Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
"A National Prayer Alliance"
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief
"Praying for All in Authority"
Monday, March 17, 2014
"He has brought me to his banquet hall,
And his banner over me is love."
(Song of Solomon 2:4)
Please visit the website for the International Christian Concern to find ongoing needs for prayer among the persecuted around the world. Thank you.
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The Daily Brief
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1. 'Democracy is dead': 'Fanatical' missing airliner pilot pictured wearing political slogan T-shirt - DailyMail.UK
Officials reveal flight MH370 could have been on the ground when last satellite signal was sent
An image has emerged of the pilot of the missing Malaysia Airlines jet wearing a T-shirt with a 'Democracy is Dead' slogan as it has been revealed he could have hijacked the plane in an anti-government protest. Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, a father-of-three, was said to be a 'fanatical' supporter of the country's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim - jailed for homosexuality just hours before the jet disappeared. It has also been revealed that the pilot's wife and three children moved out of the family home the day before the plane went missing. (Read more)
- Heavenly Father, may this mystery be resolved quickly, and may there be mercy in this resolution, where the many passengers are found to be safe so they can return to their lives and family. We pray in the Name of Jesus, Amen and Amen.
- "Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught."
(Proverbs 3:25-26)
2. Venezuela president urges US to join 'peace commission' - BBC
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has urged the United States to discuss "peace and sovereignty" in a high level commission mediated by the Union of South American Nations (Unasur). Mr Maduro also asked President Obama not to heed US factions that he says want to kill the Venezuelan leader. Venezuela blames the US for the anti-government protests that have left 28 people dead in the past month The US says Venezuela is using it as a scapegoat for its internal problems. (Read more)
- Abba Father, we reject this "invitation" and false accusation of the US by the leader of Venezuela. We ask You, Lord, to expose all that needs to be exposed so the world sees what is truly going on within Venezuela. We ask that You send warrior angels to protect Your remnant there. In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen and Amen.
- "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate." (Proverbs 8:13)
3. Abbas Defiant Ahead of Meeting with Obama - Israel National News
Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas left for the United States on Saturday, ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday. Abbas "is a partner for receiving, not giving," charged Yaalon. "He is not a partner for a final agreement that would include the recognition of Israel as the national state of the Jewish people and that would end the conflict and all claims." (Read more)
- Abba Father, for the sake of Your promises in Your Word and for Your nation Israel, we ask that You rise up and confront the world with what lies are being perpetrated here. It is obvious that the Palestinians never intend to acknowledge that Israel as a nation has a right to exist and that they only intend to destroy and kill. We thank You in advance, Father, for answering our prayer, in Jesus' Name we pray, Amen and Amen.
- "Redeem Israel, O God, out of all their troubles!" (Psalm 25:22)
4. Hezbollah close to cutting off key route for Syrian rebels, refugees - YahooNews.com
A painstaking Hezbollah and regime offensive in Syria's Qalamoun region is coming to its climax. A victory would sever the main route to Lebanon for fleeing civilians and military supplies. (Read more)
- Heavenly Father, we ask for mercy for Your remnant in this land and for all who are innocently caught up in this nightmarish war. We ask that You extend Your right arm and bring down the Hezbollah factions which are striving to block key refugee escape routes. In the Name of Jesus we pray, Amen and Amen.
- "Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause." (Psalm 25:3)
5. 1.5 million ATMs will still run Windows XP when support ends in April - YahooNews.com
Well this should be fun. Reuters reports that ATM maker NCR claims that two-thirds of all the ATMs running Windows XP in the world - or just under 1.5 million ATMs total - will not be upgraded to a newer system by the time Microsoft ends support for XP in April. (Read more)
- Lord God, we ask that this transition from Windows XP to other operating systems, all across the nation, be graced by Your Hand. For all of us who are having to switch over to the new platforms, there are significant costs involved. We ask You to bring all of us supernatural means of provision, so that these costs can be covered and -- in the case of nonprofit ministries -- the work of Your Kingdom can go on.
Father, we ask You, too, to please protect these ATM systems. Thank You for directing those who are doing these upgrades so each one is done quickly and correctly. In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen and Amen.
- "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14a)
6. Finally: Mississippi to Start Drug Testing Those Receiving Financial Aid Benefits - Townhall.com
It looks like Mississippi is taking the right steps to reducing fraud when it comes to government assistance. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) will now require new applicants to submit a questionnaire that will evaluate the likelihood of substance abuse.
Residents who apply for this temporary assistance from the state will have to submit to drug testing if the state deems they are likely substance abusers from this questionnaire. Testing positive once would require a TANF recipient to undergo treatment for substance abuse. For testing positive a second time, the recipient would be kicked out of the program for 90 days. A third positive result would remove the recipient for up to a year.
- Abba Father, this new requirement being implemented by the state of Mississippi sounds like a good one to stop fraud and abuse by those people who need governmental assistance. May this kind of requirement be implemented by all states if this proves to be a good law. In the Name of Jesus we pray, Amen and Amen.
- "Fools mock at sin, but among the upright there is favor." (Proverbs 14:9)
7. Hiding Behind 'Global Internet Community' the ravening United Nations Wolf - Canada Free Press
Obama is about to rob you of your most useful form of communication. Your world will go dark and silent overnight without the Internet The world has thrived on the Internet, more valuable than any other asset of the average, making the world a Global Village since at least the late-1980s. The Information Highway known as the Worldwide Web has been the main form of communication for everyday people, and now Obama is taking it away from an America he loathes and, just as been long feared, is handing it over to the United Nations. Make no mistake, the falsely named "global internet Community" they're trying to sell is the ravening wolf in sheep's clothing. (Read more)
- Heavenly Father, living in a world where truth is not clearly spoken, the internet is an important resource for being watchful for Your signs and for resources to direct prayers. Father, we ask for mercy from this unlawful action which will take away this resource by assigning it to the UN. We are asking You to rise up and strike this action into shattered pieces before it happens. In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen and Amen.
- "These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren." (Proverbs 6:16-19)
8. Crimeans vote in referendum on whether to break away from Ukraine, join Russia - Washington Post
Crimeans voted overwhelmingly to leave Ukraine and join Russia, election officials said Sunday, capping a heavy-handed campaign that blocked most voters from hearing a vision for any alternative to unification with Moscow. (Read more)
- In this increasingly tangled mess, we ask prayers tonight for calm in the midst of chaos. Many believe that there is an agenda behind this agenda . . . one that will eventually lead to more control over the nations by a global elite. Lift up "all in authority" to know God's wisdom and His ways in this rapidly changing crisis. In His Name, amen.
- 'Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' (Jer. 33:3)
9. U.S. warns Russia against annexing Crimea - Washington Post
Having failed to prevent a Russian-sponsored referendum in Crimea, the Obama administration and its European allies refocused their efforts Sunday on keeping Moscow from annexing the autonomous Ukrainian region and expanding its military moves into other parts of Ukraine. (Read more)
- Only our Most High God knows what will happen next in this volatile region. Pray in the Spirit over these reports, and thank Him that He is in control of the nations. In His Name, amen.
- "For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations."
(Psalm 22:28)
10. Ukraine officials pleading with US to provide military aid, lawmaker says - Fox News
Ukrainian officials pleaded with visiting U.S. lawmakers this past weekend to provide military aid, claiming their ousted president intentionally gutted the nation's defenses so it would be vulnerable to a Russian takeover, one of those U.S. lawmakers told Fox News.
"They wanted arms," the lawmaker said, "even recognizing that it could be cited by Putin as an excuse, a provocation for further military action by him. They said Putin's goal has never been Crimea; his goal is Kiev." (Read more)
- Father God, we pray that our government will take heed to these cries from the people of Ukraine. We ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.
- "He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him." (Psalm 91:15)
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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:
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. " (Psalm 23:1)
1. Israel tightens airspace security after jet's disappearance - Times of Israel
Israel has tightened security in its airspace following the disappearance and possible hijacking of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 on March 8, Channel 2 reported Sunday.
2. Israeli officials hope Obama tells Abbas concessions are not a 'one-way street' - Jerusalem Post
The current round of diplomatic negotiations will only yield results if the Palestinians want them to work and lend their hand in making them work, government official said on Sunday before the next day's meeting between US President Barack Obama and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
3. Fatah aide says no concessions as Abbas set to meet Obama - Times of Israel
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was set to meet Sunday with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington, with a top Fatah official saying the Palestinians have delivered "all the concessions they can."
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The Daily Jot
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The Daily Jot
A note to our readers:
Due to technical difficulties, we cannot publish The Daily Jot this evening. We trust that, tomorrow, we can "catch up" with Bill Wilson, posting both editions from today and Tuesday at that time.
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About Common Core
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About Common Core:
How States and School Districts Can Opt Out of Common Core
by Dr. Sandra Stotsky –
Ed.D., Professor Emerita, University of Arkansas
States that want to opt out of the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS) and/or the tests aligned to or based on its standards are being threatened by a toothless tiger that doesn’t want the states to know the tiger has no claws.
States are hearing: “It'’s too late to back out”; “You'’ll waste all the money you'’ve spent on implementing the [low-level Common Core] standards your state board of education adopted three years ago”; “You'’ll waste all the money you’ve spent on [self-described] Common Core consultants who have given [very costly] professional development to your teachers and told them what to change in their classroom curriculum to address Common Core”; “You will have to pay back all the money you got under Race to the Top (RttT)”; or, “You will lose your waiver and not get your Title I money.”
Can the U.S. Department of Education (USED) demand repayment from states that got RttT funds? Can it withhold Title I money from a state that loses its waiver? It is important to recall that Congress didn'’t pass legislation requiring Common Core'’s standards or tests. All it authorized in 2001 was a re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) called No Child Left Behind (NCLB). ESEA hasn'’t been re-authorized since then, so there are no new or different education policies passed by Congress. A variety of conditions have been attached to the recent waivers issued by USED, but they may have no constitutional legitimacy since Congress didn’'t approve them. States can certainly raise that objection.
[To read more objections that can and should be raised regarding the implementation of Common Core at both the national and state levels, go here.]
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Statement by Tony Perkins
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Air Force Chief of Staff's Dismissal of Religious Violations as 'Perception'
a Display of Incompetence or Another Excuse
Family Research Council
March 17, 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee on Friday, the Air Force Chief of Staff, General Mark Welsh, dismissed the concern over the growing violations of religious freedom in the Air Force as a "perception."
U.S. Reps. John Fleming (R-LA), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Michael Turner (R-OH), Mike McIyntire (D-NC), Randy Forbes (R-VA) and Michael Conaway (R-TX) all expressed concerns over the suppression of religious expression within the Air Force. Instead of addressing the concerns raised by the reports covered by a number of media outlets, General Welsh lashed out at Fox News, claiming the stories were not accurate. The general went on to say that the "perception" of religious persecution has been the "single biggest frustration I've had in this job."
Last fall, Family Research Council (FRC) and other members of the Restore Military Religious Freedom Coalition met with Air Force leadership to deliver 220,000 petitions expressing concerns regarding the growing trend of infringements on the constitutional liberties of service members in all uniforms. The officials also received a copy of the coalition's report documenting dozens of other violations of service members' religious liberties. This past weekend, 22,000 signed a new petition to the Air Force Academy in regard to a cadet's Bible verse that was erased from a whiteboard. Over the weekend, Gideons International reported that Maxwell Air Force base will no longer allow the group to hand out Bibles to new recruits.
FRC President Tony Perkins released the following statement:
"The perception is that Mikey Weinstein is setting the policy for religious expression in the U.S. Air Force, as evidenced by the growing number of incidents of religious hostility toward Christians. Instead of denying reality, General Welsh should have taken the opportunity in Friday's hearing to discuss how he would bring the Air Force into compliance with the new DOD instructions protecting religious expression, and thereby protect men and women of faith from discrimination and harassment.
"Family Research Council and the Restore Military Religious Freedom Coalition will not stand by while the Air Force Chief tries to evade the reality of these attacks on religious expression. We will continue to do all we can to protect the rights of the men and women serving in the Air Force and in all the uniformed services," concluded Perkins.
To read "A Clear and Present Danger," Family Research Council's comprehensive report on religious suppression in the Air Force and the military, click here.
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Religious Freedom v. Obamacare
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Religious Freedom v. Obamacare
On March 25th, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments over Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores and Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Sebelius. Both challenge Obamacare's mandate that employer-provided health care plans offer the morning-after pill, a drug that can kill a human embryo, to their employees at no cost. Ninety-three lawsuits against the mandate are at various stages of progress within the federal court system, among them two class action lawsuits. The new idea being advanced in federal and state RFRA cases is that when business people enter the market place to make a profit, they give up their religious liberty rights and must submit to regulations others are subject to. Similarly, corporation does not have religious liberty rights that the Constitution affords individuals.
- May God guide and bless those arguing in Court for religious freedom and the Constitution. May the Supreme Court profoundly reaffirm religious freedom for all Americans and the institutions in which they participate.
- "Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, "My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day." (Acts 23:1)
(Source: FRC Prayer Targets)
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Hamas in the News
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Isolated Hamas Contemplates Returning to Iran's Orbit
by Yaakov Lappin
Special to IPT News
March 17, 2014
Two years after parting ways due to differences over the Syrian civil war, Hamas is considering Iranian enticements to return to its embrace, according to recent Israeli intelligence assessments.
In Gaza, where Hamas rose to power in 2007 through a violent coup against Fatah, Iran already has one very loyal proxy: Islamic Jihad. After Hamas, Islamic Jihad is the second largest terrorist entity in Gaza.
The 5,000-man strong Islamic Jihad answers directly to Tehran, and has relied on it for funding, arms, and training for more than two decades.
Hamas, which has 16,000 armed men in its ranks, was once firmly in Tehran's sphere of influence as well. Then, in 2011-12, it found itself on the opposite side of Iran on the question of the Syrian conflict, which has split the Muslim world.
The civil war has caused many Sunni governments and non-state actors, Hamas among them, to turn against Iran and its war effort to rescue the Assad regime, a quest that has seen mass violence inflicted on Syria's Sunnis. Iran, in turn, expressed its displeasure with Hamas's failure to tow the party line, ended financial assistance, and reduced military aid.
Yet this break in relations may yet be mended. . . (Read more here)
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The Good News Corner
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The Good News Corner:
Decades-old Bible from East Harlem church survives deadly blast
A decades-old Bible from the ravaged Spanish Christian Church was pulled from the East Harlem gas blast rubble by firefighters, an incredible find amid the carnage on Park Ave.
The Bible pulled from the rubble is the original used by the founders of the Spanish Christian Church, a fixture in the East Harlem community for 80 years.
It was a gift from above, miraculously recovered from the ruins below.
A decades-old Bible from the ravaged Spanish Christian Church was pulled from the East Harlem gas blast rubble by firefighters, an incredible find amid the carnage on Park Ave.
"The Word was preserved," said the Rev. Rick Del Rio of Abounding Grace Ministries, who turned out for a Saturday prayer service on 116th St.
The Bible was the original used by founders of the storefront church, a Harlem fixture for 80 years.
The FDNY discovery Friday invoked a biblical passage from Isaiah: "When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." (New York Daily News) Read more.
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Signs and Wonders
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Signs and Wonders:
Planet shaken by spasm of moderate earthquakes over last 24 hours
Los Angeles felt a 4.7 quake this morning, too
In the past 24 hours, the planet has been reeling from a series of moderate earthquakes that have erupted all across the Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire is an area where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of the Pacific Ocean. It is the most geologically-active region on the planet. In a nearly 40,000 km (25,000 mi) horseshoe shape, the region is associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and volcanic belts and/or plate movements. It has 452 volcanoes and is home to over 75% of the world's active and dormant volcanoes. About 90% of the world's earthquakes and 81% of the world's largest earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire.
In the past 24 hours, double moderate earthquakes 5.3 and 5.6 magnitude earthquakes have struck Indonesia. A 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck NE of San Isidro Philippines. A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck NE of the Iwo Jima Islands of Japan. A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck South Central Peru. A 5.0 magnitude earthquake struck SE of Easter Island. A 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck SE Colombia. A 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck WSW of Santa Cruz, Chile. A 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck south of the continent of Africa. A 5.2 and 5.0 erupted along the Owen Fracture Zone, west of Africa. A 4.5 magnitude earthquake struck Greece. A 4.0 quake was reported NE of Xudat, Azerbaijan. And a 4.8 magnitude earthquake was reported ESE of Mohean, India. Tectonic plates across the globe are being perturbed by this latest burst of seismic activity which peaks around every spring equinox. People in high risk seismic regions should remain alert for the potential occurrence of large seismic events.(Read more)
"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 21:25-28)
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Worship With Us Today! (Shema)
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Worship With Us Today!
"Shema Yisrael"
by Anna Brooks
Breathtaking new Shema, written and performed by Anna Brooks (Temple Israel of West Bloomfield, MI, www.temple-israel.org)
. . . I can say as loud and clear, as I can sing from my lips to your ears, that there's One of our God, our ner tamid, our ever-lasting light Shema Yisrael . . .
[Commentary below from Laura Densmore, editor, Hebrew Nation News]
Scripture reference: Deu 6: 4-6
"Hear O Israel! Yahweh our Elohim, Yahweh is one. And you shall love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your might." SHEMA: means HEAR and OBEY
Let's dig a little deeper. Shema is made up of THREE Hebrew letters:
Sheen: (300) Teeth, consuming fire. The roaring Lion of Judah will return and destroy all enemies. He is El Shaddai, the all consuming fire
Mem: (40) Waters, birth, bring forth. By His Spirit He baptizes us; cleansing, refreshing, and birthing new life in us. His Word reflects the new man inside.
Ayin: (70) Eye, discern, understand. Yeshua is the Judge who discerns our hearts rightly. He gives us understanding to rightly divide the Word of Truth.
Summary: The lion of Judah is the all consuming fire, and by His Spirit he baptizes us with refiner's fire, birthing new life in us. If we SHEMA, then our spiritual eyes will be opened to SEE and to know and understand, and our spiritual ears will be opened to HEAR the word of the Lord and OBEY it!
Deeper reflections: If we SHEMA, Hear and obey, then each one of us will be invited into the tabernacle to dwell with our King. We will finally meet with Him, face to face. We will be overshadowed and immersed in His love and it will be a heavenly time. Yahweh will appear in all His glory and inhabit the tabernacle in the form of a cloud. We will be lovesick with His kisses bestowed upon us, His bride.
"He has brought me to his banquet hall,
And his banner over me is love."
(Song of Solomon 2:4)
