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"
Monday, March 23, 2015
"The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty . . ." (Zephaniah 3:17)
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The Daily Brief
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1. Islamic State posts kill list with purported addresses of U.S. military personnel - Washington Times
A group affiliated with the Islamic State published a list of addresses purportedly belonging to about 100 U.S. service members late Friday night, calling for their beheadings.
The self-identified "Islamic State Hacking Division" claimed to have obtained the information by hacking into military servers, databases and emails, The Blaze reported Saturday. The online document contains names and photos along with some of the addresses.
"[W]e have decided to leak 100 addresses so that our brothers residing in America can deal with you," the group warned, The Blaze reported.
"Kill them in their own lands, behead them in their own homes, stab them to death as they walk their streets thinking that they are safe," the "Islamic State Hacking Division" added.
A spokesperson for the Department of Defense told the website that the U.S. military was investigating the matter but could not confirm that the list was authentic. (Read more)
- Heavenly Father, we fall before You alone and seek Your protection and mercy for our military families here within the US who have been targeted by this Islamic hate list. We ask You to release Your special warrior angels to encircle and protect fully all these families. We take the blood bought cross of Jesus Christ and put it through the gears of all these Islamic plots and schemes, destroying them in the Name of Jesus and under His Shed Blood, Amen and Amen.
- "Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I." (Psalm 61:1-2 NKJV)
2. Secret Iranian handbook calls for EMP attack on America - WND
A "secret" Iranian military handbook, American officials say, confirms that the Islamic Republic of Iran is including in its arsenal a plan to launch a nuclear electromagnetic pulse attack on the American national grid system. To carry out such an attack, from a high-altitude nuclear blast, would require Iran to have not only the missiles to launch such a device but also the technology to produce a nuclear explosion.
The revelation comes as the United States, along with the P5+1 countries that comprise the United Nations Security Council, is about to finalize negotiations over Iran's nuclear development program.
There have been concerns raised that Iran still has the intention of making nuclear bombs using the technology in that program, and the negotiations may not do enough to prevent it. (Read more)
- Abba Father, may all who need to hear also accept what is being reported here and take appropriate action against this scheme. Have mercy, Father, for Your remnant's sake, and smash these plans into nothingness. We pray this in the Name of Jesus and under His Shed Blood, Amen and Amen.
- "My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved." (Psalm 62:5-6 NKJV)
3. The week that could break the House: Balanced budget and the Medicare 'doc fix' - Fox News
Next week could very well break the U.S. House of Representatives.
Or, if things go well, the House Republican majority could score two of its biggest legislative victories in quite a while, demonstrating it can govern.
The stakes are high as the GOP plans to debate and approve a budget. It's a two-step in which Republicans slash spending but maneuver parliamentarily to bolster defense programs, satisfying both fiscal conservatives and budget hawks.
Or, the effort could blow up in the Republicans' face.
In addition, the House will tiptoe through what has become one of the most-nettlesome votes in Congress: approving a replacement measure to cover the "doc fix" for physicians and seniors who use Medicare. (Read more)
- We encourage each of our readers to pray in the Spirit over this report, as the stakes for control of the House are indeed very high this week among the Republican membership. May each member hear, and obey, the Lord in each vote he or she may take on the House floor before leaving for the Spring District Work Period next week. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen and amen.
- (I Timothy 2:1-4)
4. Oh Look, Senate Democrats Now Causing Abortion Ruckus Over House Medicare Deal - Townhall.com
What is it with this party? Senate Democrats have really personified the "you shall not pass" war cry for anything abortion-related as of late. Now, Senate Democrats have built the abortion wall higher, rocking Rep. Nancy Pelosi and House Speaker John Boehner's deal on Medicare. It's a step towards entitlement reform, and it's sort of odd seeing such bipartisanship between Boehner and liberal stalwart Pelosi over Medicare's sustainable growth rate.
It looks increasingly likely lawmakers will agree to ditch the yearly fixes to the payment formula for Medicare doctors and pay for it - at least some of it - by making changes to private Medigap plans and by forcing wealthier seniors to pay more.
The roughly $200 billion Medicare deal between Pelosi and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, would block a 21 percent cut in doctors' Medicare fees that otherwise takes effect April 1. It would change how doctors are reimbursed for Medicare patients in the future and provide fresh money for a health program for low-income children.
BUT, Senate Democrats have an issue over abortion language (here we go again) regarding the funding of community centers providing medical services in low-income communities that's in this deal. (Read more)
- Lord God, in this time of judging, we ask You to move upon the hearts of these Senate Democrats, that they remove all language related to the shedding of innocent blood (abortion) in this bill. Our seniors need and deserve decent Medicare benefits; we ask that nothing block their ability to receive these. We ask that You make all crooked paths straight as this critical bill moves to the final vote, and that only the language that pleases You be included in its final version. Help us, Father, we pray in the Name of Jesus, Amen and Amen.
- "There are six things the Lord hates . . . hands that shed innocent blood . . ." (Proverbs 6: 16a, 17c)
5. After Scrapping AR-15 Ammo Ban, ATF Director B. Todd Jones Resigning - Townhall.com
"ATF employees are hard-working, dedicated individuals who serve the public to make our nation safer every day," said Jones. "I have seen firsthand their extraordinary commitment to combatting violent crime, ridding the streets of criminals, and leveraging all available resources to keep our communities safe," Jones said in a statement. "I will truly miss leading and working side-by-side with these men and women in their pursuit of ATF's unique law enforcement and regulatory mission."
Jones confirmed in a statement sent to ATF employees and agents that he will be returning to the private sector and said he never planned to stay longer than 18 months in the position. His last day at the Bureau will be March 31. (Read more)
- Heavenly Father, we are not certain what caused ATF Director B. Todd Jones to resign but the timing of his resignation is strange. We ask that You expose the truth of what is occurring and cause all schemes that are not for the good of our people to be crushed and destroyed. We pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen and Amen.
- "The righteous is delivered from trouble, and it comes to the wicked instead." (Proverbs 11:8 NKJV)
6. Suspect in New Orleans airport machete attack dies; explosives found in bag - Fox News
The machete-wielding man who attacked two Transportation Security Agency workers at a New Orleans airport and was carrying a bag holding six Molotov cocktails has died, officials said.
Richard White, 63, was pronounced dead Saturday afternoon, according to officials. He was shot multiple times by an officer, police said. News of his death came after a press conference that raised new fears about the circumstances leading up the the incident."As you know this was unexpected incident involving a clearly troubled and disturbed individual," said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu at a Saturday afternoon press conference.
White chased the two Transportation Security Agency workers at New Orleans International Airport with a machete and wasp spray late Friday. He was shot multiple times by an officer, police said.
Officials said they noticed White had been carrying a bag when they checked surveillance video after the incident. In the bag they found six half-pint mason jars with cloth wicks. The jars were filled with gasoline. The bag also held a barbecue lighter, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said.
Normand said as the bag was being checked other investigators from the Bomb Squad were combing through White's car parked on the airport ramp. They found in the trunk an acetylene tank, a freon tank and an oxygen tank. (Read more)
- Heavenly Father, we are uncertain about what triggered this tragic set of circumstances but are thankful that there were not as many injuries and/or deaths than might have occurred if he had not been stopped when assaulting TSA workers with a machete and if he had been able to use his six Molotov cocktails. May all the circumstances be investigated truthfully and honestly, and steps taken to prevent a repeat of this kind of tragic event. We pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen and Amen.
- "As righteousness leads to life, so he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death." (Proverbs 11:19 NKJV)
7. Sen. Ted Cruz to announce presidential bid Monday - Fox News
First Candidate to Announce for 2016 Race
Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is expected to announce on Monday he will run for president in 2016 -- making him the first candidate to formally enter the race, Fox News confirms.
Cruz is expected to make the announcement during a speech at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.
He is expected to start his campaign immediately rather than launch an exploratory committee, which many do as a precursor to a campaign. The move, some say, is expected to send a strong signal that his is ready to run. (Read more)
- Lord God, we see that it is not too early to begin praying over the race for the presidency next year. As each candidate begins to announce his candidacy in this historic election, we ask that You guide his or her decision, one step at a time. And for those among them who do not yet know You as Savior and as Lord, we ask that You would cause the pressures of these campaigns to help them to turn their hearts to You. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen and amen.
- "Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you." (Deut. 1:13)
8. Khamenei calls 'Death to America' as Kerry hails progress on nuke deal - Times of Israel
Talks in Lausanne Continue Towards March 31st Deadline
Iran's Supreme leader Ali Khamenei called for "Death to America" on Saturday, a day after President Barack Obama appealed to Iran to seize a "historic opportunity" for a nuclear deal and a better future, and as US Secretary of State John Kerry claimed substantial progress toward an accord. Khamenei told a crowd in Tehran that Iran would not capitulate to Western demands.
When the crowd started shouting, "Death to America," the ayatollah responded: "Of course yes, death to America, because America is the original source of this pressure. "They insist on putting pressure on our dear people's economy," he said, referring to economic sanctions aimed at halting Iran's nuclear program. "What is their goal? Their goal is to put the people against the system," he said. "The politics of America is to create insecurity," he added, referring both to US pressure on Iran and elsewhere in the region.
Khamenei's comments contrasted with those of Iranian President Hassan Rohani, who said "achieving a deal is possible" by the March 31 target date for a preliminary accord.
Kerry was more circumspect, as he spoke to reporters after six days of negotiations in the Swiss city of Lausanne. The talks, made "substantial progress," he said, but "important gaps remain. (Read more)
- Lord, we take no heed to the threats of this enemy, as we face Iran head-on through prayer. We lift up the many innocent civilians in Iran who themselves fear the ayatollahs and are looking for another way . . . may that way be the Way You provide, through Your shed Blood on the Cross of Calvary. We thank You that as we praise You, You will take care of this enemy for us. In Jesus' name, amen.
- "'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's." (2 Chronicles 20:15)
9. McCain: Congress could defund UN if US backs Palestine bid - Times of Israel
Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," McCain said that the president should "get over" his "temper tantrum" following Netanyahu's election victory on Tuesday. In a restive interview Saturday, Obama had suggested that Israel's democracy may "erode" following contentious statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Tuesday's election. His comments came amid a nadir in ties between the two leaders over the right approach to tackling Iran's nuclear program and the Israeli leader's controversial speech before Congress earlier this month. Responding to signals from the White House that the US could stop using its United Nations Security Council veto power to quash unilateral resolutions in support of Palestinian statehood, McCain, chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, warned Obama against such a move. (Read more)
- Father, we thank You for this bold statement made by Senator McCain, and we ask that, should that time come, You would grant him the grace and the favor to follow through on this promise. Abba, for many years now, we have witnessed our tax money being wasted on this organization that does not always have our best interests at heart, nor those of Israel. Grant him strength, O Lord, to follow through. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen and amen.
- "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." (Ephesians 6:10)
10. Vladimir Putin calls for 'Eurasia' currency union - The Telegraph UK
Vladimir Putin proposed on Friday creating a regional currency union with Belarus and Kazakhstan, Russia's partners in a political and economic union made up of former Soviet republics.
Mr Putin made his proposal at a meeting with the Belarussian and Kazakh presidents which highlighted the challenges facing the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union following the fall in global oil prices and the decline of the Russian rouble.
"The time has come to start thinking about forming a currency union," Mr Putin said after the talks in the Kazakh capital Astana with Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
The Russian rouble has declined by about 40 percent against the US dollar since midway through last year, Belarus devalued its own rouble in January and there has been speculation on markets that Kazakhstan may soon devalue its tenge currency. (Read more)
- Heavenly Father, here is another clear signal of the global financial crisis that eventually will impact all nations. Actions which have been enacted against Russia in this crisis could through this action or one like it, cause a huge financial backlash to those targeting Russia at this time. Help us Father, by rising up and confronting our leaders in the night hours with what they may be triggering, with the multi-national ramifications. We pray this in Jesus' Name and under His Shed Blood, Amen and Amen.
- "Be merciful to me, O God; be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by." (Psalm 57:1 NKJV)
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The Middle East in Focus
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"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you." (Isaiah 54:10)
1. 51 MKs back Netanyahu, as president ends first day of meetings - Times of Israel
President Reuven Rivlin on Sunday began his consultations with party representatives on the formation of a governing coalition. After meeting with the Likud, Zionist Union, Joint (Arab) List, Shas, and United Torah Judaism, the president collected 51 recommendations for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 24 for the Zionist Union. The Joint (Arab) List abstained from recommending a candidate
Rivlin will meet with Yesh Atid, Yisrael Beytenu, Kulanu, and Meretz on Monday.
Rivlin on Sunday said that Israel underwent a "tempestuous and passion-filled" election campaign, and that "now is the time to begin the process of mending and healing Israeli society." (Read more)
2. Netanyahu election may increase American Jewish alienation from Israel, leaders here warn - Haaretz
Several national leaders of the American Jewish community this week were openly critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's successful 11th hour pitch to his conservative base, in which he decried Arab citizens of Israel voting, and his pledge not to allow a Palestinian state.
Reform movement head Rick Jacobs: 'This is going to be a challenging time.' (Read more)
- Abba Father, confront Your people here in the US and awaken them to what would happen if a Palestinian state is 'created'. It is tragic that they do not appear to comprehend what would occur. Based on all previous actions by the Palestinian leadership it is apparent that having the PA state established would NOT bring peace but would only create a profound 'hunger to finish the job', which to them is the total annihilation of the State of Israel. We pray, Father, that they will come to understand this in the Name of Jesus, Amen and Amen.
- "To do evil is like sport to a fool, but a man of understanding has wisdom." (Proverbs 10:23 NKJV)
3. Grief-stricken Brooklyn father: My children 'had faces of angels' - Time of Israel
The Brooklyn father who lost seven of his eight children in a home fire on Saturday called his kids "a sacrifice" to the community.
New York residents gathered Sunday to mourn the deaths of the seven siblings killed in a fire believed to have been started by a hot plate.
The bodies of the Sassoon family children, ages 5 to 16, will be flown to Israel for a prompt burial in Jerusalem after the service.
The father, Gabriel Sassoon, broke down at the eulogy - and sobbed as he tried to recite the names of his late children, saying they were "angels" - in a wake attended by thousands mourners from the ultra-Orthodox community, the New York Post reported. (Read more)
- Lord, we lift up all who mourn tonight "in Zion," at the news of the deaths of these precious seven angels. May each one who weeps feel the strong reality of Your presence, and Your comfort, in this hour of grief. Thank You, Lord, for hearing our prayer, in the name of Yeshua, amen.
- "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5:4)
4. Is the US embracing Iran at Israel's expense? - Israel Hayom
Israel is "very concerned" about the American government's eagerness to reach a nuclear agreement with Iran, Israeli officials said on Saturday night. According to the officials, Israel's assessment is that U.S. President Barack Obama is "rushing to an agreement" with Iran.
Israeli officials also believe that elements within the international community will try to apply pressure on Israeli regarding the peace process with the Palestinians as a means of distracting attention away from the emerging "bad deal" with Iran. (Read more)
5. PA Approaches Hamas, Islamic Jihad After Israeli Elections - Israel National News
PLO condemns Netanyahu as 'racist' in post-elections meeting, pledges to fight harder against the Jewish state. (Read more)
6. Obama, Media Lied About Netanyahu and the Palestinian State - Breitbart
For the last several days, the entire Western media has run with a false story: the story that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he no longer would, under any circumstances, endorse the possibility of a Palestinian state.
There is only one problem: Netanyahu never said that a Palestinian state was out of the question. (Read more)
7. Jerusalem: US 'reassessment' threat aims to distract attention from Iran nuke deal - Jerusalem Post
Jerusalem is concerned that Washington's threat to reassess US policy toward the Middle East diplomatic process is an effort to deflect attention from the Iranian nuclear negotiations as they approach a conclusion, diplomatic sources said Saturday.
Despite a congratulatory phone call from US President Barack Obama to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday night, and Netanyahu clarifying in several US media interviews since his reelection on Tuesday that he remains committed to the two-state solution, Washington continued to threaten to "reassess" its position on the Mideast diplomatic process over the weekend, even as it continued to pledge continued security support for Israel. (Read more)
8. Dead Sea sinkholes growing at alarming rate - Times of Israel
Environmental group warns thousands of chasms have developed in the area as salt lake continues to shrink.
Sinkholes near the Dead Sea are said to be multiplying at an exponential rate, posing a major threat to the area's inhabitants and landscape. The area surrounding the salt lake shared by Israel and Jordan is estimated to contain over 3,000 such cavities, as the sea continues to shrink in size due to large-scale evaporation and environmental degradation. (Read more)
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Civil Disobedience Ahead?
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Why a Bad Supreme Court Decision May Require Civil Disobedience
By Mathew D. Staver
Virginia Christian Alliance
Civil disobedience has a long and noble history in Western culture, and we will need a primer on it if, as seems likely, the Supreme Court rules against natural marriage in June.
Of course, civil disobedience is not justified just because we disagree with a human law, but only when that law conflicts with a higher revealed or Natural Law. When he was jailed for violating a law used to stop him from protesting injustice, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail. "A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God," he argued. "An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law."
He went on to say: "I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just 1supremecourtrainbowlaws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that 'an unjust law is no law at all.'"
Such resistance is the very opposite of lawlessness. Dr. King set forth four steps to resist injustice: (1) gathering of facts, (2) negotiation, (3) self-purification and (4) direct action. We must learn more so we can see more. We have a duty to be informed. We must use all civil means to resolve the conflict. And, we must humbly seek the Lord before taking direct action.
(Read entire article here.)
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Franklin Graham Speaks Out
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Franklin Graham Says Bible End Times Prophecy of 'Distress of Nations' Reflects World's Conflicts Today
The Rev. Franklin Graham believes that the numerous world conflicts people are witnessing today reflect passages in the Bible that talk about the end times and the "distress of nations."
"The Bible tells us that in the end times there will be 'distress of nations with perplexity,'" Graham said on Facebook, referring to Luke 21:25.
The passage reads: "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring."
Graham added that "this is certainly the case today." He offered as examples: "The meltdown of the Middle East. The rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and here in the America. China and Russia building their military at cosmic speed. The financial crises worldwide. The political crisis in Washington." (Christian Post) Read more
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Eye on Russia
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Russia Launches Massive Military Drills w/ 80KTroops,
Deploys Nuclear Capable Missiles and Bombers
As AlertsUSA has been reporting for a number of weeks, the buildup of U.S. and NATO forces in Eastern Europe continues, as do similar efforts on the part of Russia. This week, Russia launched massive military exercises spanning all nine time zones, including the Volga region, Urals, Western Siberia, the Far East region and the Pacific, the North Caucasus and along the borders of NATO member states from the Arctic through to the Baltic and Black Seas. The unannounced drills began on Monday under orders from Vladimir Putin and initially involved 40,000 troops, 3,000 vehicles, dozens of warships and 110 aircraft.
On Thursday Russia's Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, said that the number of troops taking part in the exercises has gone up to 80,000, and the number of aircraft participating in the exercises had increased to 220. This also includes the deployment of Tu-22M3 nuclear-capable bombers to Crimea and "Iskander" missile systems to Kaliningrad.
Late this week the U.S. Army began deployment of Patriot air defense units to Poland for exercises. Currently, the United States Army has three different sets of troops in Poland for training exercises, as part of "Operation Atlantic Resolve." American troops have been training continuously in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to NATO and Article 5 (collective defense) responsibilities.
A very dangerous situation is unfolding in Eastern Europe with more than 200,000 military personnel, hundreds of aircraft and literally every other modern implement of war involved in complex, agressive military training exercises on land, sea and in the air. Both sides are feeling pressured. Both sides are feeling threatened. The potential for misinterpreting actions or accidents is high.
(Source: Threat Journal; Saturday, March 21, 2015)
Read more here.
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ISIS Attacks in Tunisia
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ISIS ATTACKS IN TUNISIA, US EMBASSY WARNS
On Wedensday AlertsUSA subscribers were notified of a warning message from the U.S. Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia advising American citizens traveling to or in Tunisia to exercise extreme caution following a terror attack on the popular Bardo Museum in the capital. Late this week, the Islamic State formally claimed responsibility for the attack.
20 foreign tourists, mostly Europeans, were killed in the attack. While this is the worst terror attack in the country since a 2002 suicide bombing in the city of Djerba, it is important to note that Tunisians make up a significant contingent of the foreign fighters currently operating in Syria, Iraq and Libya.
According to an Islamic State spokesman in an audio recording posted the Internet,: "We tell the apostates who sit on the chest of Muslim Tunisia: Wait for the glad tidings of what will harm you, o impure ones, for what you have seen today is the first drop of the rain."
The U.S. Embassy in Tunis is reminding U.S. citizens of the importance of increased vigilance and the need for caution while in the country, and in particular, while visiting public venues frequented by large numbers of foreigners, such as hotels, shopping centers, and tourist sites and restaurants.
(Source: Threat Journal; 3/21/15)
Read more here.
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Vanuatu Recovers
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Religion helps Vanuatuans through cyclone shock
Port Vila: Celine Jimmy prayed three times before running out of a clubhouse into the darkness to a family home as Cyclone Pam roared through her village in Vanuatu, her four children close by her side.
"The trees were falling down and we jumped over them," Jimmy, 42, told AFP in Saama village some 76 kilometres (47 miles) north of the capital Port Vila, of her race to move to a building with more shelter.
"The next morning, we thanked God because he protected us."
More than a week after the maximum category five storm destroyed the crops she grew to feed her family, Jimmy`s neighbour Glenes Lulu is also praying, asking God for rain to help seeds grow and so she can have clean water to drink.
Religion is important in Vanuatu, whose population is largely Christian, with the majority Protestants and about 12 percent Catholic.
Since the cyclone hit on March 13 -- affecting about half of Vanuatu`s 267,000-strong population, according to the United Nations -- faith-based organisations have joined humanitarian agencies in rushing to the Pacific nation to help.In Saama, Christianity plays a central role in the village`s activities.
Two small, unfinished concrete churches -- one Presbyterian and the other Assemblies of God -- stand out between the wooden and metal sheeting homes, painstakingly built slab by slab over several years from villagers` donations.
Standing beside the Assemblies of God church, which had been under construction for two years but collapsed during the storm, Pastor Jimmy Obas looked exhausted but struck a positive note. "I`m thinking about what sermons I should preach on how to help them," the 52-year-old said.
His wife, Leah Obas, has already decided what to tell the children who attend her Sunday school church classes. "I will tell them that God cared for them," she said. "We did not have anyone lose their lives. None of us died." (ZeeNewsIndia) Read more.
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Our Weekly Bible Study
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Our Weekly Bible Study:
Week of March 22 - 28, 2015
> > > To read the "One Year Bible" weekly letter, go here.
> > > To read the Shabbat Torah readings, go here.
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Good News Corner (1)
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83,000 Bibles Sent to Cuba to Keep Up With 'Incredible' Growth of Christianity
Southern Baptist International Missions Board sending Bibles to Havana this Week
A shipment of 83,723 Spanish-language Bibles are headed for Cuba and will be distributed to a number of Southern Baptist churches in both Western and Eastern parts of the island nation, SBC's International Mission Board announced this week.
IMB, which is an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention, announced that the shipment of three 40-foot containers filled with Bibles left from the ports of South Florida and is being distributed this week to various churches throughout Cuba. The announcement added that the Bibles will arrive in the capital of Havana on March 25.
The shipment is the third since 1999 that Southern Baptists have sent to Cuba and have sent nearly 500,000 Bibles in total, IMB strategy leader for Cuba, Kurt Urbanek, said in a media statement.
Urbanek added that this shipment is the first that will be shipped directly from the United States, saying that clearance was provided in late 2014.
"The extensive process of seeking permission from the Cuban government to ship Bibles required a great deal of negotiation with government officials and the Cuban Bible Society," Urbanek explained in the release. "We are grateful the Cuban government opened the doors for the Bibles."
Since the Cuban government amended its Constitution in 1992, declaring it a secular state, instead of an atheist state, religious activities have been given room to grow and flourish.
"The growth is so incredible, that's why Bibles are so important," Urbanek said. (Christian Post) Read more
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Good News Corner (2)
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The Good News Corner (Part Two)
Public Hearing on Assisted Suicide a Huge Success!
Next Step: March 24th FIC Action Lobby Day
In the three years that "Compassion and Choices" has forced the assisted suicide issue on Connecticut, they have never had a good public hearing. But they never had as bad a public hearing as the one that occurred yesterday.
(You can read a report on the assisted suicide hearing--and see great photos of it--here.)
First, a big THANK YOU to the Family Institute of Connecticut Action members who came to the public hearing yesterday, whether to testify, volunteer or just be a silent witness bearing FIC Action's blue "Assist Hope, Not Suicide" stickers. It was you who won the hearing. Your overwhelming numbers, your passionate and respectful opposition to assisted suicide, your very presence--combined with disability rights activists and our other allies--overwhelmed our adversaries, who seemed almost to collapse. . . .
All in all, it was a marathon day, particulary for those of us who arrived when the Legislative Office Building opened at 7 am and stayed until the end of the public hearing at midnight. Many more FIC Action members stayed for a significant segment of those 17 hours and your hard work paid off with a GREAT public hearing.
But that work is not done.
As you can see from this link, FIC Action has a lobby day scheduled for Tuesday, March 24th at the Legislative Office Building. We need you to join us again in Hartford on that day. (Family Institute of Connecticut)
- Lord God, we offer up a great chorus of praise before Your Throne of Grace that You have heard, and answered our prayers for this victory against euthanasia in the State of Connecticut. Lord, we see that there yet remains work to do before this bill is finally defeated, so we ask for a continued move of grace in this State, that the support seen so far against the passage of this bill would not wane. We ask this in Your precious Name, amen and amen.
- " . . . he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)
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"A Mighty Fortress is Our God"
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Songs Our Grandmothers Sang:
May we each draw strength in our own time, as we "dig the wells of treasure" to draw upon the strength that carried our ancestors through their own perilous times. Amen.
A MIGHT FORTRESS IS OUR GOD
"God is our Refuge and Strength, a very present Help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1)
This song has been called "the greatest hymn of the greatest man of the greatest period of German history" and the "Battle Hymn of the Reformation."
This hymn was sung at the funeral of American president Dwight Eisenhower at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, March 1969.
Lyrics:
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same, And He must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God's truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.
Melody
Go here.
About the Author:
Words & Music: Martin Luther 1529
In 1720 a remarkable revival began in a town in Moravia. Jesuits opposed it, and the meetings were prohibited. Those who still assembled were seized and imprisoned in stables and cellars. At David Nitschmann's house, where a hundred and fifty persons gathered, the police broke in and seized the books. Not dismayed, the congregation struck up the stanzas of Luther's hymn,
"And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us;
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us."
Twenty heads of families were for this sent to jail, including Nitschmann, who was treated with special severity. He finally escaped, fled to the Moravians at Herrnhut, became a bishop, and afterwards joined the Wesleys in 1735 in their expedition to Savannah, Georgia.
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Signs and Wonders
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Rumbles felt up the East Coast, but no earthquake recorded
The U.S. Geological Survey wants to hear from coastal residents about two rumbles that shook houses from the Carolina coast to Delaware Monday, March 16, but the federal agency's instruments detected no earthquakes in the region.
Unlike the occasional booms heard and felt along the Outer Banks from time to time, Mondays rumbles lasted as long 20 seconds. The first occurred at 4:24 p.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and the second at 6:24 p.m.
When the 5.8-magnitude earthquake in Virginia shook our region in August of 2011, it was reported within minutes by the USGS.
John Bellini, a geophysicist with the USGS, said the rumblings were definitely not earthquakes, but they were reported as far north as Delaware and as far south as Havelock in North Carolina. The USGS website marks the incident in Nags Head and provides a link asking, Did You Feel It? - Tell Us! By noon it had recorded 201 responses from 45 zipcodes.
(Source: The Outer Banks Voice)
Read more here.
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Today's Birthday
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Today's Birthday on the Hill
Today we wish a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to:
Rep. Brian Babin (TX)
God bless you!
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Worship With Us Today!
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Worship With Us Today!
"Hide me in the shelter"
Cheryl Thomas
Under the shadow of your wings
Here in the secret place of your holiness
I will wait on You, O Lord, my God and King
Here in the Holiest of All
You draw me near with love
To abandon all for the sake of knowing You, my God and King
Hide me in the shelter of your love
Deep in the centre of your heart, my Lord
How I want to know You more
And keep me in the shadow of your wings
Safe in the secret place of Holiness
How I need You more and more
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPOW9OWOOF4&feature=youtu.be
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Two Daily Conference Calls
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Two Daily Conference Calls
TO PRAY IN THE NIGHT:
Please note that the national prayer call continues every night with different leaders from different intercession ministries each night.
These prayer calls will be held nightly at 9PM EST. Please join us by calling 1-857-232-0156; access 377054. Please sign on 15 minutes early so we can be ready to pray at 9PM.
This call sponsored by Breaker of Dawn has been going on since Sept 9, 2014 and every night it is a Psalm 133 call with different ministries joining together and most every night there are intercessors that represent our entire nation.
For details, go here.
TO PRAY IN THE DAY:
A second conference call is now available daily (except on Sundays) at 11:30 a.m. EST. Sponsored by the Salt and Light Council, the focus of the daily "Repentance and Reformation" calls is to pray for all in authority.
You are cordially invited to join these calls by dialing 712-432-1699/ Access code 338083#
To learn more, please visit their website at:
http://randrprayer.org
> > > Day and night, in these perilous times, let's join forces on these calls to cry out unto God for His mercy to be shown to America and to Israel. Thank you!
