In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• Exploiting Kennedy's Death
• Barack Bankrupting America
• Democrat Fundraiser Arrested
• News from Idaho
• HOW TO DEFEAT HEALTH CARE PLAN
• 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World
• The Good News Corner
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The Daily Brief - Thursday, August 27, 2009
I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. (Isaiah 55:13)
* * * PLEASE NOTE:
THE DAILY BRIEF WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED TOMORROW, FRIDAY, AUG. 28.
Our next regularly scheduled publication date will be next Tuesday, September 1. Thank you.
The Daily Brief
1. Battle Brews Over Abortion in Health Care Fight - Wall Street Journal
Anti-abortion groups are gearing up for a battle in the fall over health-care legislation, another headache for Democrats who already face concerns about the measure's cost and reach.
Most versions of the Democratic health plan would create subsidies for lower-income people to buy private health insurance. If that insurance includes coverage for abortion, as many existing private plans do, it effectively means federal taxpayers are subsidizing abortion, critics of the legislation argue.
- Father, we continue to stand against any bill that would fund abortion with taxpayer dollars. We bind the spirit of Molech that continues to sacrifice children, and apply the Blood of Jesus against its plans.
- "They gather together against the life of the righteous,and condemn innocent blood. But the Lord has been my defense and My God the rock of my refuge." (Psalm 94: 21-22)
2.Official: Real Unemployment Rate at 16% -- AFP
The real U.S. unemployment rate is 16 percent if persons who have dropped out of the labor pool and those working less than they would like are counted, a Federal Reserve official said Wednesday.
"If one considers the people who would like a job but have stopped looking -- so-called discouraged workers -- and those who are working fewer hours than they want, the unemployment rate would move from the official 9.4 percent to 16 percent, said Atlanta Fed chief Dennis Lockhart.
- Lord, we ask that You uproot the deception that twists information to make it look different than what actually exists. We ask that You move on our legislators to plan wisely to reduce this unemployment situation with real jobs for those who need them.
- "The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous will come through trouble." (Proverbs 12: 13)
3 A). FDIC, Hit by Failing Banks, May Sink Into the Red - Fox News
The coffers of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. have been so depleted by the epidemic of collapsing financial institutions that analysts warn it could sink into the red by the end of this year.
B). Court Orders Fed to Disclose Emergency Bank Loans - Bloomberg
The Federal Reserve must for the first time identify the companies in its emergency lending programs after losing a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.
- Lord, our banking system teters on the brink of collapse in so many areas. We ask that Your mercy and true wisdom be given to our legislators. Without You, we have no hope of recovery, with You we have the certainty of victory. We pray for truth and integrity to sweep the Federal Reserve as well as Congress.
- "Remove me from the way of lying, and grant me Your law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me." (Psalm 119:29-30)
4. White House Sued Over Free Speech - Newsmax.com
The Office of the President and other White House officials are defendants in a free speech lawsuit filed by a prominent physician group, and a non-profit advocate for inner-city poor. The White House has "unlawfully collected information on political speech," thereby illegally using the power of the White House to chill opposition to its plans for health care reform, according to the complaint filed in District Court for the District of Columbia, by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) and the Coalition for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE). The lawsuit was prompted by the White House solicitation for the public to report any "fishy" comments to 'flag@whitehouse.gov.'
- Lord we rejoice at this lawsuit, and pray that it will be a catalyst for removal of intimidating and underhanded practices against free speech. We ask that You protect our Constitutional rights, in spite of the attempts of some to remove them.
- "For when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness." (Isaiah 26:9b)
5. New Hampshire Court orders Christian homeschooled girl to attend public school - OneNewsNow
A Christian homeschool girl in New Hampshire has been ordered into government-run public school for having "sincerely held" religious beliefs.
- Lord, we pray for an appeal in this case and an overturning of this ruling. We ask that You visit the judge who heard this case, and show him the truth. We ask Your provision, strength and comfort for the young girl and her family.
- "For the Lord will not cast off His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance. But judgment will return to righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it." (Psalm 94:14,15)
6. Judge: Kentucky Can't Legislate Dependence on God - Fox News
A judge says it's unconstitutional to require the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security to acknowledge it can't keep the state safe without God's help.
- Lord, as even more of these anti-God rulings from judges steam roll across our nation, we pray for Your mercy on America. We seem to be bent on trying to remove the acknowledgement of You from everything, even when our forefathers sought to acknowledge You in all things. We pray for Your forgiveness, Father, and a move of Your Spirit to change our hearts and thoughts.
- "It is impossible to govern the universe without the aid of a Supreme Being. Let us, therefore, unite in imploring the Supreme Ruler of nations to spread His holy protection over these United States, to stop the machinations of the wicked; to confirm our Constitution; to enable us at all times, to suppress internal sedition and put invasion to flight; to perpetuate our country that prosperity which His goodness has already conferred, and to verify the anticipation of this government's being a safeguard to human rights." George Washington [The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Insitutions of the United States - Bejnamin F Morris]
- "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." (Phil 4:6)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of LORD, and their righteousness is of Me, says LORD. (Isaiah 54:17)
1. Netanyahu: Abbas made a first positive move - Ynet News
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday evening welcomed a positive signal on the part of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and a possibility that the two leaders will meet next month.
2. Report: Obama on Brink of Deal for Mideast Peace Talks - Fox News
President Obama is on the brink of a breakthrough deal that would allow him to announce the resumption of long-stalled Middle East talks, Britain's Guardian newspaper reported, citing unnamed officials.
3. Netanyahu will likely meet with Abbas in late September - Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas seem headed for their first meeting in late September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, with Netanyahu on Wednesday terming Abbas's apparent agreement to meet as his "first positive step."
4. Israel, U.S. 'Making Headway' on Settlements - Fox News
Israel and the U.S. are making headway in defusing an unusually public disagreement over West Bank settlements, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said as he met a top American envoy in London on Wednesday.
Exploiting Kennedy's Death
The first news most Americans heard this morning was the announcement that Senator Ted Kennedy had passed away after his 15-month battle with brain cancer. The second thing most Americas heard was a shameless attempt by Big Media "talking heads" and liberal politicians to exploit his death by suggesting that America should honor the senator by stopping the debate and passing "healthcare reform."
From CBS to ABC, from CNN to MSNBC the message was the same: Conservatives and dissenting "Blue Dog" Democrats need to get out of the way and allow Big Government liberals, inspired by Kennedy's heroic 15- month struggle, to give us government-run healthcare. Speaker Nancy Pelosi led the charge, saying, "Ted Kennedy's dream of quality health care for all Americans will be made real this year because of his leadership and his inspiration." Senator Robert Byrd reportedly wants to name the legislation after Kennedy. This chorus will grow even louder in the days ahead.
I extend my condolences and prayers to the Kennedy family. But, in all due respect, ObamaCare, nationalized healthcare, socialized medicine, or KennedyCare - whatever they want to call it - is a bad idea, and its defects have not been cured by the senator's passing. No one who was against another Big Government power grab when Ted Kennedy was alive should now toss their principles out of the window and cave in just because he has passed away. In fact, the Left and their media shills should be ashamed of themselves for exploiting his death in such a crass and cynically partisan way. (Gary Bauer; End-of-Day; Wed., Aug. 26, 2009)
Barack Bankrupting America
As Barack Obama was heading off for a vacation at an exclusive $35,000-a-week rental home on the elite Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard, the White House quietly released an updated economic forecast. According to the bean counters in the White House basement, the Obama Administration is on track to add $9 trillion to the national debt. Their previous estimates were off by a mere $2 trillion.
With that shocking and nearly incomprehensible figure in mind, most rational individuals might conclude that it was time to stop spending. But not Barack Obama. Faced with record deficits and a faltering economy, Obama signed a trillion-dollar stimulus bill, a $410 billion "omnibus" spending bill and a $3.5 trillion budget, which the Associated Press wrote, "would produce . . . more than four times the deficits of Republican George W. Bush's presidency."
But wait . . . there's more! Next up is ObamaCare - another trillion-dollar entitlement, assuming that the White House's estimates are right this time. (Care to place any bets on that?) A recent analysis of the Congressional Budget Office's report on ObamaCare is enough to send any fiscally concerned citizen into cardiac arrest. Just consider the following:
"As the CBO reports, in 2014 the bill would raise the deficit by $5 billion. In 2015, it would increase it by $40 billion. In 2016 and 2017, it would increase [the deficit] by $58 billion. In 2018, it would increase it by $62 billion. In 2019, [ObamaCare] would increase [the deficit] by $65 billion. . . .Under these kinds of assumptions, the bill would produce deficit spending in the amount of $608 billion during the 10-year period from 2015 to 2024. And that's before even factoring in the costs of the 'public option,' President Obama's massive new Medicare-like program, which the bill would launch. The CBO didn't even include that in its tally."
Reacting to the White House's admission that the deficits are likely to be far worse than it originally stated, a spokesman for House Republican Leader John Boehner said, "Lawmakers need to understand these jaw-dropping deficits before voting on a new $1.5-trillion healthcare entitlement."
There are rumors that the White House withheld this economic report for weeks, hoping Congress would pass healthcare reform before the August recess, before the public found out just how quickly Barack Obama was bankrupting America. A day of reckoning is coming. The bills for the high cost of liberalism are going to come due sooner rather than later. If you think the economy is bad now, wait until Obama, Pelosi and Reid raise your taxes to pay for it all. (Gary Bauer; End-of-Day; Wed., Aug. 26, 2009)
Democrat Fundraiser Arrested
Media outlets are reporting that Hassan Nemazee, chairman of Nemazee Capital Corporation, was arrested at the Newark International Airport attempting to board a flight to Rome. He is charged with attempting to defraud Citigroup of nearly $75 million. But most press reports are glossing over Nemazee's political connections. Like criminals R. Allen Stanford and Bernie Madoff, Nemazee is a major Democrat Party fundraiser. In 2006, Nemazee served as the national finance director for the Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee. Last year, he raised at least $100,000 for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, and after the primary, he raised half a million dollars for Barack Obama. In recent years, Nemazee has personally given more than $850,000 to various congressional Democrats, including Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid. (Gary Bauer; End-of-Day; 8/25/09)
- Praise the Lord for the arrest of Nemazee. Give thanks for the investigation agency that tracked his behaviors. Pray that the media does reveal this man and his nefarious theft. No doubt, many influential people could have helped him avoid arrest but did not. This lack of integrity and honesty in the leadership of the Democratic Party must be stopped.
- "Whoever is a partner with a thief hates his own life; He swears to tell the truth, but reveals nothing." (Proverbs 29:24)
News from Idaho
Idaho Panel Rules Against School's Bible Plan
A state education panel has blocked a school's plan to teach about the Bible. The Idaho Public Charter School Commission said in a statement last week that the state Constitution "expressly" limits use of religious texts.
The Nampa Classical Academy, in southwestern Idaho, had said it planned to teach about the literary and historic influence of the Bible - not to teach religion.
The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Alliance Defense Fund, a religious liberty group, represented the academy and had argued that the writers of Idaho's Constitution "sought assurances that the right of public schools to use the Bible as a teaching tool would be protected." Nampa Classical Academy has a statutory right to choose its own curriculum, the defense fund argued. (CROnline)
- Pray for this panel, that their minds will be enlightened by the laws of the nation. In 1991 (approx.) the Supreme Court ruled that children could have Bible studies and prayer in the public schools. Also the preamble of every state in the United States contains a reference to God as its foundation. Pray for the children of Idaho that they may have the teachings that God desires for them.
- "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your Word." (Psalm 119: 9)
HOW TO DEFEAT HEALTH CARE PLAN
Bachmann: Fight Against Health Care Bill Will Be Won
"On Our Knees In Prayer And Fasting"
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) made an interesting appeal to conservative activists last week on a telephone town hall hosted by the conservative Susan B. Anthony List, the Minnesota Independent reports: To help stop the Democrats' health care bill, through the power of fasting and intercessionary prayer.
Bachmann praised Sarah Palin for raising the alarm about "death panels" that would deny any health care to the elderly and mentally disabled. "Thank God that Sarah Palin said that," said Bachmann. "These are true." Bachmann also warned against the government forcing doctors to perform abortions, and urged callers to oppose it with all their energies -- and their prayers.
"That's really where this battle will be won -- on our knees in prayer and fasting," said Bachmann. "Remember: faith without works is dead. So we're asking you to do all of it: pray, fast, believe, trust the Lord, but also act."
It should be noted that prayer and fasting both have a prominent place in Bachmann's political career. Back in 2006, she publicly discussed how she and her husband made sure that God really was calling her to run for Congress:
"And then in the midst of that calling, God then called me to run for the United States Congress. And I thought, 'what in the world would that be for?' And my husband said, 'You need to do this,' and I wasn't so sure. And we took three days and we fasted and we prayed, and we said, 'Lord is this what You want? Is this Your will?' And after the -- along about the afternoon of day two, He made that calling sure. And it's been now 22 months that I've been running for United States Congress. Who in their right mind would spent two years to run for a job that lasts for two years? You'd have to be absolutely a fool to do that. You are now looking at a fool for Christ. This is a fool for Christ."
30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World
Covering RAMADAN in prayer August 22 - September 20
During these 30 days when the people of Islam observe Ramadan, we encourage you to visit this site in order to view daily prayers. May we raise up the people of the Muslim world in prayer that they will come to salvation in Christ Jesus.
Prayer For Thursday 27 August, Ramadan 2009
"Loving Muslims Through Prayer"
Arabs in the Bible, God really loves the Arabs
Muslims are found in literally hundreds of different ethnic groups around the world. Possibly three quarters of the world's Muslims are not from an Arabic background; however, Mohammed's Arab lifestyle and cultural background have profoundly influenced Islam. We know that there are at least three types of Middle- Eastern Arabs: the Joktanites, the Ishmaelites and the Keturahites.
The Descendants of Joktan: The Arabs call him "Kahtan." One of the very famous tribes descending from Joktan was Sheba whose descendants founded the kingdom of the Sabeans in Yemen.
The Descendants of Ishmael: They seem to have settled predominately in northern Arabia. One of Ishmael's twelve sons named Nabajoth (Nebaioth) fathered the tribe which eventually became the head of the Nabatean kingdom (present day Jordan). Muslims believe that Mohammed was descended from Nabajoth.
The Descendants of Abraham through Keturah: All of Keturah's sons eventually became the heads of Arab tribes. Pray along these tribal lines today and ask for revelation of the love God has for the Arab peoples.
(Read the entire article here.) http://www.30-days.net/islam/arabs-in-the-bible/
