CHPP Daily Brief - January 6, 2011

In This Issue
• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• Change Is Here!
• Obama's Pre-emptive Surrender
• GOP MOVES TO REPEAL HEALTH CARE LAW
• EGYPT: 23 Killed in Coptic Church Bombing
• PRAY FOR SUDAN
• The Good News Corner
• Worship with Us Today!

Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net

The Daily Brief - Thursday, January 6, 2011

And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice. (Psalm 50:6)

The Daily Brief

1. A) Officials Probe "Unusual" Deaths of Birds in Two States - CNN

Some of the nation's top experts Tuesday were looking for clues into sudden, mass deaths of birds in two states over New Year's weekend."This one is unusual because of the time period over which so many birds died," said LeAnn White, a field investigator with the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The center, part of the U.S. Geological Survey, is receiving samples from Arkansas, where as many as 5,000 red-winged blackbirds and starlings fell from the sky in a square-mile area in less than an hour on New Year's Eve, according to the Arkansas Fish and Game Commission.

B) Authorities in Maryland are investigating the deaths of about 2 million fish in Chesapeake Bay.

"Natural causes appear to be the reason," the Maryland Department of the Environment said in a news release. "Cold water stress exacerbated by a large population of the affected species (juvenile spot fish) appears to be the cause of the kill."

C) A large number of dead birds were found in the city of Falköping, Sweden.

Autopsies were performed on five of the birds. The institute said they died due to "sudden, hard external blows," according to its website. They had no signs of infection or other illnesses, and there were no external signs indicating what killed them.

- Lord, we pray for the land and its creatures throughout the world. As we move rapidly toward fulfillment of Scripture, we ask for Your mercy and a hedge of protection around us. We stand in the gap for the land, and ask You to reveal and stop whatever is causing these mass die-offs of these creatures.

- "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up a hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." (Ezekiel 22:30)

2. Obama chooses William Daley as White House Chief of Staff - AP

Two administration officials tell The Associated Press that William Daley will be the next White House chief of staff. President Barack Obama has chosen Daley, a former commerce secretary, to replace interim chief of staff Pete Rouse. Rouse, who did not want to stay in the job and recommended Daley for it, will remain at the White House in a senior position as counselor to Obama.

- Father, this WH staff position has been filled by a person from the Chicago political machine. As we continually see the placement of backroom operators by this administration, we pray that You will invade our White House with the Holy Spirit. Father, it is Your joy to save those who are far away from You- so we ask for the souls of these men and women.

- "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)

3. Russia: Obama Signed Away Missile Defenses - Newsmax

Russia's legislature says the New START nuclear arms treaty ratified last month by the U.S. Senate restricts the U.S. from building and operating missile defenses against nuclear attacks. President Obama says the opposite: that the treaty "places no limitations on the development or deployment of our missile defense programs." There may never have been such a huge dispute on such a fundamental aspect of a high profile treaty between two major world powers. As reported by the Voice of Russia on Monday, Russia's Duma, the lower house of parliament, "plans to confirm the link between the reduction of the strategic offensive arms and the restriction of antimissile defense systems' deployment in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START)," according to the lawmaking body's foreign policy chief.

- Father, as both sides fume over the provisions of this treaty, we pray that somehow it will be stopped from implementation. As our President seems to overlook legal language and repercussions, we pray that You will show him and our Congress the problems, so that this treaty can be reversed and deleted.

- "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." (Romans 1:22)

4. States Facing Showdown With Unions - NewsMax

States are moving to curb public-sector unions at a time of deepening budget deficits and rising public anger at government workers' pay and benefits, The New York Times reports. Republicans, in particular, have stepped up efforts to curtail the ability of state-employee unions to strike, compel payment of union dues, or collectively bargain for wages.

- Lord, if employers and workers alike would have learned to communicate, stop the greed, and work together for common purpose, none of this would have occurred. We ask that wisdom prevail in worker issues, so that legislators can make solid, just decisions that benefit both employer and employee.

- "Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man." (Psalm 43:1)

5. 'Earmarks' to nowhere: States losing billions - USA Today

The problem is so pervasive that almost 1 in 3 highway dollars earmarked since 1991 -- about $13 billion-- remains unspent, federal data show.

- Lord, help the new Congress to work out ways to create jobs, stop government waste, and turn the ship of state around by the working of Your hand.

- "My money is restored and lo it is even in my sack; and their heart failed them, and they were afraid" (Genesis 42:32a,b)

6. Unemployment up in two-thirds of metro areas - MSNBC

Unemployment rates rose in more than two-thirds of the nation's largest metro areas in November, a sharp reversal from the previous month and the most since June.

- Father, we cry out for Your mercy over America's workforce.

- "O let not the oppressed return ashamed, let the poor and needy praise Thy name." (Psalm 74:21)

7. U.N. group warns of potential 'food price shock' - Washington Post

The Food and Agricultural Organization said Wednesday that the world faces a "food price shock" after the agency's benchmark index of farm commodities prices shot up last month, exceeding the levels of the 2007-08 food crisis.

- Father, we pray for Your mercy over the world's food supply. We repent for not following You, for running to man instead of You. We fall on our faces before you, and ask that You help us return to Your pathways.

- "The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer." (Psalm 6:9)

The Middle East in Focus

This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:

If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget it's skill! If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth--if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy. (Psalm 137:5-6)

1. Jordan: Swift action needed for peace - Ynet News

Jordan's King Abdullah II on Wednesday urged "swift action" to help push forward the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, warning against wasting more time, a palace statement said.

2. Israel to Palestinians: How can we make peace if you won't talk to us? - Ha'aretz

Israel urged the Palestinian leadership on Wednesday to set aside a diplomatic campaign that was keeping the Middle East peace process at an impasse and get back instead to direct talks.

3. Netanyahu heckled by angry mourners at Carmel fire memorial, Yishai hounded out - Ha'aretz

Relatives and friends of those killed in the devastating Carmel fire last month refused to let Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak on Wednesday as he stood at the podium of the official state memorial ceremony to deliver a eulogy to the victims.

4. WikiLeaks: Israel aimed to keep Gaza economy on brink of collapse - Ha'aretz

Israel told U.S. officials in 2008 it would keep Gaza's economy "on the brink of collapse" while avoiding a humanitarian crisis, according to U.S. diplomatic cables published by a Norwegian daily on Wednesday.

5. Swine flu hits Israel, hospitals swamped - Ynet News

Hospitals were swamped Wednesday morning with patients seeking treatment for the swine flu, which hit Israel for the second sequential winter.

The Daily Jot

Islamic Pirates behind record food cost jump

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says in its monthly report that world food prices jumped to record levels in December, largely because of higher costs for grain, oilseed and sugar. The Financial Times reports that oil prices for importing nations have increased by a collective $200 billion by the end of 2010. So much so that the International Energy Agency predicts that "Oil prices are entering a dangerous zone for the global economy" and prices reaching a $100 a barrel are becoming a threat to the economic recovery. Oil also impacts the price of food production and transportation. A perfect storm is brewing where millions could starve to death in the not so distant future.

At the center of the crisis, which seems to occur whenever there is breathing room in the economy to cleave off extra money, are the Islamic-controlled Oil and Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC. This monopoly of oil producers seems to tightly ease and expand oil production just enough to sap an extra couple of hundred billion dollars from Western nations whenever industry gets rolling. The net effect is that the world economy slows a bit, and inflation jumps as prices for all commodities, all utilities, all transportation serve as the Islamic highwaymen in robbing the world of its wealth. In 2010, the European Union, for example, has seen oil import costs rise $70 billion, as many countries face insolvency.

The United States, however, leads western nations in the Islamic shakedown, having oil import prices jump by some $72 billion in 2010. At this point, the economists are saying that oil cost ratio to the Gross Domestic Product rivals the financial crisis of two years ago. Making matters worse is the soaring debt run up by government leaders who mistakenly believe they can steal from citizens and incur record debt to buy the way out of debt to prosperity. There is no logic whatsoever in this approach. But what does it mean for the common man? It means that food prices and the cost of everything it takes to survive in society may go beyond levels of survival. Nations could collapse. People could starve. Survival is key.

Survival is the will to survive and having faith in Christ when he said in Matthew 28:20, "And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." He spoke similar encouragement to the Apostle Paul in Acts 18:10, "For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee." Throughout history, man has survived far worse than OPEC and government crooks. Christians survived the Roman era persecution in the early days of the church by banding together and relying on God. Jesus, speaking of food and clothing, told us in Matthew 6:33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." We have Christ and each other. We can survive.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com

Change Is Here!

Yesterday, conservative change came to Washington. The four-year nightmare of Democrat dominance of Congress came to an end when the House voted 241-to-173 to elect John Boehner of Ohio as the new Speaker of the House. Nineteen Democrats cast their ballots for someone other than Nancy Pelosi. Given that her leadership drove Congress' approval ratings to record lows and a shellacking at the ballot box, it is amazing that so many Democrats continue to march lock-step behind her failed leadership.

That said, it was very gratifying watching the opening ceremonies and seeing so many of our endorsed candidates taking the oath of office on the House floor: Rep. Dan Webster (R-FL) who defeated liberal Alan Grayson; Rep. Allen West (R-FL); Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), who defeated a 34-year incumbent Democrat; and Rep. Daniel Benishek (R-MI), who took pro-life turncoat Bart Stupak's seat. These were just a few of the dozens of candidates who we were able to help elect thanks to your support, which made today's historic change on Capitol Hill possible.

Speaker Boehner began the day at church, with friends and family praying for him and our country. His life is an inspirational example of the American dream, as you can read in this Reuters article.

As tradition dictates, the official first meeting of the new Congress began with a prayer. Pelosi, as outgoing Speaker, then spoke and once again demonstrated that she hadn't learned anything from her November "shellacking" at the polls. Unbelievably, she went through the litany of legislation forced on the American people over the last two years by her, Harry Reid and Barack Obama, and she defended it all! Nothing was left out -- from ObamaCare to allowing open homosexuality in the military.

Just after 2:00 PM, an emotional John Boehner addressed the House for the first time as Speaker.

Here is an excerpt of his remarks:

"Hard work and tough decisions will be required of the 112th Congress. No longer can we fall short. No longer can we kick the can down the road. The people voted to end business as usual, and today we begin carrying out their instructions. . .

The American people have humbled us. They have refreshed our memories as to just how temporary the privilege to serve is. They have reminded us that everything here is on loan from them. That includes this gavel, which I accept cheerfully and gratefully, knowing I am but its caretaker. After all, this is the people's House.

"This is their Congress. It's about them, not us. What they want is a government that is honest, accountable and responsive to their needs. A government that respects individual liberty, honors our heritage, and bows before the public it serves. . . Our aim will be to give government back to the people."

Of course, no politician is perfect, but Boehner stands out in Washington for having never requested an earmark. So in this age of spending restraint, Speaker Boehner speaks with authority. Today, he led by example by pushing a bill through the House to cut Congress' budget by five percent.

That was an easy vote, but far more difficult tasks lie ahead. We look forward to working with Speaker Boehner and the House Republican majority to stop Obama's socialism and to promote pro-family, pro-life, pro-free enterprise policies. (Gary Bauer)

Obama's Pre-emptive Surrender

The new House majority hadn't even been sworn it yet when it already scored its first victory. Yesterday morning the New York Times reported that the Obama Administration has reversed course and rescinded its controversial regulations on end-of-life planning for Medicare. Don't be confused -- this is not a change of heart. Rather, the move is a pre-emptive surrender -- a recognition of the new dynamics on Capitol Hill.

With a repeal vote scheduled next week, Obama and the liberal Democrats didn't want another debate on "death panels." Moreover, the end-of-life regulation would have been a prime target for the GOP's effort to defund ObamaCare. It was a good political move on Obama's part to get the issue off the table, for now at least.

But it should also be a reminder to every conservative that the Left doesn't give up. Just as we are fighting with the EPA over cap and trade regulations, we had won the debate over end-of-life planning in the last Congress only to see the bureaucrats resurrect it. We must remain vigilant on every front. The battle with the bureaucracy is one fight conservatives must win. (Gary Bauer)

GOP MOVES TO REPEAL HEALTH CARE LAW

House GOP sources told CNN that they plan to hold a critical procedural vote this Friday to repeal the health care law. As they claim the majority today, Republicans vow to waste no time in their intentions to unveil repeal legislation and appease voters' frustration with the new law. The final House vote may take place as early as next Wednesday, but CNN predicts that the repeal is unlikely to pass the Senate.

The fact that this will be taken up by the full House so soon without committee hearings will likely draw scorn from Democrats, since Republicans have pledged to make the House more open and transparent.

But, GOP sources insist the health care law has been litigated for two years, and say that they do intend to conduct health care hearings. Along with legislation for repeal will be instructions for key House committees to hold hearings on what new health care law should replace it. (CNN)
From Family Research Council:

Speaker of the House, Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), has made repealing Obamacare Congress' first priority this year. The House Rules Committee will meet this Thursday to begin a process leading to a January 12th vote on repeal. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has written Boehner promising to block any repeal effort. Boehner, who has said ObamaCare will kill businesses "by a thousand cuts," hopes to kill the law outright, but if not, by a thousand legislative cuts, chipping away undesirable measures one at a time. Pro-lifers want to repeal measures in the law providing for abortion and its funding, but abortion advocates are already gearing up to stop them.

From Intercessors for America:

- Pray for the lawmakers to proceed with integrity and wisdom as they challenge the health care law. Intercede for the Lord to guide their decisions.

- "Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. ...the Lord will give you insight into all this." (2 Tim. 2:5-7)

EGYPT: 23 Killed in Coptic Church Bombing

The number of people killed in a New Year's Eve suicide bombing at a Coptic church in northern Egypt rose to 23 on Tuesday after two more people wounded in the blast succumbed to their injuries, Egyptian state news agency Mean reported, citing unnamed government sources. Almost half of the 80 people injured in blast in the city of Alexandria in the early hours of Saturday have now been discharged from hospital, Mean said. Several suspects were reportedly arrested and were being questioned over the bombing, which the Egyptian authorities have blamed on foreigners. No group has so far claimed the attack. But analysts say suspicion is likely to fall on Islamist radicals inspired by Al-Qaeda. (AKI) Read more.

PRAY FOR SUDAN

"Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?" ( Isaiah 58:6)

Sudan is at a crossroads. On January 9, 2011, the people will vote on a referendum to decide the future of the nation. As the vote approaches, many questions remain: Will it be fair? Will the results be just? Will the South secede from the North? Will the North use its military might to stop the South from becoming an independent nation? Will there be a civil war?

Though we cannot know what will happen, we can, in fact, influence the outcome. How? By rising up in our God-given spiritual authority as the Body of Christ and influencing the outcome by prayer and fasting.

WINDOW INTERNATIONAL NETWORK is calling our army of prayer partners to pray and fast on 7, 8, 9 and 10 January to prevent a blood bath or civil war in Sudan. We'll be praying for:

• an enormous voter turnout
• fair voting with no corruption
• a peaceful transition if the South decides to secede
• the Christians to be protected
• Muslims to hear the Gospel and know the love of Jesus Christ

We need YOU to pray and help us rally a huge army of intercessors to be part of this tremendous mobilization of prayer. First complete the survey below to let us know you're praying. Then tell your friends, family, small group, pastor, church. Enlist others to participate in this critically important prayer initiative.

Important note: Sudan is Eastern Standard Time + 8 hours. Please pray accordingly.

Now is the time to pray and fast for Sudan. We were born for such a time as this. (Esther 4:14)

Released by: WIN Prayer Network

CONFRONT THE FORCES OF DARKNESS AND PREVENT A MASSACRE IN SUDAN - FAST AND PRAY 7 to 10 JANUARY, 2011!

The Good News Corner

Indian Rescue Mission's Recent Rescue of a Minor Girl, Helps Indian Police Uncover an International Trafficking Racket

Efforts made by Indian Rescue Mission (IRM), a Christian organization, helped Indian police track an International Sex Racket being run by Indian pimps with tentacles in major Indian metros and with audacious plans to expand it internationally.

This comes within a week of police action upon the tip off received by IRM in rescuing a minor girl forced into prostitution in a red light area in Sangli district, Karnataka State on December 11, 2010.

The Police, in their enquiry, found out that the rescued girl was sold for 90,000 Rupees (approx 2000 US $) to a lady pimp and sold again to a brothel keeper in the red light area.

Police Investigations revealed that, the lady Pimp approached the parents of the rescued girl and made a false promise saying that the girl will be offered a good job in a city. Then purchased the girl for 2000 US dollars and finally sold her off to a brothel keeper.

Acting on the information gathered by the lady pimp, the Maharastra State Police conducted a series of raids in Karnataka State, and arrested Pimps which gave a way for the Police to track an International Sex Racket which was hiding behind this.

More raids and arrests are expected in connection with this case.

Speaking on the recent developments, James Varghese, Founder President of Indian Rescue Mission said, "We had been constantly watching and investigating on this lady pimp and then found that the girl was forced into prostitution. And that's how we planned for the rescue operation."

"I am happy that this case gave clues to the Police regarding the network of the International Sex Racket," added Varghese. "Thanks to Maharastra Police."
(Source; Breaking Christian News)

Worship with Us Today!

"Love Has Come" by Mark Schultz

Worship the LORD with the Word of His Testimony. Yes, LORD!

CHPP Daily Brief - January 5, 2011

In This Issue
• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• The Good News Corner
• Worship with Us Today!

Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net

The Daily Brief - Wednesday, January 5, 2011

And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice.(Psalm 50:6)

The Daily Brief

1. John Boehner Becomes Speaker of the House - Fox News

Rep. John Boehner was elected speaker of the House, sealing newfound Republican power-sharing in Congress and drawing the curtain on the history-making Nancy Pelosi era at the helm.

In the Senate, Vice President Joe Biden gave the oath of office to senators, while the House began a long roll call that ended in Boehner's election. Nineteen House Democrats refused to vote for Pelosi as speaker, baring the lingering wounds from last fall's bitter elections that cost their party 64 House seats. Eleven House Democrats kept campaign promises Wednesday by voting for fellow centrist Heath Shuler, D-N.C.

- Continue to pray for all who are now serving in the 112th Session of the U.S. Congress, that God would grant them His wisdom as they begin to govern our nation.

- "For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us." (Isaiah 33:22)

2. GOP-Controlled House to Start Off by Reading Constitution - Fox News

After House Republicans take control of the House vowing to govern by the book, one of their first acts will be to read the Constitution aloud in an effort to show members of Congress 'we are a nation of laws, not men.'

- Offer a great chorus of PRAISE that the American people have voted in a Congress that will serve under the law, and that the spirit of lawlessness is now bound out of the land.

- "So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame." (Joel 2:25,26)

3. Obama ready to deploy executive powers against GOP Hill - Washington Examiner

Obama challenged congressional Republicans to embrace the "shared responsibility" of governance even as the White House appears ready to use unilateral executive powers to battle Capitol Hill. With Republicans taking over the House and increasing their number in the Senate, Obama faces the possibility of having his agenda stalled with limited room to maneuver -- making for tough sledding in the two years leading up to his 2012 re-election bid.

- God, bring to pass the reaping of all the evil that has been sown like seeds for the past three years. Direct the earth to close its doors to wickedness and destruction that has been aimed at bringing down America and Israel. We ask that You raise up a holy sword to cut to shreds all documents that were not sanctioned by Your will. In Jesus Name.

- "Even the very dust of your city, which cleaves on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be you sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come near unto you." (Luke 10:11)

4. Napolitano: Israeli-Style Security Won't Work for U.S. - Fox News

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Tuesday rebuffed suggestions that U.S. airports should adopt the practices of airports in Israel, calling the Israeli air travel system "a very different model."

- God, we ask that You put in place a set standard in America, to protect our airports as we adopt the practices of airports in Israel, whose pattern has been extremely successful. In Jesus Name.

- "Thus says the Lord, Stand in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, which is the good way, and walk therein, and you shall find rest for your souls." (Jeremiah 6:16)

5. Court OKs searches of cell phones without warrant - SF Chronicle

The California Supreme Court allowed police Monday to search arrestees' cell phones without a warrant, saying defendants lose their privacy rights for any items they're carrying when taken into custody.

- Father, we ask that lawlessness will cease and the God-given law prevail over this issue. In Jesus Name.

- "But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." (Amos 5:24)

6. Gold drops 2.5 percent in rout, fear subsides - Reuters

Gold slid more than 2 percent on Tuesday, its biggest one-day loss since early November, as signs of an improving economy diminished safe-haven buying and a profit-taking commodities rout dragged prices off highs.

- God, You oversee all the economies of the world and it is totally in Your control. You hold the scales of balance in Your hand and we will forever put all our trust in Your miraculous provision. We will never be forsaken of our God. In Jesus Name.

- "A just weight and balance are the Lord's: all the weights of the bag are His work." (Proverbs 16:11)

7. Appeals Court Rules Calif. Public Park Cross Unconstitutional - CBS News

A war memorial cross in a San Diego public park is unconstitutional because it conveys a message of government endorsement of religion, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday in a two decade old case.

- Father, the wickedness of men abounds in the earth today. To remove a cross as being unconstitutional is not the American way nor is it God's way. We ask that this judge repent of his evil ways and bow his knees to the Lord God Almighty, for of a truth, this shall not go without recompense. In Jesus Name.

- "And God shall spread forth His hands in the midst of them, as He that swims spreads forth his hands to swim: and He shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands." (Isaiah: 25:11)

The Middle East in Focus

This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:

If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget it's skill! If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth--if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy. (Psalm 137:5-6)

1. Qassam hits Israel; IDF attacks Gaza targets - Ynet News

The Air Force attacked two targets in the Gaza Strip Tuesday in response to the firing of Qassam rockets at Israel earlier in the day. The Palestinians did not report any injuries.

2. Blair warns time is of the essence for Mideast peace talks - CNN

If substantial talks don't begin soon between Israel and the Palestinians, all parties will face "profound trouble," the Middle East Quartet's special representative warned Tuesday.

3. Netanyahu, Blair meet as peace process returns to int'l agenda - Jerusalem Post

Following a more than weeklong hiatus in international involvement in the diplomatic process because of the Christmas and New Year holidays, diplomatic activity began anew on Tuesday with a meeting in Jerusalem between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Quartet envoy Tony Blair.

The Daily Jot

Constitution is a gimmick--thoughts from a lost generation

When the 112th Congress begins on January 6th, Republicans plan to read aloud the U.S. Constitution and also require that any new legislation must be able to meet Constitutional muster. Socialists in Congress and the media, who are often emotionally tied to symbolic gestures, are criticizing the Constitutional reading as a gimmick. On December 30th, MSNBC ran a segment essentially ridiculing the concept of returning to the Constitution. On "The Daily Rundown", Norah O'Donnell said the attention to the Constitution was "lip service" and she interviewed her "favorite wonk" Ezra Klein, a writer for the Washington Post to support her leftist viewpoint.

Klein was asked by O'Donnell, "Is this a gimmick?" To which Klein replied, "Yes, its a gimmick. You can say two things about it: One, it has no binding power on anything. And two, the issue of the Constitution is not that people don't read the text and think they are following it. The issue of the Constitution is that the text is confusing because it was written more than a hundred years ago, and what people believe it says differs from person to person and differs upon what they want to get done. So I wouldn't expect too much coming out of this." Klein's remarks are not dangerous because this is how socialists view the Constitution, they are dangerous because Klein represents a way of thought that is embraced by many young Americans.

Klein is a 26 year old graduate of UCLA and the University High School, a public school associated with the University of California. Klein is a product of the public school system and all of its brilliance in providing first--brainwashing of America's children and, second or third, an education. Unfortunately, Klein is representative of the product of public schools and the gradual, but deliberate re-education of American children toward the leftist, ungodly agenda. He doesn't believe people can understand the plain English of the Constitution; the truths in it are relative from person to person; and it can be interpreted according to political agenda. In the communist lexicon of anti-American strategy, this is called ideological subversion.

Klein was also the founder of Journolist, where liberal "journalists" conspired on such things as global warming, character assassination and leftist propagandizing of public opinion. While Klein is perhaps the ultimate of public school brainwashing, there is a generation behind him. If we want to change the nature of this godless society, we have to look at our children for they are exactly what our nation will become in a few years. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." We must insist on changes in the public school system. At the same time, we must train up our children in the ways of the Scriptures so their "yes" is "yes" and "no" is "no," otherwise evil will continue to multiply.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com

The Good News Corner

Teen Birth Rate Falls to Record Low

The U.S. teen birth rate in 2009 was down 6 percent and the lowest on record -- 39 births per 1,000 girls ages 15 to 19. Abortion statistics for 2009 have not been released.

Valerie Huber, president of the National Abstinence Education Association, said the impact of abstinence-until-marriage education can't be ignored. "These trends show that the risk-avoidance message of abstinence has 'sticking power' for young people," Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association, told The Washington Post. "This latest evidence shows that teen behaviors increasingly mirror the skills they are taught in a successful abstinence-education program."

The Obama administration has significantly reduced funding for abstinence-based programs.

"With a change in policy away from abstinence education, we may expect to see a reversal of the teen pregnancy birth rate in the years to come," Jeanne Monahan, director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council, told The Post. (CitizenLink)

Worship with Us Today!

The Messiah in Hebrew - Hallelujah Chorus

Praise the LORD -- His praises are now being sung around the world!

To listen to the Hallelujah Chorus in HEBREW, go here.
HALLELUJAH!!

CHPP Daily Brief - January 4, 2011

In This Issue
• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• January 12th
• Time For Real Transparency
• Revenge of the Taxpayer
• Update: Prop. 8 Case
• Update: The Mount Soledad Cross
• The Good News Corner
• Worship with Us Today!

Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net

The Daily Brief - Tuesday, January 4, 2011

NOTE: DUE TO A TECHNICAL ERROR, THIS ALERT IS BEING MAILED OUT ONE DAY LATE. Today's Daily Brief will be out later tonight. Thank you!

"And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice." (Psalm 50:6)

The Daily Brief

1. National Debt Tops $14 Trillion - CBS News

It took just 7 months for the National Debt to increase from $13 trillion on June 1, 2010 to $14 trillion on Dec. 31. It also means the debt is fast approaching the statutory ceiling $14.294 trillion set by Congress and signed into law by President Obama last February. Some Republicans in the new Congress have said they'll seek to block an increase in the Debt Ceiling unless a plan is in place to significantly reduce federal spending and unfunded government liabilities on entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

• Heavenly Father, we give you praise for giving us solid conservatives in our government to stop the over-spending. We pray now that these new leaders will have a laser beam focus on the wasteful spending, and have mighty success without obstruction in all that you would have us to do. Give them backs of steel and your wisdom to do the work quickly.

• Evil pursues sinners, but to the righteous, good shall be repaid. A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. (Proverbs 13:21-22)

2. Republicans May Starve US Financial Reform of Cash - Reuters

Republicans in the new U.S. Congress could put the budget squeeze on two powerful regulatory agencies to slow President Barack Obama's crackdown on Wall Street. A Democratic-controlled Congress pushed through the Dodd-Frank bank reform laws last year and regulators were counting on a big budget boost to police the $600 trillion over-the-counter derivatives market -- blamed for much of the excess behind the 2007-2009 financial crisis.

But the last Congress failed to deliver on the funding, and that will be even harder to obtain with Republicans vowing to cut spending as they take control of the House of Representatives and boost their rolls in the Senate.

• Lord, we pray that the funding for the healthcare bill will never happen, and that in the next two years significant progress will take place to dismantle this bill. We pray in the next election, more conservatives will win the senate, so the bill will be repealed and defeated. Let this all happen amazingly quick.

• Then we cried out to the Lord God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and looked on our affliction and our labor and our oppression. So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm. (Deuteronomy 26:7, 8)

3. 14 States May Target Birthright Citizenship - AP

Arizona state politicians will introduce model legislation this week to encourage states to prevent children of illegal immigrants from being granted citizenship under the 14th Amendment. Arizona state Senator Russell Pearce argues that the "original intent" of the 14th Amendment was to grant citizenship to freed U.S. slaves, and that it was never meant to apply to the children of foreigners.

A Phoenix New Times writer, however, argues that lawmakers who originally passed the amendment took into account the cases of children of Chinese immigrants in California as well as children of gypsies when drafting the measure. A 19th-century Supreme Court precedent also backs that interpretation, though no Supreme Court case has yet dealt with the issue of offspring of illegal immigrant parents. Ali Noorani of the immigrant-rights group the National Immigration Forum told The Lookout that he believes leaders in more states will try to counter the thrust of the birthright initiative by adopting resolutions that eschew state laws cracking down on illegal immigration.

• Lord, we pray there will be no successful blocks to this effort to stop automatic citizenship for anyone born of illegal immigrants. Allowing this to stay as is, has opened up a floodgate of issues we do not want. Help us to close that door permanently without interference.

• Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger who is with him. (Deuteronomy 1:16)

4. New Laws Govern Guns, Web, Banks - Wall Street News Journal

A raft of new federal and local laws ring in the new year, governing a span of topics from health care and finance to texting, guns and smoking. State legislators passed about 31,000 news laws in 2010, down slightly from the previous year. Many of those laws took effect at the start of this year, and many reflect the potential misuse of computers.

Meagan Dorsch, director of public affairs for the National Conference of State Legislatures, a bipartisan group that offers data and research to legislators nationwide said,. "There are a lot of examples of states expanding their current laws to try to protect the public while they engage in new technologies."

• Lord, we pray for the legislators to have your wisdom when making these regulations. We pray that unnecessary regulations will be removed, and that our government will streamline the agencies and laws so they are not cumbersome.

• As with a breaking of my bones, my enemies reproach me, while they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" . . . Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God. (Psalms 42:10,11)

5. Falling Birds Likely Died from Massive Trauma - CNN

The thousands of birds that fell from the sky just before midnight New Year's Eve in Arkansas likely died from massive trauma, according to a preliminary report released Monday. There was no sign of any chronic or infectious disease," the report said, according to the game and fish commission. Keith Stephens, a spokesman for the commission, said the birds showed evidence of trauma in the breast tissue, with blood clots in the body cavity and a lot of internal bleeding. All major organs were normal. Some ducks were also found dead in the area. As of Saturday, between 4,000 and 5,000 birds had been found dead, said Stephens.

In a seemingly separate incident, some 500 red-winged blackbirds, starlings and grackles were found dead in southern Louisiana in Labarre. The birds showed no evident trauma, according to Jim LaCour, a veterinarian with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Samples have been sent to Wisconsin and Georgia for testing, he said.

• Father, we pray that the source of this strange phenomenon be revealed quickly. If it is poisoning, disease, or governmental experiments that are causing the deaths, let it be known, so we can stop this dangerous occurrence to our wildlife and possibly humans.

• So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves . . . and God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." (Genesis 1:21, 22)

6. Drilling Is Stalled Even After Ban Is Lifted - Wall Street Journal

More than two months after the Obama administration lifted its ban on drilling in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico, oil companies are still waiting for approval to drill the first new oil well there. Experts now expect the wait to continue until the second half of 2011, and perhaps into 2012. Rig operators say drilling permits once approved in a matter of weeks have taken up to five months to process as the government introduced new rules. The lengthy delays in reviewing new permits have caught the industry off guard. Some companies are shifting investments out of the Gulf.

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Angelle pushed for a return to drilling last month. "It's time to get the men and women of this industry back to work, as well as the other industries that are dependent upon drilling activity for survival-the welders, the boat captains, the pipefitters and caterers," he said. "There is a multitude of individuals on the coast who want to get back to work finding the fuel to energize America."

• Lord, we pray that even though there are more regulations to drilling in the Gulf coast, the permits will be processed quicker than expected. Let unnecessary rules be omitted, and let the economy grow. Help us to keep oil and gasoline costs down.

• "For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, Now I will arise," says the Lord; "I will set him in the safety for which he yearns." (Psalms 12:5)

7. US Approves New Trial of Embryonic Stem Cells - AFP

US biotech company Advanced Cell Technology said Monday it was cleared by the government to start its second trial using human embryonic stem cells to treat blindness, this time in older people. "ACT is now the first company to receive FDA clearance for two Hesc (human embryonic stem cell) trials, and is now a true translational leader in the field of regenerative medicine," said Gary Rabin, Interim chairman and chief executive.

"It marks a major step forward, not just within the stem cell sector, but, potentially for modern healthcare techniques." The company hopes to begin the US clinical trials in the coming months, and intends to seek approval for similar trials in Europe. The US and European market for such a treatment amounts to 25 to 30 billion dollars, it said.

• Father God, we come against this abomination of the desecration of human embryos. We bind this love of money which is causing these businesses to use these stem cells. Let other sources of stem cells be used to find natural cures, and let our government stop funding these tests from embryonic cells.

• Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. So truth fails . . . Then the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him That there was no justice. (Isaiah 59:14-15)

• The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one. (Psalms 14:2, 3)

The Middle East in Focus

This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:

If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget it's skill! If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth--if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy. (Psalm 137:5-6)

1. U.S. Middle East peace efforts to resume - Politico

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that U.S. officials led by White House Middle East peace advisor Dennis Ross will come to Israel this week to try to revive the Middle East peace process.

2. Report: U.S. Jewish leader met Assad with message from Netanyahu - Ha'aretz

Malcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice president of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, met recently in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar Assad, Channel 10 reported on Monday.

3. Netanyahu slams Palestinians' new 'three no's' - Jerusalem Post

Israel has an "arsenal of possible responses" it can deploy in response to a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday.

4. Israeli companies to help build first modern Palestinian city - Ha'aretz

About 20 Israeli suppliers will help build the first modern Palestinian city in the West Bank but only after promising they will not use products or services from Israeli settlements, the project's developer said Tuesday.

5. Sheshinski: Increase gov't take from oil, gas to 50-62% - Jerusalem Post

The Sheshinski committee's on Monday presented its final recommendations and suggested increasing the government's take from oil and gas revenue from the current one-third to 50-62%. It also recommended levying a progressive tax rate on profits of 20-50% and canceling the depletion allowance. The royalties rate will remain unchanged at 12.5%.

The Daily Jot

The prophetic destiny of "an holy nation"

"The time has come for a new American emancipation-a great national drive to tear down economic barriers and liberate the spirit of enterprise in the most distressed areas of our country. My friends, together we can do this, and do it we must, so help me God...If not us, who? And if not now, when? It must be done by all of us going forward..." These were the words of President Ronald Reagan in his Second Inaugural Address, on Monday, January 21, 1985. The election of 1984 was affirmation that Reagan's economic policies and his bully pro-American, pro-moral agenda was working. He was reversing the policies of the failed socialist agenda of Jimmy Carter, which left the nation in an economic and foreign policy abyss.

The 2010 election was also a referendum on a socialist agenda--a referendum that rejected outright and with force the failing policies of the counter-American. Yet, these soldiers of socialism, who were kicked out of office for their dastardly deeds that left our nation economically bankrupt, came back and worked more of their evil in a lame duck session. Some of those who were re-elected surely did not get the message. We as a nation still have leadership that wishes to remake America into a socialist, perhaps even communist, so-called democracy. More czars, more power grabs, more spending, more laws that are made but never read, more freedoms taken away, more immorality through laws and regulations.

In the past, Americans have always rebounded by standing against such tyranny, such evil. One of the problems now is that whoever we elect cannot be trusted, even those who call themselves Christians. It is time, as Reagan so eloquently said, that the move away from this godless society must be done by all of us going forward. You see, the battle really isn't about socialism or communism or tyranny. Those are just results of the battle. The battle is over the souls of citizens. I maintain that if Christians in this nation were actually moving in the spiritual gifts as prescribed specifically by the Holy Scriptures, this nation would be righted, even as end times prophecy moves rapidly forward.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com

January 12th

Mark your calendars, friends. On Wednesday, January 12th, the House of Representatives will hold a vote to repeal ObamaCare. (Coincidentally, the 12th is also Rush Limbaugh's birthday. Repeal of ObamaCare would be a great gift to him and the American people!) Some House Republicans are optimistic that the vote could even attract enough bi-partisan support to override a presidential veto. It would be remarkable indeed if several dozen House Democrats crossed the aisle and opposed the crown jewel of Obama's agenda.

That said, no one expects a repeal bill to pass the Senate or get past Obama's veto pen. So what is Plan B? What will congressional Republicans do on January 13th? If we can't repeal ObamaCare, the next best thing is to defund it.

Conservative champion Rep. Steve King (R-IA) is leading the charge to do just that. He recently sat down with Terry Jeffrey of CNSNews.com and outlined the strategy for preventing funding of ObamaCare in every appropriations bill. You can watch the interview here.

As Rep. King notes, this is going to be a big fight. House Republicans will be under immense pressure to back down from the media, the White House, the Democrats and left-wing special interest groups. Obama may shut down the government over this fight. But conservatives must not give in.

We will do everything we can to encourage our friends on Capitol Hill to hold their ground, and from time to time we will be calling on you for reinforcements. I hope you are ready to rumble! (Gary Bauer)

Time For Real Transparency

House Committees to Launch a Series of Investigations of Administration Activities

. . . today's Washington Post reports that a number of House GOP committee chairmen are planning investigations that will finally force some transparency on this White House.

For example, Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is planning six hearings in the first three months of the year. The subjects include WikiLeaks, the role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the mortgage meltdown, corruption in Afghanistan and the excessive regulation of American businesses.

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, will reportedly investigate the Justice Department's civil rights division for failing to enforce voter rights laws. I hope that means Rep. Smith will ask Attorney General Eric Holder why he dropped the voter intimidation case against members of the New Black Panther Party.

The most consequential investigations may come from the House Homeland Security Committee. The new chairman, Rep. Peter King (R-NY), is pledging to investigate Islamic radicalization, not overseas but right here in America.

The shootings at Fort Hood and multiple military recruiting stations and the numerous plots attempted by homegrown jihadis strongly suggest that such hearings are long overdue. Yet King is coming under fire from American Muslim apologists and the politically correct media for daring to ask the obvious: What is the common thread in all these events?

In its first editorial of the new year, the New York Times accused Rep. King of a "sweeping slur on Muslim citizens." As usual, the Times has it backwards. If Islam is truly a religion of peace, the "sweeping slur" is being committed by those seeking to "kill the infidel" in the name of Allah.

Given the disturbing rise in the number of American citizens who have embraced radical Islam's jihad against the West, why would anyone oppose these hearings? Could it be that the progressives at the New York Times editorial board are concerned that Rep. King might actually uncover Islamic radicalization in some American mosques? The Times seems more concerned with avoiding inconvenient truths than with protecting America's homeland security. Sadly, that is typical of the Times and many of America's media elites. . . (Gary Bauer)

Revenge of the Taxpayer

Health Care Reform II: Revenge of the Taxpayer

January 12 may be National Marzipan Day, but if House Republicans have a say, it'll be remembered for a whole lot more. Yesterday, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) made the announcement that most Americans have been waiting for: a vote to repeal the oppressive, expensive, abortion-funding health care law will take place sooner rather than later. Next Wednesday, to be exact. Our sources tell us that floor debate on repealing ObamaCare will begin on Friday, with a final vote scheduled for January 12.

In the 296 days since the bill was signed, the country's outrage over the policy hasn't dampened. If anything, Americans are opposed to the law now more than ever. Although Democrats are criticizing the move as "symbolic," Rep. Nan Hayworth (R-N.Y.) told Fox News her job is to listen to voters. "They want it repealed, so whether or not the vote will be symbolic will depend on what the Senate and our President does. It's entirely meaningful within the context of what the House is doing. That's what we were elected to do."

Unlike the 2,074-page tree-killer that was ObamaCare, the repeal text is a breezy 250 words. While the new leadership is expected to pick up some Democrats along the way, the bill isn't expected to advance beyond the House. But that doesn't mean Republicans will stop swinging at it. "You'll continue to see us make that fight because that's what the American people want us to do," said Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.). If Sen. Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) Senate won't budge on the repeal, new Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has plenty of other weapons at his disposal. Among other things, his party will try starving the bill of federal funds. And since the 111th Congress added more to the deficit than the first 100 combined--that's a diet we can all get behind! (Family Research Council)

Update: Prop. 8 Case

Prop. 8 Case Sent to California High Court

9th Circuit Undermines Marriage, Religious Freedom

In a pair of decisions handed down today, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sidestepped the issue of marriage and undercut religious freedom.

A three-judge panel sent the Proposition 8 case -- which focuses on California's marriage protection amendment -- to the California Supreme Court to weigh in on. At issue is whether marriage advocates have the right to defend Proposition 8 in court.

Marriage advocates stepped into the case after outgoing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and outgoing state Attorney General (and Governor-elect) Jerry Brown failed to defend Prop. 8. Incoming Attorney General Kamala Harris has already said she will not defend the marriage amendment either.

In its order, the court wrote: "It is critical that we be advised of the rights under California law of the official proponents of an initiative measure to defend the constitutionality of that measure upon its adoption by the People when the state officers charged with the laws' enforcement, including the Attorney General, refuse to provide such a defense or appeal a judgment declaring the measure unconstitutional. As we are aware of no controlling state precedent on this precise question, we respectfully ask the Supreme Court of California to exercise its discretion to accept and decide the certified question below."

The case reached the 9th Circuit after U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker struck down Proposition 8 in August, claiming it violates the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution.

An answer from the state Supreme Court is expected in a few weeks or months. (CitizenLink)

Update: The Mount Soledad Cross

9th Circuit Rules it Unconstitutional

In a separate case, the 9th Circuit ruled today that a veterans memorial cross in San Diego is unconstitutional.

The Mount Soledad cross was built in 1913. The current cross, which stands 29 feet tall atop a 14-foot base, was erected in honor of veterans of both World Wars and Korea.

In 1989, the lawsuits began. In 1992, San Diego tried to protect the cross by giving the land to the nonprofit Mount Soledad Memorial Association. Fourteen years later, still mired in legal red tape, the site was named an official federal war memorial.

Kelly Shackelford, president and CEO of the Texas-based Liberty Institute -- which is associated with Focus on the Family -- said he is ready to defend the cross all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"It's not real surprising to me," he said of the ruling. "They're hostile to religious expression and want to engage in religious cleansing. The big question now is, will the Supreme Court take the case?

"We're certainly going to be doing everything we can to make sure the court takes the case." (CitizenLink)

Read the full decision on Prop. 8 by going here.

The Good News Corner

More Good News From The GOP House

In addition to a renewed focus on the Constitution, House Republicans are instituting additional rules to rein in spending. The Wall Street Journal reports that House Republicans are replacing the Democrats' "Pay As You Go" rule, which became a convenient excuse to raise taxes, with a "Cut As You Go" rule. Under this new rule, increases in mandatory spending will require spending cuts in other areas of the budget.

Another rules change creates so-called "spending reduction accounts." One of the problems with the debate over earmarks is that if Congress votes to end an earmark, the money isn't returned to the Treasury. If members of Congress don't earmark funds for specific projects, then Obama Administration bureaucrats are free to spend federal dollars however they want.

With "spending reduction accounts," money from an earmark or any other program that is voted down would be put into a "spending reduction account" so the bureaucrats can't spend it. The idea is similar to a savings account. Let's say you save $100 on groceries this month. Rather than spending that $100 on clothes or eating out, you put it into your savings account. Believe it or not, that's a really novel concept in Washington!

For too long members of Congress have been accustomed to using Uncle Sam's credit card for every desire. These small, but important steps will hopefully recondition their thinking about how they spend your money, laying the foundation for more fundamental reforms to come. (Gary Bauer)

Worship with Us Today!

"Our God" by Chris Tomlin

Join us in ushering in this New Year by worshiping our Lord with this magnificent video!

CHPP Daily Brief - January 3, 2011

In This Issue
• On Capitol Hill This Week; Vol. XVIII, No. 1
• This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .

Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net

On Capitol Hill This Week Volume XVIII, Number 1
January 3 - 7, 2011

SPECIAL EDITION: WELCOMING THE 112TH SESSION OF CONGRESS

"And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice." (Psalm 50:6)

A SPECIAL MESSAGE TO ALL OUR FRIENDS:

Tonight we are praising God, because you REALLY CAME THROUGH in response to our recent appeal: "Do You Have Ten Dollars?"

Because of your generous giving . . . we are back!

If you have not yet given in response to our request and would like to do so, you may send a check to the address above, or go directly to our link for online giving:

https://www.egsnetwork.com/gift/gift.php?giftid=3B77E058-983E-4415-AA4E-2F82ED1A4DEA#

Thank you all, God bless you, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sara C. Ballenger, Founder and President
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners

On Capitol Hill This Week; Vol. XVIII, No. 1

1. 112th SESSION OF CONGRESS TO BE SWORN IN AT NOON ON WEDNESDAY
2. PRAYER REQUEST FOR THE 112TH CONGRESS
3. GOP INTRODUCES REVAMPED RULES FOR CONGRESS
4. HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER ERIC CANTOR PROMISES STABILITY
5. WILL OBAMACARE BE REPEALED?
6. OBAMA BYPASSES SENATE TO NAME NEW ENVOYS
7. GOP FUMING OVER OBAMA APPOINTMENT OF HOLDER FRIEND
8. NEW ELIGIBILITY CHALLENGE REACHES SUPREME COURT
9. OBAMA SIGNS REPEAL OF "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL"
10. START TREATY STALLS IN RUSSIA
11. "THE U.S. WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO AN ISLAMIC REPUBLIC"
12. LARGEST NATURAL GAS RESERVE DISCOVERED IN ISRAEL

1. 112th SESSION OF CONGRESS TO BE SWORN IN AT NOON ON JAN. 5, 2010

New GOP Majority Will Open Congress by Reading the U.S. Constitution

A lot of politicians talk about the Constitution, but in January, the new House Republican majority will do more than just reference the nation's cornerstone document. According to the Washington Times, the new incoming majority has called for a full reading of the U.S. Constitution on the floor of the House of Representatives on Jan. 6.

The goal, backers said, is to underscore the limited-government rules the Founders imposed on Congress - and to try to bring some of those principles back into everyday legislating.

"It stems from the debate that we've had for the last two years about things like the exercise of authority in a whole host of different areas by the EPA, we've had this debate in relation to the health care bill, the cap-and-trade legislation," said Rep. Robert W. Goodlatte, Virginia Republican, who proposed the reading. "This Congress has been very aggressive in expanding the power of the federal government, and there's been a big backlash to that." (The Blaze)

- Praise God from Whom all blessings flow . . . .praise Him all creatures here below . . . praise Him above ye heavenly host . . . praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost! Offer a great chorus of PRAISE that the American people have voted in a Congress that will serve under the law, and that the spirit of lawlessness is now bound out of the land.

The number TWELVE refers to governmental authority, stemming from the 12 tribes of Israel. Praise God that the disintegrating destruction of the 111th Session of Congress has now come to an end, and ask that the Lord would move upon the hearts of our new members of Congress to work to restore what the locust has eaten in our nation. Again, praise God!

- " So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame." (Joel 2:25,26)

2. PRAYER REQUEST FOR THE 112TH CONGRESS

A New Day on Capitol Hill: Republicans Take Over House; Gain Seats in Senate

When the new Congress is installed on Wednesday, a very different atmosphere will cover Capitol Hill. Republicans have come back strong, taking over the House (where they have gained 66 seats) and increasing their strength substantially in the Senate. The current total membership in the House of Representatives is: 242 Republicans and 193 Democrats

The new Speaker of the House will be John Boehner from Cincinatti, Ohio. Nancy Pelosi, who has moved out of the House Speaker's suite of offices in the Capitol, now moves to a position as the Minority Leader for the Democrats that remain.

In the U.S. Senate, Harry Reid still serves as the Majority Leader. Democrats still control this chamber, but Republicans have gained six seats in the election. The current total membership is: 51 Democrats, 47 Republicans, and 2 Independents. (Wikipedia)

- We are ask you to join us in prayer for all named above, as well as the Republican leaders that follow. (We will post the leaders of the Democratic Party in the Senate next week.)

Scripture commands us to "First . . . pray for all in authority . . " and so we are obedient to do so. Pray that each one be led by the fruit of the Spirit in all their ways; and that this will indeed be a new day on Capitol Hill. [Intercessors for America has released an excellent guide for this purpose, called "30 Ways to Pray for Those in Authority." We commend this prayer guide to you as you enter into this New Year with our leaders on Capitol Hill, in prayer.]

- "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (I Timothy 2:1-4)

Please pray for the Senate Republican Leadership:

-- Senator Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Senate Republican Leader
-- Senator Jon Kyl (Ariz.), Senate Republican Whip
-- Senator Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Senate Republican Conference Chairman
-- Senator John Thune (S.D.), Senate Republican Policy Committee Chairman
-- Senator John Barrasso (Wyo.), Senate Republican Conference Vice Chairman
-- Senator John Cornyn (Texas), National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman

3. GOP INTRODUCES REVAMPED RULES FOR CONGRESS

Incoming House Speaker John Boehner and his Republican colleagues are acutely aware of public anger over how Congress operates. . . and plan to do something about it. "They see a government in Washington that isn't listening, doesn't get it, and frankly the American people think that Washington doesn't really care," Boehner recently said. And Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) says, "I was elected with a mandate to change the status quo. We have to change the way we do business in Washington." So when Republicans take control of the House, they want to implement some new rules.

"They're going to put everything up on the web and they're gonna give people three days to actually scour through bills, to check all the titles and the sections to see if what the legislators say is in the bill is actually in the bill," says Matt Schlapp, a former political director in the Bush Administration. Tom Schatz of Citizens Against Government Waste says, "It's about time that Congress enters the digital age. Everyone else has their information online. It's accessible, it's easy to understand, and yet Congress for years has refused to let people see what they're doing." And some Democrats agree, including Congressman Rob Andrews of New Jersey. "The public certainly should have a minimum of three days to read a bill whether it's in committee or on the floor. . . so I embrace the idea in the Republican proposal," he said.

Republicans will also require lawmakers to take another step, says Jason Chaffetz. "When you submit your piece of legislation, you're gonna actually have to cite constitutional authority for that bill." In fact, Republicans plan to read the constitution on the floor when they return next week. And that's only the beginning. They also want hearings to expose the details of any regulations proposed by the administration that are not specified in legislation approved by Congress. (Fox News)

• Pray that the Republicans will be able to follow through on these proposed plans, neither forgetting them nor ignoring them. Pray that the GOP can fulfill promises that our president made as part of his campaign pledges - like transparency. Help the GOP with your prayers so that their feet are always toward the fire. When you see your Congressman deviating from these promises, call his local office or the one in Washington, D.C., to report your observations. How much of this material will reach the public through the media is not known, but we can pray if we follow the internet news.

• "Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way." (Psalm 119: 37)

4. HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER ERIC CANTOR PROMISES STABILITY

Under House Speaker Nancy Pelosi it was risky for a congressman to buy an airline ticket home more than a few hours in advance. House calendars that were posted were ignored, and bills that no one had a chance to read were passed in the middle of the night. The new Majority Leader, Eric Cantor (R-VA) has promised to change all that. He has posted a House calendar for the year that promises fewer trips back and forth for congressmen and fewer work days, but with more working hours. He also has promised "dedicated committee time" so Members will not have to walk out of hearings to cast votes. (Religious Freedom Coalition)

- Again, offer praise for the mood of sanity that will now prevail over Capitol Hill, and that chaos has been voted out of office. Ask that continued wisdom be granted to the leaders of both parties in both Houses, so that the work of Congress can be streamlined, and members will be able to spend more time with families, and with friends. Amen.

- "I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths." (Prov. 4:11)

5. WILL OBAMACARE BE REPEALED?

Top House Republican Predicts Bipartisan Support for Health Care Law Repeal

A top House Republican said Sunday that he expects "significant" bipartisan support for a proposed repeal of the health care overhaul -- a vote he said would be held before President Obama's State of the Union address. Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., who will take the helm of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, would not go so far as to say Congress can muster enough votes to override a presidential veto. But he predicted Republican leaders would not "be that far off" from the two-thirds majority necessary to do so. "Watch what happens," Upton said on "Fox News Sunday." "There will be a significant number of Democrats, I think, that will join us."

The Republicans' pledge to hold an early vote to repeal the health care law is widely seen as symbolic. Republicans reason that the voters who gave them the House majority in November expect them to at least go on record against the health law in the next session, though congressional rules make it highly unlikely that they'll be able to overturn it while a Democratic president is in office. (Fox News)

- Although there are numerous concerns about the omnibus health care bill that Congress passed last year, the key problem is that it requires that our taxes be used to fund abortions on demand. The shedding of innocent blood defies the law of God and brings a curse upon the land. Pray STRENGTH into this move to repeal parts or all of "Obamacare," for it surely brings shame to our nation. Pray!

- "He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate." (Isaiah 28:6)

6. OBAMA BYPASSES SENATE TO NAME NEW ENVOYS

President Obama has bypassed the U.S. Senate and directly appointed four new U.S. ambassadors whose nominations had been stalled or blocked by lawmakers for months. The White House announced Wednesday that Obama would use his power to make recess appointments to fill envoy posts to Azerbaijan, Syria and NATO allies Turkey and the Czech Republic. Recess appointments are made when the Senate is not in session and last only until the end of the next session of Congress. They are frequently used when Senate confirmation is not possible.

Specific senators had blocked or refused to consider the confirmations of the nominees for various reasons, including questions about their qualifications. But in the most high-profile case, that of the new envoy to Syria, Robert Ford, a number of senators objected because they believed sending an ambassador to the country would reward it for bad behavior. "Making underserved concessions to Syria tells the regime in Damascus that it can continue to pursue its dangerous agenda and not face any consequences from the U.S.," Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the incoming chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement. "That is the wrong message to be sending to a regime which continues to harm and threaten U.S. interests and those of such critical allies as Israel." (AP)

• Primarily, Republican Senators have objected to the nominees now appointed by President Obama, not for political reasons but for inappropriate behaviors on the parts of the nominees. Lift these new ambassadors to the Lord's throne of grace so that their behavior will be held in check, that they will not compromise US policy in order to gain favor with the country's rulers, and that they will not be able to use their new positions to further their political ambitions. Pray for the salvation of each of the ambassadors in Jesus Christ. Pray also for our president that he will make sound selections of future envoys.

• "A wicked messenger falls into mischief but a faithful ambassador is health." (Proverbs 13: 17)

7. GOP FUMING OVER OBAMA APPOINTMENT OF HOLDER FRIEND

Obama has outraged Republicans by directly appointing six officials this week without the consent of Congress, including his pick for deputy attorney general, who once compared the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks to the drug trade. The president announced the so-called recess appointments Wednesday, using his power to install sidelined nominees while Congress is on break. They will still need to be confirmed by the Senate before the end of the next session, but the recess appointments allow Obama to break a series of logjams and fill positions that have been vacant for months. Obama appointed four new U.S. ambassadors, along with the U.S. public printer and the deputy attorney general.

The latter, James Cole, had been in limbo since he was nominated in May, though his name did clear the Senate Judiciary Committee over the summer. Republicans had questioned his past consulting work with bailed-out insurance giant AIG but had been particularly critical of his stance on prosecuting terror suspects. That concern flared up again after Obama installed Cole on Wednesday. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., incoming chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, accused Cole of wanting to pursue terror suspects as a criminal matter in civilian courts. He cited a 2002 Legal Times column in which Cole called the Sept. 11 attacks "criminal acts of terrorism against a civilian population" - like the Oklahoma City bombing. Cole went on to write that the United States has faced "many forms of devastating crime," from the drug trade to organized crime to rape and child abuse. "The acts of Sept. 11 were horrible, but so are these other things," he wrote.

King said Cole's appointment indicates the administration wants to continue to implement "dangerous policies" of treating terrorism as a criminal issue. Attorney General Eric Holder, Cole's new boss, has pushed for criminal trials but has struggled to bring mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed stateside for prosecution. "I find it absolutely shocking that Obama would appoint someone who has diminished the 9/11 terrorist attacks by comparing them to the drug trade and who believes that a civilian courtroom is the appropriate venue for 9/11 trials," King said in a written statement. "I strongly oppose the recess appointment of James Cole to lead the national security team at the Department of Justice." (AP)

• Something, possibly sinister, lurks behind this continued nomination of James Cole, something which we know that the Lord will reveal. Why would Cole, an American citizen, want to grant terrorists the privileges of citizenship in a criminal court rather than in a military court? And why would the president and Attorney General want to listen to Cole? What is to be accomplished by Cole's assuming the office of deputy attorney-general? Pray mightily over this matter, this appointment, and the president's choices for people who could do much harm to the judicial system of our nation. Again, pray for the salvation of James Cole in Jesus Christ.

• "The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit." (Proverbs 14: 8)

8. NEW ELIGIBILITY CHALLENGE REACHES SUPREME COURT

Attorney calls for recusal of Obama judicial appointees

Another legal challenge to Obama's eligibility to occupy the White House has been docketed for consideration before the U.S. Supreme Court, and the plaintiff this time formally is asking that the justices appointed by Obama, the "respondent" in the case, be excluded. The motion cites Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, both of whom were awarded the lifetime tenure positions on probably the most influential court in the world by Obama. "What is very much at issue here is the question of public perception. Will this court be bound by the Constitution and the law that it sets out under the Constitution? It is important that this court, above all institutions, preserves and protects the Constitution and a rule of law based upon it," the motion states. (World Net Daily) Read more.

- In addition to the report, above, we have learned that the Supreme Court justices will review the information about Obama's eligibility to serve as President, behind closed doors, this Friday, January 7, 2011. Pray that, as the nine justices take the time to view the evidence regarding thee lack of a valid birth certificate for Barack Hussein Obama, all information needed to judge this case will be revealed and will come to light. Pray, too, for the safety of each judge and of his or her own family. For verification of this docket on the calendar of the United States Supreme Court, go here.

- "The Lord will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts." (I Corinthians 4:5)

9. OBAMA SIGNS REPEAL OF "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL"

Certification Required Before Law Can Take Effect

The debate over gays in the military has been settled with a historic decision to allow them to serve openly, but big questions lie ahead about how and when the change will take place, how troops will accept it and whether it will hamper the U.S. military effort in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Obama has signed into law the legislation that passed the Senate on Saturday, Dec. 18 -- an act some believe will carry social implications as profound as President Truman's 1948 executive order on racial equality in the military. However, the new law probably won't go into practice for months. Obama and his top advisers must first certify that repealing the 1993 ban on gays serving openly will not damage U.S. troops' ability to fight. That ban, known as "don't ask, don't tell," has allowed gays to serve, but only if they kept quiet about their sexual orientation. In the meantime, the restrictions will remain on the books, although it's unclear how fully they will be enforced. (AP)

- Clearly, this pro-gay policy has yet to take effect inside the Pentagon, and on the field of battle. Pray for a miracle of divine intervention, as there is yet another step required before this law can be implemented: the certification that this policy will not hamper our troops' ability to fight. Continue to "fight the good fight of faith" using the weapons of OUR warfare, for the Word of God does not return void!

- " . . . thus says the Lord GOD: 'It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass.'" (Isaiah 7:7)

10. START TREATY STALLS IN RUSSIA

Russian lawmakers say 'not so fast' on START Treaty ratification

Russia's lower house of parliament - State Duma - gave tentative approval to the nuclear arms treaty that Obama worked so hard to push through the lame-duck session, but it signaled that full ratification wouldn't be until January "at the earliest." Russian lawmakers signaled apprehension at two amendments to the New START Treaty passed this week by the Senate in its final ratification of the arms pact. One amendment stresses the U.S. will advance its missile defense, and the other requires the president to modernize the nuclear arsenal. Republicans had withheld support for the treaty out of fears that the preamble left the door open for Russia to veto a fourth stage of missile defense.

But now Russian lawmakers want their own amendments. "We don't have the right to leave their interpretations unanswered," Konstantin Kosachev, the head of the State Duma's foreign affairs committee, told reporters Friday, according to The Associated Press. "Otherwise, it may give additional advantages to our American partners - or, possibly, opponents. We need to balance those advantages." Russian lawmakers will return Jan. 11 from the holiday recess. The treaty will need approval from the Federation Council, which is the upper house of parliament. (The Hill) Read more

- Like the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, this effort may not prove to be a "done deal," after all. Continue to stand in agreement that the START Treaty, with all its flaws, will fail. Offer praise that the Russians are free to think for themselves, and are not "puppets on a string." Pray!

- "He frustrates the plotting of the shrewd, so that their hands cannot attain success." (Job 5:12)

11. EGYPTIAN TV INTERVIEW: "THE U.S. WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO AN ISLAMIC REPUBLIC"

In a recent TV interview, Egyptian journalist Ata Abd Al-Aal, said that ultimately "the U.S. [will] be transformed into an Islamic republic." Abd Al-Aal, an award winning journalist for the Al-Ahram government daily, speaking to the Egyptian Al-Rahma/Al-Rawdha TV, in an interview which aired on December 12, 2010, said that "the rate of converts to Islam in the U.S. is very high. This is of great alarm to the Zionist circles in the U.S., because this rate is rising on a daily basis. These converts adhere to Islam with total conviction. They become preachers themselves, and convince others to convert to Islam. You are more knowledgeable than me in this issue, and you know that many Americans convert to Islam every day."

Interviewer: "To conclude this show, let me ask: Even though Islam has a strong presence and deep roots among the Islamic communities in the U.S. and Europe, what is required of the dawa institutions in our countries?"

Ata Abd Al-Aal: "They should send religious guides, as the Americans call them, or preachers, who should put an end to the calls not to participate in the elections. Some of the sheiks who go to the U.S. during the month of Ramadan or on other religious occasions incite the Moslems living there not to take part in the elections, because they are living among infidels. This is very troubling, and runs counter to the rights of the Moslems in the U.S. "The Islamic institutions in the Islamic world should send preachers who are well versed in Islam, who know how to preach to the American mentality, and who are proficient in English and can communicate with the Americans. Over there, they must forsake their own material and personal interests, and must act for the sake of Allah."
"[Ultimately,] the U.S. will be transformed into an Islamic republic, as a sheik in the U.S. told me. He said that the most important place for the future of Islam, after Mecca and Medina, was the U.S."

(MEMRI special bulletin, December 29, 2010, www.memri.org) [Reported by Bridges for Peace]

- Pray that the west will wake up and understand the strategies of the Islamic world.

- "Do not be envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them; for their heart devises violence, and their lips talk of troublemaking. Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established." (Proverbs 24:1-3)

12. LARGEST NATURAL GAS RESERVE DISCOVERED IN ISRAEL

A natural gas reserve worth an estimated US $95 billion has been discovered off the coast of Israel, it was announced yesterday by US company Noble Energy. The discovery, based on preliminary results of production tests received in the last few days, is the largest natural gas find ever made in Israel, and the largest made in the world in the last decade. According to the 3D seismic survey, over 16 trillion cubic feet of gas was discovered about 130 kilometers offshore of Haifa, and 29 kilometers from the earlier Tamar discovery. The results match estimates first announced in June, also based on a 3D seismic survey.

Noble Energy owns 39.66 % of the prospective discovery. Other partners include Israels Delek Group, Avner Oil and Gas, Delek Drilling (22.67% each) and Ration Oil Exploration (15%).

Last year, Israeli company Isramco announced that it had discovered reserves of natural gas worth US $15 billion at the Tamar 1 offshore drill site, 90 kilometers from Haifa. "Leviathan is the latest major discovery for Noble Energy and is easily the largest exploration discovery in our history," said Charles Davidson, CEO of Noble Energy. Yoram Turbowitz, CEO of Delek Group, warned that the find would require a huge investment in infrastructure, with state aid.

Noble Energy president and COO David L. Stover said: "This discovery has the potential to position Israel as a natural gas exporting nation. For nearly a year now, we have had a team evaluating market possibilities, which includes various pipeline and LNG options. Its our belief that the natural gas resources at Leviathan are sufficient to support one or more of the options being studied." (Bridges for Peace)

• Have you invested in Israel's natural resources? The Lord loves to bless those who bless Israel. More than 10 Scripture verses mention oil and gas in Israel. Now the matter is the Lord's releasing the whereabouts and providing the availability to the world market. Praise the Lord! Pray that Israel will be able to both use and export its oil. Praise God!

• "I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel." (Isaiah 45: 3)

This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .

HOLY (Kadosh)

For this is what the high and lofty One says- he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite." (Isaiah 57:15)

Holy is Your Name; Holiness befits You. Thank You that it is not on my merit that I can approach You, but it is because of the shed Blood of Yeshua, Jesus, that I can approach Your throne of grace, and have the privilege to call You Holy -- Kadosh.

"All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name." (Psalm 66:4)

(Taken from: Intimate Moments with the Hebrew Names of God, by Barri Cae Malin and Shmuel Wolkenfeld; Bridge-Logos Publishers; Gainesville, FL, 32614. ISBN: 0-88270-801-5)