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Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
"A National Prayer Alliance"
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
The Daily Brief:
"Praying for All in Authority"
Monday, December 14, 2015
"For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock." (Psalm 27:5)
". . . under his wings you will find refuge . . ." (Psalm 91:4)
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Focus on ISIS
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Focus on ISIS
1. Islamic State members 'entered US with forged passports' - Israel National News
The investigation into November's Paris terror attacks has revealed that eight migrants entered Europe with the same forged passport as one of the terrorists. At the same time, a new report released in the US has brought to light that Islamic State is running a thriving trade in counterfeit passports in Syria and that some of its members are now in the States.
A new US report has warned of a clear and imminent threat of terrorism in the country. The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) report, which was issued to US intelligence agencies last week, revealed that Islamic State members have entered US territory using forged passports.
The report, quoted in the UK's Daily Express newspaper on Friday, revealed that the Islamic State group has established a flourishing trade in counterfeit passports in the Syrian territory it has occupied. (Read more)
- Abba Father, these forged passports are another example of the lies of Satan. The people using the forged passports are doing so with killing as their number one goal. You, God, are revealing to all nations the deceitful intentions of the enemy. We pray that You will send Your army of guardian angels to bring down the entire system of forgery so that nothing will be used to assist the enemy.
Let the flourishing trade in counterfeit passports be stopped immediately. In your Mighty and Holy name we ask for your protection of Homeland Security and all other agencies as they strive to protect our nation and other nations globally. Lord, we thank You for hearing our prayers,in Jesus' name, amen.
- "Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men, who plan evil things in their hearts; they continually gather together for war." (Psalm 140: 1-2)
2. Yezidi Leader Tells Congress: 'Because We Are Not Muslims . . . We Are Being Burned Alive' - CNSNews.com
Chaldean and Yezidi leaders described the genocide of their people at the hands of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to members of Congress Wednesday at a hearing on assisting victims of ISIS.
"Because we are not Muslims, and because our path is the path of peace . . . we are being burned alive," Mirza Ismail, chairman of the Yezidi Human Rights Organization-International, told members of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.
Ismail went on to describe the desperate plight of the Yezidis, an indigenous ethno-religious group from Kurdistan who are being targeted by ISIS because they are not Muslim.
"There are thousands of young Yezidi women, girls, and even children, who as I speak have been enslaved and forced into sexual slavery. These girls are subjected to daily, multiple rapes by ISIS monsters," he testified. (Read more)
- Father God Almighty in Heaven, we cry out to You on behalf of these dear men, women and children in Syria and in Iraq, that You would show them Your mercy and grant help to come from heaven. Lord, it is painful even to read about these atrocities, being committed at the hands of a barbaric enemy. We give this matter to You to undertake, for it is too big for us to comprehend. Thank You, Lord, for hearing our prayer, in Jesus' name, amen and amen.
- " . . . The battle is the Lord's . . ." (I Samuel 14:27)
3. House Panel Votes to Arm Kurds - The 'One Effective Fighter in This Fight' - CNSNews.com
The House Foreign Affairs Committee has passed legislation authorizing the direct provision of arms to Kurdish fighters battling ISIS in northern Iraq, a move called for by several 2016 presidential candidates but opposed both by the Obama administration and the government in Baghdad.
Introducing the legislation, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) characterized the Kurdish peshmerga fighters as "the sole US allied force operating on the ground against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, For the last year and a half, we've had one effective fighter in this fight: It is the 160,000-strong peshmerga force," he said, noting that some 30 percent of the fighters were women. They have proven themselves as the most dedicated and effective force against ISIS in Iraq - not without considerable casualties, by the way, 8,500 killed and wounded on those frontlines," he added.
Royce said that according to the Department of Defense, many of the peshmerga casualties were the result of the fact the Kurdish fighters are poorly armed and equipped, compared to Iraqi national forces, Iranian-backed Shi'ite militia, and "most crucially here, ISIS itself." He said it was in the interests of the U.S. to ensure that ISIS, which controls significant territory across Iraq and Syria, does "not have the safe haven that they used to plan the [Nov. 13] attacks in Paris, and that frankly inspired the attack in the United States. I believe we have to work with our partners on the ground to eliminate these sanctuaries and deny ISIS both the space and resources to drive additional attacks."
The bill marked up Wednesday provides for the U.S. to supply "directly" to the Kurds advanced conventional weapons that could include "anti-tank and anti-armor weapons, armored vehicles, long-range artillery, crew-served weapons and ammunition, secure command and communications equipment, body armor, helmets, logistics equipment, excess defense articles and other military assistance that the President determines to be appropriate." (Read more)
- Lord, we thank You that You have heard our prayers on behalf of these fearless Kurdish fighters. Praise You, Jesus! We ask that, when this bill now moves out of Committee to the full House for a vote, it would pass with a veto-proof margin, and that the Senate would follow suit. In Jesus' name we pray, amen and amen.
- "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:19)
4. Christian female fighters take on the Islamic State in Syria - Times of Israel
HASAKAH, Syria (AFP) - Babylonia has no regrets about leaving behind her two children and her job as a hairdresser to join a Christian female militia battling against the Islamic State group in Syria. The fierce-looking 36-year-old in fatigues from the Syriac Christian minority in the northeast believes she is making the future safe for her children. "I miss Limar and Gabriella and worry that they must be hungry, thirsty and cold. But I try to tell them I'm fighting to protect their future," she told AFP.
Babylonia belongs to a small, recently created battalion of Syriac Christian women in Hasakeh province who are fighting IS. They are following in the footsteps of Syria's other main female force battling the jihadists - the women of the YPJ, the female counterpart to the Kurdish People's Protection Units or YPG.
So far the new force is small, with around 50 graduates so far from its training camp in the town of Al-Qahtaniyeh, also known as Kabre Hyore in Syriac, and Tirbespi in Kurdish. But the "Female Protection Forces of the Land Between the Two Rivers" - the area between the Tigris and Euphrates waterways historically inhabited by Syriacs - is teeming with women eager to prove their worth against IS.
Some women cited what is known as the Sayfo ("Sword") massacres in 1915 of Syriac, Assyrian and Chaldean Christians as reasons for joining the unit. "We are a community that is oppressed by others," said 18-year-old Ithraa. She joined four months ago inspired by the memory of Sayfo, in which Ottoman authorities are said to have killed tens of thousands of Christians in Turkey and Iran.
She said the community hoped to prevent "a new massacre like that committed by the Ottomans . . . when they tried to erase our Christian and Syriac identity. (Read more)
- Father, this article also states that the U.S. has been training these women to go to war, so we offer up praise for these courageous sisters in Christ, and that our tax money is being used to fund their mission. We ask that You cover each one with Your precious shed blood, and that You also send forth Your angels to keep their children safe at home. We ask this in Your Name, amen.
- ". . . under his wings you will find refuge . . ." (Psalm 91:4)
5. WATCH: Islamic State presents its version of the apocalypse - Times of Israel
A new video by the Islamic State presents the jihadist group's version of the apocalypse, with its fighters preparing to conquer Rome.
As is now the norm with the group's videos, the clip is slick and professionally produced. It shows jihadists making final preparations for battle alternating with shots of "Rome" - a symbolic representation of the powerhouse of Christianity - in images of St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican and the ruins of the Roman Colosseum. Tanks supposed to be advancing to the Italian capital are seen flying IS flags as they leave tracks in the desert.
Curiously, the end of times-obsessed terror organization's clip shows the apocalypse not as it is described in the writings of Islam, but rather more in keeping with western, Christian fantasies. At one point, the video shows flags of some 60 countries with which Islamic State sees itself as being at war, among them Britain, France, Australia and the US. Other sections of the video depict fighters wearing suicide vests or marching toward Europe. (Read more)
- Father God, the only end-time vision we carry in our hearts is that of the return of our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ. We lift up these ISIS fanatics, and we ask You to do a miracle in each of their own hearts and lives, that they, too, would seek You, and You only in these days. We stand in faith, believing, in Jesus' name, amen.
- Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
5 "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 6 "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." (Acts 9:1-6)
6. "Whistleblower: Feds Shut Down Terror Investigation That Could Have Prevented San Bernardino Attack" - The Daily Caller
A former Department of Homeland Security agent says that an investigation he was conducting into a fundamentalist Islamic group operating in the U.S. may have helped stop San Bernardino jihadi Syed Farook had the government not shut down his probe.
During an interview with Fox News' Megyn Kelly on Thursday, Philip Haney said that in 2012 as an agent with U.S. Customs and Border Protection's National Targeting Center, he opened an investigation into a Sunni Islamic group called, Tablighi Jamaat, a subset of the fundamentalist Deobandi movement.
But Haney said that just a year into the investigation it was shut down by the State Department and the Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
The reason the investigation was quashed? Because the federal government did not want to profile Islamic groups, Haney told Kelly. (Read more)
- Lord Jesus, we ask your protection of Philip Haney and his family, that no harm will come to them. Let there be no repercussions because he has spoken regarding the shut down of the 2012 investigation of an Islamic group. Father, your Word says, " . . . the truth will set you free." Let the truth be told. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.
- "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him will I trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler." (Psalm 91:1-4)
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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)
GOD SENDS A SIGN OF LIFE IN THE SKIES OVER ISRAEL
Amazing. Above Israel, "Chai" shines -- the Hebrew symbol of life!
1. Israeli jets strike Gaza after rocket attack - Times of Israel
Israeli aircraft struck in the Gaza Strip Sunday night, hours after a rocket fired from the territory exploded in Israel. The army said it targeted two Hamas military posts in northern and central Gaza. There were no immediate reports of Palestinian casualties. The IDF noted that it holds Hamas rulers responsible for any attacks emanating from the Strip. (Read more)
2. Hamas leader calls for renewed Iran ties - Jerusalem Post
Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar on Saturday called on Iran to restore its relations with his movement. Zahar's appeal came in a statement marking the 28th anniversary of the founding of Hamas.
Thousands of Palestinians participated in rallies that were held in the Gaza Strip over the weekend on this occasion.
Relations between the two sides have been tense since the beginning of the conflict in Syria in 2011. Hamas's refusal to support the regime of President Bashar Assad, Iran's major ally in the region, has angered Tehran, prompting it to cut off its financial and military aid to the Gaza-based movement. (Read more)
3. Hamas rocked by dispute over links with Islamic State, and a host of other frictions - Times of Israel
This week once again news reached the Gaza Strip that a local man had been killed fighting in the ranks of the Islamic State in Syria. The slain man was named as Issa Lakta, a resident of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City.
Lakta had earned the nickname "Abu Aisha the Gazan" after joining Islamic State. But in Gaza they remembered him as a member of Hamas's armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades. And he is not the only one-time Hamas terrorist to have joined Islamic State in recent years, to fight in Syria, Iraq and recently also Libya (Read more)
4. 'Palestinians freed in Schalit deal are planning terrorist attacks' - Israel Hayom
Dozens of former Palestinian security prisoners released as part of the Schalit deal are trying to form new terrorist cells in Judea and Samaria and east Jerusalem, with the expressed purpose of carrying out suicide attacks against Israelis, senior Palestinian sources warned Thursday.
The 2011 prisoner exchange, meant to secure the safe return of Hamas captive Gilad Schalit, saw 1,027 Palestinian prisoners released. The majority of them were expelled to Turkey and the Gaza Strip, but it seems that they are now trying to regain a foothold in Judea and Samaria.
According to a Palestinian source, the driving force behind these attempts is senior Hamas operative Salah al-Aruri, who was released in the deal and is based in Istanbul. Al-Aruri's efforts are rumored to have the backing of the heads of Hamas' military wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades. (Read more)
5. Erekat: Make peace or ISIS will take over - Israel National News
If Israel does not make peace with the Palestinian Authority (PA), the Islamic State (ISIS) will assume the moral leadership of the Arab world, senior Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) official Saeb Erekat warned on Friday.
Speaking at a Rome conference on Mediterranean security and quoted by AFP, Erekat claimed that the radical jihadism of Islamic State could only be defeated long-term through a resolution of the Palestinian question and the establishment of democracy in Arab countries.
"Ever since the beginning of Islam there have been people and organizations seeking to use the religion for their own ends. Daesh is number 803," he said, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.
"You are not going to defeat Daesh with bullets, warplanes and so on," said Erekat, who then went on to claim that the anger that fuelled support for groups like ISIS was undermining people like him who had attempt to negotiate peace with Israel and had been treated instead to the "expansion of Israeli settlements".
"For 23 years I promised Palestinians we would have our freedom and dignity. What did I bring my people? Instead 200,000 settlers we now have 600,000 and an Israeli Prime Minister who prides himself on saying 'there will be no Palestinian state on my watch,'" he charged, according to AFP. (Read more)
6. Right-wing extremists barred from lighting menorah on Temple Mount - Times of Israel
Police on Thursday arrested two people when officers broke up an illegal demonstration and effort to light Hanukkah candles on Jerusalem's Temple Mount.
A group of about 40 members of the extremist right-wing group Returning to the Mount planned to ascend the flashpoint holy site, but police stopped them from entering the Old City via the Jaffa Gate. One of the two people detained was a minor, Haaretz reported Friday. (Read more)
7. IDF reserve officer briefly detained in UK for war crimes - YNET News
An IDF officer in reserves who fought in Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014 was detained upon landing in the UK a few weeks ago due to a complaint made against him that he was involved in war crimes, Ynet has learned.
Any soldier who fought in the 50-day war, whose details or photos were posted online, may find himself on the blacklist of pro-Palestinian organizations who filed and are still filing complaints at European police stations.
The officer, who came to Britain on a business trip, was released a few hours after being detained, thanks to the intervention of the Foreign Ministry with the assistance of the IDF's Operations Directorate and the IDF's international law division. British authorities apologized to Israel following the incident. (Read more)
8. New Mossad chief: Israel still needs God's help - Israel National News
The Prime MInister's National Security Adviser Yossi Cohen, who on Monday was named as the next head of the Mossad, gave a particularly powerful speech at his synagogue on Saturday, noting how Israel was established with God's help and needs His help today just as much.
Cohen does not himself wear a kippah but is what is known as a "traditional" Jew, meaning he generally observes the mitzvot, and on Shabbat attends his synagogue in Modi'in.
"Without siyata de'shamaya ('Heavenly aid' in Aramaic - ed.) the state of Israel would not have been established," Cohen said in a Biblical exegesis at the synagogue this Shabbat, reports Walla on Saturday night.
"That was true then - and today too, we need siyata de'shamaya."(Read more)
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The Daily Brief
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1. Paris Climate Deal Calls for America to Transfer Wealth to 'Developing' Countries - CNSNews.com
The draft of the international agreement to deal with climate change, which is being considered today in Paris by representatives from 195 countries, calls for the developed nations of the world (which include the United States) to transfer wealth to developing nations, including through "public funds."
"Developed country Parties shall provide financial resources to assist developing country Parties with respect to both mitigation and adaptation in continuation of their existing obligations under the Convention," says Article 9 of the draft agreement. "As part of a global effort, developed country Parties should continue to take the lead in mobilizing climate finance from a wide variety of sources, instruments and channels, noting the significant role of public funds," says the draft.
The draft agreement sets a goal for developed countries to dole out at least $100 billion per year by 2020. (Read more)
- "Father, we bring this deed-of-darkness, socialistic agreement to You, which has been signed by 195 countries of the world. It states that the developed countries of the world agree to escalate efforts to transfer at least $100 billion USD to undeveloped countries for publicly unspecified purposes within the next four years.
Father, You alone know the intents and motives of the hearts of those involved in these actions, and since You have the Master world view and plan, we ask You, on behalf of Your watchmen, to intervene in these proposed actions if they are contrary to Your agenda, intent, or purposes for this end-time period, by whichever natural or supernatural actions you choose. We decree that Your will be done in this situation and not the will of the wicked, in Jesus's name. Amen."
- "Can a throne of destruction be allied with Thee, one which devised mischief by decree? They band together against the life of the righteous, and condemn the innocent to death. But the Lord has been my stronghold and my God the rock of my refuge. And He has brought back their wickedness upon them, and will destroy them in their evil; the Lord our God will destroy them." (Psalms 94: 20-23)
2. Analysis: What is Iran up to? - Jerusalem Post
It sounds like a Persian fairy tale in which a Janus-like leader smiles and glowers at once, depending on the angle of viewing. This is the world inhabited by Iran observers since the signing of The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on July 14, 2015.
The deal, signed between Iran and six world powers, exists to prevent Iran from obtaining weapons-grade nuclear material at least for the next 15 years On the one hand, Iranian leaders are smiling on the America that facilitated the agreement, whereby the West has lifted crippling economic sanctions that paralyzed the economy of the Islamic Republic.
On the other hand, Iranian leaders are engaged in vituperative ad hominem attacks against the United Sates and have intensified their efforts at a cyber war against Washington institutions. Tehran always shows two sides, affirms Ali Ansari, a professor of Iranian Studies at St. Andrews University in Scotland. One side: President Rouhani's moderate approach, where the country appears open to negotiations. The other side: Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's "more contentious" rhetoric. (Read more)
- Father You are not confused by the slight of hand, nor the language of Iranian leaders that is on one hand bitter and abusive and yet they present an "moderate approach" . . . "appearing open to negotiations."
- Father, Your wisdom tells us "The heart of [self-confident] fools proclaims their folly." (Prov. 12:23) yet "The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He takes the wise in their own craftiness." (1 Cor. 3:19) Therefore ALL our expectation is in You. For it is written, "Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion." (Psalm 129:5)
3. Cruz Compares Obama's Nuke Deal to Neville Chamberlain's Munich Pact - CNSNews.com
President Obama's handling of the Iranian nuclear deal is akin to former British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Nazi Germany in the 1938 Munich Pact, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told an audience at the Heritage Foundation in Washington on Thursday.
"I believe today we are at a moment like Munich in 1938," Cruz said. "That President Obama has returned from Geneva, returned from agreeing to give over $100 billion to the Ayatollah Khamenei, promising like Neville Chamberlain peace in our time. If history teaches anything, giving hundreds of billions of dollars, strengthening homicidal maniacs who intend to murder you, has never, ever, ever worked out well," Cruz said. (Read more)
- Lord we thank You that voices are being raised in Congress AGAINST this evil plan! Your word instructs us NOT to make covenant, NOT to compromise with our enemies. Let this manner of speaking truth spread throughout our government leaders, give new courage to our media and let the way of political correctness vanish in the light of truth and integrity.
- "Praise God, The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks with justice!" (Psalm 37:30)
4. Putin Tells Defense Chiefs to Strengthen Russian Nuclear Forces; 95% of nuclear forces are at permanent readiness - Bloomberg
President Vladimir Putin ordered defense chiefs to strengthen Russia's strategic nuclear forces amid rising tensions with the U.S. over the global balance of power. New weapons should go to "all parts" of the nuclear triad of air, sea, and land forces, Putin told a Defense Ministry meeting in Moscow on Friday. Action must also be taken "to improve the effectiveness of missile-attack warning systems and aerospace defense."
Russia's military will have five new nuclear regiments equipped with modern missile complexes next year, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told the same meeting. More than 95 percent of the country's nuclear forces are at a permanent state of readiness, he said. (Read more)
- Heavenly Father, we look to You in these perilous times of nuclear threats coming out of Russia. And as we continue to lean on Your help and wisdom . . . we thank You for our inner strength and peace that passes all understanding that keeps us from anxiousness and fear. Thanking You in advance for what You have planned and purposed . . . In Jesus name . . . Amen.
- "When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall" (Psalm 27:2)
5. Russia fires warning shots at Turkish ship - Jerusalem Post
MOSCOW - The Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday one of its warships, the destroyer Smetlivy, had been forced to fire warning shots at a Turkish vessel in the Aegean Sea to avoid a collision and that it had summoned the Turkish military attache over the incident.
It said in a statement that the Turkish fishing vessel, which it did not name, had failed to respond to earlier warnings, but had sharply changed course after shots were fired before passing within just over 500 meters of the warship.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday morning, is likely to heighten tensions between the two nations who are seriously at odds over Syria and the Turkish shooting down of a Russian military jet last month. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who called the downing of the plane a "stab in the back", has since imposed economic sanctions on Turkey as a retaliatory measure. (Read more)
- Lord God Almighty . . . Creator of the Universe, You lift us up so we do not faint in this season of Nations coming against Nations. As we see Russia and Turkey, Lord, striving for more power, our ears will hear a voice behind us, saying, "This is the way; walk ye in it." (Isaiah 30:21)
- "Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless." (Psalm 60:11)
6. Malls in three U.S. states evacuated on busy holiday shopping day - Reuters
Thousands of shoppers were evacuated from malls in at least three states on Saturday as bomb threats or scares disrupted one of the busiest days of year for holiday shopping.
The evacuations come at a time of heightened vigilance in public places across the country, a week after a husband and wife gunned down 14 people at a holiday party in San Bernardino, California, in what the FBI considers an act of terror.
An empty suitcase caused the evacuation of some 500 people Saturday morning at a handful of stores at the Largo Mall, an outdoor outlet mall near Tampa, Florida, authorities said.
To the north, the Shops at Riverside, a two-story shopping mall in Hackensack, New Jersey, was evacuated after authorities learned of a bomb threat scrawled on the wall of a bathroom, according to the Bergen County Sheriff's Department.
And in Farmington, New Mexico, the Animas Valley Mall was cleared out and closed while police searched the shopping center after a threat was found on a women's restroom wall, said Georgette Allen, public information officer for the Farmington Police Department. (Read more)
- Father, we thank You that these three incidents were contained, and that no one was harmed this weekend. We make a commitment before You, dear Lord, to remain vigilant in prayer over the shopping malls and any NFL events that are taking place in our own region, and we thank You for the Blood of the Lamb that protects us all. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.
- "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." (Rev. 12:11)
7. Key Senate panel chairman opens inquiry into California massacre - Reuters
Nine days after 14 people were shot dead in California by a married couple the FBI says were inspired by Islamic extremism, the Republican chairman of a key U.S. Senate panel demanded the Justice Department on Friday turn over much of the evidence collected so far in the case.
In a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson asked her agency to furnish the requested evidence, along with answers to more than a dozen questions he posed about the investigation, by Dec. 24.
Among the materials Johnson requested are any communications unearthed by investigators pointing to the couple's plans for the massacre, how they concealed their intentions from law enforcement and any other attacks they might have contemplated.
He also asked for information the department had obtained that would suggest any sponsorship of the couple by "a foreign terrorist organization." (Read more)
- Father God, we are grateful to learn that this Senate committee is exercising its constitutional role of providing oversight of the actions of the DHS. We ask that answers to this letter would be forthcoming, and a truthful account of all events related to the San Bernardino shootings would be made available to those in congressional authority. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen and amen.
- "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Matt. 21:22)
8. Ben Carson blasts RNC, threatens to leave Republican Party - POLITICO.com
Ben Carson on Friday blasted the Republican National Committee following a Washington Post report that nearly two-dozen establishment party figures were prepping for a potential brokered convention as Donald Trump continues to lead most polls.
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus held a dinner in Washington, D.C., on Monday, and, according to five people who spoke with the Post, the possibility of Trump heading into the Cleveland convention with a substantial number of delegates was a topic of discussion. Some attendees suggested the establishment lay the groundwork for a floor fight that could lead the party's mainstream wing to unite behind an alternative. Carson rejected this approach.
"If the leaders of the Republican Party want to destroy the party, they should continue to hold meetings like the one described in the Washington Post this morning," Carson said in a statement released by his campaign. (Read more)
- Father God, we ask for your perfect will to be done in leading the Republician National Committee as they prepare for the nomination of their candidate in the 2016 election You know the hearts and minds of each member of the RNC and of the candidates. Let there be unity according to your will for America.
- "Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." (Isaiah 9:7 NKJV)
9. Stocks Tumble in Worst Week Since August as Fed Anxiety Spreads - Bloomberg
U.S. stocks capped their worst week since the August selloff as optimism over the economy's strength gave way to anxiety over the Federal Reserve just as commodities and credit markets flashed signs of danger.
The Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 3.8 percent in the five days to end at a two-month low. Energy shares plunged as the cheapest crude oil since 2009 rekindled anxiety over deflation before the Fed's Dec. 16 policy decision. Financial shares, the ostensible beneficiaries of any rate hike, tumbled 5.4 percent, as asset managers were routed after a high-yield mutual fund suspended redemptions.
Optimism that the U.S. economy is strong enough to withstand higher rates transformed into anxiousness, as a commodity selloff clouded the prospects for a global recovery and rekindled deflation concerns. The benchmark U.S. equity gauge ended at its lowest level since October amid concern that a rout in high-yield credit markets will spread at the same time that money managers must cope with shifting monetary policy. (Read more)
- Father, we come before Your throne, and we know that You are shaking everything that needs to be shaken, and so we bring the monetary situation of America and the world to you. We are aware of Rev. 13:17 which states that, in that day, no one will be able to buy or sell unless he has the mark of the beast, but Father, we know that You also have a plan to take care of Your people.
We thank You that you fed the Israelites in the desert for 40 years and that You are well able to provide for Your people during a time of coming crisis. We watch the Federal Reserve, Lord, as they try to control the market as a horse with a bit and bridle. Your Word, Lord, says that You will instruct us and teach us in the way we should go. You have Your hand on America's financial future and we ask that if it is Your will, that You spare the peoples from this potential catastrophe of the market crashing. We lean into You on this matter, Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
- "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you." (Psalm 32:8-10)
10. Rabbi Uses WH Hanukkah Reception To Push . . . Justice for Palestinians'? - Conservative Videos
A rabbi and Black Lives Matter activist used her speech at last week's official White House Hanukkah reception to promote the Black Lives Matter movement, gun control, open immigration for "all" and "justice for Palestinians." Susan Talve, a Reform rabbi, also altered one of the Hebrew blessings traditionally said before lighting the candles of the menorah, adding the female equivalent to the word "forefathers."
Following short speeches by President Barack Obama and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Talve opened her remarks by pushing for allowing in "all immigrants and refugees," then added other social justice calls to action. . . "I stand here to light these lights to say no to the darkness of Islamophobia, and homophobia and transphobia and racism and anti-Semitism and all the other isms that dare to dim our hope," she added. After appealing for "justice for Palestinians," Talve chanted the Arabic phrase which means "Allah willing," apparently encouraged by the Israeli president. (Read more)
- Father God, this is such a travesty and another example of the arrogance of this president in all things pertaining to Israel. At their own special holiday tradition, Obama has once again turned this celebration upside down, using it instead to extol the enemies of Israel, and to advance his own agenda of "social justice." We repent O Lord. Show us Your mercy, we pray, in Your name, amen.
- "I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Gen. 12:3)
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Our Weekly Bible Study
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Our Weekly Bible Study
Week of Sunday, Dec. 13 - Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015
Please be blessed by this study, as we focus on the theme of the third week of advent: JOY!
> > > To read the "One Year Bible" weekly letter, go here.
> > > To read the Shabbat Torah readings, go here.
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Middle East Revivals
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Middle East Revivals:
ALGERIA
The whole Islamic world is currently shaking. We have already discussed some of the amazing advancements that are taking place in several of Arabic nations. These are where the greatest signs of revival are evident. Nevertheless, on a lesser level, other Islamic nations are also experiencing a tremendous stirring within their borders. One of these is Algeria. Rosenberg recounts the recent upsurge in Algeria, noting that:
"More than eighty thousand Muslims have become followers of Christ in recent years. ...The surge of Christianity has become so alarming to Islamic clerics that in March of 2006, Algerian officials passed a law banning Muslims from becoming Christians or even learning about Christianity, and forbidding Christians from meeting together without a license from the government."
Algeria is beginning to come alive with the Gospel like much of Northern Africa. (Breaking Christian News)
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Persecution Watch
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Monastery near Mosul offers refuge for Iraq's Christians
Iraqi Christians sheltering from the Islamic State at the Mar Matti monastery can see the lights of their former homes at night.
The 1,600-year-old refuge, near the summit of Mount Alfaf, is only about 10 miles from Mosul, which fell to the militants last year. Villages controlled by the extremists are even closer.
Mar Matti dates to the fourth century, when its namesake, St. Matthew, fled persecution by the Roman Empire for the Nineveh plains. He established a hermitage on Mount Alfaf, also known as Mount Maqlub, where he is said to have cured disease and converted Assyrians to Christianity.
Until recently, Mar Matti was home to a large library of Syriac Christian manuscripts and the site of an annual festival that drew Christians from all over Iraq. The Associated Press has reported that the manuscripts, including an 1,100-year-old copy of the letters of St. Paul, have been spirited to an apartment in Dohuk for safekeeping.
In the days after Mosul fell to the Islamic State, Mar Matti sheltered hundreds of displaced Christians, but by October only a few families remained.
"They've gone to Irbil and Dohuk," said Faris Sabah, 51, a truck driver from Mosul, who was still living at the monastery with his family. (Stars and Stripes) Read more.
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Our Grandmothers' Songs
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Songs Our Grandmothers Sang:
JOY TO THE WORLD
"I bring you good tidings of great joy." (Luke 2:10)
Lyrics
Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love.
Melody
Please go here.
About the Author:
Words: Isaac Watts, 1719
Music: Thomas Haweis, 1792
About this Hymn:
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Signs and Wonders
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Weather:
There Will Be A Full Moon On Christmas For The First Time In Decades
It's certainly not feeling a whole lot like Christmas out there, as temperatures challenge very old records this weekend! We'll see temperatures soar into the 60's and 70's, feeling more like October than the holiday season. But Christmas is now only two weeks away, and if "celestial beauty" is on Santa's list for you this year, you're in luck!
A full moon will occur at 6:11am on Christmas morning, the first Christmas full moon since 1977. The next Christmas full moon won't happen until the year 2034! The December full moon is known as the "cold moon", which may or may not be true in this unseasonably warm December. It's still too early to predict sky cover for Christmas morning, but hopefully the full moon will be visible to sky-watchers and hopefully serve to help Santa on his travels. (CBSLocal/Philadelphia) Read more.
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The Good News Corner
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The Operating Room of the Future
Go here to view this video. Amazing technology from Israel, once again. Thank you, Israel!
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Worship With Us Today!
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Worship With Us Today!
JOY TO THE WORLD!
Sing along here!
