CHPP Daily Brief: "Praying for All in Authority" Thursday, May 19, 2016

Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
"A National Prayer Alliance"
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The Daily Brief:
"Praying for All in Authority"
Thursday, May 19, 2016

"We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." (2 Chronicles 20:12)

Today's Worship:

Chris Tomlin - "I Lift My Hands"

Worship Him together . . . here . . .

United in the Kingdom of God . . . under the Cross of Christ

	The Crash of EgyptAir MS804

The Crash of EgyptAir Flight # MS804
- Lord we pray or the families of those who died in this incident. May Your comfort and Presence touch their lives so that they may find You.

- "To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn." (Isaiah 61:2)
- And Father, we pray, too, for all who are now involved in finding the cause of this crash. May the perpetrators be ferreted out, and brought to justice quickly we pray, in Your name, amen.

- ". . . every hidden thing revealed; every secret thing made known." (Mark 4:22)

1. EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo was likely brought down by terror attack, officials say - Fox News

A Cairo-bound EgyptAir flight that went down in the Mediterranean Sea with 66 aboard early Thursday hours after departing from Paris zig-zagged sharply before plunging, according to aviation officials, who said terrorism was a likely cause of the crash.

Government officials from France, Greece and Egypt spoke at separate news conferences even as boats and ships from several countries were scouring the waters off of the Greek island of Karpathos, near where a witness reported seeing a fireball in the sky. (Read more)

2. Where Missing Plane Had Been the Past 24 Hours - BBC

To view this map of this flight's zigzag course, go here.

3. EgyptAir crash: Plane 'made sharp turns before plunge' - BBC

An EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo made two sharp turns before plunging into the Mediterranean Sea, Greece's defence minister says.

Panos Kammenos said the Airbus A320 had "turned 90 degrees left and then a 360-degree turn to the right".

It then dropped more than 25,000ft (7,620m) before disappearing from radar, he added.

Egypt's civil aviation minister has said the possibility of a terror attack is stronger than technical failure. (Read more)

4. EgyptAir Flight 804: Airline official says debris not from plane - CNN

Cairo (CNN)The search for EgyptAir Flight 804 is continuing after reports that the plane's wreckage had been found turned out to be false.

When searchers got close to debris found in the Mediterranean Sea they realized it didn't come from the missing airliner, EgyptAir's Vice Chairman Ahmed Adel told CNN.

The Airbus A320, which had 66 people on board, disappeared early Thursday as it flew from Paris to Cairo. Earlier Adel told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that the plane's wreckage had been found.

"We stand corrected on finding the wreckage because what we identified is not a part of our plane. So the search and rescue is still going on," Adel told CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper." (Read more)

5. Families wait for answers to missing EgyptAir plane - Al Jazeera

EgyptAir says 30 of the passengers were Egyptian, 15 French and 11 from 10 other nationalities.

There were two infants and one child.

There were also seven crew members and three security staff.

6. French security head warns of possible ISIS attacks in country - Fox News

France's spy chief reportedly said earlier this month that militants from the terror group ISIS are planning a series of bomb attacks on crowds in the country for next month's Euro 2016 soccer championships.

Reuters reported that Patrick Calvar, the head of France's intelligence agency, made the rare remarks at a committee meeting.

He reportedly mentioned "a new form of attack . . . characterized by placing explosive devices in places where there are large crowds and repeating this type of action to create a climate of maximum panic." (Read more)

7. No additional enhancements to U.S. aviation security at this time, official says - Fox News

No additional security enhancements have been made to U.S. aviation after the disappearance of EgyptAir flight 804 from Paris to Cairo Thursday, Fox News has learned, despite concerns about Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport serving as a "last point of departure" for flights to the United States.

A Department of Homeland Security official told Fox News that while there have been no additional security enhancements, the department's aviation security posture remain at a heightened alert since the bombing of a Metrojet Flight 928 over the Sinai Penninsula last October. A law enforcement official said there is currently no specific, credible threat targeting U.S. aviation. (Read more)

	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. WATCH: Israel Navy preparing for Hamas, Hezbollah rocket and missile threats - Jerusalem Post

The navy is in the midst of intensive preparations to deal with a growing rocket and missile threat posed by Hamas and Hezbollah, a senior IDF officer revealed on Wednesday.

Preparations include the installation of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems' C-Dome system, a sea-based version of the Iron Dome anti-rocket battery, on missile ships.
Read more

2. Lebanon's central bank will comply with U.S. finance law targeting Hezbollah - JNS

(JNS.org) The head of Lebanon's powerful central bank said that it will comply with a United States finance law that targets the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah.

Last December, the U.S. government passed the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act, which aims to sanction international financial institutions that knowingly facilitate Hezbollah's activities.

"The U.S. law has to be implemented worldwide and in Lebanon," said Riad Salameh, governor of Lebanon's central bank, Reuters reported. "It is not possible to guarantee credit stability if [the central bank] does not implement the U.S. law."
Read more

3. Herzog: Egypt's call for peace 'a rare opportunity -Israel National News

Zionist Union chairman and opposition leader Yitzhak Herzog on Tuesday night linked his desire to join Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's coalition with the statement by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisicalling for a peace agreement between Israel and the PA.

The speech by President Al-Sisi in Egypt today is a speech which I define as historic and revolutionary," Herzog said in a video posted to his Facebook page.

"The drama of the speech is due, first of and foremost, to the way he details what he wants to do, and the fact that it detects a rare regional opportunity that has not existed in the past," continued Herzog. "When I talked about this opportunity a few days ago, I knew what I was saying."

"I think there's an opportunity here that we must not turn our backs on, and we must exhaust it and understand whether the Israeli government and the Prime Minister are prepared to do so in order to prevent further rounds of bloodshed," he added.
Read more

4. Southern residents told to evacuate in case of conflict outbreak - Times of Israel

Southern residents living near the Gaza Strip received instructions on Tuesday to evacuate their residences in the event of emergency, including a call to have packed bags ready, amid simmering tensions along the Gaza border following increased IDF efforts to uncover Hamas's cross-border attack tunnels in recent weeks.

In a letter by response organizations working under the Defense Ministry, residents were told that "in the event of an emergency, there is a decision to completely evacuate," and were given clear instructions on which other communities to reach for safety if needed.
Read more

5. Police catch 60,000 grenade springs headed to Gaza - Times of Israel

Israeli Police on Wednesday captured a shipment of 60,000 hand-grenade springs on their way to the Gaza Strip.

The springs were found hidden in a warehouse in the community of Ami Oz on the Gaza periphery. Officials arrested a man in his 20s at the scene as he was loading the springs onto his vehicle.

The man, a resident of the Bedouin town of Rahat, was believed to be on his way to smuggle the equipment into Gaza. He is suspected of procuring the springs illegally from an Israeli factory that produces such springs for the Israeli military. Two other people were arrested as well.
Read more

	The Daily Brief

1. Fed signals interest rate hike firmly on the table for June - Reuters

Federal Reserve officials felt the U.S. economy could be ready for another interest rate increase in June, according to the minutes from the central bank's April policy meeting released on Wednesday.

Most participants in the policy-setting committee's April 26-27 meeting said they wanted to see signs that economic growth was picking up in the second quarter and that employment and inflation were firming, the minutes showed.

"Then it likely would be appropriate for the committee to increase the target range for the federal funds rate in June," according to the minutes. (Read more)
- Father, the economy is not in as good a shape as this administration would have us believe. So we pray that You will not allow any action by the Federal Reserve that would make it worse. We ask this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, amen.

- "The integrity of the upright will guide them." (Proverbs 11:3a)

2. House approves $602B defense bill despite White House objections - Fox/AP

The Republican-led House voted convincingly Wednesday to approve a $602 billion defense policy bill after rejecting attempts by Democrats to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and to repeal the war powers President Barack Obama relies on to fight the Islamic State (ISIS).

The legislation, which authorizes military spending for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, seeks to halt a decline in the combat readiness of the U.S. armed forces by purchasing more weapons and prohibiting further cuts in troop levels. But in a 17-page statement on the policy bill, the White House detailed its opposition to numerous provisions and said Obama would veto the legislation if it reached his desk.

The bill, approved 277-147, must be reconciled with a version the Senate is expected to consider by month's end. (Read more)
- Lord, we pray once again for the American military to have safe troop levels, and proper equipment. We pray that Congress will move quickly to work out a package with the Senate that can override a Presidential veto. In Jesus' name, amen.

- "He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord." (Proverbs 17:15)

3. Chaos in House after GOP votes down LGBT measure - The Hill

The House floor devolved into chaos and shouting on Thursday as a measure to ensure protections for members of the LGBT community narrowly failed to pass, after Republican leaders urged their members to change their votes.

Initially, it appeared Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney's (D-N.Y.) amendment had passed, as 217 "yes" votes piled up over 206 "no" votes when the clock ran out. The measure needed 213 votes to pass.

But it eventually failed, 212-213, after a number of Republican lawmakers changed their votes from "yes" to "no" after the clock had expired. (Read more here, including the names of members who changed their votes.)
- Father God, we thank You for this vote, no matter how it came to pass. We continue to draw a line in the sand through the Blood of the Lamb against the encroachments of the LGBT agenda against our own Judeo-Christian foundation. Thank You, Lord, in Your name, amen.

- "Blessed Is The Nation Whose God is the LORD." (Psalm 33:12)

4. Congress, White House strike rescue deal for Puerto Rico - CNSNews.com

House Republicans and Democrats reached a rare, election-year deal with the White House to try to rescue Puerto Rico from $70 billion in debt as millions of Americans in the cash-strapped U.S. territory struggle with the loss of basic services.

A revised House bill introduced late Wednesday would create a board to help manage the territory's financial obligations and restructure some debt. Negotiations between the Obama administration and House Speaker Paul Ryan's office helped finalize the legislation.

It is a "fair, but tough bipartisan compromise," Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said. Ryan, R-Wis., said the legislation would avoid an eventual taxpayer bailout. (Read more)
- Father, we offer You praise that this contentious issue has now been resolved on behalf of the people of Puerto Rico. Thank You for this answer to prayer, in Jesus' name, amen.

- "For the Lord watches the righteous, and he pays attention to their prayers."
(I Peter 3:12)

5. Senate Passes Zika Bill That Will Go Nowhere Fast - Huffington Post

The Senate added emergency Zika funding to a larger spending bill Thursday, all but guaranteeing it will go nowhere soon.

The Senate voted earlier to waive budget rules and add the cost of the $1.1 billion Zika measure to the deficit. It then passed it, 89-8, along with a massive appropriations measure that includes funding for transportation programs, the VA, housing programs and military construction.

The passage sets up an immediate conflict with the House, which passed its own standalone Zika measure Wednesday with just $622 million in funding. (Read more)
- Father God, we are grateful that our government seems to be doing what it can to protect our people from the Zika virus, but in the end, we turn to You. You are our help in time of need, and You are our Great Physician. Lord God, we thank You that You can and will deliver us from this pestilence when we cry out to You. In Jesus' name, amen.

- " For with God nothing will be impossible." (Luke 1:37)

6. 22 Percent of Resettled Refugees in Minnesota Test Positive for Tuberculosis - Breitbart

One of every five refugees resettled in Minnesota by the federal government tested positive for latent tuberculosis in 2014, according to the state's Department of Health. (Read more)
- Father, we have allowed in many different cultures into our country, many of whom have diseases. We stand firmly on Your Authority to protect us from the plagues of other nations.

- "No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling."
(Psalm 91:10)

7. Banned: School drops musical version of 'Lord's Prayer' from graduation- Todd Starnes, Fox News

A musical rendition of "The Lord's Prayer" has been performed at East Liverpool High School's commencement for nearly 70 years. Lisa Ensinger performed the sacred song when she was a senior at the Ohio school in 1986. "It's a tradition," she told me - a tradition that she continued when she became the high school's choir director.

But "The Lord's Prayer" will no longer be performed at graduation thanks to a meddling bunch of atheists, agnostics and free-thinkers from Wisconsin. (Read more)
- Lord we pray forgiveness over this school district for its foolishness. WE ask that You rise up to re-instate Your name in our educational facilities, and bring peace to the lives of all of our children. In Your Name we pray, amen.

- "He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle which was against me, for there were many against me." (Psalm 55:18)

8. Muslim states block LGBT groups from UN meeting, drawing protest from US - Fox News

A group of 51 Muslim states has blocked 11 gay and transgender rights organizations from attending a meeting at the United Nations next month on ending AIDS, sparking protests from the European Union, Canada and the U.S., who say the exclusion will "only impede global progress in combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic."

Egypt, a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), wrote to the president of the U.N.'s General Assembly to object to the participation of the groups, Reuters reports. The OIC also includes Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Syria and Iraq as member states. (Read more)
- Father, the deception of the LGBT crowd, and false gods of the Islamic followers all make agendas that could affect Your people. We hold fast to Your Name in the midst of these wranglings. Amen.

- "Hatred stirs up strife . . ." (Proverbs 10:12a)

9. China Stages War Games Days Ahead of Taiwan Inauguration - ABC News

China is staging large-scale joint war games featuring mock beach landing, helicopter assaults and tank battles along its east coast facing Taiwan, just days before the inauguration of the self-governing island's new independence-leaning president.

The Defense Ministry said Wednesday that the air, land and sea drills were aimed at "testing and upgrading the ability to respond to security threats and complete military missions." The drills were "not aimed at any specific target and relevant persons shouldn't read too much into it," the ministry said. The statement, written in question-and-answer format, did not mention Taiwan.

China maintains a standing threat to use force to achieve its goal of absorbing Taiwan and the timing of the drills was noticed widely both in Taiwan and in China's entirely state-controlled media. (Read more)
- Lord, we pray against any action by China that would destroy Taiwan. We ask for a move of Your Spirit throughout both countries. In Your name we pray, amen.

- "He shall judge between the nations, and shall rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks." (Isaiah 2:4)

10. Pentagon: 'Unsafe' intercept over South China Sea - CNN

At least two Chinese J-11 tactical aircraft carried out an "unsafe" intercept of a United States EP-3 reconnaissance aircraft that was conducting a routine mission in international airspace over the South China Sea, a U.S. defense official told CNN Wednesday. The Chinese jets came within 50 feet of the U.S. aircraft at one point during the incident, which took place Tuesday, the official said. (Read more)
- Lord, as these kinds of incidents seem to increase over disputed territories around the world, we ask the You protect our planes and vessels from harm.

- "In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord." (Psalm 77:2a)

	Syria in the News

Syria in the News
1. Assad's forces have used sarin nerve gas for the first time since notorious 2013 massacre, says senior Israeli official - The Telegraph UK

After the agreement to disarm Syria, John Kerry, the US secretary of state, claimed: "We got 100 per cent of the chemical weapons out."

But the Israeli official said that Assad had concealed a significant proportion of his chemical arsenal. In particular, he kept some of his sarin gas.

"They deceived and they still have it [sarin]," said the official. "Recently, they have decided to use it again. Once a taboo is broken, it becomes a standard weapon that you use. There are no red lines and it [sarin] becomes a standard kind of weapon."

Syria's chemical arsenal was believed to include 1,300 tons of mustard, VX and sarin gas. Israel believes that Assad probably disposed of his mustard and VX, in accordance with the deal. But he chose to keep the sarin because this was the deadliest chemical weapon at his disposal. (Read more)

2. Assad won't budge in Syria, Obama lacks leverage: Former diplomat - Washington Times

With international peace talks on Syria seeming to stall Tuesday, the Obama administration's former ambassador to Riyadh predicted Syrian President Bashar Assad will remain in power as long as Washington and its allies fail to challenge him militarily.

"Without greater military pressure on the Syrian government, it will not negotiate a compromise political settlement," said Robert S. Ford, who told a congressional hearing that the Obama administration's unclear policies toward the war have lost the trust of Syria's opposition forces.

"The United States lacks leverage with the armed opposition because it - and its regional backers - view us as inconsistent at best," Mr. Ford told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

The former ambassador also stressed that Russia's military intervention on behalf of the Assad regime has dimmed the prospects for a settlement to end the Syrian war. (Read more)

3. U.S., Russia stalemate on Syria frustrates European powers - Reuters

UNITED NATIONS/VIENNA The Obama administration's failure to convince Moscow that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must go is fueling European frustration at being sidelined in efforts to end the country's five-year civil war, diplomats say. Some diplomats and analysts question whether the United States has misread Russia's desire to keep Assad in power.

"Many have consistently underestimated Russia's determination to prevent this regime from falling," said Philip Gordon, a former National Security Council aide to U.S. President Barack Obama. "They've been pretty clear that they're not prepared to let this happen." (Read more)

4. Russians building army base at Syria's Palmyra site - AP

Russia has built a military encampment inside a zone that holds the UNESCO world heritage site in the ancient Syrian town of Palmyra, where Islamic State militants were driven out recently by pro-government forces.

The Russian military described the camp Tuesday as "temporary," saying its few housing units were being used by explosives experts who are removing mines left behind by the militants, and that the Syrian government had given approval to build the camp.

The head of Syria's Antiquities and Museums department, who noted the town's priceless antiquities are safer thanks to the Russian presence, nonetheless said he would not have granted Russia permission to build the camp if he had been asked. (Read more)

	The Daily Jot

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Evil as good; good as evil

Every time this whole bathroom bill comes up, I sit in amazement that people using a straight face can twist such a common sense topic. Men being legally allowed to use a women's locker room or restroom just because they "identify" with being another gender. Our government is based on giving up a few rights for the protection of all. How is it that those "identifying" with a different gender are not protected by using locker rooms and restrooms of their birth gender? This is an example where the entire equality argument is taken to such extreme that common sense and decency take a back seat to lunacy. Worse yet, those who do not agree are labeled bigots witn some kinds of phobia. But really, who is mentally ill?

In 2015, Dr. Paul McHugh, former psychiatrist-in-chief for Johns Hopkins Hospital and its current Distinguished Service Professor of Psychiatry, said that transgenderism is a "mental disorder" that merits treatment and that people who promote sexual reassignment surgery are collaborating with and promoting a mental disorder. In the Wall Street Journal, McHugh documented that transgenders who had reassignment surgery experienced a suicide rate 20 times higher than the general population. He further noted studies from Vanderbilt University and London's Portman Clinic that 70% to 80% of children expressing transgender feelings "spontaneously lost those feelings" over time.

This sent the transgender movement into immediate discredit mode. In the Advocate, a transgender advocacy publication, Brynn Tannehil wrote that Johns Hopkins professors associated with Southern Poverty Law Center-certified hate groups (Family Research Council and the American Family Association). Tannehil wrote: "Dr. McHugh has a lot in common with these right-wing, religiously-motivated hate groups. He is a self-described orthodox Catholic whose radical views are well documented. In his role as part of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' review board, he pushed the idea that the Catholic sex-abuse scandal was not about pedophilia but about "homosexual predation on American Catholic youth.""

McHugh tells it straight: "Transgendered men do not become women, nor do transgendered women become men. All (including Bruce Jenner) become feminized men or masculinized women, counterfeits or impersonators of the sex with which they "identify." In that lies their problematic future." All who agree with McHugh risk being labeled homophobes or bigots. In reality, many are challenged by the dichotomy of a personal desire to see all come to the full salvation of Jesus Christ, and the reality that there are those who believe this to be radical, hating while calling those with whom they disagree, the haters. As Isaiah 5:20 says, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness." For their destiny is one of darkness because they worship the creature more than the Creator.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!

Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com

	AFA Alert

Where does your school stand on Obama's 'bathroom' directive?

On Monday, AFA notified you of President Obama's directive for local school districts to implement his radical agenda that allows boys to use girl's restrooms and locker rooms. This proposal endangers our children and undermines parental rights. By allowing kids access to facilities of the opposite sex we are fostering a confusing and unhealthy environment for our students. This must not stand!

Thank you for contacting your governor and state representatives and urging them to denounce Obama and his lawless decree. As a result, over a dozen governors have openly rebuked the president's dangerous agenda.
AFA needs your help on the local level now, specifically contacting your state superintendent and your local school. In order to stop this reckless agenda, we want to contact each state department of education and local school board.

> > > To take action, go here.

Note: All 50 States are listed!

	NRB Statement on Transgender Policy

NRB President, Members Respond to Obama Administration 'Guidelines' on Transgender Students

Various NRB member organizations have expressed their concern over and opposition to a directive that the Obama administration sent late last week to thousands of public school districts across the country.

The "guidance," released jointly by the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education on May 13, asserts that federally funded schools are obligated to provide students access to restrooms, locker rooms, and other facilities and activities in accordance with their self-proclaimed gender identity.
On the same day the guidance was released, NRB President & CEO Dr. Jerry A. Johnson guest-hosted Tony Perkins' Washington Watch radio program. Dr. Johnson discussed the "chilling" development with Perkins, who called in to comment on the matter.

"The President of the United States has used the full force of the Department of Justice, the Department of Education to say to local schools: You will accept our view of the transgender/transsexual question," Dr. Johnson posited.

"Up and down the line you will acknowledge this policy by federal decree or else," he added, noting that the "or else" is the cutting of federal funding.
Perkins, President of the Family Research Council (FRC), called the directive "absolutely outrageous" and "an overreach of federal power."

"The President does not have the authority to do this," Perkins noted to Dr. Johnson. "What he has done is unilaterally reinterpreted the 1972 Title IX educational amendment to say sex . . . includes self-described gender identity. And what's so bad about this, as you pointed out, it's not just bathrooms; it's locker rooms, it's showers. And it's not just elementary and secondary schools; it's colleges."

"What this is doing is ushering sexual chaos into our schools," he added.
NRB members were uniform in their opposition to the Obama administration's action. (Read more here)

	Congressional Update

Family Research Council Statement on Rep. Maloney Amendment

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Congressman Sean Maloney (D-NY) offered an amendment that would use the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, as a vehicle to undermine religious hiring protections that were included in yesterday's House-passed National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017. This vote failed by one vote, 212-213, with 29 Republicans voting 'yea.' Family Research Council opposed and scored the amendment because it authorizes the government to punish faith-based organizations and entities that operate consistent with their deeply held beliefs.

Family Research Council's David Christensen, Vice President of Government Affairs, released the following statement:
"Congress rejecting Rep. Sean Maloney's unfair and discriminatory amendment is a great victory for the freedom to believe. Last night, Congress passed the defense bill that preserved long-standing faith-based protections from assaults by Democrats who want the government to punish faith-based contractors, like the Salvation Army, that work and hire in accordance with their First Amendment rights. The Maloney amendment would have gutted these religious freedom protections and in turn would have caused faith-based contractors to lose contracts and likely cut jobs.

"Thousands of faith-based organizations and family-owned businesses contract with the federal government to offer amazing services to many American communities. Congress today rightly defeated this intolerance toward hard working Americans who do not want the government punishing them for what they believe. We applaud the rejection of the unfair and discriminatory Maloney amendment," Christensen concluded.

	The Persecuted Church

A Documented 634 Cases of Religious Persecution Occurred in China
During 2015

China AidBy Rachel Ritchie (Midland, Texas-May 18, 2016) Today, China Aid released its 2015 Annual Report of Religious and Human Rights Persecution in China, which indicates that religious persecution and human rights abuse by the Chinese government against its citizens has risen 4.74 percent since 2014 based on six specific categories of persecution.

All six categories, which include the total number of persecution cases, the number of religious practitioners persecuted, the number of citizens detained, the number of citizens sentenced, the number of severe abuse cases and the number of individuals in severe abuses cases, increased between 6.15 and 174.65 percent. The category with the largest increase was the number of cases of verbal, mental and physical abuse, including torture, which increased from 71 in 2014 to 192 in 2015.
Read more

	Classic Hymns

Songs Our Grandmothers Sang:

IN THE SWEET BY AND BY

"In My Father's house there are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you." (John 14:2)

Lyrics

There's a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way
To prepare us a dwelling place there.
Refrain

In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
We shall sing on that beautiful shore
The melodious songs of the blessed;
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.

Refrain
To our bountiful Father above,
We will offer our tribute of praise
For the glorious gift of His love
And the blessings that hallow our days.

Refrain

Melody

Please go here.

(Sung by Johnny Cash)

About the Author:

Words: San­ford F. Ben­nett, 1868.

Music: Jo­seph P. Web­ster

About the Hymn:

Mr. Webster, like ma­ny mu­si­cians, was of an ex­ceed­ing­ly ner­vous and sen­si­tive na­ture, and sub­ject to per­i­ods of de­press­ion, in which he looked up­on the dark side of all things in life. I had learned his pe­cul­i­ar­i­ties so well that on meet­ing him I could tell at a glance if he was mel­an­cho­ly, and had found that I could rouse him up by giv­ing him a new song to work on.

He came in­to my place of bus­i­ness [in Elk­horn, Wis­con­sin], walked down to the stove, and turned his back on me without speak­ing. I was at my desk. Turn­ing to him, I said, "Webs­ter, what is the mat­ter now?" "It's no mat­ter," he re­plied, "it will be all right by and by." The idea of the hymn came me like a flash of sun­light, and I re­plied, "The Sweet By and By! Why would not that make a good hymn?" "May­be it would," he said in­dif­fer­ent­ly. Turn­ing to my desk I penned the words of the hymn as fast as I could write. I hand­ed the words to Web­ster. As he read his eyes kin­dled, and stepp­ing to the desk he be­gan writ­ing the notes. Tak­ing his vi­o­lin, he played the mel­o­dy and then jot­ted down the notes of the cho­rus. It was not over thir­ty min­utes from the time I took my pen to write the words be­fore two friends with Web­ster and myself were sing­ing the hymn.

Sanford Fill­more Ben­nett (1836-1898)

	Signs and Wonders

Sri Lanka Landslides Bury over 200 Families

Landslides in Sri Lanka have devastated several villages and have buried up to 220 families, according to the Associated Press.

Emergency personnel have been digging through mud and debris to recover missing persons in three villages that were hit hard by recent landslides caused by days of heavy rains.

Rescuers have recovered 17 bodies from the mud in one village, but hundreds of families are still reporting missing loved ones.
"The task is to figure out what happened to them," the Sri Lankan Red Cross said in a statement, adding that some family members listened to warnings to evacuate the villages, so it is difficult to know how many may be buried beneath the mud and debris.

Officials are also warning that, as rains continue to fall, there is a possibility of more landslides in the region. (Christian Headlines) Read more.
- Father, we cry out to You for these people and ask that You move among them. Let the idols falls to dust, and the false religions collapse beneath the weight of Your hand. Bring comfort in the midst of tragedy, and hope amidst despair.

- "On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities and the ruins shall be rebuilt." (Ezekiel 36:33)

"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

80 Muslim Refugees Convert to Christianity and are Baptized

[Mohabat News] Over 80 Muslim refugees from Iran and Afghanistan have converted to Christianity and been baptized 255in Hamburg, Germany.

Albert Babajan, the pastor who conducted the mass baptism, said that the converts were dissatisfied with Islam and were looking for something more. "The motive for the change of faith is the same for many: they are disappointed with Islam."
Read more

	Election 2016: Prayer Resources

Election 2016: Prayer Resources

"Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you." (Deuteronomy 1:13)

> > > Please find below the Election Prayer Resources that have been recently added to our list. To view the archive section, go here.

To view our recently archived articles, go here.
To view the most recently archived resources, go here.