Tuesday, February 27, 2018

CHPP Daily Brief "Praying for All in Authority" Tuesday, February 27, 2018 SPECIAL EDITION



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The Daily Brief
"Praying for All in Authority"
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
SPECIAL EDITION


"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." (Psalm 116:15)


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"Standing United Together . . . Under the Cross of Christ"

Honoring Rev. Billy Graham

Honoring Rev. Billy Graham:

. . . A Plywood Coffin . . .


Billy Graham will lie in honor in the US Capitol Rotunda - ABCNews

(An excerpt)

The Rev. Billy Graham's body will lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda next week, the first time a private citizen has been accorded such recognition since civil rights hero Rosa Parks in 2005. The two-day viewing in Washington on Feb. 28 and March 1 will be part of nine days of mourning for postwar America's most famous evangelist, who died Wednesday at his home in North Carolina's mountains at age 99.

"America's Pastor" will be laid to rest March 2 at the foot of a cross-shaped walkway at the worldwide headquarters of his evangelical empire in Charlotte, buried in a simple prison-made plywood coffin next to his wife, Ruth, who died in 2007. His tombstone will read "Preacher of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."

. . . His coffin was built by inmates at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana, who typically construct caskets for fellow prisoners who cannot afford one. Graham's son the Rev. Franklin Graham toured the prison in 2005 and said he was so moved by the simple boxes lined with a mattress pad with a wooden cross nailed to the top that he asked for ones for his mother and father.
The funeral at Graham's Charlotte headquarters will be held in a tent in the main parking lot of the library in tribute to the tent revivals in Los Angeles in 1949 that propelled him to international fame, family spokesman Mark Demoss said.

About 2,000 people are expected at the private, invitation-only funeral, and invitations are being sent to President Donald Trump and the five living ex-presidents, DeMoss said.

Father, perhaps Dr. Graham's last statement would be the most powerful . . . as he lays in state in the Capitol Rotunda . . . on that simply, plywood coffin . . . before kings, princes and common citizens . . . is he not saying:
"Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come."

May we ALL COME . . . ALL COME . . . amen.

Focus on Israel

1. IDF announces West Bank closure for duration of Purim holiday - Times of Israel

The IDF said crossings into the Gaza Strip will also be shut during the closure period, between Tuesday night and Saturday night.

During the closure, exceptions will be made for humanitarian and other outstanding cases.

The move follows a review of the security situation and is dependent on government approval.

Purim starts Wednesday evening in most of the country, and Thursday evening in Jerusalem.

(Read more)

2. Iran files UN grievance against Israel over PM's 'threats' in Munich speech - Israel Hayom

Iran has filed a grievance against Israel with the U.N. Security Council over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the Munich Security Conference last week, saying it constitutes a direct threat to the Islamic republic.

In his speech to the prestigious symposium, Netanyahu criticized Iran for its interference in Middle East affairs.

The speech came on the heels of an Iranian drone incursion into Israeli airspace. Israeli fighter jets struck Iranian assets in Syria in retaliation, and an Israeli F-16 was downed by Syrian anti-aircraft fire. Although both sides refrained from any subsequent escalation, the incident remains the most serious confrontation to date between Israel and the Iranian-backed forces in Syria.

(Read more)

3. EU, Arab League: Jerusalem must be a joint capital - Israel National News

European Union (EU) and Arab League countries on Monday called for Jerusalem to be the joint capital of Israel and a future Palestinian state, The Associated Press reported.

Speaking after talks between EU and Arab League foreign ministers, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that the "special status and character of the city must be preserved."

She added the two blocs "see eye to eye" that there can only be a two-state solution to the conflict, with Israel and Palestinian Arabs living side by side in peace.

(Read more)

4. Palestinians call for clashes with IDF and settlers to protest US Jerusalem move - Times of Israel

Palestinian groups on Monday called on Palestinians to clash with IDF soldiers and settlers next Friday, as part of a "day of popular rage," to protest the US administration's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocate the US embassy to the city.

Representatives of the Palestinian National and Islamic Forces, a group made up of various factions, issued the appeal at the end of an emergency meeting in Ramallah.

Declaring Friday as a "day of popular rage," they called on Palestinians to initiate clashes "at all points of friction, including settlements and military checkpoints."

(Read more)

5. At disciplinary hearing, lawyer in collusion scandal defends messages to judge - Times of Israel

Eran Shacham-Shavit, the legal adviser to the Israel Securities Authority, on Monday faced the Civil Service Commission's disciplinary board after a series of leaked text messages appeared to show him colluding with the judge presiding over the Bezeq corruption case.

Shacham-Shavit told the board that he and Judge Ronit Poznansky-Katz were not previously acquainted, and said he was only in direct contact with her regarding the logistics of the case because he does not currently have an assistant.

In a WhatsApp chat obtained by Channel 10 news, Shacham-Shavit told Judge Ronit Poznansky-Katz on Sunday that the prosecution would seek the release of some suspects but not others.
(Read more)

The Daily Brief

1. Supreme Court rejects Trump appeal on DACA- Fox News

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from the Trump administration to decide the legality of the president's plans to end the Obama-era DACA program affecting young illegal immigrants next month.

In recent months, lower court judges have moved to stop the administration from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects about 800,000 young immigrants brought to country illegally as children from deportation.

In an unsigned comment released Monday, the Supreme Court denied the unusual request to take up the issue, saying the appeal should move through the normal appellate process. The move kicks the case back to the 9th Circuit in San Francisco.

The Supreme Court said the federal appeals court will "proceed expeditiously to decide this case."

Read more

_Lord, we pray that You would bring wisdom to bear on this issue, as the Supreme Court sent the DACA issue back to the liberal 9th Circuit Court for review. We ask for the court process to go full circle quickly so that a proper request for review will go through.

"He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God." (2 Samuel 23:3c)


2. Trump to host Arab leaders for sensitive talks - Axios.com/Watch.org

President Trump has accelerated his diplomatic efforts to broker peace among quarreling Arab monarchies, starting with an upcoming series of White House visits by leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Axios has learned.

The impact: Sources with knowledge of the negotiations tell us they hope these separate meetings - hugely consequential in their own right - will lead to a peace deal over Qatar in late spring at a summit in Washington or Camp David. That could help end the longstanding dispute over its alleged support for terrorism and ties to Iran.

(Read more)

__ Father, we ask that You grant President Trump great wisdom along with spiritual protection for his mind and thoughts as he meets with Arab leaders.

"Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, no such as turn aside to lies." (Psalm 40:4)


3. New Chicago ID card created for undocumented immigrants will be accepted for voter registration- Illinois News

A new municipal ID designed primarily for illegal immigrants will be accepted in Chicago as a valid form of identification to register to vote.

The CityKey will be a government-issued photo identification card available to all Chicago residents regardless of immigration status, criminal record, housing status, or gender identity, according to the city clerk's website.

State Board of Elections spokesman Matt Dietrich says the final call on what documents to accept rests with local officials.

"There are 109 local election authorities in Illinois," Dietrich said. "They're the ones who actually handle the registration, the checking of IDs, and keeping the documentation. We maintain an electronic database of voter registrations that we get from them."

Dietrich says there is no state requirement to prove citizenship while registering to vote. He's not expecting a surge in potential voter fraud cases because the process will remain the same.

Read more

__Father, this plan is fraught with potential problems, the main one being that illegal immigrants are not eligible to vote at all. We pray for a mighty move of Your Spirit in Chicago, changing the minds and hearts of all so that truth can be revealed.

"He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle which was against me." (Psalm 55:18a)


4. Ken Buck: Sanctuary city laws are putting heroin traffickers back on our streets - Washington Examiner

Overdose. Heroin. Opioids. More and more Americans find these words creeping into conversation at their own kitchen tables today. Our nation's families and communities are being ravaged by the opioid epidemic. With 115 people dying every day in this country from opioid overdoses, this new reality of suffering and death calls for our deepest focus and most passionate resolve. Unfortunately, sanctuary city policies often prevent local law enforcement from coordinating with federal law enforcement to deport illegal immigrant heroin traffickers. By depriving them of the ability to work together on the same team, these policies only make our communities more dangerous.

"In the past several years," stated David A. Thompson, special agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Denver in 2016, "much of the heroin resurgence in the Denver area can be traced to criminal aliens smuggling, transporting, and distributing this illegal drug." In 2016, ICE worked with local law enforcement in Denver to arrest over 59 individuals contributing to heroin trafficking - many of whom were illegal immigrants. If local authorities cannot communicate with ICE to check immigration status and deport illegal aliens who play an important role in the heroin trade in Colorado and other sanctuary cities, then many of those individuals will end up back out on the streets. That's why I urge Denver and other sanctuary cities around the United States to revise their sanctuary policies, allowing local law enforcement to cooperate with federal authorities so that, as a team, we can all better fight the heroin epidemic in this country.

Read more

__Lord, we know that Sanctuary cities allow criminals to be put back on the street. We take authority over the rebellious spirit that dwells in the leaders of these cities, and bind it up in the Mighty Name of Jesus.

"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." (1 Samuel 15:23)


5. Court: US anti-discrimination law covers sexual orientation- One News Now

A federal appeals court in New York on Monday became the second one in the country to break with precedent and rule that U.S. anti-discrimination law protects employees from being fired because of their sexual orientation.

Ruling in the case of a skydiving instructor who said he was fired after telling a client he was gay, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said that while it and other courts around the U.S. had previously found that Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act didn't cover sexual orientation, "legal doctrine evolves."

"We now conclude that sexual orientation discrimination is motivated, at least in part, by sex and is thus a subset of sex discrimination," said the majority opinion, written by Chief Judge Robert A. Katzmann. Three 2nd Circuit judges dissented.

Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act bars employment discrimination on the basis of "race, color, religion, sex or national origin." The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago last year also concluded "discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a form of sex discrimination."

Read more

Lord, we pray for Your Spirit to visit all of the judges in all courts around the nation, removing activism and bringing truth. Let them judge by Your standards and not the standards of men.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)


6. Gun control dominates conversation as Congress returns- The Hill

Congress returns this week amid intense debate over the best legislative approach to mass shootings.

Lawmakers and President Trump have proposed a number of controversial ideas, but so far only a handful of specifics.

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who is planning to resuscitate legislation with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) that would expand background checks to commercial sales, told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that he is "skeptical" of proposals to increase the minimum age requirement to purchase certain guns like the AR-15.

"I'm very skeptical about that because the vast majority of 18-, 19-, 20-, 21-year-olds are law-abiding citizens who aren't a threat to anyone," Toomey told host Chuck Todd.

(Read more)

___Father, as this issue rages on both sides, please do not let the talking points of the socialists run away with the debate. We ask for true wisdom to be at the forefront of all speaking, and enraged parties be dampened by Your Holy Spirit.

"They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support." (Psalm 18:18)


7. Georgia's lieutenant gov blasts Delta for cutting ties with NRA; warns he will block legislation favoring airline - Fox News

Georgia's lieutenant governor warned Delta Monday that he will block any tax legislation that would benefit the airline unless it reverses its decision to sever ties with the National Rifle Association, warning that corporations cannot "attack conservatives" without consequences.

Delta, the Atlanta-based airline, and state lawmakers have weighed reinstating this year a once lucrative fuel tax break that has since expired.

But Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who is a Republican gubernatorial candidate, blasted the airline's decision to end the relationship with the NRA in the wake of the Parkland, Fla. high school shooting earlier this month, and threatened to block the bill.

"I will kill any tax legislation that benefits @Delta unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with the @NRA," Cagle, who heads the Georgia State Senate, tweeted Monday. "Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back.

Read more

__Lord, the battle is heating up on both sides, with liberals blaming everyone but the shooter for the Florida massacre. We ask that You cause Your people to stand up in truth and wisdom to bring sanity into these arguments.

"You have a mighty arm. Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand." (Psalm 89:13)


8. Bernie Sanders struggles to address Russian support after Mueller indictment - Fox News

Sen. Bernie Sanders has seemingly struggled to address recent allegations that Russia's campaign to interfere in the 2016 presidential election included a plan to boost his Democratic primary campaign.

For well over a year, it was alleged that Moscow's meddling mainly was meant to boost now-President Trump and harm then-Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

A bombshell Feb. 16 indictment filed against 13 Russian nationals in Robert Mueller's Russia probe bolstered those allegations, in stunning detail -- but also said the Russians sought to help Sanders.

Russian nationals, the indictment said, "engaged in operations primarily intended to communicate derogatory information about Hillary Clinton, to denigrate other candidates such as Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, and to support Bernie Sanders and then-candidate Donald Trump."

(Read more)

__Lord, we ask that truth continue to be revealed in all areas of anything to do with Russia. We pray for the soul of Bernie Sanders, whose socialist and Communist leanings are well known.

9. Alex Azar: 'I'm a big believer in state experimentation' - Washington Examiner

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar will consider various ways that states can make changes to Obamacare and Medicaid so they can offer more affordable health insurance to residents, a move that is likely to receive backlash from supporters of the law who have said the Trump administration is "sabotaging" the healthcare system. "There is no single one right answer. I'm a big believer in state experimentation here. I think ... one of the flaws of the Affordable Care Act was trying to do a one-size-fits-all approach," said Azar, using the formal name for Obamacare. Each state has different health insurance markets, networks of doctors and hospitals, and economic conditions, he said.

Azar, speaking in a wide-ranging interview with reporters at HHS headquarters Tuesday, said options to offer states' flexibility on healthcare were through waivers on Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income people, as well as through a 1332 waiver, which allows states to make changes to Obamacare with federal approval. The Trump administration recently approved Medicaid waivers in Indiana and Kentucky that will require certain recipients work or train for work as a condition of staying enrolled in the program. Azar did not say which of the other proposals might get the green light from the administration, including the possibility of allowing states to implement limits on how long certain people could stay on Medicaid. His goals, he said, included making the Medicaid program sustainable over the long-run.

(Read more)

__Father, we ask that You grant wisdom to leadership that is involved in attempting to make healthcare more affordable for all. Let Obamacare be removed and a better system be put in its place.

"The fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; he will not be visited with evil." (Proverbs 19:23)


10. Wheaton College Wins 5-Year Religious Freedom Battle Against Birth Control Mandate- Christian Post

Wheaton College has won a five-year battle to fulfil its Christian mission without having to provide services like the week-after pill and abortion-inducing drugs in its healthcare plans.

A district court judge has ruled that the government would violate federal civil rights laws if it forced the Illinois-based Christian liberal arts college to provide some services, which are required by the contraceptive mandate under the Obama administration's Affordable Care Act, against its religious beliefs.

(Read more)

__Lord, we thank You for this victory! We pray that more and more courts would begin side with Christians who are being forced to do things against the Faith.

"Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed." (Psalm 25:3a)


The Daily Jot

The Daily Jot

Monday, February 26, 2018

Common Sense not Political Sense


The Florida school shooting that left 17 dead has sparked once again a nationwide debate over whether the 2nd Amendment should be revisited and guns should be banned. This is a call for common sense. There are several issues at play. Extreme leftists want to ban guns because they see this as a key strategic kingpin in expanding powerful government and controlling people. Every time there is a mass shooting in this country, these people stir the pot with a willing media to ban guns. It's just like they did with homosexual marriage-keep pounding the drum until the people give in. But this is not a common sense approach to solving problems. It is a path toward tyranny.

At some point, the American people need to weigh what is the greater risk-tyrannical government such as the likes we have in countries like Argentina, China, Cuba, just to name a few-or solving the problem of mass shootings within the framework of the Constitution. Certainly, we are a nation of innovators and smart people. This is a problem, a danger, we can solve. But we have to solve it together, using common sense not political sense. All the politicians left and right and middle need to sit on the sidelines. The news media, because it is so biased toward a communistic agenda, needs to sit on the sidelines. American citizens, with their diverse and innovative approaches toward living life, need to speak up.

For far too long we have allowed these elected con artists called politicians try to solve our problems for us. They are hirelings who flee to their strongest loyalty at any sign of trouble-their political parties. They are more loyal to their political party than they are to this country and to the people that voted them into office. Last week, Jot subscribers had many good ideas. Some don't like arming teachers because many teachers are the very ones standing against guns. Some say we should highly train and arm some teachers. Others say we should build fences around our schools and have a single security check point going into the school (Israel does this and it works).

We have a responsibility to defend life. Christians are consistent on this issue. We have the 1st Amendment that protects our right to free speech and to worship as we see fit. We need to put our common sense solutions to the public forum. It is a witness of the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. I love how Paul writes in Ephesians 6:19, "And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel." We know 2 Timothy 3:16, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." Let us so instruct boldly as the world has no answer for the evil within it.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com




Classic Hymns

[All week this week]:

In Honor of the Passing of Rev. Billy Graham:

JUST AS I AM, WITHOUT ONE PLEA

"Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)

Lyrics


Lyrics

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

About the Author:

Words: Char­lotte El­li­ott, 1835

Melody: Will­iam B. Brad­bu­ry, 1849

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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]
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