Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief Friday, February 22, 2013
"And they sang a new song: 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.'" (Revelation 5:9)
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The Daily Brief
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1. FOUND! IRAN'S SECRET BALLISTIC MISSILE BASE - WND
WND has learned of the existence of a secret ballistic missile base in Iran's Semnan Province to which the Islamic regime has moved missiles armed with microbial warheads.
The Badr base, a center for air defense which has about 50 underground missile silos housing Iran's Shahab 3 ballistic missiles, serves as Iran's second-largest missile-launching site, and is under the control of the Revolutionary Guards.
- Thank You, Lord for revelation of this secret missile base. We pray that no plans of Iran will be fulfilled, and that You will stand as Protector over Your people.
- "Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed and nothing hidden that will not be known." [Matthew 10:26]
2. NASA Sees Monster Sunspot Growing Fast, Solar Storms Possible - Yahoo! News
A colossal sunspot on the surface of the sun is large enough to swallow six Earths whole, and could trigger solar flares this week, NASA scientists say. . .
- Father, we plead the Blood of Jesus over the earth's satellites, communications, and infrastructure grids. We thank You for protection against the solar storms and ask that any damage be minimal or nonexistent.
- "The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day" [Psalm 121:5-6]
3. Deadly new virus is well adapted to infect humans, study finds - MSN
A new virus that emerged in the Middle East last year and has killed five people is well adapted to infecting humans but could potentially be treated with drugs that boost the immune system, scientists said Tuesday.
- Father, we take authority over this new virus and command it to stop in the Name of Jesus. We place it squarely under our feet and declare that it will not spread further.
- "Behold I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." [Luke 10:19]
4. Obama considers intervening in gay marriage case-AP
The Obama administration is considering urging the Supreme Court to overturn California's ban on gay marriage -- a move that could have a far-reaching impact on same-sex couples across the country.
The administration has one week to file a friend-of-the-court brief with the justices on the California ban, known as Proposition 8. While an administration brief alone is unlikely to sway the high court, the government's opinion does carry weight with the justices.
- Father, we ask that You cause the court to stand firm against the government's plans.
- "Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue." [Psalm 120:2]
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The Middle East in Focus
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The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"Ah Lord YHWH! Behold, You have made the heaven and the earth by Your great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for You." (Jeremiah 32:17)
1. Jewish Home preparing for new elections - Times of Israel
As coalition talks with Likud-Beytenu remain stalled, and shortly after Tzipi Livni's Hatnua party inked a deal to join the government, the Jewish Home faction has begun preparing for new elections
2. Yair Lapid would win new elections, poll finds - Times of Israel
If Israel were to go to another round of elections, Yair Lapid's centrist Yesh Atid party would become the largest party in Knesset and the former TV anchor would likely be named prime minister, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud-Beytenu party would plummet, a poll published Thursday showed.
3. Egypt's Fighting Palestinian Smugglers with Sewage - The Atlantic Wire
Egypt's long struggled with ways to block a series of tunnels that bring some 30 percent of all goods, including guns, into Gaza so they got creative. They're using raw sewage.
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The Persecuted Church
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Today's Focus: The Persecuted Church
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:10)
1. Saudi religious police arrest Ethiopian workers for practicing Christianity - Fox News
Saudi Arabia's notorious religious police, known as the mutawa, swooped in on a private gathering of at least 53 Ethiopian Christians this month, shutting down their private prayer, and arresting the peaceful group of foreign workers for merely practicing their faith, FoxNews.com has learned. The mixed group of men and women was seized in a private residence in the city of Dammam, the capital of the wealthy oil province in Eastern Arabia, and Saudi authorities charged three Christian leaders with seeking to convert Muslims to Christianity. The latest crackdown on Christianity in the ultra-fundamental Islamic country comes on the heels of a brutal 2011/2012 incarceration and torture of 36 Ethiopian Christians, and drew a sharp rebuke from a U.S. lawmaker.
2. Islam or death? Egypt's Christians targeted by new terror group - Fox News
A group of Christian priests from a local Coptic church in Egypt were told to convert to Islam or face death, according to an Arabic news site. The incident, which comes in the midst of continued persecution and pressure on Egypt's Christian community, took place this week in the town of Safaga, near the Red Sea, the El Balad site reported.
According to El Balad, the threats are from a new group in Egypt, Jihad al-Kufr, whose name translates to Jihad against non-believers or non-Muslims. The group targets non-Muslims, and reportedly pressures them to convert to Islam.
"It's not the first time. This is happening every day," said Adel Guindy, president of Coptic Solidarity and a member of Egypt's Coptic community who travels between Paris and Cairo. "This one incident caught the attention of the news agencies, but there are worse things happening to the Christians every day in Egypt," he said.
3. China's Christians see mounting persecution in country's effort to disband churches, report finds - Fox News
Christians and human rights advocates are alarmed over an aggressive crackdown on house churches in China, where the faithful are forced to call their gatherings "patriotic" assemblies or sent to prison where they can face torture, according to a new report.
Cases of the government persecuting Christians rose 42 percent last year, amid a three-phase plan by Beijing to eradicate the home-based churches, according to China Aid, a Texas-based human rights group. Experts say the Communist Party in China has long felt threatened by any movement that galvanizes a large sector of the population, fearing it could wield political clout. But the nation has become more systematically hostile to worshippers, according to Bob Fu, China Aid founder and president.
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March 26: March for Marriage
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One Wedding March You Won't Want to Miss!
If President Obama is considering weighing in on the Supreme Court marriage cases--then you should too! Next month, during two of the most important trials of the century, the National Organization for Marriage is urging America to rally for marriage at a once-in-a-lifetime March on the National Mall. Pro-family groups like FRC, churches, state activists, and cultural leaders are all converging on Washington to show the world that we care about protecting marriage and want to stand up and fight for it. The event kicks off Tuesday morning, March 26, as nine Supreme Court justices hear oral arguments on two cases that could change the course of history--and our nation--forever.
"To me," ABC News's Matthew Dowd has said, "the consensus has already emerged on this issue. It's just a question of... is the Supreme Court going to catch up, or get ahead of it, or put a block in the path of it?" This is a chance to prove that the only consensus on marriage is the belief that one man and one woman define it. You can help us bring that message to the steps of the Supreme Court by standing with men and women from all 50 states who believe in marriage, religious liberty, and the right of every child to have a mom and a dad.
People often ask me what they can do to take a stand up for the values they believe in. This is one of those opportunities. Make your voice heard by joining the March for Marriage and by sharing the details with your family and friends. For more information on organizing a bus, cosponsoring the event, or volunteering on March 26, check out MarriageMarch.org. If the island of Puerto Rico can bring together 100,000 people to defend natural marriage, imagine what our nation's believers could do! (Family Research Council)
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Next week: Collegiate Day of Prayer
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Collegiate Day of Prayer:
Thursday, February 28, 2013
A historic prayer movement that helped prepare the way for one of the greatest spiritual revivals in American history.
An urgent call to the Body of Christ to work together in united prayer for another great awakening on every university in America.
An opportunity to fervently pray for America's college students, faculty and administrators to be radically transformed by the power of Jesus Christ.
A multi-generational prayer effort of fathers, mothers, grandparents, and church leaders who are contending for God's best for their sons and daughters.
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Netanyahu: Iran Nearing "Red Line"
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NETANYAHU WARNS: CENTRIFUGE REPORT SHOWS IRAN NEARING "RED LINE."
By Joel C. Rosenberg
Did North Korea help Iran test an A-bomb?
Washington, D.C., February 21, 2013) -- Is Israel gearing up for a preemptive strike against Iran's nuclear sites? Is a countdown running towards war in the epicenter? Would Israel move against Tehran even in the face of intense pressure by the Obama administration not to take action? Would Israel move in the face of potentially lethal blowback by Iran's allies, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and most worrisome the Assad regime in Damascus, which has stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons?
I realize this sounds a lot like my forthcoming novel, "Damascus Countdown." But in this case I'm actually talking about today's lead story in Israel.
"Iran has begun installing advanced centrifuges at its main uranium enrichment plant, a UN nuclear report said on Thursday," according to Reuters and the Jerusalem Post. "In response, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that Iran is closer today than ever before to obtaining the necessary enriched uranium for a nuclear bomb. The White House said that the window remains open for diplomacy with Iran but will not stay open indefinitely."
This is particularly worrisome in the light of the fact that North Korea recently conducted a nuclear warhead test. Guess who was there? The head of Iran's nuclear program.
Here are five questions worth asking in light of the current situation. . . .
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The Good News Corner
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The Good News Corner:
Tornado Miracle:
God Protects Family of Six Hiding in Bathtub
"You could feel the Holy Spirit when you walked onto that property. I knew there was something unique about this family." - Chaplain Pat Geyer
(Petal, MS)-How many family members can you fit into a bathtub? When a tornado bore down on Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on the evening of Sunday, February 10, one family found the answer to that very quickly. Six. As it became apparent the 170-mph twister, measuring three-fourths of a mile wide, was headed for their house in Petal-the adjacent city to Hattiesburg-the entire family headed for the tub.
First, the 15-year-old son, Bible in hand, jumped in and lay on the bathtub's floor. Next, the two daughters, ages 8 and 12, climbed on their brother. Dad and grandmother followed, filling in the gaps to provide a hedge of protection.
Five family members had crowded in. Only mom was left.
"She was deeply concerned that her family was all going to die," said Pat Geyer, chaplain coordinator for the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team. "She had just enough time to jump on top of all of them, spreading her arms to protect them."
If that wasn't heroic enough, the mother, terrified of the awful noise intensifying from the winds outside-"far louder than a passing train"-decided to pray at the top of her lungs.
"She screamed at the top of her lungs The Lord's Prayer," Geyer said. "So that what they heard was the prayer to the Lord not the deafening sound from the tornado."
"OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME!!!"
"The noise was so intense, she didn't want her children to focus on the sound," Geyer said. "When the prayer was done, the noise had passed and not one of them was hurt. Not even a scratch."
Meanwhile, the brick house across the street? Destroyed.
The windows in the cars parked out front? Shattered.
"There were huge enormous things that were blown into their yard-an incredible mass of stuff," Geyer said. "But in that house they are convinced it was the hand of God who protected them. There's a profound faith in that family, but they are still traumatized."
Which is where a seasoned chaplain and counselor like Geyer comes in. Trained in more than a dozen crisis management areas, Geyer was able to encourage the family spiritually. "You could feel the Holy Spirit when you walked onto that property," Geyer said. "I knew there was something unique about this family."
Geyer is one of two chaplains currently ministering in the Hattiesburg area, where at least 800 homes were destroyed, and possibly a lot more once the final tallies come in. Four more chaplains are scheduled to arrive Sunday, to share the hope and love of Christ to the storm survivors.
"This (deployment) is much larger than we had originally thought," Geyer said. "People who live here are overwhelmed when they see the damage."
One hardware store was completely annihilated, with debris from the store found several blocks away. Yet many areas along the storm's path were left untouched.
"The tornado lifted, then it would come back down, then jump back up," Geyer said. "It would go almost exactly two blocks and come back down. (Source: Billy Graham Rapid Response Team)
[ Reported by Breaking Christian News]
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Pray for the Harvest!
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Pray for the Harvest!
"Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." (John 4:35)
Every day, in every nation on earth, tens of thousands of men and women are making decisions for Christ. Now, you can monitor this amazing fact online by literally "watching" as these souls are born again into the Kingdom.
Of course, the identities of those who are coming to the Lord are never revealed, but our God knows who they are!
Join us as we monitor these "names" daily, praying over each one to be mentored and to grow in his or her faith . . . even in these perilous times. You may visit either or both of the sites below, to pray for fields that are ripe for harvest.
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Worship With Us Today!
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Worship With Us Today!
Honoring PURIM:
The Maccabeats - Purim Song
Enjoy this song that celebrates the victory wrought by Queen Esther after she FASTED AND PRAYED for the deliverance of her nation, Israel. Praise God!
This year, Purim will be celebrated by Jews worldwide this weekend: Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 24 and 25.
Chag Purim Sameach!
