Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Today's Daily Brief

1. Man with Rare Strain of TB Quarantined - AP

A man with a rare and dangerous form of tuberculosis ignored doctors' advice and took two trans-Atlantic flights, leading to the first U.S. government-ordered quarantine since 1963, health officials said. The unidentified man, is at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital in respiratory isolation. Since he was potentially infectious at the time of the flights, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommended medical exams for cabin crew members on those flights, as well as passengers sitting in the same rows or within two rows. CDC officials did not release row numbers but said the airlines were working with health officials to contact those passengers. Passengers who should be tested will be contacted by health officials from their home countries.

The infected man flew from Atlanta to Paris on May 12 aboard Air France Flight 385. He returned to North America on May 24 aboard Czech Air Flight 0104 from Prague to Montreal. The man then drove into the United States at the Champlain, New York, border crossing. The man told health officials he was not coughing during the flights. Tests indicated the amount of TB bacteria in him was low, so passengers are not considered to be at high risk of infection, said Dr. Martin Cetron, director of the CDC's division of global migration and quarantine.

· In the last days we know that many plagues, trials and tribulations will come our way. Oh Lord, out of pride this person did not care to keep others from being infected. May this lost one be saved before he dies and may we be saved from ourselves and from a worldwide outbreak of this disease for Your glory! Unfortunately, even the great kings of Judah did not seek Your Face to heal them! · "And in the thirty- ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians. So Asa rested with his fathers; he died in the forty-first year of his reign." (2 Chronicles 16: 12-13 NKJV)

2. White House Is Said To Debate '08 Cut In Iraq Combat Forces By 50 % - International Herald Tribune

The Bush administration is developing what officials call "concepts" for reducing American combat forces in Iraq significantly next year, the first indication that the growing political pressure on the White House is forcing it to turn its attention to what happens after the current troop "surge" runs its course, according to senior officials in the midst of the internal debate.

· Whatever the White House decides about its future course in Iraq, the Lord's wisdom must prevail. Only He knows what is the best course to accomplish His purposes. Ask the Holy Spirit to invade the minds of the senior officials in this debate. Ask the Lord to relieve some of the presssure on President Bush so that he can think clearly and act with moral strength. · "And my speech . . . was not with enticing words of man's wisdom. but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." (1 Corinthians 2:4,5)

3. Pelosi: Climate Change Is a Reality - My Way News Service

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday in Berlin, she led a congressional delegation to Greenland, where lawmakers saw "firsthand evidence that climate change is a reality," and she hoped the Bush administration would consider a new path on the issue. Pelosi said in February she would be introducing Global Warming, Energy Independence legislation by July 4.

The California Democrat pointed to her delegation's weekend stop in Greenland, "where we saw firsthand evidence that climate change is a reality; there is just no denying it." "It wasn't caused by the people of Greenland - it was caused by the behavior of the rest of the world," she said. Scientists have noticed that Greenland's output of ice into the North Atlantic had increased dramatically, doubling over the decade that ended in 2005

Her trip comes ahead of next week's Group of Eight summit and a climate change meeting next month involving the leading industrialized nations and during a time of increased debate over what should succeed the Kyoto Protocol, a 1997 international treaty that caps the amount of carbon dioxide that can be emitted from power plants and factories in industrialized countries. It expires in 2012. President Bush rejected that accord, saying it would harm the U.S. economy and unfair excludes developing countries like China and India from its obligations. Pelosi, who strongly disagrees with that decision and many other of Bush's environmental policies, said Friday she said she wants to work with the administration rather than provoke it.

· When willl arrogance end? Please rebuke our elected officials who overstep the Office of the President for their own political gains and may You help us to pray for them. May the lie of Global Warming end! For Your glory, Amen. · "Deceit if in the heart of those who devise evil, but counselors of peace have joy." (Proverbs 12: 20 NKJV)

4. Cheney Visitor Logs Not Recorded - Associated Press
Watchdog Group Seeking Identities Of Conservative Religious Leaders Visiting Official Residence

A lawyer for Vice President Dick Cheney told the Secret Service in September, 2006, to eliminate data on who visited Cheney at his official residence a newly disclosed letter states. The letter from Cheney's lawyer says logs for Cheney's residence on the grounds of the Naval Observatory are subject to the Presidential Records Act. The vice president's lawyer wrote the letter as The Washington Post sought copies of Cheney's visitors at his residence. The Post requested the records under the Freedom of Information Act. The newspaper subsequently dropped a lawsuit seeking the information.

The Justice Department filed the letter Friday in a lawsuit by a private group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, seeking the identities of conservative religious leaders who visited Cheney at his official residence. "The latest filings make clear that the administration has been destroying documents and entering into secret agreements in violation of the law," said Anne Weismann, CREW's chief counsel.

The letter regarding the vice president's residence was in addition to an agreement quietly signed between the White House and the Secret Service a year ago when questions were raised about visits to the executive compound by convicted influence peddler Jack Abramoff. That agreement, which didn't surface publicly until late last year, said White House entry and exit logs were presidential records not subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.

· Only more woes for the Cheney vice presidential office and team. Last week's birth of a baby boy, via artificial insemination, to the Cheney's daughter Mary and her partner, Heather, may have created more problems than we know for the vice president and the White House. May this family's and the current administration's blinders to the Lord and His Plan be removed! · Unfortunately, God promises that there is a terrible consequence for those who continue in homosexuality. "If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20: 13 NKJV)

5. Russia Tests New Missile Aimed At Defeating U.S. Defense Shield - AP; All Headline News

In response to a U.S. missile defense shield that Moscow has continuously called a threat, the Russian military says it has tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) which will defeat any American plans to intercept it. According to the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, the mobile launch of their RS- 24 missile 3,400 miles to the Kamchatka Peninsula; proves it is capable of delivering multiple independent warheads. Russian officials also said that the RS- 24 "strengthens the capability of the attack groups of the Strategic Missile Forces by surmounting anti- missile defense systems, at the same time strengthening the potential for nuclear deterrence."

U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe explains, the "United States has made clear to the Russians that this missile shield is directed at other nations that could conceivably affect the peace of Europe. We will continue to make sure that Russia fully understands our intentions." The White House says the proposed missile defense shield will only protect the U.S. and its NATO allies from attacks by rogue nations like Iran or North Korea, and maintains that the aggressive missile test from Moscow is unwarranted.

· Dearest Lord, Jesus, we earnestly pray that the demonic arrogance created by oil prosperity in Russia will be destroyed and that You will be glorified in their country, America and throughout Your world! May man- made conflicts of war end! · "To everything there is a season, a time for every propose under heaven; and a time to be born and a time to die; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to break down and a time to build up; a time to love and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." (Ecclesiastes 3: 1.2a, 3 and 8 NKJV)

The Middle East in Focus

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

"Thus says the LORD, 'If the heavens above can be measured And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done,';declares the LORD. " (Jeremiah 31:37)

1. Olmert: I have no intention of making any deal with Hamas - Jerusalem Post
..Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, PM Ehud Olmert and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice greet each other at last month's trilateral meeting in Jerusalem. Photo: AP [file]
"I have no intention of making any agreement with Hamas or the Islamic Jihad to stop the rocket fire from Gaza towards Sderot and other western Negev neighborhoods," Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the Knesset on Tuesday.

2. Ministers to demand wider operation in Gaza - Ynet News

The pressure on the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror organizations in Gaza must be increased, but we cannot launch another Operation Defensive Shield, Transportation Minister and former IDF Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz is expected to tell the national security cabinet on Wednesday.

3. Qassam attacks will continue despite IDF strikes - Ynet News

Rocket attacks on Israel will continue despite the army's ongoing offensive against gunmen in the Gaza Strip, Hamas' exiled politburo chief Khaled Mashaal told The Guardian.

4. Jihadists moving into Lebanon from Syria - Washington Times

Heavily armed foreign jihadists have been entering Lebanon from Syria from around the time Western authorities noticed a drop in the infiltration of foreign fighters from Syria to Iraq, Lebanese officials say.

5. Peres formally declares candidacy for president -ICEJ News

Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres officially announced his candidacy for president on Wednesday morning at a special meeting of the Kadima faction in the Knesset.

Iran in the News

"A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found." (Psalm 37:10)

1. Iran Charges 3 Americans With Spying - Fox News
.. Haleh Esfandiari, Director of the Middle East program at the Woodrow Wilson Center
U.S. academic Haleh Esfandiari and two other Iranian- Americans have been charged with endangering national security and espionage, Iran's judiciary spokesman said Tuesday.

2. Iran Says Nuclear Talks with EU Set for Thursday - Voice of America

Iran says its top nuclear negotiator and the European Union foreign policy chief will meet Thursday for talks on Iran's nuclear program. A spokesman said the location for the talks between Ali Larijani, and the EU's Javier Solana has not yet been determined. The talks between Iran and the EU are aimed at breaking a deadlock on Iran's controversial nuclear program. Iran has ignored United Nations resolutions ordering it to stop enriching uranium.

3. The Islamic Reconquest of Palestine - Front Page Magazine

Israel's deputy defense minister Ephraim Sneh stated recently that Iran's fingerprints were all over the recent escalation in Gaza. . . . "Everything is being organized by Iran. All of the terrorist groups are supported directly by Iran, which pays for all of the military training and the weapons."

U.S. Al Qaeda Leader Lists Demands

There seems to be a lot of momentum right now to negotiate our way out of war. We sat down with Iran this week. We are pressuring Israel to make more concessions to the Palestinians. The White House recently completed a deal with North Korea. The list goes on and on.

Today we got the reaction to all this talk from Adam Gadahn, a California- born convert to Islam who is the public face of Al Qaeda in the U.S. He said on an Internet videotape that unless we meet Al Qaeda's demands we will "experience things which will make you forget about the horror's of September 11th, Afghanistan and Iraq, and Virginia Tech."

He then listed Al Qaeda's demands that included removing every U.S. soldier from any Muslim land, ending all support for Israel, banning all American Jews from leaving the U.S. to live in Israel, the release of all Muslim prisoners held by us or anyone else, etc, etc, etc.

If anyone believes that answering these demands would end the war with Islamofascism, they are naïve. Iran's "president" has already demanded that we convert to Islam or die. And how long would it be before they demanded we turn American Jews over to the jihadists? If we think this challenge can be solved by diplomats instead of warriors, we have a dark future ahead.

(Source: Gary Bauer; End of Day; 5/30/07)

Are We Prepared?

An article in today's Washington Times follows up on the disturbing events that occurred on 2004 Northwest Airlines Flight 327 from Detroit to Los Angeles involving 13 Middle Eastern men traveling on expired visas, which were renewed in spite of background checks that turned up positive hits on eight of the men in the FBI's database.

After years of denying the events and even launching character attacks against the passengers who spoke up, there is now an official report stating that there was in fact a dry run on Flight 327 probing our security. But why did the government try to deny it in the first place and impugn the character of its own citizens in the process?

As conservatives, we are skeptical of big government because it breeds bureaucracy, and bureaucracy inevitably makes things worse. But the one area where government is necessary is national defense, and here is more evidence of bureaucratic incompetence.

(Gary Bauer; End of Day; 5/30/07)

Today's Daily Brief

1. American Al Qaeda Threatens Attack Worse Than Sept. 11 - Fox News

An American member of Al Qaeda warned President Bush on Tuesday to end U.S. involvement in all Muslim lands or face an attack worse than the Sept. 11 suicide assault, according to a new videotape. Wearing a white robe and a turban, Adam Yehiye Gadahn . . . said, "Your failure to heed our demands ... means that you and your people will ... experience things which will make you forget all about the horrors of September 11th, Afghanistan and Iraq and Virginia Tech."

· When the armies of Israel were surrounded by enemies, the Lord instructed Jehoshaphat to send forth the WORSHPPERS ahead of his troops. When he did, the enemies were completely routed . . .and it took three days for the Israelites to capture the spoil! Let's now do the same! Offer WORSHIP as we gaze upon these threats by a modern-day enemy. God does not change; and He WILL prevail on our behalf, if we but obey!! · "May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them." (Psalm 149:6-9a)

2. New Sanctions Planned Against Sudan - ABC News
.. President George W. Bush welcomes Sudanese Liberation Movement leader Minni Minnawi to the Oval Office Tuesday, July 25, 2006, in Washington, D.C., meeting to discuss the Darfur region of western Sudan. White House photo by Kimberlee Hewitt
President Bush will impose new economic sanctions against Sudan and call for a U.N. resolution to compel the country to stop stalling international efforts to halt the bloodshed in Darfur, senior administration officials said.

· Ask the Lord to bless President Bush for his stand for the people of Sudan. Many words have been pronounced against the genocidic behavior of the Muslim regimes ruling there, but the words have had little effect. Plead with the Lord to intervene on behalf of the people of the Sudan, especially the Christians who are horribly repressed. · "He that commiteth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." ( 1 John 3:8)

3. Scientists find bird flu antibody - BBC
... with a face like that, who wouldn't be terrified of bird flu...

Antibodies that could protect against bird flu in humans have been isolated by an international team of scientists.

· Praise the Lord that another medical mystery has been uncovered - one that can prevent the vicious sickness that has brought the deaths of so many, especially in Asia. Praise the Lord that the bird flu has not infected anyone in the United States. · "He sent His Word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." (Psalm 107:20)

4. Taxpayers on the hook for $59 trillion - USA Today
. . . no wonder he's upset !

The federal government recorded a $1.3 trillion loss last year -- far more than the official $248 billion deficit -- when corporate-style accounting standards are used, a USA TODAY analysis shows.

· What an incomprehensible number our national debt has amounted to! Only the Lord can lead us out of such economic straits. Only the conviction of hearts by the Holy Spirit can bring about His help. But the Lord cannot rescue those who have turned their backs against Him, as have so many Americans. Pray for their repentence and reconciliation with the Lord. · "Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth." (Psalm 124:8)

5. Obama Touts Universal Health Care - CBN News

Seeking to add heft to his presidential bid, Democrat Barack Obama is offering a sweeping plan that would require every American to have health coverage and calls on government, businesses and consumers to share the costs of the program.

· As we all know, this business of universal health care is a slippery slope that smacks of socialism. We cannot sell our souls to have our bodies beset with illnesses overseen by the US government. Much wisdom is needed in considering this issue, no matter who raises it or offers a program. Assess Sen. Obama's program carefully. Pray for the Lord's plan to prevail. · "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy path. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil." (Proverbs 3: 5 - 7)

6. Russians: U.S. Can't Stop Our Missile - Fox News

Moscow boasts new ICBM, apparently developed secretly, that it claims can penetrate any defense system.

· Praise the Lord that Russia can't resist boasting about its newest missile development. Warnings are good, especially for intercessors. Pray in the Spirit over this development. Pray for the protection of the United States - especially because of the buddy-buddy relationship between Iran and Russia. What are these two nations "cooking up?" · "Behold I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy : and nothing shall by any means hurt you." ( Luke 10:19)

The Middle East in Focus

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

"Thus says the LORD, 'If the heavens above can be measured And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done,';declares the LORD. " (Jeremiah 31:37)

1. Barak leads, but must face Ayalon in run-off; Peretz could be kingmaker - Israel Insider

Former PM Ehud Barak may have won the battle for the Labor party chairmanship on the strength of non- Jewish voters, beating Ami Ayalon 35.6% to 30.6 percent. But he still must fight the war in two weeks.

2. IAF strikes Hamas training facility in north Gaza - Ynet News

IDF aircraft attacked on Monday night struck a Hamas training facility in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun. No injuries were reported.

3. Dichter rules area near Temple Mount off-limits to Muslim burial - Ha'aretz
.. The Israeli High Court of Justice has upheld a decision by Public Security Minister Avi Dichter to ban Muslim burials southeast of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Police have prevented Muslim burial at the foot of the Temple Mount for several months, as Public Security Minister Avi Dichter responded to pleas to reserve the area as a significant archeological site.

4. 11 Qassams fired at Negev since Monday morning - Ynet News

Eleven Qassam rockets were fired at the western Negev since early morning Monday. One man was lightly injured and several others suffered from shock.

5. Aid flows into PLO account after US shift - Ynet News

With US backing, donor funds have started flowing into an account controlled by Palestinian Finance Minister Salam Fayyad to pay partial government salaries, Palestinian and Western officials said on Monday.

6. Syrians vote to endorse Assad for second term - Jerusalem Post

Posters plastered on walls of the capital and songs blaring from cars and loudspeakers proclaimed "We love you" as Syrians voted in a referendum to endorse President Bashar Assad - the only candidate - for a second term.

· As in all dictatorships, the appearance of a republic is a facade, and elections are rigged. Please pray for the people of Syria, as this was the first country after Israel to accept belief in Jesus Christ as Savior when the Apostle Paul met his conversion there. The Christians are repressed and threatened as are all those who do not subscribe to the Baathist regime in this nation. The Syrians need our intercessory prayers. · "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it." (Ekeziel 22:30)

Iran in the News

"A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found." (Psalm 37:10)

1. West unable to act against Iran, Ahmadinejad says - Ynet News

The Western powers are unable to act against Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Friday morning, the day after the end of a deadline set by the UN Security Council to halt its nuclear program.

2. U.S. Ambassador: Talks With Iran Were 'Successful' and 'Businesslike' - Fox News

The United States ambassador in Baghdad said he and his Iranian counterpart agreed broadly on policy toward Iraq during four-hour groundbreaking talks on Monday, but insisted that Iran end its support for militants.

3. Iran Would Use Missiles Against GCC - MENL

The U.S. intelligence community has determined that Iran was preparing to use its huge missile arsenal in any attack on American allies in the Gulf. Officials said the mullah regime in Iran has sought to intimidate Gulf Cooperation Council states with Teheran's ballistic missile arsenal. They said Iran views its missiles as the primary element in power projection.

China Military Doctrine Changing Toward Preemption With Russian Help

The Chinese military doctrine is rapidly changing from a defensive "engage only if attacked" principle to one of an offensive preemptive strike first utilizing a combination satellite destruction tactics, computer warfare and long-range nuclear missile attack capabilities via mobile launchers such as submarines, according to the most recent report to Congress by the Pentagon. The analysis found in the annual report entitled "Military Power of the People's Republic of China 2007," gives a chiling assessment of how China has increased its military spending, improved its technology and long-range strike capacity, and has shifted its doctrine toward one of preemption rather than defense.

The report indicates that the Chinese military analysts believe China is the sixth most powerful nation in the world. And Chinese military strategists apparently have adjusted their military doctrine to reflect the country's world position. The report stresses, "PLA (People's Liberation Army) operational concepts seek to prevent enemy forces from massing and to keep the enemy off balance by seizing the initiative with offensive strikes. According to PLA theorists, an effective defense includes destroying enemy capabilities on enemy territory before they can be employed."

The Pentagon report concludes, "China's acquisition of power projection assets, including long-distance military communication systems, airborne command, control, and communications aircraft, long-endurance submarines, unmanned combat aerial vehicles, and additional precision-guided air-to-ground missiles indicate that the PLA is generating a greater capacity for military preemption. PLA training that focuses on "no-notice," long range strike training or coordinated air/naval strikes against groups of enemy naval vessels could also indicate planning for preemptive military options in advance of regional crises."

China's successful January tests of destroying low orbit satellites-the type that the United States uses to direct sophisticated combat communications and operations-is part of the new Chinese doctrine. And, as with most areas of disruption in the world at this point in history, Russia is not only behind the weapons and nuclear buildup of Islam, but also that of China. The report says, "Russia remains China's primary weapons and materiel provider, selling it advanced fighter aircraft, missile systems, submarines, and destroyers." Revelation 16:12 speaks of the river Euphrates being dried up "that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared." It appears the kings of the east are also preparing.

Bill Wilson

Word of Life Ministry

www.dailyjot.com

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Legislative Update: Answers to Prayer

Congress has concluded its third work period and left Washington for its Memorial Day recess. Before leaving, members passed a Fiscal Year 2008 Budget and the Iraq Supplemental including the minimum wage increase.

We have noticed several real answers to prayer for which we want to give God the glory.

Legislative Update: Answers to Prayer
  • Third Work Period Concluded
  • Major legislation Passed
  • Answers to Prayer in House
  • Fourth Work Period Preview
Segments: House Only Senate Only
Future Only House Senate

Visit your members of Congress this week during their Memorial Day recess.

Friday, May 25, 2007

Memorial Day - Pentecost Sunday - Global Day of Prayer Weekend

"The LORD utters His voice before His army; surely His camp is very great, for strong is he who carries out His word." (Joel 2:11)

Pentecost Sunday - And Global Day of Prayer happens this Sunday, May 27th. Also in remembrance, please join in with the nearly 500 million Christians from around the world. Together we worship and serve our Heavenly Father through our Lord Jesus Christ, in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, who lives in our body and makes us alive IN Christ!

Today's Daily Brief


1. Congress passes Iraq bill as lawmakers eye September for next major fight
- The Hill

Democrats say the political showdown over Iraq is moving to September now that they have given in to President Bush's demand for a war-spending bill without a timetable for withdrawal.

· "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold." (Job 23:10)

2. Dems: Fight Over Iraq War Has Just Begun- AP

Democrats may have lost the first round with President Bush on ending the war in Iraq since taking over Congress in January, but they say their fight has just begun.

· "Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor."(Eccl. 7:12)

3. Experts Differ Over War on Terror's Impact on Civil Liberties - CNSNews.com

Amid continuing claims that the U.S. government is eroding human rights in its war against Islamist terrorists, policy experts in Washington, D.C., Thursday examined how the campaign has affected due process but found little common ground.

· "He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure." (Isaiah 33:6)

4. Bush: It's Naive to Believe There Is No War on Terror - CNSNews.com

Responding to criticism that the conflict in Iraq is merely a civil war in a foreign country, President Bush said during a news conference at the White House on Thursday that "this notion that this isn't a war on terror is, in my view, naive."

· "But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow." (Psalm 60:4)

5. Senate to hold Gonzales no-confidence vote in June - The Hill

The Senate will hold a vote of no-confidence on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in June, the sponsors of the measure announced Thursday.

· "Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place." (Psalm 51:6)

6. Mosques awarded Homeland Security grants - WND

While the European Union investigates mosques for ties to Islamic terrorism, the U.S. government is giving mosques security grants that are designed to protect churches, synagogues and other nonprofit groups from Islamic terror.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations since April has been urging leaders of mosques and Islamic schools across the nation to apply for the DHS grants, even though the agency's program was set up to help protect nonprofit facilities that are at high risk for attacks by Islamic terrorists.

· In this hour, when our nation stands in imminent danger of terrorist attacks launched by sleeper cells imbedded in cities across our land, this report defies understanding. Pray that this policy is scrutinized when Congress comes back into session, and then overruled by our lawmakers, who fund this agency. Amen. · "The Lord hears the cries of the needy."

7. Russia promises 'sword' to thwart U.S. missile shield - Int'l Herald Tribune

The official considered to be a leading contender to succeed President Vladimir Putin criticized a landmark Soviet-U.S. arms treaty as being a "relic of the Cold War," and promised that Russia would have a "sword" capable of piercing a U.S. missile shield.

· This man is only a candidate for the presidency, so he does not yet speak with the voice of authority for the Russian people. Pray that his words will fall to the ground and be of no lasting effect, according to the Word of God. · "State a proposal, but it will not stand, for God is with us." (Isaiah 8:10)

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:

"After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Jeremiah 31:33)

1. 5 rockets fired at western Negev - Ynet News

At least five Qassam rockets were fired at the western Negev on Friday morning. The rockets landed in open areas near the southern town of Sderot and south of Ashkelon.

2. Israel assault on Hamas to continue: PM aides - Ynet News

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has no intention of halting Israel's aerial offensive against Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip despite calls by President Mahmoud Abbas for a ceasefire, Olmert aides said Thursday.

3. Israel arrests dozens of Hamas leaders on West Bank; Hamas vows revenge - Israel Insider

Hamas has threatened revenge for the latest IDF action against the militant group, in which 33 senior Hamas officials were arrested. The arrests come as rockets continue to be fired from Gaza into southern Israel.

4. Barak: I'll win primaries, defeat Netanyahu in elections - Ynet News

"If we act correctly in the next 96 hours we will win the Labor primaries in the first round," former Prime Minister Ehud Barak told hundreds of his supporters in Tel Aviv Thursday evening.

5. Police permit Gay pride parade in Jerusalem - Ynet News; Ha'aretz

The Jerusalem Open House received a letter from Israeli police Thursday, giving the community center preliminary permission to hold the annual gay pride parade in Jerusalem, this June. Ultra-Orthodox leaders decided on Thursday afternoon to accept the suggested compromise regarding the gay pride parade, and will apparently not protest in Jerusalem on Friday.

Ultra-Orthodox community sources told Ynet of the specific conditions set by the rabbis for holding the parade: The event will take place in a confined space, and the Open House organization will not be permitted to hold any activities outside the complex. In addition, vehicles arriving at the parade venue will not carry provocative signs. The rabbis also demanded that the Open House organization will not ask to hold another parade or similar event this year; haredi leader Rabbi Yitzhak Tuvia Weiss asked police to release the ultra-Orthodox detained during this week's Jerusalem riots.

Iran in the News

"He has brought back their wickedness upon them and will destroy them in their evil. (Psalm 94:23)

1. Bush seeks harsher sanctions on Iran - Washington Times

President Bush yesterday demanded much tougher sanctions against Iran, which the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency says will be capable of building an atomic bomb in as little as three years.

2. 'World heading towards Iran confrontation' - Ynet News

The international community and Iran are "heading towards confrontation" over Tehran's nuclear program, Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned Thursday morning.

3. Iranian leader warns Israel it may be 'uprooted' - MSNBC

Iran's hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday warned Israel it would be "uprooted" if the Jewish state made any move against and attacked Lebanon in the coming summer.

4. Iran Continues to Increase Centrifuges - MENL

Iran continues to rapidly increase its fleet of gas centrifuges for the production of enriched uranium. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran has accumulated 2,132 centrifuges for its uranium enrichment program. In its latest report, the agency said the centrifuges were either producing uranium or being installed.

5. Iran resolved to export nuclear fuel - Ahmadinejad - (RIA Novosti) [Russian Press]

Tehran intends to become a nuclear fuel exporter, the Iranian president said Friday. "Not only will we not halt the uranium enrichment centrifuges, but we will quickly integrate them into our nuclear fuel cycle so as to become an exporter of nuclear fuel," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said.

6. Radical Iraqi cleric comes out of hiding in Iran - AP

Muqtada al-Sadr delivers fiery anti-U.S. sermon in Kufa mosque; U.S. announces six soldiers killed in bombings, gunbattle.

Memorial Day: The Cornerstone

Memorial Day: The Cornerstone

On Monday, Americans celebrate Memorial Day. It's a time to stop and pray, as we reflect on the sacrifice of those who have laid down their lives so that we might live in freedom. Here in Washington, the day dawns as President Bush lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Those who attend the early morning ceremony will be able to read some of the words engraved at the heart of Arlington National Cemetery. There's a Latin inscription which, translated, says: "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country." This idea, which was written before the birth of Jesus, comes from the Roman author Horace. Clearly, patriotism goes a long way back.

When the cornerstone for the Tomb was laid in 1915, a time capsule was placed within it containing several interesting items from our nation's history. Among the things our ancestors thought important for us to remember were a copy of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, a U.S. Flag (1915), and Pierre L'Enfant's map design of the city of Washington, D.C. But the first thing our ancestors placed in that time capsule was the Bible. That's interesting since the nation had been operating under the Constitution for 125 years by that point, and yet none of our leaders--Democrat or Republican-- thought the inclusion of the Bible would present a constitutional problem. In that Bible, of course, we read Jesus' words: "Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

As a Marine myself, I feel a special bond with those who have served. When I served, we learned about the blood red stripe that runs down the length of a Marine's trousers, earned in Mexico's Halls of Montezuma. The Marine officer's sword, which is called the Mameluke sword, is curved, reminding us that President Jefferson ordered the Marines to storm the shores of Tripoli. He wanted to stop Muslim terrorists from kidnapping Americans. Sound familiar?

"Where do we get such men," General Dwight D. Eisenhower asked in amazement when he saw Army Rangers scaling the heights of Pointe du Hoc in Normandy on D-Day. The truth is, we get them from the same places we've always gotten them--from the farms and factories, from villages, suburbs, and big cities, and from America's churches. That's why the Word of God is there, in that cornerstone. And that's why it is the cornerstone of our national life.

(Family Research Council: Tony Perkins' Washington Update, May 25, 2007)

No "OCAP" on Monday!

In honor of Memorial Day, CHPP will NOT publish "On Capitol Hill This Week" (the OCAP) this Monday, May 28.

The Daily Brief will be published next week, per usual, Tuesday through Friday.

Please note that Congress is now out of session for the entire next week for its Memorial Day holiday. Please use this opportunity to contact your own members of Congress -- congressmen and senators -- while they are in your home district, and let your voices be heard on the many issues that they face at this time.

Tim McGhee will publish his Legislative Update THIS WEEKEND, to help you be informed, in depth, on those issues.

May we all take a moment on this Memorial Day weekend and bow our heads in gratitude for those who have given their lives so that we may live in this nation -- still the land of the most liberty in the world.

Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
Partners in Prayer for our Nation

1. U.S. House approves stiff penalties for gasoline price gouging - Int'l Herald Tribune

The House of Representatives, eager to do something about record high U.S. gasoline prices in advance of a holiday weekend, voted narrowly Wednesday to approve stiff penalties for those found guilty of price gouging.

· Reports are that this picture may yet change in the Senate. We ask You, Lord, to bring relief from the oppression we now feel, every time we approach the gas pump! We ask wisdom for our leaders, so that our people might be spared from this excessive burden on our household budgets. Help, Lord! · "Ask, and ye shall receive . . ." (John 16:24)

2. Opposition to national ID continues to grow - One News Now

A grassroots activist organization is calling on American citizens to contact their members of Congress to try to repeal the "REAL ID Act," a piece of legislation the group says is nothing more than a federal takeover of state departments of motor vehicles. Opposition to the legislation is brewing in several states.

· Father, we pray that we have the wisdom to discern the times and seasons and the understanding to know what to do in them. Lord, You are not the author of confusion; we pray that you give Your bride the courage to know Your will for this nation You've allowed us to live in and represent. · "But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation." (1 Thess 5:8)

3. Politicians weigh renewal of Net access tax ban - CNet

With only months left on a moratorium restricting state governments from taxing Internet access, the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday began a debate over whether the ban should be made permanent or allowed to lapse.

· Father God, one more tax is . . . one more tax. We ask that You would intervene to "hold the line" on this form of taxation at the state level. Let our access to the internet continue to flow freely and without hindrance. Praise God. · "This far and no further and here shall your proud waves stop!" (Job 38:10)

4. Team working up new strategy for Iraq war - CNN

The U.S. military is joining forces with the State Department to prepare a new Iraq strategy that includes negotiating cease-fire and power-sharing agreements with some enemy combatants, U.S. officials said Wednesday.

· We pray Father over the linking of these two agencies, the military and the State Department. Lord, we pray they have one mind and one heart to develop Your strategies to implement over the nation of Iraq. Speak to all involved in the development of these plans; let them hear from heaven and work quickly and accurately to put into place actions that will advance justice and righteousness in this land. · "For thus says the Lord: "Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns. Lest My fury come forth like fire, And burn so that no one can quench it.'" (Jer. 4:3, 4b)

5. Mideast 'Quartet' to meet in Berlin next week - Jerusalem Post

Germany's foreign minister will host his Russian and US counterparts and the UN secretary general next week, convening the so-called Mideast "Quartet" to discuss developments in the Middle East.

· God, You alone know the plans of men and nations and You alone shall see Your will fulfilled in this earth. We pray for the things of God to be given notice and position in the convening of this "Middle-East Quartet". Father, cause them to discuss and agree upon issues that further Your hand in the Middle East and bring about restoration for Israel. · "But God has chosen the lowly things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are." (1 Co. 1:28)

6. Is al-Qaeda on the Run in Iraq? - Time

There is good news from Iraq, believe it or not. It comes from the most unlikely place: Anbar province, home of the Sunni insurgency. The level of violence has plummeted in recent weeks. An alliance of U.S. troops and local tribes has been very effective in moving against the al-Qaeda foreign fighters.

· Lord we want to give You praise and thanksgiving for this victory in Anbar province. We know it has been a troubled spot, but You are the God who brings calm in the midst of the storm. Let this calm be noted by all who are watching. Let the alliance of troops and tribes encourage others to work for calm in their own areas as well. · "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. . ." (1 Thess. 5:17-18)

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:

"After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Jeremiah 31:33)

1. Arab League denounces Fatah Islam group - Jerusalem Post

The Arab League denounced Lebanon's Fatah Islam group, calling it a terrorist organization on Wednesday. In a statement released in Cairo, the Arab League said that it had full support in the Lebanese Armed Forces' ability to restore calm in the region.

2. IDF: Hamas behind drop in Qassam attacks - Ynet News

The drop in Qassam attacks against Israel in recent days isn't due to the IDF but rather internal tactical decisions within Hamas -- said military sources on Wednesday.

3. Israel arrests Palestinian minister of education - Ynet News

IDF troops conducted a large-scale arrest operation against Hamas leaders in the West Bank early Thursday morning, arresting 33 Hamas members including the minister of education for Palestinian Authority, four mayors and municipality chairmen and three members of the Palestinian Legislative Council.

4. In "amazing turnaround," Olmert OKs spending of billions for Gaza gas - Israel Insider

The Times reports that British energy firm BG Group is poised to agree the terms of an historic $4 billion deal to supply gas to Israel from a discovery off the Gaza coastline. The deal is the result of a decision by PM Olmert to abandon the objections of former PM Sharon and buy energy from the Palestinians after giving away control over Gaza and its resources. BG Group had reportedly threatened to pump the gas to Egypt.

5. Messiah mystery follows death of mystical rabbi - WND

A controversy is raging in Israel, in evangelical circles in the U.S. and on kabbalah web forums worldwide following the posthumous release of what a revered Sephardic rabbi claimed to be the name of the Messiah.

Iran in the News

Iran in the News

"He has brought back their wickedness upon them and will destroy them in their evil. (Psalm 94:23)

1. Analysts say U.S. sanctions affecting Iran's economy - Int'l Herald Tribune

U.S. sanctions against Iran have caused damage to the country's economy, Iranian business leaders and analysts say, even as the U.N. Security Council prepares to consider additional measures to force Iran to curb its nuclear program.

2. IRAN'S SECRET PLAN FOR SUMMER OFFENSIVE TO FORCE U.S. OUT OF IRAQ - The Guardian

Iran is secretly forging ties with al-Qaida elements and Sunni Arab militias in Iraq in preparation for a summer showdown with coalition forces intended to tip a wavering US Congress into voting for full military withdrawal, US officials say.

'Iran is fighting a proxy war in Iraq and it's a very dangerous course for them to be following. They are already committing daily acts of war against US and British forces,' a senior US official in Baghdad warned. 'They [Iran] are behind a lot of high-profile attacks meant to undermine US will and British will, such as the rocket attacks on Basra palace and the Green Zone [in Baghdad]. The attacks are directed by the Revolutionary Guard who are connected right to the top [of the Iranian government].'

3. Russia denies permitting Syria to sell air defense systems to Iran - Ha'aretz

Russia on Wednesday said it had not given its agreement for Syria to resell Russian air defense systems to Iran.
The Islamification Of America Marching Rapidly Forward

An analysis of the Pew Research Center Poll on the Muslim population in the United States would indicate that America is becoming increasingly vulnerable each day to a possible hostile environment within its own borders, especially as young Muslims grow in extremist attitudes of support for suicide bombings and justification of terrorism. Pew reports generally that "the first-ever, nationwide, random sample survey of Muslim Americans finds them to be largely assimilated, happy with their lives, and moderate with respect to many of the issues that have divided Muslims and Westerners around the world." But this is a case where the devil is truly in the details.

The young generation of Muslims in the United States is far more radical in their beliefs than is the last generation. And while on the surface, Pew found that American Muslims are generally assimilated and moderate, 77% of them are dissatisfied with the United States as a country. An Islamic revolution is brewing in America at a rapid pace especially among the able-bodied and bold younger generation. When God pronounced judgment on Babylon, a country that looked very similar to the America of today, He said in Jeremiah 51:14, "I will fill you with men, as with locusts; and they shall raise up a battle cry against you." The locusts are among us and the battle cry is on the horizon.

Bill Wilson

Word of Life Ministry

www.dailyjot.com

[Note: Edited from original text. Please visit website to see entire article.]

Global Day of Prayer on Sunday

Global Day of Prayer on Sunday

This Sunday marks the GLOBAL Day of Prayer -- a worldwide, simultaneous concert of prayer that will take place in your own city, in our nation, and around the world.

For its theme, the leaders of the Global Day of Prayer are claiming Habakkuk 2:14:

"For the EARTH will be filled
with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea."

The primary purpose of the Global Day of Prayer is to have a day of Repentance and Prayer where we will ask the Lord to forgive our sins, for the restoration of the church and for the healing of the nations.

Register your country to be part of this awesome global event, and get more information on how to host your own day of prayer.

To see if your country is registered, click here.

For more information on this awesome time of worldwide prayer, please visit the website for the Global Day of Prayer at: www.globaldayofprayer.com

Capitol Hill Prayer Partners wishes to encourage each of you, using this website resource tool, to search out a Global Day of Prayer event in your city, and to give it your support. Praise the Lord!

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Today's Daily Brief

1. Illegals bill sinks Bush job approval - Washington Times

President Bush yesterday used his weekly radio address to urge listeners to support the immigration deal reached by a handful of senators last week, even as new poll numbers showed the immigration issue is hurting Mr. Bush's job-approval ratings.

· We pray that President Bush will have Your vision, Lord, for this nation and that it will be the driving force for making godly decisions concerning our nation. We seek not to please man; but we seek to please You, Lord! Turn our nation back to You! · We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. (1 Thessalonians 2:4)

2. Immigration Bill Prompts Concern and Outrage All Around - CNSNews.com

Reaction to the "Bush-Kennedy" immigration reform bill is drawing strong condemnation from many conservatives, and part of the anger stems from the fact that it was crafted in secret - and will now be rushed straight to the Senate floor.

· Lord, we pray for Your wisdom to be on the President and everyone over this illegal situation. Direct our leaders to only pass those laws that would be good for our nation and our sovereignty. Push back anything that is not Your will!

· Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:16)

3. Illegal Immigration Crackdown Helps Root Out Other Crimes - CNSNews.com

A new and relatively obscure federal legal provision is proving invaluable at a local level as authorities grapple with the intersecting problems of illegal immigration, crime and potential terrorism. Police officers, sheriffs, state troopers and other local law enforcement officials who are eager to expel criminal aliens are capitalizing on the measure, known as Section 287g. Administered through the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the program empowers local officers to operate as federal immigration agents.

· We praise You Lord that You have given us victory in finding other sources of crime and illegal entry; and we pray You will help us build those walls and for a hedge of protection around our nation and everything that pertains to it.

· So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. (Nehemiah 4:6)

4. Republicans Claim Victory in Rules Fight - CNSNews

Republicans claimed victory last week in a House rules fight with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) over the 185-year-old rule, "Motion to Commit," that allows the minority party to block legislation. Reports suggested Pelosi would alter this rule to deny the minority party the right to send legislation back to committee before the full House is allowed to vote on it. Chief Deputy Republican Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia said in his blog, "House Democrats wanted to change the rules to make it easier to raise taxes. They wanted to change rules on minority floor rights that have been in place since 1822. They failed." News quickly spread over conservative blogs, many of which accused Pelosi of backtracking on a pledge she made before the 2006 election to create a more bipartisan House.

· Gracious Father, we thank You for uncovering established ways to continue the fight for Your Judeo- Christian values in our nation's Congress! We are encouraged and ask that the majority's desire to strike this House rules motion be stopped! · "The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed." (Psalm 103: 6 NKJV)

5. Body Believed to Be Missing U.S. Soldier Found in Iraq - Fox News

Iraqi police discovered a body floating in the Euphrates River south of Baghdad Wednesday that is believed to be that of a missing U.S. soldier. This discovery in Musayyib, about 40 miles south of Baghdad in Babil Province, came as U.S. troops and Iraqi forces continued their massive search for the three soldiers abducted May 12 in an ambush on their patrol near Mahmoudiya, about 20 miles south of Baghdad. Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, chief U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, told reporters that U.S. authorities took custody of the body but have not determined if it was that of one of three soldiers. Later Wednesday, police in Babil province reported they had discovered two more bodies in the river and suspected they belonged to the other two soldiers. Caldwell only confirmed the discovery of one body.

· We ask You, the Commander of the Host of Heavenly Armies, for wisdom on how to pray for this revelation and for those involved with the identification of these bodies. Please comfort and grant guidance to those dealing with this directly and for those who have missing loved ones who might be identified as one of these bodies! May this war be won for Your Glory and may not one more soldier be killed for this cause! · "If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, then the waters would have overwhelmed us, then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth." (Psalm 124: 3a, 4a,5,8 NKJV)

6. Bush Declassifies Intel on Bin Laden - CBN News
... click picture view video
Addressing graduates of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy today, President Bush shared declassified intelligence on al-Qaeda to defend his strategy in Iraq and to stress the continued threat of more terror attacks on Americans at home and abroad. Seeking to rally support for the war, President Bush pointed to U.S. intelligence asserting that Osama bin Laden ordered a top lieutenant in early 2005 to form a terrorist unit to hit targets outside Iraq, and that the United States should be first in his sights.

· Dear Heavenly Father, this news encourages and even dares us to think that the reign of terror for Osama bin Laden may be coming to a swift close! Thank You, Lord for level heads in Congress agreeing to Your intervention that there must be funding for our dear troops without a deadline for their pullout! May Iraq, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and all of Israel's enemies be saved to complete the end of Wahabbi terrorism for Your Glory! · As the Apostle Paul exhorted the Philippians to continue their close walk with Christ despite adversity, so may we be reminded of this too, in these last days. " For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things." (Philippians 3: 18-19 NKJV)

7. Bush Grants Presidency Extraordinary Powers - WorldNetDaily

President Bush has signed the "National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive" granting extraordinary powers to the office of the president in the event of a declared national emergency, apparently without congressional approval or oversight. This establishes under the office of the president a new national continuity coordinator whose job is to make plans for "National Essential Functions" of all federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments, as well as private sector organizations to continue functioning under the president's directives in the event of a national emergency.

· We thank You, Lord, for the wisdom that You have given Your son, George W. Bush, to plan ahead of naysayers for America to have an orderly strategy to handle national emergencies through the Office of the President. Please let this action glorify You and bring Your security and comfort to our land! · "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." (Philippians 2: 3-4 NKJV)