In This Issue· The Daily Brief
· The Middle East in Focus
· Election News
· The Economy in Crisis
· Courts May Determine Legitimacy of Obama Candidacy
· Bush Offers Israel's Land to Syria
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The Daily Brief Friday, Oct. 17, 2008
"When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness." (Isaiah 26:9)
The Daily Brief
1. Stocks Down for Day, Up for Week - CNN
Stocks ended a choppy session lower Friday - at the end of a turbulent week - as ongoing recession fears vied with Google's earnings and bullish comments from Warren Buffett.
- Although the stock market is still volatile, Lord we thank You that there has been a leveling of the panic that swept over the market in the last few weeks. Lord, remind people that You are in control and monetary woes are only in this world and should not overly consume our thinking.
- You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. (Isaiah 26:3-4)
2. Men Arrested for Attacks on Iraqi Christians - CNN
Iraqi security forces Friday arrested four men in Mosul for allegedly committing criminal attacks against civilians in that northern city, particularly against Christians, a defense ministry spokesman said.
- Lord God, we pray for protection over Your children who are in harms way. We pray that You will alert authorities to plans for attacks before those plans can be realized.
- For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven't stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9-10)
3. Bush: Bailout Plan Aims to Avoid Future Crisis - Fox News
President Bush said the actions are temporary and will last only as long as necessary, and expressed his confidence in the American economy over the long-term and the ability of the U.S. get through this crisis. "America is the best place in the world to start running a business. America is the most attractive destination for investors around the globe," he said. "America is home of the most talented, entrepreneurial and creative workers in the world. We're a country where all people have the freedom to realize their potential and chase their dreams."
- Lord, we pray for wisdom for our leaders and for You to give them the words needed to help our nation in this time of uncertainty.
- The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His instructions have good insight. His praise endures forever. (Psalm 111:10)
4. The Supreme Court Weighs In - World Magazine
The high court joined the voter-fraud debate in Ohio, halting a lower court's order for increased voter verification. Voter registration strife and fraud allegations are causing a political meltdown in the battleground state of Ohio, signaling potential troubled waters ahead for other states with thousands of new registered voters. But the U.S. Supreme Court Friday unanimously overturned the Sixth Circuit Court's order to Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, to share discrepancies in the state's voter-verification database. The ruling follows intense partisan debate over potential votes in a state that could determine the outcome of the upcoming presidential election.
- Lord, we pray that the election will be fair and that all properly cast votes will be counted. Bring to light all deception that is being perpetrated.
- But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy. (James 3:17)
5. Iran and Iceland Fail to Win UN Security Council Seats - AP
Iran, a country under U.N. sanctions, and Iceland, which has been battered by the recent credit crisis, failed Friday to win nonpermanent seats on the powerful U.N. Security Council. Austria and Turkey beat Iceland in the battle for the two nonpermanent European seats on the 15-member council in voting at a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly while Iran lost out to Japan for the council's Asian seat.
- Jesus, we praise You that the UN has acted wisely so that Iran will not be placed on the UN Security Council. We pray that other nations who seek this position will be stopped from being placed in authority.
- He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. (Daniel 2:21)
6. Thai Minister Refuses to Resign After Deadly Protests - AP
Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat refused to step down Friday, a day after the army's commander suggested he resign over deadly force employed by police to suppress an anti- government protest last week.
- We pray for protection for the people of Thailand. We pray that Your peace will descend and that leaders will look first to protect their people and not to protect their own interests.
- I love the LORD because He has heard my appeal for mercy. Because He has turned His ear to me, I will call out to Him as long as I live. (Psalms 116:1-2)
7. Last One Turn Out The Lights: Marines Quietly Begin Leaving Bases in Iraqi Cities - Fox News
In the last 10 months the Marines in Fallujah have done what was unthinkable before the surge began - they have quietly transferred out of one of Anbar province's largest cities. FOX News has learned in an exclusive interview with Kelly from Fallujah that 80 percent of the move is complete. In February there were 8,000 Marines living at Fallujah base. Now there are about 3,000 left. By Nov. 14 there will be none.
- We thank You that the Marines have been able to restore peace to Iraqi cities and now pray that revival will sweep these same areas so that the peace will be long-lasting.
- Unless the LORD builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the LORD watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain. (Psalms 127:1)
The Middle East in Focus
The Middle East in Focus This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE: "'So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; . . . you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days." (Lev 23:39-40)
1. Hamas likely to extend truce with Israel, say Gaza sources - Ha'aretz
Hamas is likely to seek to extend its truce with Israel for another six months, Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip predicted Thursday. The current six-month truce, brokered by Egypt, expires in December. A senior Hamas official told Haaretz that the Islamic group has not yet made a decision on extending the truce.
2. Israeli air force planning answer for missile war - World Tribune
The Israel Air Force has been preparing for massive missile strikes by Iran and Syria.
3. IDF nabs 10 Palestinians in West Bank, Jordan Valley overnight - Ynet News
An IDF force arrested two Palestinian west of Bethlehem on Thursday night, after finding two pistols and two swords in their house. The weapons were confiscated and the two were taken in for questioning by the security forces.
4. Inscription proves Columbus was a Jew - Israel Insider
Columbus left Spain on August 3, 1492, the day that was the deadline for Jews in Spain to leave the country. Columbus carried with him Zacuto's Hebrew Table of Navigation and charts. His astronomical tables were translated into Spanish by a pupil of Zacuto, Joseph Vecinho, physician to King John II. Vecinho may have translated it for Columbus for his journey. Another sign indicating he was Jewish is this use of the initials for "with G-d's help" in letters to his son.
5. 8,000 Christians at Feast of Tabernacles - Bridges for Peace
About 8,000 Christian friends of Israel from about 100 countries around the world, including the leaders of Evangelical Christian communities such as Allen Jackson, David Pawson, and Robert Stearns, are in Israel to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. The festival, which is sponsored by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem with assistance from the Ministry of Tourism, incorporates a program of seminars and teaching, as well as touring the country's Christian sites. The thousands of pilgrims, from countries such as Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Austria, India, Italy, Nigeria, the United States and more, join in the traditional and colorful Jerusalem March on October 15. The festival participants are expected to contribute about 56,000 tourist nights in hotels around the country and income of approximately US $16-18 million.
· Praise God for the thrilling witness of the Christians rejoicing and blessing Israel. Pray that each one will be blessed according to the promise of God.
· "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people" (Deuteronomy 32:43).
Election News
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
Prayer Point:
Pray that the man of God's choice would be given wisdom and ability from the Lord to overcome any obstacle or difficulty during this campaign.
1. Obama Pulling Away in Newspaper Endorsement Race - Fox News
Barack Obama has attracted the support of nearly three times as many newspapers as John McCain, according to a round-up from Editor and Publisher, as the endorsement season hits a frenzied pitch. Obama picked up the backing of several major dailies on Friday, including the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune, which has never endorsed a Democratic nominee for president.
2. McCain, Biden Earn Different Treatment in Late Night Appearances - Fox News
The tone of the questions from the kings of late night was just a tad different Thursday night when Joe Biden and John McCain made their respective appearances with Jay Leno and David Letterman. It turns out the hosts of the "Late Show" and "The Tonight Show" have not been entirely balanced in the way they dole out their political put-downs and wisecracks. A tally kept by the Center for Media and Public Affairs showed they've skewered Republicans over Democrats by a margin of seven-to-one in recent weeks.
3. Media Turn on 'Joe the Plumber' - Fox News
In as much time as it took for him to become a political sensation, 'Joe the Plumber' has become a political target
4. Closer Than You Think? Polling Data Leave Room for Interpretation - Fox News
One group of voters in the latest Gallup daily tracking poll put John McCain within 2 points of rival Barack Obama while an AP-Yahoo poll out Friday shows McCain's negatives on the rise. Can they both be right?
5. Obama Camp Alleges 'Frenzied' GOP Plot to Inflate Voter Fraud Claims - Fox News
Barack Obama's campaign is accusing Republicans of enlisting law enforcement officials in a "frenzied and pathetic" attempt to turn the allegations of voter fraud surrounding a low-income advocacy group into a political football.The campaign complained Friday in a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey that Republican operatives were "fomenting specious vote fraud allegations" and urged any investigation of such fraud to be put under the purview of the special prosecutor who was looking into the firings of U.S. attorneys by the Bush administration.
THE ECONOMY IN CRISIS
For all the headlines below, we lift up this prayer today: Lord, in this time of noise and confusion, still our hearts to allow us to recognize Your sovereignty in power over the nations of the earth. The stock markets and financial institutions are theoretical powers while You are a real and present comfort to us. Thank You for the plan that You will raise out of this chaos.
· "You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD. He is with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Tomorrow, go out to face them, for the LORD is with you." (2 Chronicles 20:17)
1. Bush: Government Not Moving to Nationalize Banks - Fox Business
The government's move to buy preferred shares in banks is not a step toward nationalizing financial institutions, said President George Bush. The program is designed to ensure government involvement in banks is limited in size, scope and duration, said Bush during a speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The $700 billion rescue planned approved earlier in October is "not a government takeover. Its purpose is not to weaken the free market. It is to preserve the free market," said Bush, addressing concerns that have been swirling ever since the government announced it plans to buy equity in banks and approved the bailout.
2. Layoffs Starting to Spread As US Recession Looms - CNBC
Shockwaves from the global financial crisis are now being felt in almost every corner of working America as companies press the eject button on increasing numbers of their employees.While the ax has been falling for months in the financial, homebuilding and auto industries-where the current economic downturn started-makers of everything from soft drinks to water filtration systems have unveiled rounds of job cuts in recent weeks as they brace for what could become a long and deep recession.
3. Big Drop in Energy Prices May Not Soften Recession - CNBC
The sharp drop in oil prices won't keep the economy out of a recession, and may not even soften the blow much, analysts say.In normal circumstances, the recent 50 percent plunge in oil prices might give a big boost to consumer spending, which drives three-quarters of the US economy. But with unemployment rising and the credit crisis still far from over, cheaper gasoline and heating oil probably won't make much difference.
4. GM to Lay Off 1,500 as Demand Slows - CNBC
General Motors will lay off 1,500 hourly workers at plants in Michigan and Delaware where it builds pickup trucks, large cars and a two-seat roadster due to slowing demand, a spokesman said Thursday.
Courts May Determine Legitimacy of Obama Candidacy
The American people are slowly coming to the realization that the Democratic Presidential candidate, B. Hussein Obama, may be trying to cheat to win. Never before in the history of the United States has a presidential candidate been so embroiled in controversy surrounding massive voter fraud and whether he even Constitutionally qualifies to be president. If both these issues go unresolved past the election, the validity and legitimacy of the Presidency is questionable. Both issues have been brought before the courts in various states, seeking explanations and rulings on Obama's citizenship and whether his former employer, who he has paid for election services, is committing massive voter registration fraud.
According to AP, the FBI is investigating for voter fraud ACORN, the socialist organization where Obama trained "community organizers" and paid over $832,000 this year to its tightly controlled subsidiary for voter turnout services. ACORN's workers have been indicted on voter fraud charges in several key electoral states. In Ohio, Democratic Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has been ordered by the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals to set up a system to verify voter registrations by matching addresses, names and social security numbers. Some 200,000 newly registered voters have mismatched data. Brunner, however, is refusing and has appealed to the US Supreme Court to avoid verifying the registrations.
The Constitution requires that a person be a natural born citizen in order to be president. There has been two court challenges filed to Obama's citizenship-one by Democratic attorney Phillip Berg in Philadelphia and another by Steven Marquis, listed as a resident of Fall City, Washington. Berg is demanding that Obama provide irrefutable documentation of his citizenship. Marquis is suing in Washington State Superior Court that Secretary of State Sam Reed verify Obama's citizenship. Berg charges that Obama was born in Kenya to a mother who renounced her citizenship. To date, Obama has refused in court to provide his birth documentation seeking a "Protective Order" until the case is dismissed.
Berg makes the point that if Obama had nothing to hide, he would provide his birth documentation rather than fight it in court. Republican candidate John McCain, born in Panama, provided his birth information in April, which was verified by the US Senate in a bill sponsored by Obama. Obama has tried to publicly downplay his ties to ACORN, but his campaign's Federal Elections Commission reports show payments to ACORN's subsidiary for voter services. Reports of felons, illegal aliens, dead people, professional athletes and multiple registrations are rampant in swing states with large electoral votes. Jesus said in John 8:32, "the truth shall make you free." Conversely, a lie enslaves its victims to bondage.
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
Bush Offers Israel's Land to Syria
President George W. Bush offered Syrian President Bashar Assad a secret deal to pull Israel out of the Golan Heights in exchange for Syria breaking off ties with Iran, according to a report published Friday in the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Jarida. A Palestinian Authority (PA) source quoted in the report said Bush reportedly proposed "a quick and satisfactory solution" to Syria's dispute with Israel over the Golan Heights. The "solution" was to be finalized "within several weeks, before the U.S. presidential elections, in order to push the Middle East peace process, an achievement the president will be able to proudly present before leaving the White House in January," according to Cairo-based journalist Abdel-Wahab Al-Nasser.
The offer allegedly came in a letter sent via PA Chairman and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas, who arrived in Damascus for meetings with Assad and other Syrian officials beginning last Saturday. Abbas's visit was billed at the time as an attempt by Abbas to shore up his political position within the PA due to the fact that his current term in office ends on January 9, 2009, and as part of his effort to reconcile his Fatah faction with the rival Hamas terrorist organization that took over complete control of Gaza in June 2007.
According to the PA source, the real purpose of Abbas's visit, however, was to deliver the secret letter, the knowledge of which was kept secret from the American Ambassador in Damascus and the members of Abbas's entourage. It was delivered personally by Abbas to Assad, said the source, who added that "the United States stressed the importance of this confidential letter outside the usual official channels."Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's spokesman David Baker said in response to a call from Israel National News, "We have nothing to comment regarding that report." (Arutz Sheva, Israel National News 10/17/08)
· Lord, arise against all spiritual forces that are trying to resist Your plans for Israel at this time: "The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing: He makes the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the LORD stands for ever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is LORD; and the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance." (Psalms 33:10-12)
· Father, we request that You give to Israel a government that will honor You. Give Israeli citizens a chance to have their say by bringing the country into new elections. Handcuff current Prime Minister Olmert so that he cannot make any further decisions or statements that bind Israel in the future.
· Intercede for political and spiritual leaders of Israel and the United States - that every decision, action or plan to pressure Israel to give up land or evacuate its people from any territory would be frustrated and abandoned. May the Lord not allow any power to trespass His land. May God raise up leaders in the U.S. and Israel who would support His end-time purposes for the Jewish people. Intercede for Messianic believers in Israel and for the establishment of religious freedom. Intercede for the revelation of Jesus as Messiah in the Middle East and for "the peace of Jerusalem." (Ps 122) [Reported by: Intercessors for America]
