Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief Tuesday, March 26, 2013
"So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." (Matthew 19:6)
|
The Daily Brief
|
|||
 |
||||
1. Cyprus bail-out: savers will be raided to save euro in future crises, says eurozone chief - UK Telegraph
Savings accounts in Spain, Italy and other European countries will be raided if needed to preserve Europe's single currency by propping up failing banks, a senior eurozone official has announced.
- Lord, we pray for the people of Cyprus, that their savings will not be taken for the bailout of the banks. May righteousness come forth in the financial situation in these countries. We ask of You for these nations that they will come into Your kingdom and under Your authority for the solving of their problems. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
- Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance. (Psalm 2:8)
2. Cash rationed in Cyprus after eurozone inflicts losses on biggest bank - UK Telegraph
Cyprus's two biggest banks have rationed the amount of cash savers can withdraw every day as the authorities scramble to prevent the collapse of the country's financial sector over the next 24 hours.
- Lord, we pray for the authorities working on this situation, that they would have godly wisdom to know the right thing to do. Let them receive wise instruction. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
- Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. (Psalm 2:10)
3. FAA Predicts 10,000 Drones Could Be In the Skies By 2020 - CNS News
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) predicts 10,000 commercial drones could be in the skies by 2020 after guidelines are approved. For now, Congress has asked the FAA to write regulations on civil operation of small unmanned aircraft systems in the national airspace and submit them by 2015.
- Lord, we pray about the drone issue. We pray for Congress and the FAA as they prepare and write regulations; that they would protect the liberties and safety of the people in this country. We ask that drones not be placed into the hands of people who would use them for ungodly purposes. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
- And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. (Galatians 2 4-5)
4. Obama vows to press ahead with new gun laws - CBS News
A renewed ban on military-style assault weapons has all but failed, left on the cutting room floor by Senate Democrats this week who worried that they would not be able to pass a gun-violence bill with the ban attached.
- Lord, You are the Prince of Peace. We ask for Your peace to come to this nation. Show us how - and what more to do - to be the peacemakers we should be. We ask for violence to be stopped. We use our spiritual weapons to ask You to intervene on behalf of the people about the physical weapons issue in this country. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9)
5. Supreme Court gay marriage cases could set stage for dramatic societal changes - Yahoo
The Supreme Court will hear arguments this week in two cases that have the potential to transform American society and the status of gays and lesbians in it.
- Lord, have mercy on the United States for supporting perversions. Please guide the Supreme Court justices in making righteous and godly judgments in these cases. Let them make no mistakes. Please be with the lawyers speaking for marriage, and give them the anointing and words to influence the justices to uphold the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman. Lord, we pray our nation will be transformed to Your will. We pray the people of this nation be turned from perversion to righteousness. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
- For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord. (Proverbs 3:32)
|
The Middle East in Focus
|
|||
|
||||
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
Be exalted, O God - That Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and answer me - Give us help from trouble - for vain is the help of man. (Psalm 108:6)
1. UN reports major increase in Israeli air activity over Lebanon - Times of Israel
Israel has doubled its overflights in Lebanese airspace thus far in 2013, compared to the previous year. This move, according to sources in the United Nations force stationed in southern Lebanon on Monday, may point to imminent potential maneuvers against Syria.
2. Temple Activists Detained, Lamb Seized - Arutz Sheva
Jerusalem police detectives detained right-wing activist Noam Federman and others for questioning, Monday afternoon, and seized a lamb the activists wanted to sacrifice on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City. Police cited them for transporting an animal without a permit.
3. House Intel Chair: 'Red Line Has Been Crossed' in Syria - Weekly Standard
House Intelligence Committee chair Mike Rogers said this morning on CBS that "it is abundantly clear that that red line has been crossed."
4. U.S.-Israeli cyberattack on Iran was 'act of force,' NATO study found - Washington Times
The 2009 cyberattack by the U.S. and Israel that crippled Iran's nuclear program by sabotaging industrial equipment constituted "an act of force" and was likely illegal under international law, according to a manual commissioned by NATO's cyber defense center in Estonia.
|
The Persecuted Church
|
|||
|
||||
Today's Focus: The Persecuted Church
"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you." (Psalm 5:11)
1. ChinaAid Provides Detailed Explanation of Report on Persecution in China- ChinaAid
ChinaAid's 2012 annual report on persecution of churches and Christians in China has sparked an online dialogue, with reactions ranging from support to doubts and even rejection. On Monday Feb. 25, Christianity Today ran two pieces by two experts on the church in China under the headline "China Isn't Trying to Wipe Out Christianity."
In response, ChinaAid wishes to point out first that those who question and doubt our 2012 annual report appear to have overlooked this key point: "In 2012, Christians and churches in China experienced a serious comprehensive escalation of government persecution. In comparing the total number of persecution cases, the number of people persecuted, the number taken into custody, the number sentenced, the number of abuse cases and the number of people abused with the same figures for 2011, the total of all six categories rose 13.1% over the previous year" The report also lists "the Main Characteristics of and Reason Behind 2012 Persecution: To Eradicate House Churches."
2. Four Foreign Christians to be Freed from Jail in Libya - Bloomberg Businessweek
Libya is to free four foreign Christians arrested in the eastern city of Benghazi for proselytizing after more than a month in jail, an official said.
The foreigners, a South African woman, a man with joint American-Swedish nationality, an Egyptian and South Korean, will be deported after their release, said Abdul Salam Barghathi, commanding officer of the Office of Preventative Security, a department of the Defense Ministry, in an interview in Benghazi.
3. Rogue Soldiers in Nigeria Target the Christians They were Ordered to Protect - Morning Star News
The Nigerian mother of three, wounded from the same gunshot that killed her 9-month-old baby, asked her bleeding 7-year-old daughter to pray for their survival.
The Christian mother's second daughter, 5-year-old Nancy, also lay dead in the extended family compound in central Nigeria from the shooting by a soldier allegedly from the Special Task Force (STF), the crisis unit the government has deployed to protect against Islamic extremist attacks. Lyop Dangyel, 30, lay in a pool of blood as her 7-year-old Comfort, shot in both legs, tightly held her hand.
"Dear Jesus, please save me and mom," Comfort began, as Dangyel silently joined her in prayer that their lives would not ebb away.
Minutes later, her husband returned to find his wife, first-born daughter and 50-year-old mother wounded, along with the corpses of his infant and 5-year-old. It was after 8 p.m. on Sunday evening, March 17, in the village of Torok, 65 kilometers (41 miles) southwest of Jos in central Nigeria's Plateau state.
For more news about the Persecuted Church, and how you can be more involved in intercession for these precious saints, go here.
|
Pray for the Supreme Court
|
|||
|
||||
Pray for the Supreme Court
Tonight, we continue our 50-state, 50 hour prayer vigil, inviting all of our prayer partners to join us in decreeing one word of promise from His Word:
"So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." (Matthew 19:6)
Amen!
In addition, please go here to study Day Six of the Supreme Court Prayer Guide, published by the Reformation Prayer Network.
Thank you!
|
The Daily Jot
|
|||
|
||||
Supreme Court rule by law or by democracy?
The protesters on both sides of the same sex marriage issue are lining up in front of the Supreme Court in hopes of influencing the black robes. Part of the problem with this entire charade is that should be no influencing these folks, and that they should not allow themselves to be influenced. The Constitution is comprised of words and meanings of words which have an exacting impacting on the laws of the nation. Trouble is, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on both sides, weigh them against what it thinks the Constitution says and sprinkle in a good amount of previous lower court decisions on the topic. What was once a steadfast answer then becomes muddled in politics and emotion.
The same sex marriage issue should never have reached the Supreme Court. By virtue of the true preamble to the Constitution, same sex marriage is prohibited. The Founding Fathers established where all law originates when they wrote that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and pursuit of Happiness." Law is derived from YHVH God's law. God sees homosexuality as abomination clearly stated in Leviticus 18:22, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." Romans Chapter 1 also is solidly against homosexuality with detailed explanation.
Further, Jesus defined marriage in Mark 10:6-9, "But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." There are many other verses that define marriage between a man and a woman beginning in Genesis 2:24 to Ephesians 5:31, to 1 Corinthians 6:16, and Matthew 19:5--just to mention a few. In no case is marriage ever defined as between people of the same sex. Marriage is self evident. To define it as other than between man and woman is destroying marriage.
Notwithstanding, the Supreme Court is very susceptible to public opinion and trends in the law rather than interpreting the Constitution by its intent and meaning. If I had to make a prediction, I would predict that the Supreme Court will rule that the Defense of Marriage Act defining marriage between one man and one woman is unconstitutional because the Constitution does not specifically define marriage. Though it is a self-evident truth, the Supreme Court may say marriage is a state's rights issue, which will destroy marriage because many states already have done so. Homosexuals will be happy, marriage will be no more, and the decline of American society will accelerate. I pray I am wrong.
Have A Blessed And Powerful Day,
Bill Wilson
|
Will High Court Redefine Marriage?
|
|||
|
||||
Will High Court Redefine Marriage?
The United States Supreme Court today heard arguments in a case challenging Proposition 8 -- California's voter-approved constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. It is unclear how the court will rule. Most observers expect Justice Anthony Kennedy to provide the deciding vote in a 5-to-4 decision. In two previous cases involving homosexual rights, Kennedy sided with the court's liberal majority.
That said, supporters of same-sex marriage cannot take Kennedy's vote for granted. While writing the majority opinion striking down state anti-sodomy laws in Lawrence v. Texas, Kennedy also wrote that his decision "does not involve whether the government must give formal recognition to any relationship that homosexual persons seek to enter." Translation: Kennedy was not embracing the concept of men "marrying" other men -- at least not in 2003.
The justices may be hesitant to issue a sweeping ruling that invalidates the laws of dozens of states, many of which were approved at the ballot box by the voters specifically to prevent judges from redefining marriage. Even a left-wing activist like Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a former ACLU attorney, concedes that Roe v. Wade was a mistake. At a legal symposium last year she remarked, "It's not that the judgment was wrong, but it moved too far too fast." Well, she's half right -- the judgment and the timing were both wrong.
As for the conservatives, all eyes are Chief Justice John Roberts. He stunned conservatives and brought joy to the White House with his support for Obamacare, albeit on relatively narrow grounds. And a homosexual family member who attended today's arguments at the Supreme Court believes Roberts will rule against Proposition 8.
If the court desires, it can dodge the issue completely. The question of standing and the court's jurisdiction has come up in both the Proposition 8 case and the challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage case because neither the state government nor the federal government were willing to defend the pro-marriage laws. The justices took the unusual step of asking for an additional brief by Harvard Law Professor Vicki Jackson specifically addressing this issue. (Gary Bauer)
|
Marriage on the March
|
|||
|
||||
Marriage on the March
Like so many of you, Lawana and I have sought to model a Christian marriage for our children, and to "train them up in the way they should go." With 41 states having enshrined marriage into law, marriage remains foundational to our understanding of American civil society. And yet it seems like every day there's a new opinion poll showing that support for marriage among the millennial generation is waning. According to one poll, 44% of those surveyed between 18 and 29 thought that marriage itself was becoming "obsolete"--and that doesn't even address the redefinition of marriage.
To explain what's happening, we have to begin by acknowledging that the millennial generation (those roughly 18-30) have inherited a culture with a flawed view of marriage. Think about it. Many of them have experienced first-hand the consequences of adults prioritizing their own happiness over the best interest of their children while at the same time watching Hollywood's fictional portrayal of marriage (and life in general) as a nonstop sexual binge. This is the first generation to feel the combined impact of the sexual revolution, abortion on demand, and "no-fault" divorce. It shouldn't shock us then, that this generation has become so confused about marriage. The question we need to think deeply about is how do we begin to turn these trends around? How do we successfully pass the torch to the next generation when it comes to the vital institution of marriage?
For most of my professional life, I've dedicated myself to strengthening marriage and families, but it's true that each generation must take up the cause of truth in its own way and in its own day. That's why it was so encouraging to talk on our radio show with Eric Teetsel, executive director of the Manhattan Declaration, and Chris Marlink, FRC's social media manager, about a new effort being led by millennials called Marriage Generation. The mission of Marriage Generation is to lead the conversation on marriage, restore a right understanding of marriage among millennials, and to revive a marriage culture in America. That's no small task, but I want you to be encouraged today that a new generation of young leaders is standing firm. They understand the meaning and enduring value of marriage, and they're not giving up. In fact, they're just getting started. As thousands marched for marriage in Washington today, you can take heart knowing that among their ranks was a new generation ready to stand for truth in love. (Tony Perkins, Family Research Council)
To learn more about The Marriage Generation, go here.
|
The Good News Corner
|
|||
|
||||
The Good News Corner:
March for Marriage in Washington, D.C. Draws More than 10,000 Supporters
About 15,000 people swarmed the streets of Washington, D.C., Tuesday to march in support of God's design for marriage.
"This (turnout) shows that Americans are realizing that they are going to have to stand up and make their voices heard to take a stand for the definition of marriage," Thomas Peters, communications director for the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), told CitizenLink.
The march, sponsored by NOM, took place the same day the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing arguments in cases challenging a federal law and a California marriage amendment defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
|
Pray for the Harvest!
|
|||
|
||||
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.
> > > OPTION ONE: AboutJesus.net
Go here!
> > > OPTION TWO: The Great Commission Map!
Go here!
|
Worship With Us Today!
|
|||
|
||||
Worship With Us Today!
Sing Hallelujah
by Vineyard
Worship Here
