In This Issue· The Daily Brief
· The Middle East in Focus
· The First 100 Days
· Pray for the Persecuted Church
· America's Enemies Gaining Strength
· Good News Corner
Greetings!
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The Daily Brief Tuesday, February 3, 2009
"The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms." (Deut. 33:27)
The Daily Brief
1. Obama Admits 'Mistake' in Handling of Daschle Nomination - AP
President Obama admitted he made a "mistake" in his handling of Tom Daschle's Cabinet nomination, telling FOX News on Tuesday that he takes full responsibility for a process that ended in Daschle withdrawing his name amid tax problems. Daschle's withdrawal, along with wrangling over the stimulus, made for possibly the rockiest day of Obama's presidency so far. The president said he will learn from the Daschle debacle.
· Thank you Lord, that this situation has been resolved well. It takes humility to step aside for the sake of the nation and we thank You that Daschle has made the decision to step down. Help us find people of integrity to serve our nation!
· "He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble." (Proverbs 3:34 NIV)
2. GOP's Gregg Accepts Commerce Secretary Post - CNN
New Hampshire's Democratic Governor Names a Republican to Fill His Senate SeatPresident Obama extended a political olive branch to the GOP on Tuesday, nominating Sen. Judd Gregg, R- New Hampshire, to head the Commerce Department. Gregg, a third-term Republican known for being fiscally conservative, thanked Obama for taking the "rather extraordinary step of asking me to join your administration." He lauded Obama's "bold and aggressive, effective and comprehensive plan for how we can get this country moving." New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch will appoint Bonnie Newman, Gregg's former chief of staff, to replace him, the governor said Tuesday. One potential stumbling block to Gregg's nomination had been the issue of the veteran lawmaker's replacement in the Senate. Gregg, whose Senate term is up in 2010, threatened this week to turn down the nomination if it upset the balance in the U.S. Senate. But in a move that will leave the Senate's party breakdown unchanged, New Hampshire's Democratic governor named a Republican to replace Gregg.
· Lift up a great chorus of praise this evening that the balance of power in the United States Congress has prevailed. Thank the Lord for granting Senator Gregg the strength to decline this offer, unless his seat was given to another Republican; and offer praise for the graciousness of the Governor of the State of New Hampshire for doing so. Continue to pray over this nomination as it goes to the Senate for confirmation, and over Senator Gregg when he assumes his new responsibilities as the Secretary of Commerce. Praise God!
· "Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord!" (Psalm 150:6)
3. Stimulus Bill Nears $900B - AP
The Senate voted Tuesday to give a tax break to new car buyers -- setting aside bipartisan concerns over the size of an economic stimulus bill with a price tag approaching $900 billion as President Obama presses his Feb. 16 deadline for its passage. The vote was 71-26 to allow many car buyers to claim an income tax deduction for the cost of automobile sales taxes and interest payments on car loans.
· Lord, we pray for a real stimulus that will not just help out people, but a stimulus plan that will actually create jobs! Stop the leaders from committing to more wasteful spending and give them creative ideas for job growth!
· "For they are a nation void of counsel, Nor is there any understanding in them. Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would consider their latter end!" (Deuteronomy 32:28, 29)
4. US Treasury to roll out financial rescue plan - Reuters
The U.S. Treasury Department will in the next few days outline new requirements for Wall Street firms receiving federal aid and further steps to rescue the financial system, officials said on Monday.
· In the tangled web of the global economic meltdown, lift up those who are making decisions to untangle this mess. Ask our Lord to grant His divine wisdom to those In authority in the financial realm; and ask that they would then seek Him for that wisdom. In our helplessness, may we all find the Power greater than ourselves who can see us through these troubled times; Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Lord.
· "Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you. Receive, please, instruction from His mouth, And lay up His words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; You will remove iniquity far from your tents. Then you will lay your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks. Yes, the Almighty will be your gold And your precious silver; For then you will have your delight in the Almighty, And lift up your face to God." (Job 22:21-26)
5. Mrs. Obama thanks Education Department - AP
First Lady Michelle Obama set out Monday on a listening tour through the federal bureaucracy, stopping first at the Department of Education to thank employees for their service and rally them for the tough work ahead.Mrs. Obama said the department will "be at the forefront of many of the things that we have to do in this administration" before she ticked off such agenda items as renovating and modernizing schools, increasing Pell Grants and providing tuition tax credits to college students.Mrs. Obama said Monday's visit to the Department of Education would be the first of many to government departments and agencies in the coming weeks and months "to say 'hello,' to learn, to listen, to take info back where possible."
· Lord, we pray that You will keep us from making decisions in our government that would reflect changes in our family values. We pray that nothing would go through in these plans that is not pleasing to you! Amen!
· "If we have built ourselves an altar to turn from following the Lord, or if to offer on it burnt offerings or grain offerings, or if to offer peace offerings on it, let the Lord Himself require an account." (Joshua 22:19)
6. US targets Chinese, Iranian, N. Korean firms - AP
The Obama administration said Monday it has imposed sanctions on companies in North Korea, China and Iran for violating U.S. law aimed at stopping the spread of missiles and other weapons technology. The penalties were the first of their kind from the new U.S. administration and signaled a willingness to continue the Bush administration's tough stance on weapons proliferation. The sanctions, while largely symbolic, come at a sensitive time in two key U.S. diplomatic efforts. The United States relies on Chinese leverage in international negotiations to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons programs. The Obama administration also needs the help of China, a veto- wielding member of the U.N. Security Council, to deter Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon.
· This report is another reason to offer PRAISE to the Lord for the president's apparently tough position in the face of the known enemies of our nation. Ask the Lord to grant great discernment to our new president, so that he will call "good . . . good" and "evil . . ." Amen.
· "You will pray to Him, and He will hear you . . ." (Job 22:27)
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: "The house of the wicked shall be overthrown ..." (Proverbs 14:11a)
1. Grad rocket hits Ashkelon for first time since Gaza op - Jerusalem Post
A Grad rocket hit Ashkelon Tuesday morning, the first instance of such a rocket being fired into Israel since the end of Operation Cast Lead approximately two weeks ago.
2. Envoy to Australia: Gaza op shows Israel 'ready to engage' on Iran threat - Ha'aretz
Israel's ambassador to Australia told leaders of the Sydney Jewish community on Sunday that, "Israel's efforts in Gaza were to bring about understanding that we are ready to engage in a decisive way" over Iran and its nuclear aspirations.
3. Netanyahu says Iran will not get hands on nukes - AP
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's leading candidate for prime minister, said Saturday that Iran "will not be armed with a nuclear weapon."
4. Hamas official: Deal likely this week - Jerusalem Post
A top Hamas official told The Jerusalem Post late on Monday that he believes an Egyptian-mediated cease- fire agreement between Israel and Hamas is likely to be reached by Thursday.
5. Livni: Israel must put forward a peace plan - Jerusalem Post
If Israel fails to initiate a peace plan after the elections, "we'll get the Arab initiative," Foreign Minister and Kadima Party leader Tzipi Livni said Monday during a keynote speech at the Herzliya Conference.
6. Palestinians, Qatar, France push for Mideast peace - AP
French President Nicolas Sarkozy was meeting Monday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the prime minister of Qatar in an attempt to forge a lasting halt to violence after Israel's recent offensive in the Gaza Strip.
7. Hamas leader praises Iran's help in Gaza 'victory' - CNN
Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal on Sunday praised Iran for helping Hamas achieve "victory" over Israel in Gaza, according to Iranian media reports.
The First 100 Days
The First 100 Days: DAY 15
"The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases." (Proverbs 21:1)
1. Poll: Americans Oppose Obama's First Two Executive Orders
President Obama has garnered widespread support for his early actions in office, but Americans strongly oppose the commander-in-chief's first two executive orders -- allowing federal funding for overseas abortions and closing Guantanamo -- according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday.
2. Feingold Calls for Constitutional Change to Senate Appointment Following Gregg Nomination
A Democratic senator said Tuesday that a deal made between New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg and his state's Democratic governor to name a Republican to replace Gregg in the U.S. Senate was "alarmingly undemocratic."
"Once again, Americans will be represented in the Senate for nearly two years by someone they had no hand in electing," Feingold said. Feingold last month proposed a constitutional amendment to require Senate vacancies be filled by popular election rather than by gubernatorial appointment after then-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich named Roland Burris to replace Obama in the U.S. Senate. Feingold repeated the call Tuesday.
3. Performance Czar Nancy Killefer Withdraws Candidacy
Nancy Killefer, who failed for a year and a half to pay employment taxes on household help, has withdrawn her candidacy to be the first chief performance officer for the federal government, the White House said Tuesday. Killefer was the second major Obama administration nominee to withdraw and the third to have tax problems complicate their nomination after President Barack Obama announced their selection. On paper, Killefer brought impressive credentials to the two jobs Obama selected her for: deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, which requires Senate confirmation, and a new White House post, chief performance officer for the entire federal government, which does not require confirmation.
[All headlines in this section were reported on Fox News.]
Pray for the Persecuted Church
For all the needs listed below, let's pray THIS PROMISE this week for the persecuted church across the world: "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." (Matthew 25:40)
1. Pastor in Saudi Arabia Flees Death Threats
A foreign pastor in Saudi Arabia fled Riyadh after men believed to be associated with that nation's religious police, or mutawwa, threatened him three times in only one week.
2. India Alliance Urges Parties To Halt Anti- Christian Violence
A nation-wide alliance of church leaders, denominations, mission groups and other Christian organizations in India urged all political parties Tuesday, February 2, to make defending religious minorities a key priority ahead of upcoming general elections, amid concerns over spreading anti- Christian violence in the country.
3. Pakistan Christians Protest Police "Torture" And Sexual Abuse
A tense calm returned Monday, February 2, to an impoverished area of the Pakistani city of Sargodha where police "tortured" Christian residents, which included beatings and sexually molesting girls and women, local Christians told Worthy News.
4. Iraq Christians Caught In Middle After Provincial Poll
Iraq's Shi'ite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made a strong showing in Saturday's provincial elections, but it was unclear whether life would improve for the country's embattled Christian minority. [These articles and more are found at www.worthynews.com]
America's Enemies Gaining Strength
America's Enemies Gaining Stature and Strength
The United States is entering an ever darkening historic time. Its enemies are gaining in stature and its economy is subject to its enemies. An attack on the US becomes more and more likely each day. America may have survived an economic attack last summer when oil prices soared to record levels and gasoline went over four dollars a gallon. This attack, though relatively short lived, put money in the coffers of many of America's enemies and helped accelerate their plans against Israel and the United States. Now a weakened America, struggling with economic problems created by bad management, worse government, and dependency on Arab oil has enemies bringing the Republic into their crosshairs.
According to the United Nation's inept International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran is now actually close to building an atomic bomb. As a forerunner, Iran successfully launched its first satellite into space, according to Associated Press. This is an indicator that Iran's rocket and missile technology has advanced, and it is now capable of reaching far away places as well as having some communications technology in space-undoubtedly to be used for military purposes. Another trouble spot is North Korea, who has been playing a cat and mouse game with its nuclear warheads. North Korea, also a missile and nuclear development partner with Iran, is preparing to launch a missile capable of reaching the US.
Meantime, AFP reports that representatives from the new administration, including former Defense Secretary William Perry, have been holding high level discussions with the very Iranian officials that have been lying to the IAEA about Iran's nuclear weapons program. The meetings are described as an attempt to find common ground on various issues. Israeli insiders are saying that the new administration is favoring the Saudi Plan for peace in the Middle East, calling for resettlement of Israel by over 500,000 Palestinians, giving Israel indefensible borders and bringing Jerusalem under the control of Islam.
Deuteronomy 28:48 describes the consequences for a nation not following God's commandments and statutes: "Therefore you shall serve your enemies, which the Lord shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon your neck, until he has destroyed you." Yes, these are Old Testament curses on Israel, but they are also an example of what could happen to a nation that came into covenant with God through its founders and has since turned its back on God by the leaders its people have elected. Our response must be heart to heart combat-a struggle to turn the hearts of our family members, our neighbors and our countrymen back to Christ.
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
Good News Corner
Christian High-School Football Coach Gets Special Invite to Super Bowl Why? Because he compelled his school supporters to support and honor opposing team from juvenile correctional facility.
Dallas Morning News reports that last November Grapevine Faith Christian football coach Kris Hogan asked his team's fans to cheer for their opposing team: Gainesville State School, a juvenile correctional facility.
According to the report, Hogan asked some parents of his players to actually sit on the opposing team's stands and create a "spirit line" for the team's players who normally have no fans to cheer for them. He even reportedly distributed a roster of Gainesville State players so fans could cheer them by name. (Kris Hogan (right) and Gainesville coach Mark Williams/ Photo by: Ron Jenkins)
Hogan's remarkable character received national attention and was noticed by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell who has invited Hogan to attend the Super Bowl this weekend. "We never intended for this to go outside our fences," said Hogan. "It kind of saddens me that it got so much attention. We should all be used to people taking advantage of an opportunity to help another human life."
