President Obama Will Speak at the
Embassy of Israel on Wednesday.
For details, go here.
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
"A National Prayer Alliance"
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
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The Daily Brief:
"Praying for All in Authority"
Monday, January 25, 2016
SPECIAL EDITION
"Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven." (Job 148: 8, 11,13)
"When the whirlwind (blizzard) passes by, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation." (Proverbs 10:25)
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The Daily Brief
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1. Obama to speak at Israel Embassy event honoring Righteous Gentiles - Jerusalem Post
US President Barack Obama will participate in a ceremony honoring the Righteous Among the Nations - non-Jews who helped rescue Jews during the Holocaust - at a special event scheduled to be held in Israel's embassy on Wednesday, The New York Times reported on Friday.
According to Israel's ambassador, Ron Dermer, this will be the first time that Yad Vashem will stage an event honoring the Righteous Among the Nations in the United States. Obama's appearance at the embassy is a rare feat, as presidents are not known to give speeches at foreign embassies in Washington.
Wednesday, the 27th of January, is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which was established by dint of a UN General Assembly resolution in 2005. Israel marks its own memorial day for the victims of the Nazi genocide. (Read more)
- Father, we give You praise that this event will take place in the US for the first time. Allow President Obama to truly give honor to those who risked their lives to save the Jewish people during WW II. Bless the families of those being honored for what their loved ones did in helping your people escape the Holocaust. Those being honored do indeed deserve the title " Righteous Among The Nations."
We know, Lord, that there is a reason that President Obama has agreed to speak at this event. Did You, our God, bring him to this place? As he steps into the Embassy of Israel, stir his heart and convict him of the sin of trying to divide the land of Israel, which belongs to You by the covenant promise of Your Word. We bless President Obama, as he comes to speak on this International Holocaust Remembrance Day, even as we cancel any hidden agendas by the power of Your Shed Blood.
God, we too remember the Holocaust and we ask forgiveness for all nations for allowing this to happen to Your people. We indeed are our brothers' keepers! In Jesus Name, Amen.
- "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you: I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26)
- "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind to reward each person according to their conduct according to what their deeds deserve." (Jeremiah 17:10)
2. On Capitol Hill, Snow cancels House votes on ObamaCare, Iran sanctions - Fox News
The winter storm that has buried Washington under record-breaking snow has forced Congress to change plans, including the cancellation of key House votes on ObamaCare and Iran sanctions.
The announcement was made Sunday by California GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy, whose duties as House majority leader is to set the chamber's voting schedule.
As the storm approached late last week, McCarthy cancelled scheduled votes for Monday. But he has now told chamber members not to "expect" votes on Tuesday and Wednesday "due to the severity of the winter storm." He also said the next scheduled vote is for the night of Feb. 1. (Read more)
- Lord God, as this storm has caused everything in this city to come to a grinding halt, we ask for Your redemptive purpose to be made known among our people. Lord God, we ask that You would cause the delay in these two critical votes to allow these members to stop and really consider the impact of their own vote on each issue. Either way, in the end, lives are hanging in the balance. Thank You, Lord for hearing our prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen and amen.
- "There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (Proverbs 16:25)
3. BULLETIN!! U.S. top court declines to revive North Dakota abortion limits - Reuters
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected North Dakota's bid to revive a restrictive Republican-backed law struck down by a lower court that would ban most abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, as early as six weeks after conception.
The court turned away the state's appeal, leaving in place a July 2015 ruling by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that blocked the 2013 law. North Dakota's law was among the strictest of a series of statutes passed at the state level imposing limits on abortion.
The law was challenged by North Dakota's only abortion clinic, the Red River Women's Clinic in Fargo.
In a separate case, the high court is due to hear arguments on March 2 in a challenge by abortion providers to parts of a restrictive, Republican-backed Texas law they contend are aimed at shutting clinics that perform the procedure. It will be the court's first abortion case since 2007.
In the North Dakota case, the appeals court had said it was bound in its ruling by U.S. Supreme Court precedent on abortion, which holds that states may not prohibit abortions before a fetus reaches viability. But the appeals court said "good reasons exist" for the high court to re-evaluate its past abortion decisions in light of medical and scientific advances that show the concept of viability is subject to change. (Read more)
- Father God, this is not the news we had hoped to hear regarding this case out of North Dakota. Once again, we ask You to forgive the justices that ruled not according to Your will in this case, and we continue to submit the critical case out of Texas before Your Throne of Grace. Father God, please open the eyes of these justices that they might see Your truth, and the absolute sanctity of LIFE, in Jesus' name, amen and amen.
- "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
4. The Truth Behind Attendance at March for Life: Media Downplays Numbers Again - LifeSiteNews
Contrary to the New York Times, there were vastly more than "hundreds" at the Washington March for Life 2016 and more than the vague "thousands" indicated by the Washington Post.
Given this year's historic winter weather threat, organizers were delighted that at least 40-50 or more thousands of pro-life supporters still stayed to march the full length of the march route before rushing home. (Read more and view pictures here.)
- Lord God, we thank You for this tremendous turnout last Friday as Your people marched for LIFE. We thank You for their courage as they braved the elements on behalf of the cause of saving the lives of the unborn in our nation. We pray that, in time, their sacrifice would not be in vain, in Your name, amen and amen.
- "His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant. . ." (Matthew 25:23)
For extended coverage of the March for Life, be sure and see our Weekly Bible Study, below.
5. Senate Leader Surprises Lawmakers with New ISIS War Powers Request - Defense One
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell offered members a snow-weekend surprise late Wednesday night: Quietly teeing up a debate on the legal underpinning for the fight against ISIS. After months of worrying that such a resolution-known as an authorization for the use of military force (AUMF)-would tie the next president's hands, McConnell's move to fast-track the measure surprised even his top deputy, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, who was unaware that McConnell had set up the authorization.
The AUMF put forward by McConnell would not restrict the president's use of ground troops, nor have any limits related to time or geography. Nor would it touch on the issue of what to do with the 2001 AUMF, which the Obama administration has used to attack ISIS despite that authorization's instructions to use force against those who planned the 9/11 terrorist attacks. By contrast, the legal authority put forward by the administration last February wouldn't authorize "enduring offensive ground combat operations" and would have ended three years after enactment, unless reauthorized.
Don Stewart, McConnell's spokesman, said Thursday in an email that the new AUMF "is not the one the president asked for" and "not one that would tie the president's hands." Stewart added that the process McConnell used to set up the AUMF, known as "Rule XIV," merely sets up the authorization for a future vote, but does not put it on the calendar-meaning a vote could come at any time, or not at all. The resolution already has four Republican cosponsors: Sens. Lindsey Graham, Daniel Coats, Joni Ernst, and Orrin Hatch.
That came as news to many members Thursday. Several senators said they were unaware that McConnell had moved to fast-track an authorization and some Republicans immediately pointed out issues with the proposal. Sen. Jeff Flake, who introduced a more limited AUMF with Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine last June, said: "We need to pass one-we don't need to just make a political statement . . . I just know that it'll be difficult to get Democratic support on this," he added. (Read more)
- Lord God, because the AUMF "would not restrict the president's use of ground troops, nor have any limits related to time or geography," there is a concern for what this might mean regarding the utilization of our military on our own land. We thank You for the four Republican cosponsors named in this article, for each one is a solid conservative voice in the Senate chamber. We ask Your wisdom to be upon all senators who are weighing this bill, and we ask that there be no loopholes buried in its language, if passed, that would threaten the freedoms we still enjoy as American citizens. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen and amen.
- "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5)
6. Iran, China discuss $600 billion economic deals as Xi Jinping visits - Times of Israel
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday hailed a "new chapter" in relations with China after talks with President Xi Jinping, who is touring the region to boost Beijing's economic influence.
The Asian giant and the Middle East's foremost Shiite power aim to build economic ties worth up to $600 billion within the next 10 years, Rouhani announced. The two leaders oversaw the signing of 17 agreements in areas including politics, the economy, security and cooperation on peaceful nuclear energy.
"With the Chinese president's visit to Tehran and our agreements, a new chapter has begun in Tehran-Beijing relations," Rouhani said in a televised speech, flanked by Xi. "China has always stood by the side of the Iranian nation during hard days," Rouhani said, in comments posted on his official website. (Read more)
- Lord God, as the enemies of Israel forge ever more stronger ties of assistance, we thank You that this does not take You by surprise, because you, O God, are the ominiscient One. We ask for your hand of divine intervention to fall upon this alliance, rendering it null and void. We do this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen and amen.
- "The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked." (Psalm 129:4)
7. Europol: ISIS planning large scale attacks in Europe - Jerusalem Post
ISIS has increased its ability to launch global terror attacks and plans to attempt more Paris-style attacks in Europe, the head of EU police agency Europol was quoted as saying by AFP on Monday.
Rob Wainwright told reporters that a new report by the agency shows "how the so-called Islamic State had developed a new combat style capability to carry out a campaign of large-scale terrorist attacks on a global stage, with a particular focus in Europe."
Wainwright's comments came a day after the media center of Islamic State purported to show images and last statements of nine of the people who took part in the Paris attacks that killed 130 people on Nov. 13. (Read more)
- Lord God, for now, the battering ram of ISIS never seems to stop as it threatens the nations. So Father God, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pick up the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and we decree these plans against Europe to be null and void under Your Shed Blood. Amen and Amen!
- "Is not My word like a fire?" says the Lord, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" (Jeremiah 23:29)
8. IS in Afghanistan: We will bury them, says President Ghani - BBC
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has promised to "bury" the Islamic State (IS) militant group, whose local offshoot has clashed with government forces and Taliban fighters. In a BBC interview, Mr Ghani said IS was "not an Afghan phenomenon" and its atrocities had "alienated the people". "Afghans are now motivated by revenge," he said. "They [IS] have confronted the wrong people." (Read more)
- Lord God, we pray for the success of this Afghan government as they confront, and defeat, ISIS. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, amen.
- "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Matthew 21:22)
9. NPR illustrative photo wipes Israel off the map - Jerusalem Post
In an article published on National Public Radio's (NPR) website Monday, a map of the Middle East failed to include Israel, labeling Palestine in its place.The article referenced travelers' fears of Islamic radicalization and extremism in the region. Immediately following the publication, the website's comment section was flooded with criticism. (Read more)
- O Holy God, we cry out that this action on the part of the NPR be reversed, and that all maps of the Middle East, from any source, be drawn in TRUTH. The land given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the beginning of time still belongs to Your people, and can never be erased by the arrogance of man. Forgive them, Lord, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen and amen.
- "You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another." (Leviticus 19:11)
10. Zika virus suspected of causing brain damage to babies to spread throughout Americas - WHO
The mosquito-borne Zika virus is set to spread in all countries across the Americas, except Canada and Chile, the World Health Organization has warned. Women planning to travel to areas where Zika is circulating should consult their healthcare provider before traveling and on return, the WHO said. (Read more)
- Merciful Lord, in the name of Jesus, we come against this agent of the enemy sent to destroy young lives almost before they begin to live! We pray for researchers to find the solution to eradicating this virus and the damage it causes, especially in newborns. We pray for a turning of all people to You to be a protection from this virus. Thank You, Father, for raising Your hand against this evil, for we know You are a strong and mighty God, but still full of mercy. Amen.
- "I will deliver this people from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where O death, are your plagues? Where O grave, is your destruction? I will have no compassion." (Hosea 13:14)
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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. IDF expands missile fortification of strategic sites - Jerusalem Post
The IDF Home Front Command and government ministries have completed fortification work to secure several strategically vital sites against rocket and missile attacks, a senior IDF source said. Work to secure dozens more sensitive infrastructure sites will commence soon, enabling them to continue to function even if hit by rockets or missiles, the military source told The Jerusalem Post. (Read more)
2. Merkel admits: Anti-Semitism is worse than we thought - Israel National News
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday admitted that anti-Semitism is "more widespread" in Germany than some believe.
Speaking in her weekly podcast and quoted by Haaretz, Merkel called for action to "deal with [anti-Semitism] - especially among young people . . . from countries where hatred of Israel and the hatred of Jews is widespread."
Anti-Semitism, she stressed, is more "widespread than we imagine, and that's why we have to make intensive efforts against it." The Chancellor noted the negative effects of anti-Semitic propaganda online and attempts to combat it. (Read more)
3. Israel: Palestinian girl killed after attempted stabbing - Jerusalem Post
JERUSALEM - Israeli police say a security guard shot and killed a 13-year-old Palestinian girl who tried to stab him at the entrance to a West Bank settlement.
Police spokeswoman Luba Samri says an initial investigation suggests the girl fought with her family before leaving her home with a knife ahead of Saturday's altercation. (Read more)
4. Herzog to French leaders: Stop advancing resolutions which hurt Israel - Jerusalem Post
PARIS - Opposition leader Isaac Herzog met on Friday at the Elysée Palace with French President François Hollande and Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, presenting his new diplomatic plan of separation from Palestinian villages surrounding Jerusalem.
The meeting lasted more than an hour and was described by a source close to Herzog as warm and friendly.
Apart from discussing the diplomatic situation in the Middle East, the three spoke also at length about the French-Jewish community.
The meeting in Paris took place against the backdrop of a French Foreign Ministry statement Friday morning condemning Israeli expropriation of farmland on the West bank, and the decision earlier in the week by EU ministers that all agreements with Israel are not applicable beyond the Green Line. (Read more)
5. Canada to send 'tough message' on violence to ally Israel - Jerusalem Post
Canada's new Liberal government said on Monday it was delivering a "tough message" to Israel as a good friend after expressing concern about Israeli-Palestinian violence, Israeli settlements and unilateral Palestinian moves.
The statement came a day after Foreign Minister Stephane Dion was criticized for saying Palestinian initiatives toward statehood in international forums and continued Israeli settlements were unhelpful.
"We're steadfast allies and good friends, and good friends can occasionally deliver tough messages, but it's by no means to suggest that we're somehow retreating from any kind of support of Israel," said Joe Pickerill, Dion's spokesman. (Read more)
6. Faced with new ISIS threat, Israel readies itself for possible confrontation - Jerusalem Post
"Jihadi John" the nom de guerre of Mohammed Emwazi, the executioner featured in the ghastly beheading videos of James Foley, Steven Sotloff, David Haines, Alan Henning, Peter Kassig, Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto is dead.
Emwazi was memorialized in a glowing obituary published this week in Islamic State's English-language magazine Dabiq confirming claims made two months ago by the Americans that the Kuwaiti- born Englishman was taken out two months ago in airstrikes on Al-Raqqa, the "caliphate's" capital in northeast Syria.
Emwazi's removal is a key element of a series of key blows against Islamic State (ISIS) which began nearly a year ago when the organization lost the city of Kobani, a Syrian town on set directly on Turkish border. (Read more)
7. US envoy apologizes for timing of his criticism of Israel - Times of Israel
US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro sought to quell on Monday a flurry over his comments the previous week that charged that Israel appears to institute "two standards of adherence to the rule of law: one for Israelis and another for Palestinians" in the West Bank.
He apologized for the timing of his comments, which came a day after a Palestinian teenager killed a Jewish mother of six in the West Bank settlement of Otniel, and on the day that a pregnant woman was stabbed in another Palestinian attack in the Tekoa settlement.
In back-to-back interview with Israel Radio and Army Radio, Shapiro said he was "somewhat surprised by the noise" his comments had generated. "The issues I raised aren't new; most of the issues I talked about weren't heard in the noise.
"I emphasized in my speech that the first thing that must be done is to end the terror. Palestinians must understand that there's no way Israelis will be able to see them as a partner for peace while there are car-rammings and attacks," he said in reference to a wave of terrorism that has been sweeping across Israel and the West Bank since October. (Read more)
8. Insight for Intercessors: Weekly Prayer Alert
To read this bulletin, please go here.
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JONAS in the News
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1. Shutdown: House Will Hold No Votes This Week Because of Storm That Has Passed - CNSNews.com
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has announced that the U.S. House of Representatives is postponing votes it had expected to hold on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week and will not hold votes until Monday, Feb. 1--as a result of the heavy snowstorm that hit Washington, D.C. on Friday and Saturday.
McCarthy issued an "Important Schedule Announcement." It said: "Members are advised that due to the severity of the winter storm in the D.C. area, and its adverse impact on travel, we no longer expect votes in the House on Tuesday, January 26 and Wednesday, January 27.
"Next votes in the House are scheduled at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, February 1. This is a change from the previously announced calendar. (Read more)
- Father God, in this city, where so many are striving for power, prestige, and position, we thank You for a storm that has shown all of us that there is a power greater than ourselves who rules over all. We ask that this time of humbling be used for Your Glory, as many seek You now for a way to "go through" this time of trial. We ask this in Your name, amen.
- "Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word." (Psalm 148:8)
2. Winter Storm Jonas Broke Snowfall Records in MD & PA, But Not DC - CNSNews.com
Jonas, a monster 1,000-mile-wide winter storm that barrelled its way up the East Coast over the weekend, paralyzing much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast and bringing Washington to a standstill, broke snowfall records in Maryland and Pennsylvania but not D.C., according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The federal government was closed Monday to allow snow removal crews more time to clear the roads in the nation's capital. But the 17.8 inches of snow that fell at Reagan National Airport was just the fourth highest on record in Washington, Susan Buchanan, acting director of public affairs at the NWS, told CNSNews.com in an email.
According to the NWS, more than 80 million people were in the path of Jonas, which forced the cancellation of more than 8,000 flights nationwide. Jonas is being blamed for as many as 25 deaths and its economic impact is estimated in the billions. (Read more)
- Father God, as we now begin to crawl out of this storm, we ask for Your grace to visit Your people, and for the gift of strength in the time of waiting, until all has been restored to normal. Lord, this "gift of God" named JONAS has brought us all the gift to stand down from our regular, fast-paced lives, so that we may draw near to You in repentance and in resting. Thank You, God, for this gift. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
- "This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength . . .'" (Isaiah 30:15)
3. Washington, D.C. area likely to be hobbled for days - Washington Post
The Washington region lurched fitfully from under one of the heaviest snow falls in memory Sunday, with the Metro system prepared to offer severely limited service Monday and authorities warning it could take days for the plows to reach some residential streets.
Metro, which records more than 730,000 rail trips on an average weekday, said it would resume service on a fraction of its operations -- partial service on three underground rail lines and 22 bus routes -- after being shut down for the weekend by the storm. Virtually all school systems and colleges in the region said they would be closed on Monday. The federal government and state and county governments also said they would be closed on Monday.
- Father God, You have, indeed, shut down our city. We give You praise, in Jesus' name, amen and amen.
- "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD." (Psalm 55:8)
4. Winter storm strands hundreds of motorists on Pa. Turnpike - The Trib (Pittsburgh)
Winter Storm Jonas barreled through Western Pennsylvania this weekend, stranding hundreds of turnpike motorists for long hours without food, drink or bathroom access as they waited for state police and National Guard relief. . .
Gov. Tom Wolf estimated the Pennsylvania Turnpike traffic jam snared as many as 500 vehicles. By 7 p.m., most vehicles and passengers were either moving or headed to a shelter, the governor's office said. (Read more)
- Lord God, we thank You that, as much as possible, the government did step in to help these stranded motorists. We praise You, too, that the next morning, as many as 500 of these motorists joined on the side of the turnpike, in the snow, to worship You. (See Good News, below). We give You the glory for turning this disaster into something truly beautiful, in Your sight and ours. Amen and amen.
- "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)
5. Mid-Atlantic coastline flooded by blizzard's storm surge. 'This is worse than Sandy.' - Washington Post
While the snow piled up in the Washington region, the ocean raged on the coast. For three high tides, the storm known as Snowzilla thrust a hurricane-like surge of water into the coast, producing historic flooding.
At Cape May, N.J., the water level surged to 8.98 feet Saturday morning -the highest on record there, and major flood state. It broke the previous record of 8.9 feet set in Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The story was the same on the Delaware coast, where Lewes reached a new record water level of 9.27 feet, breaking the previous record of 9.20 feet set in 1962.
- Father, our hearts cry out to You for the flooding that is taking place on our land. We speak "Peace Be Still" to the waves by the Authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. We ask for comfort for those who have lost loved ones in this storm. God, may Your unfailing love surround them in their time of need. We ask for mercy, Lord, to be upon them.
We can't always see the redemptive value of the storms but we know that Jonas has been a blessing from God to purify this nation. Let us see, dear God, in the Spirit over this matter as You give us discernment and knowledge. We know that Your word says that You will never leave us nor forsake us! For that we give You praise and adoration! In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
- "Yet when they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, the Lord brought them out of their distress, He calmed the storm and its waves quieted down. So they rejoiced that the waves became quiet. And He led them to their desired haven." (Psalm 107: 28-31 )
6. Flooding 'like a tsunami': Record snow, freezing floods after deadly storm pounds U.S. - CNN
Jason Pellegrini woke up Saturday morning at his home in Sea Isle City, New Jersey, expecting to see flooding. But when he looked outside, he saw none. "Then no more than 15 minutes later, I heard commotion out my window and I looked and I saw the raging water," he said. " It came in to the low-lying areas and it rushed fast, and it was like a tsunami."
The restaurant Pellegrini owns was damaged during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, but he says this surge came from the back bay and bodies of water to Sea Isle's west rather than from the beach. "It was overwhelming," Pellegrini said. "I rushed to move my car to higher ground, and by the time I got back I was in waist-deep water." (Read more)
- Lord God, we ask that a tsunami of Your grace would be upon the victims of these floods, now that the waters have begun to recede. May each one come to know You as their own Savior and as their Lord. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.
- "He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters." (Psalm 18:16)
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Our Weekly Bible Study
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Our Weekly Bible Study:
Week of Sunday, Jan. 24 - Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016
SPECIAL EDITION HONORING THE MARCH FOR LIFE!
> > > To read the "One Year Bible" weekly letter, go here.
> > > To read the Shabbat Torah readings, go here.
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The Persecuted Church
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Christian persecution at record levels
The headline at The Clarion Project reads: "Christian Persecution in 2015 at 'Levels Akin to Ethnic Cleansing.'" The sub-heading notes that 2015 was "the most violent year in modern history for Christians." It takes one's breath away to see the blunt truth summed up like that. And the world is turning a blind eye. (American Thinker) Read article here.
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Our Grandmothers' Songs
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ROCK OF AGES
"The Lord is my Rock, and my Fortress, and my Deliverer." (Psalm 18:2)
Lyrics
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee; Let the water and the blood, From Thy wounded side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure; Save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labor of my hands Can fulfill Thy law's demands; Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow, All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to the cross I cling; Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless look to Thee for grace; Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath, When mine eyes shall close in death, When I soar to worlds unknown, See Thee on Thy judgment throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee.
Melody
Please go here.
About the Author:
Words: Augustus M. Toplady, 1776.
Music: Thomas Hastings, 1830
About the Hymn:
A missionary . . . complained of the slow progress made in India in converting the natives on account of explaining the teachings of Christianity so that the ignorant people could understand them. Some of the most beautiful passages in the Bible, for instance are destroyed by translation. He attempted to have [Rock of Ages] translated into the native dialect, so that the natives might appreciate its beauty. The work was entrusted to a young Hindu Bible student who had the reputation of being something of a poet. The next day he brought his translation for approval, and his rendering, as translated back into English, read like this:
" Very old stone, split for my benefit, Let me absent myself under one of your fragments."
> > > Read more stories about this hymn by going here.
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Signs and Wonders
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Magnitude 7.1 earthquake jolts Alaska;
4 homes lost in explosions or fire
A magnitude 7.1 quake knocked items off shelves and walls in Alaska early Sunday, jolting the nerves of residents in this earthquake-prone region. There were no reports of injuries, but four homes were lost to explosions or fire following the quake.
Alaska's state seismologist, Michael West, called it the strongest earthquake in the state's south-central region in decades. The state often has large or powerful earthquakes, such as a 7.9 last year in the remote Aleutian Islands.
Sunday morning's earthquake is "significant because it was close enough to Alaska's population centers," West said, adding that aftershocks could continue for weeks.
The earthquake was widely felt by Anchorage residents, but the Anchorage and Valdez police departments said they hadn't received any reports of injury or significant damage. (LA Times) Read more here.
"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea." (Luke 21:25)
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The Good News Corner
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When these pro-lifers got stranded on the turnpike, something BEAUTIFUL came out of it
Friday was the 43rd annual March for Life, and drew hundreds of thousands of people from across the country to march through Washington, D.C. to protest abortion. Due to the massive blizzard that struck the city as the march drew to a close, hundreds of pilgrims (including National Review's Kathryn Lopez, who live-tweeted the experience) wound up stranded on the Pennsylvania Turnpike for nearly a full day as traffic was completely stopped by the storm.
One group of pilgrims, however, did not let the intense conditions stop them from celebrating Mass on the side of the road, complete with an altar built out of snow.
According to the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Norfolk, NE, the Mass drew about 500 attendees and was celebrated by six priests. One priest had 300 hosts on him that were consecrated for the Mass.
Attendees of the "turnpike Mass" tweeted about their unique experience: . . [TownHall.com]
(Read more and view photos here . . )
> > > Listen to these worshippers singing "Oh How I Need You," by going here.
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Worship With Us Today!
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Worship With Us Today!
Elevation Church - Jesus at the Center
Christmas service amazing worship at Elevation Church! Go here . . .
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Two Daily Conference Calls
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners encourages you to participate, any day of the week, on these calls which are each ongoing, day and night! To learn more about how you can join these calls, please go here.
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