In This Issue• Today's Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• Massacre at Ft. Hood
• Jihad at Fort Hood
• A First-Hand Report
• Obama Visits the Hill
• Sunday: IDOP
• The Good News Corner
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
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The Daily Brief - Friday, November 6, 2009
He allowed no man to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:
"Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."
(I Chronicles 16: 21,22)
Today's Daily Brief
1. Dems scramble for 218 healthcare votes - UPI
House Democratic leaders worked furiously to nail down final votes before a scheduled weekend vote on its plan to reform the U.S. healthcare system.
- We pray the leaders of this nation will work in the interests of the people and that citizens will convey their concerns to their representatives. If there are provisions in this bill that support a culture of death, we pray they will be removed.
- "Your covenant with death will be canceled, And your pact with Sheol will not stand; When the overwhelming scourge passes through, Then you become its trampling place." (Isaiah 28:18)
2. Several hundred gather at Fort Hood vigil - AP
Several hundred people gathered at a base stadium where the Army's chief chaplain offered prayers for families and victims of the shooting rampage that left 13 dead and 30 wounded at Fort Hood, Texas. Chaplain Douglas Carver told those a the Friday night vigil -- many dressed in fatigues and black berets -- to "remember to keep breathing ... keep going." God Bless America and Amazing Grace were sung as husbands wrapped their arms around their wives, babies cried and old men in wheelchairs bowed their heads.
- This great tragedy pulls are the hearts of all Your children. We pray that the families of the killed and wounded be comforted by You, and that Your church will rise up to be Your hands for those afflicted by this evil man. May the truth of the motives of this act be brought into the full light so that there will not be any excuses made for this man. May the military leaders be given wisdom to ascertain the actions that are needed to keep this from every happening again. We praise You for Your hand of grace that is extended to all of us everyday that keeps acts like these from succeeding more often.
- "Sounds of terror are in his ears; While at peace the destroyer comes upon him." (Job 15:21)
3. US jobless rate rises to 10.2% - AFP
Unemployment jumped to double digits in October for the first time since 1983 to 10.2 percent, data showed Friday, underscoring slow progress on curbing joblessness in an economy emerging from recession.
- May those who are jobless be comforted by You and may You supply their needs. We pray that those in the government will examine their policies and work to craft plans that will bring prosperity back to this nation. We thank You that times like these will draw Your people back to the shelter of Your wing.
- "For the needy will not always be forgotten, Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever." (Psalm 9:19)
[Please see below for more details]
4. Italian judge convicts 23 Americans in CIA rendition - AP
An Italian judge says he has convicted 23 Americans of the 2003 kidnapping of an Egyptian cleric from a Milan street in a CIA extraordinary rendition. Citing diplomatic immunity, Judge Oscar Magi told the Milan courtroom Wednesday that he was acquitting three other Americans. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Wednesday that the United States would not comment further because the judge had not issued a written opinion. But he said the Obama administration was "disappointed about the verdicts." Twenty-two of the convicted Americans were immediately sentenced to five years in prison at the end of the nearly three-year trial. The other convicted American, Milan CIA station chief Robert Seldon Lady, was given the stiffest sentence, eight years in prison. All of the Americans were tried in absentia.
- Illegitimate trials throughout the world like this one place members of the intelligence community in great danger. We call out to You for protection for all those laboring to protect this nation. May this administration be aware of their responsibility to defend those under their authority.
- "You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly." (Leviticus 19:15)
5. Communism's great fraud - National Post
Communism, the great fraud of the 20th century, was the Ponzi scheme of ideologies, a con game that lived as long as its lies were believed but collapsed when the truth became clear to everyone. This week, remembering the destruction of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago, we commemorate the end of a monstrous, murderous swindle. It was an empire of illusion that began as the fantasy of intellectuals and ended in the hands of police thugs. The founders were dreamers who understood little about humanity and less about issues on which they lectured interminably, such as the means of production. They promised equality, the abolition of private ownership and an economy managed by wise social scientists. If people had trouble living in such a system, communism would change human nature, beginning with New Soviet Man.
- Praise be to You who freed all those who were oppressed by communism throughout the world. We look back with wonder on the speed of the collapse of this evil system and pray that this miracle will happen again in nations like China where people are still prisoners to this evil ideology.
- "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." (Luke 4:18)
6. Iran 'tested advanced nuclear warhead design' - London Telegraph
The United Nations nuclear watchdog has demanded that Iran explain evidence indicating that its scientists have experimented with the design of an advanced nuclear warhead, it emerged last night.
- We thank You that these plans are coming into the light. We pray that the world will awaken to the threat of Iran and will stand with Israel against those who seek to do her harm.
- "Woe to you, O destroyer, While you were not destroyed; And he who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with him. As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed; As soon as you cease to deal treacherously, others will deal treacherously with you." (Isaiah 33:1)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"Trust in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD God is everlasting strength." (Isaiah 26:4)
1. Abbas withdraws from presidential race - Jerusalem Post
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Thursday that he has "no desire" to run in the presidential election in the PA territories, slated for January 24.
2. Israel: UN 'detached from reality' for adopting Goldstone report - Ha'aretz
Israel on Friday rejected a United Nations General Assembly resolution urging an investigation into a report saying war crimes were committed in Gaza, and condemned the world body vote as "completely detached from realities"
3. Israel on the next war with Hamas: Not 'whether' but when - World Tribune
Military sources said the intelligence community has determined that Hamas was intensifying military preparations for another war with Israel.
4. U.N. Urges Israel, Palestinians to Investigate Alleged Gaza War Crimes - Fox News
The U.N. General Assembly urged Israel and the Palestinians Thursday to investigate alleged war crimes during last winter's conflict in Gaza and raised the possibility of Security Council action if they don't.
Massacre at Ft. Hood
Islamic Gunman Kills 13 At Ft Hood, Group with Terrorist Ties Says Remain Calm
An Islamic gunman reportedly shouted "Allah Akbar" before killing 13 and wounding 38 at Fort Hood, Texas. Major Nidel Malik Hasan was reportedly mad about his impending deployment to Iraq and decided to kill his fellow soldiers over it. The Associated Press, quoting federal law enforcement officials, said Hasan had come to their attention at least six months ago because of Internet postings that discussed suicide bombings and other threats. The officials said they were still trying to confirm that he was the author. The son of Jordanian immigrants, Hasan was a practicing Muslim and had hired an attorney to litigate what he called harassment from his military colleagues over his radical religious beliefs.
Fox News quoted former co-worker Col. Terry Lee that Hasan had said "maybe Muslims should stand up and fight against the aggressor. At first we thought he meant help the armed forces, but apparently that wasn't the case. Other times he would make comments we shouldn't be in the war in the first place." Fox News also reported that "A former neighbor of Hasan's in Silver Spring, Md. he lived there for two years with his brother and had the word "Allah" on the door." Hasan was a military psychiatrist who joined the armed services against his parents wishes. He recently received a bad performance review before his transfer from Walter Reed Hospital to Texas, according to news reports.
The Council on American Islamic Relations has condemned the violence "in the strongest possible terms." Then CAIR held a news conference where another statement was issued, saying "Unfortunately, based on past experience, we also urge American Muslims, and those who may be perceived to be Muslim, to take appropriate precautions to protect themselves, their families and their religious institutions from possible backlash." CAIR is an unindicted co- conspirator in a case involving laundering charity money to support terrorism, and has been accused of being a terrorist front in America. Islam is undoubtedly the antithesis of America's Constitutional Republic.
Islam is a fascist political system using false religion to recruit and control its followers. Islam's bible, the Koran, is the violent ramblings of its prophet Mohammed, who commands that all Christians and Jews be killed lest they convert to Islam. Jeremiah 51:14 warns another nation of which America has become very similar, "Surely, I will fill thee with men, as with locusts; and they shall raise a battle cry against thee." Remember that the US Navy was birthed to combat the Islamic Barbary Pirates whose leader told Thomas Jefferson they plundered US ships and enslaved their passengers because they were Christian. In the 1500's Spain handled the Islamic problem by expelling them from the country. Food for thought.
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
Jihad at Fort Hood
Every American this morning should be outraged not only about the murderous rampage against U.S. soldiers in Ft. Hood, Texas, by Major Nidal M. Hasan, but also by the sickening effort of Big Media, and even some U.S. officials, to deceive us about what has taken place.
For eight years we have been fighting radical Islamists around the world, and we have been the victims of jihadist attacks by lone radical Muslims repeatedly here in the U.S. Yet as the story broke of the carnage yesterday, 13 dead and 30 wounded, virtually every major media outlet, along with our own government, seemed to have as their main goal convincing us that the event had nothing to do with terrorism or radical Islam.
But minute-by-minute, more information is coming to light that can't be ignored. We have found out that six months ago Major Hasan may have defended Muslim suicide bombers on his web page, comparing such acts to the sacrifice a U.S. solider makes when he falls on a grenade to save his fellow soldiers. Col. Terry Lee, who worked with the killer, said Major Hasan had said, "Muslims shouldn't be fighting Muslims." Back in June, when a Muslim convert assassinated a U.S. soldier at a recruiting station in Little Rock, Arkansas, Col. Lee said that Major Hasan seemed happy about the event and that he was confronted by other officers. (You may recall that it took days for Obama to acknowledge that attack, yet the White House issued a rare Sunday statement when late-term abortionist George Tiller was killed.)
In recent weeks, while off the base, Major Hasan started wearing Arabic and religious clothing. He passed out Korans on the morning of the shooting. Survivors in the facility where Major Hasan went on the attack reported that he yelled, "Allahu Akbar," (Allah is great) before he opened fire - the same words shouted by the jihadists on 9/11 and which have been repeated by our enemy in every attack since.
Nor is this an isolated incident. In June 2003, Sergeant Hasan K. Akbar attacked his fellow soldiers as they gathered in Kuwait to start the liberation of Iraq. He killed two officers and wounded many more. Numerous plots by American Muslims have been uncovered in recent years to attack Fort Dix, the Quantico Marine Corps base and other military facilities.
No one is suggesting that an Al Qaeda operative contacted Major Hasan and ordered yesterday's attack. But the evidence certainly indicates that Major Hasan was becoming more and more committed to radical Islam and growing increasingly hostile to the American military that paid for his education and repeatedly promoted him. NPR reports, "Hasan was put on probation early in his postgraduate work . . . He was disciplined for proselytizing about his Muslim faith with patients and colleagues . . ."
A First-Hand Report
Thanks so much for touching base. We've been overwhelmed by the concern of family and friends!
Artie was at a clinic away from the shootings. He called immediately (before cell phone airwaves were jammed) to let me know he was all right. He got home around 8:30 tonight. Once the lockdown was lifted, it took some time for people to get off base because every person had to show ID's to leave (a process usually reserved for entering only). Same thing in reverse for those trying to get on post to pick up kids and get to their homes and families.
The people of Killeen and the surrounding communities here have come out in force supporting survivors and families affected by the tragedy.
There were so many ripples to the incident. The sheer numbers of lives affected by this tragedy are staggering. Aside from the drama we all saw unfolding on tv, there was much more we didn't see.
I'm sure all kinds of stories will emerge in the coming days. Kids and teachers from the 9 schools on post were not released until nearly 7:00 p.m. People were confined in areas with no amenities and little news of what was happening. Many civilians and spouses of deployed personnel work on post and live in Killeen proper, so their children were in limbo all evening. Our neighbor across the street is one such mom. Her husband called me from Kuwait. He'd been talking to her when their signal was lost. He asked if their children (ages 10 & 7) could stay with me when the bus let them off, but he couldn't remember the name of the day care where their 3 y/o was. Cell phone service was sporadic at best because of the high volume of calls, so the mom couldn't call out and apparently use of land lines was prohibited. I finally got the info I needed from a grandmother in Dallas, so I picked the little one up and kept the kids until mom got here around 8:00 p.m. The building where she works is directly across the street from where the shootings occurred. She spent a good part of the afternoon on the floor.
It's all still pretty surreal. Every time I think about it, the tears come.
Yvonne E.; Fort Hood, Texas
Obama Visits the Hill
Obama's Trail of Broken Promises Leads to an Abortion Bailout
Sometime tomorrow President Obama will go up to Capitol Hill to fully embrace the health care legislation drafted by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) By doing so he is breaking a number of his promises on health care. During the campaign then Senator Obama promised full transparency when he tackled health care reform, vowing to not negotiate "behind closed doors" and broadcast everything on CSPAN. The House bill was drafted by Speaker Pelosi and her leftenants -- you guessed it -- behind closed doors with no television cameras. Another campaign promise was not to raise taxes for those making $250,000 or less. However, the current House bill imposes "penalties" (otherwise known as taxes) on those without a government approved plan, including those making far less than the President's cut off point.
During his speech to a Joint Session of Congress in September the President reiterated many of his other promises that lie broken in the wake of the House bill. He vowed if you like your current plan you will not have to change it. In truth, the House plan cuts Medicare Advantage almost in half and gives incentives for employers to drop their employees from current plans. The President also gave his word that his plan would not raise the deficit "by one dime." However the independent Congressional Budget Service points out that the current House health care bill would raise the deficit by $239 billion over the next nine years.
His most egregious claim was "under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions." The current House health care bill can be summed up in three words: "Planned Parenthood Bailout." There are currently close to 900 abortion facilities in the United States today, many of them owned or affiliated with Planned Parenthood. The economic downturn has been affecting the abortion industry as well, and many abortuaries across the nation are being forced to close.
This has been highlighted over the last couple of days by Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood official who has exposed Planned Parenthood's drift towards increasing the number of abortions they do in order to increase their profit. Under the current House health care bill Planned Parenthood will need to order bank trucks to haul in the government funds they will reap as taxpayer funds are routed to pay for abortions. As the unemployment figure reached 10.2 percent today, is a bailout of the abortion industry the message President Obama really wants to send? (Family Research Council)
Sunday: IDOP
It Didn't End In Rome - Christians Still Die!
November 8th, 2009, International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Church
• 38 restricted nations.
• 14 Hostile nations where the Bible is forbidden and being a Christian is a crime punishable by death.
Can you devote some special time in prayer for persecuted Christians this Sunday?
Christians around the world face abandonment for their faith in Jesus. Some are expelled from their homes. Others are rejected by family and friends. Converts are sometimes even viewed with suspicion and fear by fellow Christians. Most persecuted believers have been jailed and their children slaughtered. Stand with your brothers and sisters. Show them they are not alone by praying for your persecuted Christian family on November 8 - the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). On this day, Christians worldwide will join in remembering and praying for suffering believers.
Whether you take part in prayer as a church, a group, or simply spend time in personal prayer for the persecuted, your prayers will be a powerful way to remember those suffering for their Christian witness. "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair - persecuted but not abandoned" - 2 Corinthians 4:7-9
To find out more about IDOP 2009 and to download a kit of special resources designed to help you get involved, please visit the IDOP international website at www.idop.org. This year's kit includes posters, a prayer map, prayer requests, children's materials, a four- minute video, and other resources that will help your church or group pray together with thousands of other Christians around the world for our persecuted brothers and sisters.
Please pray for these believers to endure persecution and their persecutors to know Jesus.
The Good News Corner
Authorities raid New Orleans ACORN offices - Washington Times
State investigators are searching the New Orleans offices of the activist group ACORN in connection with embezzlement and tax fraud allegations. Assistant Attorney General David Caldwell said a warrant was obtained to seize computers, hard drives and other documents after ACORN attorneys said two unidentified former employees took computers and other items when they left the organization. Caldwell said investigators will copy records and hard drives, then return them to ACORN.
"On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren." (1 Corinthians 6:8)
