Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp1994@gmail.com
The Daily Brief
STREAMLINED EDITION
"Praying for All in Authority"
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
"Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you." (Deuteronomy 16:20)
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"Standing United Together . . . Under the Cross of Christ"
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Focus on Israel
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1. It's official: US withholds $65 million in Palestinian aid, demands UN re-examination- Times of Israel
In a letter, the State Department notified the U.N. Relief and Works Agency that the U.S. is withholding $65 million of a planned $125 million funding installment to the body. The letter also makes clear that additional U.S. donations will be contingent on major changes by UNRWA, which has been heavily criticized by Israel.
"We would like to see some reforms be made," said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert, adding that changes are needed both to the way the agency operates and is funded. "This is not aimed at punishing anyone."
(Read more)
2. Palestinian officials vote to suspend recognition of Israel, security cooperation - Washington Post
JERUSALEM - Palestinian leaders on Monday voted to suspend recognition of Israel until it reciprocates by recognizing a Palestinian state and to cease security cooperation, as the political fallout from the Trump administration's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital escalated.
Members of the Palestine Liberation Organization's central council made the recommendation during a meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where they had gathered to formulate their response to recent moves by Washington that have incensed the Palestinian leadership.
In addition to the Jerusalem decision, the Trump administration has also threatened to close down offices of the PLO in Washington and, according to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, attempted to present a peace plan that gave them a suburb of Jerusalem as their capital, instead of the city's eastern side. When Abbas said the United States could no longer be considered a fair broker for negotiations, the U.S. administration threatened aid cuts.
(Read more)
3. Defense Minister: IDF Will Destroy All Hamas Terror Tunnels by End of 2018 - Algemeiner
JNS.org - Israel's Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Israeli television that the Jewish state has developed cutting-edge counter-tunnel technology that will enable it to destroy all Hamas terror tunnels by the end of 2018.
Lieberman's remarks followed last weekend's detection and destruction of a Hamas terror tunnel running under the Egypt, Gaza and Israel borders. It was the third terror tunnel the IDF has destroyed in recent months.
"By the end of 2018, we will have eliminated all of Hamas's attack tunnels. We may even manage to do so sooner, but the task is to destroy them all by the end of the year," Lieberman said.
(Read more)
4. IDF chief: Iranian nuclear threat 'is not theoretical'- Times of Israel
Iran's desire for nuclear weapons has not been extinguished by the nuclear deal it signed with world powers, IDF Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot said Tuesday.
Speaking at an event of bereaved families organization Yad Labanim in Eilat, Eisenkor said "The Iranian threat is not theoretical. The intent and desire to reach nuclear capability exists, despite the deal."
US President Donald Trump last week said Washington would withdraw from the accord this year unless its terms were changed.
(Read more)
5. Erdogan to meet pope for talks said to focus on Jerusalem - Times of Israel
VATICAN, Holy See - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Pope Francis at the Vatican next month for talks likely to focus on the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
The Turkish leader and head of the Roman Catholic Church both strongly opposed the move announced by US President Donald Trump at the end of last year.
Trump's December 6 White House address defied worldwide warnings. But the US president insisted that after repeated failures to achieve peace, a new approach was long overdue, describing his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the seat of Israel's government as merely based on reality.
The move was hailed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and by leaders across much of the Israeli political spectrum and angered Palestinian and Arab leaders. Trump stressed that he was not specifying the boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in the city, and called for no change in the status quo at the city's holy sites.
(Read more)
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The Daily Brief
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1. President Donald J. Trump Proclaims January 16, 2018, as Religious Freedom Day-
Faith is embedded in the history, spirit, and soul of our Nation. On Religious Freedom Day, we celebrate the many faiths that make up our country, and we commemorate the 232nd anniversary of the passing of a State law that has shaped and secured our cherished legacy of religious liberty.
Our forefathers, seeking refuge from religious persecution, believed in the eternal truth that freedom is not a gift from the government, but a sacred right from Almighty God. On the coattails of the American Revolution, on January 16, 1786, the Virginia General Assembly passed the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom. This seminal bill, penned by Thomas Jefferson, states that, "all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities." Five years later, these principles served as the inspiration for the First Amendment, which affirms our right to choose and exercise faith without government coercion or reprisal.
Read more
Father, thank You for this Proclamation! We celebrate this day and are grateful that we are free to practice our beliefs.
"I will walk in freedom,for I have devoted myself to your commandments."(Psalm 119:45)
2. Lawmakers see shutdown's odds rising - The Hill
Lawmakers warned Tuesday that the chances for a government shutdown are greater than at any other time since a 16-day closure in October 2013. Republicans appear poised to offer a plan forward that would fund the government for another month while extending a popular children's health program for six years. But Republican leaders will need Democratic votes in the Senate - and possibly the House as well - to pass that measure. And Democrats are refusing to make any commitments until they strike a deal to shield from deportation hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children.
"It's pretty close to 50-50," Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) said of the possibility of a shutdown. "It's like playing chicken and seeing who is going to blink first. It's a dangerous game." A conservative House lawmaker said Tuesday that prospects for a deal on a short-term stopgap are "not looking good" at the moment. "There is currently not a policy path to reach 218 votes in the House on funding the government," the lawmaker said. "For the first time since 2013, the possibility of a shutdown is real."
Read more
We pray You would orchestrate agreement among our legislators for the good of our nation. Help our leaders find a way forward.
Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? (Amos 3:3)
3. The president's vital signs - Axios
The White House briefing began with a readout of President Trump's vitals from Dr. Ronny Jackson, who conducted the routine physical examination. "The president's overall health is excellent," Jackson said. The bottom line: After the examination, Trump's doctor is confident that the president will complete his term in the Oval Office "with no serious medical issues." How is Trump healthy despite his diet and lack of exercise? "He has incredibly good genes. It's just the way God made him."
Trump requested a cognitive exam during the session. Trump scored 30/30 on a test of his cognitive ability - "The Montreal Cognitive Assessment" which screened for Alzheimer's and dementia, among other illnesses. "I have no concerns about his cognitive ability," Jackson said. Trump is 6'3" and weighs 239 pounds. Jackson added that he discussed a diet plan with the president that would include a smaller amount of carbohydrates and fats. A reasonable goal is for Trump to lose 10-15 pounds in the next year, he said. "The president has acknowledged that he'd be healthier if he lost a few pounds." Trump's physical exam lasted over 4 hours and involved 12 medical consultants.
Read more
Father, we thank You for this good report and for Dr. Ronny Jackson's words giving glory to You: "He has incredibly good genes. It's just the way God made him."
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:14)
4. DHS seeking to charge leaders of sanctuary cities - Washington Times
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen confirmed Tuesday that her department has asked federal prosecutors to see if they can lodge criminal charges against sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal deportation efforts. "The Department of Justice is reviewing what avenues may be available," Ms. Nielsen told the Senate Judiciary Committee. Her confirmation came after California's new sanctuary law went into effect Jan. 1, severely restricting cooperation the state or any of its localities could offer.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan says those policies put his officers and local communities at more risk because they have to arrest illegal immigrants out in the community. Mr. Homan told The Washington Times last July that he wanted to see local officials charged as complicit in human smuggling if they shielded illegal immigrants through sanctuary policies. Mr. Homan repeated that demand in an interview with Fox News earlier this year, setting off a firestorm of criticism.
Read more
Father, we pray our courts will uphold the Administration's Executive Authority to enforce our laws and maintain national order.
When law and order are being destroyed, what can godly people do? (Psalm 11:3)
5. Trump asks Supreme Court to overturn DACA program - Washington Times
The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court Tuesday to overturn this month's stunning ruling by a lower court that found the Obama-era DACA deportation amnesty legal - yet also ruled the Trump administration's effort to phase out the program was illegal. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the ruling "defies both law and common sense," and said they're asking the justices to hear the case directly, skipping over the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which would be the normal path. The request comes as Congress is trying to figure out a permanent solution for the 690,000 illegal immigrant "Dreamers" currently protected by DACA.
Judge William Alsup threw a curveball at Capitol Hill last week when he issued a series of ruling. He said then-candidate Donald Trump showed "racial animus" toward Mexicans during the 2016 campaign, and he said since most DACA recipients are Mexican, that tainted the Homeland Security Department's decision last year to phase out the deportation amnesty. Judge Alsup, a Clinton appointee to the bench, also became the first judge to rule the 2012 DACA program itself legal. At stake in the case is whether Mr. Trump may enforce a March 5 phaseout for the DACA program. Judge Alsup ruled that deadline illegal and ordered the administration to begin accepting renewal DACA applications once again.
Read more
Father, we pray the Supreme Court will hear this case and reign in federal judges who are overstepping their authority and exercising veto power over the executive branch of our government.
I said, 'This far and no farther will you come. Here your proud waves must stop!' (Job 38:11)
6. FBI Probe Into Russian Uranium Bribes Concealed By Obama DOJ; Mueller, McCabe, Rosenstein Involved - Zerohedge
Friday's 11-count indictment of former uranium transportation company executive, Mark Lambert, was the latest in a series of DOJ prosecutions involving individuals linked to the Russian nuclear industry and the Uranium One deal. According to the indictment, Lambert and others at Transport Logistics International (TLI) engaged in several counts of bribery, kickbacks and money laundering with Russian nuclear official Vadim Mikerin, in order to secure business advantages with TENEX - a subsidiary of Rosatom, the Kremlin's state-owned energy company which bought Uranium One.
TLI would have ostensibly transported all of the uranium from the U1 deal, were it not for an FBI undercover mole buried deep within the Russian nuclear industry who gathered extensive evidence of corruption. Four individuals were eventually prosecuted and given plea agreements after the Uranium One deal was approved. The prosecuting DOJ attorneys? Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and top Mueller investigator in the Trump-Russia probe, Andrew Weissman - who praised former acting Attorney General Sally Yates for defying Trump. The judge? Theodore Chuang - an Obama appointee who went to Harvard Law at the same time as Obama, advised Hillary Clinton as "Counselor on detail to the United States Department of State," and just so happened to strike down Trump's "Travel Ban" Executive Order. Chuang's wife, Jacinta Ma served as a senior policy advisor to Michelle Obama.
Read more Read more
Father, we pray all the wrongdoing related to the Uranium One deal will be completely exposed, and each person responsible will be found out.
For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. (Luke 12:2)
7. US military members receive biggest pay bump since 2010 - Fox Business
Military members will see their paychecks rise by the largest percent increase since 2010 this week.
At the end of December, President Donald Trump, by way of executive order, mandated a 2.4% pay hike for uniformed service members and a 1.9% raise for federal workers. The Trump administration's initial budget blueprint called for a 2.1% pay increase, while the House and Senate suggested the 2.4% figure, which was eventually adopted by the president. In 2017, the Obama administration issued a 2.1% increase. The new pay increase went into effect on Jan. 1, however, this is the first full week that paychecks will reflect the higher amounts. The raise is in line with private sector wage growth, according to Militarybenefits.com.
Even though Trump signed the raises into law through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in December, the government still needs to agree on how to fund the act during the budget process, since it is over the cap imposed by the defense sequester. With a Friday deadline looming for Congress to reach a deal to keep the government funded, the military stands to be impacted by a potential shutdown in a number of ways. If the government fails to pass a budget by midnight on Friday, both civilian and active troop members are unlikely to receive paychecks. Active duty members are expected to continue to perform their tasks and all civilian personnel who are essential to supporting them will also be required to go to work.
Read more
Father, we thank You for our military personnel and their families. We pray our lawmakers will make a deal and there will be no gap in their paychecks.
"A worker should be given his pay." (1 Timothy 5:18b)
8. Iowa lawsuit pits gay rights against religious freedom - Yahoo
The University of Iowa is caught up in a legal fight with a conservative Christian student group that denied a leadership position to a student who is gay. The case pits a university policy barring discrimination based on sexual orientation against the religious beliefs of a 10-member group called Business Leaders in Christ. The group sued after the state's flagship university in Iowa City revoked its campus registration in November. The group says its membership is open to everyone, but that its leaders must affirm a statement of faith that rejects homosexuality. The university says it respects the right of students, faculty and staff to practice the religion of their choice but does not tolerate discrimination of any kind.
The group, founded in the spring of 2015 by students at the university's Tippie College of Business, met weekly for Bible study, to conduct service projects and to mentor students on "how to continually keep Christ first in the fast-paced business world." The group's loss of registration as an on-campus student organization means it can no longer reserve campus meeting space, participate in student recruitment fairs, access funds from student activity fees or use university-wide communication services.
Read more
Father, we pray this group, Business Leaders in Christ, will receive favor in the court and be restored as a student group on campus. We pray other Christian student groups will refuse to be marginalized and take cases of discrimination to court.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)
9. Parents arrested after 12 children, ages 2-29, found shackled in California home - FoxNews
A Southern California couple is in custody on suspicion of torture and child endangerment after 12 of their children allegedly were found captive in the couple's home, with some of them shackled to beds. David Turpin, 57, and Louise Turpin, 49, were each being held on $9 million bail, the Riverside County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Monday afternoon. Authorities said the investigation began after a 17-year-old girl "escaped" from the home in Perris and called 911 early Sunday to report that her 12 brothers and sisters were being held by their parents.
The sheriff's office said investigators initially believed the "slightly emaciated" girl was just 10 years old when they first saw her. When officers and deputies went to the Turpins' home, they found "several children shackled to their beds with chains and padlocks in dark and foul-smelling surroundings," according to the sheriff's office. The statement added that the parents were "were unable to immediately provide a logical reason why their children were restrained in that manner." Authorities initially believed that all the victims they found were children. However, investigators eventually discovered that seven of the victims were over 18.
Read more
Father, this story deeply saddens us. We pray these children will be placed in loving, supportive homes where Your Holy Spirit can bring them restoration and healing. We also pray for the parents, Lord, who have lost their way so completely. We pray for their sincere repentance and salvation.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)
10. Promise Kept: U.S. Aid Bypassing UN to Help Christian Victims of ISIS - CBN News
Millions of dollars in U.S. assistance are now flowing to desperate Christian, Yazidi and other minority refugees in northern Iraq. It's a fulfillment of Vice President Mike Pence's promise last year to "stop funding ineffective relief efforts at the United Nations" and "provide support directly to persecuted communities through USAID (the United States Agency for International Development)." USAID says $55 million in aid money will now go to addressing minority groups in areas of northern Iraq retaken from ISIS.
In a speech last year at the 'In Defense of Christians' annual Solidarity Dinner for Christians in the Middle East, Pence called out the U.N.'s failure to help religious minorities, especially Christians, in Iraq. "Those days are over," he said. "Our fellow Christians and all who are persecuted in the Middle East should not have to rely on multinational institutions when America can help them directly." An unnamed White House official told Fox News, "We are very confident that not only will U.S. funds go more directly toward assisting persecuted religious minorities, the U.N. is also stepping up to the plate to further fund effective programs that directly go to communities, particularly in Iraq."
Read more
Father, we pray this aid will bring hope and restoration to our brothers and sisters in Christ. We pray Your angels will watch over the aid and direct it where You desire.
"Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. (Psalm 91:14)
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The Daily Jot
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The Daily Jot
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
The aftermath
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) is the one who started the firestorm of President Donald Trump disparaging poor nations that happened to be of African descent. It took just one leftist who often has exaggerated the truth for political gain to fan the flames of racism once again in America. The theme of the left has been to declare certain things-whether true or not, or even partially true-characterize them as racist, homophobic, misogynist, Islamophobic, or whatever phobia casts a doubt on a person's character, and then paint those who support that person politically with the same broad brush. This is what has happened with the alleged remark by the President.
Timed perfectly for the holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., Durbin hit a home run in further establishing an international narrative that America is racist because it has a racist president and, therefore, the people who support him or voted for him are also racist. Al Sharpton, for example, told TMZ, "You don't have to spray paint the N-word over the Oval Office and sleep with a KKK hood to be racist. If you have racist policies, say racist things, operate in a racist manner you are a racist, period end of story." Congressman John L. Lewis (D-GA) told ABC's The View that he boycotted the Trump inauguration because, "The movement taught us to withdraw from evil. And I never felt that his election was legitimate."
Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) told MSNBC, "his statements that he made clearly shows that he wants to make America not great, but wants to make America just white..." On The McLaughlin Group, leftist Bill Press said of those who voted for Trump, "So, you got 35 percent of the most extreme wacko racist-I don't know-rednecks in the country." Joel B Pollak, Senior Editor of Breitbart News, summarizes: "Durbin knew exactly what he was doing when he leaked, or distorted, the president's remarks. He was confirming Trump's image in the minds of his critics, mobilizing forces of fear and division - such that a black librarian could tell the Los Angeles Times on Sunday that Trump would "love to take us back all the way to slavery."
This week is likely a pivotal moment in the Trump presidency. The leftists have nailed a narrative that slots Trump AND his supporters as racists-this is a deep hole to dig out of. Especially when the 24-7 news media repeats it with impunity. We cannot control what the left or the news media is doing. We cannot control Trump's word usage, although someone needs to help him with this. We can control what we are doing and saying. It is a time to dismiss this vile and untrue rhetoric and build our case for living out Luke 6:31, "And as you would that men should do to you, do you also to them likewise." It is unfair to stereotype everyone as a racist who disagrees with liberal politics. They accuse others of the very thing they do.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
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About CHPP
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About Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
Our Mission Statement
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners (CHPP) is a ministry which is positioned on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., helping members of the Body of Christ to "pray for those in authority over us" in our federal government. Our primary purpose is to offer intercession on site for the members of Congress and their staffs each day that the Senate and the House of Representatives are in session; and our chief prayer focus is that "God's will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." [Matthew 6:10].
Because Jesus Christ has shed His blood for all, we, too, pray for ALL, in a nonpartisan manner. Also, because the scriptures indicate that "the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 4:17), we are confident that fervent prayer, offered in the halls of the highest chambers of government in our land, can avail much for America. Capitol Hill Prayer Partners welcomes those who feel called to join us, engaging in this strategic work of intercession for our nation: "For there is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God." [Romans 13:1]
Friends may participate by receiving our daily prayer alerts. You may contact us at chpp1994@gmail.com for more information. CHPP is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt ministry. Thank you and God bless you!
Note: You may also learn more about CHPP by going here to visit our blog. Thank you!
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We Welcome Your Gifts
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We Welcome Your Gifts
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners (CHPP) is a 501(c)(3), tax- exempt, faith-based, ministry, dedicated to praying for our leaders (1 Tim. 2:1-4). CHPP relies solely on the gifts of our readers to continue this work; thus we greatly appreciate your help in supporting this publication. Offerings may be sent to: Capitol Hill Prayer Partners, P.O. Box 5152, Herndon, VA 20172-1970. Please make checks payable to: CHPP. THANK YOU!
DONATE ONLINE!
Now you can also donate online by going here. Or . . . if you prefer, simply paste this link into your browser to access our secure online donor system:
https://www.egsnetwork.com/gift/gift.php?giftid=3B77E058-983E-4415-AA4E-2F82ED1A4DEA#
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." (Philippians 4:23)
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Join our Bible Readathon!
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Our Bible Readathon Continues
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105)
Our numbers of readers continues to grow over time. All are welcome to join!
Our conference number is: 712-770-4340.
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.]
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Pray for America!
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New Feature!
Now you can join the Salt & Light Council, praying for our nation six days each week on a conference line!
Repentance and Restoration Prayer Line
For many years now, the Salt & Light Council has sponsored this outstanding half-hour of prayer, six days per week, with additional time available for Bible reading and fellowship.
We are delighted to make this "hidden treasure" available to all of you who make up our CHPP family.
You can also view their daily prayer calendar by going here.
The following press release was issued by the Salt and Light Council. Praise the Lord!
This is a 30 minute national conference prayer call offered Monday through Saturday. We pray daily for our President, Cabinet, Supreme Court, one or two state legislatures, preambles, plus a moral topic and Israel. All are welcome to participate in prayer for our nation. Fellowship and Bible reading is optional for those who would like to remain on the line. The call is hosted by The Salt & Light Council.
605-468-8015 / Access Code 338083#
Monday - Saturday
8:30 am PT 9:30 am MT
10:30 am CT 11:30 am ET
