In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• A Very Busy Man
• Why Is The Great Orator Silent?
• The Daily Jot
• The Good News Corner
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The Daily Brief - Friday, June 19, 2009
"The LORD Almighty is the One you are to regard as holy, He is the one you are to fear." (Isaiah 8:11-13)
The Daily Brief
1. A. U.S. Fortifies Hawaii to Meet Threat From Korea - Wall Street Journal
The U.S. is moving ground-to-air missile defenses to Hawaii as tensions escalate between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korea's recent moves to restart its nuclear-weapon program and resume test- firing long-range missiles. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday that the U.S. is concerned that Pyongyang might soon fire a missile toward Hawaii. Some senior U.S. officials expect a North Korean test by midsummer, even though most don't believe the missile would be capable of crossing the Pacific and reaching Hawaii. Mr. Gates told reporters that the U.S. is positioning a sophisticated floating radar array in the ocean around Hawaii to track an incoming missile. The U.S. is also deploying missile-defense weapons to Hawaii that would theoretically be capable of shooting down a North Korean missile, should such an order be given, he said.
B. Navy Positions Destroyer For Possible Intercept of North Korean Ship Suspected of Proliferating Missiles, Nukes - Fox News
The U.S. military is preparing for a possible intercept of a North Korean flagged ship suspected of proliferating weapons material in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution passed last Friday, FOX News has learned. The USS John McCain, a Navy destroyer, is positioning itself in case it gets orders to intercept the ship Kang Nam as soon as it leaves the vicinity off the coast of China, according to a senior U.S. defense official. The order to inderdict has not been given yet, but the ship is moving into the area.
- Lord, we pray for protection against those who are using weapons to threaten the world. We pray for those who are charged with intelligence gathering and pray that they will have rested minds in order to have the focus they need for their jobs.
- "They were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were given into their hand; for they cried out to God in the battle, and He answered their prayers because they trusted in Him." (1 Chronicles 5:20)
2. Treasury to Auction $104 Billion In Debt Next Week, a Record - CNBC
The Treasury announced Thursday a record $104 billion worth of bond auctions for next week, part of its herculean efforts to finance a rescue of the world's largest economy.
- As this sell off of America's debt continues, we pray for an awakening for those in the government, that they will stop giving over control of America's economy and will begin to cut spending to stop this debt snowball.
- "But I will have compassion on the house of Judah and deliver them by the LORD their God, and will not deliver them by bow, sword, battle, horses or horsemen." (Hosea 1:7)
3. Study: 19 Ambassador Nominees Bundled $4.8 Million for President's Campaign, Inauguration - ABC News
The information comes from the Center for Responsive Politics, which in a recent study concluded that the president's new nominees for ambassadorships to Belize, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Romania and Switzerland "brought in at least $1.1 million for Obama's presidential bid as bundlers, and at least another half-a-million as bundlers for his inauguration. To date, this brings the contribution histories of Obama's ambassador nominees to roughly $1.8 million in donations since 1989. The 19 ambassadors that CRP has found in our campaign contribution database, along with their spouses and children, have given more than $98,200 to Obama personally, bundled at least $3.4 million for his 2008 presidential run and bundled another $1.4 million for his inauguration."
- If positions are being bought, we pray this will be found out, and we pray for a new breeze to blow through Washington that will reward those who use education and hard work to advance, not money.
- "They have acted corruptly toward Him, They are not His children, because of their defect; But are a perverse and crooked generation." (Deuteronomy 32:5)
4. Iran in the News
a. Iran's leader: End protests or risk 'bloodshed' - AP
Iran's supreme leader sought Friday to end the deepening crisis over disputed elections with one decisive speech - declaring the vote will almost certainly stand and sternly warning opposition leaders to end street protests or be held responsible for any "bloodshed and chaos" to come. But a first sign of possible resistance came shortly after nightfall in Tehran. Cries of "Death to the dictator!" and "Allahu akbar" - "God is great" - rang from rooftops in what's become a nightly ritual of opposition unity. The sharp line drawn by Iran's most powerful figure, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a gambit that pushes Iran's opposition to a pivotal moment: either back down or risk a crushing response from police and the forces at Khamenei's disposal - the powerful Revolutionary Guard and their volunteer citizen militia, the Basiji.
b. Iran elections: Google and Facebook launch Farsi services to aid protesters - UK Telegraph
Google has unveiled a Farsi translation service to help Iranians "communicate directly" to the world while Facebook has launched a version of its site in Persian they said on Friday.
c. Basij Militia Allegedly Use Axes, Daggers to Attack Iranian Protesters - AP
The pro-government Basij militia has held back its full fury during this week's street demonstrations. But witnesses say the force has unleashed its violence in shadowy nighttime raids, attacking suspected opposition sympathizers with axes, daggers, sticks and other crude weapons. At least once, the militiamen opened fire on a crowd of stone-throwing protesters. State media said seven were killed. If supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei authorizes a crackdown on protesters calling for a new presidential election, as he warned on Friday, the Basij will almost certainly be out in force.
- Lord, we pray for the protection of the Iranian people who are voicing their discontent. We pray that any armed forces will choose to protect their fellow citizens and will refuse to obey any orders that mandate violence. We praise You that internet companies are choosing to help the Iranian people and pray they will choose the same path with other oppressive governments, especially China.
- "Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise," says the LORD; "I will set him in the safety for which he longs." (Psalm 12:5)
5. Russia-US Talks on Nuclear Arms `Constructive' - NewsMax
Russia says talks with the United States on nuclear arms reductions have been constructive, but suggests a summit next month may not bring a new deal. Talks on an arms reduction deal to replace the 1991 START treaty are a keystone of efforts to improve troubled Russian-American ties. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko says the talks have been held in a "constructive and businesslike" atmosphere. He said Thursday that Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev will likely be able to "announce intermediate results" at the summit in early July, suggesting an actual deal is more likely to come later.
- We pray that the conditions of any new agreements will come to light. May those in decision-making positions be aware of their charge to protect the people of this nation and that they will not fall prey to wanting to seize glory for themselves at the risk of others.
- "Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them." (Proverbs 24:1)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mont Zion in the far north, the city of the great King. (Psalm 48:2)
1. Blair: Mideast peace deal could happen 'within year' - Ynet News
A Middle East peace deal is possible "within the year," but only if all sides agree to peaceful negotiations, international envoy Tony Blair says in comments to be aired Friday.
2. '6% see US administration as pro-Israel' - Jerusalem Post
Only 6 percent of Jewish Israelis consider the views of American President Barack Obama's administration pro-Israel, according to a new Jerusalem Post-sponsored Smith Research poll.
3. Foreign minister: US wants to bridge gaps - Ynet News
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Israeli reporters in Washington Thursday that the US administration was displaying "good will to bridge the gaps" in relations with Israel.
A Very Busy Man
While attempting to wrestle with the recession, socialize our healthcare, reconstruct the financial industry, run our car companies and swatting flies, the president found time yesterday evening to reaffirm his commitment to fundamentally redefine the meaning of marriage. At an Oval Office ceremony, the Mr. Obama issued a presidential memorandum directing the heads of various government departments to begin providing whatever taxpayer-funded benefits they could to the partners of homosexual federal employees.
However, the president also acknowledged that he could only go so far because of the Defense of Marriage Act - a federal law that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, which protects the people of one state from being forced to recognize the homosexual "marriages" performed in another state. President Obama reiterated his desire to see that law repealed, saying, ". . . this Presidential Memorandum is just a start. . . stand by my long-standing commitment to work with Congress to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act."
I hope you understand and appreciate the significance of that statement. This president wants to repeal the one law that stands in the way of having same-sex "marriage" forced on every state in the union by unelected judges. The people of 30 states have voted to define marriage as the union of a man and woman, but Barack Obama believes that is "discriminatory," and he wants to force the people of Virginia to affirm the values of Vermont. (Gary Bauer; End-of-Day; 6/18/09)
- Lord, we pray that there will be an awakening of the people of this nation that they will protect the institutions that You created. May the people hold their leaders to the will that has been expressed over and over whenever the people vote on the issue of marriage.
- "In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you." (1 Peter 4:4)
Why Is The Great Orator Silent?
Barack Obama has been hailed as one of the greatest orators of our day, yet he has been silent in recent days, refusing to speak up in defense of democracy in Iran. Instead, the Washington Post reported yesterday that our president is trying not to "alienate the ayatollah," all so he can keep alive his hopes for diplomacy with the Islamofascist regime, like Neville Chamberlain seeking "peace in our time."
While the president stays tight lipped, the media are making excuses for his silence. Isolationists on the right like Pat Buchanan to left wingers like Keith Olbermann are all saying that President Obama should keep his mouth shut so that "American meddling" doesn't become the issue in Iran. Guess what? The tyrants in Tehran are already denouncing America for "interventionist statements." The idea that our words matter to this regime any more than they mattered to Hitler is laughable. But this president promised us that he would restore America's moral authority around the world. Let's think about that for a moment.
How did America win that moral authority to begin with? We won World War II and liberated Europe and Japan from tyrannical regimes. Then we rebuilt our defeated enemies and turned them into allies. We rallied the free world in defense of liberty against the evil empire that was the Soviet Union. And our free enterprise economy, combined with the generosity of American foreign aid and individual charitable giving, did more to create wealth and lift people out of poverty than at any other time in human history.
But somewhere along the way, Mr. Obama insists we lost our moral authority. How? According to Mr. Obama, we lost it when George W. Bush invaded Iraq and freed 25 million Muslims from the brutality of Saddam Hussein's rape rooms and child prisons. Now it is the Left's position to talk with tyrants rather than to stand with slaves yearning for freedom.
Today, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reaffirmed the "absolute victory" of Iran's Holocaust-denying president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. During his speech, he led the crowd in chants of "death to America," "death to Israel" and "death to the U.K." Thank goodness Obama avoided alienating the ayatollah! (Gary Bauer; End-of-Day; 6/19/09)
GOOD NEWS IN CONGRESS!!
Despite Obama's silence, the House passed a bi-partisan resolution today supporting the Iranian dissidents who share our values.
The resolution passed by an overwhelming margin of 405-to-1. Who was the single representative who voted against the resolution? Nancy Pelosi? Barney Frank? No, it was none other than Republican isolationist Ron Paul of Texas. At least one of our branches of government has offered its support for the courageous Iranian citizens risking their lives in the name of freedom and democracy.
The Daily Jot
Americans Are Waking, But So Are America's Enemies--Who Will Move First?
Never before in the history of the United States has national debt been so high. That Congress and the White House, through their socialist power grab positioning the Federal government as the personal "savior" of the citizenry, have run up a record $2 trillion in debt just this year is in the least malfeasance, if not treason. Congress and the man who occupies the Oval Office should be impeached immediately before they can do any additional damage to this nation. From a Christian perspective, it is immoral that these politicians strap future generations with such debt; it is immoral that they are aiding and abetting America's enemies by weakening this nation beyond recovery.
The US Treasury announced a record $104 billion worth of bond auctions, exceeding the previous April record of $101 billion. These bond sales are selling Federal government debt in order to fund the federal budget deficit. Among the buyers of such debt are Arab nations and China--countries that are funding operations worldwide against the interest of every American citizen. If China--a trading partner, but a traditional untrustworthy enemy of freedom and free enterprise--chose to sell its near-trillion dollar debt holdings, the American government and economy could collapse. April marked the first time since June 2008 that China did not buy Treasury Bonds.
Furthermore, China is beginning to sell its dollars. China sold about $4.4 billion in T-bills during the last month--a signal to the US that China is growing impatient with how the US government is handling its economy, according to Chinese officials. China is not the only one expressing concerns about the heavy handed US government. American citizens are waking up. A recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll suggests that 69% of Americans are concerned about the Administration's intervention in the economy and 58% believe that the government should focus on controlling the budget deficit rather than on boosting the economy.
There is a convergence point. If America's enemies become to believe that America is worth more to them if they took it than it is as an investment opportunity, they could band together and topple it because of the debt policy of this Administration and Congress. But there is hope. Americans, after only six months of heavy handed socialism, are starting to wake up. Question is: Will Americans wake up and remove these sons of satan from office before our enemies overcome the nation? This is why Christians must become vocal and active for their nation by expelling the godless and establishing righteousness. Proverbs 14:34 says, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to all people."
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
The Good News Corner
The LORD is Your Shepherd
From: Praying the Character of Your Father
By Sylvia Gunter
For every need, there is a name of Father-God that corresponds to the need. His faithfulness and his caring meet in the 23rd Psalm to portray our intimately personal Shepherd. God's character in all of his covenant names can be seen in this psalm. Ask him what he wants you to know about who he is, what he does, what you have in him through each name. Cultivate your personal communion with God praying this Scripture.
The Lord is my Shepherd -
Jehovah-Rohi: The Lord my Shepherd
Thank your Shepherd that he knows you by name and wants to communicate with you. Talk to him about your intimate relationship with him. Write your response.
I shall lack nothing -
Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord my Provider
Thank your good Shepherd that he provides all your needs, beginning with redemption. Ask him to carry all your worries, burdens, and cares. Write what he says to you.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters -
Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord my Peace
Thank Jesus your Peace for his attention to the details of your life. Tell him you want to see him more clearly in your "dailies." Let him speak to you.
He restores my soul -
Jehovah-Rapha: The Lord my Healer
Because Jesus your Healer became man, he understands everything you have experienced. Thank your Healer for healing the hurts. Write remembrances of his restoration.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake -
Jehovah-Tsidkenu: The Lord my Righteousness
Thank the Righteous One that you are accepted in him and completely forgiven. Thank your Shepherd for his guidance of your life for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me -
Jehovah-Shammah: God who is there
Thank God who is there for his presence with you that dispels all fear. Your Shepherd is always there for you. Thank him that he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Thank God for his loving authority in your life to discipline, correct, and give you the security of loving limits. Thank him that you can never mess up so bad that you fear punishment by him.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies -
Jehovah-Nissi: The Lord my Banner of victory
Thank your Banner for his strength and protection against the enemy. Thank him that Jesus lives victorious in you.
You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows.
Thank your Shepherd for his grace and favor that he gives you so generously. Thank him that you can enjoy fellowship with him.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Thank your Shepherd that you can continuously sense his presence because of his faithfulness. Worship him with a song that speaks of his nearness and love.
