CHPP Daily Brief - Tuesday, September 30, 2014

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"

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

"And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles."
(Zechariah 14:16)

NEW POLICY!
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)

	The Daily Brief

1. Breaking: Ebola confirmed inside U.S. - WND

The Centers for Disease Control have confirmed a person in Dallas, Texas, has the Ebola virus - and the individual had been in the country for eight days before being hospitalized.

Officials say the first case of Ebola in the United States, not brought for special treatment, has been identified and the patient is in "strict isolation" at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.

Doctors refused to answer questions about whether the patient is a U.S. citizen, saying only that "he's visiting family who live in this country." (Read more)
- Father we erect a hedge of the Blood of Jesus over America. We pray for Your protection and mercy as we face this unusual enemy. We ask for a move of divine healing in this patient's life, bringing YOU the Glory. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

- "He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destruction." (Psalm 107:20)  

2. Issa accuses Secret Service of giving 'false' account of White House breach - Fox News

House oversight committee Chairman Darrell Issa blasts Secret Service Director Julia Pierson, above, over the security breach earlier this month, when an intruder broke into the White House - and accused the agency of giving a 'false' account of what happened. (Read more)
- Lord, if the Secret Service has fallen down on the job, or if there are other issues, let those issues be revealed.

- "Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck." (Proverbs 3:3)

3. Chertoff Warns ISIS Could Hit U.S. Targets - The Hill

Chertoff, who led the DHS under President George W. Bush, contends that President Obama waited too long to address the threat from ISIS. He says the terrorist network could send fighters to the United States or inspire local terrorists to plan attacks. (Read more)
- Father we again erect a hedge of the Blood of Jesus over America. We pray for Your protection and mercy as we face this enemy.

  - "O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! I the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy."  (Habakkuk 3:2b)

4. Obama Acknowledges: ISIS Seeks to Kill Those Who 'Worship a Different God' - CBS

In an interview with CBS on Sunday, while repeating his assertion that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) does not represent the Islamic religion, Barack Obama acknowledged that the group seeks to kill those who "worship a different God" than Allah.  
- Lord, we bind the works of the enemy named ISIS and release the power of God to move against them and to set them free.

  - "Remove the turban and take off the crown; nothing shall remain the same. Exalt the lowly and abase the exalted. Overthrown, overthrown, I will make it overthrown!" (Ezekiel 21:26-27a)

5. U.S. Hits Al-Qaeda Group in Syria in Secret Strike - Washington Times

While a coalition of U.S. and Arab military forces struck at Islamic State targets inside Syria on Monday night, the Pentagon also engaged in a U.S.-exclusive action targeting a little-known al Qaeda-aligned group that U.S. officials say is plotting an "imminent attack" against the United States. 
- Lord we place a hedge of fire around the United States and Israel, including our embassy sites across the globe. We bind up every plan of the enemy and speak dissolution to their plans.

  - "No weapon formed against you shall prosper. . ." (Isaiah 54:17a)

[reported yesterday] 6. Isis 'just one mile from Baghdad' as al-Qaeda fighters join forces against Syria air strikes - The Independent UK

Jabhat al-Nusra and Isis leaders are reportedly meeting to co-ordinate attacks

Isis fighters are reportedly just one mile away from Baghdad as reports emerge of al-Qaeda militants bolstering their ranks in Syria.

According to the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East, Isis was approaching the Iraqi capital on Monday morning.

"The Islamic State are now less than 2km away from entering Baghdad," a spokesperson said.

"They said it could never happen and now it almost has. Obama says he overestimated what the Iraqi Army could do. Well you only need to be here a very short while to know they can do very very little." (Read more)
- Lord God, please send angelic reinforcements to help defend this beleaguered city. We cry out to You, Lord God, to rescue the innocent citizens of Baghdad from the imminent danger of a takeover of their city. Thank You, Abba Father God, for hearing our prayer, in Jesus' name, amen and amen.

- "The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (2 Tim. 4:18)

7. White House touts crisis-gripped Yemen as 'model' for ISIS fight - Fox News

  The White House says the US counterterrorism strategy in Yemen is a 'model' for the fight against the Islamic State, despite the country being engulfed by a violent political crisis that led the Obama administration to urge American citizens to leave last week. (Read more)
- Father we pray that You will reveal the depths of darkness found in Yemen, that America would not be associated with that nation.

- "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" (‎Isaiah 5:20)  

8. Afghanistan, US sign security agreement - Fox News

Afghanistan and the United States signed a security pact on Tuesday to allow U.S. forces to remain in the country past the end of year, ending a year of uncertainty over the fate of foreign troops supporting Afghanis as they take over responsibility for the country's security. (Read more)
- Lord we pray that our military presence in Afghanistan will not turn into a quagmire, but that it will provide much needed security. Let there be a move of Your Holy spirit upon that land, changing hearts and removing evil.

  - "So I will strengthen then in the Lord, and they shall walk up and down in His Name." (Zechariah 10:12a)

9. World must prepare for 'Armageddon'-style cyber attack  - London Telegraph

The world must prepare for an "Armageddon"-style cyber attack, one of America's most influential regulator warned.
- Father we ask that You prepare Your people for all that may soon transpire. Bring us to a place of total trust and reliance upon You. We rebuke this fear in Jesus' Name.

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

10. 1 in 4 Americans 25-54 Not Working - Weekly Standard

A new chart from the minority side of the Senate Budget Committee shows a startling fact: Almost 1 in 4 Americans between the ages of 25-54 (or prime working years) are not working. "There are 124.5 million Americans in their prime working years (ages 25-54). Nearly one-quarter of this group-28.9 million people, or 23.2 percent of the total-is not currently employed.  

"Those attempting to minimize the startling figures about America's vanishing workforce-workplace participation overall is near a four-decade low-will say an aging population is to blame. But in fact, while the workforce overall has shrunk nearly 10 million since 2009, the cohort of workers in the labor force ages 55 to 64 has actually increased over that same period, with many delaying retirement due to poor economic conditions.

  "In fact, over two-thirds of all labor force dropouts since that time have been under the age of 55. These statistics illustrate that the problems in the American economy are deep, profound, and pervasive, afflicting the sector of the labor force that should be among the most productive." (Read more)
- Heavenly Father, these work related numbers are extremely disturbing.  There are leaders who say people are retiring and try to minimize what is truly happening.  Many older workers are not retiring at the age where they are qualified to do so, as the economy has been so bad they cannot afford to stop working. Father, many people at the age where they should be working are not working at all.  We ask You, Father, to rise up and expose the lack of jobs, as well as how many people have no skills to obtain a job and keep it.  We ask this in the Name of Jesus and under His Shed Blood, Amen and Amen.

  - "God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, Selah."  (Psalm 67:1 NKJV)

	The Middle East in Focus

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

"And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles." (Zechariah 14:16)

1. Netanyahu to tell Obama: Don't reward Iran for role in Islamic State fight - Haaretz

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama Wednesday at 6 P.M. Israel time. Senior officials in Netanyahu's entourage said he will use the White House meeting to tell Obama that the international war against Islamic State must not result in concessions to Iran in the ongoing negotiations over its nuclear program.

The prime minister told U.S. Jewish leaders on Tuesday that he also intends to raise with Obama the possibility of bringing Arab states into the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, a proposal he made in his speech this week before the UN General Assembly.

The two men last met seven months ago. Wednesday's meeting is expected to be very brief compared to their earlier ones. Only an hour and a quarter has been allocated to it, and it won't be followed by a joint luncheon. At the start of the meeting, both leaders are expected to deliver short statements for the media, but will not answer questions. (Read more)

2. Islamic State militant in Vice interview: We won't stop until we crucify Netanyahu - Haaretz

An Islamic State militant vowed in a video interview with Vice News that the group will not stop fighting until they crucify Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"When we crucify Benjamin Netanyahu for his war crimes, maybe, maybe that's when we'll stop," the militant, purportedly the 21-year-old Somali-Canadian Abu Usamah Somali, told Vice News founder Shane Smith via a video link from Iraq.

Farah Shirdon, who now sports the nom de guerre Abu Usamah Somali, first came into the limelight in April when an Islamic State video of him surfaced supposedly burning his Canadian passport and pledging allegiance to the militant group. (Read more)

3. Abbas spokesman says he's 'ready for historic compromise' - Times of Israel

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is ready for a historic compromise for peace, his spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said on Monday.

After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's fiery response to Abbas's UN speech last week in which the PA leader accused Israel of conducting a "war of genocide" in Gaza, Abu Rudeineh said that the solution must be based on UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, Israel Radio reported.

He also said the solution would have to include a Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem, an immediate end to settlement activity, and the lifting of the blockade in Gaza (Read more)

4. Fatah official: Palestinians who sold homes to Jews in east Jerusalem should die - Jerusalem Post

Israeli police guarded Jewish settlers as they moved into seven homes in a Palestinian neighborhood of east Jerusalem on Tuesday. The homes in Silwan, which sits in the shadow of Jerusalem's Old City, were purchased by Elad, a pro-settlement group that uses funds from Jewish supporters in the United States and elsewhere to buy properties in Palestinian districts.

Tuesday's move was the largest purchase of homes in Silwan since the process began in the neighborhood in 1986, taking to 26 the number of Jewish-owned properties, local officials said. Around 90 Jewish families, totaling 500 people, live in Silwan among some 50,000 Palestinians. Israeli police protect them.

"This is a government by the settlers for the settlers," said Saeb Erekat, the Palestinians' chief peace negotiator, calling the move an attempt to erase Palestinian identity. (Read more)

5. Officials allegedly suppress news of E. Jerusalem violence -Times of Israel

Jerusalem police and the Housing Ministry have been attempting to cover up violent incidents in East Jerusalem, according to the CEO of Jerusalem's light rail and a ministry official.

Police requested that CityPass not report rock throwing attacks against the light rail because it harms police and encourages the offenders, CityPass CEO Yaron Ravid told Israel Radio, which reported Tuesday that there have been no reports to the media by police or CityPass of violent attacks against the light rail over the last two weeks even though numerous incidents have occurred. Throughout the day Tuesday, the train was attacked by rock throwers three times.

When contacted for a response, police acknowledged that there had been 13 instances of attackers throwing rocks at the train and two arrests, one of which resulted in an indictment. In addition, police said, 75 people have been arrested on suspicion of rioting. (Read more)

6. Construction worker's death raises suspicion of nationalistic murder - ynet news

The police suspect that a 26-year-old Israeli construction worker who fell to his death two weeks ago was actually murdered for nationalistic reasons.

The victim, Netanel Roi Arami, owned a construction company contracted to do exterior work on a hi-rise building in central Israel. During the fatal day, Arami was rappelling along the side of the Petah Tikvah building in order to seal vent openings when both his cables snapped and he fell 11 stories to his death.

"This was not a work related accident, Netanel was a professional," his family said at the time, and now it seems the police could agree. (Read more)
- Abba Father, please comfort the family of this man. We ask that the details You wish to be made known will come to light. In Yeshuah's holy name, amen.

7. US disagrees with Netanyahu on Iran, ISIS and Hamas - Jerusalem Post

The US State Department said Monday in a press conference that it disagrees with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's assertion during his UN speech on Monday that "ISIS and Hamas are branches of the same poisonous tree."

"Obviously, we've designated both as terrorist organizations, but ISIL poses a different threat to Western interests and to the United States," said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki. "And that's just a fact." (Read more)
- Father, open the eyes of Jen Psaki and other world leaders who have blinders on regarding Israel and the terrorist organizations. Help them see the true agenda of each of these jihadists networks: they are all fighting for the same false god and the same greater outcome. In the name of Yeshuah, we ask this prayer, amen.

- "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)

8. Ya'alon rules out notion of West Bank withdrawal -Times of Israel

The 50-day offensive against Hamas in Gaza over the summer proved that a withdrawal from the West Bank would be both irrational and outdated, mortally threatening the Hashemite Kingdom and the Palestinian Authority, and placing Israel in even greater danger, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said Tuesday.

"Immediately after Operation Protective Edge we heard: now is the time for a diplomatic process," he said with evident cynicism at a security conference at the INSS think tank in Tel Aviv.

Ya'alon said that there were calls, from within the cabinet - an apparent allusion to comments by ministers Tzipi Livni and Yair Lapid - and elsewhere, for Israel to withdraw from the territory, despite the fact that from May to July the Shin Bet arrested over 90 Hamas operatives whose alleged plan was to both attack Israel and overthrow the Palestinian Authority. (Read more)
- Lord, we ask that You continue to let the members of the Knesset see and understand that pulling out of the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) most likely would be detrimental both to Israel and to Jordan. Father, we ask for Your mighty hand of protection and guidance in this situation. We ask this in the name of Yeshuah, amen.

	Tracking ISIS

Tracking ISIS

"Their offspring You shall destroy from the earth, And their descendants from among the sons of men. For they intended evil against You; They devised a plot which they are not able to perform." (Psalm 21:9,10)

1. Royal Air Force jets strike first Islamic State targets in Iraq, reports Ministry of Defense - BBC News

RAF jets have carried out their first strikes on Islamic State targets in Iraq, attacking a "heavy weapon position" and an armed pick-up truck. The Ministry of Defence said the attacks were in support of Kurdish units in the north-west of the country.

Information from Kurdish sources suggests the RAF strikes had helped the Kurds retake an "important border crossing" at Rabia near Syria, said the BBC's Clive Myrie in Irbil, northern Iraq. Heavy fighting was reported on both sides of the border between Iraq and Syria. Iraqi Kurdish troops are said to have suffered heavy casualties in recapturing Rabia, as IS fighters were trying to dislodge Syrian Kurdish forces on the other side of the border. (Read more)
- Father God, we thank You that our ever-faithful ally, England, is once again waging war alongside us -- now to see the forces of ISIS defeated. We thank You, too, for the fearless Kurdish troops who are waging these battles on the ground. We ask Your protection over all of them now, in Jesus' name, amen and amen.

- "The LORD is a warrior; The LORD is His name." (Exodus 15:3)

2. At least 25 killed in attacks in Shi'ite parts of Baghdad, per police and medics - Reuters

Read more.

3. Turkish mandate for action in Iraq and Syria will cover 'all threats' - Reuters

A parliamentary mandate enabling Turkey to take military action in Iraq and Syria will cover "all possible threats and risks", Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said on Tuesday.

Parliament is expected to vote on Thursday on a government proposal to extend existing mandates that allow Turkey to strike Kurdish militants in northern Iraq and to defend against any threat from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

The extended mandate comes with Islamic State insurgents advancing in northern Syria, clashing with Kurdish fighters on Turkey's border and posing a growing threat to Turkey's national security. (Read more)

4. US Central Command confirms 22 new in Iraq and Syria on Tuesday, with 11 airstrikes in each country - Breaking News
(Read more)

5. Fuelling Isis Inc - FT.com

Western investigators have sought to trace bank account numbers in the Gulf and locate jihadi donors as far afield as Indonesia. In addition to nefarious ransom and extortion rings, Isis taps areas under its control for money, charging retail stores about $2 a month in taxes. In coming days, it plans to charge for electricity and water consumption to make money in areas under its control, according to one activist in Syria.

But experts say that to crack down on Isis's finances, western governments and their Middle East allies must look first at a decades-old oil smuggling network, which is now being tapped by the group to finance its proto-state. This lucrative unofficial trade encompasses northern Iraq, northeastern Syria, southern Turkey, parts of Iran and, according to western officials and leading international experts, is where Isis earns the bulk of its money. (Read more)

6. More and more French joining Mideast jihad - YahooNews.com

PARIS (AP) - France's interior minister says the number of French radicals joining extremists in Syria and Iraq has soared this year, saying that justifies a tough new anti-terrorist law adopted this month.

Bernard Cazeneuve said on RTL radio Tuesday that the number of French radicals in the region has grown 74 percent this year, to about 1,000 people. That figure includes those who traveled there or back and 200 people who hope to go.

Cazeneuve said authorities are monitoring a French member of the Islamic State group identified by the U.S. State Department last week as one of 10 "Specially Designated Global Terrorists" targeted by new sanctions.

France was the first country to join U.S. airstrikes against Islamic State extremists and has increased its monitoring of French people suspected of joining them. (Read more)

7. How Belgium became a jihadist-recruiting hub - Wall Street Journal

Read full article here.

8. ISIS coaching Egypt's Ansar militants: report - Middle East Eye

Islamic State militants are reportedly teaching Sinai-based Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis fighters online methods of operating more effectively. (Read more)

	The Daily Jot

Incompetence or brilliant strategist?

During a "60 Minutes" interview, the president blamed his surprise of what he once called the "JV team" rising to power so quickly on a failure in the intel community to recognize the growing threat of the Islamic State. So smugly, he said, "I think our head of the intelligence community, Jim Clapper, has acknowledged that I think they underestimated what had been taking place in Syria." Since this statement, the "president" has been taken to task by the intel community and even anonymous members of his own security staff voicing concern to the news media. Even so, a new government watchdog report indicates the "president" is willfully uninformed when it comes to national security.

Presidential Daily Briefings (PDBs) are the top secret briefings on national security and foreign intelligence provided daily by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the FBI and the CIA. These briefs are summaries that are delivered electronically, in paper form, and given in person. This briefing has been conducted since after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion and before the Cuban missile crisis in June 1961. Since the beginning of 2014, the "president" has attended only 37.5 % of the PDBs, preferring to receive them on his tablet instead. This is no small thing as a President must protect the national security at all costs and understanding these briefings is paramount to decision-making.

Notwithstanding, watchdog Government Accountability Institute updated an analysis of how much time the "president" has spent attending his Presidential Daily Briefs (PDBs), as recorded on the White House official calendar and Politico's comprehensive calendar. The updated study covered his first 2,079 days in office, running from January 20, 2009 through September 29, 2014. Of those, he attended a total of 875 Presidential Daily Briefs for an overall 42.09% attendance rate. During his first term, he attended 42.43% of the 1,461 briefings. During his second term, he attended to date only 41.26% of a possible 618 briefings, according to GAI.

Many will say that the "president" is just incompetent and disengaged when it comes to national security and foreign policy. If, however, one analyzes the body of work in foreign policy and national security by this "president," a conclusion could be drawn that he is intent on elevating Islam at the expense of the United States. Too many Islamic foreign policy initiatives have occurred with his assistance to be coincidence--Arab Spring, the Islamic State, Benghazi, Muslim Brotherhood appointees to the Administration, Islamic visits to the White House and on and on. Jesus said in Matthew 24:4, "Take heed that no man deceive you." So incompetent or brilliant strategist, either way deception is the common denominator.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!

Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com

	Netanyahu Draws Huge Applause at UN

Israeli PM Draws Huge Applause during UN Speech:

"ISIS must be defeated. But to defeat ISIS and leave Iran [with nuclear weapon capability] . . . would be to win the battle and lose the war"

"Ladies and gentlemen, the people of Israel pray for peace, but our hopes and the world's hopes for peace are in danger because everywhere we look militant Islam is on the march."
[CBN News] (Jerusalem, Israel)-If the applause during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech before the UN General Assembly Monday is any measure, he won an Oscar.

Netanyahu said he'd come "to expose the brazen lies spoken from this very podium against my country and against the brave soldiers who defend it."

Among the lies he addressed were war crimes charges by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the subject of a UN Human Rights Council investigation.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the people of Israel pray for peace, but our hopes and the world's hopes for peace are in danger because everywhere we look militant Islam is on the march," he said.
The goal of these Islamists, he said, is world domination. Like a cancer that's left unchecked, it grows and metastasizes over wider and wider areas. It must be removed, he said, before it's too late.

Israel's battle against Hamas mirrors the battle against global jihadists because Islamist groups seek to dominate the world. People don't understand that "ISIS and Hamas are branches of the same poisonous tree."

"ISIS and Hamas share a fanatical creed, which they both seek to impose well beyond the territory under their control," he continued.
About two months ago, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi said "the day will soon come when the Muslim will walk everywhere as a master and will cause the world to hear and understand the meaning of terrorism and destroy the idol of democracy," Netanyahu said.

"Now listen to Khaled Meshaal, the leader of Hamas. He proclaims a similar vision of the future: 'We say this to the West-by Allah you will be defeated. Tomorrow our nation will sit on the throne of the world,'" Netanyahu said.

"It's one thing to confront militant Islamists on pickup trucks armed with Kalashnikov rifles. It's another thing to confront militant Islamists armed with weapons of mass destruction," he said.
The prime minister then warned of the danger of ending the ISIS threat while leaving a potentially nuclear Iran unchecked.

"Make no mistake," Netanyahu said. "ISIS must be defeated. But to defeat ISIS and leave Iran as a threshold nuclear power would be to win the battle and lose the war." (Read more)

	The Good News Corner

The Good News Corner:

Israeli Pharmaceutical Company Can Produce Ebola Drug in Large Quantities; In short Period of Time-If asked

"Today our production capacity exceeds our needs, and we would certainly be happy to have the company producing the Ebola drug have us produce the drug for them. We would know how to do it effectively, in large quantities, and in a relatively short period of time."

Israel over the past month has been playing an increasingly central role in the global battle against the Ebola epidemic in West Africa that the UN Security Council recently deemed a "threat to international peace and security."

Over 6,000 cases of Ebola have been reported and over 3,000 people have died of the disease in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia since the start of the year. The actual numbers are estimated to be much higher, though most cases are concealed for fear of forced quarantine.

On at least two occasions in recent months Israel has quarantined people suspected of having contracted the virus during visits to Africa. Both cases turned out to be false alarms.
Israel has dispatched medical teams to Sierra Leone and Cameroon to train local doctors on how to better combat the Ebola outbreak. Sierra Leone has also requested medication for treating the symptoms of Ebola, and Israel has reportedly promised to provide.

There is no known cure for Ebola, though American drug company Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc. has produced an experimental treatment known as ZMapp. The only problem is that the relatively limited supply of ZMapp has been exhausted, and the company says it will take months to produce more.

An Israeli biopharmaceutical company, Protalix, says it is ready to step in and fill the gap.

"Today our production capacity exceeds our needs, and we would certainly be happy to have the company producing the Ebola drug have us produce the drug for them. We would know how to do it effectively, in large quantities, and in a relatively short period of time," a representative of Protalix told Channel 2 News. (Breaking Christian News) Read more

	Signs and Wonders

Signs and Wonders

NASA images reveal shocking scale of Aral Sea disaster

A series of NASA satellite images has revealed the shocking decline of water levels in the Aral Sea, a massive environmental disaster dubbed "the quiet Chernobyl."

NASA's Terra satellite began capturing the images in 2000, when the vast central Asian lake known as the Aral Sea was already a fraction of its 1960 size (as shown by the black line in the images).

"It shows the power of long-term satellite observation from space," a NASA spokesman told FoxNews.com, noting that the Terra satellite will have been in space for 15 years in December.
The victim of a Soviet era water diversion project in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, the Aral Sea was once the fourth largest lake in the world, but now holds less than 10% of its original water volume.

By 2000 the body of water had already separated into Northern and Southern Aral Seas, also known the Small and Large Seas. As the satellite image taken in 2000 shows, the Southern Sea was split into tenuously-connected eastern and western 'lobes,' or basins.
Within 12 months, however, the southern part of the connection had been lost, and the shallower eastern basin began to quickly retreat over the subsequent years. Dry conditions in 2014 caused the basin to completely dry up for the first time in modern times, according to NASA.

"As the lake dried up, fisheries and the communities that depended on them collapsed," said NASA, in a statement accompanying the satellite images, adding that the increasingly salty water became polluted with fertilizer and pesticides. (Fox News) 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!

Healing in Your Presence

Julie True
Worship with us today . . .