Friday, April 20, 2012

CHPP Daily Brief - Friday, April 20, 2012



•  The Daily Brief
•  The Middle East in Focus
•  Today's Legislative Focus
•  The Good News Corner
•  Worship with Us Today!

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The Daily Brief - Friday, April 20, 2012

"And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD." (Psalm 27:6)

The Daily Brief

1. GOP pushes business tax cut through divided House - Fox News

Republicans have ignored a White House veto threat and pushed an election-year, $46 billion tax cut for most employers through a sharply divided House.

- Father, we are disturbed to see politicians - on both sides of the aisle - wanting to be re-elected, casting their votes in accordance with the goal of retaining power. We pray that our Senators and Representatives will truly vote with the good of the country as their primary goal. We pray You will send a spirit of repentance into our nation's Capitol, and that all our elected officials from the President on down - will turn to You as Savior and Lord - and walk in Your wisdom in these decisions they make on a daily basis. Amen.

- "He then brought them out and asked, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' They replied, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-you and your household.' Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house."
(Acts 16:30-32)

2. Food Stamp Rolls to Grow Through 2014, CBO Says
- Wall Street Journal

The Congressional Budget Office said Thursday that 45 million people in 2011 received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, a 70% increase from 2007. It said the number of people receiving the benefits, commonly known as food stamps, would continue growing until 2014.

- Abba, we are sad to see more and more families needing to get Food Stamps in order to survive in this economy. As we see a few encouraging signs of recovery, it is distressing to see this particular statistic to continue rising over the next two years. We humbly ask that You would give these folks wisdom as to how to increase their income, and bless their efforts as they do so. We pray You will encourage them and meet all their needs. Amen.

- "For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (2 Chronicles 20:12;Jeremiah 29:11)

3. States asked to apply for unemployment test plan
- AP

The Obama administration is looking for states that will experiment with unemployment insurance programs by letting people test a job while still receiving benefits.

- Lord, we ask for wisdom on both the State and Federal level, as individual states react to this request from the Obama administration. We pray that individual states will weigh the benefits to the individual short-term, and to the states long-term. May the individuals see the benefits of their own increased self-esteem, as they consider any and all job offers, we pray. Amen.

- "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom." (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

4. Lawmakers: More Secret Service agents may be fired - Politico

Lawmakers predicted Thursday that more Secret Service agents involved in the alleged Colombian prostitution scandal will either resign or be fired from the agency soon.

- Abba, we ask that righteousness would prevail regarding this stain on our Secret Service. We ask for a spirit of repentance to be upon this agency, and that the concept of "sowing and reaping" would become acknowledged and understood. May others take note, and avoid similar activity, we pray. Amen.

- "Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people." (Proverbs 14:34)

5. Senate tries to rescue Postal Service from insolvency by May 15 - MSNBC

The Lieberman-Collins bill would use an $11 billion refund from Federal Employee Retirement system to offer buyouts of up to $25,000 to postal workers. Half of the Postal Service workforce of 557,000 employees is eligible for full or early retirement, Lieberman said. If 100,000 were to retire, the Postal Service would save $8 billion a year.The bill also relaxes the tight schedule for Postal Service payments into a fund for retiree health care, easing its cash flow problem. And for at least two years, it would halt the end of Saturday mail delivery, as other cost-cutting measures were implemented.Reid and his colleagues face a deadline: the Postal Service has agreed to a moratorium on closing any postal retail facilities until May 15, to allow Congress time to devise a way to resuscitate an enterprise that, if it were in the private sector, would be on the brink of bankruptcy or liquidation.

- Again, Father, we seek Your wisdom to rest upon the Senate, as they consider this issue. We know that many jobs are involved - and many expenses. May cost-cuts be used efficiently and effectively, and may policies be put into effect to avoid a similar crisis in the future - if this "rescue" does indeed take place. We thank You for Your wisdom and grace.

- "Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you." (Proverbs 4:6-8)

The Middle East in Focus

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

"Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto Your name give glory, for Your mercy, and for Your truth's sake. Why should the nations say, Where is their God? But our God is in the heavens. He has done whatever He has pleased."
(Psalm 115:1-3)

1. Barak: Talks bought Iran 5 weeks for nuke work - Jerusalem Post

Iran bought five weeks for its nuclear program through talks with the P5+1 group of world powers, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in an interview with CNN's Kristiana Amanpour on Thursday. The first round of talks between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany took place last weekend in Istanbul, with a second round of talks scheduled for May 23 in Baghdad.

2. PM: Israel obligated to prevent nuclear-armed Iran - Jerusalem Post

It is the world's duty to keep Iran from acquiring nuclear arms, but first and foremost it is Israel's obligation, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday at the state's Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at Yad Vashem.

3. Settlers in West Bank outpost build new homes on private Palestinian land - Ha'aretz

Some 20 homes that have been built in the Mitzpeh Cramim outpost during the past year could spark a similar coalition crisis to the one recently created by the Ulpana neighborhood in the settlement of Beit El, according to sources in the defense establishment.

Today's Legislative Focus

From The Madison Project

www.madisonproject.com

[Every week, we will try to spotlight some positive legislation that is worthy of conservative support.]

H.R. 4322, the Fracturing Regulations are Effective in State Hands (FRESH) Act
Hydraulic fracturing is one of the most auspicious private industries in the country. It has created thousands of jobs, and if left unencumbered by government, it can play a vital role in increasing our energy supply and lowering prices. Fracking for oil and natural gas has been successful on privately owned land and on some state lands. Unfortunately, the federal government owns about 2/3ds of all land in the country. As such, they have used their control to block or heavily regulate fracking in lands that contain trillions of cubic feet of natural gas.
To that end, Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX) has introduced a bill (H.R. 4322) that would explicitly grant states the sole authority to regulate, process, and issue permits for hydraulic fracking, even on federal lands within its boundaries. This is a great preemptive bill that will create jobs and help lower the price of gasoline. There are currently 22 cosponsors. Ask your members if they plan to sign onto this commonsense legislation.

[You can read more from this week's Madison Report by going here.]


The Good News Corner:

Michigan Churches Unite to Turn Their State Around

"There is Good News all around us-here in the Detroit area because people have experienced the life changing love of Jesus and have made this a great place to live and work." -Pastor Doug Schmidt

(Detroit, MI)-Last year hundreds of churches and organizations came together in southern Michigan and formed EACH (Everyone a Chance to Hear), an outreach that provides free medical and dental services, food, housing construction and renovation to thousands of needy residents in their area.

Pastor Bob Shirock, a pastor at Oak Pointe Church in Novi, said, "EACH was designed to a one-year initiative, but something special happened. We went from being a group of individual churches to really being one Church with one purpose; to share and show the love of Jesus to our communities through prayer, Good News and good deeds. "

According to a Northville Patch report, the Detroit Prayer Walk, which last year attracted about 25,000 followers of Jesus to downtown Detroit, will be the first event where all churches will gather together on April 28.

"There is Good News all around us-here in the Detroit area because people have experienced the life changing love of Jesus and have made this a great place to live and work," said Pastor Doug Schmidt, senior pastor for Woodside Bible Church. "As a community we are listening to Jesus' words and sharing His message with those around us. And there is no better way to share such a message of love than living it out."

(Source: Staff - Northville Patch) Read more.

Reported by: Breaking Christian News
Teresa Neumann (April 16, 2012)


Worship with Us Today!

Mercy Me
The Hurt & The Healer

Why?
The question that is never far away
But healing doesn't come from the explained
Jesus please don't let this go in vain
You're all I have
All that remains

So here I am
What's left of me
Where glory meets my suffering

Worship here: