Today's Daily Brief
1. Economy defies ominous road signs - Washington Times
The economy kept powering ahead last month despite record-high oil prices and worries about the solvency of banks on Wall Street, generating an unexpectedly strong 166,000 jobs in services from retirement homes to restaurants.
· Thank You Lord for Your provisions. Without You, we cannot exist. Because of You, we shall succeed. Hallelujah! AMEN!
· The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. (Psalms 145:18, 19)
2. California wildfires May Return This Week - Ventura County Star
Firefighters are bracing for another windy week just as they finish putting out the last of 23 wildfires that started two weeks ago in Southern California, fanned by gale-force Santa Ana winds. The winds predicted to arrive today (11/2) and continue through Wednesday won't compare to the violent gusts that drove fires across more than 440,000 acres from Santa Barbara to San Diego. But firefighters are concerned any significant winds could stir up smoldering embers and create prime conditions for new flare-ups to spread rapidly around the drought-parched region. The expected low moisture levels, combined with powerful gusts, make it easy for fires to start and spread quickly.
· Lord, You are Lord of lords and King of kings. And even the winds submit to You. We pray the peace of the Lord upon this region. And we pray quick restoration of all that was devastated. We pray that You will get the glory.
· For behold, He who forms mountains, and creates the wind; Who declares to man what his thought is, and makes the morning darkness, Who treads the high places of the earth -- The Lord God of hosts is His name. (Amos 4:13)
3. Pakistani Police Prevent Lawyer Protests - Washington Post
Hundreds of police firing tear gas and swinging batons clashed with lawyers Monday as security forces across Pakistan blockaded courts to prevent protests against President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's declaration of a state of emergency.
· We pray the peace of the Lord upon Pakistan and all the region. We pray that calm heads will prevail in this situation. Give President Musharraf Your wisdom about what he needs to do to bring peace back in his country.
· Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah! Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the Lord. (Psalms 4:4, 5)
4. Baghdad residents returning as violence drops - MSNBC
In a dramatic turnaround, more than 3,000 Iraqi families driven out of their Baghdad neighborhoods have returned to their homes in the past three months as sectarian violence has dropped, the government said Saturday.
· We thank You, Lord, as Baghdad neighborhoods are getting more secure. Keep the Iraqis protecting themselves. Keep them loyal to the U.S. and the troops. And greatly increase the gospel in Iraq and keep Christians safe.
· You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased. I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. (Psalms 4:7, 8)
5. Chinese military boosts hacking - Washington Times
Senior military commanders at the U.S. Pacific Command here said China's recent test of an anti-satellite weapon and increased computer-hacking activities prompted increased defenses for U.S. forces in the region and in space.
· We pray that You will confound the plans of our enemies so that they will not be able to succeed against us. We praise You, for You alone are our Protector and Provider. Hallelujah! AMEN!
· But You have saved us from our enemies, And have put to shame those who hated us. In God we boast all day long, And praise Your name forever. Selah! (Psalms 44:7, 8)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." (Ps 33:10-11)
1. Palestinian state at any price: Rice sweetly lays down the law to Olmert - Israel Insider
Rice, speaking at the Remarks at the Saban Forum Dinner, named after the Israeli-born, Hollywood resident creator of Mutant Ninja Turtles, warned that Israel had to help out Mahmoud Abbas by giving him a State, or be blamed for what would follow: "if we do not act now to show the Palestinians a way forward, others will show them a way forward....My fear is that if Palestinian reformers cannot deliver on the hope of an independent state, then the moderate center could collapse forever and the next generation of Palestinians could become lost souls of unbridled extremism."
2. Al-Qaeda Finds Another Home: Gaza - CBN News
Hamas strongly denies a charge by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that al-Qaeda has entered the Gaza Strip. But video obtained by CBN News reveals evidence to the contrary.
3. Secretary of State Rice: We hope to strike a deal in a year - Jerusalem Post
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice assured the Palestinians on Monday that she aims to wrap up an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal in the remaining year of the Bush administration, offering a target date that falls just short of a formal deadline.
4. PA security forces, al-Aqsa operatives clash in Nablus - Ynet News
Palestinian security forces have been clashing since noon Monday with operatives of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, Fatah's military wing, in the West Bank city of Nablus.
This Week on Capitol Hill
This Week on Capitol Hill
The end-of-the-year congressional cram has arrived - with lawmakers packing in a tight floor schedule of must-pass legislation this week.
The Senate picks through the farm bill, a five year $288b grocery bag of agricultural subsidies, food stamps and conservation programs which is up for its occasional renewal. With a version already passed in the House and at least a week of debate expected in the Senate, fiscal conservatives will do their best to trim down farm supports.
The House votes on an $81b tax bill, a free trade deal with Peru (HR 3688), as well as a bill that would let states pool disaster insurance funds (HR 3355).
Both chambers may dive into a long awaited spending battle with the president this week. With Bush promising to nix their '08 budget for being $22b pricier than his own, Congress is figuring out how to send the president the budget in mini-bulk packages he can't refuse (instead of 12 separate bills). Lawmakers vote on the first veto-resistant pack this week combining the military construction and veterans' bill with the labor-health-human-services- education bill. While it's at it, Congress may also vote this week to override the president's veto of a $23b water works bill, HR 1495, which he also thought cost too much. (Citizen Joe excerpts) "Reagan 21" Formed in Congress Last week, a new formation of House and Senate Republicans, who call themselves Reagan 21, announced their intent to bring Ronald Reagan's governing philosophy to bear on the 21st century. Promising to fight for "Reagan's principles of... common-sense values," the coalition's statement of priorities left many of the former president's aides and admirers scratching their heads. Members of the caucus say that they are committed to: "integrity, tax reform, budget and spending, entitlement reform, ethics, healthcare, education, immigration, energy, and national security." Nowhere do these members so much as mention the other policy objectives close to President Reagan's heart, such as the right to life and religious liberty. Even more troubling, many of Reagan 21's members seem to believe that "rejuvenating the Republican party" is possible without renewing the GOP's loyalty to values voters.. . . the new Pew Research Center poll points to the discontent among the nation's Republicans--in large part because of the party's refusal to embrace and fight for social issues. According to the poll, 55% of white evangelicals are so dedicated to social issues that they would consider voting for a conservative third-party candidate if next November's choice is between Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani. Meanwhile, the Reagan 21 website has been taken down for renovations. We hope the biggest overhaul is the restoring of key social values. (Family Research Council)
"Reagan 21" Formed in Congress
Reagan 21 Does (Social) Injustice to the Late President's Legacy
Lessons from Pakistan
The Prophetic Lesson Of Pakistani Relations
The Bush Administration's investment in Pakistan's military of over $10 billion in the last six years may be in jeopardy as Pakistan's military ruler Pervez Musharraf went against American advice and suspended the Constitution in his country and declared martial law. The move raises a lot of questions over what has been the staunchest Islamic ally of the United States in the war against terrorism. The drums of diplomacy are beating loudly at the U.S. State Department as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is signaling a review of the relationship with Pakistan and strongly urged that Musharraf commit to holding elections as soon as possible.
The state of emergency was declared by Musharraf ostensibly to thwart ongoing terrorist attacks against the Pakistanis, largely due to American support. There is, however, a more disturbing side to the story. While the Musharraf regime cracked down hard on political protesters such as some 1,400 opposition lawyers, there were thousands of Islamic extremists that were protesting undisturbed. DebkaFile security analysts reported that pro-Taliban radicals exchanged 200 Pakistani troops for 28 Taliban prisoners. Even greater is the concern that much of Musharraf's military is infiltrated with al Qaeda and Taliban extremists.
This has placed the United States government in a quandary. Over $10 billion has been spent to build up Pakistan's counter-terrorism efforts in the past six years. Yet Musharraf is in the precarious position of having to go soft on some of the terrorists in order to keep his regime in place. Now, as the U.S. threatens to withdraw further aid and demands elections, the more tenuous the relationship between Musharraf and the Bush Administration becomes. The Bush Administration risks pushing the Musharraf regime toward alliances with the very terrorists that billions of dollars of U.S. taxpayers money has been invested to eradicate.
The lesson in all this is that Islam, whether it is friendly today or an enemy today, cannot be trusted. Islam is an entirely different system than that of the West. Islam uses whatever means possible to advance its cause and if that means feigning allegiance with an enemy to gain and maintain power, it will. And if it means betrayal, Islam justifies the duplicity by saying that it should not be dealing with infidels. The Bible is very clear about Islam when it speaks prophetically of the Islamic forefather Ishmael in Genesis 16:12, "And he (Ishmael) will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren." Ten Billion dollars and six years later, the Bush Administration is learning a lesson it could have learned by reading the Bible.
Bill Wilson We trust that this edition of The Daily Brief will reach you in time to get out to the polls today to vote in your own local and state elections. The leaders of both the Republican and the Democratic parties will be watching and studying today's election results very closely, as they work to establish their own agendas for the national elections next year. How will you vote on issues related to immigration, education, health, taxes and referendums on gambling in your own cities or states? The "powers that be" are watching! Vote your conscience today, but PLEASE VOTE!
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Have YOU Seen the Comet Yet?Have YOU Seen the Comet Yet?
As reported on our Daily Brief on Friday, November 2, 2007. Keep looking up!
· "And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke." (Acts 2: 19)
