House to vote on VAWA tomorrow.
See Madison Report, below.
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief Wednesday, February 27, 2013
"At night my soul longs for You, indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently; for when the earth experiences Your judgments, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness."(Isaiah 26:9)
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The Daily Brief
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1. Pope presides over final general audience in St. Peter's Square - Fox News
Pope Benedict XVI basked in an emotional sendoff Wednesday at his final general audience in St. Peter's Square, recalling moments of "joy and light" during his papacy but also times of great difficulty. He also thanked his flock for respecting his decision to retire.
- God, things are happening in heaven regarding this Pope's resignation and the incoming man to be the next Pope. The Pope's tiara is a triple crown. Such a crown is worn by no other ruler. We pray that God in heaven will, with Your great power, select the next Pope. The power given him by the Catholic church is great. We trust God Almighty to be God over all, the one and only supreme God in heaven. In Jesus' Name.
- "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition: Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he as God sits in the temple of God , showing himself that he is God." ( II Thessalonians 2:3-4)
2. Chuck Hagel confirmed as US defense secretary by Senate - BBC
The US Senate has confirmed former Senator Chuck Hagel as the new Pentagon chief, after four Republicans joined Democrats to approve his nomination. The former Republican Nebraska senator was confirmed by 58-41. Mr Hagel will replace outgoing Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, who was confirmed by 100-0 in June 2011.
- Father God, we pray that this man be guided by God, and God alone. May he meet with failure if he moves out of the Lord's divine plan. May he not be controlled by the enemy to bring about destructive elements to America. Dear Lord, put a restraint upon all ungodliness around him and remove anyone that would coerce him to do evil. Guide his choices. In Jesus' Name we pray.
- "Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the stout-hearted, with the frisking around of the people: scatter the people that delight in war." (Psalm 68:30)
3. Fox News Accuses NBC of 'Declaring War' on Christians - Christian Post
Media network Fox News accused rival NBC of "declaring war" on Christians for a "Saturday Night Live" parody on Jesus and for bashing NFL star Tim Tebow's decision to speak at a conservative megachurch. "Does NBC hate Christians?" The Fox News op-ed article asks, arguing that NBC made a number of targeted attacks against Christians right after the beginning of Lent last week.
- Holy Father, strengthen Tim Tebow in his stand for Christ by upholding righteousness and walking with integrity in God. Protect him from the assaults of the media that not one word lessen his strong testimony and faith in the Lord. Bring conviction of conscience upon NBC and all its employees. It is not a light thing to persecute Christians and may they realize this truth in the reaping of their acts which are sinful. There is still a God in heaven who oversees everything, who also will bring to bear the accountability of NBC. We pray in Jesus' Name.
- "At that day shall a man look to His Maker, and his eyes shall have respect and give honor to the Holy One of Israel." ( Isaiah 17:7)
4. City Wants Power to "Disarm Individuals" During Crisis - waaytv.com (Alabama)
Guntersville (Ala.) Mayor Leigh Dollar is working with city officials to pass an ordinance that would give police the power to "disarm individuals" during a disaster, a chilling example of how the second amendment is being assaulted via the back door. The new rule would allow authorities to confiscate guns of "unruly" people during an extreme weather event such as the April 2011 tornadoes or any other emergency.
- Lord God, cut down this mirage that assails against the right of individuals to protect themselves in emergency situations. Raise up Your hand, my God, and hold back these city officials who want to pass an ordinance that would give police the power to disarm individuals during a disaster. Send holy angels into Guntersville, Alabama and surround the mayor's office and city officials, restraining them from going forward with this ordinance. Deliver this city. We declare victory because You are going to defeat it and cancel their plans, O God. We seal this in the mighty Name of Jesus.
- "I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, from the entanglement, and from the noisome pestilence." (Psalm 91:2-3)
5. Iran's 'Plan B' for a nuclear bomb - The Telegraph
The Telegraph can disclose details of activity at a heavily-guarded Iranian facility from which international inspectors have been barred for 18 months. The images, taken earlier this month, show that Iran has activated the Arak heavy-water production plant. Heavy water is needed to operate a nuclear reactor that can produce plutonium, which could then be used to make a bomb.
[For more on this news, please see the article by Joel Rosenberg, below.]
- Father God, no heavily-guarded Iranian facility is hidden from the eyes of the Lord. You see everything from heaven. God, we ask that these hidden things be revealed and that the needed heavy water dry up and there be no plutonium produced. Lord, shut down the Arak heavy-water production plant by Your great power. May the enemies of Israel be defeated and there be no production of Iranian bombs, the nuclear reactor be shut down by the mighty act of God. In Jesus' holy Name.
- "Behold, the Lord God has made you small among the heathen: you are greatly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you, you that dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that says in your heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though you exalt yourself as the eagle, and though you set your nest among the stars, thence will I bring you down, says the Lord." (Obadiah 2-4)
6. What's up in space - Space Weather.com
CHANCE OF EARTH-DIRECTED FLARES Sunspot AR1682 has a 'beta-gamma' magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class solar flares. Because the sunspot is squarely facing Earth, any eruptions today would be geoeffective.
- Lord God, the signs in the heavens are the work of Your hands. You are Lord over all the magnetic fields, solar flares, sunspots and the entire universe. The heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's your God, the earth also, with all that is therein is controlled by God. We pray that the souls of mankind will turn to the Lord and receive Jesus as their Savior, as they witness more and more the active hand of God moving in the heavens. In Jesus' Name.
- "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken." (Matthew 24:29)
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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:
"For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob." (Malachi 3:6)
1. Israel downplays Palestinian rhetoric regarding Jaradat inquiry - ICEJ News
A demand by the Palestinian Authority for an international inquiry into the death of Palestinian detainee Arafat Jaradat was dismissed by Israeli officials on Tuesday as a "predictable" move and part of a larger pattern of attempting to involve the international community in the conflict whenever possible.
2. Syria and Turkey accuse each other of illegal action - ICEJ News
The regime of Syrian president Bashar Assad, battered but unbowed, issued a formal letter of complaint to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last week accusing neighboring Turkey of enabling "Al-Qaida, as well as the Nusra Front and other terrorist organizations, to assemble, take refuge, receive funding and arms, engage in smuggling, and enter Syrian territory." "The regime has lost its legitimacy," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in a speech to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva recently. "It is no longer governing. It is surviving by oppression, terror and massacres."
3. EU calls for economic boycott of West Bank settlements - ICEJ News
The European Union issued its Jerusalem Report 2012 on Wednesday giving advice and recommendations to its 27 member states about issues between Israel and the Palestinians. Among the more noteworthy items in the report was a recommendation for EU member states to engage in a full-scale economic boycott of Israeli businesses and communities in the West Bank.
4. Egyptian regime takes worrisome steps towards Israel - ICEJ News
Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Amr issued a statement on Monday condemning Israeli policies in regards to Palestinian security prisoners and warned of a deterioration in regional relationships. He also urged the international community to take a firm stance against Israel's "inhuman practices against the Palestinian prisoners." The comments came as Egypt's tourism minister visited Teheran in a bid to lure tourists from the Islamic Republic to Egypt, the latest sing in a thawing of relations between Israel's next door neighbor and its most dangerous enemy.
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The Persecuted Church
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Today's Focus: The Persecuted Church
"And David said to his son Solomon, 'Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God-my God-will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.'" (1 Chronicles 28:20)
1. VIETNAM: Ethnic Families Ransacked, Beaten for their New Faith (ICR: International Christian Response)
DANANG, Vietnam, February 26, 2013 - Newly converted Christians of the Sedang ethnic minority in Vietnam's Central Highlands were terrorized last week - their homes and personal property badly damaged or destroyed in four consecutive night raids, and some of the faithful seriously injured from beatings in broad daylight, sources said.
2. LIBYA: Death for Preaching Christ in 'Liberated' Nation - The Algemeiner; ICC
Four foreign Christians-including one who holds American-Swedish citizenship-were arrested days ago in Libya. According to the Guardian, their crime is arousing "suspicion of being missionaries and distributing Christian literature, a charge that could carry the death penalty."
Apparently the four Christians had "contracted a local printer to produce pamphlets explaining Christianity." Proselytizing to Muslims-that is, preaching to them another religion-was banned even under the late Col. Muammar Gaddafi.
Libyans-strongly supported by U.S. President Obama in the name of "freedom"-got rid of Gaddafi but kept the distinctly anti-freedom law.
3. TURKMENISTAN: Government changes Islamic leadership again - Forum 18 (Oslo, Norway)
Turkmenistan's government has changed the entire leadership of the country's officially permitted Muslim administration, by replacing some and moving other leaders in mid-January. Forum 18 News Service notes that such sudden, unannounced changes of senior Muslim leaders - as in the latest case apparently without any consultation with the country's Muslim community - continues the system of regular state rotation of officials introduced under now-deceased President Saparmurat Niyazov in the 1990s.
4. EGYPT: Muslim Brotherhood Islamists Surround Christian Church in Attempt to Stop Construction - Family Security Matters
A group of Islamists surround the Abu Maqar Church in Shubra al-Kheima on Monday in an attempt to stop construction on the church's annex, claiming that the building is not licensed, said sources from the Qalyubiya security department.
Security forces were deployed to the area to convince the group to step down and allow work to resume, the sources claimed. Ramsis al-Deiry, a member of the Shubra al-Kheima archbishopric's Millet Council, said group of Salafis and members affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood surrounded the building and prevented workers from resuming construction.
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The Madison Report
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The Madison Report
www.MadisonProject.com
THE MADISONIAN
Urgent:
Violence Against Women Act to be Voted on Tomorrow in the House chamber
VAWA represents a massive expansion of the federal government by intruding into the affairs of local law enforcement in dealing with domestic violence. It authorized $1.6 billion for programs to train law enforcement and community activists in dealing with such unfortunate problems. Just like almost every other Democrat proposal, this is an insidious attempt to frame Republicans as "anti-women" because they don't support a puerile effort to throw money at a problem that is frankly not within the purview of the federal government. Moreover, there is no data suggesting that these programs are effective, and many of them are used to promote liberal social engineering.
Conservative concerns:
- The last reauthorization expanded the programs and protections to the elderly and children. This one would expand "coverage" to men, homosexuals, transgendered individuals and prisoners.
- It expands the definition of domestic violence to include causing "emotional distress" or using "unpleasant speech."
- It would grant more visas to illegal immigrants who are victims of domestic abuse.
CURRENT UPDATE:
The Senate already passed a bill (S. 47) that includes fuller protections for each of these groups.
The House will be voting tomorrow on both versions of the bill:
First, the House will vote on a substitute bill that excludes protections for immigrant women, or for LGBT victims.
If that substitute bill fails, the House will then vote on the Senate version of VAWA that includes these protections.
> > > TAKE ACTION
Call your senators and request that they oppose this massive expansion of government that has shown no positive results in reducing domestic violence, while infringing on people's rights and encouraging fraud and abuse in the judicial system.
The House vote is tomorrow. Please call your representative now.
Urge your representative to vote YES on the House substitute and NO on the Senate-passed version of the Violence Against Women Act.
Call Congress toll-free at 877-429-0678 and ask to be connected to one of your members of Congress' offices.
Thank you!
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The Daily Jot
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DOJ Paper: Gov't case against guns based on unmitigated lies
The Daily Jot has obtained a copy of the nine-page analysis by the National Institute of Justice entitled "Summary Sheet of Select Firearm Violence Prevention Strategies." The NIJ is the research, development and evaluation agency of the Department of Justice. Written by Deputy Director Dr. Greg Ridgeway, the paper is dated on January 4, 15 days before the occupant of the Oval Office delivered his "Now is the Time" speech where he outlined a softer version of the paper's main thrust--disarming America through an escalating series of actions beginning with background checks and ending with gun bans--what the National Rifle Association touts as the real strategy behind the White House propaganda.
First, the paper has several "facts" that would cause anyone reading it to question the necessity of the occupant's harsh proposals. From the paper: 1) there are about 11,000 firearm homicides every year, 2) mass shootings average 35 fatalities per year, 3) gun buybacks are ineffective unless massive and coupled with a ban, 4) the previous 10 year ban on large capacity magazines experienced no change in the criminal use of them, 5) background checks do not deter criminal purchases of guns because they are bought in a largely unenforceable secondary market, and 6) assault weapons are not a major contributor to gun crime; bans on them "would not have a large impact on gun homicides."
While the paper does not have a distinct conclusion, woven throughout the paper are two main points: 1) there is no real way to curb gun violence because criminals will always get them, and 2) initiatives to curb gun violence are not effective unless there is a comprehensive mandate that includes massive buybacks, background checks, registration, confiscation, and outright bans. The paper informs that any of these initiatives taken without the other would be ineffective. The White House has out and out lied to the public about the magnitude of the crisis and the impact of any of its gun violence reduction proposals. One can only conclude that the White House aim is to disarm American citizens.
Here is how it works: Registration must be renewed regularly. If it is not, the government confiscates your guns. If you do not meet certain criteria in a background check, you will not be able to purchase a gun. Failed background checks would be put in a file to be monitored. The Department of Homeland Security already published a paper (April 2009) saying that religious people who are against abortion and do not trust the government are considered extremists. How long do you think a pro-life Christian that wants limited government will pass any background check? In short, registration and background checks allow the government to know who you are and what you are. Just in case they need to know.
The points are clear: Assault weapons, large magazines, background checks, even the number of firearm related deaths per year do not warrant an infringement on the Second Amendment. This White House intends to play on emotions, not facts, to disarm American citizens. Once disarmed, a tyrannical system can do what it wants. None of the Bill of Rights, especially the rights to free speech and religious freedom, will survive if the Second Amendment is undermined. Ephesians 5:6 says, "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." Be forewarned: Allow man to usurp your God-given freedom, and you and your family will know first hand the consequences.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
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Hagel Confirmed (2 articles)
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Hagel Confirmed
(Article One)
Sadly, the Senate voted yesterday 58-to-41 to confirm Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense. I say sadly because I never thought I would see the day when a nominee for Secretary of Defense endorsed by Louis Farrakhan would be confirmed! But that day has arrived.
Every Senate Democrat voted for Hagel. They were joined by four Republicans -- Thad Cochran (MS), Mike Johanns (NE), Rand Paul (KY) and Richard Shelby (AL). All four votes are depressing, but I want to comment on Senator Paul's vote.
When Rand Paul ran for the Senate three years ago, there were concerns about his views on Israel and the Middle East. He has tried to dispel the doubts.
In January, Paul traveled to Israel and said, "I came here to show that I am supportive of the relationship between Israel and America." He later said, "I think we should . . . announce to the world . . . that any attack on Israel will be treated as an attack on the United States." That is why his vote for Hagel yesterday was so disappointing.
And it is disappointing for another reason too. Paul explained his vote for Hagel by saying, "The president gets to choose political appointees." That's true to a point, but Paul is under no obligation to vote for them.
Rand Paul's claim to conservative support is that he is a champion of constitutional government. The Founding Fathers could have easily said that the president gets to appoint his cabinet and left it at that. But after a protracted debate, they decided that the president's nominees must receive the consent of the Senate.
Paul's explanation implies he is ignoring the clear words of the Constitution in exchange for a formulation that suggests presidential appointments are essentially guaranteed. That doesn't pass the straight face test.
I don't see how anyone who claims to support a strong national defense, who wants to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons and who believes that Israel is our best ally could vote to confirm Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense. If Rand Paul wants to be a serious contender for the Republican nomination in 2016, he has some explaining to do. (Gary Bauer)
Chuck Hagel Confirmed
By Rev. Pierre Bynum, Chaplain & National Prayer Director
Family Research Council
(Article Two)
Today, former Senator Chuck Hagel began his new job as Secretary of Defense. Senate Republicans had rightly criticized Hagel as unqualified based upon his historic disdain for Israel, support for the Palestinian cause, favor of negotiation with Hamas and Iran, lack of any managerial experience, and more, yet 18 Republicans chose not to use their cloture vote to prevent his confirmation. In addition, four supported Hagel directly in the final vote: Thad Cochran (Miss.), Richard Shelby (Ala.), Mike Johanns (Neb.) and Rand Paul (KY).
With a President and Defense Secretary who have often shown hostility toward Israel and favor toward our mutual enemies, Bible believing Christians know the U.S. is on dangerous ground. Those in power have forgotten God's covenant with Abraham: to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse her. Christians must keep extra vigil, standing in the gap for Israel and America, that our leaders will keep faith with our historic friendship and alliance. Students of Bible prophecy have said that amid America's declining American faith and morals, our support for Israel has slowed the advance of God's judgment since 2001. But each step we take farther away from Israel has repercussions with respect to that balance.
- PRAYER REQUEST (From FRC):
May God's people, who understand God's severe warnings against nations that oppose His plan for Israel, pray, stand boldly and speak out to preserve our nation's commitment to God's covenant people and land
- VERSE TO DECREE:
"I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Gen. 12:3)
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Joel Rosenberg: Iran's "Plan B"
for a Nuclear Bomb
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IRAN'S "PLAN B" FOR A NUCLEAR BOMB.
(If only this were fiction.)
By Joel C. Rosenberg
(Washington, D.C., February 27, 2013) -- If only this were fiction, friends. Unfortunately, it's not. "The Telegraph can disclose details of activity at a heavily-guarded Iranian facility from which international inspectors have been barred for 18 months," reports the London Telegraph. "The images, taken earlier this month, show that Iran has activated the Arak heavy-water production plant. Heavy water is needed to operate a nuclear reactor that can produce plutonium, which could then be used to make a bomb. The images show signs of activity at the Arak plant, including a cloud of steam that indicates heavy-water production."
"Iran has told the IAEA that it will begin operating the reactor at Arak in the first three months of 2014," notes the Telegraph. "The country still lacks the technology to reprocess plutonium and use it for a weapon. But North Korea has successfully developed that technology, and some analysts speculate that Iran could do the same."
"Mark Fitzpatrick, a former US State Department official at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, suggested that Arak could be part of a process that might trigger Western strikes on Iran," reports the Telegraph. "One option for the Iranian regime would be to acquire the necessary reprocessing technology from North Korea, he said. 'By then, the option of a military strike on an operating reactor would present enormous complications because of the radiation that would be spread,' he explained. 'Some think Israel's red line for military action is before Arak comes online.'"
"I think there's time, but there's not much time" for sanctions to work, Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren told USA Today. "There's a window for diplomacy, but the window is closing . . . We know that given the centrifuges that they have now, they will pass a red line. That's the point where we will no longer be able to prevent them from making a nuclear weapon, and that line is coming up in the summer. If they install the next generation of centrifuges - and they're installing them right now -- (and) if those centrifuges begin to spin, then the time will be even shorter."
[To read the rest of this article -- or learn more about DAMASCUS COUNTDOWN; or to find links to the latest news and analysis of events and trends in the U.S., Israel, North Africa, Russia, and the Middle East --
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The Good News Corner
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The Good News Corner:
Miracle Girl Beats Odds of Survival
After losing her legs to a mysterious, deadly disease that nearly killed her, Tabitha Schulke hasn't given up her dream of doing mission work in Africa.
(Monmouth, OR)-Eighteen-year-old Tabitha Schulke is a testament to God's grace and the miracle-working power of prayer after surviving a terrifying ordeal with a mysterious disease that almost took her life.
Shortly before Christmas last year, Tabitha became deathly ill with a high fever and swollen limbs. With inconclusive test results, doctors were at a loss as to what was wrong and told the girl's parents that they didn't expect her to live.
Prayer requests from the family immediately began to circulate statewide and internationally. In order to save her life at one point, doctors had to amputate Tabitha's legs.
For most of her hospital stay, Tabitha was unconscious, said her mother, Donna.
When her daughter finally opened her eyes, Donna said, "I looked into her eyes and I could see she was there. And that was a great day to know that she wasn't just a shell of a person. Her first words were, 'I love you mommy. I don't care about my legs . . . I just want my voice.'"
According to a KATU News report Tabitha, who held a cross necklace close to her as she spoke, said she plans to pursue her dream of doing mission work in Africa.
She is quoted as saying her faith helped get her through her ordeal. "God has really chosen me because He knew I was strong enough and I didn't even know I was strong enough."
"I can't underestimate what God can do." (Source: KATU News)
[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!
Healer
Hillsong
You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease
I trust in You
I trust in You
