In This IssueThe Daily Brief
The Middle East in Focus
The White House in Transition
About That Birth-Certificate Question . . .
Greetings!
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The Daily Brief Thursday, December 4, 2008
"Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." (Revelation 7:10)
The Daily Brief
1. Nuclear or Biological Attack by 2013- Panel Warns - AP
The United States can expect a terrorist attack using nuclear, or more likely biological weapons before 2013, reports a bipartisan commission in a study being briefed Tuesday to Vice President-elect Joe Biden.
· Lord, we pray that You will cover President-Elect Obama and all of his staff with Your wisdom and truth in the days and years ahead. We ask that You deploy Your heavenly host around our borders and around our international interests to protect and secure us from such a tragedy.
· "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday." (Psalm 91: 5,6)
2. IDF preparing options for strike at Iran without US assent
The IDF is drawing up options for a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities that do not include coordination with the United States, The Jerusalem Post has learned. While its preference is to coordinate with the US, defense officials have said Israel is preparing a wide range of options for such an operation.The "US European Command (EUCOM) has deployed to Israel a high-powered X-band radar and the supporting people and equipment needed for coordinated defense against Iranian missile attack, marking the first permanent US military presence on Israeli soil," Defense News wrote.Israeli officials said last week that the drop in oil prices and the continued sanctions on Iran were having an effect, although they had yet to stop Teheran's nuclear program. The officials said that while Iran was making technological advancements, it would not have the necessary amount of highly-enriched uranium for a nuclear bomb until late 2009.
· Pray that the Lord will grant intelligence information that is accurate and timely with regard to Iran. Pray that the U.S. President will work with Israel to protect her. Also pray that Israel will have God's wisdom, and hear directly from Him, and not move out of fear or anger.
· "I will plant them in their land and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them Says the Lord your God." (Amos 9:15)
3. Commission Recommends U.S. Use 'Direct Force', if Needed, to Stop Iran, N. Korea Nuke Programs - CNS News
Bipartisan panel warns incoming Obama administration and Congress that the U.S. may need to get tough with Iran and North Korea over nuclear weapons.
· Lord, we declare Psalm 91 over our nation as our leaders tackle this international crisis. We pray once again for Your wisdom for the President and Congress.
· "Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence." (Psalm 91:3)
4. Lawmakers: Auto Bailout on Verge of Collapse - Newsmax.com
As the Big Three auto chiefs return to Washington to plead once again for a bailout, key lawmakers are saying the deal may already be dead. Republican leaders are resisting any bailout, and Democrats are divided between union advocates and environmentalists.
· Father, as we are aware of the importance of the auto industry to our economy, we are also aware that there are consequences for our foolish actions in financial areas. We ask that wisdom and foresight be granted not only to our leaders, but to the auto industry leadership as well to prevent "good money after bad" in the bailout process.
· "So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its owners." (Proverbs 1:19)
5. Stop Using the Word 'Islam' in Reports on Terrorism, Islamic Bloc Says - CNS News
A bloc of Islamic nations says media reporting on terrorist activity should exclude "any reference to Islam," regardless of the affiliation, identity or motivation of the perpetrators. The perpetrators of terror attacks are "deviant and fanatic individuals," the Islamic bloc said.
· Pray that the international media will not bow to this request. While we can all agree that the attackers are fanatics, the fact remains that they have been Islamic in nature. Pray that God's truth be shown, and that the real Lord of heaven, Jesus, be revealed.
· "He who speaks truth declares righteousness, but a false witness, deceit." (Proverbs 12:17)
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:
"Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you." (Isaiah 60:1-2)
1. IDF preparing options for strike at Iran without US assent - Jerusalem Post
The IDF is drawing up options for a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities that do not include coordination with the United States, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
2. Syria: Clinton nomination proves Obama wants Mideast peace - Ynet News
Syria commended US president elect Barack Obama's appointment of Hillary Clinton to the office of secretary of state, and an official Syrian source told the Qatari al-Watan daily that the appointment highlights the new administration's commitment to achieving peace in the Middle East.
3. NATO: Diplomacy, not defense, will determine deployment of peacekeepers in Mideast - Ha'aretz
Diplomatic, not military, considerations will determine whether or not NATO decides to deploy forces along the Israel-Syria border, or in the Israeli-Palestinian sector, according to the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Giampaolo di Paola, who spoke to Haaretz in Brussels on Wednesday.
4. Palestinians say nothing will change under Obama - Ynet News
Most Palestinians think the election of Barack Obama as US president will have no impact on the chances of a solution to the conflict with Israel, an opinion poll published on Wednesday said. It found that 57.5% of those Palestinians who were questioned thought that Obama's election "will make no difference."
The White House in Transition
1. Many Homeland Security Programs Can Be Ended Under Obama, ACLU Says - CNS News
Many of the programs created under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after 9/11 can be dispensed with, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. And the incoming Obama administration will make major renovations in the DHS that will strengthen privacy rights for individuals, civil rights activists said at a conference on Wednesday.
· Pray that any ideas for removal of Homeland Security programs be stopped unless they are God's plan for the hour. We know that the actions of the ACLU have often been at odds with America's security, as well as Christianity, so we must keep in contact with our leadership in Congress and voice our stance.
· "Counsel is Mine, and sound wisdom; I Am understanding, I have strength." (Proverbs 8:14)
2. Congresswoman 'Flabbergasted' Over Obama Phone Call - Fox News
Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said she thought it was a prank when President-Elect Barack Obama called her by phone to congratulate her on her re-election. Obama tried convincing her that he truly was the president-elect, but Ros-Lehtinen says she "wished him the best of luck and told him I was going to hang up on him." She said Obama called to congratulate her on her re- election, saying he was looking forward to working with her as the ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs committee.But she assumed it was a radio station prank. Typically, when high-ranking officials call, an aide calls in advance to verify. That was the procedure recently when Ros-Lehtinen received a call from Sen. Hillary Clinton.
A few minutes later, Rahm Emanuel, Obama's chief of staff, called the congresswoman with Obama on the line to tell her it wasn't a joke."I said I really do appreciate it. I love these pranks more than anybody and I'm honored that you would prank me, but I'm gonna hang up."And she did.It took a call from Rep. Howard Berman, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, to persuade Ros- Lehtinen that Obama really did want to talk to her. She asked Berman to tell her an inside joke about a colleague that only they would know to make sure the phone call was legitimate.
3. The Bushes are coming to Dallas - Fox News
The White House announced Thursday that President Bush and the first lady had purchased a home in Dallas' Preston Hollow neighborhood, and though they declined to offer up the couple's new address, local speculation placed the future Bush residence at 10141 Daria Place. The four-bedroom property, appraised at about $2 million . . .An adjoining $1.67 million property is currently under contract to an unknown buyer, leading to speculation it could be used as a place for the Secret Service agents who will accompany the president back to Texas.
· After serving our nation for eight consecutive years in the "fishbowl" of the White House, offer praise that the President and First Lady Laura Bush will now be granted the privacy they so richly deserve. Continue to lift up the Secret Service agents that will be detailed to offer this president, as all former presidents, ongoing 24/7 protection. May they be found FAITHFUL in this mission!
· "They were a wall to us both by day and by night . . ." (I Samuel 25:16)
About That Birth-Certificate Question . . .
Of Journalists, the Constitution and a Would-be President
There are a lot of rumors flying around Washington, D.C. with respect to whether Barack Hussein Obama is a natural born citizen and whether he meets the Constitutional requirements to be eligible to hold the office of President of the United States. Checking them out could be a full time job for any journalist. But the journalists are the problem. An inside source at the White House relays the story that when the question was asked whether Obama was qualified, reporters from major news outlets were aghast at the information and behaved as if they had never heard that Obama's citizenship was in question. Since then, some outlets such as Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, even Pravda have carried reports on the story.
There are several issues surrounding this story. And its not only those with liberal bias who have refused to cover it. Several months ago, I was having a discussion with two leading conservative journalists. When I brought this story to their attention, they nearly laughed me out of the room. Their point was that Obama's mother was a natural born American citizen, case closed. And my reputation with these guys was now on thin ice. But they refused to even consider the technical aspects of Obama's citizenship-if his mother had renounced her citizenship to marry an Islamist from Kenya or another Islamist from Indonesia; whether Obama's stepfather's adoption of him caused a loss of US citizenship, etc.
Now we are at the point of the US Supreme Court considering whether Obama is a natural born citizen. Rumor had it that Obama had until December 1st to answer to the Supreme Court. This may or may not be true. In fact, we will not know for several days whether the Obama team responded to the Supreme Court. What we do know from Philadelphia attorney Phillip Berg, who filed the original case questioning Obama's citizenship, is that his petition would be distributed to all the Justices after December 1st and a conference between them would be set within ten days. At that time, if four of the nine Justices agree, Obama will have to respond. The Justices can also make other orders during the conference.
Ignoring the Constitution has been a staple of American politics, especially in the past 40 years- limiting religious speech in public places and the legalization of abortion are two blatant examples. If Obama's citizenship was not an issue, it would seem that Obama, himself, would step forward and prove his eligibility beyond a reasonable doubt. Instead, his lawyers have played it coy. Only bad things happen when the Constitution is not followed-secular humanism at the expense of religious freedom, 40 million pre-born babies killed-just to name two. Shall we add the atrocities that come from an illegally elected "president" to the list? Jesus said in John 8:32 that the "truth shall make you free." We need more freedom.
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
