Tuesday, October 14, 2014

CHPP Daily Brief - Tuesday, October 14, 2014






Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
"A National Prayer Alliance"
P.O. Box 5152
Herndon, VA 20172-1970
chpp@patriot.net



The Daily Brief:

"Praying for All in Authority"

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

And Miriam answered them:

"Sing to the Lord,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea!"

(Exodus 15:21)
[Reminder: we are now tracking news about Ebola and ISIS on alternating days, in our "tracking" section.]



"And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse . . ." (Rev. 19:1)

The Daily Brief

1. Russia Deploys Tactical Nukes in Crimea - freebeacon

Russia is moving tactical nuclear weapons systems into recently-annexed Crimea while the Obama administration is backing informal talks aimed at cutting U.S. tactical nuclear deployments in Europe.

- Father, why would we be cutting our tactical nuclear deployments when Russia is moving their nuclear weapons into Crimea? We cry out for wisdom! Give us leaders who are filled with wisdom, and know what to do in every situation to protect its citizens.

- Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?"(2 Chronicles 1:10-12)


2. The destruction of Syria's Christian treasures - Washington Times

The Islamist extremist destruction of historical treasures in the Middle East is nothing less than a crime against civilization. News accounts do not do justice to the loss these barbarians cause as they work their way across Syria, destroying anything that doesn't fit into the world as they see it.

- Father, we are saddened by the destruction of historical treasures in the Middle East. We thank You that Your Light overcomes this darkness of the Islamist extremist.

- that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,(Philippians 2:10)


3. Dow Down for the Year as Sell-Off Continues - USA Today

Stocks ended a bloody, turbulent week with a broad-based slump Friday, sending the tech-heavy Nasdaq to its worst weekly losses in 30 months and eviscerating what remained of the Dow Jones industrial average's 2014 gains.

- Father, we seek Your wisdom to prepare ourselves for what is to come. We ask for hearing ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.

- "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."(Revelation 3:22)


4. Unknown 'breach' led to latest case of Ebola in Texas - Washington Examiner

An undetermined "breach in protocol" led a Dallas health care worker to be infected with the Ebola virus, and additional cases could be discovered in the coming days, a top federal health official said.

- Father, we pray for this health care worker who now has Ebola. We pray that extreme measures be taken in the hospitals while caring for those with Ebola. We know that Dallas has made some mistakes in this situation, and we please the Blood of Jesus over these mistakes and pray containment of this disease.

- The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; (Psalm 121:7)


5. Spread of Ebola Could Affect 1.4 Million People by Year's End - Washington Post

The potential spread of Ebola into Central and Southern America is a real possibility, the commander of U.S. Southern Command told an audience at the National Defense University, the U.S. Department of Defense reported.

- Father, we stand against this disease, in Jesus name. No plague shall come against us. Give officials the knowledge and wisdom they need to protect against this disease.

- Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.(Psalm 91:3)


6. 'Museum of the Bible' hopes to have faithful flock to Washington - Fox News

If Steven Green's prayers are answered, a new museum will take its place three years from now in Washington, alongside such venerable repositories of art and artifacts as the Smithsonian and the Air and Space and U.S. Holocaust Memorial museums.

Green, the billionaire founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby, has both the bankroll and the exhibits to make his dream, "Museum of the Bible," a reality. Construction on the eight-floor, 430,000-square-foot building, which could cost an estimated $800 million, is slated to begin within weeks at a location three blocks from the U.S. Capitol.

Green's collection is well known, and includes such priceless prizes as several Dead Sea Scrolls, a portion of the Gutenberg Bible, the Codex Climaci Rescriptus, the largest portion of scripture in Palestinian Aramaic and the so-called "Aitken Bible," the first ever printed in the U.S. The 40,000-piece collection is now mainly kept in Oklahoma City, although Green has exhibited some of it around the world, including at the Vatican. (Read more)

- Father God, we rejoice at this news! How desperately we need to see the Bible honored in this city, and to see the historical accuracy of its pages revealed in this amazing collection! Lord God, we ask You to bless Steve Green and his family for their obedience to hear Your voice and to work to establish this magnificent testimony to you, right here in the heart of Washington, D.C. Glory, glory, glory! In Your Name, amen!

- "The whole earth is filled with his glory!" (Isaiah 6:3)


The Middle East in Focus

"He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways." (Psalm 91:11)


1. Muslim MEP calls on European Jews to halt flight - Jerusalem Post

European Jews should halt their flight and work with local Muslim to solve the issues facing their communities, a Muslim member of the European Parliament told The Jerusalem Post on Friday.

MEP Afzal Khan, a Pakistan-born Muslim who represents northwest England in Brussels, said that Jews should not give up on Europe despite rises in anti-Semitism in recent years and especially this summer, when Muslim youth angry over Israel's military conflict with Hamas attacked Jewish targets throughout the continent.

"What we are saying is there is no need to do that [leave]," he said. "There are challenges in life wherever you are. Do don't solve problems and challenges by running away."

Read More


2. Sick of ceasefires, Israelis near Gaza demand an agreement -The Times of Israel

KIBBUTZ NIR AM - In the early days of Kibbutz Nir Am, founded in 1943, residents would return from their shopping in Tel Aviv by taking the coastal bus from Jaffa to Gaza, disembark at the Palestinian town of Beit Hanoun in the northern Strip, and complete the 2.5 kilometer (1.5 mile) journey on foot or donkeyback.

Seven weeks after Operation Protective Edge, this anecdote seems like a naive dream. But looking out over Gaza City from a mound in the fields of Nir Am, Micha Ben Hillel, a retired high school teacher and kibbutz old-timer, said he's still hopeful those days will return.

"I think the coastal road could certainly extend southward," he told The Times of Israel, smiling wryly.

Just before hostilities with Gaza intensified in July, Nir Am took in 30 new members, said Ben Hillel, who serves on the kibbutz's "demographic growth" committee. But that trend will doubtless reverse, as it did in nearby Kibbutz Nahal Oz, if the government doesn't match Israel's military might with a diplomatic vision for the Gaza Strip, he asserted.

"What am I supposed to tell families debating whether to stay or leave?" he wondered. "Logically speaking, I can't promise them that no shots will be fired from the other side, or that a Qassam [rocket] won't be fired. I can't promise that another [cross-border attack] tunnel won't be discovered, or that Israel will go and destroy all of Gaza. Even right-wing politicians admit that we've exhausted our use of force in this war.

Read more:


3. Ex-ministers among Israeli figures urging UK MPs to recognize Palestine -Times of Israel

Over 300 Israeli figures signed a letter Sunday urging the British Parliament to vote in favor of recognizing a Palestinian state on Monday, when a non-binding motion by a Labour MP Grahame Morris is set to be debated.

"We, Israelis who worry and care for the well-being of the state of Israel, believe that the long-term existence and security of Israel depends on the long-term existence and security of a Palestinian state. For this reason we, the undersigned, urge members of the UK parliament to vote in favor of the motion to be debated on Monday 13th October 2014 calling on the British Government to recognize the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel," the letter reads.

Read more:


4. France to host Palestinian unity government -Times of Israel

The French government intends to hold a joint meeting with the Palestinian unity government in Paris at the beginning of 2015, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announced, and he called for the international community to take a more active role in restarting peace talks with Israel.

Fabius agreed on the meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel Radio reported on Monday.

The two men met at a donor conference in Cairo the day before. The conference raised $5.4 billion from some 50 countries on behalf of the Palestinians, with half the amount slated for reconstructing the war-damaged Gaza Strip and the rest intended for the Palestinian Authority's coffers.

Fabius expressed his country's support for the Palestinian internal reconciliation between rival parties Fatah and Hamas that led to the unity government in April.

The top French diplomat added that the international community should be involved in future negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel, and that the community should chaperone the talks in order to ensure positive results.

Read more:


5. Israel fails to tie rebuilding Gaza to disarming Hamas -The Times of Israel

Irael has failed to link international assistance for the rehabilitation of Gaza after the summer's war to its central demand that Hamas disarm, Israeli officials acknowledged Sunday, as delegates representing some 50 nations and 20 regional and international organizations pledged billions to rebuild the Palestinian enclave.

An Israeli official was quoted by Channel 2 admitting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's demand that Hamas give up its arms - endorsed in principle by the US, EU and others at the end of the 50-day conflict - had not prevailed as a condition for overseas funding to rehabilitate Gaza. The funding for reconstruction, the official said, would flow so long as the ceasefire was maintained. Further development of Gaza after such reconstruction, the official said, would be contingent on the demilitarization of the Strip.

Israeli officials noted that a mechanism had been agreed, with UN involvement, to ensure that international funding not be diverted to finance the rebuilding of Hamas's military capabilities. But sources quoted by Channel 10 expressed concern that such a mechanism would not hold firm, and the same TV report quoted sources in Gaza as saying there was no practical way to control how such money would be spent. The head of the Israeli Air Force's Air Defense Command told The Times of Israel last week that Hamas has resumed rocket manufacturing in Gaza.

Read more:


6. 'Only half of donated funds to go toward Gaza reconstruction' -The Times of Israel

Donors at an international conference Sunday promised $2.7 billion to rebuild the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, but all of the key participants said their efforts would be futile without a permanent peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

US-mediated talks broke down this summer before the 50-day war between Hamas and Israel began - the third since 2008 - and it remains unclear how peace can come about.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende, who co-chaired the one-day meeting with Egypt, said pledges of $5.4 billion have been made, but that only half of that money would be "dedicated" to the reconstruction of the coastal strip.

Brende did not say what the other half of the funds would be spent on. Other delegates have spoken of budgetary support, boosting economic activity, emergency relief and other projects.

Read more:


7. Palestinian rioters holed up on Temple Mount -Times of Israel

Dozens of Arab rioters, primarily young men, were on Monday holed up in the Al-Aqsa Mosque atop the Temple Mount.

The site was surrounded by Israeli police forces, who entered the plaza atop the holy site before 7 a.m. after receiving information according to which Palestinian activists had gathered stones and set barbed wire obstacles in preparation for planned attacks against Jewish visitors to the site.

When they entered the site Monday morning, police were met with thrown rocks, firebombs and fireworks, Israel Radio reported. The rioters were pushed back into the mosque, and remain holed up there surrounded by police forces. Police removed multiple obstacles on the site, including stretches of barbed wire.

The site was opened to Jewish visitors at 7:30 a.m.

Read more:


Tracking the Virus

Tracking the Virus

"Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling . . ." (Psalm 91:10,11)


1. CDC head criticized for blaming 'protocol breach' as nurse gets Ebola - Reuters

Some healthcare experts are bristling at the assertion by a top U.S. health official that a "protocol breach" caused a Dallas nurse to be infected with Ebola while caring for a dying patient, saying the case instead shows how far the nation's hospitals are from adequately training staff to deal with the deadly virus. (Read more)


2. Israelis and Palestinians join forces to combat Ebola - YahooNews.com

Israeli and Palestinian officials met at the weekend to draw up an action plan to prevent the Ebola epidemic from spreading to the territories they control, the Israeli military said Sunday. (Read more)


3. Authorities Begin to Scramble as New Case of Ebola Surfaces - The Yeshiva World

The missteps in Dallas's handling of the first Ebola case diagnosed in the United States have revealed an uncomfortable reality: state and city plans for handling the deadly virus are based on generic recommendations for everything from measles to floods, to hurricanes and dirty bombs. (Read more)


4. State attorney general wants to stop ashes of Ebola victim's belongings from being brought to Louisiana - NOLA.com

Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell said late Sunday that he will seek a temporary restraining order to stop the incinerated belongings of Dallas Ebola victim Thomas Eric Duncan from being brought to a Louisiana landfill. (Read more)


5. I Have a Question - RedState

I think the President of the United States owes the American public an answer now. In Dallas, TX, a health care worker who came into contact with the Ebola patient has contracted Ebola. The health care worker was a trained professional wearing protective clothing. But that trained professional in protective clothing now has Ebola. What are we doing to make sure our 3,000 soldiers in Liberia are not going to get Ebola? (Read more)


6. Ebola: Liberian health workers plan strike - BBC

Liberian health officials are appealing to nurses and medical assistants not to go ahead with a national strike, as the Ebola epidemic continues. The National Health Workers Association wants an increase in the monthly risk fee paid to those treating Ebola cases. In the US, President Barack Obama has directed more steps to be taken to ensure high safety procedures when dealing with suspected Ebola patients. (Read more)


7. NBC News Crew Ordered Into Ebola Quarantine After Breaking Promise - Newsmax

New Jersey health officials have issued a mandatory quarantine order for an NBC News crew that worked with an American cameraman who contracted Ebola in Liberia, the state health department said Saturday. The order went into effect Friday night after the NBC crew failed to honor a voluntary 21-day isolation agreement, state officials said. (Read more)


The Daily Jot

Responsibility as citizens in God's kingdom


As we look at the news headlines and consider the condition of our nation, there is much debate over the conduct of our elected officials, our government, and our society. Over 12 years ago when I began writing The Daily Jot, the Lord gave me some verses from Ezekiel 3:18-19: "When I say unto the wicked, You shall surely die; and you give him not warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at your hand. Yet if you warn the wicked, and he turns not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul." These verses continue for the righteous.

Ezekiel 3:20-21: "Again, When a righteous man turns from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because you have not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also you have delivered your soul." I see these verses as my calling and my role as a citizen in the kingdom of God. These verses give me purpose, compassion, love, honor, truth, justice, respect, joy, and they prevent me from being offended.

Every believer should know his or her purpose on earth. In the very least, it is to glorify God in all that you do. We often fall short, but the only way to achieve excellence is to strive for perfection. Having said that, I believe we have responsibility as citizens in God's kingdom. I am looking at the 100-plus emails I get everyday and seeing a lot of harshness. Ebola, for example, is said to be, in many of these emails, a hoax, a government red flag, a bio weapon developed at Ft Detrick, and so on. They present headlines and claim fact even though it is based on extremely flimsy evidence that the sender will argue to the death that their "facts" prove something. You are something less than an idiot if you don't adopt their viewpoint. That's just one example.

Somewhere lost in all this blame and and so-called "proof" is the compassion for those who are suffering. I wonder myself about the alleged "red flag" incidents and the control people in power gain from them. But overriding these suppositions is the human side of things. With Ebola, for example, I know there is death--horrible death. So if it is a government conspiracy or some such red flag, are we to ignore the suffering because it is generated by evil intent? I, for one, cannot stand by and refuse compassion and life sustaining/death preventing resources to the innocent because of the unrighteous acts of another. There is responsibility and accountability as a citizen of God's kingdom. Just saying. . .

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


Our Weekly Bible Study

Our Weekly Bible Study:

The Week of Sunday, October 12 - Saturday, October 18

Written by Susan L. Turner


> > > To read the "One Year Bible" weekly letter, go here.

> > > To read the Shabbat Torah readings, go here.



Note:

We believe you will be richly blessed by this edition of the One-Year Bible Study, as Susan reports on the final days of Tabernacles, followed by other key dates coming up on the Hebrew calendar. Beautiful illustrations, too! Shalom!


The Good News Corner

The Good News Corner:

'Mass Mobs' Are Filling The Pews At Detroit's Catholic Churches


It's a plan with mass appeal.

With all the fervor of a typical "flash mob," faithful Catholics in Michigan are joining "Mass Mobs" to fill the pews at often-empty church buildings and breathe new life into the community.

Their latest target was St. Florian Catholic Church. Polish immigrants built the eight-story, red-brick cathedral in 1908 with enough seating for 1,500 souls.

Nowadays, a normal Sunday at the church sees only about 200 people.

After "Mass Mob" organizers spread the word on Facebook, last Sunday's noon mass attracted 2,000 people, NPR reports.

It was a sight that nearly brought the parish's priest and music director Rev. Mirek Frankowski to tears. "Because, I mean, such a big crowd, it's impossible to see these days in any of the churches. But thanks to the mob Mass we have this feeling of what it was so many years ago, when the churches were filled with people," he says. (Huffington Post) Read more

Signs and Wonders

Signs and Wonders

ORIONID METEOR SHOWER:

A Fireball Erupts Far Above the Skies over New Mexico


On the night of Oct. 12th, NASA's All-Sky Meteor Network detected a piece of Halley's Comet disintegrating in the atmosphere over New Mexico. The fireball was bright enough to see through the light of a bright gibbous Moon:

Multiple cameras tracked the meteoroid, which allowed a calculation of its trajectory: It hit Earth's atmosphere traveling 68 km/s (152,000 mph) and fully disintegrated 67.9 km above Earth's surface.

This fireball is a sign that the Orionid meteor shower is about to begin. Every year in mid- to late-October, Earth passes through a stream of debris from Halley's Comet, the parent of the Orionids. For many nights in a row, pre-dawn sky watchers can see meteors streaking out of the constellation Orion, near the Hunter's shoulder. In 2014, forecasters expect the Orionids to peak on Oct. 21-22 with 20 to 25 meteors per hour.

Stay tuned for updates about meteor activity as Earth approaches the heart of the debris stream. (Spaceweather.com) Read more and view this awesome "sign in the heavens" by going here.

"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."
(Luke 21:25-28)


Worship With Us Today!

Worship With Us Today!
Matt Maher - "Lord I Need You"


Worship Here


Today's Birthday

Today's Birthday on the Hill

Almost every day of the year, a member of Congress or a Senator is celebrating a birthday. Let's lift up these men and women, day by day in prayer on their special day, that God might bless them and show them His love for each one. Indeed, let's move together in obedience to the Lord's mandate in I Timothy 2:1-4. It is written:
"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

Today's Birthday Greeting goes to:

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR)

(Source: Bible Pathways Ministries. www.biblepathway.org)

Today's Prayer for You

Today's Prayer for You

"Heavenly Father, we come to you for strength, to face what is ahead of us. Forgive us of our sins! Come into our hearts to live and send angels to watch over us. We ask your protection over all of our Prayer Partners and keep them safe from all harm. Go into the enemy's camp and send confusion that their plans would not be fulfilled. Lead and guide us, the way you would have us to go. We ask these things in Jesus's name! Amen!"