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The Daily Brief
"Praying for All in Authority"
Thursday, March 21, 2019
"For how can I endure to see the calamity which will befall my people, and how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?" (Esther 8:6)
THE CRY OF QUEEN ESTHER . . . during this week of Purim.
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"Standing United Together . . . Under the Cross of Christ"
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2020 Presidential Race Updates
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Please consider this prayer and scripture for the items below:
Father God, we are so glad You hold our future in Your capable hands. We pray for the preservation of our Constitutional form of government and for candidates who will protect the unborn.
There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
(Proverbs 23:18)
Continetti: Democrats Want to 'Change the Structure' of the United States to Win Elections - FreeBeacon
2020 Democratic hopefuls support policies such as expanding the Supreme Court and abolishing the Electoral College because they believe they cannot pass progressive policies unless they "change the structure" of the Constitution. "The Democratic argument is with the Constitution of the United States of America. The argument is because the left cannot win its arguments when they present them publicly, and in order to win, they need to change the structure."
Continetti went on to reference 2020 hopeful Pete Buttigieg, the Democratic mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who said when it comes to the Supreme Court, "structural change is necessary." 2020 candidate Beto O'Rourke has also discussed the issue, saying at a rally last week that he thinks expanding the Court is "an idea we should discuss."
In addition to discussions about packing the Court and abolishing the Electoral College, some Democrats-including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.)-have expressed support for lowering the minimum age requirement for voting to 16. (Read more)
Could the "Twitter Primary" Cost Democrats the Oval Office? - National Review
In my lifetime, I've never seen more presidential candidates advocate breaking more American constitutional, economic, and policy norms than I've seen from the Democratic field so far in 2019. When you assemble their proposals, it's breathtaking.
End the Electoral College? Elizabeth Warren is for it, and Beto O'Rourke says there's "a lot of wisdom" in her proposal. Pack the Supreme Court? Warren, Beto, Kamala Harris, and Kirsten Gillibrand are open to the idea. End the legislative filibuster? Harris and Warren are thinking about it. Remake the American economy with the Green New Deal? Virtually every significant Democratic presidential candidate is an enthusiastic yes. Sweep away the private health-insurance policies of 150 million Americans? This is the emerging Democratic consensus.
This is only a partial list of Democratic power moves to the left, including calls to fundamentally transform longstanding constitutional structures and institutions. If a Democratic candidate breaks in even small ways from the emerging online orthodoxy, watch them trend on Twitter. This immediate feedback amplifies existing primary-season pressures to move leftward. (Read more)
Beto O'Rourke seemingly endorses third-trimester abortions: 'That should be a decision the woman makes' - FoxNews
White House hopeful Beto O'Rourke seemingly endorsed the practice of third-trimester abortions at a campaign event in Ohio on Monday, less than a month after Senate Democrats blocked a bill that would have required doctors to provide medical care to newborns amid a swirling infanticide controversy in Virginia.
"Are you for third-trimester abortions?" an attendee of the campaign event in Cleveland asked O'Rourke, before describing the medical alternatives to such a procedure and disputing the medical necessity of late-term abortions. O'Rourke responded: "The question is about abortion and reproductive rights. And, my answer to you is, that should be a decision the woman makes. I trust her."
Alexandra Desanctis, a staff writer at the conservative National Review, characterized O'Rourke's remarks as a cynical sleight of hand. "Notice how Beto takes an articulate question about abortion *after fetal viability* and the medical details of these procedures and restates it to the crowd as a question about "abortion and reproductive rights," DeSanctis tweeted. "That's what they have to do to defend third-trimester abortion." (Read more)
2020 Hopeful Kirsten Gillibrand: Expand Social Security to Illegal Immigrants - Breitbart
During a campaign stop in Davenport, Iowa, presidential hopeful Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said illegal immigrants in America should be allowed to receive social security benefits, along with a pathway to citizenship.
"First, we need comprehensive immigration reform," the New York senator stated. "If you are in this country now you must have the right to pay into Social Security, to pay your taxes, to pay into the local school system and to have a pathway to citizenship. That must happen," Gillibrand said.
Gillibrand also faced scrutiny earlier this week over comments she made during an MSNBC town hall Monday when she said, "Immigration is not a security issue. It is an economic and a humanitarian and a family issue." According to current law, only legal residents of the United States are entitled to Social Security benefits after they pay into the program for a certain amount of time. (Read more)
2020 Democrats vow to re-enter Iran nuclear deal - AL-Monitor
Re-entry into the nuclear deal with Iran is fast becoming a litmus test for Democrats hoping to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020. No fewer than five declared candidates have told Al-Monitor over the past few weeks that they would rejoin the deal without preconditions should they win the presidency.
These include well-known lawmakers such as Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who both voted for the deal in 2015, along with Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., who was elected in 2016. And former Vice President Joe Biden, who is expected to announce whether he is running next month, remains a champion of the pact negotiated under his watch.
Al-Monitor has learned that National Security Action, a group of former Barack Obama administration officials, has circulated a draft memo to all declared Democratic candidates asking them to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. (Read more)
Democratic Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang's Most Bizarre Policy Proposals - The Federalist
In the crowded field of Democratic presidential candidates, Andrew Yang stands out with a lengthy and eccentric list of policy proposals. The backbone of Yang's platform is a Universal Basic Income, or what he calls the "Freedom Dividend." Yang says he wants the government to give $1,000 every month to every American over the age of 18.
Yang proposes creating incentives and funds to entice developers to reinvent uses for these empty [Mall] buildings. Marriage counseling should be free or heavily subsidized by the government. Yang proposes making tax day a federal holiday, or "Revenue Day," and, in an attempt to make it a celebration. Yang is convinced that there should be a "White House Psychologist group" responsible for monitoring the mental health of employees in the executive branch.
In what he calls the "American Exchange Program," high school seniors would be able to travel to different parts of the United States. He proposes a robo-calling text line, where you can report the phone number of any robo-call that you feel wasted your time. Community engagement would be encouraged through an app that tracks and rewards your volunteer hours. He would would push for "initiatives meant to inform parents that they don't need to have their infants circumcised for health reasons." (Read more)
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Focus on Israel
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1. Denied phones by Israel, Hamas prisoners set fire to cells - YNET News
Palestinian security prisoners at the Ramon Prison in southern Israel set fire to their cells on Tuesday, after Israel introduced a jamming signal that blocks illicit mobile phones.
The prisoners, all from the Hamas terrorist organization, set alight the mattresses in 14 cells, lightly wounding a staff member and an inmate.
For more than a month, the Israel Prison Service has been on high alert due to the threat of arson or violence against guards over the new method of blocking calls from smuggled cell phones. Security prisoners viewed the step as a serious blow to their quality of life, as the phones were used to communicate with their families.
(Read more)
2. Netanyahu rival invokes 'treason' in submarine case involving PM - World Israel News
Moshe Ya'alon, who once served as defense minister under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had harsh words for his former superior related to an ongoing corruption case surrounding the 2016 multi-billion-shekel state planned purchase of Dolphin-class submarines and Sa'ar 6-class corvettes from Germany's Thyssenkrupp corporation.
The matter, entitled Case 3000, involves Netanyahu's close associates, but not the prime minister himself, and centers on allegations that the suspects received illicit remuneration related to the sale.
On Wednesday, Ya'alon stated that Netanyahu's role in the case could rise to the level "treason."
Ya'alon is currently involved in a heated election campaign as part of the Blue and White party, which hopes garner more votes than Netanyahu's Likud party and ultimately form the next Israeli government in the Knesset, thereby ending Netanyahu's run as prime minister.
(Read more)
3. In first, top US diplomat to join PM at Western Wall - Times of Israel
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to visit the Western Wall on Thursday afternoon together with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in what could be seen as a tacit recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Jewish holy site.
The visit would mark the first time that Washington's top diplomat visits Jerusalem's contested Old City accompanied by a senior Israeli official.
At 4:00 p.m., Pompeo and Netanyahu will tour the wall and the adjacent tunnels, which are located underneath the Old City's Muslim Quarter. At a visitors center, the two men are expected to view a virtual reality recreation of the Jewish temple that once stood on the Temple Mount.
(Read more)
4. Persian jar decorated with mask found in Jerusalem's Old City - World Israel News
A fragment of a clay jar decorated with a human face dating back to the Persian period was discovered in the Givati parking lot excavation in the heart of Jerusalem's Old City, the first time such a vessel was found in archaeological excavations in Jerusalem or any site in the Judean Hills.
The face on the jar has two wide open eyes, a nose, one ear and a small section of the corner of the mouth and depicts the deity Bes. The shard is dated to the Persian period, the 4th - 5th century BCE.
This intriguing finding was found in the Givati Parking Lot excavation in the City of David in a large refuse pit that contained numerous other pottery fragments that dated to the Persian period.
Prof. Yuval Gadot of Tel Aviv University and Dr. Yiftah Shalev of the Israel Antiquities Authority noted that "pottery from this period was exposed in the past in the City of David, but this is the first time that such a vessel has been found in archaeological excavations in Jerusalem or anywhere in the Judean highlands."
(Read more)
5. A Purim Guide for the Perplexed! - United With Israel
Purim and deliverance. Purim is one of the Jewish national liberation holidays, such as Passover and Chanukah, which commemorate the transformation of the Jewish people from slavery and subordination to liberty and independence. It is celebrated, annually, at a time when the relatively dark and stormy winter shifts into the relatively warm and pleasant spring.
5th century BCE Queen Esther, the heroine of Purim. Purim's Scroll of Esther is one of the five Biblical Scrolls: Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, The Scroll of Esther).
Esther, who was Mordechai's niece (or cousin), demonstrates the centrality of women in Judaism, shaping the future of the Jewish People, as did Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah (the four Matriarchs), Miriam (Moses' older sister), Batyah (who saved Moses' life), Deborah (the Prophetess, Judge and military leader), Hannah (Samuel's mother) and Yael (the warrior).
Esther was one of the seven Biblical Jewish Prophetesses: Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah and Esther (Megillah tractate, 14:71). Sarah was the first - and Esther the last - Jewish woman mentioned in the Bible. Sarah lived 127 years and Esther was the Queen of 127 countries. 1+2+7=10, which is a symbol of totality, wholesomeness, completeness.
(Read more)
6. Israel On Target - Bridge Connectors
March 19, 2019
To read this edition of this alert, please go here.
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The Daily Brief
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1. Trump-Russia 2.0: Dossier-Tied Firm Pitching Journalists Daily on 'Collusion' - RealClearInvestigations
Key Democratic operatives and private investigators who tried to derail Donald Trump's campaign by claiming he was a tool of the Kremlin have rebooted their operation since his election with a multimillion-dollar stealth campaign to persuade major media outlets and lawmakers that the president should be impeached.
The operation's nerve center is a Washington-based nonprofit called The Democracy Integrity Project, or TDIP. Among other activities, it pumps out daily "research" briefings to prominent Washington journalists, as well as congressional staffers, to keep the Russia "collusion" narrative alive.
TDIP is led by Daniel J. Jones, a former FBI investigator, Clinton administration volunteer and top staffer to California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein. It employs the key opposition-research figures behind the salacious and unverified dossier: Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson and ex-British intelligence officer Christopher Steele. Its financial backers include the actor/director Rob Reiner and billionaire activist George Soros. (Read more)
- Father God, we pray for an end to the slander, rumors, and lies spread by the enemies of President Trump.
- God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me. But do not kill them, Lord our shield, or my people will forget. In your might uproot them and bring them down. (Psalm 59:10-11)
2. Will Democrats finally admit the Obama DOJ and FBI lied to the FISA court? - Washington Examiner
The recently released transcript of Department of Justice lawyer Bruce Ohr's congressional testimony confirms what conservatives have long been saying: The DOJ and FBI abused the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act process to obtain a court order to surveil former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.
The DOJ and FBI sought a court order to surveil an American citizen based on the unverified, and largely unbelievable, ramblings of the Steele dossier. As evidence of a supposed crime, the FISA applications relied solely on double or triple hearsay from unverified sources.
The FISA applications also failed to inform the court that the DNC and Hillary Clinton campaign had partially funded the Steele dossier. Also missing from the applications was any mention of dossier author and former MI6 agent Christopher Steele's statements demonstrating his bias, such as that Steele was "desperate" to prevent Trump from becoming president. (Read more)
- Father, the truth of what happened at the FISA Court is available to anyone in the media with integrity and curiosity. We pray members of the media will choose to give up the lies and finally report the truth.
- I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. (1 John 2:21)
3. Trump Pulled Ambassador Nomination of State Department Official Who Communicated With Steele and Ohr - SaraACarter
A State Department official who was awaiting confirmation to be U.S. Ambassador to Albania communicated with the former British spy Christopher Steele and supplied information to a senior DOJ official after and before the 2016 presidential election. Former State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary Kathleen Ann Kavalec's nomination was withdrawn recently by President Trump, according to a Senior White House official who spoke to SaraACarter.com.
Kavalec, as well as her colleague Jonathan Winer, a former assistant to former Secretary of State John Kerry, supplied information they had collected from Steele to Bruce Ohr, said sources familiar with the congressional investigations.
The possible involvement of U.S. Ambassadors in the FBI's probe into the Trump campaign was revealed by Rep. Mark Meadows, R-NC, on Fox New's Sean Hannity program Monday night. On Tuesday, Meadows told this reporter, "it's amazing Obama Administration holdovers with strong ties to Hillary Clinton have been undermining the trump administration and continue to work covertly to thwart his agenda." (Read more)
- Father God, we thank You for revealing the treasonous acts by federal employees at the State Department. We pray You will help President Trump and Secretary Pompeo remove those disloyal to the Trump Administration.
- The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. (Proverbs 11:3)
4. Union Workers Stand with Trump: 'Don't Let GM Off the Hook' for Plant Closures - Breitbart
The United Auto Workers (UAW) - which represents thousands of American workers at General Motors (GM) - is standing with President Trump in his recent call for GM CEO Mary Barra to reopen the corporation's idled Lordstown, Ohio assembly plant.
This week, Trump called on Barra to reopen the recently closed GM Lordstown assembly plant. The closing of the plant resulted in the immediate layoff of about 1,600 American workers and since 2017, about 4,500 American workers in Ohio have lost their jobs at GM.
In response, the UAW is standing with Trump, asking that the populist president be involved in negotiations between GM executives and the union workers to get the assembly plant reopened - a move that would save the Lordstown area and surrounding communities from economic decline. While GM closed its Lordstown plant this month, the multinational corporation's Mexico production has remained unaffected by layoffs, and production in China has ramped up. (Read more)
- Father, we lift up General Motors and pray Mary Barra will have Your wisdom to show her the way to keep factories open and workers employed.
- The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.
(Proverbs 21:5)
5. Student Loan Caps Proposed in White House Higher Education Plan - Bloomberg Government
The White House is urging Congress to set new limits on student loan borrowing by graduate students and parents, as part of a larger package spelling out the Trump administration's priorities for higher education legislation.
"The rising cost of college education and the accompanying growth in student loan balances erodes the wage premium associated with a college degree," the administration said in a copy of the higher education proposal obtained by Bloomberg Government. "It is therefore the policy of the Trump Administration to increase access to affordable, flexible, and innovative post-secondary education and skills attainment to meet the interests and lifelong learning needs of every American."
"We are taking action to provide students, families, and working Americans better and clearer information; encourage innovation and reduce college cost; ensure that students of faith are able to attend schools that reflect their values; and require that institutions live up to their promises regarding campus free speech," the administration said in the proposal. (Read more)
- Father, many of our young adults have overwhelming debt and are still not prepared for the workforce. We pray this plan will help future young adults make better choices and keep them from going into debt.
- Do not take a pair of millstones-not even the upper one-as security for a debt, because that would be taking a person's livelihood as security. (Deuteronomy 24:6)
6. Illegal Alien Accused of Killing Pierce Corcoran to Be Deported from U.S. - Breitbart
The illegal alien accused of killing 22-year-old Pierce Corcoran in Knoxville, Tennessee, has been ordered deported from the United States by a federal judge. As Breitbart News reported, Pierce Corcoran - an aspiring personal trainer - was killed in a head-on car crash allegedly caused by 44-year-old illegal alien Francisco Eduardo Franco-Cambrany days before New Year's Eve.
The illegal alien, police said, was driving without a license and without proper registration for his vehicle. He was subsequently charged with negligent homicide and driving without a license and was granted a $3,500 bond months ago. In a decision this week, the Executive Office for Immigration Review announced that Franco-Cambrany is ordered deported from the country following the alleged killing of Corcoran.
One of Corcoran's siblings wrote online that the leniency applied to the illegal alien is "an insult." Family members of Pierce have created a Facebook and Twitter account in his memory, both titled: "Justice for Pierce Corcoran." (Read more)
- Father God, we join with the Corcoran family and pray for justice. Our nation's law enforcement and courts have failed to keep Pierce Corcoran safe, and now we ask You to move on their behalf.
- The Lord said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground." (Genesis 4:10)
7. Record $120 billion sent home to 3 top nations flooding US with illegal immigrants - Washington Examiner
Immigrants from the three Central American nation's sourcing many illegal border crossers sent a record amount of money home last year, bringing the total this decade to $120 billion. Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador all said that natives in the United States sent over $17 billion home last year alone.
The so-called "remittances" have been in the focus of some immigration reform advocates who want to tax the transfers. Under one proposal that failed to pass Congress, remittances would be taxed 7 percent. Pew Research Center revealed in January that immigrants in the United States sent home $138 billion in 2016 alone. A 7 percent tax would raise nearly $10 billion, enough to fund building the wall in three years.
"These huge numbers also suggest that the United States should follow the lead of Oklahoma, and start collecting a share of the remittances to help mitigate the costs of illegal immigration," said immigration expert Jessica Vaughan of the Center for Immigration Studies. Money immigrants send home is a huge part of the economy of those three nations, reaching over 20 percent in El Salvador and Honduras. (Read more)
- Father, we pray for comprehensive immigration reform to remove the incentives in our system that reward behaviors that are destroying our nation from within.
- All nations surrounded me; In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.
(Psalm 118:10)
8. Why Does The Mainstream Media Purposely Ignore Mass Killings Of Christians Across The Globe? - ZeroHedge
Last week, when a deranged lunatic gunned down dozens of Muslims at two mosques in New Zealand it suddenly became the biggest news story in the world, and rightly so. It was a major news event, and it needed to be reported.
Whenever there is a mass killing of Christians, it is usually entirely ignored by the mainstream media in the United States, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out why this is happening. Those that control the mainstream media consider Christians to be one of the main obstacles to "progress" in this country, and so any story that would put Christians in a positive or sympathetic light simply does not fit any of the narratives that they are pushing.
As Breitbart News alone reported among major news outlets, Fulani jihadists racked up a death toll of over 120 Christians over the past three weeks in central Nigeria, employing machetes and gunfire to slaughter men, women, and children, burning down over 140 houses, destroying property, and spreading terror. (Read more)
- Father, we pray Your Church will be aware and equipped to pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who suffer persecution and death at the hands of those who hate You.
- Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee before Him. (Psalm 68:1)
9. China trade talks to resume next week in Beijing - Washington Examiner
Top U.S. officials will travel to China next week in a bid to finalize a new trade deal, administration officials said Tuesday. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will travel to Beijing to talk to their counterpart, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, according to multiple reports. Liu will then follow up by heading to the U.S. the week after that to continue the negotiations.
The White House had hoped to have one-on-one talks between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Palm Beach, Fla., this month, but those talks were tentatively pushed back into April. Lighthizer told the Senate Finance Committee last week that he believed they were in the final weeks of talks before an agreement is announced.
Both sides are trying to iron out remaining issues before the respective presidents meet. The talks have been snagged over issues of whether the Trump administration will lift trade sanctions before it has definitive confirmation that China has moved first to address concerns and whether Beijing will agree to allow the administration to immediately apply tariffs if it is deemed in violation of the terms of the deal.
(Read more)
- Father, we pray these trade talks will be productive and bring stability to both our markets. - So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. (Romans 14:19)
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The Daily Jot (Part One)
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Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Character, morals and the Cowboy Code
My friend Robert Knight, columnist for the Washington Times, has written an interesting article about how the "Cowboy Way" is under fire. In his March 18 column, Knight writes: "In 1949, as part of its "Riders in the Sky" promotion, a film studio released Gene Autry's 10-sentence Cowboy Code. The code resurfaced in 2007 in a biography of the movie star by Holly George-Warren, a prolific chronicler of America's popular culture. The reason it's included below is because cowboys are being thrown under the horse, along with "farting cows." They're the latest targets of the political correctness that seeks to replace American grit with a nihilistic creed of wimpery." I grew up a cowboy and try to live by The Cowboy Code.
Knight's column describes how activists in Orange County, CA want to rename John Wayne Airport and remove his statue over what they deem as "insensitive" remarks he made in 1971. In addition, Knight notes, "Meanwhile, the University of Wyoming is facing a leftist uprising over its new slogan, "The World Needs More Cowboys." The sports teams have long been called the Cowboys. Wyoming's license plates feature a cowboy on a bucking bronc, and the town of Cody boasts perhaps the world's most famous rodeo. Nonetheless, the slogan should be "shelved" according to the UW Committee on Women and People of Color, and replaced with one that "represents the diversity of the people and cultures" at the college."
Isaiah 5:20 says, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! " Isn't that just what these crusaders of the politically correct do? Here is the Cowboy Code:1. The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage. 2. He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him. 3. He must always tell the truth. 4. He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals. 5. He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas. 6. He must help people in distress. 7. He must be a good worker. 8. He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits. 9. He must respect women, parents, and his nation's laws. 10. The Cowboy is a patriot. How can anyone in their right mind disagree with this?
Knight concludes: "If they could just get enough power, the cultural vandals would wipe out all mention of white males in U.S. history - except for the self-hating ones in today's Democratic Party, including the Virginia governor and attorney general who appeared in blackface but, well, they're Democrats, so all is forgiven." How true. But what they fail to recognize that white males have, and continue to, contribute wonderful things to the global society. Cowboys represent part of that contribution, and they were and are not all white men. To men around the world: It's all right to be a man irrespective of what color you happen to be born. Follow the Cowboy Code, which is also God's code, and you will lead a blessed life, even though the politically correct will curse you.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
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The Daily Jot (Part Two)
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Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Apologetics and atheism
My son Christian and I have been having an ongoing discussion about witnessing to atheists. He feels called to apologetics so we have been talking a lot about Christ's Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" and in Mark 16:13, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Christian believes that we have to equip ourselves to witness even to those who refuse to believe so we might fully exercise the Great Commission. In other words, be ready in season and out to make the case for Christ.
We have these deep talks about just how far one can go with someone who refuses to believe. Christian, who recently finished law school, witnesses to several people who want to argue the "logic" behind their agnostic or atheist belief about God. I keep pointing out that logic alone will not win the case for God because there is always the spiritual part that people who are not of faith cannot accept. AFP reports that 60 -ear old Brazilian-born theoretical physicist Marcelo Gleiser has received the Templeton Prize, which annually recognizes outstanding contributions to affirming life's spiritual dimension. Gleiser believes that science and religion are not enemies. In fact, he says, "Science does not kill God."
Gleiser told AFP, "The first thing you see in the Bible is a story of creation." He says, whatever your religion, "everybody wants to know how the world came to be." This fundamental curiosity unites science and religion, though each provides very different answers: science has a methodology, where hypotheses are eliminated. Gleiser says, "Science can give answers to certain questions, up to a point. This has been known for a very long time in philosophy, it's called the problem of the first cause: we get stuck. We should have the humility to accept that there's mystery around us." Gleiser says "It's extremely arrogant from scientists to come down from the ivory towers and make these declarations (against faith) without understanding the social importance of belief systems."
Gleiser said, "When you hear very famous scientists making pronouncements like ... cosmology has explained the origin of the universe and the whole, and we don't need God anymore. That's complete nonsense. Because we have not explained the origin of the universe at all." Herein is where the chasm widens because pride often prevents someone from seeing the realities of faith. Christians are accused of closed-mindedness when the unbelievers, themselves, are closed off to the possibility of faith. To my son's point, however, as Christians we need to know why we believe what we believe, and we should be able to explain it. Otherwise we are doing the Great Commission a disservice. Something to think about, for sure.
Have a blessed and powerful day,
The Daily Jot Staff
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The Equality Act: DANGER!
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The Equality Act: HR 5:
Dangerous Attack on Religious Freedom
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a bill that threatens the free exercise of religion and free speech. H.R. 5, known as the Equality Act, broadly imposes the LGBT agenda and does not exempt churches or religious employers, organizations or colleges. It specifically forbids raising religious free exercise as a claim or defense to the LGBT agenda.
This bill amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by striking the word "sex," and inserting "sex, sexual orientation, gender identity" as protected classes throughout the federal code. This amendment applies to employment, housing, rental, public accommodation and more.
Therefore, church leadership and nonprofit faith-based organizations and schools would be forced to hire gender-confused individuals and allow men access to female (or vice versa) restrooms, showers, locker rooms, dressing rooms, shelters, dormitories and sports. This legislation would also create many more victims -- like women in shelters who have been sexually assaulted by a man posing as a "transgender" to gain access to the facility.
Churches that provide weddings or baby showers would be forced to provide the same facilities to LGBT events and "same-sex weddings." Church tax-exemption and college accreditation (including federal student loans) would be affected.
LGBT indoctrination would be required in school curricula and in workplaces, and Christian teachers in public schools would be forced to not only to listen to such presentations but also to make them for students. Private Christian schools will also be affected.
Faith-based adoption agencies would be forced to go against their religious beliefs and convictions and would be required to place children in homes with same-sex couples. The bill also demands that religious families accept practicing LGBT minors in their home as a prerequisite for being approved as foster parents. State social services could also remove children from their home if the parents oppose the child's "right to transition to a person of the other sex" or enter homosexual sexual relationships.
Christian business professionals (photographers, artists, bakers, wedding planners, printers, etc.) would be forced to use their creative expression to promote the LGBT agenda or face fines and imprisonment. Home-based businesses would be forced to hire and welcome LGBT people into their privately-owned home, even if they are trying to raise their children according to their own religious beliefs. Under H.R.5, property owners would be forced to accept renters whose actions violate their religious beliefs, including renting out a room in their home or their private vacation home.
This bill also gags counselors from giving professional help to those minors and adults facing unwanted same-sex desires or actions. It even punishes counselors who share their own story of finding freedom in Christ from homosexuality. This bill literally sets the stage for setting up the Bible as prohibited material where it addresses homosexuality.
"The Equality Act is not about equality. This bill eviscerated religious freedom and targets churches with an LGBT wrecking ball," said Mat Staver.
(Liberty Counsel)
> > > Read their Press Release by going here.
- Father God, we bring this monstrosity directly before Your Throne of Grace. We ask and release forgiveness towards all who are working to advance The Equality Act, for they know not what they do. We stand on the authority of the Blood of the Huguenot martyrs who died on the sands of Matanzas Inlet in Florida in 1565 as they stood for the faith, and we appropriate the full measure of the battle they won for our land in that time.
Using the weapons of our warfare, we decree that this wicked piece of legislation will be totally obliterated, landing as sawdust on the floor. We thank You that You will fight this battle for us, with the authority of the full force of Revelation 12:11, in Your Name, amen.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. (Rev. 12:11)
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More Daily Features
(See below . . .)
- The Persecuted Church
- Classic Hymns
- Signs and Wonders
- The Good News Corner
- Worship with Us Today!
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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.
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Signs and Wonders:
Purim Supermoon: Countdown to Messiah
Before the great and terrible day of Hashem comes, I will set portents in the sky and on earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke; The sun shall turn into darkness And the moon into blood. But everyone who invokes the name of Hashem shall escape; for there shall be a remnant on Mount Tzion and in Yerushalayim, as Hashem promised. Anyone who invokes Hashem will be among the survivors. Joel 3:3-5 (The Israel Bible)
After reading the Book of Esther for the holiday of Purim on Wednesday evening, Jews leaving the synagogue will be greeted by the sight of a supermoon overhead, a phenomenon to which some rabbinic experts ascribe great import. . .
The Purim supermoon will be the final in a series of three consecutive full-moon/ supermoons. The next appearance of supermoons will also be a triad, culminating on the night before Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year).
Purim also coincides with the vernal (spring) equinox when the Sun crosses the celestial equator - the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth's equator - from south to north. On the equinox, the day and night are each about 12 hours in length everywhere on Earth.
Rabbi Matityahu Glazerson, a Bible codes expert, placed special significance on the appearance of the Purim Supermoon. In his video on the subject, Rabbi Glazerson used a Torah program to search for equidistant letter sequences in the Bible.
(Breaking Israel News)Read more here.
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The Good News Corner
Israel Heritage Revival: Mike Huckabee and Benjamin Netanyahu Plant Trees in Shiloh
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured ancient Shiloh with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and Binyamin Regional Council Chairman Yisrael Gantz.
Shiloh was Israel's first capital and the main center of Israelite worship before the first temple was built in Jerusalem.
"I am very excited to be here. I came here for the first time in 1967, right after the Six Day War, as a young soldier. I remember that during navigational exercises, I went to Tel Shiloh to see ancient Shiloh, the capital of Israel," Netanyahu said.
The ancient site was revived under the heritage plan, an initiative to preserve national heritage sites in Israel.
(CBN News) Read more.
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Worship With Us Today!
Casting Crowns - "Oh My Soul"
To worship with us today, please go here . . .
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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]
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!
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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)
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.]
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God bless you!
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