"This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)
1. U.S. Pushes for More Sanctions, Iran Warns of Economic Retaliation - AP
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad threatened unspecified economic retaliation against European countries that follow the U.S. in imposing unilateral sanctions against Iran, state radio reported Thursday.
· Father we take authority over the spirit of fear and intimidation which emanates from Iran, and bind it tightly in the name of Jesus. We apply the Blood of Jesus Christ against the plans of Tehran's fanatic rulers, and declare that they will not be able to accomplish any evil against Europe, Israel, or the US.
· "O my God, I put my trust in You. Let me not be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me." (Psalm 25:2 NKJV)
2. Oil Prices in the News - BBC, Newsmax.com
a) Soaring Oil Climbs Past $96 Mark - BBC
Oil prices have continued their unremitting climb, passing the $96 a barrel mark after figures showed a surprise fall in US crude reserves.
b) Gold Prices Rise to 27 Year High - BBC
Gold prices have hit a 27-year high, rising on the back of surging oil prices and continuing dollar weakness.
c) Fed Cuts Borrowing Rates by Quarter Point - Newsmax.com
The Federal Reserve, confronted with surging oil prices and a slumping housing market, on Wednesday cut a key interest rate by a quarter-point, the second rate reduction this year.
· Lord once again we pray for Your mercy over our economy. Father, higher oil prices are hitting every person in the United States, and the cutting of rates may harm the dollar abroad. We ask that You will shore up the broken places of our economy if only for the sake of Your people in this nation. We stand in the gap once again, Holy God, for our national policy of forcing Israel to divide its land, and we ask for Your mercy to visit us in the midst of judgment. Be our Jehovah Jireh, the provider of our needs. We ask this in Jesus' most merciful Name, amen.
· "I will abundantly bless her provision, I will satisfy her poor with bread." (Psalm 132:15 NKJV)
3. Senate Panel OKs Sea Treaty, but Fight Looms - Washington Times
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee easily approved the Law of the Sea convention yesterday, brushing back conservatives' objections and setting up a bruising ratification fight on the Senate floor, where Republicans say they can defeat it.
· Father, while the split on opinions over this treaty are wide, even among conservatives and military analysts, we pray that You will defeat any agenda that is not advantageous to America. We pray that truth will prevail, and that the sovereignty of the United States will not be compromised.
· "The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man. . .He shall prevail against His enemies." (Isaiah 42:13 NKJV)
4. Poll: Most OK Birth Control For Schools - USA Today
People decisively favor letting their public schools provide birth control to students, but they also voice misgivings that divide them along generational, income and racial lines, a poll showed.
· Father, while this poll was obviously skewed and not a reflection of the views of all Americans, we repent immediately. We humbly and fervently ask for Your mercy over our children and over parents with no knowledge of Your Word or Your heart. Cleanse us of the sin in the United States, and grant us mercy and forgiveness from Your love.
· "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation." (Psalm 85:6-7 NKJV)
5. Tropical Storm Noel Buffets South Florida - Newsmax.com
Tropical Storm Noel buffeted south Florida with high surf and winds as it swirled slowly toward the Bahamas Thursday after triggering mudslides and floods in the Caribbean that killed at least 103 people.
· Lord, we thank You that this storm may only skirt the edge of Florida rather than hit full on. We pray for Your comfort and restoration to the people whose lives have been devastated by it in the Caribbean. May some of the rain from this system yet fall upon the southeastern region of our nation, in a gentle and merciful way.
· "For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,' says the Lord." (Jeremiah 30:17 NKJV)
6. President Bush Nominates Edward T. Schafer To Serve As Secretary Of Agriculture - Washington Post
President Bush yesterday nominated Edward T. Schafer, who served two terms as governor of North Dakota, to head the Department of Agriculture, an agency with a broad mandate including administration of the federal food stamp program, aiding economic development in rural America and enhancing food safety.
· Offer prayer for the former governor of North Dakota as he prepares to face Senate Hearings later this month. May he be graced with wisdom from above in his new role, once confirmed, as Secretary of Agriculture.
· "The effectual, fervent prayers of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16)
7. Secretary Of State Condoleezza Rice To Visit Middle East - Agence France Presse
Will Prepare For Peace Conference Next Month
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice travels to the Middle East this week to lay the groundwork for key Israeli-Palestinian talks in the United States next month. The secretary, due to visit Jerusalem and Ramallah from Sunday to Tuesday, said last week that she felt it to be a promising moment for a breakthrough in the perpetually troubled Mideast region. "The timing comes down to what it is we need to do to give forces of moderation a boost and defeat the forces of extremism," she told US lawmakers at a congressional hearing last week. The United States is hoping that the conference forms the basis for next month's negotiations on the creation of a Palestinian state.
"She's going to take stock of where the two parties are . . . about where they stand in their discussions, not only on preparations for the meeting, the document that they are preparing, but also where they are in terms of implementing elements of the road map," said State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack, referring to the long stalled international blueprint for Mideast peace. "She wants to see where progress is on both of those tracks," he said.
· Pray for journeying mercies and for protection for the Secretary of State as she visits these countries next week. Continue to ask our Lord, in prayer, to drive a wedge between the negotiating parties in this time of preparation. If this plan is not according to His will, it cannot stand.
· "Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us." (Isaiah 8:10 NIV)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"A man finds joy in giving an apt reply - and how good is a timely word!" (Proverbs 15:23)
1. UN Report: Hezbollah has rearmed itself and now capable of striking Tel Aviv - Jerusalem Post
Israeli officials Wednesday termed as "balanced" and "important" a report by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which put an end to the Second Lebanon War.
2. Only half of population to get gas masks - Jerusalem Post
The IDF needs more than NIS 1 billion to complete the process of buying new gas masks and refurbishing millions of those being collected from the public, defense officials revealed on Wednesday.
3. Fatah gunmen threaten to fire hundreds of rockets at Israel - Jerusalem Post
The Aqsa Martyrs Brigades threatened Thursday morning to fire hundreds of rockets at Israel
4. Pastor: I was threatened in Ramallah - Jerusalem Post
An Arab-American evangelical pastor said Wednesday that he has been threatened by a Palestinian security official Ramallah, and has fled to Jerusalem for safety.
5. US: Israel must remove outposts, improve Palestinian conditions - Israel Insider
The US is increasing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to remove illegal outposts in Judea and Samaria and implement measures to improve the lives of West Bank Palestinians ahead of the upcoming Annapolis peace summit.
ENDA the Line for a Non-Sexualized Workplace?
The House leadership may have painted itself into a rainbow corner on one of the most volatile political issues of the term--the Employment Non- Discrimination Act (ENDA). After some heated bickering over whether or not to include the transgender community in the bill as a "protected class," Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) ultimately submitted the current proposal, H.R. 3685, without the cross-dresser provision. His effort to soften the legislation could cost the party crucial votes from liberals who feel the leadership should go "all or nothing" on ENDA. Unsure that she could shore up the necessary support in time, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) succeeded in postponing the vote until this month.
Yesterday, FRC learned that ENDA is likely to be brought up next week. Fortunately, the delay has given us an opportunity to educate and mobilize more Americans about ENDA's real purpose--suppressing religious freedom. For more on that, we encourage you to log on to www.frc.org and order a copy of our latest publication, Homosexuality Is Not a Civil Right, which explains how homosexual activists are camouflaging their demand for special treatment as an appeal for "equal rights." While you're waiting for your pamphlets to arrive, pick up the phone and call your House members. Urge them to oppose any bill that forces employers to abandon their personal beliefs and creates special employment protections for people based upon their sexual behavior.
· Clearly, for those of us who value the Judeo-Christian foundation of our nation, ENDA is one bill that we do not want to see pass in this Congress. Cry out to God for mercy, and ask Him to loose His angelic host to do battle on our behalf. Ask our Lord to put an END to ENDA.
· "Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word." (Psalm 103:20) Don't Pressure Israel It is difficult for Americans to understand the evil confronting Israel. Most of its Muslim "neighbors" refuse to recognize its existence, while others, like Iran, have vowed to "wipe Israel off the map." Their animosity is fueled by a steady diet of anti-Semitism that nurtures a culture of death, which breeds homicide bombers. Of course, the truth is very different. Islamic terrorists are working hand-in-hand with Mexican drug lords, and opium production in the Middle East is a major source of funding for the Taliban and other Islamofascist groups. My friends, this is the hatred that the Israeli people face every day. America must stand with Israel, because as we know, the Islamofascists don't just hate the Jews - they hate Christians, too, and even other Muslims who don't follow their radical ideology. Here's how you can make a difference: Christians United For Israel is asking Americans to call the White House right now at 202-456-1111. Urge the administration not to pressure Israel into making more "land for peace" deals that weaken Israel's security. Thank you. (Gary Bauer; End-of-Day; November 1, 2007) AP Story On Birth Control To Minors Deceptive Americans have the false impression that the news media, the esteemed fourth estate that is supposed to report the truth, reports the facts in a truthful way. But what the general public doesn't seem to understand is that the news media often reports the facts in a way that makes a case for or against a certain position. A good example is an Associated Press story about schools giving birth control to minors. The AP reports the results of a poll it conducted in conjunction with pollster Ipsos that indicated some 67 percent of Americans favor schools handing out birth control to minor students. The headline declared: "Poll: Most OK Birth Control For Schools." The poll was taken in the aftermath of a Portland, Maine school board approving handing out birth control pills to 11 year old girls without parental consent. The country was outraged by the suggestion and the controversy sparked a national debate about parental rights. AP reporters appear to have taken the liberal side of the debate to heart and are reporting the results of the AP-Ipsos poll with a bias to support the leftist side of things. The story takes the position that parents believe that giving contraceptives to minor students reduces unwanted teen pregnancies and uses the poll data to support the position. But it is not until the tenth paragraph that readers learn that different results in the poll were combined together to come up with the 67 percent figure of Americans supporting schools giving contraceptives to kids. The paragraph reads, "The 67 percent in the AP poll who favor providing birth control to students include 37 percent who would limit it to those whose parents have consented, and 30 percent to all who ask." In reality, the debate in Portland, Maine was over whether there should be parental consent when schools give birth control to minors. The poll said 37 percent believe birth control should go to only kids whose parents have given permission and only 30 percent say it should be given to all who ask. AP combined the two figures to make the case that the overwhelming majority of Americans favor schools giving birth control to minors when not even a majority of Americans favor giving birth control with parental consent. The story should really read that Americans disagree with schools giving birth control pills to minors-only 37 percent say birth control should be given only with parental consent, and only 30 percent say it should be given to all who ask. But the story misleads the reader in a way that appears to attempt to slant public opinion. 2 Timothy 3:13 says, "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." Pray for great discernment in these days.
A recent example of this was on display last week when a Lebanese TV channel, affiliated with a senior Lebanese politician, aired a show dedicated to the false and discredited Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and accused the Jews of drug trafficking to take over the world.
Unbelievably, the show even suggested that Jewish drug trafficking, "led to the Nazi extremism." So in the Islamofascist mindset, the Holocaust - the deliberate, systematic murder of six million Jews - was an act of self- defense!
America is hosting an upcoming Middle East peace summit in Annapolis, Maryland, and many fear our government will pressure Israel to make more concessions to its sworn enemies.
