AGLOW: CALLING FOR A THREE DAY FAST!
THIS WEEK: December 9th - 11th, 2015
For details, see below.
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"
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
"For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)
". . . under his wings you will find refuge . . ." (Psalm 91:4)
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The Middle East in Focus
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"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you." (Isaiah 54:10)
1. New Mossad chief facing challenge of Islamic State and empowered Iran - Times of Israel
In his new position as Mossad chief, Yossi Cohen will face most of the same threats and foes as his predecessors - Iran, Hezbollah, global anti-Semitism - as well as some new ones. His most notable challenge is the Islamic State terror group, which has rapidly become a potent force in international terror.
Though the fight against Tehran may be an uphill battle, as Western countries seek to embrace Iran in the wake of this year's nuclear deal, Cohen will enjoy universal assistance and support as nearly every nation in the world rushes to bring down IS and prevent terror attacks.
Other than his current 3-year stint as head of the National Security Council, Cohen has worked in the espionage agency since completing his army service in the 1980s. Having served as deputy director of the Mossad from 2011 to 2013, Cohen was a logical and unsurprising choice to replace Tamir Pardo, who will step down next month. (Read more)
2. Netanyahu slams Swedish double standard toward Israel on terrorism- Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came out against the double standards held by critics of Israel, in his remarks at a Likud faction meeting Monday.
Netanyahu highlighted remarks by Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström in parliament last week, accusing Israel of "extrajudicial executions" and "disproportionate" force in response to the current wave of Palestinian terrorism, according to Swedish newspaper Expressen.
Israel gives full support to security forces and civilians, "who have the right to defend themselves," the prime minister stated.
Netanyahu recounted that he called Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven on Sunday to "strongly protest [Wallström's] hypocrisy." (Read more)
3. 'IDF training for possibility of an ISIS strike from Sinai or Golan Heights' - Jerusalem Post
Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, former national security adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressed concerns regarding the Islamic State threat on Israel in an interview with Israeli radio channel 103 FM on Monday.
"Let's break down the threat into three possible scenarios," said Amidror, "There's no need for hysteria," he said.
He said that the description of an ISIS attack on Israel as imminent is exaggerated. "Islamic State can strike Israel in one of three ways," Amidror said.
The first would be through the establishment of an IS affiliated terror cell within the Arab Israeli community. "This cell would have access to enough weapons, intelligence, and explosive materials to carry out a Paris-style attack in Israel," Amidror said. (Read more)
4. Israeli defense minister: U.S. 'can't sit on the fence' in Islamic State fight- JNS
(JNS.org) America "can't sit on the fence with regard to the Middle East" and the Islamic State terror group, and "should lead and be more involved," Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said Friday at the Saban Forum in Washington, DC.
"Unfortunately in the current situation Russia is playing the most significant role, then the United States," Ya'alon said. "We don't like the fact that King Abdullah of Jordan is going to Moscow. Egyptians are going to Moscow. The Saudis are going to Moscow. This should have been very different. This is a global challenge [and] I believe the United States should be the leader of the Western world in order to meet this challenge. If you sit on the fence the vacuum is filled and Syria is an example, whether by Iran or the Shi'a axes supported now by Russia, or by ISIS." (Read more)
5. Egypt to appeal $1.76 billion award to Israel in gas dispute - Israel Hayom
Egypt said on Sunday it will appeal an order by international arbitrators to pay $1.76 billion in compensation to the Israel Electric Corporation for halting gas supplies three years ago, and that it is freezing gas import talks until the dispute is resolved.
Egypt had been selling natural gas to Israel under a 20-year agreement until the deal collapsed in 2012 following months of attacks on the pipeline by terrorists in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, which borders Israel and the Gaza Strip.
The state-owned IEC was forced to turn to more expensive fuels to generate electricity. (Read more)
6. 3 injured in terrorist attack on first night of Hanukkah - Israel Hayom
Three Israelis -- two civilians and a police volunteer -- were lightly wounded in a combined ramming and stabbing attack on Yermiyahu Street in Jerusalem on Sunday evening.
The terrorist, Amar Yasser Skapi, 21, an Arab resident of the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina, was shot and killed by a nearby soldier.
Skapi first drove a car onto a sidewalk and into two young men. He then stopped the car, got out and ran through the street wielding a knife. (Read more)
7. Fleeing recession and violence, Brazilian Jews flock to Israel - Times of Israel
RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) - For four years, llana Lerner Kalmanovich rode a hot and crowded bus three hours each day to reach the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, where she was pursuing degrees in physical education and nutrition.
Police raids into nearby slums, or favelas, often blocked the freeway, and stray bullets from gun battles with criminals were a constant threat. Even on the Federal University campus, the oldest and among the most prestigious in Brazil, Kalmanovich felt unsafe. Robberies were commonplace and, every now then, corpses were found in the nearby woods.
So in 2007, Kalmanovich moved to Israel. She had spent a whole year there a decade earlier on a youth movement program and fallen in love with the country. And though she holds German citizenship and could have built a new life for herself in Europe, there was never any doubt she would make her home in the Jewish state. (Read more)
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The Daily Brief
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1. The world reacts to Trump's proposed ban on Muslims entering U.S. - Washington Post
Leading U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's call for a complete ban on Muslims entering the United States was widely condemned around the world Tuesday.
Citizens, commentators and politicians slammed Trump's latest controversial statement, calling it hate speech and a disturbing sign of Islamophobia in a country rattled in recent weeks by large-scale terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif.
The billionaire developer and reality television star released a statement Monday calling for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on."(Read more)
> > > See also: 'Kill Trump': Enraged left calls for assassination - WND. Go here.
- Lord God, this issue of banning Muslims from entering the United States has suddenly erupted out of nowhere, serving as a flashpoint that might quickly lead us into a civil war. Emotions are running rampant everywhere, and it is extremely difficult to even enjoy a calm and a measured dialogue on this issue without "flaming" into a temper tantrum.
Lord God, this is not America. Heal us, O Lord. Bring us back to our senses, and help us to know Your will in this difficult issue of protecting our borders. Help us to seek You first in all we do, and to continue to place the founding principles of our nation at the forefront of all we say and do. Lord God, political personalities will come and go. May we learn to place our principles before the voices of these principalities, lest we tear each other apart. We ask this prayer in Jesus' name, amen and amen.
- "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."
(Eph. 6:18)
2. Rev. Graham: 'No Muslims Should Be Allowed Into This Country Until' We Can 'Fully Vet Them' - CNSNews.com
In reaction to the radical Islamic terrorist attack in San Bernardino, Calif., involving one jihadist who entered the U.S.A. on a fiancé visa, evangelical preacher Franklin Graham said "border control," not more gun control, is part of the answer, and added that "no Muslims" should enter America until a safe vetting process is in place.
"It's confirmed-San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook was a devout Muslim," wrote Rev. Graham on Facebook on Dec. 4. "Friends say he had memorized the Koran. The headlines say Farook and his wife were a couple 'bent on jihad.'"
"President Obama and his administration are trying to blame this incident on gun control when it was caused by hate-filled hearts intent on killing infidels in the name of Islam," said the reverend. "Take away the guns and this couple would've still slaughtered innocent civilians. Their apartment was a bomb-making factory!" (Read more)
- Lord, we thank you once again for Rev. Franklin Graham. Abba, this mighty man of God has never cringed at speaking the truth about the dangers of radical Islam. We ask Your hand of protection to rest upon him now and always, and that many will hear his message and understand its urgency. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen and amen.
- "These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates." (Zechariah 8:16)
3. WH Spokesman: To Say That ISIL Is 'Leading a War Against the West on Behalf of Islam' Is a 'Fantasy' - CNSNews.com
President Obama's spokesman says it's unfair to compare President Obama's attitude toward the enemy with that of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who held office when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. "[T]o make comparisons like that only serves to inflate ISIL and to buy into their fantasy that somehow they're leading a war against the West on behalf of Islam. They're not. That's a fantasy," Earnest said on Monday. (Read more)
- Abba Father, a lot of political rhetoric is going around our nation because of President Obama's weak message to the nation Sunday night. We would compare President Obama's rhetoricto that of England's Prime Minister Chamberlain trying to appease Nazi Germany. Professor Obama does not know how to tell this country that he will keep it safe. So we rely on You Almighty God who is in control of all things. Your hand has been on the USA since its inception. Our forefathers dedicated this nation into Your control. Our recent congressmen and our Supreme Court have tried to drive You out of the affairs of this nation. But we the Christians of this country ask that You return and take matters into Your own hands. Abba, let Your hand be upon the USA to protect it, guide it and to be Your beacon of light for Christianity throughout the world. In Your Name we pray, Amen.
- "For what great nation is there that has agod so near to it as is the LORD Our God whenever we call on Him?" (Deuteronomy 4:7)
4. New Intel: California Massacre Was a Planned Act of Terror - CBN News
New information from the FBI shows the San Bernardino, California, killings could not have been simple workplace violence. It was a meticulously planned act of terrorism. The two shooters were radicalized Muslims pledging allegiance to ISIS.
The FBI says 28-year-old Syed Farook and his 29-year-old wife, Tashfeen Malik, spent a lot of time and effort planning the attack that killed 14 of Syed's co-workers. David Bowdich, assistant director of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, said "both subjects were radicalized and have been for quite some time."
The couple had taken target practice at an area gun range just a few days before the attack. And the FBI now says 19 pipe bombs were found in the couple's home, not 12 as originally stated-more evidence they were planning to engage in terrorism for some time to come. (Read more)
- Father, give us a strategy on how to protect ourselves from these attacks. May we personally be on the alert to our surroundings, and strengthen our officials to use the strictest measures to protect our nation from radicalized Muslims entering our country. In Jesus name we offer this prayer, amen and amen. - "But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one." ( 2 Thessalonians 3:3)
5. Investigators looking into possibility Tashfeen Malik was 'an operative' - Fox News
Officials investigating the San Bernardino, Calif. terror attack are looking very strongly into the possibility that Tashfeen Mailk, the wife accused in the shootings, was "an operative," an official told Fox News on Tuesday. A law enforcement official said authorities are certain Malik was radicalized before she came to the United States, and are looking very closely at her family overseas as also being radicalized.
Malik was one of just 519 Pakistanis allowed into the country last year specifically to marry a U.S. citizen. Her path to the United States has raised warning flags on the U.S. government's immigration vetting practices after she was identified as one of two attackers in California.
On Monday, the FBI said that Mailk and her American husband, Syed Rizwan Farook, had been radicalized "for quite some time." That raised the prospect that Malik's anti-American sentiments could have surfaced before U.S. officials evaluated whether she should be allowed to move here. (Read more)
- Abba Father, thank You that You have given wisdom to our Congressmen today to change all the visa programs and make the immigration vetting process stronger. We pray that the correct questions are asked and that the information gathered will be useful in deciding if someone should be allowed into the USA. In Your Name we pray, Amen.
- "So keep and dothem, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'" (Deuteronomy 4:6)
6. Bank records show $28,500 deposit to Syed Farook's account two weeks before the shooting, source says - Fox News
EXCLUSIVE - A $28,500 deposit was made to Syed Farook's bank account from WebBank.com on or about Nov.18, some two weeks before he and his wife Tashfeen Malik carried out the San Bernardino massacre, a source close to the investigation told Fox News Monday.
Investigators are exploring whether the transaction was a loan taken out by Farook, who with his wife killed 14 and wounded 21 when they opened fire at a holiday lunch. He earned $53,000 a year with the county as an environmental health inspector. Investigators are also exploring the possibility that a subsequent cash withdrawal was used to reimburse Enrique Marquez, the man who bought the two AR-15 semiautomatic rifles used in the San Bernardino shootings. Marquez, who could be charged, especially if it is determined that he illegally modified the weapons, is now reportedly answering investigators' questions.
"Right now our major concern at the FBI, the ATF, and the JTTF (Joint Terrorism Task Force) is determining how those firearms, the rifles in particular, got from Marquez to Farook and to Malik," assistant special agent in charge with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, John D'Angelo, told reporters in California Monday. (Read more)
- Abba Father, we ask that You would shed Your light on this investigation and that all hidden things be exposed. In Your Name we pray, Amen.
- "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." (John 3:20)
7. Bipartisan Agreement: Iran is Leading State Sponsor of International Terrorism - CNSNews.com
The top Democrat and the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee both agreed that Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism around the globe.
Ranking member Eliot Engel (D-NY) pointed out during a committee hearing last week that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been fueling turmoil throughout the Middle East even with strict economic sanctions in place. "Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism, and in the past several years when Iran had no money, it still found money to be the leading state sponsor of terrorism," Engel said.
Committee chairman Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) was also highly critical of Iran's "support of international terrorism" and the actions of the IRGC, which he said has turned Iran into a "global menace." "Over the last few weeks, the IRGC has tested a new long-range ballistic missile, and that test is in violation of the U.N. sanctions. They also released a video of dozens more of these ICBMs staged in an underground bunker," Royce said in his opening statement. (Read more)
- Abba Father, we repent for handing Iran the ability to fund international terrorism. Abba Father You are the only one who understands why President Obama would sign on to such a failed policy. Abba protect us from the failed policies of this administration because there is no one else to defend us. In Your Name we pray, Amen.
- "Vindicate me, O God, andplead my case against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! For You are the God of my strength; why have You rejected me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"
(Psalm 43:1-2)
8. Preparing for What Is to Come - Olive Tree Views
I'd like to prepare you for what is likely to come, so consider this information a warning and perhaps a harbinger of things to come. Fascism starts slowly. It did in Nazi Germany and it has here. Christianity is not appreciated by the Left any longer. They just mocked conservatives and Christians over guns, faith, and prayer. It started with the New York Daily News but moved on to scolding by many on the Left. Let's be honest: They are out of control. For most of them, government has become god. They wish we would go away and are testing the waters to come up with ideas that will speed that up. They are calling good evil (Isaiah 5:20). (Read more)
- Abba Father, we praise You and we thank You because You are on the throne and prayer does change things or we would not be wasting our time praying to You. Thank You that You are in control of all things. We invite You to take control of our nation and our media outlets that the enemy would not be able to come in to kill, steal and destroy. In Your Name we pray, Amen.
- "The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all." (Psalm 103:19)
9. Ted Cruz on Hanukkah: Modern-Day Maccabees Must Defend Religious Liberty - Charisma News
In a special message on the eve of Hanukkah (Chanukah), Republican presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz related how current events closely mirror those celebrated during the annual Jewish holiday.
"On this holiday, we remember the miracle that enabled a freedom-loving people-led by the heroic Maccabees-to defeat the oppressive dictator Antiochus so that they could once again freely worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob," he said. "Today, the Jewish people, together with freedom-loving people around the world, once again find their religious faith and liberty under attack from radical forces of oppression and intolerance. Whether it is the BDS movement on college campuses, anti-Semitic attacks in Europe, or radical Islamic terror in Israel and around the world, we need modern-day Maccabees to stand together and push back against the forces of evil."
Cruz said, "As a nation founded by a people seeking religious liberty," the United States stands with the Jewish people both at home and abroad in protecting the light of faith and liberty. He also noted the message of Chanukah is that "God delivered 'many into the hands of the few, strong into the hands of the weak, and evildoers into the hands of the righteous.'"
"The victory of the people of Israel is a testament to God's providence. On these nights, when Jewish families around the country and the world celebrate with latkes, lighting the menorah, and playing dreidel, Heidi and I join with you to recognize, 'Nes Gadol Hayah Sham,' a great miracle happened there. We only need look at our nation's heritage to know that great miracles have happened here too, 'Nes Gadol Hayah Po,' and will continue to happen with God's blessing. We are grateful for the divine tradition and we give thanks for the blessings of liberty. Happy Chanukah. (Read more)
- Father, thank You for this message from Senator Ted Cruz on the eve of Hanukkah. Thank You for the victory of the people of Israel and that we will be victorious over the forces of evil that have come against us in this country. In Jesus name we offer this prayer, amen and amen.
- "O give us help against the adversary, For deliverance by man is in vain. Through God we shall do valiantly, And it is He who will tread down our adversaries."
(Psalm 60:11-12)
10. Leading Rabbis Support Increased Partnership Between Jews and Christians in Groundbreaking Petition - Breaking Christian News
For the first time since the Second Vatican Council changed Christian teachings toward Judaism and the Jewish people 50 years ago, a group of Orthodox rabbis have issued a public statement advocating partnership with Christians and appreciating the religious value of Christianity. Published on the website of the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation (CJCUC) in Israel, "To Do the Will of Our Father in Heaven: Toward a Partnership between Jews and Christians" is signed by over 25 prominent Orthodox rabbis in Israel, United States and Europe and calls for cooperation between Jews and Christians to address the moral and religious challenges of our times. The proclamation's authors are inviting fellow Orthodox rabbis to join in signing the statement.
The statement cites traditional opinions by past rabbinic authorities to justify partnership with Christians and religious appreciation of Christianity. "We understand that there is room in traditional Judaism to see Christianity as part of God's covenantal plan for humanity, as a development out of Judaism that was willed by God," said Rabbi Irving Greenberg, perhaps the most active Orthodox theologian in Jewish-Christian dialogue and covenantal theology. Another of the statement's initiators, Jerusalem's Rabbi David Rosen, International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee, added, "We need to work together to meet our common challenges: the assault of radical secularism, religious extremism and moral relativism on the heritage and dignity of humankind." (Read more)
- Father, thank You for this partnership between Jews and Christians. May they continue to work together to overcome common challenges in our world today. In Jesus name (Yeshua) we offer this prayer, amen and amen.
- "How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!" (Psalms 133:1)
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Breaking News
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Breaking News!
Paris Attacks:
3rd Bataclan bomber identified
The third man who unleashed carnage at the Bataclan club in Paris last month has been identified. He is Foued Mohamed-Aggad, CNN affiliates BFMTV and France 2 reported. He, like the other attackers, blew himself up.
The 23-year-old man is from a small town near Strasbourg who traveled to Syria in 2013, the stations said. BFM also said Mohamed-Aggad was close to Mourad Fares, one of the main jihadist recruiters in France.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls confirmed "the name being circulated" is in fact correct and is that of the third attacker, Mohamed-Aggad was known to French anti-terror services and had a police record in Strasbourg, affiliate France 2 said.
At least 80 people were killed in the attack at Bataclan. In all of Paris, the November 13 attacks left at least 129 dead and more than 350 people wounded.
The other two Bataclan attackers have been identified as Frenchmen Omar Ismail Mostefai, 29, and Samy Amimour, 28.
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About those Refugees
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One is the Loneliest Number . . .
If the Paris attacks sparked U.S. officials to reexamine their refugee policy, you wouldn't know it. According to CNSNews's numbers, the Obama administration is still letting in hundreds of Syrian refugees -- just not the ones who identify as Christians. Since the November 13 terrorist tragedy in France, the U.S. has opened its doors to 236 Sunni Muslims and one (one!) Christian.
Despite making up roughly 10 percent of the Syrian population, Christians are still being blocked from the U.S. in disproportionate numbers. Of course, even more interesting is that Sunni Muslims are one of the few religious groups ISIS tolerates -- increasing the odds that a radical could slip in among them. Although not all are bad characters, the San Bernardino shooters were Sunni Muslims. And while we don't advocate closing the doors to refugees, we do believe in properly vetting the men and women resettling among us -- as Republican leaders proposed.
Christians, on the other hand, pose zero risk to American security but always seem to get the short of end of the stick in an administration whose policies are never beneficial to the faith our country was founded on. Of course, the president is never eager to put a spotlight on the persecution of Christians in the Middle East because he doesn't want to be portrayed as siding with Christian refugees over Muslim refugees. Draw from that what conclusions you may.
In the meantime, there are plenty of ways we can help the hurting without exposing ourselves to another terror attack. The U.S. can offer humanitarian support to those in refugee camps abroad. We can work with the international community to expand the safe zones so those who want to stay in their countries and begin rebuilding their lives can do so. And most importantly, we can provide military support to help defeat ISIS, so that people don't have to seek asylum in the first place. (Family Research Council)
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Trump Ups The Ante
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Trump Ups The Ante
Donald Trump has done some good things in this campaign. He has brought a lot of attention to the need to secure our borders in a dangerous world. He has given voice to a new American patriotism and has spoken out for America's heartland, which is being gutted economically. He has also cut through the political lie that our "war on terror" has nothing to do with Islam.
Yesterday, in a prepared statement and in follow-up interviews, he called for a moratorium on all Muslim immigration to the United States. He was immediately condemned not only by big media and the political left, but also by many Republicans and even some conservatives in good standing.
So on one side, Obama seems intent on flooding the country with at least 250,000 Muslim immigrants a year. He wants to increase the number of Syrian refugees in the name of compassion but is completely ignoring Syria's Christian refugees who pose virtually no terror risks. Obama appears to be effectively banning the very groups -- Christians -- who are targets of genocide. Trump's answer is to ban all Muslim immigration.
The appropriate conservative answer is to implement a major reform of our immigration process that adds much more stringent checks for terror connections. I also strongly support a screening process that blocks any immigrant, Muslim or otherwise, who expresses hatred for Christians, Jews and other faiths.
No one should be admitted who wants the Constitution to be superseded by Sharia law or any other dogma. We must stop importing hatred. This is not a religious test. It is a commonsense, self-preservation test that protects all Americans of every faith and creed. (Gary Bauer)
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Calling for a 3-Day Fast
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AGLOW:
CALLING FOR A THREE DAY FAST!
Wednesday, December 9 - December 11, 2015
There is so much taking place in the world. The atmosphere is filled with hostility, hatred, murder, and terrorism.
The world looks to governmental leaders for a plan to counter the rising tide of evil.
Mankind wants to be comforted by the false sense that the "enemy has been contained."
We need a counter attack that turns the enemy's strategies into confusion.
The hour in which we live is strategic and we understand that we have been called for such a time as this! We will not miss God's direction or His guidance in our prayers. We will not miss His heartbeat in this moment.
On a personal level, many are facing trying times of various natures, as well.
I am aware of several international leaders who are experiencing significant health issues.
Miracles are needed and expected!
IT IS TIME TO ACTIVATE A 3 DAY PERIOD OF FASTING AND PRAYER
WHEN: Wednesday, December 9 - December 11, 2015
Aglow has been given the keys!
"I will give you the key that will open doors that no man can shut and you will shut doors that no man can open." (Isaiah 22:22)
Take whatever key the Holy Spirit indicates to each of you individually and insert it into the enemy's house, invading his house with the explosives of Heaven.
We stand AS ONE!
Blessings and love,
Jane Hansen Hoyt
President/CEO
Aglow International
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Middle East Revivals
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Middle East Revivals:
DAY FOUR: IRAN
Surprisingly, the contentious nation of Iran is also beginning to encounter the rising flames of awakening. Violent Islamic Fundamentalism has not been able to impede the advancement of the Gospel in this fierce Persian nation. Reflecting on this reality, Joel Rosenberg writes:
"At the time of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, there were only about five hundred known Muslim converts to Jesus inside the country. By 2000, a survey of Christian demographic trends reported that there were two hundred twenty thousand Christians inside Iran, of which between four and twenty thousand were Muslim converts. And according to Iranian Christian leaders I interviewed, the number of Christ-followers inside their country shot dramatically higher between 2000 and 2008."
Yes, you read that right. Christianity went from 500 people to 220,000 in 21 years. Contrary to what many Americans think, Christianity is quietly advancing behind the scenes in some of the most unlikely places around the globe. (Breaking Christian News)
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Persecution Watch
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The tragedy of being Christian in Pakistan
ICC Note:
In the Capital Development Authority's (CDA's) explanation for the demolition of Christian slums in Islamabad, traces of why Pakistan's Christian community faces so much persecution become apparent. Viewed as an unwanted and unclean minority, Pakistan's Muslim majority population sees Christians almost in terms of untouchables. This has led to generations of discrimination that has left Christians in Pakistan poor, uneducated, and persecuted. What has to happen to turn this trend around? What investment must be made in Pakistan's Christian population to break out of this discrimination and allow them to advance in Pakistan?
Read article here.
(Source: Daily Times and International Christian Concern)
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Our Grandmothers' Songs
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Songs Our Grandmothers Sang:
ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS' NAME
"Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11)
Lyrics
All hail the power of Jesus' Name! Let angels prostrate fall; Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all. Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.
Let highborn seraphs tune the lyre, and as they tune it, fall Before His face Who tunes their choir, and crown Him Lord of all. Before His face Who tunes their choir, and crown Him Lord of all.
Crown Him, ye morning stars of light, who fixed this floating ball; Now hail the strength of Israel's might, and crown Him Lord of all. Now hail the strength of Israel's might, and crown Him Lord of all.
Crown Him, ye martyrs of your God, who from His altar call; Extol the Stem of Jesse's Rod, and crown Him Lord of all. Extol the Stem of Jesse's Rod, and crown Him Lord of all.
Ye seed of Israel's chosen race, ye ransomed from the fall, Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all. Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him, ye heirs of David's line, whom David Lord did call, The God incarnate, Man divine, and crown Him Lord of all, The God incarnate, Man divine, and crown Him Lord of all.
Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget the wormwood and the gall, Go spread your trophies at His feet, and crown Him Lord of all. Go spread your trophies at His feet, and crown Him Lord of all.
Let every tribe and every tongue before Him prostrate fall And shout in universal song the crownèd Lord of all. And shout in universal song the crownèd Lord of all.
Melody
Please go here.
About the Author:
Words: Edward Perronet, 1779
Music: Oliver Holden, 1793
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Signs and Wonders
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SUN SWALLOWS A COMET . . .
On Tuesday, Dec. 8th, the sun swallowed a comet. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spotted the icy vistor from the outer solar system making a headlong plunge into our star. One comet went in; none came out. Click to play the movie.
Heated by the sun at point blank range, the comet's fragile ices vaporized, leaving at most a "rubble pile" of rock and gravel scattered along its sungrazing orbit. Any remains are invisible from Earth.
The comet, R.I.P., was a member of the Kreutz family. Kreutz sungrazers are fragments from the breakup of a single giant comet many centuries ago. They get their name from 19th century German astronomer Heinrich Kreutz, who studied them in detail. Several Kreutz fragments pass by the sun and disintegrate every day. Most, measuring less than a few meters across, are too small to see, but occasionally a bigger fragment like this one (~10 m to 50 m) attracts attention.
Because of their common parentage, sungrazers often come in clusters. For this reason, it wouldn't be surprising to find yet another one in the offing. Monitor Karl Battam's Sungrazing Comet twitter feed for more sightings. (SpaceWeather.com)
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The Good News Corner
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Social media giants step up battle against terrorist activity
Facebook, Google and Twitter are stepping up efforts to combat online propaganda and recruiting by Islamic militants, but the Internet companies are doing it quietly to avoid the perception that they are helping the authorities police the Web.
On Friday, Facebook said it took down a profile that the company believed belonged to San Bernardino shooter Tashfeen Malik, who, with her husband, is accused of killing 14 people in a mass shooting that the FBI is investigating as an "act of terrorism."
Facebook, Google and Twitter are stepping up efforts to combat
online propaganda and recruiting by Islamic militants, but the Internet
companies are doing it quietly to avoid the perception that they are helping
the authorities police the Web. On Friday, Facebook said it took down a profile
that the company believed belonged to San Bernardino shooter Tashfeen Malik,
who, with her husband, is accused of killing 14 people in a mass shooting that
the FBI is investigating as an "act of terrorism." Just a day earlier,
the French prime minister and European Commission officials met separately with
Facebook, Google, Twitter and other companies to demand faster action on what
the commission called "online terrorism incitement and hate speech."
The Internet companies described their policies as straightforward: They ban certain types of content in accordance with their own terms of service, and require court orders to remove or block anything beyond that. Anyone can report, or flag, content for review and possible removal.
But
the truth is far more subtle and complicated. According to former employees,
Facebook, Google and Twitter all worry that if they are public about their true
level of cooperation with Western law enforcement agencies, they will face
endless demands for similar action from countries around the world. The Internet companies described their policies as straightforward: They ban certain types of content in accordance with their own terms of service, and require court orders to remove or block anything beyond that. Anyone can report, or flag, content for review and possible removal.
They also fret about being perceived by consumers as being tools of the government. Worse, if the companies spell out exactly how their screening works, they run the risk that technologically savvy militants will learn more about how to beat their systems.
"If they knew what magic sauce went into pushing content into the newsfeed, spammers or whoever would take advantage of that," said a security expert who had worked at both Facebook and Twitter, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue. (Israel Hayom) Read more.
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Nachman Bialik - Chanukah song
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