In This Issue• Today's Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• PRAY FOR HAITI!
• The Daily Jot
• Health Care Plan vs. Marriage
• Next Week: Annual March for Life
• Update: Massachusetts
• News From Haiti
• The Good News Corner
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The Daily Brief - Friday, January 15, 2010
" . . . my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you." (Isaiah 54:10)
Today's Daily Brief
1. Haiti Nears Breaking Point as Aid Is Snarled, Looters Roam - Fox News
As aid organizations struggled Friday to get food and water to stricken millions, fears spread of unrest among the Haitian people in their fourth day of desperation.
- We pray for comfort for all those who are in the midst of this disaster and for the families throughout the world who are either in mourning or who are uncertain of the fate of their loved ones. We pray that security forces will be able to keep order and that the relief goods and volunteers will be supernaturally protected and will be able to transport all the supplies that are needed.
- For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:15)
For more news from Haiti see below.
2. A. Taxpayers to pay for Fannie, Freddie aid - Washington Times
A recent move by the Treasury Department to remove $200 billion caps on assistance to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac eliminates any doubt that taxpayers will pay for all their losses for the next three years and appears to be a major step toward formally nationalizing the housing enterprises, analysts say.
B. White House Cuts Health Care Tax Deal with Labor Unions - AP
In another move that may send frustrated voters running to the polls in November, a special deal has been struck between the White House and organized labor unions. According to The Washington Post, the deal would exempt union members from a 40 percent excise tax on "Cadillac" health insurance plans until 2018 - five years after the legislation kicks into gear. A few other perks in the deal include removing dental and vision benefits when applying the tax, and raising the $23,000 income threshold to $24,000. According to White House officials, the deal took over 15 hours to negotiate and included influential participants AFL- CIO President Richard Trumka, SEIU's Andy Stern, Change to Win's Anna Burger, union leaders from various trades, Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina, and Vice President Joe Biden.
- May those in Washington be humbled by their duties to all Americans, and may they not show favoritism out of political expediency. We pray there will be a move to protect the innocent and those who have true need.
- Watch, for the day of the LORD is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you! (Zechariah 14:1)
3. Retail sales unexpectedly fall in December - Washington Post
Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly fell in December as consumer spent less on vehicles and an array of other goods during the holiday shopping month, data showed on Thursday, raising concerns about the durability of the economy's recovery.
- Lord, as the financial matters continue to be a concern, we pray that You will continue to remind us of Your promise for provision. May we not rely on our own means and strength but instead, lean on You.
- More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:8)
4. Several US officers failed to supervise Fort Hood gunman - AFP
Several US officers who failed to properly supervise the suspected gunman who shot dead 13 people at the Fort Hood military base should be held accountable, an inquiry said Friday. "As a result of our review, it appeared that there were several officers who did not apply the army's policies to the perpetrator," said Togo West, a former army secretary, who led the review with a former chief of naval operations, Vernon Clark. The report released Friday recommended the US Army secretary carry out "an accountability review" for those officers, which could include disciplinary measures.
- Lord, help us to understand where wrong decisions were made so that we will not continue on faulty paths. We pray that this incident will awaken those in authority to the dangers that still surround. Help us to remember that You are ultimately the holder of our security and our life on Earth is just a fleeting breath in the span of eternity.
- O give us help against the adversary, For deliverance by man is in vain. (Psalm 60:11)
5. U.S. drone attack may have killed Pakistani Taliban chief - Washington Post
A U.S. missile strike might have killed the top Taliban leader in Pakistan on Thursday even as Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani told Parliament that the drone attacks were a threat to the nation's sovereignty and could "undermine the war on terror."
- We thank You for the continuing justice that comes to the men who plot against innocents. Continue to provide strength and focus for those who are in charge of keeping watch for those who lead the terrorists.
- The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. (Proverbs 10:27)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit." (Isaiah 27:6)
1. Palestinians tell U.S.: No peace talks until settlements stop - Ha'aretz
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he will resist renewed U.S. pressure to resume peace talks unless Israel first fully halts settlement building in the West Bank. Abbas's remarks to Egypt's Voice of the Arabs radio appeared to pour cold water on a renewed U.S. effort to broker a resumption of negotiations stalled for more than a year.
2. Report: Turkey warns Lebanon that Israel may be planning attack - Ha'aretz
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan this week warned Lebanese leaders that Israel may be planning an attack on its northern neighbor, Lebanese sources told the London-based Arabic language daily A-Sharq al-Awsat on Thursday.
3. US Envoy Seeks European Support for Mideast Push - NY Times
U.S. envoy George Mitchell is asking for French and European Union support for a renewed push for peace in the Middle East.
4. Ahmadinejad: Nuclear scientist assassinated in 'Zionist style' - Ha'aretz
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday said the assassination this week of an Iranian scientist was carried out in a "Zionist style."
PRAY FOR HAITI!
A Light to the Nations -- Israel Responds to Haiti Catastrophe
God said that the Jewish people would be a blessing to the world (Genesis 12:3). We see that happening repeatedly as Israel is quick to respond to emergency situations around the world.
Today, Israelis are arriving in Haiti with trained professionals to assist in the search and rescue operations as well as to provide medical assistance. Zaka, a well-known, Jewish humanitarian organization already has an advance team on the ground with more team members flying out today. Israel is sending 100 trained doctors, nurses, medics, and paramedics who will set up and operate a mobile field hospital, complete with emergency room, surgery room, laboratory, and x- ray facilities. They will fly in a complete temporary hospital with their own generators and all medical equipment and supplies. The hospital is designed for rapid set-up (within 24 hours), enabling the team to quickly begin to treat the wounded and save lives.
I just got off the phone with Ilan who works with Israel's surgeon general. He told me that the costs to set up the field hospital and operate in Haiti for the next few weeks are expected to top US $500,000. David from Zaka says their advance search and rescue operations will cost US $60,000 to start. I told them that I was sure Christians would want to help.
I know your hearts are moved, as mine is, to help the people of Haiti. I also know that you love Israel and believe that God has a plan and purpose for the people He called chosen. Repeatedly in the Scriptures, God said that Israel and the Jewish people were to be a light to the nations. Right now, they are shining, as they quickly scramble to meet the overwhelming needs of the people of Haiti. They are fulfilling the mandate they were given by God, and we can help them. Your donation will not only help save lives in Haiti, but will glorify God, as His chosen people reach out with expertise and compassion to a hurting, devastated nation.
Our goal is to raise US $100,000 for this emergency aid partnership with Israel. Please send your donation today to your national office (see list below) or go to our Web site, click on the posted article and the online donation button embedded within it. The needs are great. Any size gift will be greatly appreciated. Together we who believe the Bible, both Christians and Jews, can make a difference saving lives and glorifying the name of God.
Blessings from Jerusalem,
Rebecca J. Brimmer
International President and CEO
AUSTRALIA: Bridges for Peace, P.O. Box 1785, Buderim, Queensland 4556, Australia. Tel: (61) 7- 5453-7988
CANADA: Bridges for Peace, P.O. Box 21001, RPO Charleswood, Winnipeg MB R3R 3R2, Canada. Tel: (1) 204-489-3697
ISRAEL: Bridges for Peace International Headquarters, P.O. Box 1093, Jerusalem, Israel. Tel: (972) 2-624-5004
JAPAN: Bridges for Peace, Taihei Sakura Bldg. 5F, 4-13-2 Taihei, Sumida-Ku, Tokyo 130 0012, Japan. Tel: (81) 3-5637-5333
NEW ZEALAND: Bridges for Peace, P.O. Box 10142, Te Mai, Whangarei, New Zealand. Tel/FAX: (64) 9-434-6527
SOUTH AFRICA: Bridges for Peace, P.O. Box 1848, Durbanville 7551, Republic of South Africa. Tel: (27) 21-975-1941
UNITED KINGDOM: Bridges for Peace, 11 Bethania Street, Maesteg, Bridgend, Wales CF34 9DJ. Tel: (44) 1656-739494
UNITED STATES: Bridges for Peace, P.O. Box 410037, Melbourne, FL 32941-0037, United States. Tel: (1) 800-566-1998
The Daily Jot
Light Among Destruction
The tragic earthquake in Haiti will leave millions of lives questioning why this would happen to a nation that is among the most impoverished in the world. I have read articles where people question why a loving God would allow such a horror to be perpetrated upon such a hopeless and helpless people. I have watched accounts where people have referred to a pact with the devil made by voodoo priests in the late 1700's when Haitians fought for their independence. We live in a fallen world and it is difficult to understand sometimes the "why" of an event. And certainly blood covenants with the devil as well as covenants with God Almighty impact nations and their futures according to many examples in scripture.
But what we have before us is an unprecedented horror. Men, women, and children who have been subjected to the worst poverty on earth are now left with the clean up of one of the most devastating earthquakes in history. Some officials are estimating that up to a half a million people could have lost their lives in this catastrophic event. Those who are alive are digging out of the rubble, stacking bodies and looking for survivors. Emails are circulating from missionaries asking for prayer for their fellow brethren in Haiti. Others are searching for loved ones--hoping on hope to hear some good news that someone they know is safe.
Jesus, speaking in the context of loving those who are enemies, said in Matthew 5:45, "That ye may be the children of our Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." You see, it makes no difference here whether voodoo priests made a covenant with the devil two hundred years ago in Haiti. If they did, it is a very unfortunate event that needed to be resolved spiritually that people might not live under such a curse. Nevertheless, what is important that today, these people who practice whatever they practice are in great need. There has been tragedy. People have lost entire families and their entire material worth, such that it was.
This is time when we, as the people of God, must rise up and show Christ to those in need. The "why" of what happened is not as important as the opportunity to, as Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Where Christians often are misunderstood is when we give the spiritual reasons as to why something bad has befallen a people. They don't want to hear it, and they can't receive it because the "god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not." The best way we can help Haitians is not to condemn them for their past beliefs, but to commend them to Christ with our acts of love and kindness.
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
Health Care Plan vs. Marriage
Marriage of Inconvenience
As the House and Senate Democrats workout their difference over their respective healthcare bills in secret, one area where there seems to be agreement is imposing a major tax penalty on married couples. Both the Senate and House have anti-marriage provisions. The Wall Street Journal breaks it down this way: "[F]or an unmarried couple with income of $25,000 each, combined premiums would be capped at $3,076 per year, under the House bill. If the couple gets married, with a combined income of $50,000, their annual premium cap jumps to $5,160--a 'penalty' of $2,084. Those figures were included in a memo prepared by House Republican staff."
Representative Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) is currently circulating a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for his Hill colleagues to sign, explaining to the Speaker that "government policy should not be constructed in such a way that either discourages individuals from marrying or provides an incentive for couples to divorce." The many versions of health care we have seen have been anti-life, anti-freedom, and anti-conscience. Will the final version be anti-marriage as well? (Family Research Council)
Next Week: Annual March for Life
Family Research Council Hosts Annual Open House for Those Who Will March for Life
Friday, January 22, 2010
The day of the March for Life (Friday, January 22) is also a busy one for FRC folks, as our web team hosts its fifth annual Blogs for Life conference--featuring some of the greatest leaders in our movement--including congressional favorite, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R- MN).
As hundreds of thousands march on Washington in protest of the millions of unborn lives slaughtered under Roe v. Wade, we invite you to join us at FRC headquarters (801 G Street, NW), which is just blocks away from the National Mall, during our annual open house.
Meanwhile, Ken Blackwell will be in Atlanta keynoting a memorial service on the steps of the Georgia Capital at noon for the Georgia Right to Life. To cap off a hectic week, Dr. Prentice and Senior Vice President Tom McClusky will take part in the Students for Life National Conference at Catholic University on Saturday, which draws thousands to D.C. every year. To get connected with FRC 's free resources on life issues, including church materials, click here.
Update: Massachusetts
The Next "Massachusetts Miracle"?
If a new poll is to believed, the unthinkable may happen in four days: Democrats may lose their grip on the Kennedy Senate seat, held by Ted Kennedy since 1962 and by his brother John F. Kennedy before that. It seems implausible, but the growing backlash against the Obama agenda may end a Democrat dynasty in the bluest of Blue states. The Massachusetts Senate race is dominating the headlines, competing with Haiti and healthcare. So here are two developments to watch for as the drama unfolds.
First, according to a new Suffolk University poll, State Senator Scott Brown is now leading Attorney General Martha Coakley 50%-to-46%. If Brown wins, then the 1994-style political wave that many pundits believe may develop this year already will have developed. If Obama's socialism can't sell in Massachusetts, then scores of races across the country are winnable for conservatives.
As I mentioned before, Brown is not a perfect candidate. But if you have any concerns about his lack of "philosophical purity," consider the alternative. Coakley is a committed leftwing ideologue who just suggested that, for the sake of "separation of church and state," men and women of faith "probably shouldn't work in an emergency room."
Here's the second (and more disturbing) development regarding this race: How vicious will the Left get in order to hold on to power? Already they are trying to tar and feather Brown with comparisons to Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, George Bush and Tea Baggers. They are the worst "villains" the Left can conjure, and the ones the media have conditioned folks to hate. That's par for the course in politics, and so far, it's not working.
In a clear sign of just how desperate things have become, there is breaking news that Barack Obama, the campaigner-in-chief, will go to Massachusetts to help the Democrats save Ted Kennedy's seat. Yes, my friends, the polls are indeed that close, and they are bringing out their biggest gun.
But will we start hearing false rumors and innuendoes of terrible charges against Brown in the closing hours of the campaign? How much fraud will take place? Will there be voter intimidation? During the 2008 primaries, there were widespread reports of buses pouring into New Hampshire from Massachusetts. Will the buses head to Massachusetts this time?
We shouldn't have to worry about such things, but we've seen it before. Worse yet, the administration's actions in dismissing the case against the New Black Panthers and its inaction against ACORN shows a blatant disregard for the law and a willingness to look the other way.
What's the solution? They can't steal an election if the result is overwhelming. Any Massachusetts voter - Democrat, Republican or Independent - worried about Obama's socialism and the future of our nation should vote for Scott Brown. (Gary Bauer; End-of-Day; Jan. 15, 2010) (Prayer point from CHPP):
- We ask all of our prayer partners to be in agreement with the following decrees, canceling the devices of the wicked that might be planned for Election Day next Tuesday in the State of Massachusetts, and calling forth a "clean" election. Thank you!
- "He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success." (Job 5:12)
- (For those engaged in all - night prayer)
"Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed." (Job 34:25)
News From Haiti
The Latest from Haiti
Please agree in prayer with the needs cited below
I said to the LORD, "You are my God; Give ear, O LORD, to the voice of my supplications. (Psalm 140:6)
1. Haiti's Health System Crumbles Under Quake as Outbreaks Loom - Forbes
The earthquake in Haiti crushed the country's fragile infrastructure for health care and clean water and may trigger widespread outbreaks of life-threatening diarrhea, measles and malaria.
2. Haitian illegals granted temp U.S. asylum - UPI
Haitians in the United States illegally at the time of the earthquake in Haiti may stay in the country for 18 months, the Obama administration said Friday. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Haitians in the United States as of Jan. 12, "whose personal safety would be endangered by returning to Haiti," would be accorded Temporary Protected Status as part of the administration's effort to help the island nation recover from the 7-magnitude quake. "This is a disaster of historic proportions and this designation will allow eligible Haitian nationals in the United States to continue living and working in our country for the next 18 months," Napolitano said. Protected status is granted to aliens in the United States who are temporarily unable to return safely to their home country because of armed conflict, environmental disaster "or other extraordinary and temporary conditions," Homeland Security said. Haitians who try to come to the United States post- Jan. 12 will be repatriated. "At this moment of tragedy in Haiti it is tempting for people suffering in the aftermath of the earthquake to seek refuge elsewhere," Napolitano said. "But attempting to leave Haiti now will only bring more hardship to the Haitian people and nation."
3. Cuba opens airspace to U.S. evacuation flights from Haiti - Washington Post
Efforts to rescue, feed and treat ten thousands of Haitians trapped or injured in a devastating earthquake continued Friday morning, and the U.S. government said it had received permission from Cuba to fly through restricted air space on medical evacuation flights.
4. Pelosi sees Haiti 'boom' from quake - Washington Times
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that the earthquake in Haiti and the resulting aid may lead to a "real boom economy" there. Lawmakers say they plan to encourage more charitable donations by making them tax-deductible. "I think that this can be an opportunity for a real boom economy in Haiti," she told reporters in the Capitol, drawing from her experience in San Francisco. Haiti "can leap-frog over its past challenges, economically, politically, and demographically in terms of the rich and poor and the rest there, and have a new -- just a new, fresh start," the California Democrat added.
The Good News Corner
Recommended Worship . . .
"It's all about You"
Dear Friends,
If you have time, listen to - Jesus lover of My Soul, (It's all about you, Jesus) on youtube. This helps to put our lives in right perspective.
Take a 4 minute worship break in the midst of your day to refocus.
Yes, Jesus, it's all about you dear Lord. We love you and want to surrender to your perfect will for our lives.
Bless all these sons and daughters of yours - let them know your love, grace, and peace in their lives.
Establish them in the faith of your unchangeable Word and unfailing Love and redemption.
Love you,
Sally (in Virginia)
