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"
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
" . . . he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones." (Proverbs 2:8)
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. Obama backs down on cuts to Medicare - The Hill
The Obama administration on Monday canceled planned cuts to Medicare Advantage amid a drumbeat of election-year opposition from Democrats. The cuts would have reduced the benefits that seniors receive from insurance plans in the program, which offers an alternative to traditional Medicare. The reversal came as a relief to many Democrats, who feared the cuts would create a backlash among seniors in the midterm elections. (Read more)
- Father, because You are God over the entire earth, we lean upon Your great intervention to block any cuts to Medicare benefits that seniors depend upon, both before the election-year and after. Save our seniors. In the Name of Jesus we pray.
-"Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it." (Proverbs 3:27)
2. Government often has 10 agencies doing one job - USA Today
A new government report on duplication and fragmentation in federal programs can read like a book of "screw-in-a-light-bulb" jokes. (Read more)
- God, save our country from ruin. We pray to our God in heaven to be Lord of Lords over our country. We pray for efficiency in our government. Send someone with the gift of organization to expel the waste of duplication of jobs. In Jesus' Name we pray.
-"Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore get wisdom; and with all your getting get understanding." (Proverbs 3:7)
3. Court refuses to hear case on photography at gay weddings - The Hill
Without comment, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal of a New Mexico Supreme Court ruling last year that found a wedding photographer violated the state's anti-discrimination law by refusing to photograph a same-sex wedding ceremony there. (Read more)
- Father in heaven, we plead with You, O mighty God, to intervene in this court case. Save us from the same fate as that of Sodom and Gomorrah who were destroyed by fire and brimstone raining down from heaven because of their sin. In Jesus' Name we pray.
- "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due." (Romans 1:26-27)
4. In echo of Crimea, eastern Ukraine declares independence - CBS News
Pro-Russian activists barricaded inside a government building in eastern Ukraine proclaimed the region independent Monday and called for a referendum on seceding from Ukraine - an ominous echo of the events that led to Russia's annexation of Crimea. The Ukrainian government vowed to quell the unrest, while Russia, which has tens of thousands of troops stationed along their joint border, warned Ukraine of more "difficulties and crises" if its leaders failed to heed Moscow's demands.
Pro-Russian activists who had seized the provincial administrative building in the city of Donetsk over the weekend announced the formation Monday of the independent Donetsk People's Republic. They also called for a referendum on the possible secession of the Donetsk region, which borders Russia, to be held no later than May 11, according to the Interfax news agency. (Read more)
- Father in heaven, we pray that You will dispatch myriads of warring angels to cover Ukraine and Crimea and pull down the evil warfare of the Russian leadership and weaken its demanding hold. Work a miracle that will bring independence and normalcy to these people and lift up Christ. In His Name we pray.
- "YHWH's lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the people see His glory." (Psalm 97:4,6)
5. White House: 'Russian pressure' behind new unrest in Ukraine - Washington Examiner
The White House blamed "increased Russian pressure" for new unrest in Ukraine and urged the Kremlin to "cease all efforts to destabilize" their neighbor. "We're concerned about several escalatory moves in Ukraine over the weekend, and we see those as a result of increased Russian pressure on Ukraine," White House press secretary Jay Carney said Monday. (Read more)
- Mighty God, send an angel to withstand the leaders of Russia and paralyze their evil intentions. In the Name of Jesus' we pray.
- "For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but YHWH made the heavens." (Psalm 96:4-5)
6. Saeed Abedini, American pastor held in Iran, in hospital but denied surgery - Fox News
The American pastor serving an eight-year prison term in Iran for alleged crimes related to his Christian faith has been in a Tehran hospital for more than a month, according to family members and his attorneys.
- Almighty God, we pray that Your glory will be upon Saeed Abedini, and that the power of His Savior will spread all over Iran and bring millions into the kingdom of heaven, as seeds planted from the testimony of Saeed's life. Defeat satan and all his adversaries in Iran over the souls of mankind. In Jesus' Name we pray.
- "The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea than the mighty waves of the sea of people. His testimonies are very sure; holiness becomes Your house, O Lord, forever." (Psalm 98:4-5)
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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:
"Unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." (1 Timothy 1:17)
1. Netanyahu instructs government ministries to cease cooperation with Palestinians - Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday instructed all government ministries to cease civilian and economic cooperation with the Palestinian Authority in the wake of the crisis in negotiations between Israel and the PA.
2. Kerry focuses blame on Israel for collapse of talks - Times of Israel
US Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that both Israelis and Palestinians were responsible for the current crisis in peace talks, but appeared to allocate the lion's share of the blame to Jerusalem.
3. Abbas slapped Washington in the face by relaunching a diplomatic war - Balfour Post
Last week, Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas blew off the US-brokered peace talks with Israel and slapped Washington in the face by re-launching a diplomatic war against Israel through international institutions.
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The Daily Jot
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Overreaching government authority
There is a range war of sorts being reported from Nevada where a rancher whose family has grazed their cattle on public lands since the 1870s is being forced by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to vacate the land because environmentalists say the "desert tortoise" is endangered by the cattle. News reports from Nevada indicate that BLM has surrounded Cliven Bundy's ranch with some 200 heavily armed BLM and FBI agents who are covering the removal of Bundy's cattle by government contractors. This show of absolute power by the government is, in the very least, opposed by the locally elected sheriff and the governor of Nevada. But it doesn't matter.
In true jack boot fashion, the BLM has established a "First Amendment Area" where citizens can protest the removal. Nevada Republican Governor Brian Sandoval said, "Most disturbing to me is the BLM's establishment of a 'First Amendment Area' that tramples upon Nevadan's fundamental rights under the US Constitution. To that end, I have advised the BLM that such conduct is offensive to me and countless others in that the 'First Amendment Area' should be dismantled immediately...The BLM needs to reconsider its approach to this matter and act accordingly." How about the governor acting accordingly and giving BLM the boot? Has he heard of state's rights? Big hat, no cattle. Literally.
BLM was originally the "Grazing Service" established to prevent drought and erosion on Western grazing land. BLM's website says "But by the 1960s and 1970s, public appreciation for public lands and expectations for their management rose to a new level, as made clear by congressional passage of such laws as the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Consequently, the BLM moved from managing grazing in general to better management or protection of specific rangeland resources, such as riparian areas, threatened and endangered species, sensitive plant species, and cultural or historical objects."
So there you have it. The ranchers, who were the backbone of the global food supply, became subservient to the environmentalists. The BLM is no longer an agricultural extension service but an armed gestapo of the militant environmentalist left; another un-elected government agency with armed absolute unconstitutional authority. People may be starving, but the dessert tortoise is happy. Worse yet, the governor of the state won't do anything about it. Romans 12:21 says, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." If this government will use unconstitutional armed authority against a rancher in Nevada, it will use it against you. The good in us better stand before the evil in them stands us down.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
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Obama's Hypocrisy
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Obama's Hypocrisy
Democrats are kicking off their 2014 campaign today by trying to resurrect their "war on women" theme. Today President Obama will sign two executive orders intended to spotlight the pay gap between men and women. (Obama's orders will be limited in their effect and apply only to federal contractors.)
Meanwhile in the Senate, Democrats are expected to push for a vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act, which the New York Times reports "would add new regulations on how private companies pay their employees." All this hype is intended to show that Democrats care more about women.
Sound bites aside, more regulation isn't going to help. What all American workers need -- men and women alike -- are sound policies that will promote job creation and economic growth.
But the hypocrisy is stunning. While Obama decries the gender wage disparity as a "national embarrassment," the Obama White House is paying its female staffers only 88 cents for every dollar earned by its male workers.
On CBS this morning, reporter Major Garrett noted, "The White House is getting roughed up by its own pay equity rhetoric. An analysis of White House salaries, which nobody here disputes, shows that the median income of female staffers is 88 percent of that of male staffers." CNN's John King described it as "a textbook case of do as I say, not as I do."
By the way, this hypocrisy is nothing new for Obama. The Obama campaign made a big deal about the pay gap six years ago during the 2008 campaign. But women on Obama's Senate staff earned less than their male counterparts, while women on McCain's Senate staff earned far more. (Gary Bauer)
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Four Bills to Support in Prayer
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Four Bills to Support in Prayer
The four bills listed below were introduced into the House of Representatives this year by Congressman J. Randy Forbes (R-VA). Three have now passed in the House and will next go to the Senate for action.
Please support passage of all four bills in prayer and in action. Thank you!
1. Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act (holding the VA accountable). This gives the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs the authority to remove employees of the Senior Executive Service, based on their performance, from government service completely.
2. The FOIA Oversight and Implementation Act (Increasing transparency at government agencies). This bill increases the ability of citizens to access records and documents from government agencies, and passed by a vote of 410-0.
3. The Taxpayers Right-to-Know Act (Increasing transparency in federal spending). This requires federal agencies to provide annual information to the public on the programs they administer, including cost and any duplication or overlap between programs. That way we can consolidate duplicative programs, cut down on inefficiency, and get rid of unnecessary, outdated or low-priority programs. This passed by voice vote.
4. The Taxpayer Transparency and Efficient Audit Act (Holding the IRS accountable). This bill requires the IRS to disclose to a taxpayer when it has shared the individual's tax information with another agency. It also requires the IRS to explain to the taxpayer in writing why an audit has taken more than a year. Additionally, I supported the Protecting Taxpayers from Intrusive IRS Requests Act, which prohibits the IRS from asking taxpayers questions regarding religious, political or social beliefs. Both these bills passed by voice vote.
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Marriage 'Equality' Not the Goal
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Marriage 'Equality' Has Never Been the Goal
The "resignation" of short-time Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich has been eye-opening for many. How can a $1,000 donation in support of marriage eight years ago get him kicked out? The story serves to highlight an agenda that has always been in play, but is just now coming into full view.
It started with gay-identified individuals asking for understanding as they "came out of the closet." Then civil unions were called for, but that wasn't enough. Redefining marriage, they said, was necessary - a matter of equality. Along the way, anyone who disagreed was branded as a bigot or a homophobe. But that wasn't the final measure.
Conservative columnist and author Michael Brown wrote about the ultimate goal in his 2011 book A Queer Thing Happened to America.
"Corporate America will embrace every aspect of non-heterosexuality (including bisexuality, transgender and beyond)," he wrote, "calling for the dismissal of those who refuse to follow suit - and religious groups will no longer be allowed to view homosexual practice as immoral, branding such opposition as 'hate speech.'"
This week Brown recalled those predictions in an article for Townhall.
"Yes, all this was written before the Mozilla debacle (which was justified, absurdly, in the name of being 'inclusive, safe, and welcoming to all')," he wrote. "I hate to say it, but I told you so."
Now it appears that those who believe marriage is the union of one man and one woman will be fired, silenced and relegated to the sidelines of society. Robby George, a Princeton professor, said the Mozilla story makes it clear that Catholics, Evangelicals, Eastern Orthodox, Orthodox Jews, Mormons and Muslims' views will no longer be tolerated. (CitizenLink) Read more.
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Moslem's Choice of Heroes
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American Muslims for Palestine's Telling Choice of Heroes
In the American civil rights movement, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King were among those who set the moral tone. They were champions of non-violence who believed in civil disobedience to generate change by casting light on unjust laws.
If Saturday's fundraising dinner for the group American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) is any indication, role models for their cause include an unrepentant killer, a woman directly responsible for two people's deaths in a grocery store bombing. Prosecutors say she is in America only because she kept that crime a secret from immigration officials.
In addition to its praise for Rasmieh Odeh, the dinner at a banquet hall outside of Chicago offered further insight into AMP's radical ideology. Other speakers included a man identified as a Muslim Brotherhood leader in Jordan who previously led a Hamas-propaganda arm in America and a man listed as a member of the Palestine Committee, the Muslim Brotherhood's umbrella organization of American-based Hamas-support groups.
And it is especially relevant if claims that AMP is working with the U.S. Department of Education and is developing a curriculum about the Palestinian cause for high school students prove to be true. While AMP members have a right to their beliefs, public officials should be wary of the group's consistent support for terrorists.
As we reported previously, AMP does not advocate for a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Rather, it openly endorses "resistance," a euphemism for violence, and speakers demand rejecting Israel's legitimacy.
It is in that context that Odeh received a hero's welcome. She was singled out as "a great community member, a great member for the Palestinian cause" by master of ceremonies Rami Bleibel. (The Investigative Project on Terrorism) Read more.
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The Good News Corner
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The Good News Corner:
North Carolina:
5th Circuit Ruling Bolsters Pro-Life Efforts in N.C.
CitizenLink is proud to work with the North Carolina Family Policy Council and other family policy organizations across the country to stand for marriage, life and religious freedom. Learn more about the one in your state.
As health regulators are currently working to update North Carolina's abortion clinic rules, pro-life citizens in the Old North State are pointing to a recent decision by a federal appeals court to demonstrate how higher standards of care for abortion clinics are lawful and should be incorporated into the state's regulatory structure. On March 27, a unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed a lower court's decision and allowed Texas' sweeping pro-life law to go into effect with the exception of a minor provision related to abortion clinics that are awaiting a response regarding their admitting privileges at a hospital.
This federal Appeals Court ruling should serve as an encouragement to more states to continue building on the tremendous gains we have made on pro-life legislation during the past few years. (CitizenLink) Read more here.
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Signs and Wonders
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Signs and Wonders:
Vast ocean found beneath ice of Saturn moon
Inside a moon of Saturn, beneath its icy veneer and above its rocky core, is a sea of water the size of Lake Superior, scientists announced last week.
The findings, published in the journal Science, confirm what planetary scientists have suspected about the moon, Enceladus, ever since they were astonished in 2005 by photographs showing geysers of ice crystals shooting out of its south pole.
"What we've done is put forth a strong case for an ocean," said David Stevenson, a professor of planetary science at the California Institute of Technology and an author of the Science paper.
For many researchers, this tiny, shiny cue ball of a moon, just over 300 miles across, is now the most promising place to look for life elsewhere in the solar system, even more than Mars.
"Definitely Enceladus," said Larry Esposito, a professor of astrophysical and planetary sciences at the University of Colorado, who was not involved in the research. "Because there's warm water right there now." (Houston Chronicle.com) 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!
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Worship With Us Today!
"There is None Like You"
THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU
NO ONE ELSE CAN TOUCH MY HEART LIKE YOU DO
I COULD SEARCH FOR ALL ETERNITY LONG,
AND FIND THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU
