In This Issue• Today's Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• The Good News Corner
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The Daily Brief - Friday, December 4, 2009
"Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Rev. 5:11,12)
Today's Daily Brief
1. Evangelicals Push Back Against Climate Change 'Hoax' - Christian Post
A group of evangelicals, comprised of scientists, economists and theologians, called the mainstream view of pending catastrophe caused by climate change a "hoax" at an event Thursday just days ahead of a key U.N.-sponsored climate change conference in Copenhagen. The evangelical scholars argued that science, contrary to what many leading scientists claim, does not support the claim that increased CO2 in the atmosphere is having a negative effect on the earth. Rather, no one currently really understands clearly how the earth is responding to the increase in the greenhouse gas, they say. "There seems to be a misunderstanding about science," said Dr. Roy Spencer, climatologist and principal research scientist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Ala., at The Heritage Foundation-hosted event. Spencer said there are two parts to science: measurements and interpretation of the measurements. "I think people think that science is as simple as making measurements," Spencer said. "[But] believe it or not most scientists - probably all the scientists I know that work in climate change - do have religious views about the earth and how fragile it is and that colors their research and how they interpret data."
- May we be in awe of Your power and sovereignty over all that is on the earth and not be deceived to believe that man is the holder of power over nature.
- "O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called 'knowledge'." (1 Timothy 6:20)
2. Gay-Marriage Opponents Welcome N.Y. Bill's Defeat - NewsMax
A bill that would have allowed same-sex marriage was rejected by New York lawmakers, a stunning outcome for advocates in a state that was the site of one of the gay rights movement's defining moments four decades ago, and a huge victory for opponents who said it could influence votes elsewhere.
- Once again Your plan has been confirmed, even in a state which was considered to be safe by those who are seeking to rewrite Your laws.
- "Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go." (Joshua 1:7)
3. US Marines launch offensive in Afghanistan - AP
U.S. Marines swooped down behind Taliban lines in helicopters and Osprey aircraft Friday in the first offensive since Obama announced an American troop surge. About 1,000 Marines and 150 Afghan troops were taking part in "Operation Cobra's Anger" in a bid to disrupt Taliban supply and communications lines in the Now Zad Valley of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, the scene of heavy fighting last summer, according to Marine spokesman Maj. William Pelletier.
- We pray for protection for the warriors who are risking their lives to fight against evil on foreign soil. We pray for comfort for the families who are waiting for their loved ones to return.
- "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the LORD." (Proverbs 21:31)
4. A. Iran, the Bomb, and Mohamed ElBaradei - Wall Street Journal
Mohamed ElBaradei caps his contentious and ultimately failed 12-year stint as head of the International Atomic Energy Agency today, having spent many years enabling Iran's nuclear bids only to condemn them in his final days in office. Mr. ElBaradei combined his rebuke of Iran with his familiar calls for more negotiation, but we'll take his belated realism about Iran as his tacit admission that Dick Cheney and John Bolton have been right all along. Let's hope the education of the Obama Administration doesn't take as long. As if to underscore the point, yesterday the Iranian government ordered up 10 additional uranium enrichment plants on the scale of its already operational facility in Natanz, which has a planned capacity of 54,000 centrifuges. That could mean an eventual total of more than 500,000 centrifuges, or enough to enrich about 160 bombs worth of uranium each year. Whether it can ever do that is an open question, but it does give a sense of the scale of the regime's ambitions. The decision is also a reminder of how unchastened Iran has been by President Obama's revelation in September that Iran had been building a secret 3,000 centrifuge facility near the city of Qom. The IAEA's governing board finally got around on Friday to rebuking Iran for that deception, a vote the Administration trumpeted because both Russia and China voted with the United States. But perhaps only within the Obama Administration can a symbolic gesture by the IAEA be considered a diplomatic triumph.
B. 'Details of Iran arms seizure revealed' - Jerusalem Post
The nature of the Iranian cargo seized in July, a Bahamas-flagged cargo vessel called the ANL Australia, has raised fears that Iran is ramping up efforts to arm itself and anti-Israel militias in the Middle East the Washington Post reported Thursday. Israeli officials have warned that they may use force to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
C. Ahmadinejad: Not A Thing Israel Can Do to Stop Nuclear Program - Fox News
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said there isn't a "thing" Israel can do to stop its nuclear program, Reuters reported.
- We pray that the world will choose to stand strong against Iran's plans and does not continue to let these weapons be built. We pray for protection for Israel, especially if they choose to attack Iranian nuclear sites.
- "In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised." (Psalm 10:2)
5. Paris comes out against Swedish plan - The Jerusalem Post
France has "several strong reservations" about a draft resolution on the Middle East put forward by Sweden that would recognize east Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state, French Ambassador to Israel Christophe Bigot told The Jerusalem Post Wednesday. "Let us be clear the text is not an EU text; it is a Swedish proposal looking for agreement by the 27 EU members of the Council of Foreign Affairs next Tuesday," Bigot said of the document, which has raised Jerusalem's ire for a number of reasons, primarily because of its pre-judging negotiations on Jerusalem and its reference in the document to "Palestine." Israel, as part of its diplomatic efforts to block acceptance of the document, is in contact with the US, hoping that it will explain to key EU states that the text would only make moving the diplomatic process forward even more difficult than it already is.
- Lord, we thank You for those nations which are standing up against this plan to once again, divide Your land.
- "Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto the LORD." (Leviticus 27:28)
6. Putin considers 2012 presidential bid - AP
In an electric four-hour solo performance on live television, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said he will think about whether to reclaim the presidency - one of the strongest signals yet that he may run again for Russia's top office in 2012. Putin made the statement during a question-and- answer show on television and radio highlighted his dominance of Russia's political scene. "I will think about it, there is still enough time," Putin said when asked whether he will run in the next election. "Don't hold your breath," Putin told another person who asked whether he was planning to leave politics.
- As despots continue to gain power across the world, may we turn our eyes and hearts toward the time when You will return to rule and will cast out all who are seizing power at the expense of the innocent.
- "As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on evil, and they will speak lies to each other at the same table; but it will not succeed, for the end is still to come at the appointed time." (Daniel 11:7)
7. Philippines arrests clan leader in massacre probe - AP
Philippine troops took the patriarch of a powerful clan - a former governor - into custody Saturday after the president put his southern province under martial law to hunt down suspects in the country's worst political violence. The head of the clan, Andal Ampatuan Sr. and at least six other family members who have ruled impoverished Maguindanao province unopposed for years are the main suspects in the Nov. 23 attack on a political rival's convoy in which 57 people, including 30 journalists, were killed.
- Thank You that those who planned this killing are being held responsible, and we pray for comfort for the families of those murdered. We pray that the rule of law will be respected, especially in regions of the world where might currently supplants justice.
- "Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD, And whose deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, 'Who sees us?' or 'Who knows us?'" (Isaiah 29:15)
8. Chávez Seizes Three More Banks, Stoking Fears - Wall Street Journal
Venezuela's government took over three more banks Friday, adding to a growing list of smaller banks in the oil-rich country that have been seized by the government this week on charges that its owners illegally used deposits for their own enrichment. The growing scandal has unnerved depositors about which banks are safe, posing a threat to the broader banking system. It has also become a potential political liability for President Hugo Chávez, because the owners of the seized banks were seen as close to top officials.
- Lord, may the world be awakened to the dangers of those governments which are seizing the earnings of their people. May there be a respect for the laborer and may people be allowed to keep that for which they have toiled.
- "Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it." (John 12:6)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"For ever, O LORD, Your Word is settled in heaven." (Psalm 119:89)
1. Settlers gear up for mass protest rally - Jerusalem Post
Settler leaders are gearing up for a major demonstration outside Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's official residence next week, having failed at a fraught meeting on Thursday to persuade him to reconsider the 10-month freeze he is implementing on construction of new homes at West Bank settlements.
2. Hamas reports 'good progress' on Schalit - Jerusalem Post
A senior Hamas official said Thursday that progress has been made in secret negotiations to reach a prisoner exchange agreement with Israel for the release of captive soldier Gilad Schalit.
3. Obama delays moving US Embassy to Jerusalem - AP
President Barack Obama is delaying moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.
The Daily Jot
A Week of Prophetic Significance -- The Stone of Jerusalem
The week ending December 5th, 2009 was one of prophetic significance for America and the Middle East. Zechariah 12:3 says, "And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it." Jerusalem has been the centerpiece of history and the timepiece of God's prophecy since the beginning of recorded history. The actions of the White House and the European Union during the week have set in stone destructive prophetic undertones that only repentance, prayer and action can reverse.
The man who occupies the Oval Office is stuck between a rock and a hard spot. Islam began launching a religiously-sanctioned holy war against the United States in the 1970's, ostensibly because of America's support for Israel. The jihad conveniently also fulfills the Koranic command to kill Christians and Jews if they don't convert to Islam. Decades later, the White House has tried to extend an olive branch of peace toward Islam, only to have it rejected with continued aggression in Afghanistan, a rebuilding of terrorist forces in Iraq, the destabilization of Pakistan, the use of Syria as a terrorist outpost, and Lebanon as a United Nations protected base for terrorist training and cross-border raids into Iraq.
The White House has shown Islam tremendous weakness by announcing a troop surge of 10,000 less soldiers than requested to fight the terrorists in Afghanistan and by telling the terrorists that the US would only be fighting them another 18 months. This action allows the terrorists to claim victory and it will likely extend the war of Islamic aggression for many years. This announcement will result in the deaths of many Americans because it hands victory to the enemy and lacks purpose.
Additionally, the administration has placed tremendous pressure on Israel--America's only true ally in the Middle East--to stop building houses for its people to appease Palestinian terrorists who demand their own country next to Israel.
Meantime, the European Union is considering a document circulated by Sweden that calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. In addition, the document commits the EU to conduct bilateral state building with the Palestinian leadership. The continuous pressure by terrorists and the belief that a Palestinian state will bring peace is setting the stage for the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. Both America and Europe moved the prophecy clock forward during the week by weak military moves against an aggressive Islam and applying more pressure on Israel to give up Jerusalem as a capital for a hostile enemy--both spiritually and physically. The stone of Jerusalem became more burdensome.
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
The Good News Corner
The Power of Your Love
It's time to worship . . .
