CHPP Daily Brief: "Praying for All in Authority" Thursday, February 18, 2016

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The Daily Brief:
"Praying for All in Authority"
Thursday, February 18, 2016


"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5:4)

	The Middle East in Focus

"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. Jewish man sings Hatikvah at Temple Mount, is questioned by police - YNET News

Abraham Fua, a 19-year-old Israeli Jew, has been taken in for questioning after singing the Israeli national anthem, Hatikvah ("The Hope"), out loud on the Temple Mount.

Fua also spoke about the importance of visiting the Temple Mount, and the Jewish people's war on the Amalekites (a biblical enemy of the people of Israel). (Read more)

2. Zionist Union MK calls hearing on debt-slave foreign workers - Times of Israel

Zionist Union Knesset member Itzik Shmuli said Tuesday he would call an urgent hearing of the Knesset's Labor, Welfare and Health Committee to discuss debt bondage among foreign workers, following an exposé on the phenomenon.

Shmuli's announcement came in response to a recent Times of Israel report describing the illegal but rampant practice of charging foreign workers anywhere from $8,000 to more than $20,000 for the right to come work in the country. Experts claimed that most of this money is transferred to Israeli manpower companies through illegal and clandestine channels. Caregivers in Israel often spend the first 1-2 years in the country servicing their debt, and will tolerate substandard and even abusive working conditions for fear of losing their jobs while in debt to loan sharks abroad. (Read more)

3. Chief of Staff: I don't want soldiers emptying magazines into scissor-wielding girls - YNET News

Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, during a meeting with high school students in Bat Yam Wednesday, stated that he does not "want a soldier to empty a magazine on a girl with scissors."

Eisenkot discussed the various threats to the state, the rules of engagement during the current wave of terrorism and the subject of women in the military service. "We are dealing with four major threats today," he enumerated. "Against conventional armies, which we have not confronted since 1973; the second threat is the Iranians; the threat of non-state terrorist organizations and the fourth threat is cyberspace." (Read more)

4. Report: Israeli missiles hit Syrian army outpost near Damascus - Times of Israel

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Wednesday said three Israeli rockets hit Syrian army positions near Damascus, according to Reuters. A pro-Syrian government military source denied the report, Reuters added. Hezbollah's al-Manar television also denied the report. (Read more)

5. Sparks fly as PA officials blame visiting UK MPs for entire Palestine conflict - Times of Israel

A group of British lawmakers on a visit to the region clashed with senior Palestinian Authority officials Wednesday during a meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah, after a PA representative blamed the MPs, as Britons, for causing the entire Israel-Palestinian conflict.

A lunch meeting between a delegation from the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) and veteran PA negotiator Nabil Shaath turned hostile, The Times of Israel learned, with Shaath and other Palestinian officials hurling accusations against the group for their implicit support of the 1923-48 British Mandate in Palestine. That was "years and years before I was even born," said one of the MPs wryly later. (Read more)

6. Visiting US Evangelical pastors: We stand unconditionally with Israel - Jerusalem Post

Rev. Robert Stearns, a leading Evangelical figure from the United States, says it is crucial to educate the younger generation of Evangelical Christians in the US about the movement's strong connection to Israel.

Stearns, who is co-chairman of the Eagles Wings Evangelical Christian Organization, a global group that trains Evangelical leaders, brought 24 young American pastors to Israel on a trip designed to educate them and, through them, their congregations about the Jewish state and the challenges it faces. (Read more)

	The Daily Brief

1. Terror attack in Turkish capital targets military personnel - Fox News

An explosion targeting Turkish military buses carrying personnel killed at least 28 people and wounded 61 others in the capital city of Ankara Wednesday, in what government officials called an intricately planned act of terror.

The U.S. Embassy in Ankara activated "duck and cover" following the nearby explosion, a U.S. government source told Fox News.

"We believe that those who lost their lives included our military brothers as well as civilians," Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said. The buses were waiting at traffic lights at an intersection, the Turkish military said while condemning the "contemptible and dastardly" attack.

At least two military vehicles caught fire and dozens of ambulances were sent to the scene. Dark smoke could be seen billowing from a distance. (Read more)
- Father, as we learn today that a Syrian man tied to the Kurds was behind this bombing, we pray that Turkey will not go on a killing binge that further inflames the tense situation listed above. We stand in the gap for the salvation of both sides. In Jesus' Mighty Name, amen.

- "He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; and precious shall be their blood in His sight." (Psalm 72:14)

2. A Direct Turkey-Russia Clash Is Growing Risk on Syria Border - Bloomberg

There's only one major group of combatants in the Syrian war that's backed by both Russia and the U.S. -- and now Turkey is attacking it.

Since the weekend, Turkey has unleashed its 155-millimeter heavy guns across the border with Syria. The targets are Kurdish forces, whose recent advance is a key part of the Russian plan to extend President Bashar al-Assad's control over Syria. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday refused to stop the shelling and said Turkey was acting in self-defense.

Syria's five-year war has turned into a tangled web of proxy conflicts between global and regional powers, with a growing risk that some of them could clash directly. Right now the most dangerous flashpoint is between Russia and NATO member Turkey, which shot down a Russian plane in November. Since then tensions have steadily built as the Assad-Russia alliance -- with help from the Kurds -- threatens to surround Turkish-backed rebels in Aleppo, Syria's biggest city.
(Read more)
- Lord, as we see these groups growing closer and closer to direct conflict, we pray that Your Spirit would move across the region. After Turkey shot down the Russian plane, anger and hatred have risen to a fever pitch . . . only You in Your wisdom and mercy can bring calm to this storm. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

- "Oh that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea." (Isaiah 48:18)

3. Kurds' advance in Syria divides U.S. and Turkey as Russia bombs - Reuters

The rapid advance of U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, taking advantage of Russian air strikes to seize territory near the Turkish border, has infuriated Ankara and threatened to drive a wedge between NATO allies.

Washington has long seen the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its YPG military wing as its best chance in the battle against Islamic State in Syria - to the chagrin of fellow NATO member Turkey, which sees the group as terrorists and fears it will stir up greater unrest among its own Kurdish minority.

Russian bombing has transformed the five-year-old Syrian civil war in recent weeks, turning the momentum decisively in favor of Moscow's ally President Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian army has come within 25 km (15 miles) of the Turkish border and says it aims to seal it off altogether, closing the main lifeline into rebel territory for years and recapturing Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the war.

Read more
- Lord, we cry out for mercy on the Kurds, who have been a huge help in the battles against ISIS. Americans who have worked with them, love them. We ask for Your wisdom and a move of Your Spirit among them to bring repentance and truth to help them see You. We ask that Turkey be prevented from destroying them. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

- "With the merciful You will show yourself merciful; with a blameless man You will show yourself blameless . . . for you will save the humble people, but bring down haughty looks . . ." (Psalm 18:25,27)

4. New Horror Confirmed: ISIS Using Banned Chemical Weapons Against Troops - Christian Post

A diplomat with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has confirmed laboratory tests that show the Islamic State terror group has been using banned chemical weapons on soldiers in Iraq.

Reuters reported on Monday that the diplomat, who chose to remain anonymous because the OPCW report has not yet been officially released, said the findings point to IS using sulfur mustard gas on around 35 Kurdish troops last August, in at least one confirmed case.

The use of chemical weapons has been banned throughout the vast majority of the world, with sulfur mustard known to cause severe delayed burns to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract. (Read more)
- Lord, we pray that You would do something to stop ISIS from using these weapons. We know that they took over Saddam's old chemical weapons factory back in 2014, but we pray that You do whatever it takes to remove their capability to create them. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

- "Because you despise what I tell you and trust instead in oppression and lies, calamity will come upon you suddenly - like a bulging wall that bursts and falls. In an instant it will collapse and come crashing down." (Isaiah 30:12,13)

5. U.S. troops in Iraq move into region where ISIS just used mustard gas - Military Times

U.S. troops in Iraq are setting up a train-advise-and-assist team at a forward operating base near the Islamic State group's front lines outside of Mosul, not far from the site of recent chemical weapons attacks.

The Nineveh Operations Center in the farming village of Makhmour will be a primary base for the U.S. to support the Iraqis' long-awaited battle to seize Mosul from Islamic State militants, also known as ISIS or ISIL, a U.S. military official said.

A large convoy of Iraqi army forces began arriving at the base in Makhmour in early February. Iraq's military leaders plan to deploy about 4,500 soldiers to the area for the Mosul operation, Iraqi officials said. (Read more)
- Father, we pray for the Blood of Jesus, and a hedge of the Fire of God to cover our troops that are going into this region. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

- "Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence . . ." (Psalm 91:3)

6. Dutch fighter jets strike ISIS in Syria for the first time - Israel National News

Dutch F-16 fighter jets have bombed Islamic State (ISIS) targets for the first time in Syria since broadening its mission in the American-led air campaign, the defense ministry said on Tuesday. "Dutch F-16s carried out around 10 missions over Iraq and eastern Syria," the Hague-based ministry said in its weekly summary of operations on its website. It is the first time the summary has mentioned targets in Syria since the Dutch government late last month announced it was fanning out its current air support mission over Iraq into Syria, in the wake of U.S. and French requests.

The air strikes were directed against "combat positions, military equipment and strategic aims of the IS terror organization," the ministry said, without detailing when and where the attacks took place. (Read more)
- Father, as more and more nations join this battleground, the potential for WWIII increases exponentially. We pray for Your Divine assistance and mercy. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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

7. Exclusive: China sends surface-to-air missiles to contested island in provocative move - Fox News

The Chinese military has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of its contested islands in the South China Sea according to civilian satellite imagery exclusively obtained by Fox News, more evidence that China is increasingly "militarizing" its islands in the South China Sea and ramping up tensions in the region.

The imagery from ImageSat International (ISI) shows two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers as well as a radar system on Woody Island, part of the Paracel Island chain in the South China Sea. It is the same island chain where a U.S. Navy destroyer sailed close to another contested island a few weeks ago. China at the time vowed "consequences" for the action. Woody Island is also claimed by Taiwan and by Vietnam. (Read more)
- Lord, China has done something extremely unwise in a region that is always on edge. Please grant our leaders, and those of the Asia-Pacific the wisdom on what to do about this action. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

- "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give every one according to his work." (Rev. 22:12)

8. Kenya army: Air raid kills Al Shabaab's intelligence chief - Fox News

An airstrike killed the head of intelligence of the Somali-based extremist group Al Shabaab, who is believed to have been among those who planned attacks on Kenyans, Kenya's military said Thursday. Al Shabaab denied the claim. Mahad Karate, also known as Abdirahim Mohamed Warsame, was killed along with 10 mid-level Al Shabaab members and 42 recruits in an airstrike 10 days ago in Nadris camp in Somalia's south, military spokesman Col. David Obonyo said.

Karate had gone to the camp to preside over a graduation ceremony for an estimated 80 recruits into the Amniyat wing of Al Shabaab, Obonyo said. Obonyo said suicide bombers deployed from the Amniyat took part last month's attack on the Kenyan army base in El Adde, Somalia- believed to be worst defeat Kenyan forces have ever suffered in the battlefield. Al Shabaab claims more than 100 soldiers died in the attack. Kenyan authorities have declined to release the official death toll. (Read more)
- Father, once again while we do not, with You, take pleasure in the death of the wicked, we nevertheless rejoice with our Kenyan brothers and sisters that this dangerous man is no longer a threat to their nation. We ask for Your continued Hand of Mercy to rest upon the nation of Kenya, and for many more victories to come as they wage their own war against terrorism, in Jesus' name, amen and 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. Facing Severe Food Shortages, Venezuela Pushes Urban Gardens - NPR

Last week, opposition lawmakers in Venezuela declared a "food emergency." That's because Venezuela is facing widespread shortages of milk, meat, bread and other staples. Critics blame the government's socialist economic policies. But instead of changing course, President Nicolás Maduro is calling on Venezuelans to help feed themselves - by starting urban gardens.

There's also a severe shortage of imported farm machinery and supplies, says Vicente Perez, director of FEDEAGRO, Venezuela's main farm organization. "There is nothing - just like there's no food, there are no seeds, no herbicides . . . and no medicines to vaccinate farm animals," says Perez.

Phil Gunson, who is based in Caracas for the International Crisis Group, warns of a pending humanitarian crisis. "At least one in 10 people is eating two meals a day or less. There isn't starvation. We are not talking about famine," Gunson says. "But we are talking about malnutrition, particularly in the case of children." (Read more)
- Father God, we understand from friends in Venezuela that their situation is truly desperate, and that the shelves in their grocery stores are literally empty. We thank You, O Lord, that the majority of citizens in this great country do know You, who is the One who can supply all their needs. Father God, just as You allowed Your son to bless the loaves and the fishes, to feed multitudes, we ask now that You would bring forth the same miracle of provision in Venezuela. We ask this in Your name, amen and amen.

- "Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." (Jeremiah 32:17)

10. Obama faces backlash over prospect of missing Scalia funeral - Fox News

The White House is not confirming whether President Obama will attend the funeral Saturday for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, raising the possibility -- and criticism -- that he'll skip the service. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest revealed to reporters Wednesday that the president and first lady Michelle Obama plan to pay "respects" at the Supreme Court on Friday, where Scalia will lie in repose. But as for Saturday's funeral, he said, "Vice President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden will attend."

While Earnest has not said definitively what Obama's plans are for Saturday, the expectation that the Bidens - and not the Obamas -- will represent the White House at the funeral was met with bipartisan criticism.

"Refusing to attend the funeral does more than insult the memory of a life-long public servant. It is a failure to perform a basic presidential duty. Obama has shirked his responsibility to all of us," Charles Lipson, professor of political science at the University of Chicago, said in a column for Real Clear Politics Thursday. (Read more)
- Father God, we ask that You turn the heart of this president in the way he should go . . . following in the footsteps of all previous presidents who, faced with the same decision, have chosen to attend the funerals of other Supreme Court Justices. We ask this in Your name, amen and amen.

- "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes." (Proverbs 21:1)

	The Daily Jot

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Clinton misreads Americans

Vogue Magazine wrote an article on February 17 titled "Will Hillary Clinton Make History?" The story is a glowing, almost giddy, presentation of a reporter's time with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and one of her campaigners, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. It talks about Hillary the grandmother and Hillary the tough decision-maker, Hillary holding interviews in the bathroom and is about as syrupy as one can get and still have some self-respect as a reporter--well maybe not. There is no objectivity in Jonathan Van Meter's missive. It does, however, reveal one insight of Hillary Clinton that Americans need to know--If she doesn't win, it's not about her, it's about Americans. She said so. (Read more)

	The Persecuted Church

Pastor Gu Yuese Pens Letter to Congregation,
Remains Positive While in Prison

(Hangzhou, Zhejiang-Feb. 16, 2016) A pastor imprisoned on embezzlement charges in China's coastal Zhejiang released a letter via his lawyer that contained a message to the members of his church on Feb. 4.

Gu "Joseph" Yuese, the chairman of the provincial China Christian Council (CCC), was criminally detained on Jan. 29 and later arrested on charges of "embezzling 10 million Yuan (U.S. $1.6 million) in funds" on Feb. 6. Preceding this incident, the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and CCC ousted Gu from his position as senior pastor of China's largest government-backed church, Chongyi Church, on Jan. 18. Many Christians speculate that these actions are tied to Gu's public advocacy against the ongoing cross removal campaign. (China Aid) Read more.

	Classic Hymns

A Classic Hymn for Today!:

WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE!

"They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads." (Revelation 22:4)

Lyrics

There is coming a day,
When no heart aches shall come,
No more clouds in the sky,
No more tears to dim the eye,
All is peace forever more,
On that happy golden shore,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

Refrain:

What a day that will be,
When my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand,
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.
There'll be no sorrow there,
No more burdens to bear,
No more sickness, no pain,
No more parting over there;
And forever I will be,
With the One who died for me,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

Refrain:

What a day that will be,
When my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand,
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

Melody

Please go here.

(Bill and Gloria Gaither)

About the Author:

Words and Music: Jim Hill

About the Hymn:

In the early 1950's, he would write "What a Day That Will Be".The story goes that his mother-in-law got gravely ill. He was a new Christian at the time, and while he was driving home from work he asked God why this was happening to her. He then said that words just came flooding to his head--when he got home he grabbed a piece of cardboard and started writing the words down. The first person he sang the song to was his mother-in-law.

	Signs and Wonders

Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston, Category 4, near Tonga and Fiji

Cyclone Winston may reach Category 5

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

About a week ago Tropical Cyclone Winston, then Category 1 and 2, passed between Fiji and Vanuatu on a generally southerly course. It then turned easterly back towards Tonga. It has now looped back on itself and has intensified to a Category 4 Severe Tropical Cyclone . You can see most of that on the link Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston Forecast Track Map below.

The three links below will remain valid throughout the life of Tropical Cyclone Winston.

Fiji Meteorological Service (Go here)

Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston Threat Track Map (Go here)

Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston Forecast Track Map (Go here)
Please come before our gracious Lord and cry out for His mercy on man and beast and life and limb, in all areas currently being affected by Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston, or likely to be affected, throughout its life as a weather system.

With love in Christ Jesus,

Kris Schlyder, Coordinator

Australian Indigenous Prayer Network
PO Box 27, Mapleton, 4560, QLD
Ph: (07) 5478 6765

Cyclone Winston may reach Category 5

3:42 PM Thursday Feb 18, 2016

Cyclone Winston has been upgraded to Category 4 as it churns north of New Zealand near Tonga and Fiji at speeds of over 200km/h and it could be turning back towards New Zealand in coming days.

Over the next 24 hours, Winston may reach the highest cyclone category, Category 5 -- a view also held by the Fiji Meteorological Service. This would put winds sustained well over 200km/h with gusts closer to 300km/h.

Winston is a major storm and poses a direct threat to the small islands around Tonga, said WeatherWatch head analyst Philip Duncan. (New Zealand Herald) Read more.

> > > Prayer Request from CHPP:

Father God, we agree with the request issued by our brother in Australia on behalf of the people in New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji. We thank You that Your Word is true and that it is written:

"Even the winds and waves obey him!" (Matthew 8:27)

We agree with this word of promise in Jesus' name, amen and amen.

"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)

	The Good News Corner

As South Carolina's Primary Nears, Franklin Graham Draws Over 7,000 with Hearts for America, and Still, "God is Raising Up Millions"

For Larry Furr, attending Tuesday's Decision America Tour prayer rally in Columbia, South Carolina, wasn't optional. "This is one of those things you can't not do," he said as an estimated 7,100 people filled the north side of the State Capitol to hear Franklin Graham share his heart for America.

"I believe God's Church is responsible for holding up His standard, His truth, and I want to do my part," added Furr, who drove almost two hours from Mint Hill, North Carolina, to attend. "I know God is raising up millions of people. I want to be part of what God is doing." (Breaking Christian News) Read more.

	Worship With Us Today!

Worship With Us Today!

It Is Well . . .

Kristene DiMarco & Bethel Music

Thank You, Lord . . .