Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief
"Praying for All in Authority"
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
"The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine through the land-- not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. (Amos 8:11)
Please visit the website for the International Christian Concern to find needs for prayer among the persecuted around the world. Thank you.
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The Daily Brief
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1. White House won't pay 'ransom' for debt limit hike - Washington Examiner
White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer on Sunday pressed Republican lawmakers to raise the debt ceiling without conditions, saying that the American people "should not have to pay Congress ransom."
- All of this bullying language is not serving the purposes of our nation. Lift up those who are being bullied, that they be strengthened not to give in, but to stand strong on their principles and their policies. May they be strengthened by the Hand of our Lord.
- "In that day the Lord of hosts will be . . . for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate." (Isaiah 28:5,6)
2. New Study: Unemployment Benefits Weaken Economy - Washington Free Beacon
New academic research released last week showing that extending unemployment benefits is a net economic drag could strengthen the conservative case against extending those benefits at the federal level.
- It is surprising that this statement is even in the headlines, for even a schoolchild can tell us that unemployment will lead to a weakened economy. Pray that our leaders will wake up to this fact, and do all they can to create real jobs for the American workforce to pursue. In His Name, amen.
- "Pray for . . . all in authority . . ." (I Tim. 2:1-4)
3. Iranian Revolutionary Guards threaten US after Kerry says military option is 'ready' - Jerusalem Post
The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, Maj.- Gen. Muhammad Ali Jafari, threatened the US with a strong military response after American Secretary of State John Kerry said a military option to counter the country's nuclear drive was "ready."
- Father, wake up our leaders to the true Iran. Israel has been trying to warn us repeatedly about Iran's nuclear threat. We pray wisdom, and the right timing for military action.
- "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." (Matthew 7:15)
4. HSBC imposes restrictions on large cash withdrawals - BBC
Some HSBC customers have been prevented from withdrawing large amounts of cash because they could not provide evidence of why they wanted it, the BBC has learned.
- Father, this is a disturbing report. We pray this HSBC policy would change to allow its customers to withdraw however much money they please, because it is their money! We ask that You prevent any other banks from following this policy.
- "Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness and his upper rooms without justice, who uses his neighbor's services without pay and does not give him his wages." (Jeremiah 22:13)
5. Emerging markets selloff picks up, drags down Europe, U.S - Reuters
A full-scale flight from emerging markets accelerated on Friday, as investors sold shares in major markets and bought safe-haven assets such as U.S. Treasuries, the yen and gold.
- The markets are signaling the times we live in now . . . times of uncertainty and anxiety for those whose lives are not rooted and grounded in the knowledge of the Lord. We pray for those whose lives (and incomes) are being shaken by these events . . . that God would cause them to seek Him, to find Him, and to know Him in truth. In Jesus' Name, amen.
- "This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain." (Heb. 12:27 NLT)
6. GOP senators push ObamaCare alternative that scraps mandates - The Hill
The legislative blueprint would keep in place some popular aspects of ObamaCare, including allowing dependents to stay on their parents' insurance coverage until they are 26 years old. (Read more)
- Offer praise to the Lord that alternatives to ObamaCare are now being proposed, and ask that these, too, will become the law of the land. In Jesus' Name.
- "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." (I John 5:14)
6. Obama in State of Union 'has one shot here and can't afford to miss' - The Hill
President Obama's legacy and the future of his second term hang in the balance. Obama will step to the podium reeling from a lost year, and with the window for him to exert his influence closing slowly but surely. (Read more)
- Pray that our citizens and the media will hold this president accountable for the results of his actions and his policies. We pray that Mr. Obama will repent, and surrender his will to the will of God. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
- "I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings." (Jer. 17:10)
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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:
"Thus says YHWH: 'If My covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not given the ordinances of the heavens and the earth, then I will cast away the seed of Jacob, and David My servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will bring back their captivity, and have mercy on them.' (Jeremiah 33:25-26)
1. Lebanese report: IAF jets flying over Beirut - Ynet News
Hezbollah's Al-Manar network reported Sunday morning that Israeli Air Force aircrafts are flying intensively in Lebanese airspace in the western Lebanon Valley, Beirut, Baalbek and Hermel.
2. Israel Warns of Growing Jihadi Threat From Syria - ABC News
A sharp increase in the number of al-Qaida linked fighters joining the fight against President Bashar Assad in Syria is threatening to spill over the borders and prompting the Jewish state to re-evaluate its policy of neutrality in the civil war next door, a senior Israeli intelligence official warned on Friday.
3. The idea of Jewish settlements under Palestinian rule is 'dangerous,' says Bennett - Jerusalem Post
Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett called upon Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday to rule out letting Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria come under Palestinian control.
4. Senior PLO official: Kerry plan includes series of Israeli withdrawals - Jerusalem Post
Israeli negotiators are discussing a series of limited withdrawals linked to progress by the Palestinian Authority in maintaining security, a senior Palestinian official said.
5. PM would let all settlers remain in West Bank, official says - Times of Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not intend to uproot Jewish settlements anywhere in the West Bank, and will not force any settlers to leave, even under a permanent peace deal with the Palestinians, a well-placed official in the Prime Minister's Office told The Times of Israel on Sunday. Rather, the prime minister will insist that settlers be given the free choice of remaining in place and living under Palestinian rule, or relocating to areas under Israeli sovereign rule, the official said.
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The Daily Jot
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Gay marriage center stage at Grammys
This is an excellent example why I don't follow Hollywood--33 couples, both straight and gay, were married by Queen Latifah at the Grammy Awards, reports hollywoodreporter.com. Latifah was deputized by Los Angeles County to officiate over the weddings as the song "Same Love" was performed by Ryan Lewis and Macklemore (whoever they are) as the anthem for the evening. This was historic as it is the first time that such an event was held on national television during a prestigious awards ceremony generally reserved for pumping up some of the biggest money and egos in America. It is also, in a strange way, prophetic.
2014 may be the year when the Supreme Court decides that the states can decide for themselves whether to allow same sex "marriages." The Supreme Court could also say that it is unconstitutional to discriminate against any person of any sex who wishes to get married. But one could make a pretty safe bet that the Supreme Court will not uphold marriage as a union only between a man and a woman. Before you run out of the room screaming after hitting the "unsubscribe" button frantically while thinking I have lost my mind, hear me out. There is nothing in the Constitution about marriage. Historically, local governments have had control over marriage, issuing licenses and imposing health regulations. But that's not all.
In the first years of the Plymouth colony, William Bradford writes: "May 12 was the first marriage in this place, which according to the laudable custom of the Low Countries, in which they had lived, was thought most requisite to be performed by the magistrate, as being a civil thing upon which many questions about inheritances do depend, with other things most proper to their cognizance and most consonant to the Scriptures (Ruth IV) and nowhere to be found in the Gospel to be laid on the ministers as part of their offices." Bradford well knew the Scriptures and the definition of marriage, but he also knew the practical application of government involvement in marriage for inheritances and public health.
Jesus said in Matthew 19:4-6, "Have you not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female...Wherefore they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." We know that marriage is a God ordained institution. We also know that marriage is regulated by government. The Constitution says nothing about marriage and if it doesn't specifically mention something, it is left to the states or the people to decide as per the 10th Amendment. It also says that Congress shall make no law respecting religion or the free exercise of it. While pastors are not Constitutionally forced to officiate same sex "marriages," government magistrates may be. This is where government and religion clash. Do the "people" have the will to preserve marriage as defined by God?
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
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State of the Dictatorship
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State of the Dictatorship
President Obama is a big proponent of recycling -- and he's proven it with his last several State of the Union speeches. While America's problems keep piling up, the White House keeps trotting out the same tired solutions. Early reports of tomorrow's address suggest that the President is intent on regifting the failed priorities of the past five years -- only this time, he isn't asking Congress, he's telling them.
Legislating is tough business -- too tough, apparently, for President Obama. This year, the White House has a not-so-new strategy for muscling through its agenda: unilateralism. Tomorrow night, as part of his push for climate change, infrastructure spending, and education, the President plans on declaring his independence -- from Congress. Taking what his staff calls a "pen and phone" approach, the administration is gearing up for a season light on consensus and heavy on executive orders. "We need to show the American people that we can get something done, either with Congress or on our own," said the White House's Dan Pfeiffer.
Unfortunately, this we-can't-wait strategy is nothing new for Americans, who've watched the President circumvent Congress so much that he could have built a permanent bypass around Capitol Hill. But if legislators are angry about being cut out of the process, you wouldn't know it by Democrats' reactions. "People are mad at government," said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). "Why? Gridlock, things not getting done. So I think the public would welcome things he could do on his own rather than doing nothing." (Family Research Council) Read more.
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Dinesh D'Souza: Under Attack
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The Criminalization Of Conservatism
Last week conservative author, filmmaker and fierce Obama critic Dinesh D'Souza was indicted for election fraud. The charge is that he convinced people to make political donations and then reimbursed them. That is a violation of the law. He is facing charges that, combined, could send him to jail for seven years.
I know Dinesh D'Souza well -- he worked for me in the Reagan White House. He is an extremely intelligent man and an articulate spokesman for conservatism. I won't defend illegal behavior, but this case seems fishy.
Historically, cases like this have been treated as misdemeanors and handled with fines, at least when the offender was a Democrat. Usually it happens in hotly-contested elections where every dollar is critical.
In D'Souza's case, the race was a runaway for the Democrat. The candidate D'Souza supported had virtually no chance. So why was the FBI targeting this race unless someone decided to go after Dinesh D'Souza?
Gerald Molen, who produced D'Souza's "2016: Obama's America" as well as "Schindler's List," fears the indictment may be political. "I've never had the occasion to think that I had to fear my government," Molen said. "I never had the thought that I had reason to think I had to look over my shoulder until now."
If D'Souza broke the law, he should be held accountable. But given the harassment of conservatives in Hollywood, the treatment of Tea Party groups and Christian ministries and the targeting of James O'Keefe's Project Veritas in New York, it is hard not to question whether justice in Obama's America is indeed still blind.
And add to that list of questionable activities what is beginning to look like a a political purge of top military officers. How is it that the Obama Administration did not act when Major Nidal Hasan was engaged in activities that should have set off alarm bells, but somehow it is routinely uncovering the officer who drank too much in Moscow, who used fake poker chips in Iowa or the top general who had an affair? (Gary Bauer)
> > > For more on this story, please read "Dinesh D'Souza Pleads Not Guilty to Campaign Fraud Charges; Conservatives Call Out Obama Admin for Targeting Critics" in the Christian Post by going here.
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Human Trafficking at the Super Bowl
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Super Bowl Not All Fun and Games:
Along with the Classic Competition comes the Sad Aspect of Human Trafficking
New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking
Mobilizes Efforts to Rescue Victims
"We've enlisted, basically, every service provider that people coming to the Super Bowl are going to run into. There are a lot of eyes that are going to be on their activities and going to be on spotting potential victims of this crime."
As NFL players and fans of the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks gear up for this year's Super Bowl on February 2nd, authorities and other workers are preparing for another challenge-how to prevent human trafficking of sex and labor during the event.
It's a sickening fact that while thousands flock to the host city to witness the annual NFL year-end competition first-hand; there are thousands more of young women, men and children held in slavery there, expected to provide sexual services for a shocking number of "clients" per day, for weeks before, during and after the event.
A Townhall.com report by Michael Reagan and Jerome Elam noted: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports that the average age of a sex trafficked child in the United States is 13-14 years old and the average pimp controls 4-6 children and makes $150,000-$200,000 per year from each child. The anti-trafficking organization the Polaris Project estimates victims of sex trafficking are forced to have sex 20-48 times a day.
UNICEF reports that victims of sex trafficking are subjected to conditions that include high numbers of clients and violent or unprotected sex. They are also subjected to poor hygiene and forced drug use that includes reusing needles, and sex trafficking is a "hotbed" for sexually transmitted infections.
Numerous organizations are working to educate people everywhere of the trafficking problem surrounding major sporting events, as well as overall. And to their credit, the NFL has also joined in the fight, lending their support to raise public awareness and work toward stronger anti-trafficking laws.
Some of the ways organizations and law enforcement are helping to curtail trafficking during this year's event is by educating hotel and motel owners and staff on recognizing the signs of trafficking; reaching out to the victims themselves with strategically placed help-line numbers; and increasing public awareness and the ability to spot potential pimps and their victims.
praying against the potential trafficking-that slaves would be rescued, and that pimps and "Johns" would be convicted by the Holy Spirit to stop promoting and participating in this insidious destruction of another human being.
In addition to these efforts, the Body of Christ can be praying against the potential trafficking-that slaves would be rescued, and that pimps and "Johns" would be convicted by the Holy Spirit to stop promoting and participating in this insidious destruction of another human being.
New Jersey's Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman said, in a Huffington Post report, "We've enlisted, basically, every service provider that people coming to the Super Bowl are going to run into. There are a lot of eyes that are going to be on their activities and going to be on spotting potential victims of this crime." (Reported by: Aimee Herd; Breaking Christian News) Read more.
To learn more about the work of the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking, go here.
- Because there are so many needs listed here, we simply ask each of you to pray in the Spirit over this issue. We thank our Lord that He is omniscient; and He IS able to deliver, set free, heal and make men and women whole again. Please also lift up the various organizations listed on the New Jersey website, asking our Lord to "prosper them" in all they are called to do. May this Super Bowl be like none other. Our God reigns!
"Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered!" (Psalm 68:1)
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Watching China and Japan
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Peace Is the Only Answer in China-Japan Island Dispute
January 27th, 2014
The East China Sea territorial dispute between China and Japan figured prominently in various geopolitical risk forecasts for 2014, and with good reason. Neither side shows any sign of standing down, and with every new military deployment near the contested area comes an increased risk of a small-scale military incident spiraling into war.
Anti-Japanese sentiment in China runs deep, fueled by memories of Japan's brutal invasion and occupation during World War II. These feelings have been strengthened by the Chinese education system and state-controlled media, along with frequent examples over the years of half-hearted and waffling contrition on the part of the Japanese government. They have even been absorbed into the national narrative of China's rise, such that China will only receive the official stamp of superpowerdom once Japan has been fully eclipsed in East Asia - politically, economically, and militarily.
For the full article text, please go here.
(Source: Geopoliticalmonitor.com)
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The Good News Corner
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The Good News Corner:
Historic: Estimated 60,000 Pro-Lifers Lined the Streets of San Francisco During West Coast Walk for Life
"New Feminism-women celebrating life and their role in nurturing and protecting all life-was on beautiful display yesterday under sunny skies. The air literally sizzled with joy, happiness and gratitude. The occasional angry person shouting for 'abortion without apology' seemed more akin to the city's mentally ill homeless people than people with a considered point of view. In such a joyous crowd, anger seems sad, pathetic. I was nearly tempted to offer a hug." - Marjorie Murphy Campbell, Walk for Life Participant
(San Francisco, CA)-Tens of thousands of women, men and children walked, chanting and singing through San Francisco's downtown, behind a banner declaring "Abortion hurts women" for the 10th annual Walk for Life West Coast Jan. 25.
"We are so proud to have the largest number of people and the largest number of youth showing the pro-life face of the West Coast," said Walk co-chair Eva Muntean, who told the rally crowd in front of City Hall that their tweets about the pro-life event drove the Walk to the second most trafficked hash tag on Twitter.
"Never surrender conscience, even if the state demands it," Baptist minister, Rev. Clenard Childress, Jr., founder of BlackGenocide.org, told the cheering throngs. "This walk sends a message to the state, to the government, to Washington, DC-I will not surrender conscience."
"This is a debate about life and death," said speaker Monica Lynn Snyder of Secular Pro-Life. "When you peel away the glossy wrappers, the pro-choice movement is about death." (Breaking Christian News) Read more.
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Signs and Wonders
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Signs and Wonders:
MONSTROUS EARTHQUAKE TO HIT OHIO?
January 24, 2014 5:55 PM EST (TRN ) - A historic earthquake with monstrous destruction may be in the works near Mansfield, Ohio as residents and local TV report strange lights emanating from the ground.
While the local TV Weatherman claims all is well - saying it's only ice crystals in the air - this phenomenon has been seen before in many places just days or hours before a massive earthquake.
Rare flashes of light that are sometimes seen around earthquakes are not caused by birds, or planes, or UFOs-all of which had been previously used to explain the phenomena known as earthquake lights. (InvestmentWatchBlog) Read more here.
Please note:
(This story is NOT intended to frighten or panic anyone, but it can't hurt to make some emergency preparations with food, water, medications, flashlights, batteries, radios, blankets and such just in case.)
"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)
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Worship With Us Today!
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Worship With Us Today!
"For All the Saints"
1. For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
who thee by faith before the world confessed,
thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
2. Thou wast their rock, their fortress, and their might;
thou Lord, their captain in the well-fought fight;
thou in the darkness drear, their one true light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
3. O may thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold,
fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
and win with them the victor's crown of gold.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
4. O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
yet all are one in thee, for all are thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
5. And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
and hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
6. From earth's wide bounds, from ocean's farthest coast,
through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia, Alleluia.
Listen here.
