Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
"'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;
he is Christ the Lord." ( Luke 2:10,11)
The third (pink) candle on the Advent Wreath is JOY!
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The Daily Brief
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1. Call Made to Congress for China War Plan - Military.com
As part of the Pentagon's overall defense strategy to pivot to the Pacific, the U.S. should buy more Virginia-class attack submarines, prioritizing long-range anti-ship missiles, carrier-based drones, and missile defense technology, the analysts told the House Armed Services' Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee. Seth Cropsey, a senior fellow at The Hudson Institute, told the subcommittee that the U.S needs a detailed war plan for China in the event that conflict arises. (Read more)
- Lord God, as the threat of a growing Chinese military increases by the day, we ask the You would grant Your wisdom to Congress as they fund preparations for a possible conflict in the future. Thank You, Lord, that if we ask, You will answer! In Jesus' Name, amen.
- "But Jesus looked at them and said, ' With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all thing are possible.'" (Mark 10:27)
2. After 'cataclysmic' Snowden affair, NSA faces winds of change - Reuters
The U.S. National Security Agency has made dozens of changes in its operations and computer networks to prevent the emergence of another Edward Snowden, including potential disciplinary action, a top NSA official said on Friday, as a White House review panel recommended restraints on NSA spying. (Read more)
- Father God, more procedures being put in place to control any further revelations of the extent of spying going on within the NSA. Citizen's privacy and rights are openly being violated, yet when protested, these policies are lightly being brushed aside as 'necessary'. Father, forgive us as we as a nation have moved so far from Your ways, which include respecting the privacy of others. We ask for mercy, Father, in Jesus' Name, Amen and Amen.
- "Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!" (Psalm 43:1)
3. Homelessness, demand for food increase in US city survey - AFP
A survey of 25 American cities, including many of the nation's largest, showed yearly increases in food aid and homelessness. The cities, located throughout 18 states, saw requests for emergency food aid rise by an average of seven percent compared with the previous period a year earlier, according to the US Conference of Mayors study, published Wednesday (Dec. 11) Read more.
- Abba Father, despite multiple news media reports about the status of lower joblessness and improvement to the economy, we have this report that more and more citizens are falling into a dark place economically. We need employment opportunities to increase so people can again support themselves and /or their families, by being employed and self supporting. We know in Your ways, Father, that there is a dignity and strength from being able to do this. Help us Father, in Jesus' Name, Amen and Amen.
- "But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God." (Psalm 40:17)
4. Snowstorm Focuses on Northern New England - AccuWeather
The snowstorm has already spanned more than 1,000 miles. Snow has reached every major city and rural area from St. Louis to Boston, including Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New York City. The area encompasses about 110 million people.
- Oh, Lord, we appeal to You for mercy for those who have been endangered during this vast, severe winter storm. We pray that those who have suffered loss of any kind during this storm will have what they need restored. We join our voices with those who are already interceding in the area for more temperate weather and for a drawing closer to You during this dangerous time. In Jesus' Name, amen.
- "But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them." (2 Chronicles 15:4)
5. Iran cites expansion of US sanctions in leaving talks - Times of Israel
Iran pulled out of expert-level talks with six world powers Friday to protest the expansion of US sanctions, saying the blacklisting of more entities violates the spirit of a groundbreaking agreement over Teheran's atomic program.
- Dear Lord, we ask that You would do your work of bringing these haughty men who do not yet know You back to the negotiating table so that the rest of the world around them may live in peace. Change leaders where necessary to Your purposes. Please give our leaders wisdom in dealing with this threat. In the name of Jesus, we decree that only peaceful uses of nuclear power will ever be used in Iran.
- "And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding." (Daniel 2:21)
6. Egyptians to vote on constitution next month, state news agency says - Ynet News
Egyptians will vote on a new constitution on Jan. 14 and 15, Egypt's state news agency MENA said on Saturday, a treaty designed to replace one passed by ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.
- Father God, we ask that You would be in charge of the vote on the new constitution for Egypt. We pray that they will truly seek to live as free people who honor all God-given human rights and that they will have Your vision for their country and its framework of laws. Lord, pull them into Your Kingdom ways by Your Holy Spirit. May all in this ancient country come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. In Jesus name we pray.
- "And the Lord shall be known in Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it." (Isaiah 19:21)
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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:
" . . . He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."
(Psalm 121:4)
1. EU offers 'unprecedented' aid to Israelis, Palestinians for peace deal - Times of Israel
The European Union is ready to provide Israelis and Palestinians with "unprecedented" financial, political and security assistance and a significant upgrade in ties if the two parties reach a peace agreement, the union's foreign ministers announced Monday.
2. U.S. plan gives Jerusalem holy sites to Vatican - WND
Secretary of State John Kerry quietly presented a U.S. plan for eastern Jerusalem that calls for an international administrative mandate to control holy sites in the area, according to informed Palestinian and Israeli diplomatic sources.
3. Ministers okay bill mandating two-thirds majority for dividing Jerusalem - Jerusalem Post
A bill requiring a two-thirds majority in the Knesset for negotiations to divide Jerusalem was approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation Sunday.
4. Livni blocks bill limiting foreign gov't donations to far-left NGOs - Jerusalem Post
Justice Minister Tzipi Livni appealed on Sunday the Ministerial Committee for Legislation's support for a bill which would declare foreign government donations to anti-Israel NGOs no longer tax-exempt.
5. Fatah official: No meeting between Abbas and Netanyahu - Times of Israel
A Fatah official denied on Monday that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas would meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the near future, noting that any meeting between the two leaders would be contingent upon progress in peace negotiations.
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The Persecuted Church
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Today's Focus: The Persecuted Church
"Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler. . ." (Psalm 91:3)
Iraq's Battle to Save its Christian Souls: 'Christians Are Finished Here'
- The Telegraph
As the last remaining Christian priest in the Baghdad suburb of Doura, Archdeacon Temathius Esha no longer just puts his trust in God's all-seeing eye. Built into the wall of his vestry, amid pictures of Catholic saints, is a 16-screen CCTV monitor, keeping watch on every corner of his church in case of possible attack.
Along with the armed guard outside and concrete anti-blast walls, it makes St Shmoni's feel more like a fortress than a house of worship. And after a decade in which Doura's Iraqi Christian community has been robbed, kidnapped and murdered by Islamist extremists, it finds itself offering sanctuary to an ever-dwindling flock.
"Doura was once one of the biggest Christian communities in Iraq, with 30,000 families," said Mr Esha, as he prepared for an afternoon congregation that barely filled two of the 22 rows of pews. "Now there are only 2,000 left. They feel they are strangers in their own land, and that makes them want to leave. The bleeding from migration is continuous."
Today, St Shmoni is one of just two of Doura's original seven churches still open, casualties of a period in which the area become one of the most notorious al-Qaeda strongholds in Baghdad. In the years that followed the US-led invasion of 2003, two churches were car bombed, while the others closed due to lack of numbers and the kidnapping for ransom of four of Mr Esha's fellow priests, which has left just him and a local monk remaining.
Over the years, his own church has had an improvised explosive device and two car bombs planted outside it. All were fortunately discovered before they were detonated.
The picture in Doura is repeated across Iraq, and indeed the wider Middle East, where the onset of the Arab Spring has ended the protected status that the region's secular strongmen gave to religious minorities. In Iraq, a Christian community that numbered more than a million in Saddam Hussein's time is now thought to have shrunk to as few as 200,000.
Now, violence is on the rise again. Only two weeks ago, eight corpses were dumped in Doura. The bodies are as yet unidentified, but the fact that they were blindfolded suggests that the sectarian death squads who took Iraq into its darkest days five years ago are back at work.
With that in mind, many of those gathered at Mr Esha's church last week would make this Christmas their last in Iraq if they could.
"I will leave whenever I can," said Isaac Napoleon, who has lost a brother and a son to terrorism. "Christians are finished here in Iraq."
For more news about the Persecuted Church, and how you can be more involved in intercession for these precious saints, go here.
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The Madison Report
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The Madison Report
www.MadisonProject.com
THE MADISONIAN
The Week of December 16th-20th
Fellow Conservative Patriots, As we enter the final legislative week of the year with only the Senate in session, GOP leadership is coming full circle. They began 2013 by capitulating on the fiscal cliff tax increases. Now they are on the cusp of passing a bad budget deal that will obviate our leverage for months to come. Moreover, after Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) abolished the filibuster on presidential nominees, the Senate is prepared to jam through a number of liberal nominations. Instead of fighting Reid, Republicans are rewarding his bad behavior. The only thing conservatives can look forward to is the upcoming year of primary challenges.
The Budget Deal
Over the weekend, a trickle of Republicans began to break ranks and offer their support for cloture, which is expected to take place on Tuesday (today). Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), and Richard Burr (R-NC) announced they would vote for cloture. With no counter-force from McConnell to bring Republicans back into the fold, the outcome of this bill is a forgone conclusion.
Last Thursday, the House voted to approve the Ryan-Murray budget (H. J. Res. 59) with overwhelming bipartisan support. Only 62 Republicans voted against it. Under this agreement Congress would reinstate more than half of the sequester for the next two years. Budget caps would be set at $1.012 trillion in 2014 and $1.014 trillion in 2015; current law is $967 billion and $995 billion respectively. The extra $64 billion in spending is offset with a hodgepodge of intangible, notional, or unverifiable collection of savings spread out over 10 years. There are a number of conservative concerns with this deal:
1.Budgetary: The sequester cuts represented the only real accomplishment of the GOP congress as it relates to trimming government spending. The Ryan-Murray deal is the old Washington trick of reinstating $63 billion in spending up front with the promise of offsetting the spending over 10 years. Moreover, this agreement has paved the way to vitiating the sequester altogether. Henceforth, the default position will be to undo the sequester. So every year we will spend more by offsetting the costs over 10 years.
2.Taxes: This bill raises taxes on airline tickets to further fund the TSA. Taxes and fees on airfare already represents 25-30% of the cost of the ticket. Also, now that we have started the precedent of repealing the annual sequester, Democrats will have future leverage to push through tax increases in order to offset the new annual spending. Finally, the bill contains a provision that makes it easier for the Senate to raise taxes across the board. Section 114 of the bill repeals the budget point of order against offsetting spending with tax increases in the Senate. Under current rules, any Senator can force a 60-vote threshold through a point of order against any amendment that raises taxes. This bill allows the majority to raise taxes under the guise of offsetting spending increases with a 51-vote threshold.
3. Obamacare: This bill funds every penny of Obamacare. And given that is sets discretionary spending for a full two years, Republicans have now lost any future leverage to fight Obamacare in the budget.
4. Military Pensions: While increasing spending for liberal domestic programs and rich defense contractors, this bill uses savings from military pensions. While there is room to reform the military pensions, those serving in combat should definitely not have their pensions cut, especially to line the pockets of less deserving programs. This is a prime example of dyslexic priorities expressed in the budget deal.
5. Immigration: One of the underappreciated outcomes of the October budget fight, from a conservative perspective, was that amnesty was pushed off the legislative agenda for the remainder of the year. When observing some of the recent statements and actions of top GOP House leaders, it is clear they are itching to pass immigration legislation. There is strong reason to believe the Ryan-Murray deal was forged for two full years in order to clear the agenda for immigration.
6. Rewarding Bad Behavior: Sen. Harry Reid just blew up the Senate by abolishing the filibuster for nominees. Now Republicans are rewarding his bad behavior by giving him the votes to pass a raw deal.
Despite the overwhelming support among House Republicans, initially most of the Senate Republicans were skeptical of the deal. Much of the strong support in the House was a result of Congressman Paul Ryan's (R-WI) influence in that body, something that doesn't extend as strongly into the Senate. Late last week, Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and John Cornyn (R-TX) had the opportunity to whip up the conference against the deal and deny Democrats the 60 votes they need to pass the bill. Unfortunately, McConnell made it clear that while he would probably vote against it because of his primary challenge, he would not round up the votes to block the bill.
UPDATE FROM "THE HILL"
Senate advances budget deal - The Hill
The Senate on Tuesday advanced a two-year budget deal in a 67-33 vote, setting the measure up for final passage.
Twelve Senate Republicans joined all 55 Democrats and Independents on Tuesday to advance the bipartisan budget deal approved in a landslide House vote last week. President Obama also supports the measure. (Read more)
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House Bill Protects Religious Freedom in
Military
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Final Version Of Defense Authorization Bill Contains Religious Freedom Protections For Military
"The House of Representatives passed H Res. 441 concurring in the Senate Amendments to the 2014 Defense Authorization Bill, H.R. 3304, (with one minor amendment so that it must still go back to the Senate for final approval). (Full text of resolution and bill.) As is typical with military authorization and spending bills, this one contains several provisions on religious freedom in the military.
Section 532 tweaks the language in current law on conscience rights of those in the military, so that the new provision (new language in italics) reads:
Unless it could have an adverse impact on military readiness, unit cohesion, and good order and discipline, the Armed Forces shall accommodate individual expressions of belief of a member of the armed forces reflecting the sincerely held conscience, moral principles, or religious beliefs of the member and, in so far as practicable, may not use such expressions of belief as the basis of any adverse personnel action, discrimination, or denial of promotion, schooling, training, or assignment." (Source: Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation)
> > > We praise God for this good news, and we thank each of you who have lifted up prayer so that the conscience rights of our men and women in uniform would be upheld by law. Praise the Lord!
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The Daily Jot
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Of treason and prophecy
The president is about to go public with news that we knew already had been developing for months, perhaps over a year--that the US will officially dump the so-called "moderate" Free Syrian Army and throw its lot in with the confirmed terrorists--al Qaeda and others in the Syrian civil war. Reuters is reporting that the al Qaeda-backed "rebels" soon will be meeting in Turkey with US officials. The Administration is getting around the fact they are illegally meeting with terrorists by meeting with a newer group calling itself the Islamic Front, which as Reuters reports, "is not a US-designated terrorist group" but "many of its members hold intensely anti-American beliefs." So what's new?
What is new is that this president is moving from secretly funding the very terrorist entity that has been killing Americans since 2001 to funding it openly. Comprised of al Qaeda, the Islamic Front was formed November 22 under a charter that expressly rejects representative government, calls for a Sunni theocracy, Sharia Law, arguing that Allah is sovereign. This is in lock step with the Muslim Brotherhood charter to reestablish the Islamic Caliphate. The meeting in Turkey is no less surprising since Turkey was the headquarters of the previous Caliphate, the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over the Middle East and much of the rest of the world from 1299 to 1922. Many believe the anti-Christ will arise from Turkey.
Your tax dollars are/will be funding the very terrorists who kill our sons and daughters in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now both the former president and the current one have stated many times that America is not at war with Islam. With whom then is America at war? The US has been at war since 2001--12 long years--killing so-called "terrorists" of the Taliban and al Qaeda ilk. Article III, Section III of the Constitution says, "Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same over Act, or on Confession in open Court."
No amount of double talk and playing semantics can hide the obvious: this president and Congress are complicit in aiding and comforting the enemy of the United States during war. That the "war" may be undeclared or nonspecific is in material to the fact that for a dozen years our children are killed and maimed by an enemy that these politicians have been and continue to aid. They not only aid but openly meet with the enemy of both America and YHVH God in the prophetic land directly North of Israel and where the anti-Christ may well arise. Through outright treason, America's leadership is determining our nation's place in prophecy. Proverbs 29:2, "...when the wicked bears rule, the people mourn."
The dealings of this president and Congress have dangerous prophetic consequences for our nation and the people in it. As in the Bible, our Constitution requires two witnesses. I AM WITNESS. Are you?
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
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Update: Colorado School Shooting
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Cover-up: Media hide key fact in school shooting
Stories take sudden turn after gunman's politics revealed
But almost one year to the date after the Sandy Hook shooting, on Dec. 13, 2013, at the Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colo., another school shooter opened fire, and this time, the gunman's background was all too quickly swept under the rug.
Most notoriously, the Denver Post discovered in its profiling of shooter Karl Halverson Pierson that fellow students described the 18-year-old gunman as "a very opinionated socialist." Yet by the next day, the Post's editors had scrubbed the word "socialist" from the article, replacing it with merely "very opinionated."
Several media critics, however, aren't . . . excusing the mainstream media's sudden apathy about the school shooter's politics.
"If Pierson had been an evangelical Christian or free-market and small-government advocate, we all know that such would be the lead headline in every story about him, along with prominent mention of his shared views with the Republican Party," writes Victor Keith in American Thinker. "But since he was a socialist who hated Republicans, that little tidbit will be buried at the end of any article, if it is mentioned at all."
"The gun angle is powerfully inconvenient for the left, too," notes John Hayward in Human Events, recalling the renewed demand for gun-control laws in the aftermath of Sandy Hook. "The Denver Post coyly relates a student saying Pierson 'had very strong beliefs about gun laws and stuff,' but doesn't bother to inform readers of what those strong beliefs might have been. It falls to the U.K. Daily Mail to tell us that he 'seemingly supported gun control.' It doesn't seem like it would be that difficult to find out exactly where he stood on the issue, seeing as how he was so outspoken, and his stance on gun legislation was so strong. The fact that no media outlets seem interested in clarifying the matter speaks volumes." (WorldNetDaily) Read more.
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Victim's Family Asks for Prayer
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Family of Last Week's School Shooting Victim who is in Coma asks: #PrayForClaire
"Our beautiful daughter Claire Davis has severe head trauma as a result of a gunshot. She needs your continued prayers."
After being shot in the head last Friday, by a classmate who opened fire at Arapahoe High School before turning the gun on himself; 17-year-old Claire Davis is reportedly in a "struggle for her life."
According to a CNN report, Karl Pierson entered the building near the library, Friday afternoon, wearing tactical gear, and not concealing the fact that he was carrying a machete, Molotov cocktails and a shotgun.
Pierson was on a mission of revenge against the Librarian who had disciplined him earlier in the school year; however, Claire Davis happened to be in his line of fire and didn't have time to run from him. Claire randomly became the shooter's only victim, before he turned the shotgun on himself when a county deputy sheriff ran onto the scene.
Claire Davis' family said in a statement, "Our beautiful daughter Claire Davis has severe head trauma as a result of a gunshot. She needs your continued prayers. She is stable, but is in a coma. The first responders got Claire to the right place, at the right time, and the doctors and hospital staff are doing a wonderful job taking care of her."
On Saturday night, friends, family and other well-wishers gathered at a prayer rally for the girl who is described as "well-liked," and many have tweeted on her behalf, using the hashtag: #PrayForClaire
Please continue to pray for Claire that she will make a full recovery. (Breaking Christian News) Read more.
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Worship With Us Today!
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JOY TO THE WORLD!
Yes, Lord!
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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.
> > > OPTION ONE: AboutJesus.net
Go here!
> > > OPTION TWO: The Great Commission Map!
Go here!
