CHPP Daily Brief "Praying for All in Authority" Wednesday, November 21, 2018

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The Daily Brief
"Praying for All in Authority"
Wednesday, November 21, 2018

"O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."
(Psalm 107:1)

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

	HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

With our best wishes from all of us . . . to all of you . . on the very special holiday.

May you each experience the joy of family, gathered together on this unique American holiday, to give thanks to our Lord for bestowing His abundant blessings upon our land.

And may each home be filled with laughter and with joy as we experience anew the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in our lives.

"Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel." (Psalm 22:3)

Amen!

[The Daily Brief will return on Monday, November 26th. We will also publish an abbreviated version of the Legislative Snapshot this weekend, in anticipation of the return of Congress next week.]

	Focus on Israel

1. Police recommend indicting Interior Minister Deri for fraud, breach of trust -Times of Israel

Police on Tuesday said they were recommending filing indictments against Interior Minister Aryeh Deri on suspicion of committing fraud, breach of trust, obstructing court proceedings, money laundering, and tax offenses involving millions of shekels, some of which were committed while he was a cabinet minister. Investigators also recommended indicting Deri's brother Shlomo on financial offenses, Israel Police said in a statement.

Police said the investigation found evidence of Minister Deri "committing offenses of fraud and breach of trust with respect to his conduct in the case of a businessman while serving as minister, as well as for the commission of tax offenses in significant amounts of millions of shekels, money laundering, disruption of court proceedings and making false statements to the Speaker of the Knesset about his assets and revenues."
(Read more)

2. Goldberg Committee confirms Maj.-Gen. Kochavi as next IDF chief of staff - Jerusalem Post

The Advisory Committee for the Appointment of Senior Officials in the Civil Service confirmed the appointment of Maj.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi as the next IDF Chief of Staff on Tuesday. His appointment will be brought to the cabinet for its approval on Sunday.

"The prime minister, who also serves as defense minister, told the committee that he was accepting the recommendation of former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman to appoint Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi as the 22nd chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces," read a statement released by the Committee.

Netanyahu met with Kochavi in October after it was announced that he was chosen by then defense minister Liberman to replace current chief of staff Maj.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot who is set to step down from his role at the beginning of 2019, after serving close to four years as the IDF's top officer.
(Read more)

3. Netanyahu: Israel will not join Global Migration Treaty - World Israel News

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel will not join the United Nations' (UN) Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).

In a statement Tuesday, Netanyahu, who also serves as Israel's foreign minister, said he had instructed the Foreign Ministry to announce that Israel will not accede to, and will not sign, the GCM.

"We are committed to guarding our borders against illegal migrants. This is what we have done and this is what we will continue to do," he stated.
(Read more)

4. The Russian-Iranian deal offered to Israel - Israel National News

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said in a closed hearing on Monday that Russia recently proposed to Israel and the US that Iran be granted relief from some US sanctions that were imposed on it, in return for the removal of Iranian forces and proxies from Syria, Axiosreports Tuesday.

Netanyahu's statements came during a hearing of the Foreign affairs and Security Committee of the Knesset, according to the report.

MKs who attended the hearing said Netanyahu did not say whether the Russian proposal was made during his short conversation with President Vladimir Putin in Paris last Sunday, but that it definitely seemed that way from the prime minister's comments.

Iranian retrenchment in Syria is a huge concern for Israel, but the Russian position until now has been, at least publicly, that Iran's presence is legitimate because it came at the Assad regime's invitation. This is the first we're hearing that the Russians have floated an idea for Iran's withdrawal, and that they're linking it to US sanctions.
(Read more)

5. 'Let's Do Business,' Tourism Minister Tells Global Hoteliers - Jerusalem Post

"Let's do business," Minister of Tourism Yariv Levin told the audience, presenting a range of incentives and simplified regulations for businesses seeking to enter the local market.

"For the first time in Israel, we have gathered in one place property owners, investors, hoteliers and representatives of hotel chains. This, with the sole purpose of promoting the rapid establishment of thousands of hotel rooms throughout the country," Levin said.

"Israel is at the height of a tremendous momentum in tourism. We have already surpassed the number of tourists who arrived during all of 2017."

Record rates of tourism have translated into approximately NIS 18 billion in revenue since January, according to Tourism Ministry data.
(Read more)

6. Trump, top advisers to meet about launch of Middle East peace plan - Watch.org

President Trump will hold a crucial meeting this week with his top national security and foreign policy advisers to discuss both the details of the White House's Israeli-Palestinian peace plan and the timing for its release, U.S. officials told me.

The big picture: The White House's "peace team," led by senior adviser Jared Kushner and special envoy Jason Greenblatt, has been working on the plan for the last two years. It's now basically ready, and Trump has said he wants it published sometime between December and February. But U.S. officials said the current political crisis in Israel and the imminent announcement on early elections in the country will play a role in any decision Trump makes regarding the plan's release.

7. Haley scolds UN envoy for saying Israel, Gaza should both show restraint - Times of Israel

WASHINGTON, DC - US Ambassador Nikki Haley challenged the United Nations' special envoy for Mideast peace over his call for both Israel and the Palestinians to exercise restraint following an upsurge in violence across the Gaza border last week, in an intense UN Security Council meeting on Monday.

Haley also castigated UN member states for focusing what she deemed a disproportionate amount of its criticism against Israel, when malevolent actors like the Iranian regime get nowhere near the level of attention.

After Nickolay Mladenov, the UN's special coordinator for Middle East peace, called for both sides to use "maximum restraint," Haley accused him of "missing the mark."

"Fact," she said, "There is only one side that attacks indiscriminately. One side that targets civilians. One side that terrorizes to achieve its objectives."
(Read more)

	The Daily Brief

1. Caravan forces short-term shutdown on U.S. border as DHS boosts security - Washington Times

U.S. Customs and Border Protection shut down northbound lanes of traffic at the San Ysidro Port of Entry between Tijuana and San Diego for three hours early Monday, using that time to add more razor wire and barricades they hope would cut down on a mass incursion.

"Unfortunately, some members of the caravan are purposely causing disruptions at our border ports of entry," Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said on Twitter as she described the new security measures. "There is a legal and illegal way to enter the U.S. We have deployed additional forces to protect our border. We will enforce all our laws."

U.S. officials said they'd received intelligence that caravan members were massing overnight and plotting an attempt to overrun the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry, including a possible effort to have large numbers of people run through the traffic lanes. Both the Mexican and U.S. governments took steps to try to prevent such a surge. (Read more)
- Father, thank You for giving our U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials wisdom in how to handle the caravan asylum seekers. We pray no one who will do our nation harm will be allowed to stay in the United States.

- The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land. (Proverbs 10:30)

2. Mexican Journalist Takes a Close Look at Caravan, Uncovers Horrible Truths Media's Not Reporting - Western Journal

Conciencia Radio journalist Alex Backman, based in Tijuana, posted a chilling video where he recounted some of horrifying revelations about what was really happening with some of the people on the caravan. The migrants on the caravan are robbing and stealing. They are carjacking people. Worst of all, there are even allegations of rape.

According to the report, not only is the Mexican government aiding the migrant caravan, the Mexican president has done nothing within his power to stop it. In fact, they're actively supplying the caravan with supplies.

At the end of the day, legal immigration is a good thing. America should welcome the world's best and brightest with open arms. But, as in life, there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. Considering that established borders are necessary to a sovereign nation, using a sea of flesh and humanity to forcibly enter a country is most definitely the wrong way to do things. In fact, the word for it is "invasion." (Read more)
- Father, we pray You give President Trump the wisdom he needs to compel Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and the other nations involved to cooperate with our laws and security needs.

- Then all the people left, each for their own home, and David returned home to bless his family. (1 Chronicles 16:23)

3. Trump administration vows to continue fight after judge blocks asylum ban - Washington Examiner

The Departments of Justice and Homeland Security issued a joint statement Tuesday rebuking Judge Jon Tigar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California for his late Monday temporary restraining order that forces the government to continue considering requests for asylum from people who have been apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol for unlawfully entering the country.

"It is lawful and appropriate that this discretionary benefit not be given to those who violate a lawful and tailored presidential proclamation aimed at controlling immigration in the national interest," DOJ spokesman Steven Stafford and DHS spokeswoman Katie Waldman said in a statement. Both department officials said a president has the legal right to amend immigration levels under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

"And it is absurd that a set of advocacy groups can be found to have standing to sue to stop the entire federal government from acting so that illegal aliens can receive a government benefit to which they are not entitled," they added, referring to the American Civil Liberties Union and Southern Poverty Law Center. "We look forward to continuing to defend the executive branch's legitimate and well-reasoned exercise of its authority to address the crisis at our southern border."(Read more)
- Father, we pray the power of individual federal judges to impede the Constitutional authority of the President will be taken away.

- So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23:28)

4. Dianne Feinstein, Kamala Harris push White House for deal on judicial nominees - Washington Times

Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, both members of the Judiciary Committee, called on the White House Monday to make a deal to fill court vacancies. The two California senators asked Pat Cipollone, tapped to be the acting White House counsel in October, to broker a deal over three 9th Circuit Court of Appeals positions.

"While we continue to oppose the slate of nominees the White House put forward on October 10, we remain hopeful that you will work with us to reach a bipartisan agreement in a timely manner," they wrote. They offered accepting Judge James Rogan, a Trump pick, as long as their choice - Judge Lucy Koh - is also confirmed. They also proposed that each party select a nominee from the other's list to confirm. The third candidate would require further negotiations, as would several openings for California district courts. (Read more)
- Father, we pray President Trump will not make this deal, or any other, regarding judicial appointments. We pray only men and women of integrity who respect the law will receive the honor of a promotion on the federal bench.

- Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. (Psalm 1:5)

5. Trump submits written answers to Mueller - The Hill

President Trump has submitted his written answers to certain questions related to the Russia investigation to special counsel Robert Mueller, the president's legal team announced Tuesday. Trump's personal lawyer Jay Sekulow said the answers were submitted on Tuesday and cover "issues regarding the Russia-related topics of the inquiry."

Rudy Giuliani, another Trump lawyer, has expressed that the president could walk into a perjury trap if he answers Mueller's questions about the firing of James Comey as FBI director and what he told the ex-lawman about the bureau's investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn. "It has been our position from the outset that much of what has been asked raised serious constitutional issues and was beyond the scope of a legitimate inquiry," Giuliani said. "This remains our position today."

Trump answering questions for Mueller has widely been seen as one of the final steps of the Russia investigation, which the special counsel took over in May 2017. Trump on Sunday strongly suggested he would not sit for an interview with Mueller, telling Fox News's Chris Wallace that "I think we've wasted enough time on this witch hunt and the answer is probably, we're finished." (Read more)
- Father, we pray for a final, merciful end to the Mueller investigation. We pray for You to vindicate anyone who has come under indictment unjustly or has been forced to enter a guilty plea under duress.

- Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent- the Lord detests them both. (Proverbs 17:15)

6. Trump: 'Being foolish with Saudi Arabia' could 'destroy the world economy' - Washington Examiner

President Trump on Tuesday defended his decision not to punish Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman for the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, and said a tougher approach could hurt the economy.

Trump cited U.S. arms sales and global oil prices while addressing reporters, and reiterated his belief that Crown Prince Mohammed may be innocent of ordering the Oct. 2 killing of Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. "I'm not going to destroy the world economy, and I'm not going to destroy the economy for our country by being foolish with Saudi Arabia," Trump told reporters.

Trump added that Saudi Arabia "has helped me do one thing very importantly: keep oil prices down so that they're not going to $100 and $150 a barrel. Right now, we have oil prices in great shape." Speaking with reporters, he said he had no financial motive in shielding the Saudi government. "It's about 'America First,'" Trump said. "Saudi Arabia has nothing to do with me. What does have to do with me is putting America first." (Read more)
- Father, we thank You for a President who puts the interests of the United States first and does not allow other nations to manipulate our reactions. We pray this matter between Turkey and Saudi Arabia be settled.

"Yet he did not put the children of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses where the Lord commanded: "Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin." (2 Kings 14:6)

7. Dow plunges more than 500 points, erases gain for 2018 - CNBC

The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 fell sharply on Tuesday and turned negative for the year as a decline in Target shares pressured retailers, while some of the most popular tech shares dropped again. Stocks hit their lows of the day after Doubleline Capital founder Jeffrey Gundlach said stocks are still too expensive, adding there has not been a "panic low" yet. Target fell 10.5 percent after reporting weaker-than-expected earnings for the previous quarter. The company also posted lighter-than-forecast same-store sales, which is a key metric for retailers. Retail's steep decline comes ahead of the holiday shopping season, a critical period of the year for these companies.

"This looks like lingering worries about what triggered the October decline. That's worries about an economic slowdown," said Craig Callahan, president at Icon Funds. "I think these people are wrong, but they're in control at this time." Stocks fell sharply last month amid heightened concerns about rising interest rates, slowing economic growth and global trade tensions. (Read more)
- Father, we pray You would help us be stable and content no matter what the market does from one day to the next.

- I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:12-13)

8. Nolte: Walmart Demands GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith Refund Donations over 'Public Hanging' Remark - Breitbart

Last week, as a means to praise one of her supporters, all Hyde-Smith said was if he invited her to a "public hanging," she would be on the "front row." There was no racial connotation to the remark. It is simply a figure of speech, a colorful expression.

But in this world of perpetual outrage that is powered by cynical Democrats and lubricated by a dishonest media, and because there is a run-off on November 27 for Hyde-Smith's Senate seat, a perfectly innocent expression has been artificially blown up into a Mississippi Burning 2, into a phony "racial controversy" that harkens back to the dark days of Jim Crow, segregation, and lynching.

Although Hyde-Smith did absolutely nothing wrong, Walmart was bullied and shamed into pretending she did, withdrew their financial support, and released this mealy-mouthed statement Tuesday: "Hyde-Smith's recent comments clearly do not reflect the values of our company and associates. As a result, we are withdrawing our support and requesting a refund of all campaign donations." (Read more)
- Father, we pray the people of Mississippi will look past this gaffe to the honorable public servant Cindy Hyde-Smith truly is and give her another opportunity to represent them.

- Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: "Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips." (Hosea 14:2)

9. 'Deal Killer': GOP Lawmakers Push Back Against LGBT Language in Revamped NAFTA Agreement - CBN News

Conservative Republicans in the House are demanding LGBT language be removed from the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The recently revamped NAFTA agreement includes a pledge to implement "policies that protect workers against employment discrimination on the basis of sex, including with regard to pregnancy, sexual harassment, sexual orientation, gender identity."

The LGBT provisions were pushed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose administration holds gay rights as a major part of its agenda. However, a group of 40 US congressmen penned a letter of protest to the Trump administration saying the trade agreement is no place for the adoption of social policy. "It is especially inappropriate and insulting to our sovereignty to needlessly submit to social policies which the United States Congress has so far explicitly refused to accept," they wrote in the Nov. 16 missive.

One of the signatories, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), even went so far as to say that, for him, the provisions could be a "deal killer." "This is language that is going to cause a lot of people to reconsider their support of the trade agreement, and to the point that it may endanger the passage of the trade agreement unless something is done," Lamborn told Politico. "At this point I'm a 'no' vote and I would encourage others to be a 'no' vote unless something is done," he said. "And things could be done within the agreement." (Read more)
- Father, we pray this language binding our nation to change employment law will be stripped out of the final USMCA agreement.

- Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)

10. China Is Paying for Most of Trump's Trade War, Research Says - Bloomberg

President Donald Trump is succeeding in making China pay most of the cost of his trade war. That's the conclusion of a new paper. U.S. companies and consumers will only pay 4.5 percent more after the nation imposed 25 percent tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods, and the other 20.5 percent toll will fall on Chinese producers.

The Trump administration selected products with the highest "price elasticity," or high availability of substitutes. "Through its strategic choice of Chinese products, the U.S. government was not only able to minimize the negative effects on U.S. consumers and firms, but also to create substantial net welfare gains in the U.S.".

The trade dispute between the U.S. and China is showing slim hope of abating as the leaders of the two nations prepare to meet in Argentina this month. The tariffs will do what Trump has longed for: They will cut American imports of affected Chinese goods by more than a third, and lower the bilateral trade deficit by 17 percent. With the economic costs shifted to China, the U.S. levies will lead to a $18.4 billion net gain for the American government. (Read more)
- Father, thank You for giving President Trump wisdom regarding these tariffs. We pray the Chinese will make the necessary concessions to end this trade conflict and for the final agreement to be highly favorable to the United States.

- When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone's way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them. (Proverbs 16:7)

	The Daily Jot

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

American socialism now and in 1620

My grandfather 13 generations back was William Bradford, co writer of the Mayflower Compact and eventual leader of the Pilgrims who came to America on the Mayflower in 1620. There were some 102 passengers and about 30 crewmen on that ship that braved horrible weather, disease, and other hardships to come to this new place that later would become the greatest Christian nation in the world. Bradford wrote, "So they committed themselves to the will of God, and resolved to proceed. In several of these storms the wind was so strong and the seas so high that they could not carry a knot of sail, but were forced to hull for many days." The trip in of itself to find a place to worship without persecution was most difficult.

Once landed, it was no picnic either. Bradford says, "But soon a most lamentable blow fell upon them. In two or three month's time half of their company died...scarcely 50 remained, and sometimes two or three persons died in a day. In the time of worst distress, there were but six or seven sound persons, who, to their great commendation be it spoken, spared no pains night or day, but with great toil and at the risk of their own health, fetched wood, made fires, prepared food for the sick, made their beds, washed their infected clothes, dressed and undressed them; in a word did all the homely and necessary services for them which dainty and queasy stomachs cannot endure to hear mentioned."
"...And what I have said of these few, I should say of many others who died in this general visitation, and others yet living, that while they had health or strength, they forsook none that had need of them. I doubt not that their recompense is with the Lord." Their Virginia Company Charter, however, called for common ownership of land, property, food, drink, clothing, and provisions. Bradford saw that this socialist experiment was detrimental to the colony because it inspired laziness and a lack of productivity. Bradford then did away with this structure, giving ownership of land to each person and two days a week for "their own private employment." This was the first capitalist system and the colony then prospered.

The headlines 398 years later are that nearly 39 million Americans (the total population of California and Connecticut combined) likely will eat their Thanksgiving dinner purchased by food stamps. Liberals say without the government, these people would starve. In reality, without the government, the citizens across the land would be blessed as the Pilgrims were by reaching out and helping their neighbor from the goodness of their hearts. As written in 2 Corinthians 9:11-12, "Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causes through us thanksgiving to God. For the administration of this service not only supplies the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God." Bradford knew in 162 that government won't save you. Only the Lord will save you. He chooses to do it through his people.
Have a blessed and powerful day!

www.dailyjot.com

	Operation Refining Fire Continues!

Operation Refining Fire Continues!

The fires are abating, while the FIRE of the Holy Spirit is increasing, hour by hour.
Come join us as we lift up prayers of repentance for national sin . . . until the fires go out.

""Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. "He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him. "So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord." (Hosea 6:1-3a)

Conference Number: 605-468-8850

Access Code: 221654#

	More Daily Features

More Daily Features

(See below . . .)

- The Persecuted Church
- Classic Hymns
- Signs and Wonders
- The Good News Corner
- Worship with Us Today!

Prayers for 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

WE GATHER TOGETHER

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12, ESV)

Lyrics

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known;
the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing;
sing praises to His Name, He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
so from the beginning the fight we were winning:
Thou, Lord wast at our side--the glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, Thou leader in battle,
and pray that Thou still our defender wilt be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy name be ever praised; O Lord, make us free!

Melody

Please go here . . .

About the Author:

Author: Anonymous (1625)

Words: Translator: Theodore Baker

Melody: Netherlands Folk Song;
Adrianus Valerius' Nederlandtsch Gedenckclanck, 1626

About the Hymn:
This hymn was originally a Dutch patriotic song, written around 1600 to celebrate the freedom of the Netherlands from Spanish rule. However, God's kingdom transcends national and ethnic boundaries. When the Church sings this hymn, she is reminded of the words of the apostle Paul: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12, ESV). The day will come when God will overthrow the devil and all evil. Even now, we can say, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). In singing this hymn, the people of God seek His help and thank Him for His presence in the pursuit of victory over evil, for we know that God "forgets not His own."

Signs and Wonders

America's Northernmost Town Descends into 65 Days of Darkness After Sunday's Sunset

America's Northernmost Town Sees Last Sunrise Until January

- Utqiaġvik (formerly known as Barrow), Alaska, will see its last sunset for 65 days Sunday afternoon.

- The opposite will occur this summer, when the sun won't set for more than two months from mid-May to early August.

Fairbanks, Alaska, just south of the Arctic Circle, still sees a sunrise and sunset year-round. By the winter solstice around Dec. 21, sunset is as early as 2:41 p.m. AKST, not even 4 hours after sunrise at 10:58 a.m. AKST. (The Weather Channel) Read more.

"I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke." (Acts 2:19)

The Good News Corner

Meet the Hero Bus Driver "from Heaven" Who Saved 22 Children from Paradise Wildfire

Before leaving, bus driver Kevin McKay ripped his shirt into rags, doused them with water and handed them to the kids to help protect their lungs from the acrid smoke.

(Paradise, CA)-[Faithwire.com] A bus driver has been hailed as a hero after saving some 22 kids from the enormous wildfire that has devastated vast swathes of Northern California.

As flames encroached on Ponderosa Elementary School, 41-year-old Kevin McKay knew that something had to be done to evacuate the stricken children and teachers, and quickly. Sprinting into the building and ordering everyone to evacuate, McKay ripped his shirt into rags, doused them with water and handed them to the kids to help protect their lungs from the acrid smoke.

One of the teachers, Mary Ludwig, described the scene as total "Armageddon" as the inferno blazed all around them.

"It just kind of looked like we'd be headed into [hell]," McKay told CNN.

Then, more disaster. As the children were loaded onto the bus and driven out toward safety, they hit utter gridlock on the roads. Many of the youngsters started to complain about feeling tired and dizzy, clearly suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation.

With flames on every side, McKay and the teachers contemplated abandoning the bus and proceeding on foot. But the fire was too intense. The staff did everything they could to comfort the children as McKay crawled the bus along the jam-packed highway.

Fourth-grader Charlotte Merz, 10, recalled going to her "happy place" in order to stave off panic.

"It was so crazy, and there were fires left and right everywhere you looked," she said.

As the bus continued on down the road, motorists became increasingly disorientated, and many collisions ensued. At one point, a car plowed into the side of the school bus. Then, the group spotted a woman on the side of the road, clearly alone, and utterly petrified. McKay offered to give her a ride. As it turned out, the woman was also a school teacher whose car had broken down as she attempted to flee the flames.

Ludwig added that the teacher kept saying she was convinced she was going to die, and that the pair prayed together as they continued on down the road to safety. Eventually, they reached the end of the inferno and the children were reunited with their parents. Everyone escaped unharmed, thanks to the brave actions of their driver.

"We had the bus driver from heaven," Ludwig said.

The devastation across the town is absolutely staggering, with officials estimating that it will take years to rebuild.

"Paradise is lost," McKay noted.

Some 1,300 people are still unaccounted for as the wildfire continues to wreak havoc across Northern California. With 76 confirmed deaths, it is the deadliest fire in the state's history.

Do continue to pray for all those affected. (FaithWire/Breaking Christian News) Read more.

- Father God, on this Thanksgiving weekend, we do give thanks for the heroic actions of this bus driver, Kevin McKay. We trust that, in time, we will receive the testimonies of many other heroes who have emerged from these flames. On this Thanksgiving weekend, we pray that the good citizens of Paradise and Malibu/ Thousand Oaks will know the comfort of our Savior. In Your Name, amen.

Worship With Us Today!

A Special Medley of Hymns for this Thanksgiving Weekend

To worship with us today, please go here . . .

	About CHPP

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]

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

Capitol Hill Prayer Partners welcomes all who wish to pray for our leaders to join us in prayer for our nation. You may sign up to receive our alerts by sending an email to us at CHPP1994@gmail.com requesting that your name be added to our list of subscribers.

Note: You may also learn more about CHPP by going here to visit our blog. Thank you!

	We Welcome Your Gifts

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)

	Join Our 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 (except on Sunday mornings) from midnight to 6:00 a.m. EDT. 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!

Our conference number is: 712-432-0075.

The access code is: 206425#. 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.]

	God bless you!

	Amen!