• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot!
• Federal Court Strikes Down NY Town's Prayer Polcy
• Legislation Supports School Board Prayer
• Today's Legislative Focus
• GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER MAY 27, 2012
• Jerusalem Day Prayer Breakfast
• 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, May 24, 2012
"Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.' He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision." (Psalm 2:1-4)
The Daily Brief
1. Al Qaeda video calling for cyberattacks on Western targets raises alarm in Congress - Fox News
A newly revealed Al Qaeda video calls on followers to launch cyberattacks on Western targets, a message called "alarming" by U.S. lawmakers in light of the increase in such attacks last year.
- Lord, we bind fear in the Name of Jesus. Let us as watchmen fight the plans of the enemy effectively with Your weapons.
- "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds." [2 Corinthians 10:4]
2. CBO says US likely to fall off 'fiscal cliff' if Bush-era tax cuts allowed to expire - Fox News
A new government study released Tuesday says that allowing Bush-era tax cuts to expire and a scheduled round of automatic spending cuts to take effect would probably throw the economy into a recession.
- Father, we ask for Your mercy over America. We pray for the tax cuts to continue and the spending cuts to be made sure.
- "So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts her mouth." [Job 5:16]
3. Real Budget Deficit $5 Trillion, USA Today Study Finds - Newsmax
According to the U.S. Congress, the federal government's budget deficit last year was $1.3 trillion. According to a USA Today analysis, the true figure is an astronomical $5 trillion.
The reason: Congress exempts itself from including the cost of promised retirement benefits when computing the deficit, unlike companies which must include these commitments in financial statements.
Liabilities for Social Security, Medicare and other retirement programs rose by $3.7 trillion in 2011, but the amount was not included on the government's books, the analysis found.
- Lord, we ask for truth to be used in reporting such things as budget deficits, and other governmental issues. Let nothing be hidden within the fiscal numbers in any area of the government.
- "His truth shall be your shield and buckler." [Psalm 91: 4c]
4. Groups Concerned Over Arming Of Domestic Drones - CBS
With the use of domestic drones increasing, concern has not just come up over privacy issues, but also over the potential use of lethal force by the unmanned aircraft.
- Father, we declare Your protection over American interests worldwide. We thank you that we can now be vigilant against unmanned drones.
- "He shall call upon Me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble" [Psalm 91:15a]
5. GOP Rep. King says Obama officials disclosed identity of jailed Pakistani doctor- Fox News
Dr. Shakil Afridi ran a vaccination program for the CIA to collect DNA and verify bin Laden's presence at the compound in the town of Abbottabad where U.S. commandos killed the Al Qaeda chief in a May 2011 raid.
The operation outraged Pakistani officials, who portrayed it as an act of treachery by a supposed ally.
King, R-N.Y., said administration officials talked about the doctor and his DNA sampling.
"They put him out there," said King, who made clear he didn't know the exact details about what, if anything, the administration may have done to get the doctor out of Pakistan or otherwise protect him. "I'm focused on that they disclosed his identity."
Read more:
- Father, we ask Your assistance for this Doctor who helped US forces during the raid on Bin Laden's compound. We pray that You will strengthen and heal him, and grant him freedom from this prison term.
-"For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous." [Psalm 37:17]
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
""For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed,
O sons of Jacob." (Malachi 3:6)
1. IDF: Israel in range of nearly 65,000 Hezbollah, Iran, Syria rockets - Ha'aretz
Some 3,500 missiles in Syria and Iran are currently aimed at Israel, while Hezbollah is developing drones and sea-to-air missiles, Brig. Gen. Itay Baron, head of the IDF Military Intelligence research section, told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday.
2. AG: South Sudanese can be deported - Ynet News
About to be deported? Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein has presented Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a brief that says that Israel can return illegal migrants from South Sudan to their country.
3. Shin Bet uncovers Palestinian cells in Hebron - Jerusalem Post
The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) has uncovered a number of Palestinian terror cells operating in the Hebron area and planning a series of attacks, including the kidnapping of a resident of Kiryat Arba.
The Daily Jot!
The Barnabas Gospel and the prophetic second beast
WorldNetDaily reports that a 5th or 6th century version of the Barnabas Gospel is being heralded in Iran and Turkey as proof that Islam is the final and righteous religion and that it's truth will cause the collapse of Christianity. Barnabas was a disciple of the Messiah and a close associate of the Apostle Paul. Islam claims that Barnabas wrote in Arabic a gospel that supports the Koranic claim that Jesus was never crucified, is not the son of God, and actually foretold the coming of the 12th Imam, the Islamic messiah who in the end time will establish the peace of Islam for seven years with Jesus as his prophet. The Barnabas Gospel, is not accepted canon, but it tells a similar story as Revelation 13 and the second beast.
Revelation 13:11-14 speaks of the second beast, many interpret as the false prophet who ushers in the worldwide religion that worships the end time beast: "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exercised all the power of the first beast before him, and caused the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he did great wonders, so that he made fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceived them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast..."
The 12th Imam of Islam is very similar to the first beast--who many call the antichrist. According to Islamic doctrine, he reigns for seven years and establishes the peace of Islam on earth. His false prophet, who Islam says is Jesus, denies Judaism and Christianity, and forces people to worship the 12th Imam (the Mahdi). Christians who know end time prophecy recognize the similarities between Islamic eschatology and Revelation with the beast government and religion. The Barnabas Gospel is one way that Islam intends to cast doubt on Christianity and to deceive people into believing the lies of the false religion of Islam.
If the Barnabas Gospel was written in the 1500's, it has very little worldly credibility in promoting allah as YHVH and Mohammed as the last prophet. But if it were written at a time predating Mohammed, it has worldly credibility in predicting Mohammed and allah. It seems laughable that now in 2012 a new version of the Barnabas Gospel has emerged that predates the old version and Mohammed. Even more laughable is that Imams in Iran and Turkey are promoting this as proof positive that Christianity is a false religion as written by a disciple of Christ. They will deceive many. Just like many will be deceived into worshipping the beast because their faith will have failed them. Take heed that no man deceive you.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
Federal Court Strikes Down NY Town's Prayer Policy
Offers Little Guidance to Other Towns
A federal appeals court this week ruled that a New York town's policy of opening board meetings with prayer violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution. The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit struck down the Greece town board's prayer policy, using a complex standard that must be satisfied for a prayer policy to pass muster. The court said that a reasonable observer, when looking at the prayer policy overall-including the process of selecting individuals to pray, the content of the prayers, and the broader behavior of everyone involved-must not think the town is associating itself with one specific religion.
Although the prayers must be diverse in religious doctrine, the court added that efforts by the town to mandate neutrality in the prayers potentially could violate the Constitution. In addition, as one account explained, "The court said that because the town of Greece contains predominantly Christian clergy, it should search other towns and jurisdictions for non-Christians to invite to pray at its own town meetings and take other uncommon steps to ensure that non-Christians do not 'feel like outsiders.'"
Although the court "upheld the right of towns to have such prayers before public meetings," it provided little guidance for municipalities within its jurisdiction who wish to continue our nation's rich legacy of legislative prayer. In addition, the court concluded by effectively saying that it could not articulate a prayer policy that would be held constitutional: ". . . we do not aim to specify what the Establishment Clause allows, but restrict ourselves to noting the ways in which this town must be read to have conveyed a religious affiliation. It is true that contextual inquiries like this one can give only limited guidance to municipalities that wish to maintain a legislative prayer practice and still comply with the mandates of the Establishment Clause."
Alliance Defense Fund, the nonprofit religious liberty law firm representing the town of Greece, will appeal the panel's decision. (Congressional Prayer Caucus)
Legislation Supports School Board Prayer
Rep. Walberg Introduces Legislation Supporting School Board Prayer
33 Members Join as Original Cosponsors
Rep. Tim Walberg, a Member of the Prayer Caucus, introduced legislation this week supporting the right of school boards to open meetings with prayer. H.Res.662 expresses the sense of the House that school boards are deliberative bodies similar to city and county councils and state and federal legislatures, and should be treated as such for purposes of analyzing the constitutionality of their prayer policies.
In 1983, the Supreme Court in Marsh v. Chambers affirmed the freedom of deliberative bodies to open sessions with voluntary prayer. Despite the fact that school boards share the characteristics of other deliberative bodies, courts have treated them in differing ways-with some courts analyzing school board prayer as "school prayer," a more stringent test, and some courts analyzing school board prayer as "deliberative body prayer."
Unless and until the Supreme Court clarifies the issue, Rep. Walberg's resolution gives Members of Congress an opportunity to support the freedom of school boards to open meetings with voluntary prayer, consistent with the Supreme Court's decision in Marsh. Members of the Prayer Caucus will continue working to preserve the freedom of deliberative bodies across the nation to engage in the important tradition of opening sessions with prayer. (Congressional Prayer Caucus)
Today's Legislative Focus
From The Madison Project
www.madisonproject.com
Flood Insurance
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was created in 1968 to provide insurance to those living in flood-risk areas. Ever since the last long-term NFIP reauthorization expired, Congress has passed 17 stop-gap extensions. Not surprisingly, the program has racked up $18 billion in debt during that tumultuous time. The latest extension expires at the end of May.
It will not be an easy task to eliminate this program. Decades' worth of government incentives to live in flood-prone regions have enticed thousands of homeowners into purchasing houses in areas that will forever necessitate more subsidies. Nonetheless, we must ensure that the next extension contains some serious immediate reforms and a trigger to privatize the program after a certain period of time.
Last Thursday, the House passed a one-month extension (H.R. 5740), which offers some minor reforms and GAO studies on privatization, but it fails to protect taxpayers from immediate losses and does not shrink the program or chart a definitive course to privatization. The House is out of session until 2 days before the May 31 deadline, so there will be pressure on the Senate to act to prevent a shutdown of the program.
The Senate bill (S.1940) is even worse. It's a clean 5-year extension with no reforms. Senator Coburn had previously promised to block the extension unless it contained substantial reforms that protected taxpayers from a potential $18 billion bailout for the program. We must ensure that the Senator has backup within the Republicans conference.
Republican Senators must not support a clean extension. Let's make some immediate reforms; stop expanding the coverage, end the subsidies for the premiums, and limit the scope of the program (second homes and vacations homes). Let's stop distorting the market by incentivizing people to build homes in areas where the private sector would not support the risk. But most importantly, we must chart a definitive path to wind down the program, not just study it. We need to stop offering coverage for homes built in the future after a specific date. While the House extension offered some modest reforms, they are insufficient. This issue will likely be dealt with following the Memorial Day recess, but we need to gird ourselves for another seminal battle over the role of government in something that should be handled by the free market.
GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER MAY 27, 2012:
Praying with one Voice
"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. . . "
(Acts 2:1)
The single thing that we request every observance to do is to pray the prayer called, "A Prayer For The World" (PFTW), during the event / gathering, no matter how large or small.
This is your opportunity to unify in prayer with Christians from across the globe.
"They lifted their voices to God with one accord . . ." (Acts 4:24)
PRAY WITH YOUR CHURCH, GATHER IN HOMES OR ASSEMBLE IN PUBLIC PLACES
United by a Prayer for the World, Christians from all over the world, from different cultures and denominations, from many diverse streams will gather in their homes, or where appropriate, assemble in stadiums, public auditoriums and open squares and many will devote portions of their Sunday morning Service to united prayer.
Some meetings will be small. Others will be large, but each one will be praying with the same vision of repentance and hope. As at the first Pentecost, we'll worship God openly in Christ's name and pray for the healing and blessing of the nations. As much as possible, we are seeking to gather in places beyond the walls of our church buildings.
On this day we are all praying with the world as we pray for the world.
Jerusalem Day Prayer Breakfast 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2013
Washington, D.C.
Sponsored by The International Israel Allies Caucus Foundation (IIACF)
Join the IIACF on June 6th for the Jerusalem Day Prayer Breakfast!
Register here.
[Special note to our readers:
The IIACF wishes to invite all of our prayer partners to join them on Capitol Hill next week as they celebrate Jerusalem Day! Please be sure to tell them we sent you when you register. Thank you!]
Two days ago Israel celebrated the reunification of Jerusalem. "We will preserve Jerusalem because an Israel without Jerusalem is like a body without a heart," Prime Minister Netanyahu said. "It was on this hill, 45 years ago, that the heart that unites our people began to beat again with full strength; and our heart will never be divided again."
We invite you to celebrate Jerusalem Day in Washington, D.C. this Wednesday, June 6th on Capitol Hill together with the Israel Allies Foundation and some of America's most pro-Israel Congressmen.
Hear from leading Jewish and Christian speakers concerning the importance of Jerusalem to the Jewish people and Christians worldwide.
Confirmed speakers include: Rabbi Benny Elon, IIACF President and former Israeli Minister of Tourism, Archbishop Daniel Williams, recently honored by the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus and the World Jewish Congress for his steadfast support for Israel, Dr. Dave Weldon, former Congressmen and founding member of the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus, along with Gary Bauer, a one-time Republican presidential candidate, former Chief Domestic Policy Advisor to President Ronald Reagan, and current president of American Values.
This Sunday Prime Minister Netanyahu challenged us stating: "Our generation also bears the tremendous responsibility of ensuring that we safeguard [Jerusalem] for future generations." It is time the USA, as Israel's strongest ally, does its part to ensure Jerusalem's future by recognizing Jerusalem as the united capital of the Jewish State of Israel and moving our Embassy there.
Register Today!
The International Israel Allies Caucus Foundation
The Good News Corner
The Letter George Washington Penned to Jewish Congregation
Promising Religious Freedom
It will be the centerpiece of an exhibit about religious freedom
Scheduled to open 4th of July weekend in the City of Brotherly Love.
(Philadelphia, PA)-After being locked away for a decade, a sentinel letter on religious liberty written by George Washington, America's first president, will be at the center of an exhibit called "To Bigotry No Sanction: George Washington and Religious Freedom," at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia.
Washington sent the document, in which he promised that the new government he was forming "gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance," to a Hebrew Congregation in Newport, R.I. In August 1790.
The museum calls the document "a defining statement of religious liberty in the new United States."
Museum director Ivy Barsky told the Los Angeles Times, "I would say the letter is the most important letter Washington ever wrote, particularly because it's not an official document like the Constitution of the Declaration of Independence, but personally from the president."
The exhibit opens 4th of July weekend.
(Source: Rachel Hirshfeld - Israel National News)
Reported by: Breaking Christian News
- Offer a chorus of PRAISE that this document is now being displayed for all to see. Praise God for the honor our first president has shown to the Jewish citizens of this country, and for his dedication to see that religious freedom in America is secured. Praise God!
- "This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." (Jer. 6:16)
Worship with Us Today!
Go (Ye therefore)
Bob Fitts
Worship Here:
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot!
• Federal Court Strikes Down NY Town's Prayer Polcy
• Legislation Supports School Board Prayer
• Today's Legislative Focus
• GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER MAY 27, 2012
• Jerusalem Day Prayer Breakfast
• 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, May 24, 2012
"Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.' He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision." (Psalm 2:1-4)
The Daily Brief
1. Al Qaeda video calling for cyberattacks on Western targets raises alarm in Congress - Fox News
A newly revealed Al Qaeda video calls on followers to launch cyberattacks on Western targets, a message called "alarming" by U.S. lawmakers in light of the increase in such attacks last year.
- Lord, we bind fear in the Name of Jesus. Let us as watchmen fight the plans of the enemy effectively with Your weapons.
- "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds." [2 Corinthians 10:4]
2. CBO says US likely to fall off 'fiscal cliff' if Bush-era tax cuts allowed to expire - Fox News
A new government study released Tuesday says that allowing Bush-era tax cuts to expire and a scheduled round of automatic spending cuts to take effect would probably throw the economy into a recession.
- Father, we ask for Your mercy over America. We pray for the tax cuts to continue and the spending cuts to be made sure.
- "So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts her mouth." [Job 5:16]
3. Real Budget Deficit $5 Trillion, USA Today Study Finds - Newsmax
According to the U.S. Congress, the federal government's budget deficit last year was $1.3 trillion. According to a USA Today analysis, the true figure is an astronomical $5 trillion.
The reason: Congress exempts itself from including the cost of promised retirement benefits when computing the deficit, unlike companies which must include these commitments in financial statements.
Liabilities for Social Security, Medicare and other retirement programs rose by $3.7 trillion in 2011, but the amount was not included on the government's books, the analysis found.
- Lord, we ask for truth to be used in reporting such things as budget deficits, and other governmental issues. Let nothing be hidden within the fiscal numbers in any area of the government.
- "His truth shall be your shield and buckler." [Psalm 91: 4c]
4. Groups Concerned Over Arming Of Domestic Drones - CBS
With the use of domestic drones increasing, concern has not just come up over privacy issues, but also over the potential use of lethal force by the unmanned aircraft.
- Father, we declare Your protection over American interests worldwide. We thank you that we can now be vigilant against unmanned drones.
- "He shall call upon Me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble" [Psalm 91:15a]
5. GOP Rep. King says Obama officials disclosed identity of jailed Pakistani doctor- Fox News
Dr. Shakil Afridi ran a vaccination program for the CIA to collect DNA and verify bin Laden's presence at the compound in the town of Abbottabad where U.S. commandos killed the Al Qaeda chief in a May 2011 raid.
The operation outraged Pakistani officials, who portrayed it as an act of treachery by a supposed ally.
King, R-N.Y., said administration officials talked about the doctor and his DNA sampling.
"They put him out there," said King, who made clear he didn't know the exact details about what, if anything, the administration may have done to get the doctor out of Pakistan or otherwise protect him. "I'm focused on that they disclosed his identity."
Read more:
- Father, we ask Your assistance for this Doctor who helped US forces during the raid on Bin Laden's compound. We pray that You will strengthen and heal him, and grant him freedom from this prison term.
-"For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous." [Psalm 37:17]
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
""For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed,
O sons of Jacob." (Malachi 3:6)
1. IDF: Israel in range of nearly 65,000 Hezbollah, Iran, Syria rockets - Ha'aretz
Some 3,500 missiles in Syria and Iran are currently aimed at Israel, while Hezbollah is developing drones and sea-to-air missiles, Brig. Gen. Itay Baron, head of the IDF Military Intelligence research section, told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday.
2. AG: South Sudanese can be deported - Ynet News
About to be deported? Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein has presented Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a brief that says that Israel can return illegal migrants from South Sudan to their country.
3. Shin Bet uncovers Palestinian cells in Hebron - Jerusalem Post
The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) has uncovered a number of Palestinian terror cells operating in the Hebron area and planning a series of attacks, including the kidnapping of a resident of Kiryat Arba.
The Daily Jot!
The Barnabas Gospel and the prophetic second beast
WorldNetDaily reports that a 5th or 6th century version of the Barnabas Gospel is being heralded in Iran and Turkey as proof that Islam is the final and righteous religion and that it's truth will cause the collapse of Christianity. Barnabas was a disciple of the Messiah and a close associate of the Apostle Paul. Islam claims that Barnabas wrote in Arabic a gospel that supports the Koranic claim that Jesus was never crucified, is not the son of God, and actually foretold the coming of the 12th Imam, the Islamic messiah who in the end time will establish the peace of Islam for seven years with Jesus as his prophet. The Barnabas Gospel, is not accepted canon, but it tells a similar story as Revelation 13 and the second beast.
Revelation 13:11-14 speaks of the second beast, many interpret as the false prophet who ushers in the worldwide religion that worships the end time beast: "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exercised all the power of the first beast before him, and caused the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he did great wonders, so that he made fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceived them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast..."
The 12th Imam of Islam is very similar to the first beast--who many call the antichrist. According to Islamic doctrine, he reigns for seven years and establishes the peace of Islam on earth. His false prophet, who Islam says is Jesus, denies Judaism and Christianity, and forces people to worship the 12th Imam (the Mahdi). Christians who know end time prophecy recognize the similarities between Islamic eschatology and Revelation with the beast government and religion. The Barnabas Gospel is one way that Islam intends to cast doubt on Christianity and to deceive people into believing the lies of the false religion of Islam.
If the Barnabas Gospel was written in the 1500's, it has very little worldly credibility in promoting allah as YHVH and Mohammed as the last prophet. But if it were written at a time predating Mohammed, it has worldly credibility in predicting Mohammed and allah. It seems laughable that now in 2012 a new version of the Barnabas Gospel has emerged that predates the old version and Mohammed. Even more laughable is that Imams in Iran and Turkey are promoting this as proof positive that Christianity is a false religion as written by a disciple of Christ. They will deceive many. Just like many will be deceived into worshipping the beast because their faith will have failed them. Take heed that no man deceive you.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
Federal Court Strikes Down NY Town's Prayer Policy
Offers Little Guidance to Other Towns
A federal appeals court this week ruled that a New York town's policy of opening board meetings with prayer violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution. The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit struck down the Greece town board's prayer policy, using a complex standard that must be satisfied for a prayer policy to pass muster. The court said that a reasonable observer, when looking at the prayer policy overall-including the process of selecting individuals to pray, the content of the prayers, and the broader behavior of everyone involved-must not think the town is associating itself with one specific religion.
Although the prayers must be diverse in religious doctrine, the court added that efforts by the town to mandate neutrality in the prayers potentially could violate the Constitution. In addition, as one account explained, "The court said that because the town of Greece contains predominantly Christian clergy, it should search other towns and jurisdictions for non-Christians to invite to pray at its own town meetings and take other uncommon steps to ensure that non-Christians do not 'feel like outsiders.'"
Although the court "upheld the right of towns to have such prayers before public meetings," it provided little guidance for municipalities within its jurisdiction who wish to continue our nation's rich legacy of legislative prayer. In addition, the court concluded by effectively saying that it could not articulate a prayer policy that would be held constitutional: ". . . we do not aim to specify what the Establishment Clause allows, but restrict ourselves to noting the ways in which this town must be read to have conveyed a religious affiliation. It is true that contextual inquiries like this one can give only limited guidance to municipalities that wish to maintain a legislative prayer practice and still comply with the mandates of the Establishment Clause."
Alliance Defense Fund, the nonprofit religious liberty law firm representing the town of Greece, will appeal the panel's decision. (Congressional Prayer Caucus)
Legislation Supports School Board Prayer
Rep. Walberg Introduces Legislation Supporting School Board Prayer
33 Members Join as Original Cosponsors
Rep. Tim Walberg, a Member of the Prayer Caucus, introduced legislation this week supporting the right of school boards to open meetings with prayer. H.Res.662 expresses the sense of the House that school boards are deliberative bodies similar to city and county councils and state and federal legislatures, and should be treated as such for purposes of analyzing the constitutionality of their prayer policies.
In 1983, the Supreme Court in Marsh v. Chambers affirmed the freedom of deliberative bodies to open sessions with voluntary prayer. Despite the fact that school boards share the characteristics of other deliberative bodies, courts have treated them in differing ways-with some courts analyzing school board prayer as "school prayer," a more stringent test, and some courts analyzing school board prayer as "deliberative body prayer."
Unless and until the Supreme Court clarifies the issue, Rep. Walberg's resolution gives Members of Congress an opportunity to support the freedom of school boards to open meetings with voluntary prayer, consistent with the Supreme Court's decision in Marsh. Members of the Prayer Caucus will continue working to preserve the freedom of deliberative bodies across the nation to engage in the important tradition of opening sessions with prayer. (Congressional Prayer Caucus)
Today's Legislative Focus
From The Madison Project
www.madisonproject.com
Flood Insurance
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was created in 1968 to provide insurance to those living in flood-risk areas. Ever since the last long-term NFIP reauthorization expired, Congress has passed 17 stop-gap extensions. Not surprisingly, the program has racked up $18 billion in debt during that tumultuous time. The latest extension expires at the end of May.
It will not be an easy task to eliminate this program. Decades' worth of government incentives to live in flood-prone regions have enticed thousands of homeowners into purchasing houses in areas that will forever necessitate more subsidies. Nonetheless, we must ensure that the next extension contains some serious immediate reforms and a trigger to privatize the program after a certain period of time.
Last Thursday, the House passed a one-month extension (H.R. 5740), which offers some minor reforms and GAO studies on privatization, but it fails to protect taxpayers from immediate losses and does not shrink the program or chart a definitive course to privatization. The House is out of session until 2 days before the May 31 deadline, so there will be pressure on the Senate to act to prevent a shutdown of the program.
The Senate bill (S.1940) is even worse. It's a clean 5-year extension with no reforms. Senator Coburn had previously promised to block the extension unless it contained substantial reforms that protected taxpayers from a potential $18 billion bailout for the program. We must ensure that the Senator has backup within the Republicans conference.
Republican Senators must not support a clean extension. Let's make some immediate reforms; stop expanding the coverage, end the subsidies for the premiums, and limit the scope of the program (second homes and vacations homes). Let's stop distorting the market by incentivizing people to build homes in areas where the private sector would not support the risk. But most importantly, we must chart a definitive path to wind down the program, not just study it. We need to stop offering coverage for homes built in the future after a specific date. While the House extension offered some modest reforms, they are insufficient. This issue will likely be dealt with following the Memorial Day recess, but we need to gird ourselves for another seminal battle over the role of government in something that should be handled by the free market.
GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER MAY 27, 2012:
Praying with one Voice
"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. . . "
(Acts 2:1)
The single thing that we request every observance to do is to pray the prayer called, "A Prayer For The World" (PFTW), during the event / gathering, no matter how large or small.
This is your opportunity to unify in prayer with Christians from across the globe.
"They lifted their voices to God with one accord . . ." (Acts 4:24)
PRAY WITH YOUR CHURCH, GATHER IN HOMES OR ASSEMBLE IN PUBLIC PLACES
United by a Prayer for the World, Christians from all over the world, from different cultures and denominations, from many diverse streams will gather in their homes, or where appropriate, assemble in stadiums, public auditoriums and open squares and many will devote portions of their Sunday morning Service to united prayer.
Some meetings will be small. Others will be large, but each one will be praying with the same vision of repentance and hope. As at the first Pentecost, we'll worship God openly in Christ's name and pray for the healing and blessing of the nations. As much as possible, we are seeking to gather in places beyond the walls of our church buildings.
On this day we are all praying with the world as we pray for the world.
Jerusalem Day Prayer Breakfast 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2013
Washington, D.C.
Sponsored by The International Israel Allies Caucus Foundation (IIACF)
Join the IIACF on June 6th for the Jerusalem Day Prayer Breakfast!
Register here.
[Special note to our readers:
The IIACF wishes to invite all of our prayer partners to join them on Capitol Hill next week as they celebrate Jerusalem Day! Please be sure to tell them we sent you when you register. Thank you!]
Two days ago Israel celebrated the reunification of Jerusalem. "We will preserve Jerusalem because an Israel without Jerusalem is like a body without a heart," Prime Minister Netanyahu said. "It was on this hill, 45 years ago, that the heart that unites our people began to beat again with full strength; and our heart will never be divided again."
We invite you to celebrate Jerusalem Day in Washington, D.C. this Wednesday, June 6th on Capitol Hill together with the Israel Allies Foundation and some of America's most pro-Israel Congressmen.
Hear from leading Jewish and Christian speakers concerning the importance of Jerusalem to the Jewish people and Christians worldwide.
Confirmed speakers include: Rabbi Benny Elon, IIACF President and former Israeli Minister of Tourism, Archbishop Daniel Williams, recently honored by the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus and the World Jewish Congress for his steadfast support for Israel, Dr. Dave Weldon, former Congressmen and founding member of the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus, along with Gary Bauer, a one-time Republican presidential candidate, former Chief Domestic Policy Advisor to President Ronald Reagan, and current president of American Values.
This Sunday Prime Minister Netanyahu challenged us stating: "Our generation also bears the tremendous responsibility of ensuring that we safeguard [Jerusalem] for future generations." It is time the USA, as Israel's strongest ally, does its part to ensure Jerusalem's future by recognizing Jerusalem as the united capital of the Jewish State of Israel and moving our Embassy there.
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The Good News Corner
The Letter George Washington Penned to Jewish Congregation
Promising Religious Freedom
It will be the centerpiece of an exhibit about religious freedom
Scheduled to open 4th of July weekend in the City of Brotherly Love.
(Philadelphia, PA)-After being locked away for a decade, a sentinel letter on religious liberty written by George Washington, America's first president, will be at the center of an exhibit called "To Bigotry No Sanction: George Washington and Religious Freedom," at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia.
Washington sent the document, in which he promised that the new government he was forming "gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance," to a Hebrew Congregation in Newport, R.I. In August 1790.
The museum calls the document "a defining statement of religious liberty in the new United States."
Museum director Ivy Barsky told the Los Angeles Times, "I would say the letter is the most important letter Washington ever wrote, particularly because it's not an official document like the Constitution of the Declaration of Independence, but personally from the president."
The exhibit opens 4th of July weekend.
(Source: Rachel Hirshfeld - Israel National News)
Reported by: Breaking Christian News
- Offer a chorus of PRAISE that this document is now being displayed for all to see. Praise God for the honor our first president has shown to the Jewish citizens of this country, and for his dedication to see that religious freedom in America is secured. Praise God!
- "This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." (Jer. 6:16)
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