Thursday, January 26, 2012

CHPP Daily Brief -Thursday, January 26, 2012

News for Prayer!

•  The Daily Brief
•  The Middle East in Focus
•  The Daily Jot
•  Focus: State of the Union
•  Focus: Supreme Court
•  Focus: New York State
•  Focus: Congress
•  Focus: Arizona Governor
•  The Good News Corner
•  Worship with Us Today!


Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
"Partners in Prayer for Our Nation"
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief - Thursday, January 26, 2012


"You must be born again . . ." (John 3:7)


SUMMARY OF MAJOR HEADLINES

1.    Many Turned Off by State of the Union Address
2.    Free-Speech Case Appealed to Supreme Court
3.    New York Senate Committee Passes Church/School Bill
4.    Two Pro-Life Measures Introduced in Congress
5.    Arizona Governor v. Mr. Obama


 The Daily Brief


1. Azerbaijan police foil Iran plot to assassinate Israel ambassador
- UK Telegraph



Police in Azerbaijan have foiled an Iranian plot to assassinate Israel's ambassador and other prominent Jews in apparent revenge for the killing of nuclear scientists in Tehran, officials in the former Soviet state claimed.


- Lord, we thank You for foiling this plot, and pray for Your protection over Israel's entire leadership. We bind the spirit of murder that constantly tries to destroy Israel.


- "For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off." [Psalm 37:28]


2. Iran Preparing Now for Armageddon -WND


Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has held several secret meetings with his economic and military advisers in recent days to prepare for the possibility of war with the United States.


- Father, You are the "Supreme Leader" and there is no other. Let every plot and device by the enemies of Your Name be brought to nothing.

- "You have a mighty arm; Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne."
[Psalm 89:13,14a]


3. U.S. official: SEAL team in rescue in Somalia also killed bin Laden
- Detroit News



Held captive since last fall, an ailing American woman and a Danish man were safely on their way home after a bold, dark-of-night rescue by U.S. Navy SEALs.


- Lord, we rejoice that our U.S. Navy Seal Team is so expert at rescue insertions. We pray Your mighty protection over these men in coming days, remembering that after they killed Bin Laden a tragedy struck their unit. We call forth the Blood of Jesus over them, a hedge of the Fire of God around them, and Your Holy Spirit to touch their hearts and minds.

- "You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot."
[Psalm 91:13]


4. Bernanke says Fed pondering further stimulus
- Reuters



Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday the central bank was ready to offer the economy additional stimulus after it announced it would likely keep interest rates near zero until at least late 2014.


- Lord, as the economy continues to struggle, we thank you for keeping interest rates low for the people who desperately need them. We do ask, however, that Mr. Bernanke and his financial advisers find You in the midst of the problems, and that Your wisdom would prevail over his decisions.

- "Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding; for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and the gain than fine gold."
[Proverbs 3:13,14]


5. Obama Pushes for New Taxes, More Spending in State of the Union
- NewsMax



Attempting to lay out his blueprint for an "economy that's built to last," an often impassioned, even defiant Obama vowed Tuesday night to fight obstructionism in Congress and return to a "fairness for all and responsibility from all" approach in his third State of the Union.


- Father, we must not be deceived by words, but stand firm against tyranny in any of its forms. The mouth speaks from the heart, is a reminder to us all to be wise in listening to any speeches during the election season.

- "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man."
[ Matthew 15:18]



6. Pentagon budget to cut military, cancel programs - Reuters


The Pentagon will preview a budget proposal this week that begins to implement $487 billion in spending cuts over the next decade by trimming the size of the military and canceling or scaling back some weapons programs.


- Lord, as we face budget cuts during a time of war against terror, and enemies whose desire is to completely destroy our way of life, we pray for wisdom and military strategies for our leaders. But most of all, we pray for reliance upon You as our protection, and the counsel of the Most High as our guide.


- "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the Name of the Lord our God." [Psalm 20:7]

7. House Bills Promote Religion at War Memorials
- Military.Com



The House on Tuesday passed two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials. One writes into law the propriety of displaying religious markers at war memorials while the other orders that the Interior Department add to the World War II Memorial in Washington a plaque with Franklin Roosevelt's prayer to the nation on D-Day.


- Father, we rejoice at the passage of these two bills, and we pray that the Senate will follow suit. The foundations of America are at stake! We ask that You will take the opportunity to move among the members of Congress, bringing truth and life to their lives.

- "Say to God, 'Through the greatness of Your power, Your enemies shall submit themselves to You"
[Psalm 66:3]



The Middle East in Focus


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

"But the Lord your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies."
(II Kings 17:39)


1. Palestinians: Peace negotiations with Israel have ended
- Ha'aretz



The time frame that the Palestinians have allowed for talks with Israel in Amman under Jordanian auspices expires on Thursday. According to diplomatic sources associated with the Middle East Quartet - the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia - last-minute efforts are underway to head off the talks' collapse, but the prospects seem slim.


2. Palestinians say fifth Amman meeting will be last - Jerusalem Post


Palestinian Authority officials said Wednesday that a fifth meeting between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Amman scheduled for later in the day would be the final meeting, Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported.


3. Israel to UN: Tomorrow will be too late for action against Iran - Ha'aretz


"Iran's efforts to develop nuclear weapons represent the greatest threat to peace and security in the world," Israel's United Nations Envoy Ron Prosor said. "The silence of the Security Council will be very costly. You must act today. Tomorrow will be too late."

4. UN chief to visit Israel, Palestinian territories
- Jerusalem Post



United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan in a Middle East tour supporting the peace process, Ban said Wednesday.

5. Pro-Palestinian hackers bring down Haaretz Hebrew website
- Ha'aretz



Pro-Palestinian hackers brought down Haaretz's Hebrew website on Wednesday, after several Israeli websites were targeted earlier in the day.


6. Ashton, UNRWA chief sign $72M Palestinian aid agreement - Ynet News


The European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton, and the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Chief, Filippo Grandi, signed a $72 million financing agreement towards the Agency's General Fund.


The Daily Jot


New York Police Force bullied by Islam on anti-terrorism training


The New York Times has taken on the city's police department for showing a training film to some 1,400 police officers depicting the terrorist threat posed by Islamists. The film reportedly states that "much of Muslim leadership here in America" is to "infiltrate and dominate" the United States. Of course, the film has drawn the ire of Muslims and Muslim civil rights groups. The police department is now backing off from its decision to show the film that, according to the Times, "amid images of assassinations, bombings and executions, portrays many mainstream American Muslim leaders as closet radical Islamists, and states that their "primary tactic" is deception."


That Islamist civil rights groups, such as the Council on American Islamic Relations and its affiliates, would fight so hard to prevent police from understanding the Islamic creed of colonizing, radicalizing, and taking over the United States is an obvious and blatant attempt to propagandize the deception of the Islamic movement in America. Evidence suggests that the FBI and Homeland Security are routinely arresting home-grown terrorists who are Islamic or Islamic converts. To run away from the concept of the film is to avoid reality. Preventing law enforcement and the military from understanding the true nature of Islam in America is tantamount to withholding information that could save lives and preserve the nation.


There is no better or concise information about the intentions of cult of Islam in America than what was submitted as evidence by the US Government in the 2008 Holy Land Foundation Trial in Texas. The Muslim Brotherhood plan is to conduct a massive "Concept of Settlement" by coordinating Islamic Centers, news and entertainment media, infiltration of the government, the courts, the congress and various civic and youth organizations to colonize the United States. The plan stated: "The process of settlement is a "Civilization-Jihadist Process" with all the word means...work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and sabotaging its miserable house..."


Islam is playing for keeps. And for some reason our very own government, under the leadership of a president raised as a Muslim, refuses to accept that Islam is an internal threat to America. From the military to the local police departments, every soldier and officer should know the true intent and methods of this threat. There is a total lack of discernment by America's leadership, and, for the most part, by America's citizenry. This so-called religion of peace is anything but. Jeremiah 8:11 says, For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace." There is no peace with Islam. It is a false religion, a tyrannical political system, and an evil destroyer of life and liberty.


Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
 
Focus: State of the Union



State of the Union Address Creates Controversy


Many Turned Off by State of the Union Address


U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn was not the only federal official to skip Obama's annual State of the Union address Tuesday.


As cameras scanned the audience assembled in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives, it was hard to miss the fact that only five of the nine U.S. Supreme Court justices were present - Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. and Justices Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan.


Though Justice Sonia Sotomayor - one of Obama's appointees - was likely on her way to Guam, where she's scheduled to speak at an upcoming judicial conference, conservative Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas were conspicuously absent. (By Karla Dial; CitizenLink) Read more.


Focus: Supreme Court


Free-Speech Case Appealed to Supreme Court


The Thomas More Law Center on Tuesday appealed the case of a Southern California teacher to the U.S. Supreme Court.


Bradley Johnson, a high school math teacher in the Poway Unified School District near San Diego, had banners hanging in his classroom for 25 years with mottos such as "In God We Trust," "One Nation Under God" and "God Bless America."


For the last 30 years, the school district has had a policy allowing teachers to use their classrooms for displays of personal belief - a policy other teachers at Johnson's school have taken advantage of by hanging up Tibetan prayer flags and posters of the Dalai Lama, Malcolm X and Hindu sayings.


In 2007, the school told Johnson his banners needed to be removed, while the other displays remained. A federal district court in 2008 upheld Johnson's First Amendment rights, but a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the decision last year - then turned down a request for an en banc hearing by the full court.


That leaves the U.S. Supreme Court as a last resort, said Thomas More Law Center President Richard Thompson.


"This case is a prime example of how public schools across our nation are cleansing our classrooms of our Christian heritage, while promoting atheism and other non-Christian religions under the guise of cultural diversity," he said. (Citizen Link) Read more.


- Pray fervently over this critical case in southern California for the rights of our citizens to uphold our freedom of speech as Christians! Decree that the decision rendered by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will be overruled by the U.S. Supreme Court. Pray!


- "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3)

Focus: New York State

New York Senate Committee Passes Church/School Bill



Measure would change state law to allow houses of worship to meet in public school buildings.
A New York State Senate committee passed a bill on Tuesday as the first step toward overriding a New York City policy banning churches from holding weekend worship services in rented public schools.


The city's Department of Education gave churches their eviction notice in late December, after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to rule on a 16-year-old viewpoint-discrimination case of a church in the Bronx that was kicked out of a public school. The city has given some 60-odd churches serving primarily poor neighborhoods until Feb. 12 to find other facilities to call home.
I salute the New York State Senate Education Committee on taking bold and decisive action on this important issue," said New York City Councilman Fernando Cabrera, who has urged state legislators to take up the churches' cause. "I am confident the Assembly will follow suit, and urge Gov. (Andrew) Cuomo to sign the legislation when it reaches his desk."


If the bill does not pass, New York City apparently would be the first major city nationwide to ban churches from meeting in public schools. Several peaceful demonstrations protesting the policy have already taken place; Cabrera, who is also a pastor, was one of several people arrested for a show of civil disobedience earlier this month.


Church supporters have scheduled a protest march across the Brooklyn Bridge on Sunday.


- Again, pray that this bill would PASS in the New York State Senate committee. May our people be free to assemble in public buildings, when available, for the purposes of worship. May God be praised for this development in New York State. Pray, too, for the protection of all who are marching in protest over the original ruling in New York City. Pray!

- "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."
(Proverbs 14:34)



Focus: Congress
 
Two Pro-Life Measures Introduced in Congress



The March for Life may be over, but the momentum has carried on right into the U.S. Capitol, where two men are doing their part to put feet to the prayers of millions of American seeking to restore the right to life in our nation.


Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) is kicking things off with a push to ban D.C. abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy, when it's widely believed that babies can feel pain. "It will emphasize the humanity of the child and the inhumanity of what is being done to them," Rep. Franks told the Washington Post. As chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee that handles the District, he is all but guaranteed a vote on the House floor


Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has filed the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act, which, like Texas's law, requires doctors to perform an ultrasound and describe the baby's development before a woman consents to abort. So far, the measure has 44 co-sponsors. Encourage your member to become one of them. Contact your representatives and ask them to support the Franks and Jordan bills.


(Family Research Council, "The Measure of a Man," Jan. 26, 2012)


- Pray for passage of each bill. Pray for a groundswell of support to arise from our citizens in all 50 states to support LIFE by calling their members of Congress and asking that they vote for these two bills. Amen.

- "Thy people shall volunteer freely in the day of Thy power."
(Psalm 110:3 NAS)

 
Focus: Arizona Governor



Tension On The Tarmac


Yesterday Barack Obama flew to Arizona and was met on the tarmac by Governor Jan Brewer. Brewer handed the president an envelope with a handwritten letter inviting him to visit the border with her and talk about how the economy in Arizona is improving. Obama wasn't interested.
Instead, according to CBS News, "What she got was a critique. Of her book." In her book, "Scorpions for Breakfast," Brewer recounts an Oval Office meeting in which she said Obama lectured her about Arizona's tough anti-illegal immigration law. Evidently, Obama was offended by her depiction of the meeting and took the opportunity to relay his displeasure. Surprised by the president's reaction, Brewer asked if Obama had actually read the book. He said he had read excerpts.


It was obvious from their body language that the president and the governor were having a tense exchange. When asked what transpired, Brewer told reporters yesterday, "Bottom line is that he generally wants to talk about amnesty and I want to talk about securing our border." She later added that Obama seemed "thin-skinned." Indeed he is.


- Offer praise for the courage shown by Arizona Governor Janice Brewer in standing strong for the rights of the citizens of Arizona against an administration that seems to have deaf ears on the matters of immigration and the economy. Stand in the gap for the rudeness shown her by the sitting president. May he yet understand the ways of godly leadership, to behave as a statesman in all matters that concern him. In Jesus Name, amen.

- "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
(Matthew 21:22)



The Good News Corner:

Man Lost Two Days on Mt. Rainier Marched to "Amazing Grace"



(Tacoma, WA)-Nearly every weekend for the last decade, 66-year-old experienced outdoorsman Yong Chun Kim has gone snowshoeing in Washington's Cascade Mountains.


But, on Saturday, January 14, when Kim led a group of friends on a trek on Mount Rainier, he reportedly fell 150 yards down a steep slope in whiteout conditions and then fell again, ultimately getting buried over his head in snow.


According to a King 5 News report, Kim-armed with only the barest essentials-was able to make his way to a tree where he could take refuge.


Meanwhile, nearly 50 hours after the accident, Kim's family was said to have nearly lost all hope that he had survived or would be found. But not so, Kim.


Pictures Kim took of himself during his ordeal show a smiling, faith-filled face and, indeed, he was staying alive by marching in place while singing Gospel tunes in Korean. . . especially "Amazing Grace."


The report notes that Kim had a "song in his heart and a fire in his belly," that helped him survive and he has no intention of giving up his weekly expeditions on the mountain.


"It takes me close to God," he said.


To see a delightful interview of Kim explaining his ordeal, click on the link provided.
Source: Staff - King 5 News


Worship with Us Today!

Amazing Grace in Rome



Let's sing that song that helped our brother in Washington to SURVIVE!