CHPP Daily Brief - May 29, 2009

In This Issue
• Today's Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Temple Mount in the News
• Sotomayor vs. The Fireman
• Sotomayor: The Unsettling Law
• For One Night, Baghdad Gets a Pink Zone
• Meanwhile, at the Dept. of Education

Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net

The Daily Brief - Friday, May 29, 2009

"Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching God." (Isaiah 58:2)

IMPORTANT PUBLISHING NOTICE

On Monday, June 1, we will not publish "On Capitol Hill This Week." Instead, for next week only, the Daily Brief will incorporate legislative alerts from Capitol Hill. Please "watch and pray" over that news, when you see it posted. Thank you.

Today's Daily Brief

1. New Jobless Claims Drop Unexpectedly to 623,000 - Fox News

The government says the tally of newly laid-off people seeking jobless benefits fell last week, a sign that companies are cutting fewer workers.

• Should we trust the government reports about finances and jobs? Pray that this statement is truthful and that there is a rally of new jobs available. Ask the Holy Spirit to use these difficult times to draw Americans to Jesus Christ and to seek salvation in Him. Our God does not lie nor destroy, but He wants us to dwell in Him and live with His power.

• "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1: 7)

2. FBI to play larger role in US counter-terror ops: report - AFP

The FBI and the Justice Department will play a larger role in anti-terrorist operations as part of a shift away from a reliance on the CIA and the military, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.

• Is this a good shift that will make the USA safer or as safe as terrorism investigations under the CIA? The FBI is focused on crimes committed within the borders of our nation whereas the CIA deals with crimes internationally. Pray for God's wisdom in this matter, for only He sees the whole picture. Moreover, never cease to pray for God's protection over the USA.

• "And Joshua, the son of Nun, sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying' Go view the land." (Joshua 2: 1)

3. North Korea Could Opt for Devastating Land Assault - AP

North Korea's nuclear threats are grabbing the world's attention. But if the North were to strike South Korea today, it would probably first try to savage Seoul with the men and missiles of its huge conventional army. The attack might well begin with artillery and missiles capable of hitting South Korea's capital with little or no warning. North Korea's vast cadre of commandos could try to infiltrate and cause chaos while the South tried to respond. [Read more]

• Father we ask that You would make Your people attentive to the warnings of the Holy Spirit- put your prayer warriors on "Watchcon 1." Help us to pray in Your power, at a moment's notice, to move into the stream of Your will and move with strength. We cover our leadership with Your promise of wisdom for those who ask, and we are asking. We call forth the protections in Psalm 91 over the nations in their region and America, and declare that no weapons formed against us shall prosper. We stand in the Blood of Jesus against the spirits that rule North Korea, and say this far and no farther in the Name of Jesus!

• "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday." (Psalm 91:5,6)

4. Nuclear Aims By Pakistan, India Prompt U.S. Concern - Washington Post

Sometime next year, at a tightly guarded site south of its capital, Pakistan will be ready to start churning out a new stream of plutonium for its nuclear arsenal, which will eventually include warheads for ballistic missiles and cruise missiles capable of being launched from ships, submarines or aircraft.

• Pray that the Taliban will be defeated and eliminated in Pakistan before any nuclear capabilities have been reached. Pray for peace and unity in Pakistan so that the nation can work with the USA and Europe against any terrorist groups and/or Islamic jihadists.

• "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth do I hate." (Proverbs 8: 13)

5. Syria's Assad talks peace with visiting US lawmakers - Jerusalem Post

Syrian President Bashar Assad on Thursday discussed ways of improving US relations and bringing peace to the Middle East with two visiting American lawmakers, the state news agency said.

•Pray that the US lawmakers will have discernment to understand what are the wiles of Assad and what is truth, for none of the Syrians are to be trusted in their promises. Assad is working closely with Iran and provides a home for Hizbollah, the terrorist group that has great control in Lebanon and supports the destruction of Israel. Possibly Assad does want good relations with the USA; perhaps he wants trade agreements.

• "The burden of Damascus: Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap." (Isaiah 17: 1)

6. 'Red Dawn' redux: Russia begins massive military modernization effort - CS Monitor

After nearly two decades of false starts and failures, the Kremlin appears determined to begin the radical military reforms needed to fashion a modern army from the tangled wreckage of its Soviet-era armed forces.

• The Bible warns us about the movements of Gog and Magog, so we should not be surprised by this announcement by Russia. Pray for God's mercy for the members of the Russian military, for they will die at the hand of the Lord when they march against Israel. Pray against the success of the armament of the Russian military, and ask the Lord to slow down the reforms; we need more time to reach all the souls that do not know salvation in Jesus Christ.

• "And I will leave but a sixth part of you, and will cause you to come up from the north parts and will bring you upon the mountains of Israel." (Ezekiel 39: 2)

7. Scientists identify new lethal virus in Africa - AP

Scientists have identified a lethal new virus in Africa that causes bleeding like the dreaded Ebola virus. The so-called "Lujo" virus infected five people in Zambia and South Africa last fall. Four of them died, but a fifth survived, perhaps helped by a medicine recommended by the scientists.

• Pray against any spreading of this virus. Ask the Lord for His protection against any infection. Praise the Lord for medicines that fight this virus and for His power to destroy this disease.

• "With a strong hand and with an outstretched arm: for His mercy endureth forever." (Psalm 136:12)

The Middle East in Focus

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

"You who fear the LORD, praise Him; All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel." (Jeremiah 8:11)

1. Obama says Israel must stop settlement construction - Jerusalem Post

US President Barack Obama declared on Thursday the US is a "stalwart ally" of Israel but challenged the Jewish state to stop settlement construction in the disputed West Bank to help advance the long and painful road to peace with the Palestinians.

• We wonder what our president means by describing Israel as our "stalwart ally"? His behavior suggests something else, for he definitely does not understand God's love of Israel. Israel needs all her settlements to house her people, especially those Jews making aliyah. Pray for God's mercy on the Christians in the USA and around the world who support the Jews' right to have their own nation.

• [A prayer for the president] "For this cause we also . . . do not cease to pray for you and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understand." (Col. 1: 9)

2. Syria's Assad talks peace with visiting US lawmakers - Jerusalem Post

Syrian President Bashar Bassad on Thursday discussed ways of improving US relations and bringing peace to the Middle East with two visiting American lawmakers, the state news agency said.

3. Obama meets Abbas, ups pressure on Israel - AFP

US President Barack Obama Thursday renewed pressure on Israel but rejected a timetable for his peace drive, noting domestic pressures heaped on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

4. Amnesty: Israel guilty in truce collapse - Jerusalem Post

In its 2009 annual report, formally released on Thursday, Amnesty International places sole blame on Israel for the breakdown in the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas that led to Operation Cast Lead.

5. EU sketches out conditions for upgrade with Israel - EU Observer

The EU will at a meeting with Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman next month sketch out three conditions for upgrading relations, according to a draft declaration seen by EUobserver.

The Temple Mount in the News

The Temple Mount: Location! Location! Location!

In the tenuous discussions between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) the Temple Mount has become a major prize. Nabil Abu Radeina, spokesman for the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), said a peace agreement could be achieved in three to six months if Israel has a leader willing to make genuine compromises.

He said the PA would be prepared to relinquish sovereignty over the Temple Mount in exchange for Islamic sovereignty. He was referring to the Saudi-based Islamic Conference Organization (ICO) whose 57-member states include Iran. The ICO is already a signatory to the Arab Peace initiative. The inference behind this Temple Mount strategy is that the Palestinians would relinquish their sovereignty in return for support from all Muslim states in their negotiations toward a peace agreement with Israel.

Calls for an Israel withdrawal from 70% of the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) adds further flames to an already explosive process. According to the Arab Peace initiative Israel would retain sovereignty over the Western Wall and the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City. The Palestinians would control the Moslem, Christian and Armenian quarters. (Bridges for Peace)
• Pray that the area where the Jewish Temple has stood, as well as the entire Old City of Jerusalem, will not be used as a pawn in international negotiations but will become and remain under the control of Israel.

• "My whole being will exclaim, 'Who is like you, O Lord? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.'" (Psalm 35:10, NIV)

Sotomayor vs. The Fireman

Barack Obama's decision to nominate leftist judge Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic woman to the Supreme Court has put Senate Republicans in a precarious position. Hispanics are the fastest-growing voting bloc, and attempts to block Sotomayor's nomination could alienate this group even further from the Republican brand. So what should Republicans do? In a column today, Charles Krauthammer offers an outstanding suggestion: Call Frank Ricci as their first witness during Sotomayor's confirmation hearings.

For those of you don't know, Frank Ricci is a firefighter in New Haven, Connecticut. Ricci suffered from a serious case of dyslexia that hampered his academic success in high school. Ricci studied fire science at a local community college and fulfilled his duty as a New Haven firefighter for several years. When an opportunity for promotion came up, Ricci quit his second job so he could spend up to 13 hours a day studying for the promotional exam. Because of his dyslexia, he spent $1,000 on books and hired someone to read the text to him. Ricci's hard work and determination paid off -- he finished sixth on the lieutenants' exam.

All his hard work was for naught, however, as he and others were denied their promotions by the city council because not enough minorities placed well enough on the exam. Ricci and 19 other firefighters sued the city for ignoring the exam results, and their case was heard by Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Sotomayor sided with the city.

Frank Ricci believed in the American dream - that success comes through hard work and determination. But Ricci's career suffered because of a judge's belief in "empathy" and "real-life experiences" that didn't include him. Washington elites have praised Sotomayor's nomination because of her life story - growing up in a housing project of New York City before attending some of the most prestigious universities in the country. Shouldn't Frank Ricci be rewarded for his life story, too?

Success in the United States should not be determined by one's race, but instead by whether a person is truly deserving of a certain honor. The public deserves to hear Mr. Ricci's story and see the damage that is done to decent people because of someone else's idea of "empathy." By calling Frank Ricci as a witness during Sotomayor's confirmation hearings, the American people would be able to get a glimpse of the liberal judicial philosophy to which she adheres. (Gary Bauer; End-of-Day; May 29, 2009)

Sotomayor: The Unsettling Law

Yesterday the White House scrambled to reassure President Obama's base that his choice for the U.S. Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor, is certainly pro-Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision of the Court that installed abortion on demand nationwide. The reassurance was needed because of the lack (so far) of any public statements by Judge Sotomayor that Roe is what liberals now consider it to be, the touchstone of constitutional law.

The President's press spokesman, Robert Gibbs, flashed a bagful of semaphore at the media at yesterday's White House briefing, saying both that the President did not specifically discuss Roe with Sotomayor but that he is "very comfortable with her interpretation of the Constitution being similar to his." Press reports describe Gibbs as saying the White House is "sure" about her views on the matter.

In a 2007 debate, Obama said he "would not appoint somebody who doesn't believe in the right of privacy." After bobbing and weaving over the past few days, the White House now apparently believes it must make public its confidence that Sotomayor views abortion on demand as settled law. But that is exactly what Roe is not. The sweeping decision unsettled the nation's conscience in 1973 and caused a firestorm that continues to this very day.

It's imperative now that Judge Sotomayor address how the White House obtained its assurance about her views. And Senators should ask, if Roe is settled, how about Harris v. McRae (federal abortion funding limits are constitutional), Gonzales v. Carhart (Congress can ban partial-birth abortion), and other cases that protected informed consent and parental rights? Does Sotomayor pick and choose what she regards as settled, and how and to whom did she give assurances? (Family Research Council)

For One Night, Baghdad Gets a Pink Zone

Entertainment a Drag at U.S. Embassy

According to the Washington Post, tonight marks the beginning of a new offensive in Iraq: the homosexual invasion. At the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, government employees are gearing up for their first-ever gay pride theme party. "Come celebrate the start of summer . . . in costume," reads the invite. "Dress in DRAG or as a GAY ICON. Prizes will be awarded."

In the last several months, President Obama has been a harsh critic of his predecessor's approach to Middle Eastern policy. Is this his idea of "getting back to diplomacy"? Now maybe the Embassy staff needs a way to chill, but surely they can think of something less insulting than a toast to debauchery in the middle of an Islamic war zone. For an administration bent on promoting tolerance and diversity, this smacks of cultural ignorance. If the Muslim community finds an unveiled woman distasteful, how will they react to this vulgar display? Although it is certain to bring harm to our credibility in the region, the real risk is a loss of U.S. lives. This type of provocation could pose a grave threat to Americans on Iraqi soil, many of whom could be a target of Baghdad's outrage.
And speaking of inviting contempt on the Embassy, U.S. taxpayers will surely have something to say about this. Although a spokesman said that the drag contest was "sponsored by a group of employees" who are just using the facility's bar, the invitation was distributed over an official government wire, meaning that taxpayer resources were used in its promotion.

Of course the irony of all this is that while these employees are planning a night of gaiety, CNN is reporting that the U.S. military is burning hundreds of Bibles sent to our soldiers because they might offend Muslims. In other words, it's not acceptable to own a New Testament in Afghanistan, but letting our Embassy workers cross-dress in the middle of an Islamic capital is? Four days removed from Memorial Day, this party sends an incredibly insensitive message to our troops who gave the ultimate sacrifice. The brave men and women of the United States who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan did so to bring about a revival of freedom in the Middle East -- not a celebration of sexual decadence. (Family Research Council) Read more.

Meanwhile, at the Dept. of Education --

Gay Activist Named to Senior Post in Education Department

Kevin Jennings, the founder and former head of the activist Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), has been named assistant deputy secretary at the Department of Education after serving on President Barack Obama's campaign.

Family advocates expect Jennings to take his activist agenda with him to his new post in the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools.

"At GLSEN, he was very much an activist, and now we're going to see him much more of an activist, but this time with the imprimatur of the federal government," said Dick Carpenter, an education professor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

Candi Cushman, education analyst at Focus on the Family Action, said Jennings likely will control funding for recently proposed federal legislation --- the Safe Schools Improvement Act --- that would force many public schools to add pro-gay policies to their discipline codes. (CitizenLink)

CHPP Daily Brief - May 28, 2009

In This Issue
• Today's Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• Life Advocates Troubled by Sotomayor
• In CA: First-Graders Study Homosexuality
• Taking Capitol Steps to Protect Marriage
• Enough Is Enough!
• The Daily Jot
• The Good News Corner

Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net

The Daily Brief - Thursday, May 28, 2009

"Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching God." (Isaiah 58:2)

Today's Daily Brief

1. A. S. Korea and U.S. Raise Alert Level - New York Times

The South Korean and U.S. militaries were placed on heightened levels of alert and surveillance on Thursday, one day after North Korea threatened the South with a possible military attack. The allied troops, including, 25,000 U.S. soldiers based in South Korea, raised their Watch Condition, or Watchcon, to the second-highest level, the South Korean Defense Ministry announced.

The upgrading from Watchcon 3 to Watchcon 2 involves a significant increase in the use of reconnaissance planes and spy satellites, as well as a more vigorous gathering and analysis of electronic signals from the North, ministry officials said. Watchcon 2 status is taken when the militaries fear "a grave threat," the officials said, adding that the level has not been this high since October 2006, when North Korea conducted its first nuclear test.

B. North Korea warns of military strike against South Korea - Australia News

North Korea warned of a possible military response after South Korea joined an anti-proliferation exercise, and said it is no longer bound by the 1953 armistice which ended their war. A military statement quoted by official media also said the North could no longer guarantee the safety of shipping off its west coast.

It repeated Pyongyang's position that Seoul's decision to join the US-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) is tantamount to a declaration of war. "Any tiny hostile acts against our republic, including the stopping and searching of our peaceful vessels... will face an immediate and strong military strike in response," the statement said. "Our military will no longer be bound by the armistice accord as the current US leadership... has drawn the puppets (South Korea) into the PSI," said the statement from the North's military representative at the border truce village of Panmunjom.

• Father we ask that You would make Your people attentive to the warnings of the Holy Spirit - put your prayer warriors on "Watchcon 1." Help us to pray in Your power, at a moment's notice, to move into the stream of Your will and move with strength. We cover our leadership with Your promise of wisdom for those who ask, and we are asking. We call forth the protections in Psalm 91 over the nations in their region and America, and declare that no weapons formed against us shall prosper. We stand in the Blood of Jesus against the spirits that rule North Korea, and say this far and no farther in the Name of Jesus!

• "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday." (Psalm 91:5,6)

2.Sonia Sotomayor 'La Raza member' - WorldNetDaily

Obama choice part of group supporting illegals, amnesty.

As President Obama's Supreme Court nominee comes under heavy fire for allegedly being a "racist," Judge Sonia Sotomayor is listed as a member of the National Council of La Raza, a group that's promoted driver's licenses for illegal aliens, amnesty programs, and no immigration law enforcement by local and state police.

According the American Bar Association, Sotomayor is a member of the NCLR, which bills itself as the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S. Meaning "the Race," La Raza also has connections to groups that advocate the separation of several southwestern states from the rest of America.

• Father we ask that You give Ms. Sotomayor a vision of Yourself. We pray for Your choice for Supreme Court, not the choice of man, so that our gates will not be further collapsed from a lack of Constitutional leadership. We pray for her soul to be captured by the Spirit of God immediately, and that all 'reverse racism" or other prideful beliefs will be replaced and redeemed by Jesus Christ.

• "In an acceptable time I have heard you. And in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2)

3. Army base shuts down for anti-suicide event - CNN

A major United States military base is shutting down for three days following a rash of suicides, the base announced. Fort Campbell, home of the Army's 101st Airborne Division, is holding a three-day "suicide stand-down training event" starting Wednesday -- the second one it has held this year, a base spokeswoman told CNN.

At least 11 deaths of Fort Campbell soldiers this year are confirmed or suspected suicides, spokeswoman Kelly Tyler said. That's out of 64 confirmed or suspected suicides in the entire Army, according to official statistics.

The base commander, Brig. Gen. Stephen Townsend, addressed all 19,000 soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division on Wednesday, Tyler said. "His intent was to be able to look them in the eye and make them aware that everyone cares about the issue, and make sure they know -- corporal to general -- what help is available," she said. "To make sure that people know we want them to keep living."

• We take authority over the spirit of death at Fort Campbell and bind it in the Name of Jesus. Lord, loose Your Holy Spirit to move quickly and powerfully over this area- winning souls and saving our troops and wooing them into the Kingdom. We cover this and all other military bases with the Blood of Jesus, and draw a hedge of protection about them against the plans of the enemy.

• "To give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified." (Isaiah 61:3)

4. State Department Proposes Benefits for Same-Sex Partners of US Ambassadors - UPI

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will announce a plan to provide benefits to same-sex partners of United States ambassadors and diplomats soon, according to media reports. Currently, a large number of benefits afforded to married spouses of US ambassadors are unavailable to same-sex partners including issuance of visas and passports, access to employment opportunities at embassies, paid travel to a partner's post, and evacuation in emergency situations, according to the Washington Post.

A leaked State Department notice of the change states: "Historically, domestic partners of Foreign Service members have not been provided the same training, benefits, allowances and protections that other family members receive. These inequities are unfair and must end. Providing training, medical care and other benefits to domestic partners promote the cohesiveness, safety and effectiveness of our posts abroad," reported CNN.

According to United Press International, the State Department has previously rejected expanding benefits to same-sex partners on the basis of the Defense of Marriage Act.

• Father, we repent for having enabled the sins of our nation. Like giving an alcoholic a bottle of cheap wine, we are feeding the problem in America by condoning it. We know that You love the people involved, and the You expect us to love them as well. We have not done that, Lord and we repent. But Father we ask that You move by the power of Your Spirit to help them understand Your righteousness, and wash them clean of their sin just as You have done for us.

• " . . .wash your hearts from wickedness, that you may be saved." (Jeremiah 4:4.)

5. Obama Set to Create A Cybersecurity Czar With Broad Mandate - Washington Post

President Obama is expected to announce late this week that he will create a "cyber czar," a senior White House official who will have broad authority to develop strategy to protect the nation's government-run and private computer networks, according to people who have been briefed on the plan.

• Lord we pray that this "broad mandate" will not be used to destroy freedom of speech and religion on the internet. We pray for an awakening in our leadership to understand the Constitution's promise for freedom "o,f" not freedom from.

• "And you shall know the truth; and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)

6. Abbas to present peace plan to Obama - Jerusalem Post

In his meeting with US President Barack Obama on Thursday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to propose the establishment of a supervisory committee, which would work under the Middle East Quartet in order to ensure that both Israel and the Palestinians are complying with their commitments.

According to Israel Radio, in a meeting in Washington on Wednesday night, Abbas said that he will present Obama with new ideas connecting the Road Map plan and the Arab League peace initiative.

Regarding the Palestinians right of return, Abbas said that he is not asking that 5 million Palestinian refugees return to Israel and noted that he had reached an understanding on the issue with former prime minister Ehud Olmert. "We will not destroy Israel," he reportedly pledged.

• Father we again call forth Your promise that Israel will never have to be removed again. We ask that You reveal Your heart for Israel to both of these men, and remove all deceptions, lies, and false religious beliefs.

• "I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them, says the Lord your God." (Amos 9:15)

The Middle East in Focus

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

"You who fear the LORD, praise Him; All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel." (Jeremiah 8:11)

1.'Hezbollah has more rockets than before Lebanon war' - Ha'aretz

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi told a Knesset committee meeting Tuesday that Hezbollah has more rockets than before the Second Lebanon War and is boosting it's power in South Lebanon ahead of the country's upcoming elections.

2. Clinton: We are preparing specific proposals for ME peace - Jerusalem Post

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday that the United States would present detailed plans on the peace process to the parties as part of its efforts to jumpstart negotiations.

3. Arab League chief: No Israel recognition - UPI

Islamic countries should make clear there will be no normalized relations with Israel until it stops breaking international law, an Arab League official says.

4. Israel Rebuffs Obama Demand for Settlement Freeze - NewsMax

Israel scrambled Tuesday to sidestep President Barack Obama's demand for a West Bank settlement freeze with a diluted counteroffer to Washington.

5. Raad Salah: Netanyahu will Try to Rebuild the Jewish Temple - Arutz Sheva

Sheikh Raad Salah, leader of the Northern Wing of the Islamic Movement in Israel, believes Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will try to rebuild the Jewish Temple.

Life Advocates Troubled by Sotomayor

Life Advocates Troubled by Supreme Court Nominee

Many pro-life groups say they are concerned by the president's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to replace Justice David Souter on the nation's highest court.

"She is on the record, not once, not twice, but several times, saying that she would bring her own personal political opinions to the bench when considering her decisions," said Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life.

Sotomayor has ruled in just two cases related to abortion, and she was obligated to follow Supreme Court precedent.

"As she is elevated to the highest court in the land, she won't have the same constraints," Yoest said. "She disqualifies herself by making statements that it is the job of a judge to make policy. We should closely examine her judicial philosophy." (CitizenLink)

In CA: First-Graders Study Homosexuality

California School District to Teach Elementary Kids about Homosexuality

The same day the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8 --- the state's constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman --- a school district in the state essentially decided to disregard the ruling.

The Alameda School Board voted 3-1 on Tuesday in favor of a curriculum that promotes same-sex relationships beginning in the first grade.

"This curriculum defines family as a group of people living together," said Candi Cushman, education analyst for Focus on the Family Action. "The first-graders are introduced to a book called 'Who's In a Family?' and this book shows herds of male elephants as an example of a family.

"Is this really what we want to be teaching the next generation --- that there's nothing unique about mothers and fathers and that a family is nothing more than a group of individuals?"
Parents are not allowed to opt their kids out of the program, which school officials claim falls under "anti-discrimination" provisions.

Cushman said family advocates in other states need to take note.

"Parents should be on the alert," she said, "for so-called 'anti-discrimination' or 'safe school' measures being used as an excuse to push this sort of teaching onto kids as young as 6 or 7 years old."

Pro-family groups are considering legal action. (Source: CitizenLink)

Taking Capitol Steps to Protect Marriage

. . . a group of D.C. pastors and other citizens--led by Bishop Harry Jackson and former D.C. delegate Walter Fauntroy--filed papers today with the District of Columbia Board of Elections to propose a referendum on a pro-homosexual marriage law passed by the City Council in early May. The referendum, if certified by the election board, would block the implementation of the law the Council adopted, which was designed to recognize homosexual "marriages" performed outside of the District. This recognition is widely viewed as a prelude to a bill that would allow same-sex "marriages" to be performed and recognized within the District itself. The clock on the referendum is already ticking as sufficient signatures to bring it to the ballot must be obtained by July 6. But first the issue must be certified for the ballot. More on this in the near future. (Family Research Council)

Enough Is Enough!

There is a very disturbing report today out of Texas that will make your blood boil. Just before Memorial Day, Debbie McLucas, a hospital supervisor in Mansfield, Texas, hung an American flag in the office she shared with other hospital supervisors. Mrs. McLucas' husband and sons are veterans and her daughter is serving in Iraq.

Unbelievably, one of her co-workers, an African immigrant, complained that the flag was "offensive," and hospital officials told Mrs. McLucas that she would have to remove the flag. This episode is just one more example of how the rot of political correctness that has infected our educational institutions has spread to corporate America and is being used to squelch expressions of traditional values, such as faith and patriotism, in the public square.

This situation in Texas is a travesty. But it will continue unless good people speak up. If you would like to share your thoughts with the hospital's corporate headquarters, please call Kindred Healthcare at 800-545-0749 or click here to send an E-mail.

The Daily Jot

Government Control of Private Enterprise Part of White House War on Americans

In an interview with C-SPAN, the man who occupies the Oval Office was asked at "what point do we (the US) run out of money? Obama replied: "Well, we are out of money now. We are operating in deep deficits, not caused by any decisions we've made on health care so far. This is a consequence of the crisis that we've seen and in fact our failure to make some good decisions on health care over the last several decades. So we've got a short-term problem, which is we had to spend a lot of money to salvage our financial system, we had to deal with the auto companies, a huge recession which drains tax revenue at the same time it's putting more pressure on governments to provide unemployment insurance or make sure that food stamps are available for people who have been laid off."

The President continues to blame all the problems of America on "the last several decades." And his answer to fixing these problems is to "spend a lot of money." And, of course, he says in the interview that "we are trying to help an auto industry that is going through a combination of bad decision making over many years and an unprecedented crisis or at least a crisis we haven't seen since the 1930's. And you know the economy is going to bounce back and we want to get out of the business of helping auto companies as quickly as we can. I have got more enough to do without that. In the same way that I want to get out of the business of helping banks, but we have to make some strategic decisions about strategic industries . . ."

But actions speak louder than words, and the actions show that the government will not be out of the banking, mortgage and automobile businesses anytime soon. Case in point is the sad tale of George Joseph of Melbourne, Florida. Joseph owns a Dodge dealership there--at least he did until the government came and told him he had to close his doors and give his business of 35 years to another dealership. In a letter to the editor, Joseph says, "On Thursday, May 14, 2009 I was notified that my Dodge franchise, that we purchased, will be taken away from my family on June 9, 2009 without compensation and given to another dealer at no cost to them." Joseph recently renovated the dealership at Chrysler's insistence, incurring a multi-million dollar debt with a Sun Trust Bank mortgage.

Joseph asks in his letter to the editor, "How in the United States of America can this happen? My business is being stolen from me through no fault of our own. We did nothing wrong." What distinguishes America from banana republics is the rule of law derived from the Bible. But the laws are now suspended, the Constitution laid waste and the people have fallen prey to a deceptive tongue. Proverbs 26:28 says, "A lying tongue hates those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth works ruin." In the London Telegraph Gerald Warner writes, "Never in the history of the United States has a president worked so actively against the interests of his own people. . .His only enemies are fellow Americans. If foreigners are beginning to see it, when will Americans open their eyes?

Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com

The Good News Corner

Federal Legislation Introduced to Protect Marriage in D.C.

Legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House to preserve one-man, one-woman marriage in the nation's capital, after the Washington, D.C., Council voted to recognize gay "marriages" performed elsewhere. Congress has final authority over laws in D.C.

Same-sex "marriage" is legal in five states --- Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut and Iowa. Thirty states protect marriage in their constitutions.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, acknowledged that his bill --- HR 2608 --- faces an uphill battle in the Democratic-controlled Congress. "We don't think it's appropriate for the council in our nation's capital to redefine the institution that is the cornerstone of families," he said. Nevertheless, Jordan said, he is optimistic. "Every time this issue has gone to the people," he said, "the people have said marriage should be what marriage has always been." (Roger Greer; CitizenLink; May 22, 2009)

CHPP Daily Brief - May 27, 2009

In This Issue
• Today's Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• Sotomayor: Jurist or Policymaker?
• Marriage is Safe in California
• A Commentary from Gary Bauer
• Prophetic Acceleration Around The World
• The Good News Corner

Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net

The Daily Brief - Wednesday, May 27, 2009

"Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching God." (Isaiah 58:2)

Today's Daily Brief

1. Sotomayor reversed 60% by high court - Cross Action News

With Judge Sonia Sotomayor already facing questions over her 60 percent reversal rate, the Supreme Court could dump another problem into her lap next month if, as many legal analysts predict, the court overturns one of her rulings upholding a race-based employment decision.

Three of the five majority opinions written by Judge Sotomayor for the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals and reviewed by the Supreme Court were reversed, providing a potent line of attack raised by opponents Tuesday after President Obama announced he will nominate the 54-year-old Hispanic woman to the high court.

• As endeavors to go forward with an agenda to continue making policy rather than enacting the use of judicial integrity, and as war is declared on gun owners by this pick, pray that not one stone will be left unturned in the vetting process of this nominee. Intercede for transparency on every level and for wisdom in questioning the rationale here. Pray for one who will uphold the Constitution and not skirt or re-write it.

• Then I shook out the fold of my garment and said, "So may God shake out each man from his house, and from his property, who does not perform this promise. Even thus may he be shaken out and emptied." (Nehemiah 5:13)

2. Unemployment 20% higher in Democrat strongholds - WorldNetDaily

Unemployment in April remained 20 percent higher in states won by Democratic candidate Barack Obama in last fall's presidential election than in states won by Republican candidate John McCain, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics released yesterday. Nationwide, the unemployment rate went from 8.5 percent in March to 8.9 percent in April.

WND previously reported that if unemployment numbers in the states won by Obama do not begin improving soon, the Democratic Party may face the prospect of 2010 mid-term election losses in both governor races and in Congress.

A national telephone survey conducted by Rasmussen Reports has found significant Democratic Party losses and Republican Party gains over the past year in a generic congressional ballot.

• As this Bureau presents the facts, ask the Father for wisdom for the generations to learn and know what they are getting, before they decide on it. Pray that they, who voted for "jobs" and got something very different, might learn that blindness is not a badge to wear to the political arena. Ask God to give the masses discernment and a bi-partisan, working relationship. Pray that His spirit would rule, and come forth to bless and heal our land. Intercede for all who, in pain and heartache, struggle to make ends meet and find work to provide for their families. Intercede that they might call on God, their only true provision, and that He would answer them graciously and generously.

• Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble Is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint. (Proverbs 25:19)

3. Conservative Christians Praise Calif. High Court Ruling on Prop. 8 - Cross Action News

The court ruled 6-1 that the amendment was not an illegal constitutional revision by the people nor unconstitutional.

According to the ruling, the justices rejected complaints by Proposition 8 challengers "that it is just too easy to amend the California constitution through the initiative process."

"It is not a proper function of this court to curtail that process; we are constitutionally bound to uphold it," the ruling said.

• As we lavish praises on our God, who upholds and establishes His truth in the earth while we continue to press in and pray for this process to be sustained and carried forth across our country, ask the Father for intestinal fortitude so as to not let down our guard when it comes to His ruling on this subject. Thank God for the California Court System which has honored it's own constitution and suppressed every argument against it.

• He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. (Psalm 37:6-7)

4. Obama to visit Saudi Arabia, Egypt to discuss peace, Iran - Cross Action News

U.S. President Barack Obama will meet Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah in Riyadh next week to seek his support over the nuclear standoff with Iran and reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Obama will visit Riyadh on June 3 in a surprise addition to his scheduled three-day trip to Egypt, Germany and France, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, is a staunch U.S. ally in the region and potentially a key player in the drive for a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which Obama has declared a top foreign policy priority.

The Obama administration has embraced the 2002 Arab peace initiative, a proposal authored by Saudi Arabia that offered Israel normal ties with all Arab states in return for a full withdrawal from the lands it seized in the 1967 Middle East war, creation of a Palestinian state and a "just solution" for Palestinian refugees.

Gibbs dismissed the idea the Saudi stop was added to persuade Arab states to make conciliatory gestures to Israel.

• Father, we note that, even as Mr. Obama plans to deliver his speech in Egypt to the Moslem world, he also plans to visit the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany. In this unusual agenda, we "pray without ceasing" that the heart of the president be moved to do what is best for the US and Israel. Intercede that the president will only support that which will ultimately bring a supremely healthy dawning of foreign policy to the spot light in which we find ourselves. Decree that God will bring their plot to nothing and that the United States will be steered away from what the Saudis call a "just solution" and away from appeasing those who ultimately desire the division and therefore the destruction of Israel.

• And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. (Nehemiah 4:15)

5. Chrysler faces D-Day as GM nears bankruptcy - Worthy News

Chrysler faces its day of judgment Wednesday as a bankruptcy court judge rules on a sale of its key assets to give the ailing automaker a fresh start in a partnership with Italy's Fiat.

If Judge Arthur Gonzalez approves the fast-track plan, a new Chrysler could emerge within days, according to President Barack Obama's administration, which is spearheading the plan and providing emergency funding.

The developments with Chrysler are seen critical for General Motors, which is also living off government loans and scrambling ahead of a June 1 deadline imposed by the Obama administration that will likely lead to a bankruptcy filing.

• Father, as squeezed corporations are finding it harder and harder to own up and stand on their own, renew a right spirit in the whole of this country. As the president brings solutions that prove out to be enslaving, deliver us from every futile and menacing plan. Pray for American businesses, that the wisdom of Daniel and the heart of Joseph would surround them. Ask that our "big government" leaders would find godly character and righteous anger standing in their way, to deliver our economic situation from downfall. Ask for the backbone of America to be aligned and straightened for redemption, to withstand the evils of bad business and corrupt government policies. In righteousness, declare and decree the power of God over the works of His adversary in our land.

• Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards." And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. (Nehemiah 5:5)

6. N. Korea Warns of Strike Against S. Korea, U.S. - Fox News

North Korea launched a tirade Wednesday against world powers threatening to punish it for conducting its second nuclear test, saying it is not afraid of sanctions and calling South Korea's decision to join an operation to prevent the spread of weapons a declaration of war.

The North also has reportedly restarted its weapons-grade nuclear plant. It staged a rally in its capital, Pyongyang, on Tuesday to celebrate the test. The isolated communist regime said through its official news agency that it would respond with military action if South Korea tries to stop or search any of its ships as part of the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative.

• Father, as nations have pressured and pulled away from committed protection for Israel and have threatened to divide her, so they are threatened. Pray, first and foremost, for repentance for us as a nation concerning any and all unsound political maneuvers we have engaged in. As North Korean, as well as other thugs, thumb their noses at world leaders and UN resolutions, touting nuclear weapons, pray that our leadership also acknowledges the spiritual reality check that exists. Ask the Father not only for the safest resolution possible, but that these incidents will be used to pry open the hearts of men to cry out in obedience to Him. Let it be said that God's S.O.S. mercy intercessors and crisis intercessors went to their knees to ask for the mercy and protection of God to be shown forth at this time, for all people, for His glory and His name sake. Decree that, by God's unfailing grace and mercy, the Comforter will be seen and displayed world-wide. Intercede for a point of turning, especially for His Church to rise up and for wise and obedient actions on Capitol Hill!

• But you shall hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day. For the Lord has driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no one has been able to stand against you to this day. (Joshua 23:9) And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (Matthew 24:6)

The Middle East in Focus

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

"You who fear the LORD, praise Him; All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel." (Jeremiah 8:11)

1. Abbas to press Obama on settlements - Jerusalem Post

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Monday he would focus on Israel's refusal to stop the building of settlements when he holds talks with US President Barack Obama later this week, Reuters reported.

2. Israeli teams to negotiate Iran, Palestinian issues with US - Ynet News

Israel is poised to establish two negotiating teams to work with the US on issues regarding the Palestinians and Iran, according to an Israeli delegation to London headed by Minister Dan Meridor.

3. Livni brands road map peace plan as 'bad' for Israel - Ha'aretz

Opposition leader Tzipi Livni on Tuesday called the road map peace plan "bad" for Israel, in the wake of Foreign Minster Avigdor Lieberman's repeated statements in support of the United Nations-backed initiative.

4.Dennis Ross vs. Obama: No link betwen Iran, Mideast peace - Ha'aretz

Dennis Ross, the U.S. Secretary of State's special adviser on Iran, says in a new book that the United States will not make progress toward peace in the Middle East with the Obama administration's new plan.

Sotomayor: Jurist or Policymaker?

After weeks of speculation, the President made an official announcement on the replacement of U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter, naming federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor as his first nominee for America's highest court.

The President has said in the past that his chief criterion for a Supreme Court nominee is not legal experience, but life experience. He said in 2007 that he's looking for a man or woman "who's got... heart." That's Obama-speak for a judicial activist who is willing to put her individual feelings and opinions above the rule of law. Much has been written today about Sotomayor's childhood and her ability to rise above the financial hardships of an immigrant family. However, a compelling personal story doesn't qualify someone to be a Supreme Court justice--legal credentials do. And in the eyes of some Democrats, those are lacking in Sotomayor's case.

According to the New Republic, the Left has its doubts about the President's nominee after 17 years on the bench. Those who have worked with her "expressed concerns about her temperament, her judicial craftsmanship, and most of all, her ability to provide an intellectual counterweight to the conservative justices, as well as a clear liberal alternative." In the words of a former clerk at the Second Circuit Court of Appeals where Sotomayor presides, she was considered "not that smart and kind of a bully on the bench."

On social issues, she has an undefined record--a fact that the White House will try to use to its advantage in her confirmation battle. Although there is no clear ideological pattern to her rulings on life, faith, and marriage, it doesn't take a leap of logic to understand where she stands on our issues. As legal reporter Stuart Taylor recently wrote, "[Sotomayor's] thinking is representative of the Democratic Party's powerful identity-politics wing." The common denominator of her decisions thus far is her belief that the court's role is not reviewing the law but rewriting it.

In a 2005 panel discussion at Duke University Law School, she said that the "Court of Appeals is where policy is made." This should be particularly troubling to the American public because, unlike the appellate court on which Sotomayor currently sits, decisions by the Supreme Court are not reviewable by a higher court or an elected body like Congress. In other words, Sotomayor would be free to act as an unaccountable legislator on the nation's highest court with lifetime job security! As moving as her personal story may be, Sotomayor's "empathy" for certain subgroups is no substitute for upholding the U.S. Constitution.

The common thread between today's two biggest stories--Sotomayor's nomination and the Proposition 8 ruling--is that both have their roots in judicial activism. In California, the high court redefined marriage, giving voters no recourse but to amend their Constitution. What will this activist give us? (Family Research Council; May 27, 2009)

Marriage is Safe in California

Marriage advocates breathed a sigh of relief today as the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8 and left the definition of marriage in California's Constitution as decided by 7 million voters in the November election. Today's ruling closes the door on the latest challenges to marriage in California. If gay activists wish to legalize same-sex "marriage" now, they will have to go to the people.

"California's Constitution gives its citizens the right of self-governance, and we are pleased that the court resisted demands to strip the right of the people to amend the state constitution," said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. "Even this widely recognized liberal court understands that overturning Proposition 8 would represent a repudiation of the state Constitution it is sworn to uphold."

Ron Prentice, chairman of the ProtectMarriage.com executive committee, said his group will now shift its focus to continuing to protect marriage and strengthen family values. "We will turn our attention to public education and outreach so citizens come to better understand and appreciate the many benefits that traditional marriage provides for society and our families," he said.
"The institution of marriage as we have always understood it has served California and our broader society since the nation was founded. We look forward to working with young people, churches, ethnic communities and all of California with an ongoing discussion about the benefits of traditional marriage."

The court upheld the legality of approximately 18,000 same-sex "marriage" licenses issued last year before Prop. 8 passed. (CitizenLink; May 26, 2009)

A Commentary from Gary Bauer

Axis of Evil 2, Teleprompter 0

Things are not going well for the TOTUS - the Teleprompter of the United States - and its owner, B. Hussein Obama. Ever since the two of them first started running for president, and in the days since they took office, they have promised a new foreign policy built on negotiation, not confrontation, with thugs around the world. Europe applauded. The media squealed in delight. The pundits fell down in worship. Champaign corks popped at the U.N. Everyone agreed that this was a much more "enlightened" approach than the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld Neanderthal foreign policy.

Unfortunately, no one bothered to check with the thugs. This weekend, as we remembered those who have died for our freedom on foreign battlefields, Iran's Hitler wannabe, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Kim Jong-Il, the North Korean psychotic known by his slaves as "Dear Leader," decided that they should speak up.

Kim Jong-Il detonated an underground nuclear bomb equal to 28,000 tons of TNT and followed it up with a "side order" of missile tests. Ahmadinejad, not quite in the nuclear club yet, detonated a verbal bomb by announcing that he has no intention of negotiating with Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton or anyone else about his weapons program. Instead, Ahmadinejad insisted he was only willing to discuss world affairs with Obama and the teleprompter at the United Nations. And to demonstrate his intent to be a world power, he sent several Iranian warships into international waters.

Press reports indicate that President Obama was awakened at midnight so he could be informed of North Korea's provocation. But I fear he sleeps still - in a few days he will leave for Cairo, Egypt, to deliver yet another apology-for-America speech and hold out an olive branch to the "Muslim world." Eventually, either Obama or the teleprompter has to wake up. I'm betting on the teleprompter. (Gary Bauer; End-of-Day; May 26, 2009)

Prophetic Acceleration Around The World

But America Leads the Race Toward the End Times

Headlines around the world would suggest that end times prophecies are accelerating at an exponential rate compared to other times in history. North Korea is destabilizing the world with several missile tests and nuclear bomb blasts, and says that it is no longer bound by the 1953 armistice that ended the hostilities of the Korean War. Iran, one of the members of the Ezekiel end time prophecy of nations that come against Israel, is on a sure path toward nuclear weapons, and is also destabilizing the Middle East by sending warships into international waters. Russia, also a member of the Ezekiel prophecy, is using none of its influence to mitigate these actions
In the United States, the forces of evil are busy trying to destroy the nation morally and economically. The White House nominated for the Supreme Court a Latino woman, Sonia Sotomayor. Sotomayor has said in the past that "In the Court of Appeals is where policy is made." She has also said that a wise Latino woman "would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life." Her appointment most certainly points to judicial activism rather than strict interpretations of the Constitution. This means that individual rights will be eroded in favor of global policy.

On the good news side, The California Supreme Court decided 6 to 1 to uphold a ban on same sex marriage voted into place by California citizens. But homosexuals threw an immediate temper tantrum by taking to the streets and protesting. They vowed to put the measure on the ballot again in an effort to overturn the previous decisions by the voters. Already, several other states have legalized same sex marriage. Every society in the history of the world that normalized homosexual relations is no longer in existence, beginning with the first--Sodom and Gomorrah--destroyed by God for its sexual depravity.

But the White House is working on a project that may well prove to be the destruction of America as we know it. Zechariah 12:3 says, "And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered against it." The Palestinian Media Center reports that the man who occupies the Oval Office (OOO) has assured the Palestinian Authority that the US will advocate that East Jerusalem become the capital of a new Palestinian state. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed "A united Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Jerusalem was and will always be ours. It shall never be divided and disunited again." The lines of prophecy are being drawn in the sands of the Middle East and America is crossing them.

Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com

The Good News Corner

Most in U.S. Oppose Judicial Activism, Support Abortion Regulations

Americans United for Life (AUL) has sent a letter to all 100 U.S. senators, urging them to consider a new poll in light of the Supreme Court vacancy.

Nine in 10 Republicans and more than 8 in 10 Democrats agreed with the following: "When considering a new Justice for the United States Supreme Court, I would prefer that my United States senators look for a man or woman who will interpret the law as it is written and not take into account his or her personal viewpoints and experiences."

Eighty-two percent of the 800 respondents strongly opposed or somewhat opposed a nominee for the Supreme Court who supports late-term abortion. A similar majority --- 71 percent --- strongly or somewhat opposed a nominee who favors using tax dollars to pay for domestic abortions.

Dr. Charmaine Yoest, AUL President and CEO, wrote:

"Senators, we urge you to take these clear findings into consideration before you vote on the president's nominee and recognize that the majority of your constituents --- regardless of political party --- fervently oppose any type of judicial activism that would rescind common sense laws on abortion and its regulations."

The poll also revealed that more than half of respondents either strongly or somewhat supported allowing states --- not the federal government --- to decide how to regulate abortion.

The poll was conducted by The Polling Co. (Josh Montez, CitizenLink, May 22, 2009)

CHPP Daily Brief - May 26, 2009

In This Issue
• Today's Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER: SUNDAY, MAY 31st
• Ministers Issue Call to National Repentance
• The Good News Corner

Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net

The Daily Brief - Tuesday, May 26, 2009

"Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching God." (Isaiah 58:2)

Today's Daily Brief

1. Analysis: N Korea's Bomb Test Adds to Atomic Threat - AP

The Bush administration worked hard to get China, in particular, to press the North Koreans to denuclearize, and it seems likely that Obama will push equally hard with Beijing, which sided with the North Koreans against US and United Nations forces.

• Lord, we pray that this new administration and Obama will not work to undermine the decisions that were made in the previous administration. Let there be caution and great deliberation made first. Free their people!

• Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those who are perishing. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. (Proverbs 31:8, 9 NLT)

2. Iranian President Dismisses Nuke Talks - CNN

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday ruled out nuclear negotiations with other nations, saying, "Iran's nuclear issue is over, in our opinion." At a news conference in Tehran, the hard-line president also said that if re-elected he again will call for a debate with U.S. President Barack Obama.

• Heavenly Father, we pray for Ahmadinejad to be replaced with a leader in Iran who will not have plans to aquire, or develop nuclear weapons. Let Iran be a peaceful nation and let the people be free to elect a better leader.

• Perversity is in his heart, He devises evil continually, He sows discord. Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy. (Proverbs 6:14, 15)

3. State Dept. Has Few Who Speak Language of Area Where Taliban Operates - USA Today

Complicating the Obama administration's plan to ramp up civilian aid to Pakistan and Afghanistan, the State Department employs just 18 foreign service officers who can speak the language of the region where the Taliban insurgency rages, according to records and interviews.

"It's a grim illustration of two problems," said Ronald Neumann, a veteran diplomat who was U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007. "First, there is no money, and second, there are no people."

• Lord, with such a dire need in this area of our defense, we ask You for the money and the people that the Department of Defense needs. We thank You for Your abundant supply, in all things. Amen.

• He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You enlarged my path under me, So my feet did not slip. (Psalms 18:32, 36)

4. US Kuwait Troops Suffer Swine Flu - Reuters

Eighteen US soldiers in Kuwait have been tested positive for swine flu, health authorities have said. The cases are the first to be reported from the Gulf region since the H1N1 outbreak of influenza type A began last month in Mexico. The US personnel had not come into contact with Kuwaiti citizens, the Reuters news agency said.

• Lord, we thank You for the military people who have volunteered to protect this nation. We pray a hedge of protection around them, their families, and all that pertains to them. We pray You will bless them greatly.

• "The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace." (6:23-26)

5. Saudi 'Killer Chip' Implant Would Track, Eliminate Undesirables - Fox News

German media outlets reported last week that a Saudi inventor's application to patent a "killer chip," as the Swiss tabloids put it, had been denied. The inventor said the chip could be used to track terrorists, criminals, fugitives, illegal immigrants, political dissidents, domestic servants and foreigners overstaying their visas. Model B would have an extra function - a dose of cyanide to remotely kill the wearer without muss or fuss if authorities deemed he'd become a public threat.

• Heavenly Father, we have come to the place where evil is being called good. We pray that there will be a strong outcry against these kinds of inventions and plans. Let them never be used against Christians and other innocent people. We ask this in Your Name, amen.

• These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him . . . A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, (Proverbs 6:16, 18)

The Middle East in Focus

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

"You who fear the LORD, praise Him; All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel." (Jeremiah 8:11)

1. Abbas to Press Obama on Israeli Settlement Issue - Reuters

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Monday he would focus on Israel's refusal to stop the building of settlements when he holds talks with U.S. President Barack Obama later this week. Abbas, who is due to meet Obama on Thursday, has ruled out restarting long-stalled peace talks until Israel commits itself to the creation of a Palestinian state and halts expansion of its settlements.

2.US: J'lem's status open to discussion - Jerusalem Post

The US State Department said Sunday that the future status of Jerusalem would be determined through peace negotiations, after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's declaration Thursday that the capital would "never again be partitioned and divided."

3. PM: No new West Bank settlements - Jerusalem Post

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the cabinet Sunday that he made clear in the US last week that although Israel is committed to removing illegal West Bank outposts, it will not stop construction in Jerusalem or building to accomodate natural growth in the settlements.
4.Israel Moves Closer to Banning Naqba Memorials- VOA

An Israeli government committee has approved a draft law that would prohibit commemorating Israel's independence as a day of mourning.

GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER: SUNDAY, MAY 31st

GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER:

Let's Celebrate as ALL 220 Countries will be participating on 31 May 2009!!!!

And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory. -- Isaiah 66:18 (NIV)

Yes, what seemed impossible has become a reality: 1 city in 2001, 1 nation in 2002, 1 continent in 2004 and NOW hundreds of millions from thousands of cities in every single country of the world will be joining for the Global Day of Prayer!

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. -- Habakkuk 2:14 (NIV)

In many European countries the Global Day of Prayer has also grown from a small gathering in one city/town to national participation. Excitement is sensed all across the continent.

From the United Kingdom is reported "the Global Day of Prayer vision has exploded and there will be over 85 locations hosting a variety of creative events in cathedrals, churches, parks, streets, town centres, city walls, up hills, from viewpoints and in a stadium and a university! There will be 13 Northern Ireland events, two events in Scotland, two events in Wales and around 68 events in England which includes 33 different borough events in Greater London. There are 4 cathedrals hosting events" One such event is in Clydebank, Scotland: "The town Centre of Clydebank has a canal running through it. The highlight of our service will be a symbolic "Crossing of the Jordan" as a sign of commitment to Christian unity and intercession."

In the Balkans Macedonia will have young people from 4-5 churches in the city gather together to make plans for the 24 hour house of prayer and for the May 31 GDOP gathering. We believe this will help release a torch to the next generation of believers in this nation and in Bulgaria "God led us into the very heart of Sofia. The largest open air square of Sofia - Alexander Batenberg. A place where the communistic party used to have their speeches, and where during revival times in Bulgaria, 1991, 1992 there had been held the biggest evangelistic meetings."

The Russians tell us "The Lord opened His rivers of the living water through the GDOP. During the last 3 years the GDOP covered the 30 of Russian cities, though started it in the only one city"
Who would have ever imagined the day when the whole earth would be covered with the prayers of the saints, from the rising of the sun in the East to it's setting in the West? That day has dawned on us in a time and season of desperation. Let us now pray in faith that He who is able to accomplish abundantly more than we can pray or think, will hear our prayers and heal our land and the nations of the world.

Please visit the website www.globaldayofprayer.com and click on your continent to see who to contact about an event near you or contact us at info@globaldayofprayer.com .

Many Blessings and love
The GDOP Team

Ministers Issue Call to National Repentance

URGENT!!!

Ministers Issue Call to National Repentance

"Call2Fall" Set for Sunday, July 5, 2009

May 19, 2009 -- A cross-section of Christian leaders on Tuesday issued a call for churchgoers to kneel in prayer on July 5 not for the nation but for the body of Christ.

"We're asking churches as an act of humility, on behalf of the church first and the nation second, to get on our knees and cry out to God on July 5," said Family Research Council (FRC) President Tony Perkins, who is spearheading the initiative being dubbed the Call2Fall. "On July 4 we celebrate our independence, and it's our desire on July 5 to declare our dependence upon God as a people and as a nation."

Perkins was joined Tuesday in his call by Larry Stockstill, senior pastor of Bethany World Prayer Center in Baton Rouge, La.; Bishop Harry Jackson, president of the High Impact Leadership Coalition; Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention; and Bishop Wellington Boone of the Father's House Church in suburban Atlanta.

Perkins hopes to see 8 million Christians in 40,000 churches nationwide kneel in prayer for three to five minutes the Sunday after Independence Day, and he is urging pastors to register their congregations at the Call2Fall Web site. Perkins noted that the prayer call is not to advance public policy, but to see spiritual renewal.

"I think the church is coming to a point where we're coming to the end of our own devices and we're looking to God for the prescription of what it will take to turn this nation around," Perkins said. "And I think we can't come to God on our terms, we have to go to Him on His terms, and He's made it very clear [in 2 Chronicles 7:14] . . . that we are to humble ourselves before Him and seek Him and turn from our wicked ways-and that's not the nation, that's the church. So I'm very encouraged that if the church will take this challenge, take the call to fall, that God will move in this nation."

Although other movements have called Christians to prayer and repentance, the ministers said Call2Fall uses Independence Day as a touch point for addressing the church's need to seek God for national renewal. "We feel deeply and passionately that if something is not done quickly, we really could lose our whole country," Stockstill said. "As Paul Revere woke up the nation to the invasion of the British, we're waking up the nation to the invasion of the demonic powers that are pulling us away from God." "There really isn't a new political agenda we can pull out of the hat or any other form of medicine for America," Stockstill added. "It's only prayer and fasting."

Land noted that great revival movements typically start with fasting and prayer, and he expects Southern Baptists to be very receptive to prayer effort. "We are similarly convinced that the only real answer for America is spiritual renewal and revival that must start with those that claim the name of Christ," Land said. "We believe that as Christians we have failed to live in a way that would be as pleasing to the Lord as we would hope, and we need to repent of that and humble ourselves, and we need to seek His face and seek His guidance and direction for ourselves, for our churches and for our country. "I think that the Holy Spirit is leading different segments of the Lord's kingdom in a very similar direction to call for the revival that our hearts yearn for."

Boone and Stockstill said the nation is at a point of repentance or humiliation. "I know that I'd rather be voluntarily humble than to be humbled by God," said Boone, who leads a national network of churches. "Our nation is seeing some judgment, and the men of God have to stand up and say what's necessary to get God to turn for us instead of turn against us," Boone added.
Stockstill, who helped New Life Church address a sex and drug scandal involving its pastor, Ted Haggard, in 2006, said the call to repentance begins first with pastors, whom he said are often failing to offer moral leadership in the nation. He said churchgoers, too, have drifted into carnality, prayerlessness and compromise. "[Christians must] decry our own failures, our own sins, our own loss of influence to the nation and ask God to restore first pastors, then churches and then our nation into revival," Stockstill said.

Although FRC and Jackson's High Impact Leadership Coalition have been actively involved in culture war issues such as gay marriage, Perkins and Jackson said the prayer call is not an attempt to denounce President Obama or his administration.

"This is not an anti-Obama or anti-administration movement," said Jackson, who has been advocating for traditional marriage in the District of Columbia, where the City Council recently passed a measure recognizing same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.

"But every president needs the power and wisdom of God in order to take our rightful position in the world and appropriately administer justice and represent not only the nation but the world in God's name. ... I am just expectant that we're going to see something dramatic happen. Not through demonstration, not through political action . . . but the spiritual dimension, God awakening and quickening the hearts of our people, causing them to be revived by His grace."

However, Jackson said religious liberty will be in jeopardy without a significant cultural shift. "We need to recognize that if we do not violently-in terms of spiritual violence, not physical violence-violently, aggressively seek God in these spiritual things, we are going to be the Christian community and oppressed people, discriminated against and put down by this culture," he said. "But God has ordained that we turn this around. I believe we're going to see America changed."
Join in praying for a mass response to this call to fall . . . www.call2fall.org (Reported by: Charisma Magazine)

The Good News Corner

Rhode Island Considers Public Cord-Blood Bank

For years, women have been able to store their babies' cord blood at a steep cost. Now, Rhode Island is working toward hosting New England's first public cord-blood bank.

Stem cells found in cord blood have been used to treat diseases and conditions such as leukemia and lymphoma.

The Rhode Island Blood Center and Women & Infants Hospital have started collecting donated umbilical-cord blood in a one-year trial program. Initially, the blood will be sent to the New Jersey Cord Blood Bank. The blood stored there and at other public blood banks is used to treat people around the world.

"Cord-blood donation is an incredible, painless way to save someone's life," Dr. Carolyn Young, chief medical officer at the Rhode Island Blood Center, told The Providence Journal. "There is no controversy, unlike embryonic stem cells."

Jennifer Lahl, national director for The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network, reminded the public that ethical stem-cell research like cord-blood research is the only type that has successfully treated humans. "It's good policy as well as good medicine," she said, "and good ethical, scientific discovery and progress." (By Nima Reza, CitizenLink)