News for Prayer!• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• FRC: Revised Mandate a "Gimmick"
• ACLJ: Alert for Israel!
• ACLJ: Sign the Petition!
• Update: NYC Pastors
• 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 Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• FRC: Revised Mandate a "Gimmick"
• ACLJ: Alert for Israel!
• ACLJ: Sign the Petition!
• Update: NYC Pastors
• 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 - Friday, February 10, 2012
"But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him." (Habakkuk 2:20)
The Daily Brief
1. Obama retreats on birth control mandate - The Hill
On Friday, Obama announced employees who work for religious organizations that object to the use of birth control would be able to obtain contraception from the employer's insurer. He also said employers, such as Catholic hospitals and charities, will not have to pay for the birth control or refer their employees to groups that provide birth control. He has come under heavy criticism from the Catholic Church and other religious organzations, Republicans, and even some Democrats over the issue.
- Although at first this "new position" may have seemed as a true "accommodation," to appease religious organizations, on closer examination, it is indeed another example of the "sleight of hand" we have so often seen coming out of this administration. Please go to the links that follow from the Family Research Council: three articles that were released to the public today AFTER Obama made his statement, and join us in taking a second look at Obama's strategy. Pray that the people of the nation are not fooled; the challenge to our First Amendment rights is still in effect. Pray!
- "Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." (Eph. 5: 15,16)
2. Foreclosure Deal to Spur U.S. Home Seizures - Bloomberg
The $25 billion settlement with banks over foreclosure abuses may result in a wave of home seizures, inflicting short-term pain on delinquent U.S. borrowers while making a long-term housing recovery more likely.
- Lord, we come to You humbly, asking for Your intervention on behalf of Your people. We know the principle of sowing and reaping, and what we are now reaping is because of the unwise sowing of debt. We also know You are a God of mercy, and we appeal to You now, to grant mercy and wisdom to those who are affected by these foreclosures. We thank You for meeting all our needs, including shelter.
- " Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it." (Ecclesiastes 7:12)
3. Gay marriage fight may hinge on Supreme Court's Anthony Kennedy - LA Times
The Supreme Court has nine justices, but if the constitutional fight over same-sex marriage reaches them this year, the decision will probably come down to just one: a California Republican and Reagan-era conservative who has nonetheless written the court's two leading gay rights opinions.
- Creator, God, we come to You asking for Your wisdom and clear direction be given to all the judges that deal with this issue. We know what Your Word says about this, and we ask that You would instill in these judges a righteous "fear of the Lord", which is the beginning of wisdom. May their desire to please You be greater than their desire to please people. As Moses and the Ten Commandments adorn the Supreme Court, may they submit to the Supreme Judge of the universe. Amen!
- "The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb." (Psalm 19:8-10)
4. US working around United Nations to organize 'friends of Syria' meeting - Fox News
The Obama administration is working to help organize a so-called "friends of Syria" meeting as part of what the State Department says is a push to work "outside the U.N. system," after the Security Council shot down a resolution against Syrian President Bashar Assad.
- Father, guide the agenda for this meeting. Give wisdom on sanctions and humanitarian support. We pray for peace among the people of Syria.
- to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace. (Luke 1:79)
5. EXCLUSIVE: UN chief, aides plot 'green economy' agenda at upcoming summit - Fox News
At a closed-door retreat in a Long Island mansion late last October, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his topmost aides brainstormed about how the global organization could benefit from a "unique opportunity" to reshape the world, starting with the Rio + 20 Summit on Sustainable Development, which takes place in Brazil in June.
- Lord, protect us from the United Nations ambition to be the voice of the people around the world. Help us to retain our rights as citizens, and not yield our rights to a group to make decisions for us.
- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. (Proverbs 1:7)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. " (Psalm 46:11)
1. Hamas split over unity pact with Fatah - Jerusalem Post
Divisions in Hamas over the Qatari-sponsored reconciliation agreement with Fatah deepened on Thursday as representatives of the Islamist group issued conflicting statements in response to the deal.
2. Israel urges world to reject Palestinian unity gov't - Jerusalem Post
Amid continuing uncertainty regarding what the Doha agreement between Fatah and Hamas actually means, Israel is stepping up its demand that the international community not accept an unreformed Hamas as part of the Palestinian Authority government.
3. Iran must attack Israel by 2014 - Jerusalem Post
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's strategist provided the legal and religious justification for the annihilation of Israel and the Jewish people, in a document published on conservative Farsi website Alef. Reports of the document began to circulate the internet this week.
4. Israel National Library uploads trove of Newton's theological tracts - Ha'aretz
The end of the world will be coming in just another 48 years, in 2060, according to the father of modern physics, Isaac Newton, who died in 1727. His calculations were not based on mathematical principles or the laws of physics, but instead on the Christian Bible and the Book of Daniel from the Hebrew Bible.
The Daily Jot
The looming war in Syria, onions, and the prophetic clock
The White House seems all to eager to get America into another war. This time Syria. Like the layers of an onion, as each of these wars in the Middle East peels away, their results bring the world closer to an ultimate battle of destruction, perhaps as predicted in ancient prophecies of the Bible. Syria is specifically mentioned by the prophet Isaiah (17:1) "The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap." And like a catch on a sprocket to prevent it from moving backwards, each move toward a prophecy seems to permanently lock forward until the next event. America's role in Middle East policy is exponentially accelerating these events.
On June 4, 2009 in Cairo, Egypt, the man who occupies the Oval Office cast a new vision for American foreign policy. He said, "I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles - principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings." He has fulfilled this promise by partnering with terrorist sponsors such as the Muslim Brotherhood and terrorist groups like al Qaeda to overthrow governments across the Middle East.
The result is a destabilization not seen since the United Nations established Israel as a nation on May 15, 1948, which nearly resulted in another world war. As it has unfolded over the past three years, the White House plan appears to support the establishment of Islam and Sharia law at the expense of human rights and freedom. Couched in democracy, the US has assisted radical Islamists dressed in suits and ties for public acceptance in ousting longstanding governments, setting up elections, and standing by while the most radical of radical Islamists are legitimately elected by the people. The outcome is "democratically" elected Sharia Constitutional governments that are highly volatile against the US and Israel.
Syria is a unique target because it is a vassal state for Iran. The Islamic power struggle between two Sharia-oriented powers--Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia--looms in the balance. Saudi Arabia controls the most holy of holies for Islam--Mecca. Saudi Arabia has pumped millions upon millions of dollars into American presidents' political coffers. Iran is closely aligned with Russia and China. Israel, which is hated by Saudi Arabia and Iran and only tolerated by Russia and China, is further isolated by the change in US foreign policy and the resulting hostile environment created by it. There is one thing, however, that will unite Saudi Arabia and Iran--their hate of Israel. This onion still has a few layers on it before we reach the end.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
FRC: Revised Mandate a "Gimmick"
Obama Tone Deaf to Religious Freedom, Pseudo-Compromise Still Violates Conscience Rights
Today the Obama administration made another attempt at placating the millions of Americans who have moral and religious objections to being forced to cover or pay for contraceptive services. This mandate, issued in August, includes drugs that work after conception to destroy life rather than prevent it. The January 20th decision to grant a one year delay and add a referral requirement showed that the administration had no intention of providing conscience protections but wanted to defuse the political problem.
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins had the following to say:
"This revised HHS mandate does nothing to change the fundamentally anti-religious, anti-conscience and anti-life contraceptive mandate. It rather only creates some paperwork gimmicks that don't change the fact that religious employers who object to coverage of these services will now have to drop health insurance altogether to maintain their conscience and face severe penalties for doing so.
"Obama is tone deaf to the very real religious and moral objections of millions of Americans. The so-called one year delay last month was a clear slap in the face of religious groups, and this new proposal still requires religious entities that are not exempt as a church to subsidize and pay insurance companies so they can give free birth control to their employees. However, it won't be free, because the insurance companies will increase the premium and administrative costs to the employer.
"This new gimmick forces religious entities to violate their religious beliefs and continues to show a complete disdain for the First Amendment. There is no compromise if a single American citizen is required to violate his or her conscience. Liberals say keep your morals out of the bedroom, yet the President's plan forces everyone to pay the cost for someone else's contraceptive use in the bedroom. That's not freedom, it's a mandate.
"Obama and his senior counselors have run into an immovable wall of truth which is fixed and absolute. No political machinations they attempt will surmount the unshakeable religious and moral convictions of those of us opposing this government order. We urge Congress to pass the Fortenberry/Blunt bi-partisan 'Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011.'" (Read more.)
SEE ALSO:
Tony Perkins Releases Video Response to Obama's Pseudo-Compromise
Go here.
TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to Defend Religious Freedom
Go here.
ACLJ: Alert for Israel!
TAKE ACTION ALERT: STAND WITH ISRAEL
Breaking news reports say that Iran's Supreme Leader has endorsed legal arguments - under Islamic Shariah law - that set out "'jurisprudential justification' to kill all the Jews and annihilate Israel."
The threats to Israel are escalating because Iran is ignoring sanctions and is getting closer to having nuclear weapons.
We must stand with Israel - our greatest ally in the Middle East - and support their right to defend themselves.
Obama continues to waffle in his support of Israel - creating dangerous separation between Israel and us at this critical time.
Please sign and forward this urgent petition to everyone you know who supports the Israeli people, and use the "Like" buttons in this email to share it on Facebook. [See next article for the petition.]
Israel must be able to defend itself against a regime that believes it is "legally and morally justified" to "annihilate" the Israeli people, and prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
The United States must take the lead in supporting the right of Israel to defend itself. Join us in urging President Obama to support our greatest ally in the Middle East. Take action.
Thank you for standing with the ACLJ in solidarity with the Israeli people.
Jay Sekulow
ACLJ Chief Counsel
ACLJ: Sign the Petition!
Petition in Support of Israel Taking Action Against a Nuclear Iran
Israel is facing grave danger and news reports say that President Obama won't assist in defending Israel. In fact, he has actually issued a warning to Israel: don't take military action against Iran; don't defend yourself.
Iran is less than a year away from having nuclear weapon capability, and today Iranian Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is calling Israel "a cancer tumor" that "definitely will be cut off."
It has been more than half a century since an American President has turned their back on our greatest ally. We cannot turn our back on Israel again. Demand that President Obama support Israel's defense. Send him a message by signing the ACLJ's urgent petition for Israel.
To: Hussein Obama
Defense Secretary Panetta has said that Iran is less than a year away from having nuclear capability. Iranian Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is again calling on radical Islamic nations to join together to destroy Israel and the Israeli people.
This is not the time for political posturing; it's time to show our unequivocal support for Israel. I urge you to make a strong public declaration that America will support any military action Israel deems necessary to defend the Israeli people.
To sign this petition, go here.
Update: NYC Pastors
Bill in New York State Legislature is Held Up by the Speaker
With the eviction deadline just days away, the New York State legislature is racing against the clock to help New York City's churches keep their public school meeting spaces. Monday, the state Senate rushed a bill to the floor that would undo the damage done by the City's Mayor and Board of Education. The measure passed by a 52-7 vote, but now faces an uphill climb in the state Assembly, where Speaker Sheldon Silver (D) is holding up the bill for major revisions.
Calling it "seriously flawed," Silver said he plans to draft his own legislation. If he does, the chances of resolving the issue before Sunday are dim. According to the Speaker's office, the bill would be poised for a vote next week, meaning that services would likely be disrupted until Silver's measure could work its way through the process and to the Governor's desk. If you live in New York, take a minute to call or email Speaker Silver. Encourage him to move faster to bring the bill to the floor! (Family Research Council)
The Good News Corner:
State of Texas Now Enforcing Sonogram Law
This month, the Texas State Legislature passed a law that requires that HB15, "the sonogram law," be fully enforced.
Here is part of the announcement sent out on Feb. 6, 2012 by the Department of State Health Services in Austin, Texas to all physicians in the State of Texas:
"All physicians who provide abortions must comply with the requirements of HB 15. HB 15 became law on September 1, 2011 and applies to abortions performed on or after October 1, 2011. . .
While HB 15 required sonograms for abortions performed on or after October 1, 2011, an injunction prevented state officials from enforcing some of the legislation's key provisions. As of January 13, 2012 the injunction was removed and all provisions of the law are in full effect. DSHS will begin enforcement of these provisions immediately." (Read more)
Commentary by Allen Parker, The Justice Foundation:
Praise the Lord for the victory He has accomplished. Thank you to all of the brave women of Operation Outcry who have been bold witnesses to the truth that abortion hurts women and allowed their voices to be heard in the legislature, the courts, and the media. Thanks to all the prolife organizations that worked to pass this law. Thanks to State Representative Sid Miller and Senator Dan Patrick and the members of the legislature who voted for it or signed it. (Governor Perry).
Thank you for your prayers and support for The Justice Foundation. The sonogram law will be enforced now! An article in the San Antonio Express News article shows Planned Parenthood's anger, but also that they admit 20% don't come back after seeing the sonograms. I think it is higher!
However, the battle is not over. The abortionists have appealed to the entire 5th Circuit, and will probably appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Justice Foundation, with your help and the Lord's grace, will be there also.
Please keep praying!
Advancing Life, Liberty, and Justice,
Allan E. Parker
President
The Justice Foundation
- Stand in agreement with Allen's prayer request as this case next goes to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. We agree that the 5th Circuit will turn down this appeal, and that the State of Texas will continue to ENFORCE the "Sonogram Law." Amen!
- "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)
Worship with Us Today!
The Messiah in Hebrew - Hallelujah Chorus!!
This is the reprise of the Hallelujah Chorus performed in JERUSALEM with the conductor ecstatically including the audience as well. This rendition of Handel's Messiah was performed in Hebrew for the first time ever, April 4th and 5th, 2007
[Editor's Note: This is the second time we have shared this with you, but it is a blessing to see this again. Shabbath Shalom to our Jewish friends tonight!
LET ALL THE NATIONS PRAISE HIM!!
HALLELUJAH!!
