CHPP The Daily Brief - Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
"A National Prayer Alliance"
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The Daily Brief:

"Praying for All in Authority"

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

"I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication."
(I Kings 9:3)

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. GOP Leadership in 'Chaos' After Eric Cantor's Loss - National Journal

Befuddlement hit and lingered within the House GOP leadership ranks as Majority Leader Eric Cantor's election fate was unwinding on Tuesday. Cantor lost in a major upset to primary challenger Dave Brat. . . A senior Republican leadership aide described the mood as "chaos for the leadership ranks. . . We're absolutely stunned. Honestly, we really can't believe it."
- Pray that the momentum released yesterday in Virginia's Seventh District would reverberate across the nation, so that only those candidates who are truly listening to our people will win these primary elections. Thank You, Lord.

- "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee." (Joshua 1:9)

2. Cantor to step down from GOP post, touching off leadership scramble
- Fox News

Eric Cantor announced Wednesday he will step down as House majority leader on July 31 after suffering a stunning primary loss, touching off a leadership scramble at the top tiers of the Republican Party.

Fox News is told a new leadership election will be held June 19, a little more than a week from now. Cantor, who said he will serve out the remainder of his seventh term as a Virginia congressman, told reporters he made the decision to give up his majority leader post with "great humility."

While he won't be on the ballot in November, he said, "I will be a champion for conservatives across the nation." (Read more)
- Lift up a prayer for the members of the Republican Party, now serving in the House of Representatives. May they be led by the Spirit of the Most High God as they seek to restructure their own leadership in Congress. Pray, too, that the key campaign messages they will send out to the nation in next fall's election will be anointed by the Hand of God and, again, led by His Spirit. Pray!

- "This is what the LORD says-- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go." (Isaiah 48:17)

3. Supreme Court rules against immigrants over visa eligibility - Reuters

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that children waiting with their parents for immigration visas must go to the back of the line once they reach the age of 21. The court endorsed the federal government's interpretation of the law, which was that only children of permanent U.S. residents were eligible to keep their place in line once they reached the age of 21. (Read more)
- We offer praise for this decision, which "holds the ground" on existing law and enforces reasonable statutes regarding visa eligibility. Praise the Lord.

- "I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning." (Isaiah 1:26)

4. IRS Caught Breaking Federal Law to Prosecute Conservatives - WND

'Beyond horrifying - this is not 1930's Germany or 1950's Soviet Union . . .'

The IRS appears to have been caught red-handed breaking federal law in its zeal to criminally prosecute conservatives for their political activities. (Read more)
- Father, we pray the IRS will be held accountable for breaking federal law. We pray protection over all persons and companies who hold differing political views. We pray restitution for those who were attacked under the zeal of the IRS. In Jesus Name.

- who delivered me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you rescued me from the man of violence. (Psalm 18:48)

5. Judge Grants Injunction Against Obamacare Mandate - CNS News

Yesterday, a federal judge in Oklahoma granted a temporary health care mandate injunction to approximately 200 Catholic employers. According to the Preliminary Injunction, the employers do not have to provide coverage for contraceptives, including those that cause abortions, and are exempt from all fines and penalties. (Read more)
- Father, we pray this temporary injunction holds firm. We pray You make a way for all companies to be exempt from providing coverage for contraceptives, including those that cause abortions. Father, protect us from a government that tries to force us to abandon our religious beliefs. In Jesus Name.

- But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. (Jeremiah 20:11)

6. VA Audit Reveals More Than 57,000 Patients Are Waiting for First Visit- Washington Post

The Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday shed light on the depth of the VA scheduling scandal and substantiated claims that rank-and-file employees were directed to manipulate records.
- Father, this situation is such an atrocity. Again, we pray those who have falsified and manipulated records be held accountable for their actions. May each one come to repentance and change his ways. We pray, too, for these patients who have waited long periods for medical attention. Bring order to this chaos, in Jesus Name.

- "Of Jerusalem I thought, 'Surely you will fear me and accept correction!' Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed, nor all my punishments come upon her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did." (Zephaniah 3:7)

7a. U.S. to Open Third Military Base to Illegal Kids - Reuters

The Obama administration on Monday announced it is designating a third U.S. military base for emergency housing of children immigrating illegally into the United States without parents or relatives, as the cost of caring for these minors escalated. (Read more)

7b. Senate Gives Obama Administration $1 Billion for Illegal Kids Surging Across the Border - Washington Times

Senate appropriators on Tuesday added $1 billion to a spending bill to pay for social workers caring for the surge of children pouring across the U.S.-Mexico border, saying the humanitarian crisis is growing so quickly it's outpacing the government's ability to handle it. (Read more)
- A flood of poor into our country is impoverishing the nation as much as the "Midianites impoverished Israel" in the Book of Judges. One pastor here who has traveled into other nations says that where ever he goes, people ask how they can get into the U.S. God help us. It is out of order. Help us pray for "order on the border". (Submitted by a prayer partner in El Paso.)

- "The power of Midian prevailed against Israel. . . For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts for number, both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to devastate it. So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the Lord." (Judges 2:5,6)

8. Obama Administration's Attacks on Religious Freedom Intensifying - ADF

Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Gregory S. Baylor testified on Tuesday before the U.S. House Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice chaired by Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.). Baylor spoke about the increasing attacks on religious freedom by the Obama administration. (Read more)
- Offer praise that these hearings are taking place and ask our Lord to direct the minds of Committee members to call forth legislation that will protect our freedom of religion from unnecessary government encroachment. Pray!

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

9. Five American Special Ops Forces Killed in Afghanistan - Fox News

Five U.S. troops who are Special Operations Forces were killed in a possible friendly-fire incident in southern Afghanistan on Monday, Defense Department officials say.

A senior U.S. defense official told Fox News early Tuesday that the troops were killed when they requested air support from a B-1 bomber after coming in contact with enemy forces.

"Five American troops were killed yesterday during a security operation in southern Afghanistan. Investigators are looking into the likelihood that friendly fire was the cause. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these fallen," Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said. (Read more)
- This is so tragic and, in the end, there seems to be no excuse for this disaster. Please join us tonight in lifting up the family members of these brave soldiers who have now died on the field of battle. May each one be comforted with only the Comforter can bring. Pray, too, for the armed forces as they begin to investigate this tragedy -- not the first one on record. May this never happen again. In His Name, amen.

- "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter . . ."
(John 14:16)

10. Antidepressants Affects Brains of Babies in the Womb - WND

Almost one in five children born to mothers taking antidepressants during pregnancy have a brain defect - called a "Chiari type 1 malformation" - according to a groundbreaking study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (Read more)
- Pray that this breakthrough of information will reach the hands of medical practitioners in time to "rescue" many babies in the womb from harm. May those who care for these pregnant mothers find other ways to help them deal with their depression; God can make a way if we pray!

- " . . .and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

	The Middle East in Focus

The Middle East in Focus

This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:

"For behold, the Lord is coming out of His place; He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth." (Micah 1:3)

1. Reuven Rivlin is Israel's Tenth President - Israel National News

Former Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin has won Israel's presidential elections, beating MK Meir Sheetrit in the second round of votes. The election of Israel's new president took a dramatic turn in the Knesset Tuesday. In the first round of voting, MK Reuven Rivlin received 44 votes, and MK Meir Sheetrit got 31, forcing the two to face off in a second round of voting, which began around 2:00 p.m.

While the office of president is almost completely ceremonial in nature, Israel's president plays a key role in summoning a party leader to try and form a coalition, after elections to the Knesset are held. If the next election results are close, as many expect them to be, the identity of the president could determine which party leader is summoned first to try and put together a coalition. (Read more)

2. Israeli Defense Minister: Iran 'Number One Threat' - Times of Israel

Despite the breakdown of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, Iran remains the number one threat to Israel, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said Tuesday. (Read more)

3. '170,000 Missiles, Rockets Pointed at Israel' - Times of Israel

The head of Israel's most powerful intelligence agency depicted Wednesday a changing battlefield in which offensive cyber capabilities will, in the near future, represent the greatest shift in combat doctrine in over 1,000 years. For now, though, he said, the 170,000 rockets and missiles pointed by enemy states at Israel represented the most pressing threat, a danger he placed even above Iran's rogue nuclear program. (Read more)

4. Israel Could Strike Iran Within Months, Senator says - Daily Caller

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz told a small gathering of pro-Israel American leaders Tuesday that an Israeli strike against Iranian nuclear facilities "could happen in a matter of months." (Read more)

5. Israel: Hezbollah is Stronger than any Arab Army - Christian Science Monitor

Israel's top military officer warned today that Hezbollah is more powerful than most of the world's armies and that a confrontation between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militant organization was a near certainty. (Read more)

6. Clinton Accuses Israel of Being "Occupying Force" - Free Beacon

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accuses Israel of being an occupying force in her new memoir Hard Choices and claims that the Jewish state denies "dignity and self determination" to Palestinians in the West Bank. (Read more)

7. 'Burning Man' Festival Comes to Israel - Worthy News

Some 3,000 people gathered in the Negev Desert for "Midburn" as Israelis attempted to recreate the 'Burning Man' festival held annually in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. (Read more)

8. Jewish Agency to march in Tel Aviv Pride Parade - Times of Israel

At the Tel Aviv Gay Pride Parade this Friday, the Jewish Agency will be coming out, too. (Read more)

	The Daily Jot

The testimonies of Christian Hispanic Americans

Daily Jot readers have been commenting on the White House's deliberate non-enforcement of border security laws leading to thousands of illegal minors pouring into the United States. The issue has sparked debate on a Christian's response to illegal immigration and has resulted in some testimonies that are worth studying. There is no doubt that the president has created this humanitarian crisis to advance his amnesty agenda. He has broken the law. Children should not be used as political pawns--not in families, not in school districts, not by the government. But here are some testimonies of folks who are Christian Hispanic Americans.

AR writes: "For the record and perhaps your encouragement in knowing there are those whose responses differ from the reader you mentioned, you may consider me "another Hispanic Jot reader." I lived the first 6 years of my life in Colombia before moving to Ohio in 1989, at which point I began to learn English. My father is Colombian-American (now naturalized US citizen) and my mother was born and raised in rural Ohio; I have been a US Citizen from birth. I was mired and blinded in the same sort of Latin American deception and bitterness as the reader you mentioned until about 5 years ago when the Lord opened my eyes so that I could repent and begin to see and desire His Kingdom (and its coming on earth as it is in heaven) above all else."
BC writes: "I too am Hispanic, (a jot reader) but first and foremost I am an American, an assimilated American. My father used to say that to the country you went do what you see. (It sounds a lot better in Spanish) he meant adapt to where you are at! I didn't come to this country to reap its benefits while continuing to live the life style of our country, with its customs, music, food, celebration. America is 4th of July not cinco de Mayo.You crossed the border, how? By plane, walking, vehicle, boat? Your entrance was any other way than the legal way? Then you are ILLEGAL. And if you have the blessing/privilege of being in this country, then learn the language, learn the customs, celebrate what we celebrate and don't expect me to celebrate in America what your culture celebrates. I am an American."
RM wrote: "As a Hispanic myself (3rd Generation Mexican-American) I'm ashamed of any other Hispanic reader's doubt on your stance, faith and works in Christianity. I send this message to you to lift you up and thank you for all you do." The Lord said in Numbers 15:15, "One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourns with you, an ordinance forever in your generations: as you are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD." Irrespective of where we come from, we are still the same before the Lord. America derived her laws from God's laws. Since Christ died on the cross, these laws should also be written on our hearts. We have immigration laws because not all want to assimilate according to God's laws, but rather pillage according to the fallen world.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!

Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com

In 'dramatic reversal,' state agency says Justina Pelletier belongs at home

THE FATE OF JUSTINA PELLETIER, the 16-year-old Conn. girl at the center of a major medical custody dispute, is in the hands of a Massachusetts judge after Bay State children's advocates concede she should be returned to her family.
In a controversial move, Pelletier was placed in the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families more than a year ago, after two reputable Boston hospitals sparred in their diagnosis of the girl.
When the girl's parents disagreed with a psychiatric diagnosis given by Boston Children's Hospital, the couple said they wanted their daughter returned to her original physician at Tufts Medical Center, who had previously treated Justina for mitochondrial disease, a group of rare genetic disorders affecting cellular energy production.
Lou and Linda Pelletier, of West Hartford, Conn., were then accused of "medical child abuse," which led to Massachusetts officials taking full custody of the girl.

The legal battle that ensued made the case one of the most controversial custody battles in state history. (Fox News) Read more here.
- Thank You, God. Amen!

	A Move in the Rights Direction

A Move in the Rights Direction

The U.S. Supreme Court could rule any day on the decade's most significant religious liberty case -- but that doesn't mean conservatives are just twiddling their thumbs waiting for it. Instead, House Republicans are moving forward with a debate of their own -- working to protect the First Freedom of everyone from cake bakers to company owners.

Thanks to Judiciary Subcommittee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), the issue finally took a turn in the legislative spotlight in a special Tuesday hearing of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justices. Conservative stalwarts like Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Randy Forbes (R-Va.), and Steve King (R-Iowa) tried to rebuff this modern (and misguided) take on the "wall of separation" and its place and meaning in history.
"In America," Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) explained, "every individual has the right to religious freedom and First Amendment expression so long as they do not deny the constitutional rights of another. True tolerance does not mean that we have no differences, it means that we are obligated as members of the human family to be kind and respectful to each other in spite of those differences, religious or otherwise."
To Barry Lynn's suggestion that religious liberty should only be accommodated in limited circumstances, Franks countered the longtime head of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. "This administration seems to casually ignore the historical fact that religious liberty involves much more than freedom of worship alone, and that the fundamental rights of free speech and the free exercise of religion do not stop at the exit door of your local house of worship, but instead, extend to every area of life."
The crackdown on Christianity has to stop -- and it will take the bold leadership of conservatives like these to make it happen. Let's hope the full House is watching and works to give the issue the priority status it deserves. "Nothing," John Adams once said, "is more dreaded than the National Government meddling with Religion." And right now, that's exactly what we have. (Family Research Council)

	Cantor's Defeat: Article One

Brat Wins, GOP Fears the Worst

Dave Brat may teach economics, but yesterday, he gave Republicans a lesson in civics. The longtime conservative professor, whose Wikipedia entry was just two sentences before Tuesday, made history last night, knocking out the House Majority Leader in a primary for the first time in American history. It was a Dave versus Goliath moment for the relative unknown, who was responsible for one of the greatest upsets in generations. And for seven-term Congressman Eric Cantor (R-Va.), it was a defeat he never saw coming.
With a 25:1 edge in campaign spending, most people assumed the vote was a formality, with polls showing Brat trailing by as many as 34 points headed into the stretch run. As Brat explains it, "It's an unbelievable miracle" -- one the GOP still has trouble believing. To many (FRC included), Eric Cantor was a solidly pro-life leader, who often carried the water on issues that the rest of the GOP leadership wouldn't touch.

That said, he -- like so many in the halls of Capitol Hill -- grew increasingly out of touch with the real priorities of everyday Americans. Instead of sticking to core principles, strong defense, free economy, and family values, the Establishment started listening to the media, instead of voters. As a result, the Left baited them to take up a host of issues they'll never win on.
Case in point: the 7th District of Virginia is a long way from the Mexican border, but the GOP's willingness to compromise on amnesty, as pictures of Latin American children crossing into the U.S. flooded the networks, didn't do much to help Cantor's cause. That fallout, coupled with blowback from the budget deal and a general sense of disconnect, ended in a historic double-digit loss that no one saw coming. For now, the "political earthquake," as the media is calling it, has plenty of potential for shockwaves, as invigorated conservatives look for candidates who will shake up the Establishment's status quo.
. . . In the meantime, the message from the grassroots couldn't be clearer: wake-up, Republicans. No one is invincible who can't see past the Beltway to the real problems and priorities of the American family. "I always said I'm not running against Eric Cantor as person. I ran against him on the principles espoused on my website." Principles like the free market, a strong national defense, the rights of the unborn, the sanctity of marriage, and religious liberty. Principles that have, for decades, made up the non-negotiable backbone of the party platform.
"The easiest way to lose a campaign," one strategist pointed out, "is to not take your opponent seriously." Or voters. It's time for Republicans to start playing to win on core values too many of them are running from -- and not on. (Family Research Council)

	Cantor's Defeat: Article Two

Virginia Earthquake Rocks Washington

No matter which side you were on in Virginia's Seventh Congressional District primary, last night's defeat of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, the number two House Republican, by conservative challenger David Brat was simply stunning. Newt Gingrich called it a "scale eight earthquake."

Cantor's aides were privately telling reporters a few days ago that he would easily win 60% of the vote. He got 44%. Cantor and groups supporting him spent $5 million. Brat spent about $200,000.

Two years ago, Cantor won his primary with 79% support. But last night he got nearly 8,500 fewer votes than he did two years ago. What happened to those people? Did they suddenly become radical Tea Pary activists? I doubt it. It is more likely that in the course of the past 24 months they came to the conclusion, fairly or not, that Eric Cantor has changed, that he was no longer the guy they had previously voted for.
Before discussing what this upset means, I want to make it clear that Eric Cantor was a strong conservative on many issues. He was solid on national defense. He was a staunch defender of America's alliance with Israel. He was strongly pro-life. When the Tea Party movement burst onto the national scene in 2010, he was a vocal supporter of the movement and defended it against a hostile media. In fact, many of the national Tea Party organizations stayed out of this primary race.
Having said all that, in recent years Cantor seemed to be increasingly out of touch with the mood of conservative voters in his district. While national Tea Party organizations were not involved, local Virginia Tea Party groups were extremely active. There were tremors in the days leading up to the primary, such as a Cantor ally being defeated for a key GOP post in the district. Late polling showed Cantor's support falling. (Gary Bauer)

	The Good News Corner

The Good News Corner:

Two More States Block Common Core

Public school students in two more states will no longer have to conform to Common Standards.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley signed a law that will replace the national initiative with state-developed standards and tests by the 2015-16 school year.
The Palmetto state is the second to block the program. Indiana left the program earlier this year.

Just last week, a third state joined the list. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed a law repealing Common Core. It mandates the State Board of Education to create new, more rigorous standards by August 2016. In the interim, schools will revert to the state standards used from 2003 to 2010.


> > > See also: "Growing Rejection of Common Core" by Phyllis Schlafly
To read this article online, go here.
(Citizen Link) Read more here.

	Signs and Wonders

Signs and Wonders:

Mystery disease turning starfish into "goo"

- CBS News

A record number of starfish are dying along the West Coast, as a disease turns their arms into "goo."

The animals, also known as sea stars, are falling victim to sea star wasting disease. It causes white lesions to develops along their arms, which slowly spread and cause their arms to disintegrate.
"What's happening? We don't know yet. We think it's bacterial," Pete Raimondi, chairman of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz's Long Marine Lab, tells CBSNews.com. "We also know that it can move between species. They get a wound and the bacteria will just kind of eat the species away."
A similar die-off event is decimating the population of the Asterias species of starfish along the U.S. East Coast. The event started in 2011 and has effected sea stars from Maine to New Jersey.

The next big thing, Raimondi said, is to figure out what is causing this, so that researchers can start to determine how to control the outbreak. His lab is mapping local reports on an interactive site, as well as updating a news feed as the outbreak continues. They are asking local divers to post their findings to the site, in the hopes that they can start to identify a pattern and then, eventually, a cause. (CBS News) Read more here.

"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!

"There is None Like You" - Lenny LeBlanc
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 (x2)