Thursday, September 4, 2014

CHPP Daily Brief - Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014





On 9/11: CRY OUT AMERICA!

On Sept. 14th: A Star-Spangled Sunday!"
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Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
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The Daily Brief:

"Praying for All in Authority"

Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014

"Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand,
To execute vengeance on the nations
And punishment on the peoples,
To bind their kings with chains
And their nobles with fetters of iron,
To execute on them the judgment written;
This is an honor for all His godly ones.
Praise the Lord!"
(Psalm 149:6-9)


"And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse . . ." (Rev. 19:11)

The Daily Brief

1. Al-Qaeda chief Zawahiri launches al-Qaeda in South Asia - BBC

Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has announced in a video message the creation of an Indian branch of his militant group to "raise the flag of jihad" across South Asia. In the 55-minute video posted online, Zawahiri pledged renewed loyalty to Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar. Correspondents say his stated allegiance is an apparent snub to Islamic State (IS) militants.

- Lord as this Islamic movement swells across the world, we pray that Your people will rise up and fight in the Spirit against it. We pray that the armies of the western world will recognize the danger and begin to destroy the evil.

- "But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My Name may be declared in all the earth." (Exodus 9:16)


2. Beheaded journalist Sotloff had kept his Jewish roots hidden - Seattle Times

As long as there was a chance Steven Sotloff was alive, there was fear that exposure of his Jewish roots and Israeli past could put him in further danger.

- Father we continue to pray for Mr. Sotloff's family, both in America and Israel, that Your comfort would replace their grief.

- "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart." (Psalm 34:18a)


3. Gen. McInerney: "We Helped Build ISIS" (Video) - Fox News General Thomas McInerney acknowledged that the United States ?helped build ISIS? as a result of the group obtaining weapons from the Benghazi consulate in Libya which was attacked by jihadists in September 2012 in an interview with Fox News.

- Lord we know that America has been making poor choices in who to stand with for many years. We ask that You turn this tide and bring back righteousness and wisdom to our leaders. Nothing is impossible with You!

- "Oh my God, make them like the whirling dust, like the chaff before the wind!. . . Pursue them with Your tempest and frighten them with Your storm." (Psalm 83:13,15)


4. Erekat pushes Palestinian statehood case with Kerry - Jerusalem Post

Chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat met with US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday and presented the top American diplomat with a plan for establishing an independent Palestinian state within a specific timeline. The initiative delivered by Erekat. . . reiterated the Palestinian call to to "end the Israeli occupation" and establish a state based on the pre-1967 lines with a capital in east Jerusalem. . .

- Lord we pray that You will show John Kerry the truth. We ask that You reveal Yourself to these men and make them understand that the land belongs to Israel.

- "For I will defend this city, to save it for My own sake and for My servant David's sake." (2 Kings 19:34)


5. Atheist Group Gets All Religious Expression Banned From HS Football Games- Daily Caller

Starting this season, team chaplains, fan signs with Bible verses and praying before games will all be banned from Orange County public schools in Florida, thanks to an atheist activist group who sent a threatening letter to the district's superintendent.

- Father, we repent for the actions of this school district who caved in to the letter from the atheist group. We ask that Your people rise up and begin to take action against the threats and removal of Jesus from these games.

- "The Glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call and the Lord will answer; you shall cry and He will say, 'Here I am' (Isaiah 58:8c,9a)


6. Rogue 'Cell Towers' Can Intercept Your Data; At Least One Found In Chicago - CBS

So-called rogue cell phone towers, the type that can intercept your mobile calls and data, are cropping up all over the United States, including here in Chicago, according to a company that specializes in developing highly secure mobile phones.

- Lord, according to reports, no one knows exactly who is responsible for these towers. We pray disruption to their purpose, and tearing down of their ability.

- "Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men, Who plan evil things in their hearts." (Psalm 140:1-2a)


7. Tom DeLay: Obama paralyzed by Muslim sympathy - WND

President Obama's left-leaning political ideology combined with sympathies for Islam acquired from being raised by a Muslim stepfather paralyze him as he faces the threat posed by the Islamic jihadist group ISIS, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay told WND in an interview.

"In defending America against radical Islamic terrorism, Barack Obama cannot be trusted," DeLay said. "Barack Obama was raised a Muslim, and he claims he is a Christian, and I can't say for sure whether he's a Christian or not, but he has shown over the last few years that he has great sympathies with Islam," DeLay explained.

(Read more)

- By now, many of us who are praying for our nation have come to suspect that this president, Barack Hussein Obama, is indeed a "closet Moslem."

No matter what his personal faith may be, the facts remain that this president is not confronting this enemy, but instead seems actually to be helping him by doing little, if anything, to stop ISIS.

Once again we turn to the prayer warriors to do the job this president will not do, to "fight the good fight of faith" for the preservation of our nation, even in our own fallen state. May God have mercy upon us and may God forgive Barack Hussein Obama. In Jesus' name, amen.

- "This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's." (2 Chronicles 20:15 NLT)


The Middle East in Focus

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces." (Psalm 122:6))


1. Former Head of IDF Intel: Israel Doesn't Need to Fear ISIS - Arutz Sheva

Former head of IDF Intelligence Amos Yadlin on Wednesday expressed a contrarian opinion on the dangers of the terrorist group ISIS, responsible for the beheadings of two journalists, as well as thousands of "infidels" in Iraq and Syria who do not subscribe to their particular brand of Islam. According to Yadlin, there's nothing to fear from ISIS.

Speaking at an Ashkelon college Wednesday, Yadlin said that despite the shocking videos the group released showing the beheadings of journalists Steve Sotloff and James Foley, "there is no real reason to fear. ISIS is very good at media relations, and using the media to frighten people. They murder their captives in a shocking manner in order to get media attention." (Read more)


2. French Lawmaker: Israel's On the Front Line! - Israel Today

In a sharply-worded letter sent late last month, French parliamentarian Meyer Habib slammed French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius for accusing Israel of war crimes in Gaza, even as his boss, President Francois Hollande, struck a far different tone. Habib noted in his letter that early in the Gaza war the French government "fully identified with Israel and its right to defend its citizens. We prevented a number of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic demonstrations in order to change France's position in regards to Israel." But, it seemed Fabius was not happy with this new direction. "You speak of a massacre in Gaza. You speak of a lack of vision," Habib accused the foreign minister. "Instead of helping to calm the situation, you pour oil on the fire." (Read more)

- God, we thank You for Meyer Habib speaking up for Israel. Lord, may You bless him and let the words he speaks about this be heard by many. Let the people of France awaken to this and let their hearts be set on fire for Israel. Father, give them a deep love for Your land and people and take away any fear they would have about showing their support.  In Your holy name, we offer this prayer, Amen.

3. IDF Returns Fire at Syrian Army Position as Mortar Hits Golan - Arutz Sheva

The IDF returned fire at a Syrian army position along the northern border Thursday afternoon, after a mortar shell struck Israeli territory. The army said it fired a Tamuz anti-tank missile at the source of the fire.

Sirens were heard throughout throughout the Golan Heights earlier, as a mortar shell had struck in an open field in the northern Golan. No damage or injuries were reported. The military added that at it appears to have been stray fire and not directed at Israel. (Read more)


4. Netanyahu focuses on threats, as Kerry and Livni looking to re-start talks - Jerusalem Post

As Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and US Secretary of State John Kerry push for a renewal of Israeli-Palestinian talks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to publicly focus on regional threats rather than possible negotiations.

Netanyahu stressed the need for US-Israeli cooperation in facing radical Islam when he spoke Monday before a private meeting in Jerusalem with visiting US congressmen Dana Rohrabacher (R-California) and Gregory Meeks (D-New York).

"We are closely following the situation on the Golan Heights, where al-Nusra terrorists kidnapped UN observers," Netanyahu said. "I think that the UN would do itself a great favor if instead of automatically attacking Israel, it would turn its attention, and its investigation committees, toward the terrorists who are trampling the values and norms upon which the UN was founded." (Read more)


5. We underestimated Hamas tenacity, top IDF source admits - Times of Israel

A  senior army intelligence official has admitted that Israel underestimated the tenacity of Gaza terrorists and did not expect the July-August 50-day conflict to last so long - insisting, however, they were soundly beaten.

The conflict, which ended with a fire last week, killed more than 2,100 Gazans - 1,000 of whom Israel says were engaged in active combat, and others that it accuses terrorists of using as human shields during the clashes - as well as 66 soldiers and six civilians on the Israeli side, in the bloodiest battle to date between the Jewish state and Hamas. (Read more)


6. Pro-Islamic State gathering on Temple Mount filmed by Israeli TV - Times of Israel

Israel's Channel 10 on Wednesday night broadcast what it said was footage from a recent "Islamic State gathering" on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

The report, which is to be broadcast in full next week, said the gathering underlined that Islamic State intends to focus on Israel in the future.

Formally, the gathering, attended by thousands, was organized by the Tahrir party, which the report described as being the "Palestine branch" of Islamic State. (Read more)

- Father, remember the apple of Your eye, remember Your people. Let your people cry out for You and see Jesus as Messiah. Please take the scales off their eyes, Lord, have mercy on them and deliver them. We ask that during these gatherings or any uprising that You are there in the midst of them, giving your protection. Let them feel Your presence Abba. In Jesus' name, amen.

- "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me." (Psalm 138:7)


7. PA plan seeks Palestinian state, IDF pullout within 3 years - Times of Israel

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas plans to present a framework for renewed peace talks with Israel, according to a Palestinian ex-minister close to Abbas.

  In an effort to jump start stalled peace talks and expedite the establishment of a Palestinian state, Abbas is preparing to present Israel with a specific timetable for talks and a detailed set of demands. (Read more)

- We pray that Your will be done regarding pulling out of Palestine, Lord. Do not let Israel be intimidated to do anything that is outside of Your perfect plan. God, we ask that you remember your promise to Abraham regarding the land you were giving to his descendants, and not let any land be taken away from them. In Jesus' name, amen.

- "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates." (Genesis 15:18)


8. Israel signs $15 billion gas deal with Jordan - Times of Israel

Israel signed a memorandum of understanding with Jordan Wednesday, under which it will supply the Hashemite Kingdom with $15 billion worth of natural gas from its Leviathan energy field over 15 years. The new deal is the largest collaboration with Jordan to date, and will make Israel its chief supplier, according to the Globes business news website. (Read more)

- Father God, in this hour, when the ISIS terrorists are on the doorstep of Jordan, we call forth the promise of Genesis 12:3 from Your Word for that nation. As she has blessed Israel by this gas deal, may she, too, be blessed. In the name of Yeshua, amen.

- " . . . I will bless those who bless you . . ." (Gen. 12:3a)


America's Muslim Missionaries

America's Muslim Missionaries


I bet you didn't know that America has Muslim missionaries who are being paid with your tax dollars. Let me mention a few: Barack Obama. John Kerry. John Brennan.

Of course, I'm being sarcastic. But here's my point: The more we are attacked by radical Islamists, the more heads that roll, the more Christians are slaughtered, the more synagogues are bombed, the more threats made against our homeland, the more America's political leadership sings the praises of Islam. And it is being done in a way that they would never do for Christianity.

If you're a leader of ISIS, the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas or Hezbollah, surely you've noticed that the more you attempt to spread your Islamism, the more outrageous crimes you commit, you not only spread terror but also cause the leaders of the Western world you are attempting to destroy to sing the praises of your faith. Am I the only one who thinks this is beyond idiocy?

After an Islamist cut off a head, Secretary of State John Kerry said, "The real face of Islam is a peaceful religion based on the dignity of all human beings . . . it's one where Muslim communities are advocating for universal human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the most basic freedom to practice one's faith openly and freely."

Really? Just where is this mythical nation with a majority Muslim population that it is known for its commitment to universal human rights?

Mr. Secretary, ask the women of Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries who were sexually mutilated as young girls about the dignity of life under Islam.

Mr. Secretary, talk to the Christians being driven out of virtually every Muslim nation in the Middle East about Islam's respect for universal and fundamental freedoms. Muslim nations dominate the government's list of the world's worst violators of religious liberty.

Perhaps the gay rights lobby, which is such an important part of the Democrat coalition, should demand that Barack Obama stop negotiating with Iran as long as it continues to hang homosexuals.

The entire left-wing establishment (and some in the GOP too) mercilessly attacked Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock for poorly phrased comments about rape. But Kerry and Obama are praising a faith that makes it virtually impossible for women to prove rape. Jihadists believe they can forcibly assault infidel women and it's not even considered rape.

By the way, former First Lady Laura Bush did more in one day for the rights of women, and particularly women in the Islamic world, than Mrs. Obama has done in six years. But I realize there is only so much time in the day to take on jihadism when you're busy battling the scourge of French fries in public schools.

Here's an idea: The Obama Administration's promotion of Islam is clearly a violation of mosque and state. Does anybody at the ACLU have the time to tackle this one? (Gary Bauer)


ISIS Policy: The Broken Trumpet

The Broken Trumpet


President Obama has made a lot gaffes lately, especially for someone who has come so far on the strength of his oratorical skills. Last week he said he had no strategy for dealing with the Islamic State -- a remark that left Pentagon officials "apoplectic."

Yesterday the president sounded like a broken trumpet as he further muddled the message about America's commitment to defeating the jihadists. During a press conference with the president of Estonia, Obama was asked about his strategy for ISIS. He said this: "Our objective is clear, and that is to degrade and destroy ISIL so that it's no longer a threat not just to Iraq but also the region and to the United States."

He should have ended the press conference there. Moments later, Obama was asked whether he would be sharing his ISIS strategy with our NATO allies later this week. Obama responded: "If we are joined by the international community, we can continue to shrink ISIL's sphere of influence, its effectiveness, its financing, its military capabilities to the point where it is a manageable problem."

Destroy it? Manage it? Which is it?

As usual the president's remarks left our allies confused. Even the folks at CNN and MSNBC were at a loss to explain these contradictory remarks.

Obama's comments were another reminder of the bizarre exchange he had recently with Thomas Friedman of the New York Times where they both agreed that the Middle East would work best if there were "no victors, no vanquished." That may be a nice sentiment, but as a strategy it works only if your enemy agrees to stop trying to kill you. If you go into war saying our goal isn't victory, it is pretty clear how that will turn out.

Meanwhile, Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder continue to use rhetoric more appropriate in fighting crime, not war. Holder recently announced that he was launching an "open criminal investigation" into the beheading of James Foley. Referring to the jihadist[s] who beheaded Foley and Steven Sotloff, Obama vowed that "justice will be served."

Given the track record of this administration, that means an ACLU attorney at taxpayer expense and a trial in civilian court. It is difficult to imagine Franklin Roosevelt saying, "We have the names of the Japanese pilots who bombed Pearl Harbor and we have issued warrants for their arrest."

The next two years can't end soon enough! (Gary Bauer)


The Daily Jot (Part One)

The beast at the doorstep: a wake up call


Again, it is difficult for peace loving, hard working, church going Americans to suspend their disbelief of the atrocities committed by the Islamic State. Journalist Steven Sotloff's head was sawed off by the Islamic coward who calls himself "Jihadi John." It is no secret at whom the Islamic State caliphate is aiming--Israel and the Christian West. The IS murderer proclaimed in his execution video: "We take this opportunity to warn those governments that enter this evil alliance of America against the Islamic State to back off and leave our people alone." While politicians point to the Islamic State not discriminating between Muslims, Jews and Christians, they lack understanding and need to be woke up from their denial.

The IS fancies itself as an apocalyptic end time system. Its goal is to gain political power, land mass, converts, and economic power through taking spoil. Yes, it will continue killing Muslims until they submit to the caliphate's authority. Those in the predominantly Judeo-Christian area outside of the 10/40 window (Northwest Africa to China and containing over 1.1 billion Muslims in 28 countries) are to be brutally brought into submission to the caliphate. Americans and Europeans, for example, will have to deny their very spiritual being to possibly avoid death. This is not a political war, it is a war of religious ideology that cuts to the very marrow of a Christian's and Jew's soul and spirit.

Our leadership needs to wake up. The president continues to draw shallow line after line in the sand, but in reality, his delaying tactics on not having a plan or a strategy or waiting for international involvement, are aiding and abetting his namesake. Government leaders are saying that good government is the answer to stopping the IS, not the US military. Some 11 commercial jetliners were taken from the Tripoli Airport, prompting government warnings that they could be used in 9/11-style attacks against US and European targets. Judicial Watch, an extremely credible government watchdog, says the US government has issued a warning of possible Jihadists attacks from terrorists entering the US at will--across the open Southern border the "president" refuses to secure. Tells us about good government.

The Sharia system imposed by Islam matches well with Revelation's description of the beast government. Revelation 13:16,17 says, "And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." Revelation 20:4, "...and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands." We may be witnessing the march of prophecy. Instead of self indulgent proclamations about what God is going to do for us, we need to be summoning the Lion of Judah within us. Wake up before the beast is at our doorstep.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!

Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com


The Daily Jot (Part Two)

President speaks: Lo, the poor Muslims


The "president" continues to use the barbaric atrocities of the Islamic State to be an apologist for Islam. In remarks upon his arrival on a foreign policy visit to Estonia, the "president" called the IS a manageable problem and sympathized with the Muslims living in Iraq and Syria as victims of the IS "cancer." The "president's" rope a dope non strategy with IS ignores, at least publicly, that the IS is not waging a political war, but rather one on ideology. American and European leaders do not seem to understand that there is no negotiating with this group of barbarians to achieve a peace of any sort. Muslims are not victims of IS, they tolerate, support, or submit to it, rather than rise up against it.

As reported by CNN and the Weekly Standard, the "president" said, "We know that if we are joined by the international community, we can continue to shrink ISILl's sphere of influence, its effectiveness, its financing, its military capabilities to the point where it is a manageable problem. And the question is going to be making sure we've got the right strategy but also making sure we've got the international will to do it. This is something that is a continuation of a problem we've seen certainly since 9/11, but before and it continues to metastasize in different ways." IS is slaughtering people at will and threatening terrorist attacks on American soil and it is a "manageable problem"? Still no "strategy"?

"And what we've got to do is make sure that we are organizing the Arab world, the Middle East, the Muslim world, along with the international community to isolate this cancer. This particular brand of extremism that is first and foremost destructive to the Muslim world and the Arab World and North Africa and the people who live there. They're the ones who are most severely affected. They're the ones who are constantly under threat of being killed. They're the ones whose economies are completely upended...And they're falling behind because of this very small and narrow but very dangerous segment of the population. And we've got to combat it in a sustained, effective way. And I'm confident we're going to be able to do that."

When there is no plan, no strategy, no international coalition, the self-evident strategy is the one allowing IS to advance. Muslims killing Muslims is a millennia-old prophetic phenomena. As the angel of the Lord said of Ishmael in Genesis 16:12, "And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren." The IS seeks to destroy Israel, America and all the nations that do not agree with it or will not submit to it. This is not about politics, it is about ideology. We must prepare ourselves for what is to come because our "president" is sympathetic to, and an apologist for, Islam--his actions speak louder than his words--we know him by his fruits.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com


ISIS, Iraq, Syria, Benghazi

ISIS, Iraq, Syria, Benghazi


In the absence of U.S. leadership, other nation's leaders, including Great Britain (see Prime Minister David Cameron's speech) and Israel are beginning to make plans to defend their own people from the ISIS threat. For months, the slaughter of thousands of Christian Iraqis by ISIS provoked little reaction from the Obama administration. Since two U.S. reporters have been publicly beheaded, public pressure has forced the President to respond.

Few know that last month, less than two years since four Americans were killed at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, the U.S. quietly withdrew our diplomats and closed the embassy in Libya, leaving the U.S. Embassy (sovereign U.S. Territory) vacant. News outlets have not reported this. Now, Libyan rebel militia groups have stormed the Embassy and overtaken it, at least, the Embassy Annex. Such signs of U.S. weakness radically bolster the confidence of those who seek to destroy us (Hear Tony Perkins and Gen. Boykin discuss troubles in the Middle East. GO HERE.)


- Father, now is the time for Americans to be crying out to you. We missed it after 9/11/2001. After church attendance spiked for a few weeks, we returned to the status quo. Lord, help us to return wholeheartedly to You! Stir your Church to be aware, alert, to pray for our leaders who seem confused and bewildered. Watch over our country and the innocents across our world. Grant our President, his advisors and our allied leaders wisdom and courage to deal with the serious crises we now face. May our President turn to You and to God-fearing counselors for help!

- "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving
And pay your vows to the Most High;
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me."

But to the wicked God says,
"What right have you to tell of My statutes
And to take My covenant in your mouth?
"For you hate discipline,
And you cast My words behind you." (Psalm 50:14-17)

(Submitted by: Rev.Pierre Bynum, Chaplain & National Prayer Director, Family Research Council)

Where Are The Children?

Where Are The Children?


The Border Patrol reports that it has apprehended more than 66,000 "unaccompanied alien children" crossing our southern border this year. Where are they?

Investigative reporter Sharyl Atkisson told Newsmax yesterday that the Obama Administration is stonewalling media and congressional attempts to identify the locations of dozens of shelters housing thousands of these children. Keep in mind that Obama had previously requested nearly $4 billion to help address this crisis. Congress is supposed to have oversight of how your tax dollars are being spent.

Local communities and taxpayers are on the hook for approximately $800 million in additional educational expenses. Yet the Obama Administration won't tell us anything about where these kids are going.

Yesterday I mentioned that Obama is under heavy pressure to delay until after the November elections any executive order granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. A new Rasmussen poll shows why: Only 26% of likely voters think it's a good idea, while 62% oppose it.

Surely the White House and Democrat Senate candidates are doing their own polling and have seen similar numbers. Moreover, the poll found that only 24% of voters believe Obama has the legal authority to grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, and 55% believe Congress should sue him if he tries it. (Gary Bauer)


Ferguson, Missouri: A Prophetic View

A Prophetic Viewpoint of Ferguson, Missouri

by Cindy Jacobs
Generals of Intercession


Whenever I watch the news of pain displayed on so many different levels such as we have been seeing in Ferguson, Missouri, I start to dig into history to find out what is fueling the situation. In addition, I begin to ask God how to pray in order for peace to be released into the situation, so His justice can prevail on all sides.

It has frequently been noted since the death of Michael Brown on August 9 and the subsequent protests that this response is unusual for the area, that St. Louis was one of the only large metropolitan cities that did not see violent race riots during the 1960s; however, this seeming calm in the city is not because racial injustice was not present. (1) When one studies the history of Ferguson and the greater St. Louis area, there is a long history of racial injustice deeply embedded into the everyday framework of life there. The protests and rioting are the eruption from a wound intensifying over many decades. (Read full article here)


Seventh Court Redefines Marriage

Seventh Court Redefines Marriage


Midwestern Court of Appeals Fails to Recognize Truth that Children Need, Deserve a Mom and Dad

September 04, 2014


WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today a three-judge of panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit panel issued a decision redefining marriage in Indiana and Wisconsin. Yesterday, a Louisiana federal judge upheld the freedom of Louisiana voters to preserve marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins released the following comments:

"I am very troubled that this court failed to recognize the self-evident truth that children need and deserve a mom and dad. The ruling doesn't appear to allow society to choose to maintain a coherent definition of marriage.

"The courts have no true constitutional authority to unilaterally change the definition of our most fundamental social institution. Yet this court is engaging in judicial activism unlike yesterday's federal court ruling which upheld the right of Louisiana voters to preserve natural marriage in their state's public policy.

"The Seventh Circuit's radical departure from natural law and the received wisdom of human history continues to undermine the legitimacy of the courts in the eyes of a majority of Americans. Marriage redefinitions imposed by judicial fiat cannot change the truth about marriage, men, women, children, and parenting. Ultimately, the American people will have the final word as they experience the consequences of marriage redefinition and the ways in which it fundamentally alters America's moral, cultural and political landscape," concluded Perkins.


New Rules for the HHS Mandate

New Rules for the HHS Mandate


On Friday, August 22, the administration released an interim final rule of the HHS mandate for nonprofit organizations, as well as a proposed rule for certain for-profit businesses after the Supreme Court's decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. This is the eighth time that the rules have been amended. You can see a chart detailing the changes from 2011 to 2014 here.

Panelists will provide an update on the new rules, how they affect nonprofit organizations and for-profit employers with religious objections, and what they mean for the ongoing legal challenges. There are currently over 100 nonprofit and for-profit cases challenging the mandate. Over 100 Members of Congress joined amicus briefs opposing the mandate's infringement on religious freedom before the Supreme Court in Hobby Lobby.

To read the details of this 8th revision of the HHS Mandate, go here. (Source: Becket Fund)

Obama Administration's Eighth Try on HHS Mandate and Religious Liberty Still Fails

"The eighth time still doesn't seem to be the charm for government bureaucrats. On Friday, the Obama administration released yet another revision to the Department of Health and Human Services mandate that requires employers to provide coverage of abortion-inducing drugs, contraception and sterilization. Many are wondering if the government has actually protected the religious freedom of the more than 300 plaintiffs suing over the coercive rule. The answer is no. . . . The Obama administration's latest bureaucratic tweak to the mandate would only replace one bad regulation with another. . . . Numerous federal courts - including the Supreme Court - have seen through the current gimmick and granted temporary protection from the coercive mandate for religious non-profits in 31 cases. Just adding another step to an already broken and unacceptable process doesn't protect religious freedom." (Daily Caller) Read more.

New HHS rules inadequate, ERLC & others say
"The HHS revision fails miserably," according to the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). "What we see here is another revised attempt to settle issues of religious conscience with accounting maneuvers," ERLC President Russell D. Moore said in a written statement. "This new policy doesn't get at the primary problem. The administration is setting itself up as a mediator between God and the conscience on the question of the taking of innocent human life."

In an analysis, the ERLC said the administration "still falls short of understanding the concerns surrounding religious liberty." . . . "After three losses in the Supreme Court and dozens of losses in courts below, the government continues to confuse the issues. The government issued over 70 pages of regulations, when all it needed to do was read the First Amendment," said Lori Windham, senior counsel for the Becket Fund.

Gregory Baylor, senior counsel for ADF, said the administration "has failed to extend its existing religious exemption to the religious owners of family businesses and to religious non-profits other than churches. That would have been the best way of respecting freedom for everyone."

. . . HHS acknowledged both rules were issued in response to Supreme Court decisions this summer. . . . The rules regarding "closely held" for-profits followed the Supreme Court's June opinion in favor of the religious liberty rights of Hobby Lobby and other family owned businesses. The new proposals regarding for-profits would "effectively reduce, rather than expand, the scope of religious freedom" provided by the Supreme Court, according to the USCCB. (Town Hall) Read more.


Pulpit Freedom Sunday

Pulpit Freedom Sunday and IRS Targeting of Churches

Sunday, October 5th, 2014


October 5th is Pulpit Freedom Sunday. Pastors across America will preach "Election Sermons," like those preached throughout our history until 1953. Some will defy the 501(c)3 IRS code crafted, which prohibits pastors and churches from endorsing or opposing political candidates.

While a clear violation of every pastor's constitutional freedom of religion and speech, the Supreme Court has never adjudicated this issue. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) wants to carry a deciding case to the High Court and end the bogus restraints that have prevented too many pastors from speaking the truth about candidates and issues for 60 years.

The atheist Freedom from Religion Foundation sued the IRS, demanding they monitor churches for compliance and take away the tax-exempt status of those who violate the code. Supposedly, the group is now serving as a watchdog for the IRS and has submitted the names of 99 churches that they believe to be chief offenders.

- May Americans hear bold preaching as never before! May God's people understand about the biblical qualifications for civil leaders and vote accordingly! May ADF succeed in striking down this code, now being used by the IRS to monitor and target churches!
- "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it." (Matthew 16:18)
(Submitted by: Rev.Pierre Bynum, Chaplain & National Prayer Director, Family Research Council)

On 9/11: CRY OUT AMERICA!

On 9/11: CRY OUT AMERICA!

Every state, every county, every church, and every heart crying out for America


For seven years our friends at the Awakening America Alliance have sponsored Cry Out America!, a nationwide call to repent, pray and remember what happened on September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the symbols of our nation's economic and military strength - the World Trade Center and the Pentagon -- killing nearly 3,000 people.

Cry Out America! is organizing groups to pray on their court house steps and elsewhere for America's healing and protection (Click here and scroll to bottom of page)! Remember: 9/11 was a wakeup call for America to be vigilant and maintain a strong military, but also to call upon God, our nation's Strength and Shield! (Ps 26:7)

(Submitted by: Rev.Pierre Bynum, Chaplain & National Prayer Director, Family Research Council)
- Pray that courthouses across our land will overflow with praying believers on 9/11, and that God will hear and answer! (2 Chronicles 7:14)

The Good News Corner

The Good News Corner:

National Day of Prayer Called in Scotland Ahead of Vote for Independence


"We do not wish to see a Scotland which is independent from God. The last thing we want is a secular state. . . in which His day is not worth valuing and in which His blessing is not worth considering." -Reverend David Miller

Christian Today reports Christians in Scotland are urging First Minister Alex Salmond and Better Together leader Alistair Darling to join in prayer ahead of their nation's national referendum on independence.

On September 17, churches will reportedly be open between 7am and 10pm for people to come in and pray specifically for the future of their country. At the turn of each hour, notes a report in Christian Today, the Lord's prayer will be recited, and prayer offered particularly for "an outcome that benefits Christ's Kingdom in Scotland."

The report also notes that churches are being encouraged to pray the Sunday before the vote.

Scotland has not been independent since 1707 when it joined with England. If Scotland votes Yes on the upcoming referendum, proceedings will begin to make the transition to independence. According to Business Insider, following a Yes vote, "the country will be in full control of its defense, tax revenue, fiscal and foreign policies, and immigration. Discussions will have to take place to transfer power over from Westminster to the Scottish Parliament.

The changes would be huge, which is why the Church has called for prayer.

Read More

Source: Breaking Christian News


Signs and Wonders

Signs and Wonders

FILAMENT ERUPTION, POSSIBLY EARTH-DIRECTED


Astronomers around the world have been monitoring an enormous filament of dark plasma snaking across the face of the sun. Yesterday it erupted. A movie from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory seems to show debris from the blast hurtling in the general direction of Earth. (SpaceWeather.com) Read more


"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."
(Luke 21:25-28)


Worship With Us Today!

Worship With Us Today!
Hezekiah Walker - "Every Praise"

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