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"
Friday, April 4, 2014
and to depart from evil is understanding."
(Job 28:28)
Thank you for praying for the Persecuted Church!
Please visit the website for the International Christian Concern to find ongoing needs for prayer among the persecuted around the world. Thank you.
|
The Daily Brief
|
|||
 |
||||
1. US Mudslide Death Toll Rises; Flooding May Slow Search Emergency; Crews Face Toxic Challenge - VOA
Efforts to recover bodies following a Washington state mudslide that killed at least 29 people could be hampered in the coming weeks if melting snow runs into a clogged river at the disaster site, officials said. Over the past two days, workers at the mud pile in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, northeast of Seattle, have taken advantage of sunny skies and receding water, but more rain is expected from Thursday through Sunday.
Recovery teams struggling through thick mud up to their armpits and heavy downpours at the site of the devastating landslide in Washington state are facing yet another challenge - an unseen and potentially dangerous stew of toxic contaminants. Sewage, propane, household solvents and other chemicals lie beneath the surface of the gray mud and rubble that engulfed hundreds of acres of a small, rural community and left dozens dead and missing northeast of Seattle.
~Abba, we come to You on behalf of our people in this small community who have been utterly devastated by this weather-related event. We ask that You continue to comfort the families of those who were lost, and the entire community as they grapple with this horrible event. We ask, that out of this tragedy, safeguards will be put in place to avoid any future reoccurrence of this nature. We do pray for the safety and health concerns of these emergency crews who face these toxic contaminants as they struggle to do their work. We ask for Your protection upon them as they work, in Your Name, Amen.
- "Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you." (Luke 10:19)
2. Senators: Russia Eyeing Land Grabs in Moldova, Georgia - Washington Free Beacon
Senators say the White House must take immediate steps to stop Russia from seizing more territory from post-Soviet states, including Moldova and Georgia.
~Father, we come to You, asking wisdom for this administration as they deal with the problem of Russia's hunger for more land and power. We ask that You would protect Your own and give them Your peace in the midst of very unsettling circumstances. We ask that You would confront and challenge Mr. Putin, and that he would bow his knee to You, and receive You as his Savior. We ask that he would humble himself before You, and if he chooses not to do that, that You would humble him, and show him that You alone, are God. We thank You for Your watch-care over this world. In Your Name we pray, Amen.
- "If you will humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, in His good time He will lift you up. Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you." (I Peter 5:6,7)
3. US Warns North Korea on 'Provocations' - VOA
The United States is warning a new round of saber-rattling by North Korea is "dangerous and has to stop." The warning comes as U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel prepares for a week-long trip focusing on issues in Asia, including North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. North Korea's latest attempt to grab attention with live-fire artillery drills - lobbing artillery rounds into South Korean waters - is not going over well with U.S. officials.
~Abba, the nations are raging and imagining all sorts of evil continually. Again we ask for wisdom for our President and Congress, and our Defense Secretary Hagel as he travels to Asia to address these issues. We pray for sanity and calmness in these responses to North Korea's "saber-rattling". Again, we thank You that You are the Supreme and Ultimate Authority over all the earth, and we ask You to deal with the evil hearts of those who are drunk with power and aggression. In Your Name we pray.
- "For He spoke, and there it was; He commanded, and there it stood. Adonai brings to nothing the plans of nations, He foils the plans of the peoples. But the counsel of Adonai stands forever, His heart's plans are for all generations." (Psalm 33:9-11)
4. US Release of Israeli Spy Pollard Could Be Key to Renewed Peace Talks - VOA
Jewish American Jonathan Pollard has been held in prison for nearly three decades for passing American secrets to Israel. But his possible release may be the key to keeping the fragile Israeli-Palestinian peace talks from collapsing. Israeli officials have long pleaded with U.S. officials to free Pollard, now 59, but American leaders, including President Barack Obama, have just as steadfastly refused. Officials close to the Mideast peace talks say an agreement is emerging that would extend negotiations through 2015 in exchange for the release of a convicted American spying for Israel. The deal would also include the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a partial freeze on construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hammered out details of the plan Tuesday.
~O Lord, God of Israel, You know the end from the beginning, and nothing is hidden from You. You see even the thoughts and intents of men's hearts. We are in agreement with You for Your timetable to be followed here. We thank You that You love Your people, and have an everlasting Covenant with them, which You will continue to honor. We ask that You would woo Your people back to You, and that they would cry out to You, "blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord". Show Yourself strong on their behalf we pray, and send confusion into the camps of their enemies. Amen.
-"Know, recognize, and understand therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, Who keeps covenant and steadfast love and mercy with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations." (Deuteronomy 7:9)
5. Latest Fort Hood Shooting Raises Questions About Military Mental Care - VOA
Military investigators are looking closely at the medical record of Ivan Lopez, the gunman who killed three people and wounded 16 others before taking his life at Fort Hood, Texas Wednesday. Indications that Lopez had mental problems have raised questions about how much mental health help the U.S. military is providing for service members who need it. As the investigation into this week's shooting at Fort Hood continues, officials are saying little about the shooter, Army Specialist Ivan Lopez.
~Father, we are grieved to hear of this awful shooting at Fort Hood, again. Lord, we ask You to comfort those who are mourning the loss of their loved ones, and heal the physical and emotional scars of the wounded, we pray. Father, this is the second incident involving this base, and shooting and killing of military personnel. We ask that policies would be put into place that would put an end to this violence, as the suggestion of allowing all military personnel being armed on base, so that there could be a quicker response to an attack of this nature. Also, Lord, we do ask that security become tighter, and that "mental health" issues be addressed adequately, so that those deemed unstable can be removed from the general populace, for their sakes and all personnel on base. We thank You that You are the God of all comfort, and that You minister your love, mercy, and grace to all who so desperately need it. Amen.
-"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." (2 Corinthians 1:3,4)
6. Obama's NSA overhaul may require phone carriers to store more data - Reuters
President Barack Obama's plan for overhauling the National Security Agency's phone surveillance program could force carriers to collect and store customer data that they are not now legally obliged to keep, according to U.S. officials. U.S. officials said the carriers might be forced to create new mechanisms to ensure that metadata from flat-rate subscribers could be monitored.
~ Lord, it seems that our liberties are pretty much a thing of the past - and that concerns us. We are saddened by the fact that this administration seems to have no regard for our Constitution, and the freedoms it guarantees us. Still, in the midst of it all, we look to You as our Protector, and Keeper of our reputations. We put our trust in You and walk in the Light of Your Word. We ask that this need for further "surveillance" will reveal that which needs to be revealed; but that law-abiding citizens be protected. We look to You alone to be our Advocate and strength. Amen.
- "Speak up for those who can't speak for themselves, for the rights of all who need an Advocate. Speak up, judge righteously, defend the cause of the poor and the needy." (Proverbs 31:8,9)
|
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:
"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. No formal declarations, but both sides indicate talks over - Times of Israel
Though neither Israel nor the Palestinian Authority formally announced it on Thursday, officials in both Jerusalem and Ramallah indicated that the peace negotiations begun last July and scheduled to run until at least the end of the month have now irretrievably collapsed.
2. Palestinian leadership confident Americans won't punish UN move - Ynet News
Reiterating the Palestinian Authority's commitment to continue with the US-led peace process until April 29, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Al-Malki says he does not think the Americans will punish the Palestinians politically or financially for their bid to join 13 United Nations agencies - a move criticized by US President Barack Obama as "disappointing."
3. Israel strikes Gaza targets after rocket attack - Times of Israel
The Israeli air force struck five militant targets in the Gaza Strip Thursday night, after three rockets were fired into Israel from the Palestinian coastal territory earlier in the evening.
4. Israel cancels fourth round of prisoner releases - Times of Israel
As prospects for the extension of the current round of peace talks took a further bleak turn, Israel officially canceled the fourth release of Palestinian prisoners on Thursday, citing an earlier Palestinian push to join international treaties affiliated with the United Nations.
|
The Daily Jot
|
|||
|
||||
Leadership, really?
My son is doing his senior thesis on the character of George Washington. This has led us through many a long conversations about his research, what biographers say about the first president, and about my son's opinion that he has developed during his studies of what is perhaps the greatest leader America ever had. It seems that our conversations always drift to the comparison of the current leadership. It occurs to me that very few people on either side of politics would be worthy to even get a glimpse of Washington riding by on a horse. The current occupant of the Oval Office could sure learn a few things about leadership if he read my son's thesis. Maybe we all could use a refresher course.
One of the first things is Washington's demeanor in public. Washington did not have the education of a Virginia country squire, yet he understood manors and how to behave. He embraced "Rules of Civility, and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation" written by Jesuits in 1595. They were a set of rules on how to conduct yourself such as "Every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect to those who are present" and "let your conversation be without malice or envy, for 'is a sign of tractable and commendable nature: and in all causes of passion admit reason to govern." Washington's countenance was described as grave, composed and sensible.
Public decency and humility were also traits Washington was careful to portray. When he was elected to Commander in Chief of the Continental Army he accepted with humility and said he would serve without pay. He said, "But lest some unlucky event should happen unfavorable to my reputation, I beg it may be remembered by every gentleman in the room, that I this day declare with the utmost sincerity, I do not think myself equal to the Command I am honored with." There are many, many ways that Washington proved his leadership and the qualities and characteristics of leadership. He was fiercely brave in battle, compassionate to his fellow soldiers, and meant what he said--a man of his word.
Fast forward to today. We have a "president" who appears to have usurped the office. He has taken more golf outings than any other president, logged more vacation days at taxpayer expense, especially given the state of the economy and soldiers at war. He crows about his accomplishment in getting 2.2% of the US population to sign up for a mandatory law (by the way, kudos to Americans who don't sign up for socialized healthcare--it shows that an unjust law is no law at all). He taunts his Republican colleagues at every opportunity. Leadership, really? Proverbs 29:2 says, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked bear rule, the people mourn." Believe me, there is more to come.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
|
The Madison Report
|
|||
|
||||
The Madison Report
www.MadisonProject.com
THE MADISONIAN:
Week of March 31 - April 4, 2014
Each week, the Madison Report presents legislation to support on the Hill. Below please find this week's "pick" of bills we support.
The Higher Education Reform and Opportunity (HERO) Act S.1904
One of the major problems with the Department of Education is that is distorts the "education market" much like any other government intervention in the private economy. The current higher education accreditation system is controlled by the federal government and creates a one-size-fits-all system that is heavily slanted towards conventional four-year college degrees. This system does not work for everyone, but the accreditation process has forced many people into this framework, even if they would like to pursue other educational training.
In turn, it has contributed to the "education bubble," in which federal bureaucrats work with leaders of higher education to over-utilize and over-emphasize the current system, thereby driving up the cost of an education - and by extension - student loan debt.
Senator Mike Lee's (R-UT) HERO Act would allow states to create their own system of accreditation, which could grant students the same benefits and status for pursuing alternative coursework, apprenticeships or vocational training.
|
Pray for Fort Hood
|
|||
|
||||
Pray for Fort Hood
(Message sent on Thursday, April 3)
Yesterday another tragic shooting occurred at Fort Hood near Killeen, Texas. According to reports, the lone gunman, Ivan Lopez (34), began his shooting spree around 4pm, killing three people and injuring 16 others before taking his own life. Many are reminded of the the terrible 2009 shooting at Fort Hood which left 13 dead and 30 injured. Please pray for all those affected and their families and declare God's peace and comfort over them.
I have been on high alert for our military bases across the country recently, praying daily for their protection from internal and external attacks. Let's continue to double our efforts to have our "shields up" in prayer for our military bases.
Thank you for praying!
For the nation,
Cindy Jacobs
|
Eye on Yellowstone
|
|||
|
||||
Yellowstone National Park rattled by largest earthquake in 34 years
(Reuters) - Yellowstone National Park, which sits atop one of the world's largest super-volcanoes, was struck on Sunday by a magnitude 4.8 earthquake, the biggest recorded there since February 1980, but no damage or injuries were immediately reported.
The tremor, a relatively light event by seismic standards, struck the northwest corner of the park and capped a flurry of smaller quakes at Yellowstone since Thursday, geologists at the University of Utah Seismograph Stations said in a statement.
Sunday's quake occurred near the center of an area of ground uplift that geologists have been tracking for several months, University of Utah seismologists said. Elevated seismic activity was also found in the area during a previous period of uplift from 1996 to 2003.
The recent spike in earthquake activity at Yellowstone is linked to the uplift, which in turn is caused by the upward movement of molten rock beneath the Earth's crust, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Fortunately, there was no indication that the recent seismic activity signaled an impending eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera, scientists said. . . (Read more)
Animals fleeing Yellowstone supervolcano?
Are bison and other animals fleeing Yellowstone National Park in record numbers because they sense an impending eruption of the park's supervolcano Yellowstone Caldera?
That's the theory being tossed around by a number of bloggers who cite recent seismic activity, including a magnitude 4.8 quake that rattled the park near the Wyoming-Montanta border on Monday, just days after a magnitude 5.1 temblor was felt by an estimated 17 million people over a large swath of Southern California.
"Whether I believe this, or whether I don't believe the story or not, I don't know. I can tell you this story I saw this morning about the buffaloes running the street . . . whether or not it's because of any activity in Yellowstone or not, I don't know," said blogger Jay Lee, who posted a story on his site tatoott1009.com.
"But I'll tell you this, whatever the case may be, that their running away from Yellowstone is an alert of some sort.
"It also could be from this video, where poachers are killing them, chasing them, abusing them, running them around," he said. "Could be hundreds of things for them to be running. I wanted you to listen [to the videos] and make up your own mind on what to think."
"Herds of bison running for their lives on the public roadways and they were not being chased or rounded up, the bison were running down the mountain slopes onto roadways running right past a filming crew. They detect something vast and deadly. The Yellowstone Supervolcano is the only thing there that would fit the bill," said Tom Lupshu, a self-described survivalist and search-and-rescue expert, in a YouTube video.
Researchers recently discovered that the supervolcano is approximately 2.5 times bigger than previously thought. A team that included professor Bob Smith of the University of Utah found that the cavern stretches for more than 55 miles.
"We've been working there for a long time, and we've always thought it would be bigger . . . but this finding is astounding," Smith told the BBC.
Smith said researchers are unsure when the supervolcano would erupt again. They believe the last major eruption happened approximately 640,000 years ago and sent ash across the entire continent of North America. (Read more)
|
Obama's Priorities
|
|||
|
||||
Obama's Priorities
There is a long list of shameful things we have seen from this administration -- the IRS scandal, NSA spying, Benghazi, the Cornhusker kickback, stimulus-funded boondoggles for big donors and so on. But when the history of the Obama era is written, I'm sure there is much more we will learn that will be heartbreaking for those who love this country and its Judeo-Christian roots.
For example, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Robert Sapp, recently described a scene in which the president summoned all the service heads to the Oval Office in 2010 for a special meeting. Here's what Admiral Sapp said:
"We were called into the Oval Office and President Obama looked all five service chiefs in the eye and said, 'This is what I want to do.' . . . if any of us didn't agree with it, we all had the opportunity to resign our commissions and go do other things."
What was the president's urgent priority? To discuss ways to protect the country from radical Islamists? To demand more action to secure our borders? To insist on answers for dealing with Iran's nuclear program, Russia's moves against its neighbors or China's rapidly developing naval capabilities? No, it was nothing like that.
Obama ordered the top brass to the White House to demand that they aggressively promote homosexuality in the military or resign. Keep in mind, folks, that when Obama campaigned for office two years earlier and was asked about repealing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, Obama said, "I would never make this a litmus test for the Joint Chiefs of Staff." Clearly, he lied.
We've gone from an America where George Washington knelt in prayer outside of Valley Forge, and was overheard by an eyewitness crying out to God for His blessing, to a president who literally threatens the careers of our military leaders if they won't promote his pro-sodomy agenda.
Elections have consequences. Men and women of faith cannot be idle spectators in the political process. The culture war is real. Only one side will prevail, and the hour is late. (Gary Bauer)
|
The Good News Corner
|
|||
|
||||
The Good News Corner:
Israeli invents shoes that help keep balance and prevent falls
B-Shoe is a smart fall prevention shoe that could potentially save lives!
One out of three people age 65 and over falls, often resulting in injuries and even death. Such falls also dramatically reduce quality of life and confidence and require extensive/expensive rehabilitation.
People usually regain balance by moving a leg backward ("backward step"), thus increasing the base of support. However, due to deterioration of balance functions and reflexes in the elderly, the backward step is taken too late, too slow and inaccurately, which leads to a fall.
These are some scary facts for anyone with elderly relatives or anyone nearing the age of 65.
B-Shoe developed a cutting edge solution, integrated into a standard shoe, which replaces the need for a backward step.
In this link the B-Shoe and also the Step of Mind shoe are explained in detail.
The Step of Mind company makes Re-Step high-tech shoes used by physical therapists to train cerebral palsy (CP) patients, stroke and brain injury patients how to walk.
Step of Mind has completed clinical studies involving CP and stroke patients in the Middle East and Europe, and now is starting a major functional MRI study to see if using Re-Step really does stop deterioration. The shoes are priced so that individuals can buy a pair to use at home after they've been trained at a rehabilitation facility.
(Learn more here)
|
Signs and Wonders
|
|||
|
||||
Signs and Wonders:
Dry, Windy Conditions Have Some Texas Farmers Talking Dust Bowl
It's scary to think the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, with its relentless drought and wind that ravaged millions of acres in West Texas, could return.
But there are some worrisome signs, according to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
Rick Auckerman, AgriLife agent for Deaf Smith County in the western Panhandle, reported that producers were running out of tools to stop soil from blowing away in punishing winds of 30 to 50 mph, the news release said.
The state climatologist, John Nielsen-Gammon, said blowing dust in the past few weeks seems to have come mainly from southeastern Colorado and eastern New Mexico.
"So we're not having a problem with widespread soil loss in Texas so far, but it's something that could happen if conditions don't allow for spring green-up, which they haven't yet," Nielsen-Gammon said in a statement March 25.
Grasses haven't turned green because the three-month period from December through February is the 10th driest in the last 10 years, and March hasn't helped, the climatologist said.
"The last time (the first quarter of the year) was drier was in 1996, which was the start of this string of droughts that we've been having," he said.
Another looming issue is a possible rural-urban struggle over water.
"Reservoir levels are lower this time of year than they have been previously during this drought," Nielsen-Gammon said in the statement. "If we don't see summer months of more than average rainfall, we will likely see conflicts between agricultural and municipal/industrial uses."
Prayer Request:
We have examples in the Bible where Jesus spoke to the winds and they were calmed. We also have many present day examples where the Lord calmed the winds in the face of imminent danger. Let us ask the Lord to bring His rain and bless those who are in distress over this drought in the western portions of our nation. He says to come in humility and make our petitions known to Him for that which we have need of, and He will answer with His grace and mercy.
Verse:
"He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm." (Mark 4:39)
(Source: Intercessors for America)
"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)
|
Worship With Us Today!
|
|||
|
||||
Worship With Us Today!
"The More I Seek You" - Kari Jobe
The more I seek you,
The more I find you
The more I find you, the more I love you
