In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• How Bad Is ObamaCare?
• Update: Mitchell Trip to Mideast
• Obama Calls Abbas
• N.K. Shipping Weapons to Syria?
• Obama Losing Support Among Jews
• The Good News Corner
• Worship With Us Today!
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The Daily Brief - Thursday, May 13, 2010
"The LORD sat as King at the flood; Yes, the LORD sits as King forever. The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace." (Psalm 29:10,11)
The Daily Brief
1. Moscow to build nuke plant in Turkey - Jerusalem Post
While Jerusalem lashed out against Moscow on Wednesday for wanting to include Hamas in the diplomatic process, it took a much more low-key approach to news that Russia would build a nuclear reactor in Turkey, and was considering doing the same in Syria.
- Father, we pray that You will move to sever the nuclear plant agreements between Russia and other Arab states. We call forth Your power of protection over Israel and the US, that no matter what kind of plans may be hidden under the nuclear agreements, no weapons formed against us shall prosper!
- "But in that coming day, no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from Me, I the Lord have spoken." (Isaiah 54:17) NLT
2. Source: Cash Couriers Targeted in Bomb Probe Raids - CNN
Raids connected to the attempted Times Square bombing are focused on a system of "cash couriers" who bring money into the U.S. from overseas, a source says.
- Lord, Thank You that these cash networks are being torn down, and the flow of money stopped. We ask that all hidden secrets be revealed, that none will slip through the cracks!
- "Let them be confouded and put to shame that seek after my soul; let them be turned back and brought to confusion who devise my hurt." (Psalm 35:4)
3. Rogue Satellite Could Interrupt U.S. Cable Programming - AP
A rogue satellite orbiting the Earth could disrupt some cable programming sometime around May 23rd. According to the AP, the Galaxy 15 satellite, which is owned by European company Intelsat, is on course to drift into the orbit of another satellite called AMC 11, which transmits cable programming across the U.S. later this month.
- Father, we take authority over this impending satellite problem, and command the pathways of both satellites be changed enough to cause no disruption whatsoever.
- "Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19)
4. U.S. posts 19th straight monthly budget deficit - Reuters
The United States posted an $82.69 billion deficit in April, nearly four times the $20.91 billion shortfall registered in April 2009 and the largest on record for that month, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday.
- Father, we repent for our leadership's inability to wisely use our resources. Lord, we know that this kind of deficit spending is unsustainable, so we ask for Your mercy in the inevitable outcome.
- "Woe to them that devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds! When the morning is light, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hand." (Micah 2:1)
5. Pimco's El-Erian Warns Inflation to Hit US, Europe -- Reuters
The U.S. soon will see increased inflation, even though price pressures are currently muted, the world's biggest bond fund management company warned. Extensive money printing by central banks to buy securities in emergency measures will ultimately stoke inflation, wrote Mohamed El-Erian, CEO and co-CIO of Pacific Investment Management Co.
- Lord, as even the world itself is in the same position as the US, we ask for life. We pray that You will intervene to bring hope again to the nations, not for greedy gain, but for stability and open doors for Your Holy Spirit to change lives.
- "Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to everyone grass in the field." (Zechariah 10:1)
6. Sens. Kerry and Lieberman introduce compromise climate bill - Washington Post
Sens. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) introduced a compromise climate bill Wednesday, hoping public concern about the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will boost the measure's long-shot chances for passage.
- Lord, we ask that You stop this bill before it slides through by fear-mongering and deception. We bind every plan to lie to the American people, and loose the Holy Spirit to bring wisdom and truth to our people. May the citizens of America unite against this plan to shove yet another piece of legislation through that is not wanted!
- "The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit; he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil." (Psalm 36:3,4)
7. Laura Bush Supports Gay Marriage, Abortion - ABC News
Former first lady Laura Bush has broken with her husband on the premier social issues of his administration and said she backs gay marriage and abortion.
- Lord, this news saddens all of us. It may partially explain why our former President had such a hard time in several areas, if disunity was in his household. We pray for Laura Bush to hear the truth and be changed by it. We ask that Your Holy Spirit would speak to her in the night seasons and reveal Your heart to her.
- "When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant to thy soul; discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee, to deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh forward things; who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness." (Proverbs 2:10-13)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you." (Psalm 9:10 )
1. Israel to Syria: We have no plans to attack - Ha'aretz
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak yesterday conveyed their assurances to Syria to the effect that Israel has no intention of attacking it.
2. Israel's EU upgrade to be put off again - Jerusalem Post
Israel's ties with the European Union remain strong, but are unlikely to be upgraded when the action plan for its bilateral relations expires in June, diplomatic sources told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.
3. 'Russia moving closer to Hezbollah too' - Ynet News
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited Syria this week and met with Hamas politburo Khaled Mashaal. On Wednesday, he even stated that Hamas should be included in the Middle East peace process, despite Israel's firm stand against the Islamist movement.
The Daily Jot
Of God's Hand and Ear; Of a Nation Separated from Righteousness
America is in a heap of trouble and she will not survive unless Christian Americans begin asserting themselves aggressively into society with the gospel of Christ. If there were ever a time in our nation's history where the balance of evil is tipping the scales in its favor, it is now, today, this time. The very foundation of this nation--the rule of law, the rights endowed every human by God as outlined by the Founding Fathers, the liberty to even be a Christian, the freedom to speak your opinion, the ability to act with free will as a Christian--is being torn apart as Christians stand by debating differences on issues God has already determined--homosexuality, life of the pre-born, the only path to heaven, and more.
Did you know: the deficit has grown four hundred percent since April 2009; that the president has nominated a homosexual socialist to the Supreme Court; that America, not Israel, is negotiating with terrorists over Israel's future; the federal government is trying to take over control of the food supply; you will be forced to buy government run health care and your care will be rationed by the government; your tax money supports the abortion industry; the current nominee for the Supreme Court seeks to "redistribute" religious free speech, especially in referencing God's position on homosexuality; the government has incurred over $40,000 in debt for every man, woman and child in America?
Isaiah 59 describes the condition of America. Verses 1-4: "Behold the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity." Verse 7: "Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths."
As a Christian, you may take offense and say, "I have done all I can do and most assuredly, I do not support these things." And this may be true from the innermost of your heart. However, all of us are guilty. Our money supports these terrible things. Oh, then you say, "Render unto Caesar. . ." But in THIS nation, we the people are responsible for our government. Also, our inaction supports these things against God and this country. Prayer only does not satisfy action. Writing letters does not satisfy action. Moving hearts to the truth of Christ is real action. Our only hope for this nation is to change hearts with the light of Christ. We must restore the Truth, that righteousness may enter.
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
How Bad Is ObamaCare?
Let Conscience Be Your Guide
Americans are finally waking up to an explosive new feature of Obama's health care law. Tucked deep inside the bill's thousands of pages is an attack on the beliefs of medical workers. FRC sounded the alarm on conscience rights for well over a year, and the fallout we predicted is beginning to hit the health care community. Just last week, we talked about a social worker in Pennsylvania who was fired for refusing to take a teenager across state lines for an abortion.
As the Washington Post points out in today's lengthy article, cases like hers are bound to multiply as the law takes full effect. Although liberals argued that workers would be protected fr om involvement with any pills or procedures they find objectionable, the truth is that ObamaCare does nothing to prevent government discrimination against health plans, providers, or facilities. It only says that "plans" can't discriminate against providers and facilities. In other words, it is woefully lacking when it comes to protecting the conscience rights of health care groups, doctors, and others. Worse, it could be used to undermine or bypass current legal protections. Now that the Obama administration has proposed rescinding the Bush regulations--which were designed to enforce conscience protections--why should we trust them with this new health monstrosity?
(Family Research Council; Tuesday, May 11, 2010)
Update: Mitchell Trip to Mideast
Update on Special Envoy George Mitchell's Trip to Mideast
Special Envoy Mitchell left the Middle East on Sunday (May 9), after completing the first round of proximity talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. The talks were serious and wide-ranging. Both parties are taking some steps to help create an atmosphere that is conducive to successful talks, including President Abbas' statement that he will work against incitement of any sort and Prime Minister Netanyahu's statement that there will be no construction at the Ramat Shlomo project for two years. They are both trying to move forward in difficult circumstances and we commend them for that. We have received commitments from both sides, and we have made assurances to both sides, that are enabling us to move forward. The full scope of these discussions will remain private.
As both parties know, if either takes significant actions during the proximity talks that we judge would seriously undermine trust, we will respond to hold them accountable and ensure that negotiations continue. Special Envoy Mitchell emphasized the importance of making progress in these talks to enable the parties to move to direct negotiations that will result in a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Our overall goal remains a comprehensive peace in the Middle East. He will return to the region next week to continue the proximity talks. (State Dept.) Read more.
Obama Calls Abbas
Readout of the Obama's Call with President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority
Hussein Obama spoke today with President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. Obama congratulated President Abbas on the start of Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks. He reiterated his strong support for the establishment of an independent, viable Palestinian state living in peace and security with Israel. Obama and President Abbas discussed the need for both parties to negotiate seriously and in good faith, and to move from proximity talks to direct negotiations as soon as possible in order to reach an agreement on permanent status issues. Obama expressed appreciation for President's Abbas recent outreach to the Israeli people by appearing on Israeli television, and urged that President Abbas do everything he can to prevent acts of incitement or delegitimization of Israel. Hussein Obama confirmed his intention to hold both sides accountable for actions that undermine trust during the talks. He said he looks forward to receiving President Abbas at the White House soon. (The White House) Read more.
N.K. Shipping Weapons to Syria?
Israel says N. Korea shipping WMDs to Syria
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Tuesday accused nuclear power North Korea of supplying Syria with weapons of mass destruction. Lieberman's office quoted him as telling Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama at a meeting in Tokyo that such activity threatened to destabilise east Asia as well as the Middle East. "The cooperation between Syria and North Korea is not focused on economic development and growth but rather on weapons of mass destruction" Lieberman said. In evidence he cited the December 2009 seizure at Bangkok airport of an illicit North Korean arms shipment which US intelligence said was bound for an unnamed Middle East country. (AFP) Read more.
Obama Losing Support Among Jews
Poll: Obama has Lost Almost Half of his US Jewish Support
Obama has lost nearly half of his support among American Jews, a poll by the McLaughlin Group has shown.
The US Jews polled were asked whether they would: (a) vote to re-elect Obama, or (b) consider voting for someone else. 42% said they would vote for Obama and 46%, a plurality, preferred the second answer. 12% said they did not know or refused to answer.
In the Obama elections of 2008, 78% of Jewish voters, or close to 8 out of 10, chose Obama. The McLaughlin poll held nearly 18 months later, in April 2010, appears to show that support down to around 4 out of 10.
The poll showed that key voter segments including Orthodox/Hassidic voters, Conservative voters, voters who have friends and family in Israel and those who have been to Israel, are all more likely to consider voting for someone other than Obama.
Among Orthodox/Hassidic voters, 69% marked 'someone else' vs. 17% who marked 're-elect.' Among Conservative-affiliated voters the proportion was 50% to 38%. Among Reform Jews, a slim majority of 52% still supported Obama while 36% indicated they would consider someone else. Among Jews with family in Israel and those who had been to Israel, about 50% said they would consider someone else, while 41%-42% supported Obama.
Fifty percent of the Jewish voters polled said they approved of the job Obama is doing handling US relations with Israel. Thirty-nine percent said they disapproved. "This rating is not good for a group of voters who are 59% Democratic to only 16% Republican," the poll's analysis noted.
A majority of 52% said they disapproved of the idea of the Obama Administration supporting a plan to recognize a Palestinian state within two years. 62% said that if given a state, "the Palestinians would continue their campaign of terror to destroy Israel." Only 19% thought they would live peacefully with Israel.
As Obama loses support among members of the influential Jewish voter bloc, possible Republican candidate Sarah Palin seems to be doing her best to woo them to her camp. At Time Magazine's May 4 dinner honoring the '100 Most Influential People in the World,' she was sporting a US/Israel flag pin. (Arutz Sheva)
The Good News Corner
Son of Hamas Leader who became a Christian
Testimony and Teaching by Mus'ab Hassan Yousuf, Son of Hamas Leader in the West Bank:
The following are excerpts from an interview with Mus'ab Hassan Yousuf, the son of Sheik Hassan Yousuf, Hamas leader in the West Bank. Yousuf Jr. converted to Christianity, and recently revealed that he had collaborated with Israel. The interview aired on BBC Arabic on March 12, 2010.
Mus'ab Hassan Yousuf: I have said, and I continue to say, that my problem is not with Hamas or with the Muslims. My problem is with the God of Islam and with the Prophet of Islam. With regard to... There were continuous conflicts, which drove me to think about which direction I would like my life to go. Of course, the torture carried out by Hamas on its people in prison, their stupidity, and their political inadequacy drove me to speak out.
Interviewer: Are you saying that your views on what you call "the Islam of Hamas" are what led you to collaborate with the Israelis?
Mus'ab Hassan Yousuf: Who said there is the Islam of Hamas and the Islam of Al-Qaeda?
Interviewer: That's what you are saying, more or less.
Mus'ab Hassan Yousuf: No, I am not saying that. What I am saying is that Islam is Islam, and the Koran is the Koran. The Koran suffers from a split personality, and the God of Islam suffers from a split personality. All the Muslims who follow the God of Islam interpret Islam as they like, but this does not negate the terroristic and murderous character of Islam, which incites people, through the Koran, to kill people and blow themselves up. [To read the entire interview, go here.]
- Offer praise that Mus'ab Hassan Yousuf has found his way out of the lies of Islam into the arms of our Savior. Please pray for his protection, and that his witness will continue to flood the Moslem world. Amen.
- "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. " (2 Corin. 5:17)
Worship With Us Today!
Ofra Haza - Yerushalaim Shel Zahav
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