| The Daily Brief | |
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1. Engineers Watch Wisconsin Dams After Collapse - AP
LAKE DELTON, Wis. - Engineers kept watch over this rain-deluged state's dams Tuesday after a major collapse nearly emptied Lake Delton in a torrent that washed away houses and a highway. The Lake Delton breach was caused by violent, drenching weekend thunderstorms that threatened the survival of the tiny Wisconsin town of Gays Mills and displaced thousands of Indiana residents. The stormy weather was blamed for 15 deaths in the Midwest and elsewhere.
· As the storms continue tonight throughout several states in the Midwest, pray for the safety of all those in their paths. Ask for strength and wisdom for all "EMT" units that are responding to their cries for help; and for grace for those whose homes are gone. Pray, too, for comfort for those who have lost loved ones in these floods. May our Lord use these circumstances to draw many to Himself, in time of need.
· "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Rom. 8:28 NIV)
2. Fed chief: Risk of major downturn 'diminished' - CNN
Despite a recent spike in the nation's unemployment rate, the danger that the economy has fallen into a "substantial downturn" appears to have waned, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Monday.
· Our economy may improve; and our economy may worsen; but it is the LORD who will sustain us, as we obey His commandments, and as we learn to live for Him. Praise God for His faithfulness to His own!
· "I am the LORD thy God, who teaches you to profit. I will lead you by the Hand; I will instruct you." (Isaiah 48:17)
3. Virginia sides with lesbian 'mother' - One News Now
The Virginia Supreme Court has decided to honor a Vermont court ruling that allows the lesbian former partner of a Virginia woman to have visitation with the Virginia woman's daughter.
· Our hearts sink when we read headlines like these, for we know that this decision also grieves the heart of God. Pray for supernatural protection for this child, and ask for God's mercy -- which includes His judgment -- on the Virginia State Supreme Court. May we each find the grace to live godly and holy lives in the midst of this wicked generation.
· "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." (Matthew 24:37)
4. Earmarks forever a Hill favorite - Washington Times
The practice of decorating legislation with billions of dollars in pet projects and federal contracts is still thriving on Capitol Hill -- despite public outrage that helped flip control of Congress two years ago.
· Not only have these earmarks increased over the past two years, but this foolish and wasteful spending has also increased steadily over many years. Ask our Lord to forgive all who are motivated by this greed, for they know not what they do. May each one give up his own lust for power, prestige and position, and yield instead to the Power that is Greater than himself: Christ Jesus our Lord.
· "While we were yet in sin, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
5. Bush lobbies Europe on Iran - Washington Times
Mr. Bush is visiting nations and leaders critical to a stepped-up U.S. effort to procure new and harsher measures aimed at preventing Iran from proceeding with a suspected plan to build a nuclear bomb.
· Offer praise the we have a President who has "eyes to see" the enemy for what he is -- an enemy. Pray that President Bush's call for support among European nations to impose strict and effective sanctions against the regime in Iran will be honored. Pray!
· ". . . for as the angel of the Lord, so is my king to discern good and evil. And may the Lord your God be with you." (2 Sam. 14:17)
6. NY Fed chief urges global bank framework - Financial Times
Banks and investment banks whose health is crucial to the global financial system should operate under a unified regulatory framework with "appropriate requirements for capital and liquidity", according to Timothy Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Writing in Monday's Financial Times, Mr Geithner, a key US policymaker throughout the credit crisis and one of the main architects of the rescue of Bear Stearns, says that the US Federal Reserve should play a "central role" in the new regulatory framework, working closely with supervisors in the US and round the world.
· As the banks continue to realign themselves, both within the U.S. and at the global level, in response to the subprime crisis earlier this year, pray over all reports you see. The global leaders of the New World Order would like to think that they are in control of all things, but the Word of God indicates otherwise. Praise be to His wonderful Name! · The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. . . "I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills." (Psalm 50:1, 9,10)
| The Middle East in Focus | |
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The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." (Isaiah 43:3)
1. PA asks US to stop IDF attack on Gaza - Jerusalem Post
The Palestinian Authority appealed to the US on Monday to intervene to stop Israel from attacking the Gaza Strip in response to rocket attacks.
2. Poll: 61% of Israelis think Olmert should step down - Ynet News
The majority of the Israeli public believes Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who is currently under investigation for allegedly receiving unlawful funds from American businessman Morris Talansky, should step down immediately; even before Attorney General Menachem Mazuz and the State Prosecutor's Office decide whether or not an indictment is warranted in his case.
3. IAF air strike kills three in response to Hamas mortar attack - ICEJ News
Fighting on the Gaza front surged on Tuesday afternoon when Palestinian militiamen fired at least 18 mortar shells from Gaza into southern Israel, landing in open areas throughout the western Negev. Shortly after the rocket barrages, the IDF reportedly launched an air strike against a Palestinian rocket squad that had fired some of the mortars. Three members of the cell were killed, according to Palestinian sources. The hit was confirmed by the IDF, though not the casualties. According to Palestinian reports, two men killed in the air strike were members of a special Hamas military unit, while seven others were wounded, reported Ynetnews.
4. Ancient Christian Shrine Possibly Found in Jordan - Fox News
Archaeologists in Jordan say they have discovered a catacomb underneath one of the world's oldest churches that may be an even more ancient site of Christian worship.
| Iran in the News | |
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IRAN IN THE NEWS
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming." (Psalms 37:12,13)
1. Iran's Supreme Leader Predicts Terrorists Will Get Nukes - CNS News
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who as Iran's supreme leader is commander in chief of the Iranian military, predicted last week that terrorists would acquire nuclear weapons and "take away security from all the tyrants of the world."
2. Iran Vows 'Painful Response' If Israel Attacks - Fox News
Iran's defense minister warned of a "painful response" if Israel attacks Iran, the official IRNA news agency reported Monday.
3. U.S. troops causing instability in Iraq, Iran's religious leader says - Int'l Herald Tribune
Iran's supreme leader told Iraq's prime minister on Monday that the American forces in Iraq were the biggest obstacle to Iraqi stability.
| Judicial Chaos in California | |
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Judicial Chaos in California:
California's Supreme Court Ignores the Overwhelming Will of Californians and Allows Homosexual "Marriages" to Proceed on June 17
California Marriage Protection Act Remains on Ballot in November
On Wednesday, June 4, four judges on the Supreme Court of California, led by Chief Justice Ron George, for the second time in a month, voted 4-3 (again a 1 vote margin) to ignore the will of the overwhelming majority of Californians and issued a verdict that homosexual "marriages" begin on June 17th. The 3 other California judges on the court are Justices Joyce Kennard, Kathryn Werdegar, and Carolos Moreno.
The Attorneys General in 9 states (Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Utah), had urged the California Supreme Court justices not to allow homosexual "marriage" until the November election when the people could decide. However these 4 judges -- legislating from the bench -- totally ignored the pleas of these attorneys general and the vast majority of Americans who are against these abominable "marriages."
Thankfully, the Secretary of California, Debra Bowen, certified the California Marriage Protection Act, for the November 2008 ballot, which will declare any "marriage" between homosexuals to be null and void; unlawful. Undoubtedly, the citizens of California will follow the citizens in the previous 27 states which have passed constitutional amendments outlawing these abominable "marriages." Indeed, these 27 state amendments have received an average approval of 70%. The Amendment to the California Constitution on November's ballot states: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." (Christian Coalition of America; edited)
· Oh Sovereign God and Father, we ask You for a complete turnaround of this ruling by the four judges in California, who are legislating from the bench. Bring the judiciary back into alignment with its original intent, and restore the law given to us in The Constitution of The United States of America, honoring the principle of governing of the people and by the people. We pray in agreement and call this petition done, in Your Blessed Name, Amen.
· "Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about." (Psalm 32:10)
| ACLU Targets the Heartland | |
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ACLU Seeks to Raise $335M to Target Heartland
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced the largest fundraising campaign in its 88-year history Monday, eyeing a dramatic expansion of its anti-Christian work in conservative states such as Texas and Florida.
"The ACLU claims to be America's No. 1 defender of our First Amendment freedoms, but in reality it's a liberal advocacy group whose primary agenda is undermining our religious freedoms and supplanting it with a godless, secular society," said Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for Focus on the Family Action.
The campaign's goal is $335 million, The Associated Press reported. More than $250 million has already been raised.
"The most dangerous organization in America is trying to become more dangerous," Mike Johnson, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, told The AP.
(Focus on the Family; Citizen Link)
