In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• The Act of Being Thankful
• The Good News Corner
• Worship with Us Today!
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The Daily Brief - Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His Name, for the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations." (Psalm 100: 4,5)
The Daily Brief
1. A) North Korea Fires at South - Fox News
North Korea shoots dozens of rounds of artillery onto a populated South Korean island, military officials say, setting buildings on fire and causing injuries; South Korea returns fire and scrambles fighter jets
B) S. Korea Could Seek Deployment of US Tactical Nuclear Weapons - VOA News
South Korea's defense minister says his country may consider having U.S. tactical nuclear weapons deployed on its soil for the first time in 19 years.
__Father we pray against the plans of the enemy and ask that You cover South Korea with Your protection. We ask that all of Your enemies be put to flight!
- "Rise up, O Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You." (Numbers 10:35)
2. Sec. Clinton: Nuclear Arms Reduction Treaty a matter of LIFE-or-DEATH - AP
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Senate ratification of a nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia should be beyond politics." Clinton spoke on U.S. television Sunday from Lisbon, Portugal, where she attended a NATO summit. She said the treaty is a life-or-death issue, rather than a political one. And she said the questions that skeptical Republicans in the U.S. Senate are asking about the treaty deserve thoughtful answers.
On Saturday during the NATO summit, the European Union and Russia urged the United States to ratify the treaty, known as START. The treaty has received strong support from NATO partners, top military officials and former administration officials. But some Republican senators are reluctant to approve the deal, which would cut the nations' nuclear stockpile by about 30 percent.
U.S. President Barack Obama said Saturday that ratifying the treaty is a "national security imperative" that cannot be delayed. He called on the Senate for quick passage of the deal. Ratification requires support from 67 of the Senate's 100 members.
Senator Jon Kyl, the chief Republican negotiator on the issue, has resisted the president's efforts to hold the vote before the new Congress takes office in January with a stronger Republican presence. Kyl has voiced concerns that the new START treaty would harm U.S. missile defense efforts.
__Let no treaty be signed that is not in the best interests of the safety of the United States!
- "Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield." (Psalm 33:20)
3. Al-Qaeda Releases New "Inspire" Magazine - New America Foundation
In the latest edition of its English-language, online magazine, Inspire, released early Sunday, the group said its attempt to bomb two U.S.-bound cargo planes last month cost only $4,200 to mount.
The al-Qaida branch wrote that the operation was intended to disrupt global air cargo systems and reflected a new strategy of low-cost attacks designed to inflict broad economic damage. The group said its main objective is not to maximize civilian casualties, but to threaten the aviation industry, which it described as "vital" for trade and transport between the U.S. and Europe.
In the new issue of Inspire, al-Qaida unveiled what it described as its "strategy of a thousand cuts" that will "bleed the enemy to death."
__ Father we thank You that thus far every major plan of Al-Qaeda has been thwarted. We pray that You will continue to dispel all of their plans, and we apply Your Blood against their hatred.
"The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth." (Psalm 34:16)
4. Hedge Funds Raided in Probe - Wall Street Journal
A three-year insider-trading investigation shifted into high gear Monday as government agents raided the offices of three large hedge funds, sending shock waves through the financial world.
__Lord we take authority over the spirit of greed in America, bind it, and pray that You will forgive and heal our financial institutions. We ask that all plans of the government to "fix" the banking industry be sifted through Your wisdom and understanding before implementation.
- "You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. You have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger." (Psalm 85:2,3)
5. Ground Zero Mosque Seeks $5 Million from 9/11 NYC Fund - UK Telegraph
The developers of an Islamic community centre and mosque near Ground Zero in New York have applied for millions of dollars in public money from a post-September 11 reconstruction fund.
__Lord we pray that this plan will be denied. Let no tax payer money be spent on the Ground-Zero Mosque, (or any other Mosque).
- "Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;" (Psalm 140:1)
6. Assembly Pushes to Oust Iran President - Fox News
Iran's parliament revealed it planned to impeach President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but refrained under orders from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, exposing a deepening division within the regime.
__Father we thank You for this apparent uprising and division in the ranks of the fanatic government of Iran. We pray that the split will widen, and the rational, wise people will be brought into power for that nation.
- "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18)
7. Air Force Launches Massive, Secret Spy Satellite - CBS News
A powerful Delta 4 rocket roared to life and climbed away from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Sunday evening on a high-priority mission to boost a National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite into orbit.
- We find it interesting that this secret spy satellite is being reported on CBS News . . . pray for greater wisdom for those in authority, and that this new satellite would be used for the good of our people. Pray!
- "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." (James 1:5)
8. Top banks face $100 billion Basel shortfall: report - Reuters
The new Basel III banking rules will leave the biggest U.S. banks short of between $100 billion and $150 billion in equity capital, with 90 per cent of the shortfall concentrated in the top six banks, the Financial Times said, citing research from Barclays Capital.
- As we walk thruogh the wilderness times that lie ahead, offer thanks unto the LORD for His keeping power over all of His people, even in the midst of severe affliction.
- "The Israelites ate manna for forty years, until they came to a habitable land." (Exodus 16:35)
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. Abbas eyes UN appeal for independent state as peace talks stall - Ha'aretz
Palestinian leaders will meet in the coming days to form a back-up plan in case talks with Israel fall through, a West Bank official said Sunday.
2.Jews have no right to Western Wall, PA 'study' says - Jerusalem Post
The Western Wall belongs to Muslims and is an integral part of Al-Aksa Mosque and Haram al-Sharif (the Islamic term for the Temple Mount complex, meaning the Noble Sanctuary), according to an official paper published on Monday by the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Information in Ramallah.
3. Referendum bill passes Knesset vote - Ynet News
After many hours of debates and political drama the Knesset approved in second and third readings the referendum law which requires a public majority and the votes of 60 Knesset members ahead of any withdrawal from the Golan Heights or east Jerusalem. Sixty-five MKs voted in favor of the bill and 33 opposed.
4. 'Evidence links Hizbullah to 2005 Hariri assassination' - Jerusalem Post
The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) published a report on Sunday night implicating Hizbullah in the 2005 murder of Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, with what is portrayed by the publishers as clear evidence.
The Daily Jot
North Korean aggression thanks to US President
Thanks to President Bill Clinton we are now seeing North Korea attack South Korea. In 1994, Clinton authorized two light-water nuclear reactors worth over $4.5 billion to be shipped to North Korea in addition to grain and over half a million tons of fuel oil a year. In return, Clinton received assurances that the technology would not be used to build nuclear weapons. The food somehow disappeared in North Korean military trucks, exacerbating the famine. The fuel went to government use. Newsweek reported in 1999 that Secretary of State Madeline Albright said the administration was trying to resolve concerns with North Korea regarding "suspicious underground construction activities and long-range missile programs."
Now the United States has a possible nuclear threat in Asia because of a president who scuttled the doctrine of deterrence to a theory that if everyone had nuclear weapons, nobody would use them. North Korea recently disclosed that it was operating another uranium enrichment program. Over the years, it has been reported that North Korea, China and Russia have been assisting Iran in building nuclear weapons and the missile systems to deliver them. North Korean scientists have been documented at Iranian nuclear facilities. Giving up nuclear technology to the North Koreans assisted all the evil-doers in the region to advance their destructive intentions.
The US was duped in 1991 into removing the tactical nuclear weapons it had stationed in South Korea as part of an agreement with North Korea to "denuclearitize" the North Korean peninsula. Now the South Koreans are sending diplomatic signals that perhaps the nukes need to be redeployed to deter an aggressive North Korea. The White House has issued a statement saying, "The United States strongly condemns this attack and calls on North Korea to halt its belligerent action." The White House also said, "The United States is firmly committed to the defense of our ally, the Republic of Korea, and to the maintenance of regional peace and stability."
The attack is likely to put more pressure on the US-China relationship, which is already deteriorating due to differences over China's refusal to adjust its currency to the world market. It is suspected by military experts, however denied by the White House, that China sent a warning to the US by firing a missile from a submarine off the California coast several days ago. China did not take sides in the North Korean dispute, saying only that the two sides should "do more to contribute to peace and stability in the region." Jesus said in Matthew 24:6, "And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." Watch and pray.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day
Bill Wilson
The Daily Jot
www.dailyjot.com
The Act of Being Thankful
There is simply no way to write today without having a thankful heart. No matter how many frustrations or obstacles we may face, no matter how much our hearts may break, a thankful heart will produce joy, peace, love and hope.
The first time I ever went on an overseas trip my myself, I was gone for 3 weeks. It took me several days to get my bearings in a strange land, and even then it was not home. By the time I came back to the states, I was fully grateful for my country. I actually kissed the wall at the Los Angeles airport! (Now days someone would probably have me put in jail for being crazy.) But my experiences overseas gave me a great love for America, because of the blessings and freedom we have here. So many people are not so fortunate!
In whatever country we live, we face things that make us angry or frustrated. Governments do things that make us wonder if they lost their minds. Circumstances in our personal lives seem to defeat what we think should happen. But in all of it, we must never lose sight of the blessings of God in our lives. God is still on the Throne. Man cannot defeat Him. Man cannot manipulate Him. Man cannot steal one moment of eternity, or change one element of God's plan. Our own weaknesses might seem to slow things down, but if we are thankful to God for His love, nothing, absolutely nothing can destroy us.
So this week, let's light those fires of peace, hope, joy, and love in our hearts. With thanksgiving flowing out of our lips, let's walk onward in spite of the obstacles. Let's take those obstacles and make them steppingstones instead of tombstones. Know that the God of the Universe is on our side and will never let anything come between us and Him. We are chosen, blessed,and deeply, deeply beloved. Who could possibly ask for more than that?
Pastor Faye Higbee
Post Falls, Idaho
The Good News Corner
Christian Giving Holds Steady During Recession, Up For Adoption, Orphan Care
The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) has announced that charitable contributions to its members on average varied little over the past two years.
Donations to the 1,148 ECFA members -- totaling $12.10 billion in 2009, declined only 0.1 percent from pre-recession levels.
Of particular interest in the report is the increased attention to child-related ministries. Donations to child sponsorship, orphan care, adoption and children's homes experienced significant increases.
Dan Busby, ECFA president, said this trend is very significant.
" . . . This segment of the giving world was resilient and maintained itself during a difficult economic time," Busby said. "Our report suggests a strong commitment of givers to the Christian faith and the generosity of God's people."
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Read the ECFA Report.
(Reported by: CitizenLink)
Worship with Us Today!
Above All - Michael W Smith
Yes, Lord, we worship YOU above all!
