Please see below for special instructions as you join us tomorrow to read the Word of God over the nation on the 4th of July!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp1994@gmail.com
The Daily Brief:
"Praying for All in Authority"
Monday, July 3, 2017
"Praying for All in Authority"
Monday, July 3, 2017
"When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him." (Isaiah 59:19)
To help sustain our work, please go here. Thank you!
Tomorrow!
Watch for our special report to the nation:
"A SHIFT IN THE HEAVENLIES" --
How God moved across the nation on the
National Day of Prayer!
LET FREEDOM RING!
|
Focus on Israel
|
|||
 |
||||
1. Netanyahu blocks 'United Jerusalem Bill' - Israel National News
Prime Minister Netanyahu used a short while ago his veto power to prevent a vote in the Law Committee on MK Shuli Moalem's "Jerusalem Bill" which is supported by the Jewish Home faction.
Netanyahu used his veto after Education Minister Naftali Bennett refused to condition passage of the bill in the committee on the ability of the Prime Minister to veto the bill's continued advancement.
The blocked bill sought to establish that any relinquishing of parts of Jerusalem in a future peace agreement would require the approval of a special majority of 80 Knesset members. (Read more)
2. Liberman: Israel 'won't ignore' new Hezbollah weapon factories - Times of Israel
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman issued a stern warning to the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons over the development of rocket manufacturing installations inside Lebanon.
"We are fully aware" of the rocket factories, Liberman told military correspondents in a briefing in Tel Aviv Sunday. "We know what needs to be done . . . We won't ignore the establishment of Iranian weapons factories in Lebanon."
Still, he cautioned against overstating the threat. Since the Second Lebanon War in 2006, Israel has pulled significantly ahead of Hezbollah, he said. "There's no need for either hysteria or euphoria on this issue." (Read more)
3. IDF destroys Syrian artillery after shells explode in Golan Heights - Times of Israel
The IDF said Saturday that it had destroyed an artillery piece belonging to Assad regime forces in Syria in response to two shells exploding in the Golan Heights
The two mortar shells, spillover from the fighting in Syria, landed on the Israeli side of the border causing no damage or injuries, in the latest such incident on the tense frontier.
"A projectile launched from Syria hit an open area in the northern Golan Heights," an IDF statement said. (Read more)
4. Palestinian Authority could 'change status of Gaza' with profound implications for the region - Independent
Rumours are swirling in the Palestinian Territories that Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas is considering declaring the Gaza Strip a "rebel district", a move which could cause even greater hardship for the coastal enclave's two million inhabitants.
A recent report published in newspaper Israel Hayom quoted an anonymous senior PA official as saying that Mr Abbas is mulling over the move, which it described as a "doomsday weapon", allowing the leader to exert even greater pressure over rival Hamas, the militant organisation which controls the strip.
"Implementing the plan would mean immediately declaring a state of emergency throughout Gaza while simultaneously issuing emergency orders designating certain groups and movements as 'rebels.' In such an event, Hamas would be outlawed and all its assets - including institutions, funds and bank accounts - will be frozen. In addition, arrest warrants will be issued against the heads of the organisation," the paper said. (Read more)
5. Arabs attack Arutz Sheva writer: 'It was murderous behavior' - Israel National News
Arabs in the Old City of Jerusalem attacked an Arutz Sheva reporter Sunday afternoon just outside of the Western Wall Plaza.
Eliran Aharon, a writer for the Beit El-based news outlet, was attacked by a pair of Arabs as he made his way from the Western Wall towards his car, which was parked just outside of Dung Gate, the southern entrance to the Old City and the closest gate to the Western Wall.
The two Arabs assaulted Aharon near the gate, prompting nearby Yassam riot-police officers guarding Dung Gate to intervene. The officers pulled the attackers away from Aharon and escorted them out of the area. (Read more)
6. US aircraft carrier anchors off Israeli coast for first time in 17 years - i24news/Israel
Ship was previously stationed in the Arabian Gulf, from where airstrikes against IS group were launched. The USS H.W. Bush dropped anchor in the waters off the Israeli port city of Haifa on Saturday, marking the first time in nearly two decades that a US aircraft carrier has docked off Israel's coast.
The 333 meter-long and 20-story high ship, powered by two nuclear reactors, was too large to dock at Haifa's port itself, and was anchored some four kilometers off the coast.
The ship is expected to remain off Haifa's coast until Wednesday.
The aircraft carrier has about 80 fighter planes and a crew of about 5,700, the Ynet news outlet reported, including some 2,500 personnel who belong to the US Air Force.
Haifa port was in the 1980's and 90's the home port of the US Navy's Sixth Fleet, but US ships stopped docking there during the Second Intifada (Uprising) in the year 2000.
According to Ynet, a US ship returned to Haifa in 2007, but a US aircraft carrier has not anchored at the port city in 17 years.
The USS H.W. Bush was previously stationed in the Arabian Gulf, from where it was used to launch airstrikes in the fight against Islamic State jihadists in Iraq and Syria. (Read more)
7. Special Request from Israel
Please see the link below for urgent news from Israel that needs our prayers. Thank you.
Read here.
8. Israel Takes a Stand ahead of UNESCO Vote over Hebron and Jerusalem - Bridges for Peace
There is no question that Hebron is inextricably linked to the identity of Israel. In fact, without Hebron, there would be no Jewish history as we know it.
Yet despite the archeological, historical and scientific proof of a Jewish presence in this city dating back 3,800 years, the Palestinian narrative claims Hebron as its own. In fact, the Palestinians have now requested the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to inscribe the Old City of Hebron-including the Tomb of the Patriarchs-on its List of World Heritage in Danger as a protected site in the "State of Palestine."
UNESCO's World Heritage Committee is set to pass a vote on the Palestinians' claim to the ancient city-and the burial spot of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob-next week when the committee meets in Krakow, Poland, for its annual assembly.
Israel requires seven of the 21 nations serving on the committee to vote against the resolution in order to block the motion. Yet given the Arab nation's overwhelming majority in the forum, the claim is expected to pass, The Times of Israel reports. Read more.
- Bring the upcoming UNESCO vote before the Lord and pray that nations will vote in light of the truth and not because of pressure or fear. Pray especially that nations who have received some kind of assistance from Israel will boldly vote against the PA claims. Ask God for wisdom and favor as Israel's representatives describe the undeniable and overwhelming evidence of Hebron's part in their history.
- "In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:16-17)
[Prayer offered by Bridges for Peace]
9. Bridges for Peace: Israel Prayer Update
(Read more)
|
The Daily Brief
|
|||
|
||||
Please note:
Every prayer below is presented to our Lord in the Name of Jesus Christ, amen.
1. House Passes Two Immigration Bills Ahead of July 4 Recess - CNSNews.com
President Donald Trump is applauding the House of Representatives for passing "two crucial measures to save and protect American lives."
Kate's Law, named for the San Francisco woman shot and killed by a Mexican man who had illegally re-entered the U.S. multiple times, increases the criminal penalties for people who come back to the country after being deported. "Every year, countless Americans are victimized, assaulted, and killed by illegal immigrants who have been deported multiple times," Trump said in his statement. "It is time for these tragedies to end."
The second bill, Mobilizing Against Sanctuary Cities Act, bars federal grants for at least one year to any state or local government that refuses to cooperate with federal immigration law by turning over illegal aliens to immigration officials. "Sanctuary cities are releasing violent criminals, including members of the bloodthirsty MS-13 gang, back onto our streets every single day," Trump said. "Innocent Americans are suffering unthinkable violence as a result of these cities' reckless actions."
Now that the House has acted, I urged the Senate to take up these bills, pass them, and send them to my desk," Trump said.
Five days after taking office, President Trump signed an executive order cracking down on sanctuary cities, but a federal judge struck that provision down, saying Congress controls the purse strings, and therefore Trump could not impose a ban on federal grants. The legislation passed on Thursday does what Trump set out to do himself. (Read more)
- Precious Lord, we praise You that these bills have passed the House and now we ask You to make sure that both of these just and needed laws pass the Senate. We pray that a ground swell will rise up to support these bills over the Fourth of July holiday and that there will be no question of them passing the Senate. We pray for You to minister to all the victims of illegal aliens with Your comfort and support.
- "The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness' sake; He will exalt the law and make it honorable." (Isaiah 42:21)
2. Pentagon delays in transgender enlistments for six months - USA Today
The Pentagon announced late Friday that it will delay until at least 2018 rolling out its policy for acceptance of transgender troops into the ranks. The move by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis comes just hours before a July 1 deadline, set in the Obama administration, for the military to recruit transgender enlisted troops and to accept new officers.
"Secretary Mattis today approved a recommendation by the services to defer accessing transgender applicants into the military until Jan. 1, 2018," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement. "The services will review their accession plans and provide input on the impact to the readiness and lethality of our forces."
Transgender troops already in the ranks can continue to serve, under the policy developed last year by then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter. Mattis has made clear that the military's readiness to fight is his top priority. (Read more)
- Father, we are grateful to learn of this ruling, as the entire "transgender issue" goes against Your law. Thank You, Lord, for the wisdom You have granted Defense Secretary Mattis. We trust You will continue to guide him in all decisions he must make at the Pentagon, for the good of our people. In Your name, amen.
- "He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them "Mankind" when they were created." (Genesis 5:2)
3. Mattis: Assad took Trump's chemical warning 'seriously' - Times of Israel
BRUSSELS, Belgium - US President Donald Trump's warning to the Syrian government not to carry out a chemical weapons attack appears to have worked, American Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Wednesday.
"It appears that they took the warning seriously," Mattis said, referring to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer warned Monday night that if "Assad conducts another mass murder attack using chemical weapons, he and his military will pay a heavy price." (Read more)
- Thank You, Lord that Assad appears to have taken Trump's warning. We pray an end to this war in Syria. Give wisdom on how to stop Assad and bring peace to Syria.
- "He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4)
4. Military option for North Korea being prepared for Trump, McMaster says - Fox News
The Trump administration is considering a wider range of strategies on how to deal with North Korea, including the military option, Trump's national security adviser said Wednesday.
"The threat is much more immediate now and so it's clear that we can't repeat the same approach - failed approach of the past," H.R. McMaster, the adviser, said during a security conference with Homeland Security Chief John Kelly.
He said it would be insanity to continue to do the same thing the U.S. has done for years and expect a different result. (Read more)
- Father God, you are King of the nations. We ask that you overrule Kim Jong Un who has turned North Korea into a rogue nation that has caused its people to suffer and that poses danger to American troops and to South Korea. North Korea was once the center of Christianity in Northeast Asia and its capitol was once called the Jerusalem of the East. We thank you that the leader of South Korea has met with President Trump and has pledged to work together with him. We thank you that the Church of South Korea is known for prayer that brought about its having grown enormously. We cry out for a unified Korea to be one nation under God!
- "The Mighty One, God, the LORD, has spoken, And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting." (Psalm 50:1)
5. AG Sessions on SCOTUS Travel Ban Ruling: It's a 'Major Slap-Down' for the Left - CNSNews.com
When asked about the Supreme Court's partial ruling on President Trump's travel ban, U. S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said it "was a major slap down" to the left, and that "we need to be careful before we admit people from" the six countries listed in the temporary ban.
On Friday's Fox & Friends, host Steve Doocy asked Attorney General Sessions, "Okay, so the travel ban partially went into effect last night. How's it working out? I know there was some confusion about people who have bona fide reasons to come in, whether it's relatives, school, work, something like that. I guess the definition of bona fide has been called into question."
Sessions said, "Well, there's a little bit, on the margins, some uncertainty, but fundamentally the court rejected this whole narrative of the left, that his orders, the president's orders, are wrong and unjustified and unconstitutional. It was a major slap-down to them," said Sessions. "A major rejection of courts that have been -- where plaintiffs [have] gone out and sought favorable jurisdictions to hear these cases. They've been rebuked." (Read more)
- We rejoice with Attorney General Sessions that the Supreme Court has allowed President Trump's partial travel ban to stay in place as they consider a ruling on it. Thank You, Lord, that this common sense ruling will provide safety for the American public. Thank You, too, that the Supreme Court could see through the fake cries of those promoting unlimited immigration. We are looking to You to arrange for a final ruling that will protect America's culture and stop terrorism. In Your Name, amen.
- "The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death." (Proverbs 13:14)
6. ICE Director Supports Allowing Victims of Criminal Aliens to Sue Sanctuary City Officials - CNSNews.com
Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Tom Homan said Wednesday that he would support allowing victims of criminal aliens to sue the city officials of sanctuary cities. CNSNews.com asked Homan if he would support allowing victims of criminal aliens in sanctuary cities to sue the city officials. "For those who make the decisions to release those alien citizens to the street, yes," Homan said during an off-camera briefing at the White House.
"ICE's new Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement, otherwise known as the VOICE Office, is working with families like the ones we'll be sitting with today to assist them in the aftermath of crimes that could have been prevented," Homan said. "More than 400 calls from victims have been referred to our community relations officers and victim specialists for assistance with accessing resources, getting more information about a specific case, and how the immigration process works," he said.
"Sanctuary jurisdictions pose a threat to the American public by refusing to work with ICE and allowing egregious criminal offenders back into the community to put the lives of the public at risk. Not to mention the fact, it also puts my law enforcement officers at risk because they have to go back on the street to arrest somebody they could have arrested in a county jail," Homan added. (Read more)
- Thank You, again, dear Lord, for this voice in the ICE department supporting a correct and justified position on holding sanctuary cities accountable for their actions in loosing dangerous aliens upon the general population. Father, we pray that the scales will fall off their eyes so that they can see the results of their misplaced sympathy. Reach out to victims with Your love and provision. Amen.
- "God is just: He will He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you."
(2 Thessalonians 1:6)
7. Trump blasts Obama, demands 'apology' over Russia probe - Times of Israel
US President Donald Trump on Monday demanded an apology over the Russia investigation rocking his presidency, as he kept up a days-long attack on Barack Obama for his handling of intelligence about election meddling by Moscow.
In a storm of morning tweets, Trump charged that his predecessor "colluded and obstructed" by failing to act after the CIA informed him Russian President Vladimir Putin personally ordered an operation to help defeat Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the November vote.
"The real story is that President Obama did NOTHING after being informed in August about Russian meddling," Trump wrote. "With 4 months looking at Russia under a magnifying glass, they have zero 'tapes' of T [Trump] people colluding. There is no collusion; no obstruction. I should be given apology!" (Read more)
- Father, bring all truth into the light. If the previous administration did nothing about the Russia meddling then they will reap what they have sown. This is Your spiritual law. Their sins will find them out.
- "But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them . . ." (Ephesians 5:13)
8. Kremlin: Putin, Trump to meet on sidelines of G20 summit - Reuters
Russia's Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump will meet on the sidelines of the Group of Twenty summit in Hamburg next week, but no separate meeting is planned, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.
"They will meet in any case there, on the sidelines of this summit, but no (separate) meeting is planned at the moment," Peskov said. (Read more)
- Lord, You are the King of the nations. You desire to pour out blessing on the people of the earth, but sin and idolatry block that blessing and hold people under poverty and darkness. We pray that you will rule over every decision made at this meeting. We ask protection over the leaders of the nations who attend. We especially pray for protection for our President Donald Trump against any attempt to harm him, and ask that You give him wisdom in all he says and does. Amen.
- "All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations." (Psalm 22:27-28)
9. Iraq: ISIS 'caliphate' is coming to an end - Israel National News
Iraq on Thursday declared that the Islamic State (ISIS) group's 'caliphate' was coming to an end after it recaptured Mosul's al-Nuri mosque, AFP reported. The announcement came three years to the day ISIS announced its self-styled 'caliphate', encompassing swathes of territory its fighters overran in Iraq and neighboring Syria.
'Counter-Terrorism Service forces control the Nuri mosque and Al-Hadba (minaret),' said Iraq's Joint Operations Command in a statement quoted by AFP. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi hailed the recapture of the mosque as a sign of ISIS's impending defeat. 'We are seeing the end of the fake Daesh state,' Abadi said in an English statement on his Twitter account, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.
Thursday's proclamation came one week after ISIS blew up the Grand al-Nuri mosque and its iconic leaning minaret, al-Hadba, in what Abadi also said was a sign of ISIS's defeat. The U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition also said on Thursday that the end of the war against ISIS was near . . ." (Read more)
- Thank you Lord that the end of ISIS is near. We pray their members scatter, never to return again. May they receive judgement for the atrocities they have committed.
- "For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:14)
10. Pope shakes up Vatican by replacing conservative doctrinal chief - Reuters
VATICAN CITY - In a major shake-up of the Vatican's administration on Saturday, Pope Francis replaced Catholicism's top theologian, a conservative German cardinal who has been at odds with the pontiff's vision of a more inclusive Church.
A brief Vatican statement said Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Mueller's five-year mandate as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a department charged with defending Catholic doctrine, would not be renewed.
The position is the most important one that a pope fills in the Vatican hierarchy after the Secretary of State. Most incumbents keep it until they retire, which in Mueller's case would have been in six years.
Mueller, 69, who was appointed by former Pope Benedict in 2012, will be succeeded by the department's number two, Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer. (Read more)
- Father God, it looks like our own president is not the only one who is having to drain the swamp these days. We do thank You that Pope Francis has taken this action, and we ask that all who work and minister inside the Vatican demonstrate a life of holiness unto the Lord. In Your Name, amen.
- "What Satan has meant for evil, God has turned to the good." (Genesis 50:20)
|
The Daily Jot
|
|||
|
||||
Friday, June 30, 2017
Christianity preserves a free society
As we enter the weekend when we celebrate our independence and freedom, there are those who wish to abolish the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and remake our country into a communist utopia. There are reports, for example, that Antifa, an anarchist anti-fascist group, will march on Gettysburg and desecrate Confederate graves. Sounds like fascism to me. This is the same group that has been violently attacking conservatives across the nation. It is essentially the military arm of the left. This is just one example. As we celebrate this weekend with family and friends over a 'burger or a 'dog, let us remember the price of our freedom and the role of Christianity in preserving it.
With the immoral and amoral trying to place a death grip on our free society, Christians must stand otherwise freedom will cease to exist. "Freedom sees in religion the companion of its struggles and its triumphs, the cradle of its infancy, the divine source of its rights. It considers religion as the safeguard of mores; and mores as the guarantee of laws and the pledge of its own duration."--these are the words of Alexis de Tocqueville, a French aristocrat who came to America in the 1830s to observe what made the country so great. His "Democracy in America" is considered a historic treasure about the unique success of the United States. Tocqueville wrote that America is free because of its collective Christian religion.
He pointed out that the laws that governed the Plymouth colony were derived from the Hebrew texts. In the later 1600s, even the law of Connecticut stated that man shall not "have or worship any other God, but the Lord God." He said that Americans "have succeeded in incorporating somehow into one another and combining marvelously...the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom." Tocqueville believed America was unique in this very way. As we look around the world and see the devastation of modern human trafficking-slavery-it is non-Christian states, such as Islamic nations and others that have no defined connection to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who are perpetrating humans in bondage.
Cotton Mather wrote in 1820, "There is a liberty of corrupt nature, which is affected both by men and beasts, to do what they list; and this liberty is inconsistent with authority, impatient of all restraint; by this liberty we are all inferior; 'tis the grand enemy of truth and peace, and all the ordinances of God are bent against it. But there is a civil, a moral, a federal liberty, which is the proper end and object of authority; it is a liberty for that only which is just and good; for this liberty you are to stand with the hazard of your very lives." Galatians 5:1 says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." As Christians we must demand and accept no other form of liberty.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
|
The July 4th BIBLE READ-A-THON
|
|||
|
||||
Welcome to the Capitol Hill Prayer Partners FOURTH OF JULY Read-a-thon!
We will begin reading at midnight (12:00 a.m.) on Tuesday, July 4th, and continue nonstop through midnight that next night: 24 hours in all.
Your facilitator will tell you which Book of the Bible you are in, as you join the call.
Here are the instructions you need as a reader:
1. Dial 712-770-4340. When the voice asks for your access code press in 350430#.
2. After that the voice will say, "Please identify yourself and will tell how many are on the line." Please do not identify yourself at that point. The person reading the chapter they are on will pause when they hear the chime and identify the book chapter and verse.
3. When the leader of the call asks "Who just came on please?" Please identify your first name and the state you're calling from.
4. When the leader of the call assigns to you a chapter, be ready to read.
5. When you start to read, make sure that you are off mute. Please keep your call muted at all other times so as to take out any background noise. You can mute your phone with the button on your phone or mute your line, by dialing *6. Be sure to *6 or unmute your phone when you begin to read.
Thank you for joining us as we read God's word over the land. God's word does not return void. (Isaiah 55:11
God bless you!
AND GOD BLESS AMERICA,TOO!
|
More Daily Features
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
The Persecuted Church
"Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body." (Hebrews 13:3)
Please visit the website for International Christian Concern to lift up prayers for the persecuted around the world, every day. Their link is: www.persecution.org -- or go here to connect. Thank you for interceding for our brothers and sisters who are suffering in Asia, the Islamic World, and the Far East.
|
||||
|
||||
Classic Hymns:
MY COUNTRY 'TIS OF THEE
"Ye shall know the truth, and the the truth shall set ye free." (John 8:32)
MY COUNTRY 'TIS OF THEE
"Ye shall know the truth, and the the truth shall set ye free." (John 8:32)
Lyrics
My country, 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From every mountainside,
Let freedom ring!
My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills,
Like that above.
Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees,
Sweet freedom's song;
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.
Our fathers' God, to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing;
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King.
Melody
Please go here.
Please note: "My Country, 'Tis of Thee", also known as "America", is an American patriotic song, whose lyrics were written by Samuel Francis Smith. The melody used is the same as that of the national anthem of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen", arranged by Thomas Arne. The song served as one of the de facto national anthems of the United States (along with songs like "Hail, Columbia") before the adoption of "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the official anthem in 1931.
About the Author:
Words:
Samuel F. Smith, 1832. Music: America, Thesaurus Musicus, 1744
About the hymn:
These words were born because Smith's friend, Lowell Mason, could not read German. Mason had received several German hymnals, and sent them to Smith, who he knew understood German. In one of them, Smith ran across the tune now used for My Country 'Tis of Thee. Noting that the German words were patriotic in nature:
I instantly felt the impulse to write a patriotic hymn of my own, adapted to the tune. Picking up a scrap of waste paper which lay near me, I wrote at once, probably within half an hour, the hymn 'America' as it is now known everywhere. The whole hymn stands today as it stood on the bit of waste paper.
Dr. Smith visited the Board of Trade in Chicago [Illinois] in May of 1887. While sitting in the gallery he was pointed out to the some of the members. Soon he became the center of considerable notice. All at once the trading on the floor ceased, and from the wheat-pit came the familiar words, "My country 'tis of thee." After two stanzas had been sung, Dr. Smith arose and bowed. A rousing cheer was given by the men on the floor, to which Dr. Smith was now escorted by the secretary of the Board. The members flocked around Dr. Smith and grasped his hand. Then they opened a passage through the crowd and led him to the wheat-pit, where they took off their hats and sang the rest of the hymn.
|
||||
|
||||
Signs and Wonders:
Delaware-Size Iceberg Is About to Break Off of Antarctica
Antarctica's Larsen C ice sheet is flowing fast. In fact, researchers who are observing the unstable ice sheet have found that it is speeding up, indicating that a massive iceberg could break off, or calve, anytime now - it might be hours, days or weeks, they wrote in a new blog post at Project MIDAS.
Project MIDAS is a United Kingdom-based project designed to observe Larsen C's dynamics as the climate warms. So far, the news is not good. Scientists have been tracking a growing rift in Larsen C since 2014. In early December 2016, the crack was 70 miles (112 km) long. Six weeks later, it was 109 miles (175 km) long and still growing. A new crack formed in May, while the main rift stabilized in length but continued to grow in width.
When the inevitable ice calving comes, the sheet will birth an iceberg approximately the size of Delaware, and will remove between 9 and 12 percent of Larsen C's total area. This could speed the dissolution of the shelf and remove some of the barrier that dams the land-based ice behind the floating ice shelf from the sea, according to Project MIDAS researchers.
Now, Project MIDAS researchers have observed that the seaward side of the rift has tripled in speed and is now flowing 33 feet (10 m) per day as of June 24 through June 27.
"The iceberg remains attached to the ice shelf, but its outer end is moving at the highest speed ever recorded on this ice shelf," the researchers wrote. (Live Science) Read more
|
||||
|
||||
The Good News Corner
Bible Classes Can Now Be Taught in Kentucky Public Schools
Effective Thursday, Kentucky public schools can now teach a course on the Bible thanks to a bill signed by the state's Republican Christian Gov. Matt Bevin.
Bevin, said WDRB, gave his blessing to HB 128, also known as the "Bible Literacy Bill," when he signed it into law on Tuesday.
The course which will be taught as a social studies elective, will focus on "the Hebrew Scriptures, Old Testament of the Bible, the New Testament, or a combination of the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament of the Bible."
It is expected to "provide to students knowledge of biblical content, characters, poetry, and narratives that are prerequisites to understanding contemporary society and culture, including literature, art, music, mores, oratory, and public policy."
Students will also be allowed to use various translations of the Bible. (Christian Post) Read more.
|
||||
|
||||
Today's Worship:
"America The Beautiful" - Destiny Worship
|
The Bible Readathon
|
|||
|
||||
Our Bible Readathon Continues
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105)
We are now reading the Word of God every night from midnight to 6:00 a.m. EST. We are reading through the whole Word, from Genesis to Revelation, and beginning again in Genesis when finished.
Our numbers of readers continues to grow over time. All are welcome to join!
The access code is: 350430#. Please call at any time from midnight to 6:00 a.m. EST. WELCOME!
[Note: we are reading from these versions of the Scripture: King James, New King James, New American Standard, and NIV.]
