrorist attack which killed seven Israelis and wounded dozens in the South earlier in the day.
5. Multifocal terror attack hits south - Ynet News
Terrorists launched a multifocal terror attack on Israel's south on Thursday, injuring over two dozen people.
The Daily Jot
Let them eat cake
Martha's Vineyard is the vacation hotspot for the privileged and wealthy. Movie stars, politicians, millionaire TV personalities and liberal journalists roost there during the summer. The normal population of about 16,000 can swell to over 75,000 people in the summer. The Vineyard Gazette Online reports that the cost of living on the island is 60% higher than the national average, and housing prices are 96% higher than the national average. These are the very people that political leftists decry do not pay their fair share of taxes when they play the class warfare card and want the less fortunate to believe they care. So why is it that Obama, who loathes the rich so much, is taking an 11 day vacation there?
The "[so-called] first family" is hanging out at the Blue Heron Farm, renting for between $35,000 and $50,000 a week. The president's vacation will be far more expensive when accounting for the entourage of secret service, chefs, servants, and others. But the family will have a great time. ABC News reports the property features a five-bedroom main house, a Cape Cod guest house, swimming pool and a half-court basketball court. The family will have their pick of activities ranging from kayaking on the West Tisbury Great Pond to a simple game of horseshoes. And golf is not far away for the president who as of March had golfed over 60 times since taking office--that's two months of his presidency spent on the golf course.
The national unemployment rate is 9.1% and that does not take into account all those who have essentially given up on finding a job. Counting those folks brings the rate up to about 20%. Reports released this week indicate that 20% of America's children now live in poverty. Homelessness is on the rise, reaching record numbers in places like Portland, Oregon. First time homelessness is on the rise across the nation as "economic refugees", as they call them, are moving across the country seeking work. By all market indications, the US is headed into another, deeper recession. Food prices are rapidly increasing. Home foreclosures are so prevalent, the government is considering renting them, but to who?
Jesus said in Matthew 7:15, 16, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits." While the president is not a prophet in the traditional sense, we can know him by what he does rather than by what he says. He says the rich don't pay their fair share. I wonder while he is up there in Martha's Vineyard rubbing elbows with the rich and famous, if he will be asking them to pay their fair share. I also wonder why he is taking a vacation at a time when most Americans are having a hard time keeping a roof over their head and food on the table. Its like fiddling while Rome burns, or royalty saying "let them eat cake" in the midst of a famine.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
Military Retirement Plan Overhaul
MILITARY RETIREMENT PLAN OVERHAUL
Budget task force at the Pentagon is proposing the largest overhaul of the military retirement system in 50 years. It is advocating doing away with the traditional military pension system, opting instead for a 401(k) type of program.
"With the newly proposed Defense Business Board plan, all troops would receive yearly retirement contributions if they served at least 20 years. The money, however, would not vest until service reached at least three to five years and would then be payable at retirement age. If personnel left before that three-to five-year mark, the time served would be rolled over into Social Security," according to reports on the Fox News web site.
A mandatory "Uniformed Military Personnel Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)" would be the central focus of the plan. Contributions by the Department of Defense and the individual service member would be deposited in an account. The U.S. military already has a TSP program in operation. It was established in 1986 by Congress for both federal employees and service personnel. The difference is that those TSPs are voluntary and only include employee contributions while this plan will be mandatory for military personnel.
The forced enrollment in the government's version of a tax-deferred savings plan doesn't sit well with the lawmaker who is responsible for opening the program to the military. Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., the former chairman of the House Armed Services Committee's military personnel panel, said some service members may not want their money tied up in the TSP because they receive no government match for their contributions, as federal civilian employees do.
After military pay stops, the military personnel have several options for their TSP accounts. They will be able to make withdrawals from their TSP account without penalty (as early as age 59.5) and eventually would be required to make withdrawals soon after age 70. The new Personnel Thrift Savings Plan -- functioning as a 401(k)-style account -- could include a government contribution amounting to as much as 16.5 percent of the member's annual pay, as well as a maximum annual tax-deferred contribution limit of $16,500 by members. In addition, there is a $5,500 annual tax-deferred "Catch-up Contribution" for service people age 50 or older, and adjustments for those serving in a combat zone. The proposed DBB retirement program would not impact disabled veterans or current retirees according to the report posted by Fox News reporter Jim Crogan. (Contributors: Fox News, The Military Guide, Army Times) [Reported by Intercessors for America]
- Thank our Heavenly Father for watching over our men and women in our armed services. Ask the Lord to bless their families and make provision for their well-being during and after their times of dedicated military service.
- "And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)
News from the ATF
Blundering Bureaucrats Get Promoted
The "Fast and Furious" scandal just keeps getting worse. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that weapons from "Operation Fast and Furious" have turned up at nearly a dozen crime scenes across the country. This is in addition to the arms that were used in last year's murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.
Now this will really get your blood boiling. Three Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives supervisors who were responsible for the program were recently promoted to management positions in Washington, D.C. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) is furious, and has said, " . . . it is inconceivable to reward those who spearheaded this disastrous operation with cushy desks in Washington." I couldn't agree more. This is just one more example of the Obama Administration's tendency to reward failure and perpetuate the worst of Big Government. (Gary Bauer)
In England . . .
Cameron Confronts "Moral Collapse"
In England, the left has embraced social permissiveness for decades, while conservatives have largely surrendered in the cultural war. The political parties rarely speak about values issues or the link between liberty and virtue. That may be changing as Prime Minister David Cameron appears to be finding his voice.
Many Britons are rightly outraged as coddled teenagers have rioted in recent days, burning businesses and looting, while the police have appeared impotent. Prime Minister Cameron is now speaking to the concerns of Britain's law-abiding citizens, as a recent poll found that nearly three-quarters of those surveyed rejected the left's arguments that the riots were caused by unemployment and budget cuts.
Yesterday Cameron vowed to end Britain's "slow-motion moral collapse." He blamed political correctness and the unwillingness to address values for contributing to the crisis. Cameron said, "In this risk-free ground of moral neutrality, there are no bad choices, just different lifestyles. 'Live and let live' becomes 'Do what you please.'"
Cameron is right. The left too often confuses liberty with licentiousness. Thus the destruction of an innocent life simply becomes a woman's "choice." Marriage is no longer about what is best for children and society, but rather about treating different lifestyles equally.
Whoever wins the Republican presidential nomination must be able to offer solutions to the pressing economic concerns of our time. But they must also be willing to defend the fundamental values of millions of Americans who cherish faith, family and freedom. (Gary Bauer)
Obama and Jerusalem
Obama Has Raised the Stakes on Jerusalem
In the spring of last year, the Obama administration picked a fight with the Israel over the routine approval of some housing starts in Jerusalem because it coincided with a visit to the country by Vice President Joe Biden. Washington ginned this "insult" to Biden up into a full-scale attempt to undermine Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Though that effort failed, as would subsequent ambushes for Netanyahu set by the White House, the after shocks still linger as Obama's precedent-setting attack on Jewish Jerusalem has become a major problem for the U.S.-Israel alliance.
Today, the Israeli government gave the final approval for the construction of the same apartment buildings in the Ramat Shlomo district of the city that were deemed such an affront to Biden's honor. We can expect the routine condemnation of these homes from both the administration as well as other critics of Israel. But while the debate over the status of Jerusalem is, as Seth wrote earlier today, nothing new, it is important to note the significance of this particular controversy and to understand why it signaled an unprecedented policy shift on the city's future by the United States.
While no American government has ever recognized Israeli sovereignty over any part of the ancient capital, it is equally true never before had an American president made an issue of the building of homes in the existing Jewish neighborhoods begun in the immediate aftermath of the reunification of the city in 1967. Though settlement building in the West Bank has been a constant source of tension, and projects such as the one at Har Homa outside these Jewish sections of the city (although it was on vacant, Jewish-owned land) were disputed by Washington, housing in places like Ramat Sharon had never been a bone of contention.
[Reported by: Unity Coalition for Israel] Read more.
Joint Statement by the Quartet
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC, August 16, 2011
The following statement was issued by the Middle East Quartet (United Nations, Russian Federation, United States, and European Union):
The Quartet is greatly concerned by Israel's recent announcements to advance planning for new housing units in Ariel and East Jerusalem, and reiterates its position in this regard, in particular its statement of March 12, 2010. The Quartet reaffirms that unilateral action by either party cannot prejudge the outcome of negotiations and will not be recognized by the international community. Jerusalem in particular is one of the core issues that must be resolved through negotiations between the parties, which underscores the urgent need for the parties to resume serious and substantive talks. This comes at a critical juncture with Quartet efforts ongoing to resume negotiations which are the only way to a just and durable solution to the conflict.
The Quartet is determined to pursue its efforts . Ultimately, it is up to Israeli and Palestinian leaders to make tough decisions and avoid actions by their governments that undermine the very goals they and we are trying to achieve. [Reported by Unity Coalition for Israel]
The Good News Corner
Abortionist Ordered to Pay Survivor Millions
Summary: Disabled girl, 10, survived abortion attempt; lawyer says ultrasound would have proved pregnancy was too advanced.
A Florida judge on Monday denied a new malpractice trial to an abortionist previously ordered to pay a victim $36 million.
As a result, James Pendergraft -- who owns five abortion clinics in Florida and one near Washington, D.C. -- will likely see his businesses close, since he does not carry medical malpractice insurance.
The money will go to Carol Howard for the life-long care of her severely disabled 10-year-old daughter. Howard sought a chemical abortion from Pendergraft in 2001, when she was 20 years old and 22 weeks pregnant. Instead of delivering a stillborn child into a toilet, however, she delivered a live child weighing just over 1 pound at a nearby hospital. Her daughter suffers from cerebral palsy, strokes, brain and lung damage, chronic lung disease, seizure disorders, and has no function on the left side of her body.
"She's never going to get any better," Howard's lawyer, Jennifer Gentry Fernandez, told the Orlando Sentinel after the ruling. "It was a tragically unbelievable situation. Hopefully, it won't be too much longer until we can get recovery for (Howard)."
If a sonogram had been performed, Fernandez said, Howard would most likely have realized abortion was no longer an option.
Since opening his first Florida clinic in the mid-1990s, Pendergraft has served time in federal prison for extortion and perjury. The Florida Department of Health has suspended his license four times, but at press time, his clinics remained open with other abortionists at the helm.
Howard won her civil case against him in July, when a judge ordered him to pay $18,255,000 in punitive damages, $18 million in compensatory damages to be placed in a trust for her daughter's care, and more than $400,000 in court costs. Eleven jurors found him guilty, and one declared him "absolutely guilty!" (CitizenLink)
Worship with Us Today!
Give me that old time religion - Gary Cooper & Walter Brennan
1941
Give me that Old Time Religion,
Give me that Old Time Religion,
Give me that Old Time Religion . . .
It's good enough for me!
