In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• Help Us Hold Them Accountable
• IPT Terror Alert #1
• IPT Terror Alert #2
• IPT Terror Alert #3
• The Good News Corner
• Worship with Us Today!
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The Daily Brief - Monday, November 22, 2010
"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." I Thess. 5:18)
The Daily Brief
1. Critics blast Obama on faith-based hiring rules - The Oklahoman (RNS)
"A day after ordering a host of changes to the White House's faith-based office, Obama is facing mounting criticism for keeping in place Bush-era policies that allow faith-based social service providers to hire and fire based on religion . . . At issue is whether religious groups that receive federal grants can hire and fire employees based on religious affiliation. The Bush administration supported that policy, but Obama campaigned against it. The White House said such questions will be handled on a case-by-case basis by the Justice Department."
• Pray for these critics, for many obviously do not have a personal relationship the Lord Jesus Christ, else they would understand President Bush's policies. Pray that Obama will keep in place the Bush policies. Will we learn what the case-by-case details are? Even though the Supreme Court has a number of depictions of Moses as the law-giver, many people in the Department of Justice exalt the thinking of man, ignoring God completely. According to our Constitution, the government is not to infringe upon our worship and faith, not the opposite that so many believe today - of faith not infringing upon the government. Pray that this concept will be set right through the power of the Holy Spirit.
• "The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom and his tongue talks of judgment. The law of God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide." (Psalm 37:30,31)
2. Web censorship bill sails through Senate Judiciary Committee - Wired
"On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved a bill that would give the Attorney General the right to shut down websites with a court order if copyright infringement is deemed 'central to the activity' of the site - regardless if the website has actually committed a crime."
• On the surface this bill looks good, helping Americans to judge websites. However, in the hands of an Attorney General who is an ideologue who could wield his position like a big stick, this bill may not be beneficial for our people. The recent case of excerpts being printed on a website from Sarah Palin's not-yet-published book is certainly related to this bill. The question of this bill relates to a matter of trust of the Attorney General, whoever that might be. Pray for wisdom regarding passage of this bill and, if necessary, contact your Senator.
• "He [the Lord] lays up sound wisdom for the righteous; He is a shield to them that walk uprightly." (Proverbs 2:7)
3. Pro-life groups lobby on chairmanship - Politico
"Anti-abortion activists have launched a full-blown lobbying campaign to give Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) - a key lawmaker in the movement - the powerful gavel of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, which sets policy on abortion."
- Another round of hallelujahs for this measure. Please pray that Rep. Joe Pitts does receive the chairmanship of this sub-committee. Rep. Pitts comes from the Amish area of Pennsylvania and is a very committed Christian. America needs to be cleansed of the blood-guiltiness that comes from abortion, a horrendous defilement of our land. Cover Rep. Pitts with the protection of the Lord, as he will have hysterical opponents, both inside and outside Congress.
• " . . . so shall you put the evil away from, among you." (Deuteronomy 19:19b)
4. Report: U.S. to lift lid on 'pervasive insider trading' - MSNBC
U.S. officials are preparing insider trading charges against a host of financial players, including investment bankers and hedge fund managers, according to The Wall Street Journal, which cited people familiar with the matter.
- Offer praise that these measures are being taken, and offer a prayer that any new regulations regarding the practice of insider trading would be fully effective.
- "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16)
5. Montana Supreme Court: Ban on religious speech at graduation is unconstitutional - Great Falls Tribune
"The Montana Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a former Butte High School valedictorian who was banned from speaking at her graduation because her speech contained religious references."
- What a time to praise the Lord! For too many years students have not been allowed to make references to their faith at graduations. Pray that judges throughout the land will follow suit, and recognition of God will again be a focus of education. Students' rights as believers in Jesus Christ will again be established in America! Pray that the media reports this judicial report fairly and unbiased so that all Americans can rejoice. Ask the Lord to bless the judges on the Montana Supreme Court.
• "Having therefore, these promises [from God], let us cleanse ourselves [nation] from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 7:1)
6. Constitutional Amendment proposal to streamline legislative repeals to hit Congress soon - The Daily Caller
Conservatives are planning to propose an amendment to the Constitution at some time in the next few weeks aimed at allowing states to repeal legislation without the approval of Washington . . . The Repeal Amendment calls for allowing states to band together to repeal, or overturn, federal legislation. As it is written now, if approved and ratified, two-thirds of states' legislatures would need to vote in favor of a repeal.
- Normally, it takes a long time to amend the Constitution, but in this case, pray that that time be greatly shortened, for the majority of our states wuold surely like to see this power placed in their hands. For this amendment to become law, it first must be approved by two-thirds of the members of both the House and the Senate; then approved by two-thirds of the legislators in two-thirds of the states. Pray for a miracle . . our times are in His hands.
- "My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me." (Psalm 31:15)
7. Moslems in US Trying to Impose Sharia: Report - The Center for Security Policy
Moslems in the United States are trying to impose Sharia law by exploiting the nation's legal system, says a new report by a group of former government officials and right-wing intellectuals." | 177 Page report from the Center for Security Policy: Shariah - The Threat to America. Read more.
• This report may be denied or ignored, but be aware of any reports of maneuvers to impose Shariah in America. Read the report highlighted above to see the details and how Shariah violates our Constitution and American thinking extensively. Pray over every judge in the nation that not one is duped into agreeing with even an iota of Shariah. The Islamists are deceived into believing in Shariah because they do not know the Lord, our God. Reach out to your Moslem neighbors and acquaintances with love and the Gospel so that they can be delivered from their bondage to Islam.
• "The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" (Romans 8:15)
8. 'Good bargain for us': Al-Qaida group touts small-scale attacks - MSNBC
Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula is promising more small-scale attacks like its attempts to bomb two U.S.-bound cargo planes, which it likens to bleeding its enemy to death by a thousand cuts.
- Come against the spirit of the Destroyer that is fomenting these attacks, and declare their effect to be null and void through the Blood of the Lamb, the Word of our testimony, and loving our lives not unto death (the Blood of the martyrs on our land). In Christ, no weapon forged against us shall prosper. Amen.
- "He frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands cannot carry out their plans." (Job 5:12)
9. Obama's Entourage to G - 20 in London - Scripps Howard News Service
For a 3-day summit, Obama arrived with a staff of 500, including 200 Secret Service agents, a team of 6 doctors, the White House chef and kitchen staff with the president's own food and water. In addition to Air Force One, the presidential helicopter was present and a fleet of 6 decoys to transport the president from Stansted Airport to central London. The presidential limousine, referred to as the Beast, is reinforced with ceramic and titanium armor, carries a tear gas cannon, night-vision devices and carries its own oxygen and is resistant to chemical and radiation attack. Moreover, the president brought with him 35 vehicles, 4 speech writers, and 12 teleprompters.
• In a time of economic recession, the president seems to ignore the necessity of paring down. We certainly want him to be well-protected from any attack on his person and others traveling with him; but to enter a city like the triumphant Caesar leading his soldiers into Rome seems out-of-bounds. Pray that his advisors tell him to "tone it down." May the Holy Spirit give him ears to hear the voice of reason and of the people. Pray for Obama to develop a spirit of true humility.
• "The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility." (Proverbs 15:33)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
" . . . and the kingdom shall be LORD's." (Obadiah 1:21b)
1. MI chief warns: Tel Aviv may be on frontlines of next conflict - Jerusalem Post
Outgoing head of Military Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin issued a warning at his final cabinet meeting on Sunday, saying that Israel should not be lulled into complacency by the relative quiet that the country has recently enjoyed.
2. Abbas: PA won't return to talks without e. J'lem freeze - Jerusalem Post
The Palestinian Authority will not return to peace negotiations unless Israel agrees to stop building in east Jerusalem as well as in West Bank settlements, Reuters quoted PA President Mahmoud Abbas as saying on Sunday. The comments followed Abba's Cairo meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
3. Support for Hamas and Iran is dropping in Gaza - Jerusalem Post
A majority of Palestinians in Gaza don't like Hamas or Iran, as support for the two entities has continued to drop over the last year, according to a new poll.
4. Netanyahu: No settlement freeze vote without U.S. offer in writing - Ha'aretz
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told lawmakers on Sunday that he had not yet received a written draft from the United States over a proposed package of incentives in exchange for a freeze on West Bank construction.
5. NATO planning 'integral' role in enforcing Mideast peace deal - Ha'aretz
NATO will play an integral role in enforcing a Middle East peace deal, but will not play a direct role in reaching that agreement, the alliance's secretary general told Haaretz this weekend.
Help Us Hold Them Accountable
Thanks to the great results on November 2nd, there is a huge new class of freshmen Republicans coming to Congress next year. Most of them are solid conservatives. But it won't take long for the left-wing special interest groups and the liberal media to start demonizing them for the ideas they put forward. We need to support them, encourage them and hold them accountable. Here's how you can help.
Our website offers a great resource called Megavote. Each week that Congress is in session, you will get an e-mail letting you know how your elected representatives have voted on key issues, as well as updates on upcoming votes on pending legislation. This is a great tool for knowing what is happening on Capitol Hill and staying one step ahead.
Once you know how your elected officials are voting and which issues are coming up for votes, you can use our online Congressional Directory to quickly and easily communicate with Congress. I hope everyone receiving this daily report signs up for Megavote today. Working together we can hold our elected officials accountable and make a difference for our values.
To view Megavote, go here.
(Gary Bauer)
IPT Terror Alert #1
Hearing today on Islamic Law lawsuit in Oklahoma
[The Investigative Project]
A federal judge was to decide today whether to block a constitutional amendment that prohibits state courts from considering international or Islamic law when deciding cases. A hearing is Monday in Oklahoma City before U.S. District Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange on a request for a preliminary injunction against the new amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution. A temporary restraining order against the measure was issued by Miles-LeGrange on Nov. 8. The measure was approved by 70 percent of Oklahoma voters in the Nov. 2 general election. It is being challenged in a lawsuit filed by Muneer Awad who is executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Oklahoma. (AP) Read more.
IPT Terror Alert #2
Jamaican Imam Abdullah el-Faisal wants to be next terror big, U.S. fears
[The Investigative Project]
Counterterrorism agents in New York and Washington are keeping tabs on a Jamaican imam whose death-spewing sermons in English raise fears he'll radicalize American Muslims. The NYPD intelligence division, CIA and FBI are concerned Sheikh Abdullah el-Faisal is becoming a new Anwar al-Awlaki, the Yemeni Al Qaeda cleric who went from preaching to plotting. "El-Faisal is focused on propaganda," one U.S. counterterror official in Washington told the Daily News. "But the last few years, he's dabbled in operational things like recruitment and facilitation." He also inspired Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad and failed airplane underwear bomber Farouk Abdulmutallab. "His reach goes far beyond Jamaica," the U.S. official said. "He's trying to expand his network in Africa and Asia." (NY Daily News) Read more.
IPT Terror Alert #3
New Fatwas Permit Killing Tourists, Attacking Coca-Cola and McDonald's
[The Investigative Project]
A jihadist website has posted fatwas that permit the killing of tourists and targeting of "infidel" companies like Coca-Cola and McDonald's, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). The fatwas on the website Al-Minbar Wal-Tawhid came in response to a posting by a member named "Abu Sayyed Qutub," which included the following questions: "What is the ruling regarding companies that distribute Jewish and American products, such as Coca-Cola and McDonald's?" "Is it permissible to receive help from gangsters in order to carry out jihad operations, as they say the jihad in Algeria is doing?" "Is a group of fewer than 10 young people without military or organizational experience permitted to target tourists in countries with apostate [Muslim] governments, where no known jihad group operates?" Sheikh Abu Walid al-Maqdisi, a Gaza-based cleric, replied that according to Sharia, it is forbidden to harm Muslim lives and possessions but permissible "to target infidel and polytheist lives and possessions." (IPT News) Read more.
The Good News Corner
President Bush Explains in New Book Why He "was a pro-life president"
President George W. Bush's memoir titled, Decision Points, was released this week, and the former commander-in-chief has been busy with interviews and TV appearances in promotion of the book.
In an interview with the Today Show's Matt Lauer, Bush was asked about a very private experience he had regarding his mother's miscarriage, which has never been mentioned prior to the book.
Bush noted that his mother-Barbara Bush-had "given me permission to write about it."
In the account, he shares how, as a teenager, he drove his mother to the hospital after she had suffered a miscarriage. During the trip he had inadvertently seen the fetus his mother saved, which she had to bring with her to the hospital. "There was a human life, a little brother or sister," Bush recalled.
The former president told Lauer, "No question that affected me, my philosophy that we should respect life. I was a pro-life president."
Regarding his memoir, Bush added that "It's a way for me to put the reader in the environment in which I had to make decisions." And that writing the book has helped in making the transition to private life. [Source: Audrey Barrick - Christian Post]
Reported by Breaking Christian News
Read more.
Worship with Us Today!
"I See You" by Michael W. Smith
Yes, Lord, Everywhere I go, I see You!
