Thursday, January 2, 2014

CHPP Daily Brief Thursday, January 2, 2014





New Feature!
"Signs and Wonders"
See below!


Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net



The Daily Brief

Thursday, January 2, 2014

"Be on the alert, then, for you do not know the day nor the hour."
(Matthew 25:13)
Our Weekly Bible Studies:

> > > To read the "One Year Bible" weekly letter, go here.

> > > To read the Shabbat Torah readings, go here.

The Daily Brief

1. Snowstorm Targets 70 Million in Northeast, Midwest - AccuWeather

Two storms will merge quickly enough to produce a major snowstorm from the upper part of the mid-Atlantic to southern New England Thursday into Friday.

- In his book, "An Eye for an Eye," Bill Koenig points out that, every time the U.S. has intervened in the affairs of the nation of Israel -- especially regarding the "peace talks" and efforts to divide the land, a disaster befalls our nation. As Secretary of State John Kerry has today entered into another round of "negotiations" with P.M. Netanyahu, stand in repentance for this administration's agenda to divide the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We ask, too, for mercy over the Northeast, for protection for those who must go out into the elements, and for those who are at home. In Jesus' Name, amen.

- "In the day of trouble I sought the Lord." (Psalm 77:2a)


2. Colorado Marijuana Sales Become Legal - Sky News

Police in Colorado have increased patrols around marijuana retailers as the the state allows the first sales for recreational use in the US.

- Lord as this law becomes reality, let the truth be known.

- "Truth shall spring out of the earth." (Psalm 85:11a)


3. Calif. church battling county to keep up 'Support Our Troops' billboard - Fox News

A church in California's Nevada County is battling local officials to keep up a "Support Our Troops" sign. (Read more)

- Lord we pray for this situation to be resolved quickly, that the church will be allowed to keep their sign, and that "regulations" will not prevail.

- "The letter kills but the Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:6)


4. Syria misses deadline to remove chemical weapons - AFP

Syria will miss a December 31 deadline for the removal of part of its chemical weapons arsenal for destruction, but international inspectors insisted the overall mission is still on track. (Read more)

- Lord, we knew that this might occur, so we ask that You intervene in this situation to make it work for the safety of the region.

- "For indeed, all those who are far from You shall perish." (Psalm 73:27a)


5. Russia suicide bombing: Is Doku Umarov the Kremlin's worst nightmare? - CS Monitor

Two suicide bombings in a Russian city are stoking fear about the Sochi Winter Olympics. The most likely mastermind is a Chechen field commander who wants to humiliate Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin. (Read more)

- Father, as the Olympics near, we ask that you block the Chechen rebels from creating another Munich situation. We release Your Word into this situation and thank You for its effectiveness.

- "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day." (Psalm 91:5)


6. Fears grow of Al Qaeda 'resurgence' in Iraq as death toll soars in 2013 - Fox News

Violence in Iraq soared in 2013 to levels not seen in years, U.N. officials reported this week, stoking concerns that the country is descending into the kind of sectarian bloodshed that gripped the country before the U.S. troop surge.

The United Nations said 7,818 civilians were killed in 2013, a return to 2008 levels. The startling figure follows warnings from lawmakers and analysts that the violence threatens to undo hard-fought gains by the United States.

- Pray for wisdom to be granted to our governing authorities as they seek to dispel the presence of Al Qaeda in Iraq.

- "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5)


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:

"Hear the Word of YHWH, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands afar off, saying, 'He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep/guard him, as a shepherd keeps his flock.'" (Jeremiah 31:10)


1. IDF patrol takes fire from Gaza Strip - Times of Israel

An IDF patrol operating along the Gaza border came under fire from an unidentified source in the Hamas-controlled territory Tuesday night. There were no reports of injuries or damage.


2. US tells Israel: There's no chance Pollard will be freed for release of Israeli-Arab prisoners - JPost

US administration officials clarified to their Israeli counterparts that there is "no chance" that US President Barack Obama would be willing to free Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard in return for the release of Israeli-Arab prisoners. . . "This is simply posturing," the source said, "to be expected as part of the process. Pollard is needed as a confidence-building gesture to break an impasse which the US created, not as a quid pro quo."


3. Analysis: Ya'alon reveals why he rejected US security proposals - Jerusalem Post

During a keynote speech on Monday at an economic conference, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'lon openly referred to proposals by US Secretary of State John Kerry to replace Israeli's security presence on the ground in the West Bank with an array of advanced remote surveillance capabilities.


4. Abbas threatens to rally UN against settlement 'cancer' - Times of Israel

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas compared the expansion of Israeli settlements to a "cancer" on Tuesday night and threatened to appeal to the United Nations to halt any new Israeli construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.


5. Kerry's framework proposal could be explosive - Israel Hayom

Following Israel's release of 26 Palestinian prisoners on Monday night and ahead of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's expected arrival in Israel later this week, U.S. officials are projecting optimism for the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian peace talks entering the last stage of a nine-month negotiating window that opened in July.


The Persecuted Church

Today's Focus: The Persecuted Church

"Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living." (Psalm 27:12,13)

China: Christian Lawyers Trapped in House, Attacked by Gov't Thugs - China Aid

(Nanle, Henan-Dec. 31, 2013) Four defense lawyers and six Christians were forced to stay at the home of the Nanle County Christian Church pastor beginning on Dec. 23 when government-hired thugs surrounded the house.

Among those trapped in Pastor Zhang Shaojie's home were lawyers Xia Jun, who leads the delegation of lawyers Guo Lianhui, Cheng Weishan and Cao Nan. The others in the home included Zhang's elderly parents and his handicapped wife.

The same day, Qin Hong, the wife of imprisoned Zhao Zhijun, attempted to leave her home to take her four-year-old son to school, but the individuals guarding the home refused to allow Qin to take the boy to school. (ChinaAid mistakenly reported that Zhao and Qin also had a two-year-old daughter in a previous story.)

Qin instead took the boy with her to visit the pastor's parents at the Zhang residence. Upon arrival, guards began brutally beating Qin in front of her young son. The two were finally allowed to enter the Zhang home, where they were forced to stay along with the other 10 people. (Read the full report here.)

For more news about the Persecuted Church, and how you can be more involved in intercession for these precious saints, go here.


The Daily Jot

Don't fall into the snare of the devil


Socialized medicine is here. You are supposed to sign up. Your sign up will be verified by Homeland Security. You will be put into a national database where your very life can be tracked by every health decision that you make. You will pay for leverage against you--panels to determine who receives health care; subsidizing abortions and promoting homosexuality and promiscuity. You are forced by the government to partake in immorality and the government takes your hard earned money to do it. No self respecting Christian American should abide by satanic and unjust laws that forces them into servitude to an ungodly regime that by design should be serving the people. Avoid the snare of the devil.

There are many, many reasons to refuse the mandated socialist health care of the government. Chief among them is that the government is forcing a system upon you that is the antithesis of righteousness, faith, charity, and peace--it is against your religion as a Christian to be forced into a system that ultimately places you at odds with the Holy Scriptures, forces you to take part in specific sins ordained by government, and restricts your religious expression by virtue of compulsory compliance through leveraging life sustenance. In other words, if you don't support the government, even if it goes against your religious beliefs, you are denied the right to life. Peter said in Acts 5:29, "We ought to obey God rather than men."

So many people are asking what to do to stop the encroaching evils government is placing upon the people. Remember first that this government is an elected one that is by law to serve the people. You are not going against any scriptural premise by refusing to participate in socialized health care--even the health care law itself says it is "non compulsory" even though the government is telling the people it is a mandate. If all Christians would refuse to participate in this power grabbing, unjust, anti-Christian system, its back would be broken; it would die of financial suffocation. It may serve to turn the tide of the imperialist and dictatorial trend of our elected government.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!

Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com


Alert! Ariel Sharon's Condition Worsens

Former PM Ariel Sharon's medical condition deteriorates
Doctors reportedly tell family members that 85-year-old former premier has only a few days left.

Former prime minister Ariel Sharon's life hung in the balance late Wednesday night, following a significant deterioration in his condition.

Sheba Medical Center spokesman Amir Marom said Sharon's condition had deteriorated over the past few days. Asked what was expected for the day ahead, he said, "Only God knows."

Sharon's two sons, Omri and Gilad, remained close to their father late Wednesday awaiting further developments and treatment.

"We have hope, we always have hope," Omri Sharon, a former MK, told The Jerusalem Post from the hospital.

Doctors at Sheba reportedly told Gilad and Omri that their father had no more than a few days left to live.

Channel 2 reported that Sharon's condition was initially revealed by a minister who happened to come to the hospital for treatment and spoke to the former prime minister's family.

Sharon has been undergoing dialysis treatments for kidney failure in order to prevent the failure of the rest of his organs. The former prime minister underwent surgery a month and a half ago to treat an infection caused by kidney failure.

The 11th prime minister of Israel has been in a coma since his January 4, 2006, stroke. Sharon's family intended to mark the anniversary of the stroke this week.

The 85-year-old has mostly undergone care at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer since then.

He has seen sporadic positive responses to scans that measure brain activity, but has remained in a deep vegetative state since his initial hospitalization. (Jerusalem Post) Read more.

- Please pray for the life of Ariel Sharon, both here and in eternity. We are praying for a miracle: that he would awaken from his coma to come to fulness of faith and to warn his nation to not divide the land. Pray, too, for comfort for Omri and Gilad as they stand watch for their father. Pray for Ariel Sharon, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Amen.
- "Yield now and be at peace with Him; Thereby good will come to you."
(Job 22:21)


News from the CPC

U.S. CONGRESSIONAL PRAYER CAUCUS ISSUES FOR PRAYER IN 2014

(Part One)


The following is a list of five issues released by the U.S. Congressional Prayer Caucus needing prayer for the coming year. In order to save space, we are listing the headlines here, only. Part Two -- the remaining list -- will be published tomorrow.


1. Opposing hostility towards faith in the Air Force


Congressman Randy Forbes joined Congressman Diane Black and Congressman Todd Akin in sending a letter signed by 66 Members of Congress urging Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to investigate a pattern of hostility towards faith in the United States Air Force. Over the last year, the Air Force has repeatedly capitulated to pressure from outside groups to remove religious symbols and references to faith from the service. The letter calls on Secretary Panetta to issue clear Department of Defense policy guidance, consistent with our Constitution, to preserve the place of religious expression in the military at large.


2. Urging the President to preserve religious hiring rights

Congressman Randy Forbes and Congressman Mike McIntyre sent a letter to President Obama, urging him to maintain current policies that allow faith-based organizations that consider religious criteria in their employment decisions to perform contract work for the federal government.


3. Supporting legislative prayer at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

Thirteen Members of the House of Representatives have joined the Family Research Council (FRC) in submitting an amicus curiae brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in support of legislative prayer. The Lakeland City Commission in Florida had a policy of inviting clergy to offer invocations at the beginning of its meetings. The Atheists of Florida sued, arguing that because most of the prayers were offered by Christian clergy, the prayers were "too sectarian" and thus violated the Establishment Clause. The brief submitted by the Members argues that courts do not have the jurisdiction to delve into the inner workings of a deliberative body's meetings because of the constitutional separation of powers between the branches of government.


4. Supporting the freedom of school boards to open meeting with prayer

Members of the Prayer Caucus are supporting a resolution introduced by Congressman Tim Walberg that supports the freedom of school boards to open meetings with prayer. H.Res.662 expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that school boards are deliberative bodies similar to city and county councils and state legislatures, and should be treated as such for purposes of analyzing the constitutionality of their prayer policies.


5. Working to protect the symbols and traditions of Christmas

Members of the Prayer Caucus are supporting H.Res.489, introduced by Congressman Doug Lamborn, which expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the symbols and traditions of Christmas should be protected for use by those that celebrate Christmas. Each year during the Christmas season, there are increasing efforts to remove religious symbols and references from the holiday. H.Res.489 emphasizes that the First Amendment does not require bans on religious references to Christmas, and supports the use of these symbols by those who celebrate Christmas.


Good News Corner (1)

The Good News Corner (1)

Ohio State Senator Calls for Withdrawal of Restrictive Homeschool Bill
She Had Presented


According to a Citizen Link report, a bill originally introduced by Ohio State Sen. Capri Cafaro-SB 248-that was being called the "worst-ever homeschool law" because of its severely restrictive nature; was asked to be withdrawn by the same senator.

The Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) noted that the measure, if passed, would have required all parents who homeschool to "undergo a social services investigation," along with background checks and visits from social workers to "determine if homeschooling would be permitted."
After the bill was introduced, and word spread among the homeschooling community of the inherent controls it contained, there was widespread public concern, and the HSLDA formally asked the sponsors of the bill to withdraw it.

Sen. Cafaro wrote in her letter to the Ohio Senate president that she decided to "no longer pursue this bill." (Citizen Link) Read more.

Reported by: Breaking Christian News

Good News Corner (2)

The Good News Corner:

Good News:
87 Surgical Abortion Clinics were Closed in 2013!


"These numbers show that the pro-life movement is gaining ground and that the abortion industry is collapsing-mostly due to its own negligence and greed, which has been exposed by their unwillingness and inability to comply with even the most rudimentary safety standards." -Troy Newman


According to an Operation Rescue survey, reported by Breitbart.com, there was some good news for pre-born babies in 2013-a record number of surgical abortion clinics in the US closed their doors.

Eighty-seven clinics were closed down this year, bringing the total number to 582, down 12 percent during the year, and a decrease of 73 percent from the all-time high-back in 1991-of 2,176 surgical abortion clinics.

The report states that 81 of the 87 that closed in 2013 are permanently gone, and the other six will still perform abortions via the sale of abortion-inducing drugs instead of surgically.

Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue commented, "These numbers show that the pro-life movement is gaining ground and that the abortion industry is collapsing-mostly due to its own negligence and greed, which has been exposed by their unwillingness and inability to comply with even the most rudimentary safety standards." (Breitbart) Read more.

Reported by: Breaking Christian News

Signs and Wonders


"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." (Luke 11:25-28)


Introduction:

As we enter into the Year 2014, all around us and every day, we are beginning to witness the signs and wonders spoken of in the Book of Luke.

For the believer, this is an exciting time to be alive, as we prepare for the soon coming of our King! And yet, at the same time, this will also be a time to move into a place of deep intercession before our Lord, as we cry out for the souls of those who have yet to come into His Kingdom.

This year, every issue of the Daily Brief will feature a report of a "sign" or a "wonder" that is in the news. At times, we will report this news at length; but often, we will simply feature the headline, a byline, and a link so that you can go to the original source and "pray through" all the details on your own.
And now, we welcome you to join us as, together, we pray about today's "sign and wonder."

In His Mighty Name and for our Glorious King,

Sara C. Ballenger
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners





[Please note: the following article appeared in the news in the U.K. last week]


Strongest Jet Stream Ever Recorded To Bring Two Super Storms
To United Kingdom Region This Week

Tornadoes Possible in Ireland


(TheWeatherSpace.com) - A massive storm system is moving out of the United States today, which went through Canada yesterday carries with it the strongest jet stream now ever recorded that will cause two super storms in the United Kingdom region this week.

As if engineered, this never before seen jet stream of 275 mph in the upper levels is exiting Canada. This jet stream will move across the Northern Atlantic and deepen a surface low that is only 1004mb at this moment. This jet stream will act as a vacuum, sucking the air from the center of the storm and dropping the pressure within it to an impressive 930mb low. This is a pressure fall over over 50mb by Tuesday morning (Dec. 24) for the United Kingdom region. It will cause problems, with the initial concern will be the amount of rain for Wales, Central and Southern England where 20-40mm of rainfall will fall. Double that over the hills. The rain will fall on already saturated ground which will lead to flooding.
Very windy on Monday with the system, about 70 mph gusts likely in the South. On Christmas Eve expect 70-80 mph wind gusts in Northern Ireland and Western Scotland with heavy snow in the Scottish Mountains. Weakening winds across Northern Scotland on Christmas day with winds relaxing for the most part it looks nice on Christmas.

But we're not done yet. This powerful jet will deepen yet another low pressure system on Friday and this warm front will sweep across Ireland with tornadic dynamics. It's very likely that with this surface low being much further south than the first one that shear and warm air advection through Ireland will cause a tornado scenario there so be exceptionally alert. (Read more and view the weather map here.)


Worship With Us Today!

Worship With Us Today

I Give You My Heart
Hillsong


Lord, I give You my heart
I give You my soul
I live for you alone
Every breath that I take
Every moment I'm awake
Lord, have Your way in me