Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
"A National Prayer Alliance"
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net
The Daily Brief:
"Praying for All in Authority"
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
"Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence."
(2 Chronicles 6:19)
WE ARE ASKING ALL OF OUR PRAYER PARTNERS TO READ THE VERSES BELOW OUT LOUD, AS A DECREE, KNOWING THAT THE WORD WILL NOT RETURN VOID. (Isaiah 55:11) THANK YOU!
"And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse . . ." (Rev. 19:1)
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The Daily Brief
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1. Top military official opens door to ground troops in ISIS fight, despite Obama pledge - Fox News
A week after President Obama vowed not to get "dragged into another ground war in Iraq," his top military leader opened the door to just that.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey addressed the possibility of U.S. ground forces getting involved in the fight against the Islamic State during blunt testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. He said he would consider recommending that option if the international coalition being formed proves ineffective.
"My view at this point is that this coalition is the appropriate way forward," Dempsey said. "I believe that will prove true, but if it fails to be true and if there are threats to the United States, then I of course would go back to the president and make a recommendation that may include the use of U.S. military ground forces." (Read more)
- Father, we thank you for General Dempsey. We thank you for the abilities that you have given him to lead an army against ISIS. We thank you that you have provided him with wise counsel and that he listens when they speak. We pray that You endow him with knowledge, wisdom, understanding, discretion, and wise counsel. Your word says by wise guidance you wage war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
- let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.(Proverbs 1:5, 24:6)
2. Qatar's terror funding makes it more foe than friend to U.S., critics say - Fox News
Qatar has simultaneously been championed as a Western ally in the fight against terror and criticized as the Middle East's chief enabler of radical jihad. It may have found a way to be both, say regional experts.
By reportedly paying groups like Al Nusra tens of millions of dollars to win the freedom of hostages, the gulf emirate is playing both ends against the middle and potentially jeopardizing the security of the U.S.-led coalition mission against Islamic State, critics say. They note that last week, 45 Fijian UN peacekeepers, who had been kidnapped while on patrol in the Syrian Golan Heights by the Al Nusra Front, were released unharmed following intervention from Qatar that allegedly included a $20 million payment. (Read more)
- Father, the United States has made the decision to not pay terrorists to release hostages. Qatar pays terrorists for the release of hostages; and, at the same time, funds the terror network with these funds. Your word says that we should not be bound with unbelievers; and that we are not to participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead expose them. Father, we repent of making alliances with unbelievers. Forgive us, Lord, for unrighteousness. Wake up our leaders so they will not continue along this path. Bless the United States with alliances that are righteous.
- Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? - Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. (2 Corinthians 6:14, Ephesians 5:11)
3. White House officials warn Syria over ISIS mission - Fox News
The United States would retaliate against Syrian President Bashar Assad's air defenses if he were to go after American planes launching airstrikes in his country, a senior Obama administration official said Monday. Officials also told Fox News that the U.S. has a good sense of where the Syrian air defenses, along with their command and control centers, are located. If Assad were to use those capabilities to threaten U.S. forces, it would put his air defenses at risk, a senior official told Fox News.
President Obama has authorized U.S. airstrikes inside Syria as part of a broad campaign to root out the Islamic State militant group, though no strikes have yet been launched in the country. Asked Monday about the prospect of striking Assad's regime if his forces were to target Americans, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said there will be "rules of engagement that are related to any military orders the president directs." (Read more)
- Father God, I have heard that the Minister of Defense of Syria has said that Syria will not allow the United States to attack ISIS inside its borders unless it is part of the coalition. Though ISIS has moved the borders between Syria and Iraq, that does not give us the right to bomb ISIS in Syria. Father, we may have all the weapons of war, but our generals need wisdom. Keep us from disaster.
- Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. (Ecclesiastes 9:18)
4. Netanyahu: 'We've Seen This Before. There's a Master Race; Now There's a Master Faith' - CNSNews.com
In a speech on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compared Islamist terrorist groups such as ISIS, Hamas and Hezbollah to Nazis: "We know this. We've seen this before. There's a master race; now there's a master faith."
"The tactics are uniform. Terror first of all against your own people," Netanyahu told attendees at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism's (ICT) 14th annual conference held at Herzliya, an Israeli technology center located about six miles north of Tel Aviv.
"There's a master race; now there's a master faith. And that allows you to do anything to anyone, but first of all to your own people and then to everyone else," Netanyahu continued, in a reference to Nazi ideology stemming from Adolf Hitler's belief, detailed in his speeches and writings, that Aryans were the "master race." (Read more)
- Father God, You told Abraham that You would deliver his enemies into his hand. You told him that You were giving his descendants the land from the river of Egypt as far as the great river Euphrates. And you said that you would make Israel a great nation, and that You would bless those who bless Israel and who curses Israel You would curse. No weapon that is formed against Israel shall prosper; and every tongue that accuses Israel in judgment, You will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from You. May it be done according to your Word.
- And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20) And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. - On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi[a] of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates-(Genesis 14:18-20, 15:18)
5. Plans to Turn 'Politically Binding' UN Climate Change Accord Into Federal Law - CNSNews.com
Obama administration officials who say they intend to sign a "politically binding" agreement to drastically reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at the United Nations' (UN) climate change conference in Paris next year already have a legal strategy to turn any non-binding accord into federal law, warns Christopher Horner, senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI).
Horner told CNSNews.com that the "name and shame" effort is an alternative to a new climate change treaty already being drafted by the UN that would have to be ratified by the U.S. Senate. "Obama's statement acknowledges that he cannot get a new climate treaty past China or U.S. voters," Horner told CNSNews.com. But he added that environmental activists are already planning to employ the same collusive sue-and-settle strategy they have used in the past to impose draconian energy restrictions on all Americans even though there's been no global warming for nearly 18 years. (Read more)
- Lord, do not allow the "president" to lead in darkness, but expose the sue-and-settle strategy that has been used in the past by the environmental activists.The earth is the Lord's and all it contains, the world and all those who dwell in it. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter and the day and night shall not cease. There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the Lord, and whose deeds are done in a dark place, and they say "Who sees us?" or "Who knows us?" You are Lord over all and You reign over the earth. Let Your will be done.
- The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; - "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." (Psalm 24:1. Genesis 8:22)
6. America Is On The Verge Of Losing Its Place In The World As No. 1 - Business Insider
"As Alexander, Rome and Britain fell from their positions of absolute global dominance, so too has the US begun to slip," Reid writes in a new note to clients. "America's global economic dominance has been declining since 1998, well before the Global Financial Crisis. A large part of this decline has actually had little to do with the actions of the US but rather with the unraveling of a century's long economic anomaly. (Read more)
- Oh, Father, we bow before You in repentance for how our country has turned its back on You and Your way of living and relating to others in the world. Please forgive us and show mercy on us so that, as a country, we can continue to be a witness to the world of how You bless those who worship You. In the name of Jesus, we ask that You would restore to us the joy of our salvation which includes leadership in the world.
- "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." (Revelation 3:19)
7. America's Christian Heritage Under Threat, Say Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, Tony Perkins at 'Star Spangled Sunday' - Christian Post
"There's no explanation for America other than God's hand of providence," said Huckabee. There's no reason for Christians to be dispirited, he stressed. They have seen God's hand of providence in their own lives and families and also how He saved them from their sins and healed some of their family members, he said. "Is it time for us to stop complaining about what is, and start believing what will be if God's people on their faces in humility and brokenness will once again ask for His hand of providence to envelope this great land of ours . . ." (Read more)
- Yes, Lord, we will rehearse as David did the many victories that You have given us and speak out in faith those things which ought to be. Lord, we pray for the things that remain of You will be strengthened and and those things that are not of You, will fall away from our national life. Father, we pray for a great outpouring of Your Spirit on our land so that it will be the land of freedom and worship that You have always envisioned.
- "They that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations, and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." (Isaiah 58:12)
8. Hurricane Odile damages Mexico's Baja California resorts - BBC
Hurricane Odile has left streets flooded, and homes and packed hotels destroyed in the beach resorts of Mexico's Baja California peninsula, triggering looting in some areas. The storm has eased since Sunday from category four to one but still packed winds of up to 160km/h (100 mph). Mexican authorities are warning of more landslides and flooding in the coming days, as the storm moves northwest. (Read more)
- Oh, Lord, we intercede for mercy for those whose lives have been so devastated by this strong hurricane. We pray for provision for the people for food, shelter, and medication. Lord, have mercy on the Southwest US as this storm moves over already saturated land in a desert area already hit by a hurricane last week. We pray the rain will be gentle and beneficial and not cause disturbances in the lives of the people of Arizona and anywhere else it is destined to go.
- "He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still." (Psalms 107:29)
9. Muslim Brotherhood DHS Advisor Mohammed Elibiary was Fired - Washington Free Beacon
New documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon indicate that Elibiary had no choice in the matter, and that he may have been let go by DHS in order to minimize the fallout from an investigation into allegations that he improperly accessed and used classified materials obtained with his security clearance. (Read more)
- Father God, we rejoice at this good report, and we ask that all other members of the Moslem Brotherhood who are working in our government be identified and removed. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.
- "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." (John 14:14)
10. Ex-CIA Director Predicts 5,000 US Troops In Iraq By December - The Hill
Former CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden on Sunday said he predicts there could be nearly 5,000 U.S. personnel on the ground overseas by the end of the year to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). "In terms of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, logistics, advice, command and control assistance, tactical air control parties, look I'm betting we're up close 5,000 by the end of the year," he said on "Fox News Sunday." Hayden explained he doesn't think they will be "combat maneuver units," but predicted U.S. special operations forces could wind up on the ground in Syria. (Read more)
- Lord, we understand the reticence to send our troops into Iraq again, just after we have been working to pull them out. But Lord, facts are facts, and a whole new, horrid monster now confronts us in Iraq and in Syria: ISIS. We ask that You would strengthen the hearts of our leaders to do what needs to be done, so that this barbaric monster is, indeed, destroyed. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.
- "For by wise guidance you will wage war, And in abundance of counselors there is victory." (Proverbs 24:6)
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The Middle East in Focus
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This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways." (Psalm 91:11)
1. UN evacuates all troops from Golan as Syria fighting worsens - Times of Israel
Peacekeepers cross into Israel to get away from border-area battles between rebel groups and regime forces in what UN calls 'deteriorating situation' (Read more)
2. Assad atrocities outstrip Islamic State in Syria, UN panel says - Times of Israel
Report says regime must compromise with mainstream opposition to block jihadists who are spreading terror across country (Read more)
3. Hezbollah vows to destroy Islamic State in Syria - Times of Israel
Official from Shiite group says fighters will remain in war-torn country until jihadists are completely stamped out. (Read more)
4. US begins expanded air strikes on Islamic State in Iraq - Times of Israel
House GOP pushes authorization of Syrian rebel training, a central piece of Obama's strategy. (Read more)
5. Ahead of historic vote, many Scottish Jews wary of independence - Times of Israel
In opposing secession, Jews cite anti-Israel statements by the Scottish government, historic links to the UK and economic risks. (Read more)
6. DHS Agents Find Anti-Israel And Pro-Palestinian Messages On Border Fence - Breitbart
On September 11, 2014, individuals or a group in Mexico hung a message to America over the U.S.-Mexico border wall condemning American support for Israel and declaring support for Palestine. U.S. federal agents discovered the banner draped over the primary border fence in Arizona's Yuma Sector in a restricted area that could only have been reached from Mexico. The message also contained an image described by authorities as an anarchist symbol. The incident was kept secret from the American public by federal authorities. (Read more)
7. BREAKING: IDF Confirms Rocket Fired From Gaza Hits Israel - Israel National News
Residents of the Eshkol Regional Council reported Tuesday night that a rocket was fired from Gaza, falling outside of one of the local communities.
The IDF in the last few minutes confirmed that rocket was fired from Gaza and landed on the Israeli side of the security fence, in the first such attack by Gaza terrorists since the ceasefire went into effect on August 26.
There have been mixed reports, with Channel 10 saying the attack was a mortar shell.
Eshkol Regional Council head Chaim Yelin responded to the attack, saying "it's not clear if this is a strike due to internal drills or targeted fire on communities."
"We won't accept sporadic fire on our communities," declared Yelin. "The leadership of the state of Israel will be measure by the way it chooses to defend its residents. We expect the government to act to bring quiet to the region." (Read more)
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Tracking ISIS
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Tracking ISIS
"And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord." (Psalm 27:6)
1. Jihadism Expert: Obama Tipped Off ISIS With 'Gift' Speech - Newsmax
President Barack Obama's speech on Wednesday detailing the battle plan against the Islamic State was a "gift" to the violent Islamists in Iraq and Syria, who have already taken defensive measures in response to the president's disclosures. (Read more)
2. Australia First To Offer Troops - CNSNews.com
rab and European countries have yet to state publicly what military contributions they may make to the coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL), which Secretary of State John Kerry is cobbling together, but Australia showed no such reluctance Sunday, announcing that troops and aircraft will be deployed to the Middle East within days. (Read more)
3. Understanding The Islamic Caliphate State - Cultural Jihad
Much of the western world is under the impression that ISIS/IS (Islamic State) is preparing to attack western targets. A report by The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Understanding Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi And The Phenomenon Of The Islamic Caliphate State, notes that while global attacks are part of the Islamic State's long term strategy, it's current focus is on "establishing and consolidating a state." (Read more)
4. Civilization Jihad in America - Are You Prepared? - (Video)
Former FBI counter-terrorism expert John Guandolo unmasks the Muslim Brotherhood movement in America. (Go here)
5. Lie of 'moderate' Muslims and Islamic jihad - WND
Why is it that "moderates" never protest against the Islamic terrorism they supposedly reject and oppose? Why are there never any mass Muslim protests against this savagery? The uselessness of the "moderate/extremist" distinction is the focus of a new ad campaign sponsored by my organization, the American Freedom Defense Initiative, or AFDI. We are planning to roll it out on subways, buses and billboards across the country.
Why aren't those "moderate" Muslims who just recently were violently demonstrating against Israel in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, etc., protesting the Islamic persecution of Christians in Egypt? Nigeria? Syria? The Muslim starving of Christians in Mosul? The Muslims' kidnapping of hundreds of Christian girls in Nigeria? Why aren't Muslims protesting the more 175,000 dead in jihadi wars in Syria? The jihad in Iraq? Honor killings? Clitordectomies? Why is it that only Jews defending themselves set them off? (Read more)
6. Obama sending aid to devout Islamic schools - WND
A portion of the $120 million the Obama administration is infusing into Nigerian education programs fund Islamic schools that exclusively teach students "the recitation and memorization" of the Quran, government documents reveal.
The Northern Education Initiative Plus, or NEI+, project seeks to broaden access to education while strengthening literacy skills of the predominantly Muslim population of northern Nigeria, according to procurement documents WND located through routine database research.
Obama wants to increase the number of schools that offers an expanded "core" of subjects, including Islamic schools that currently offer little or no academic options. (Read more)
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The Daily Jot
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White House--475 US troops fighting IS, 3,000 fighting Ebola?
Every crisis is used as an opportunity to advance the Islamic socialist fascist agenda. The mission of the White House appears to be, as we have heard stated by several in the Administration, "Let no crisis go to waste." It's a paraphrase of socialist doctrine. So now, with a crisis in Liberia, the "president" is not backing UN peacekeepers to assist, but rather American GIs--some 3,000 of them. So now the "president" has committed to sending some 475 US military "advisors" to Iraq to help fight the Islamic State (IS), but Liberia's Ebola outbreak is "a potential threat to global security if these countries break down, if their economies break down, if they panic" requiring 3,000 troops.
Apparently, the "president's" world order includes sending 3,000 troops to fight contagious disease in Liberia, but little, if any, use of our military to secure our own borders, which could in of itself prevent the spread of Ebola and other contagions in America. Moreover, The Wall Street Journal reports Republicans say they will support the plan and will give the "president" the $88 million he wants to address the crisis. House Speaker John Boehner said, "I think in the coming weeks you're going to see the Congress and the administration take further steps to look at how we can best contain this very horrible disease." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, "What the administration's doing is correct."
On September 12, the UN vowed to stay the course in Liberia to see the nation through on the Ebola epidemic. The UN has had up to 15,000 peacekeepers on the ground in Liberia since 2003, the end of a civil war that ravaged the nation. But apparently they are not trained to set up 17 field clinics of 100 beds each to treat and prevent the spread of Ebola--which the "president" says is the mission of US troops. The agenda is disguised as global security. The WSJ says Army General Carter Ham points out that in addressing the health crisis, the operation might also help to counter extremism across the continent. It seems, however, that fighting Ebola rather than the IS, advances the "president's" real agenda.
At the risk of offending a lot of people, I believe that the American government and our allies have a long history of being slow to respond to crisis in Africa, mainly because the vast majority of Africans are black and poor. So world governments don't care much about them. I don't think its appropriate to send US troops for show when we need them at home. What is appropriate is to allow churches and ministries such as The Daily Jot to assist in preventative measures as we have been doing in Ghana, which is Ebola-free in the areas where our education and prevention systems are being distributed. There is great blessing in Christians assisting those in need in the name of the gospel. Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, "...Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
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Syria and ISIS
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Syrian Brotherhood Stands Nearer to ISIS Than to U.S.
While the United States tries to build a coalition of Arab allies to join the fight against the terrorist group ISIS, now known as the Islamic State, one group which stands to benefit directly is coming out against Western intervention and expressing unity with other radical jihadists.
A Syrian Muslim Brotherhood spokesman says attacks on the Islamic State by the United States and its allies are not the answer.
"Our battle with ISIS is an intellectual battle," Omar Mushaweh said in a statement published Sept. 9 on the Syrian Brotherhood's official website, "and we wish that some of its members get back to their sanity, we really distinguish between those in ISIS who are lured and brainwashed and they might go back to the path of righteous, and between those who has foreign agendas and try to pervert the way of the [Syrian] revolution."
Rather, the first target for any Western intervention should be dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime, Mushaweh asserts, according to a translation of his comments by the Investigative Project on Terrorism. Such comments should reinforce Western concerns about the Syrian Brotherhood, whose members are prominent among the Free Syrian Army (FSA), one of the supposedly moderate factions in the Syrian civil war which receive U.S. training and weapons. And it shows the challenge of finding truly moderate allies on the ground in Syria. Compared to ISIS, the FSA might be considered moderate. Then again, ISIS was so ruthlessly violent that al-Qaida disavowed the group in February.
In addition, the Syrian Brotherhood openly mourned the death last week of a commander in Ahrar Al Asham, a Syrian faction with ties to al-Qaida. (The Investigative Project on Terrorism) Read entire article here.
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For Your Viewing Pleasure
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For Your Viewing Pleasure:
"Why We Are Afraid, A 1400 Year Secret"
by Dr Bill Warner
In a mere 45 minutes, this video summarizes the horrid history of Islam in Europe and how it effects us to this day. This is a history based on numbers and facts that you may not see anywhere else and explains why we may be afraid to see Islam for what it is based on its own doctrine and practice.
Easy to understand and to follow, with numerous charts and maps included.
To View "Why We Are Afraid . . ." go here.
- As believers in Christ Jesus, we truly fear only our awesome GOD, and trust in His mercy to carry us through. The movie depicts the normal fear we face when studying the history of this barbaric enemy. May America be awakened now to the danger we face, and may we each repent and return to our First Love, Jesus Christ our Lord, while we still have time to do so. Amen.
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Statement by FRC
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FRC Calls on Senate to Pass No Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Act,
Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act
September 16, 2014
Washington, D.C. -- Today the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report confirming what the Family Research Council (FRC) has been saying all along: The Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare, subsidizes elective abortion with taxpayer funds and lacks transparency in its abortion coverage.
Over the past several months, FRC has been examining abortion coverage on the state exchanges in an effort to continue the push for transparency in abortion coverage in Obamacare health plans.
The non-partisan GAO issued a report today outlining state-by-state abortion coverage in healthcare plans sold on Obamacare state exchanges. The GAO found that 1,036 healthcare plans include elective abortion coverage. The report reveals that in eight states 95 - 100 percent of plans sold on the exchange include elective abortion coverage. GAO also found that in five states all plans sold on the exchange contain elective abortion coverage.
FRC President Tony Perkins made the following remarks following the release of the GAO report:
"Today the GAO has confirmed what many of us knew from the beginning: Despite the President's repeated claims, Obamacare subsidizes elective abortion with taxpayer funds.
"The American people should not be forced to purchase an Obamacare healthcare plan before they are able to find out what is in it. They should not be kept in the dark regarding elective abortion coverage in Obamacare exchange plans. Further, the American people should not be forced to pay for other people's abortions and check their consciences at the door in order to purchase insurance.
"Not only does Obamacare fund elective abortion, but the ACA only requires that the information about elective abortion coverage be provided after an individual purchases a plan. Americans should not be forced to play a game of moral Russian roulette when they select a health care plan.
"Our research on abortion coverage in state exchanges has revealed the extreme difficulty consumers face in finding out about possible abortion coverage. Information obtained while calling the insurers at times contradicted plan documents available on exchange websites, and information regarding how the Obamacare abortion surcharge is billed was non-existent.
"FRC's research and the report by the GAO together affirm the need for the Senate to pass and the President to sign H.R. 7/S. 946, the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act and the Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2014" sponsored respectively by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS).
"The House has already acted but the Senate has not. I urge the Senate to act now so during the next open enrollment season that begins on November 15th, Americans can make truly informed decisions regarding what kind of healthcare plans they want." Perkins concluded.
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Obama and Ebola (Part One)
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Ebola epidemic a "potential threat to global security," Obama says
President Obama on Tuesday announced a major expansion of U.S. aid in the fight against the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, warning that the virus is spiraling out of control and could become a threat to global security if left unchecked.
"In West Africa, Ebola is now an epidemic, of the likes that we have not seen before. It's spiraling out of control; it is getting worse; it's spreading faster and exponentially," Mr. Obama said. "Today thousands of people in West Africa are infected. That number could rapidly grow to tens of thousands. And if the outbreak is not stopped now we could be looking at hundreds of thousands of people infected with profound political and economic and security implications for all of us."
"This is an epidemic that is not just a threat to regional security. Its a potential threat to global security if these countries break down, if their economies break down, if people panic," the president continued. "That has profound affects on all of us even if we are not directly contracting the disease."
Mr. Obama spoke from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, where he received a briefing on the outbreak and met with scientists, doctors and health care workers fighting its spread. Earlier in the day, he met with Kent Brantly, one of the American aid workers who was infected with Ebola in West Africa and returned to the U.S. for treatment. Brantly and another aid worker, Nancy Writebol, recovered and were released from Emory University Hospital last month.
Speaking before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Tuesday, Brantly chastised the international community for giving virtually no attention to the crisis before he and Writebol were infected, and has been too slow to respond since despite intense media attention.
"The response to date...has remained sluggish and unacceptably out of step with the scope and the size of the problem that is now before us. The United States government has been closely following these events in West Africa since that time, if not before, and only now are we seeing a significant commitment to a solution," Brantly said. "It is imperative that these words are backed up by immediate action."
In addition to thanking CDC personnel who are working to fight the outbreak, Mr. Obama said he wanted the American people to know "that our experts here at the CDC and across our government agree that the chances of an Ebola outbreak here in the United States are extremely low." Still, he said, the U.S. has taken extra precautions such as working with West African countries to ensure people are being screened for the virus before boarding planes to the U.S. and helping flight crews to identify those who are sick.
Mr. Obama announced that the U.S. is sending up to 3,000 military personnel to West Africa in order to combat and contain the spread of the Ebola virus, which has been blamed for more than 2,400 deaths in the region so far. The CDC has already dispatched more than 100 employees to West Africa, its largest deployment in history. (CBS News) Read more.
- Lord, we ask that You protect our troops as they enter into the danger zone of Ebola in West Africa. We ask for a miracle: both that they themselves not become infected with this virus, and that they not bring Ebola back here with them. Protect us, Lord, we pray, amen.
- "He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions." (Psalm 107:20)
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Obama and Ebola (Part Two)
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Obama Puts Boots On The Ground -- In Western Africa
Tragically, nearly 2,500 people have died during this recent outbreak in five African countries. But as sad as that is, it is a mere fraction of the number of people who have been killed by radical Islamism -- a virus that is spreading much faster.
The president is hesitant to put boots on the ground to fight the barbarians of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which is what our military warriors are trained to do. They are trained to fight thugs like the Islamists. But Obama and his advisors have decided that sending 3,000 troops to West Africa to take on Ebola is an urgent national interest.
As my friend Bill Kristol wrote today, "It will be interesting to see if President Obama explains why unilaterally putting boots on the ground for the sake of killing our enemies is unthinkable in Iraq and Syria, but, in order to cope with a virus, fine in Liberia."
This move is fraught with danger, and the potential unintended consequences are tremendous. What if some of our troops get infected? What if the infection spreads to the U.S.? Ebola has an 80% mortality rate.
By the way, on this one, the president wants the U.S. to take the lead. Isn't this what the U.N. and the World Health Organization are for? Aren't they supposed to do more than just pass anti-Israel resolutions?
I also must admit that my reaction to the news, at least in part, is due to the president's less-than-confidence building record related to health care. He has torpedoed the health care of millions of Americans, and is now going to deal with the health crisis in Africa? (Gary Bauer)
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The Good News Corner
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The Good News Corner:
This Israeli Farmer Decided to Keep the "Shemitah" (Sabbatical Year)-and Experienced a "Miracle" Crop
At first he thought he was imagining it. As he rushed from one section of his orchard to another, the realization that the more the farmer keeps the Shemitah, the more the Shemitah keeps the farmer, hit home.
One farmer's crop of bananas in Israel produced a miracle.
Rabbi Shmuel Bloom, Vice Chairman of the Agudath Israel World Organization, is a very busy man involved in important matters concerning the public. Why do you think he would spend many hours traveling to look at bananas in Israel, especially all the way up north near T'veriya (Tiberias)?
A secular farmer, Gibor Koach, whose produce focus is strictly bananas, decided that he would observe the Shemitah (the Sabbatical Year) this time around. He approached the organization that helps facilitate this-Keren HaShviis-for assistance, and they stipulated that he would be registered in their program if he would also undertake to be personally Sabbath observant (Shomer Shabbos) throughout Shemitah. He agreed.
The Rabbinic court (Otzar Bet Din) of Bnei Brak made the decision to cover his farming expenses and, in return, all the produce would become the property of Otzar Beis Din (court) and would be distributed in full accordance with Jewish Law (Halacha).
Israel suffered a significant cold spell for two to three weeks during the winter. Bananas don't like cold, and cold doesn't like bananas. When bananas are still growing and get hit with frost, they turn brown and become rock hard.
The hero of our story, Koach knew he was in deep trouble when the relentless cold hadn't let up for over a week. He lived a distance from his orchard and hadn't yet seen the damage with his own eyes. He began to receive calls from his neighbor farmers that have orchards bordering his, complaining bitterly that their entire banana crop had been destroyed by the frost.
He decided it was time to inspect the damage up close, no matter how painful it may be. He drove up close to Tverya to inspect his orchard, as well as those of his neighboring farmers. As he passed from one orchard to another, he was overwhelmed by the damage. Not a single fruit had survived; no tree was spared. His neighbors took quite a beating. All the bananas were brown, hard as a rock. He could only imagine how bad his trees must have gotten it.
Yet when he finally got to his orchard, he was awestruck. ALL of his bananas were yellow and green. It's as if his orchard wasn't a part of this parcel of land. His orchard bordered those of his neighbors, but not a single tree of his was struck by the frost. It's as if a protective wall kept the damage away.
At first he thought he was imagining it. As he rushed from one section of his orchard to another, the realization that the more the farmer keeps the Shemitah, the more the Shemitah keeps the farmer, hit home.
He immediately called his contacts at Keren HaShviis and yelled into the phone, "Karah Nes, Karah Nes!" (A miracle happened, a miracle happened)...
Source: Breaking Christian News
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Signs and Wonders
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Signs and Wonders
TWO HURRICANES IN PHOENIX IN TWO WEEKS!
Remnants of hurricane barrel in to Arizona in 2nd blast of Pacific storms to hit state
PHOENIX - In a sign of just how unusual this summer's weather has become, Phoenix residents lined up Tuesday to fill sandbags in anticipation of potential flooding brought on by the remnants of a powerful Pacific storm.
It's the second time in two weeks that the desert is getting hit with the aftermath of a hurricane.
The forecast calls for the remnants of Tropical Storm Odile, which has been downgraded from a Category 3 hurricane, to strike hardest in the Tucson area over the next two days - although the Phoenix area expects to get lashed with rain and gusty wind, too.
Residents flocked to fire stations around Phoenix to get sandbags to place them around their homes as protection against floodwaters. Many experienced flooding last week after a storm dumped more than 5 inches of rain on parts of the state's largest city and turned two main freeways into rivers.
"It flooded my whole property, my horse pens, and my garage was under about 2 feet of water," said Roger Fuller, 72, who spent the morning loading up about 60 sandbags. "This time around, we're trying to keep the water off the property. Hopefully, it will work."
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ARE PACIFIC HURRICANES CAUSING MORE DAMAGE THAN THOSE IN THE ATLANTIC THIS SUMMER?
Yes. The Eastern Pacific season has 50 percent more active than usual, while the Atlantic is 50 percent less active. The result has been fierce storms striking Mexico in recent weeks, while the Atlantic had its first major hurricane - Edouard - form just this week. (Jonathan Overpeck of the Institute of the Environment at the University of Arizona in Tucson)
"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."
(Luke 21:25-28)
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Worship With Us Today!
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Worship With Us Today!
"You Make Me Brave"
Amanda Cook and Bethel Music
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Today's Birthday
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Today's Birthday on the Hill
Almost every day of the year, a member of Congress or a Senator is celebrating a birthday. Let's lift up these men and women, day by day in prayer on their special day, that God might bless them and show them His love for each one. Indeed, let's move together in obedience to the Lord's mandate in I Timothy 2:1-4. It is written:
"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."
Today's Birthday Greeting goes to:
Sen. Charles E. Grassley (IA)
(Source: Bible Pathways Ministries. www.biblepathway.org)
