" He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations - let not the rebellious rise up against him." (Psalm 66:7)
Today's Daily Brief
1. Michigan man Accused of Helping Saddam Pre-war Visit to Iraq by U.S. Lawmakers - Fox news
Muthanna Al-Hanooti was given an offer that federal prosecutors say he couldn't refuse: Set up a trip for U.S. lawmakers to pre-war Iraq and earn 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil in return. An indictment unsealed Wednesday in Detroit accuses Al-Hanooti, a member of a Michigan nonprofit group, of making those arrangements in 2002 at the behest of Saddam Hussein's regime. The deal allegedly was financed by Iraqi intelligence officials through an intermediary.
· Lord, we ask that You continue to reveal all corruption within our nation. Forgive us, and grant us mercy according to Your lovingkindness.
·"How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults." (Psalm 19:12 NLT)
2. Iraqi Prime Minister Issues 3-Day Deadline for Al-Sadr Militia in Basra to Surrender Arms - AP
Shiite militiamen loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have been given three days to surrender their weapons and sign a pledge renouncing violence.
· Father, we ask that You move upon the hearts of the militia who follow Al-Sadr to lay down their arms and work for peace.
·"And He shall judge among many people, and rebuke the strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." (Micah 4:3)
3. UN Rights Council Blasted for 'Bias and Hypocrisy' - CNSNews.com
More anti-Israel moves from the United Nations' Human Rights Council. It has elected a special adviser who sympathizes with the Castro and Mugabe regimes and criticizes the United States and Israel. Also on Wednesday, the council appointed an American academic strongly critical of Israel to a post dealing with Israel's conduct in the Palestinian territories.
· Lord, as the UN grows farther away from You, it becomes more allied with evil. We praise Your Holy Name and thank You that You hear our cries for protection over Israel and all Your people wherever they may be.
· "O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will respond instantly to the sound of your cries." (Isaiah 30:19 NLT)
4. Uranium Seized from FARC Guerillas - Reuters
Colombia said it seized at least 30kg of uranium from the country's biggest left-wing rebel group, the first time radioactive material has been linked to the four-decade-old guerrilla war.
· Lord, we thank You for uncovering this plot.
·"No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises up against you in judgment you shall condemn." (Isaiah 54:17a NKJV)
5. Virginia Police Hunt for Snipers in Motorist Shootings Along Interstate 64- Fox News
Virginia State Police were hunting Thursday for multiple gunmen suspected of shooting at motorists at three different locations along busy Interstate 64. A 20-mile section of the major highway was reopened after being closed overnight and into the early morning hours while officers pursued what they believe are multiple gunmen.
· Lord, we ask that You would catch these snipers quickly, and that You will protect the motorists who must travel the I64 corridor.
·"The Lord is known by the judgment which He executeth; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands." (Psalm 9:16)
6. Chrisitan Faith in America: A. Wisconsin Parents Didn't Expect Child to Die During Prayer - Fox News
The mother of an 11-year-old girl who died of untreated diabetes said Wednesday that she did not know her daughter was terminally ill as she prayed for her to get better.B. Police Call Church Music 'Disorderly'- CNSNews.com A Michigan church filed a federal lawsuit after police officers, led by a local prosecutor, entered the sanctuary at least twice without a warrant, alledging the church's music was too loud.
· Father, we see these headlines and realize the right to express our faith continues to come under fire. We ask for comfort for the parents of the girl at this tragic time, and bring Your forgiveness and grace to them. We pray for the church in Michigan and the community around them, that You grant peace and Your favor in this situation. Enlarge the area of ministry for this church. We pray they will be a shining light to their community.
·"For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." (Psalm 91:11)
7. U. of Miami: Islamic call to prayer broadcast from clock tower- Alliance Defense Fund
Muslims students at the University of Miami have organized for the Islamic call to prayer, broadcasted each Friday afternoon this month from Richter Library's clock tower in commemoration of Islamic Awareness Month. The call to prayer, or Adhan, is spoken in Arabic and is meant to resonate throughout the area.
· Pray for a revival to break out among university students across the nation -- that they be drawn to hear and receive the Gospel and not all prey to the wiles of the enemy.
· "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
8. 9th Circuit upholds Wash. Ten Commandments display - Alliance Defense Fund
SEATTLE - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled Wednesday that a six-foot granite monument inscribed with the Ten Commandments in the city of Everett does not violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Alliance Defense Fund funded a friend-of-the-court brief filed by Steve Fitschen of the National Legal Foundation. "Americans shouldn't be forced to abandon their religious heritage simply to appease someone's political agenda," said ADF Senior Counsel Glen Lavy. "The Ten Commandments should not be attacked just because someone might be offended by them. If someone is offended by the idea that religion is important to our society, then that person believes the opposite of what the authors of the Constitution believed."
· Offer praise for this breakthrough and continue in intercession over the many court cases in America that impact our freedom to display the Ten Commandments in the public square.
· "My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands." (Proverbs 3:1)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"If it had not been LORD who was on our side - now may Israel say - if it had not been LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us." (Psalm 124:1-3)
1. Israel Gives PA Forces Armored Vehicles - CBN News
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced a transfer of armored vehicles and "equipment" to Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces Wednesday.
2. IDF: Islamic Jihad producing Grad-like rockets - Ynet News
The Islamic Jihad terror group has recently began manufacturing rockets capable of reaching a 12.5-mile range, similar to the Grad rockets already in use by terror organizations in Gaza.
3. Olmert: Israel will continue to build in existing settlements - Ynet News
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged Wednesday to continue with peace talks with the Palestinian Authority until an agreement is achieved, while ruling out talks with Hamas, threatening instead to confront the Islamists with ''very painful'' methods.
4. Israel: Hezbollah Increases Rocket Range - ABC News
With Iranian backing, Hezbollah guerrillas have dramatically increased their rocket range and can now threaten most of Israel, senior Israeli defense officials said.
Court to reconsider home-school ruling
A state appeals court will reconsider last month's controversial decision that said parents who home- school their children must have a teaching credential.
The 2nd District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles granted a rehearing Tuesday, essentially voiding the 3- 0 decision until it rules again. The decision will now allow home-schooling organizations that had blasted the decision to weigh in.
"Wow!" said Diane Flynn Keith of Redwood City, who edits Homefires, an online home-schooling journal. "I think the judge recognized that he hadn't done his homework."
The case centered on a Southern California couple, Phillip and Mary Long of Lynwood, who home- schooled their eight children through the Sunland Christian School in Sylmar. The family came to the attention of Los Angeles County social workers when one of the children claimed the father was physically abusive. The workers learned that all eight children in the family were home-schooled, and an attorney representing the two youngest children asked the juvenile dependency court to order that they be enrolled in public or private school as a way to protect their well-being.
Ruling that the parents had no right to home-school their children because they weren't credentialed as teachers by the state, Justice H. Walter Croskey pointed to a similar 1953 appellate court decision.
The Longs are being represented by the Pacific Justice Institute, which released a statement saying that Tuesday's decision was a hopeful sign.
"Home-schooling parents should be treated as heroes - not hunted down or harassed by their own government," said Brad Dacus, president of the institute.
The Feb. 28 ruling was also denounced by state schools Superintendent Jack O'Connell, who said that traditional public schools may not be the best fit for every student. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also attacked it, saying "this outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts." (Mercury News)
Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said the court's decision to rehear the case is a welcomed sign.
"Handing down broad opinions with widespread impact without hearing from the very people and organizations affected is a recipe for disaster, which is exactly what happened here," he said. "The court's decision, which has now been vacated, trampled on fundamental parental rights that have been recognized in numerous Supreme Court decisions.
"With a new opportunity for all affected parties to be heard, this court now has the time to take a more thorough look at the issue and get it right."
Michael Farris, co-founder and chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association, said California courts tend to have an effect on courts around the U.S. About 20 percent of the nation's home-schoolers live in California, he said.(Focus on the Family; CitizenLink)
Fox Refuses to Pay Indecency Fine
Fox Broadcasting is refusing to pay a fine over an indecent reality TV show. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) originally fined the network $1.2 million; it later reduced it to $91,000.
"There's some real hubris here," said Daniel Weiss, senior analyst for media & sexuality at Focus on the Family Action. "These networks do not care what America's standards for decency are."
In a separate case, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox have sued the FCC. The case is before the U.S. Supreme Court.
"What they want to do, is do away with any rules," said Dan Isett, director of Corporate and Government Affairs at the Parents Television Council. "They want the ability, the 'right,' to air indecent programming, in front of every child in America."
Weiss said broadcast television can legally air some pretty raunchy material - after 10 p.m.
"They're choosing to do it during prime time, when millions of kids are in the audience," he said, "and they're doing it because they think they can make more money that way."
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Ask Fox to pay the FCC fines it owes and clean up its programming. You can find contact information through our Action Center.
Surgeon: "What you have is a Miracle"
Terror Attack Wounds 15 year old son of Messianic believers in Ariel, Israel
Surgeon: "What you have is a Miracle"
Young Messianic Overcoming Wounds from Attack
(Please pray for this dear born again ( Messianic) Jewish boy, Ami. He suffered a direct bomb blast 7 days ago. His father,David, is a Messianic pastor in the town of Ariel in ancient Samaria (West Bank) in Israel. God is working through all this. The doctors are seeing and admitting to miracle after miracle! )
Without meeting David and Leah Ortiz, you already suspect that they are special people. They live in Ariel, which is across the green line well into the West Bank. Most settlements are filled with religious Jews, most of which are kind, decent people who simply believe that the Word of God promises ancient Judea to the Jewish people. However, there is a minority who, possessed by misguided religious zeal, can become quite violent against those Jews who have embraced Yeshua. This is the Ortiz's home.
In Ariel they lead a small Messianic congregation and they also have an outreach to Palestinians. Being Jewish, I can't think of a more dangerous mission- reaching Jewish and Arabs in an area of the world that is infamous for violence (mostly against Jews by terrorists).
Having met them, you know they are special people. I had that pleasure this morning at Schneider Children's Hospital in Petah Tikvah. Just a few days ago religious zealots, whether Jewish or Muslim is still unknown as they had enemies from both camps, sent a Mishloach Manot (during Purim it is customary to send people little care packages) to the Ortiz family home. Their young son Ami opened the package which then exploded, sending shrapnel into his body and causing significant damage to their home and it even caused windows in cars to shatter. That he lived in and of itself is a miracle.
The Latest
After meeting David this morning he shared with me something that I think he would want you to know. At 2 A.M. this morning the doctor gave him and his wife a very disturbing report that included news that they may need to amputate some of his limbs. A few hours later that same doctor, an expert in treating victims of bombings (unfortunately, in Israel he gets too much practice), told David, "I want to choose my words wisely here. I am an expert in treating these wounds. What you have here is a miracle," speaking of the improvement that the youngster made in those few hours.
Leah shared with us that at one point when she was feeling overwhelmed she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see who was seeking to comfort her and there was no one there.
Please continue to pray for Ami, that he will make a full recovery. He has wounds all over his body and burns to his neck and chest I believe. They plan to keep him sedated a few more days before waking him up.
As we left the hospital David told me that he knows God has a plan. "At first I was overcome with despair. I felt darkness. But then the Lord spoke to me, 'David, I have a plan.'" Let's agree for the Lord's plan to come to pass. (Reported by: Ron Cantor)
This is the first time that an attack of this severity against believers has happened in modern Israel. Riots, firebombing of congregational buildings, physical attacks against individuals - all of these have happened in the past, though Israel's media have often refused to report on these instances, or have downplayed any significance to these events. In Ami's case, all the major newspapers and TV stations are reporting in greater detail on these events, with a much greater degree of sympathy.
One of our neighbors called us up this morning and expressed her sympathies, her appreciation for Messianic Jews, and her horror at the possibility that Jews could do such things to fellow Jews.
This bombing has resulted in an outpouring of love from Messianic believers from all over the country who have been rallying to stand with the Ortiz family.
-- Pray that the perpetrators will be found and arrested.
-- Pray that Ami and his whole family will be encouraged and strengthened in the Lord.
-- Pray for the Messianic community in the city of Ariel to be strengthened and emboldened at this very challenging time.
-- Pray that the testimony of Yeshua will appear clearly on a local, national and international level as a result of this attack. (Reported by: Avner Boskey)
· Please pray that G-D would miraculously heal this 15-year-old boy as a sign and a wonder to all that G-D is with him.
· "He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their bands apart. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men!" (Psalm 107:14,15)
