In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• EMERGENCY ALERT - FIRES BURNING ON MT. CARMEL
• Harkin: Nothing will 'kill' food safety bill
• The Good News Corner
• Worship with Us Today!
Greetings!
Capitol Hill Prayer Partners
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The Daily Brief - Thursday, December 2, 2010
"Then said LORD unto me, "You have seen well: for I will hasten [watch over] My word to perform it." (Jer. 1:12)
The Daily Brief
1. Mullen: Troops Who Balk at Gay Policy Can Find Other Work - Fox News
Military members who have a problem with a change in policy to allow gays to serve openly may find themselves looking for a new job, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned Thursday.
- Father, we are acutely aware that gays have been serving in the military for many years. What we are concerned about is the legal approval of homosexuality by the government itself. We ask for Your mercy over America for our sin of justifying actions that are against Your Word. We pray for the souls of those who have no understanding of Your ways. We ask that You remove the cloak of deception, and turn their hearts to You.
- "Repent now everyone of hi s evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers." (Jeremiah 25:5)
2. House Passes Middle-Class Tax Cut as Dems, GOP Try to Reach Compromise - Fox News
House Democrats on Thursday passed a bill making middle-class tax cuts permanent as Republicans accused them of playing political games at a sensitive time.
The bill passed 234-188 but stands no chance in the Senate. But House Democrats, who want to let the cuts expire for the wealthy, wanted to publicly stake out their position before compromising on extending the tax cuts for everyone.
Republicans immediately cast the vote as a tax hike on small businesses and families earning over $250,000.
"During these difficult economic times, raising taxes on any American family or small business will not help our economy recover nor foster the private-sector job growth needed to achieve economic recovery," Rep. Gary Miller, R-Calif., said in a written statement. "The only thing that Democrats have accomplished by today's vote is yet more uncertainty for our nation's job creators."
- Lord, we intercede for this issue. We are grateful for the middle class tax cuts however, we are concerned for the impact on families and small businesses. We turn the care of this over on you and ask for victory in this arena for all Americans.
- "My money has been restored." (Genesis 42:28a)
3. Wall Street jumps as euro panic eases - Reuters
The Dow and the S&P 500 posted their biggest gains in three months on Wednesday as efforts to resolve the EU's debt crisis helped push the S&P above 1,200, an important technical level that signals the potential for the rally to continue.
- Thank You, Lord for a small piece of good news. We pray for stability to all world markets as well as the US economy.
- "Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding." (Proverbs 9:6)
4. Rumor Roundup: Has NASA Discovered Alien Life? - Fox News
A NASA press release announcing "an astrobiology finding" -- something that will impact the search for extraterrestrial life -- has sent shockwaves through the blogosphere.
- Lord, we know that You are the Giver of life, so as Creator of the universe, no doubt there are different kinds of life all over the universe. But it is here on earth that Your plan of salvation came through Jesus. It is here that mankind was created in Your image for relationship to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We pray that in their quest for answers, You would invade the scientific community with Your Presence in ways they cannot rationally explain.
- "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, according to Our likeness;" (Genesis 1:26)
5. WikiLeaks: guilty parties 'should face death penalty' - UK Telegraph
Leading US political figures have called for the death penalty to be imposed on the person who leaked sensitive documents to whistle-blower website WikiLeaks as anger intensified against those responsible for the international relations crisis.
- Father, we are increasingly frustrated that this treasonous situation has been allowed to continue. We pray that You will bring Mr. Assange to justice, reveal who is allowing access to classified documents, and stop them from further disclosures.
- "He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction." (Proverbs 13:3)
6. CENSURED: House Formally Punishes Charles Rangel - Fox News
The House formally censures Rep. Rangel for financial misconduct, despite pleas from the New York Democratic lawmaker and some of his colleagues for a less punishing reprimand.
The House voted to censure Rangel 333-79.
Rangel, who became the 23rd House member to be censured, appeared at the front of the chamber while Speaker Nancy Pelosi read the resolution.
Censure is the most serious House punishment short of expulsion. His supporters asked instead for a reprimand, which would eliminate that humiliating appearance. But the House voted against downgrading the punishment 146-267.
- Offer praise that justice has been served in this case, and ask our Lord to visit Congressman Rangel in his moment of humiliation, that he might find Christ as his Savior and Lord. Thank the Lord for the redemptive work He has planned, as one of the "mighty ones" has now fallen on Capitol Hill. Praise Him!
- "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." (Gal. 6:7)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
• "You will perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which You have sworn unto our fathers from the days of old." (Micah 7:20)
1. 'Hamas will honor Palestinian referendum on peace deal' - Jerusalem Post
Hamas would accept the agreement of a Palestinian referendum on peace with Israel, Hamas Prime Minister Isamil Haniyeh was quoted as saying by Reuters on Wednesday.
2. Eisenkot: Missile defense -- for IDF bases - Ynet News
Northern Command Chief Major-General Gadi Eisenkot on Tuesday said that active rocket and missile interception systems -- such as the Iron Dome and Arrow -- are designed to protect the Israel Defense Forces' offensive capabilities, and not necessarily civilians.
3. Palestinians drop claim that Western Wall is 'not Jewish' - Ha'aretz
The Palestinian government has removed a report claiming that Jerusalem's Western Wall isn't holy to Jews from an official website, after it provoked furious reaction.
4. Report: Hezbollah ready for war with Israel - Ynet News
The Kuwaiti Al-Rai newspaper reported that Hezbollah has completed its preparations for a future war with Israel. According to the report, the organization has refilled its armories. Hezbollah has also finished digging underground tunnels where militants have been conducting training exercises simulating battles against IDF troops.
5. Google Earth reveals Star of David on roof of Iran Air HQ - Jerusalem Post
Did Israeli prankster architects sneak a Star of David onto the roof of the Teheran airport, or is the controversy in Iran over a Google Earth revelation much ado about nothing?
6. Hariri opens door to Iranian-Hizballah takeover of Lebanon's armed forces - DEBKAfile
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri ended his two-day visit to Tehran Monday, Nov. 29, with consent for Iranian Revolutionary Guards officers to take part for the first time in coordinating sessions between Lebanese and Hizballah commanders, debkafile's military and Iranian sources report. Hariri was steered toward this concession in meetings with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and defense minister Ahmed Wahidi. He was told it was the price for an audience with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
What Hariri's action means is that the Lebanese chief of staff Gen. Jean Kahwaji, will henceforth be obliged to coordinate all his operational decisions and actions with Hizballah's Iranian chief commander, Gen. Hossein Mahadavi of the Al Qods Brigades, as well as the new Hizballah commander on the Israeli front line, Hashim Safi Al-Din, Hassan Nasrallah's cousin and a staunch pro-Iranian loyalist.
- Father, we pray that You would destroy this plan. We ask for dissension, confusion, and a total inability for these two groups to work together.
- "Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor who seek after my life; let those be turned back and brought to confusion who plot my hurt." (Psalm 35:4)
The Daily Jot
The Prophetic locusts have arrived in Oklahoma
According to AOL News a 15-year-old British girl was arrested in London on suspicion of inciting religious hatred after she allegedly set fire to an English-language copy of the Koran and posted footage of the incident on Facebook. AOL reports that Under British law, if an adult is found guilty of religious hatred--something no one has been convicted of since the law was introduced in 2006--they can face up to seven years in prison, a fine or both. However, it is not clear what kind of penalty a minor found guilty of the charge would incur. With the pressing of Islamic colonization in Europe there is a continuously growing gap between religious freedom, religious free speech and the militancy of Islam.
This is a phenomena that could soon come to the United States. Islam, a tyrannical political system disguised as a religion, is beginning to anchor its Sharia Law system in America. On November 2, Oklahoma voters approved by nearly a 70% margin a ballot measure blocking judges from considering Islamic or international law when making a ruling. Within a week, Oklahoma's Council on American-Islamic Relations got a judge to do exactly what the voters had feared--U.S. District Court Judge Vicki Miles-LeGrange ruled that the measure would be suspended until a hearing on November 22. Then she extended the ban another week.
Muneer Awad, executive director of CAIR in Oklahoma, said the ruling "is a reminder of the strength of our nation's legal system and the protections it grants to religious minorities. We are humbled by this opportunity to show our fellow Oklahomans that Muslims are their neighbors and that we are committed to upholding the US Constitution and promoting the benefits of a pluralistic society." But Awad, whose lawyer said the ban's supporters were "xenophobic merchants of fear and hate," believes his Constitutional rights are being violated by banning Sharia Law from being considered in court. Awad says he lives his life by Sharia Law and that everything he does will be forbidden from consideration by the courts.
Awad says he wants to uphold the Constitution. Yet he wants the Constitution, which is the Supreme Law of the Land, to yield to Sharia Law. Christians understand that while striving to live their lives according to the scriptures, they are to obey the laws of the lands in which they live. Muslims, however, want their law established as the Supreme law. It happened in Africa, is happening in Europe and America is next. This is called colonization. Jeremiah 51:14 says of a nation very similar to today's America, "I shall fill thee with men, as with locusts; and they shall lift up a battle cry against thee." Take heed, it is better to fight this now without bloodshed than to be forced into a future, more historical, armed conflict with Islamists.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
EMERGENCY ALERT - FIRES BURNING ON MT. CARMEL
The largest forest fire in the history of Israel is currently burning on Mount Carmel. Every single fire fighter in the whole country, 1550 in number, have been called into action. A reported 40 persons have been killed. There is no sign of the fire being extinguished at this time. There are strong winds in the area which are increasing the flames.
This is after a long summer and autumn with no rains. There is a suspicious factor that the fire seemed to be started from three points at the same time. Pray for the fire to be stopped, and for no more damage to life, property and nature.
Thank you,
Asher Intrater
Revive Israel
More news from a friend on the ground:
There is no chance, short of a miracle, for this fire to be contained overnight, and not likely for a few days. The winds need to die down completely. The escape routes need to stay open and to flow freely. Evacuations need to be critically timed in wisdom, and conducted in an orderly fashion. The narrow mountain roads that twist and turn, can suddenly be blocked by a wind blown fire; as what happened to the 40 prison guards burned alive on the bus this afternoon (on their way to help evacuate a prison in close proximity to the fire).
This is a fast moving fire. 1,600 dunams of forest burned in just 3 minutes. The whole area is nothing but a mass of dry kindling due to the prolonged drought. God must intervene! The Carmel Mountains are at great risk, as well as all the people who live within and upon them. Haifa University has been evacuated as a precaution.
There is no way to fight the fire from the air at night, so a ground battle is going on against the blaze. Israel lacks the amount of air borne equipment and water needed to successfully battle a blaze of this size; given the current drought conditions. Blessedly, Greece is sending 4 fire-fighting helicopters and Cyprus is sending one; but neither can be used until sunrise. Jordan, the US, Russia and a few other nations have been asked for assistance.
Prayer Requests:
Pray for protection over the firefighters . . . especially now that the IDF has been mobilized by Barak to help battle the blaze if needed. Pray that the wind stops altogether, and that RAIN WILL APPEAR out of no where. People are still trapped in various locations, and others are missing. Please pray for protection and deliverance to all those in the midst, as well in the path, of this immediate fire threat.
-- Father, we agree with all these requests from our sister in Israel, and we pray, too, that the United States will move quickly in response to Israel's request for assistance, and send in the support needed to fight this fire and end this national emergency.
Lord God, we thank You that You direct the wind and the waves, and we ask You to still the winds on Mt. Carmel tonight. And Father . . . bring the rain!! In Your Name, we offer this prayer, amen.
Verses to Decree:
"For He commands even the wind and the water, and they obey Him?" (Luke 8:25)
1 Kings 18:41-45:
And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.
And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.
And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.
Harkin: Nothing will 'kill' food safety bill
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) remains optimistic that a procedural error wouldn't derail the food-safety bill that cleared the Senate on Tuesday, saying "nothing is going to kill this bill."
The Food Safety Modernization Act, passed by an overwhelming bipartisan vote, could be held up in the lower chamber because of a constitutional provision requiring all revenue measures to originate in the House. One section of the bill includes fees that raise revenues.
Harkin, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee chairman who authored the bill, said Wednesday he spoke with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) about a plan to first pass the bill in the House, then send it back to the Senate by week's end.
"I think we're going to get it done. I think it's going to happen soon. We're going to get something back from the House that we can move," Harkin said. "Somehow this is going to get done. We're just looking for a way to get it done."
The snafu is a major setback for the Senate, which is grappling with a host of issues in the lame-duck session, including an extension of Bush-era tax cuts, the START nuclear-arms treaty and the immigration DREAM Act.
"Human error happens sometimes. No one is trying to jam anybody - it's just a human error, no one made a mistake," Harkin said. "Nothing is lethal here, nothing is going to kill this bill. (POLITICO)
- Tom Harkin speaks the words and opinion of man; but the Scripture decrees the final Word of God. Cast down the words of Senator Harkin, and agree with the Word of God . . . He is in control. Amen.
- "Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; Speak the word, but it will not stand, For God is with us." (Isaiah 8:10)
The Good News Corner
Jackie Evancho -- Age 10 -- Sings in Pittsburgh Christmas Parade
O HOLY NIGHT!!!
This is SUCH good news!!
. . . When a ten-year-old can offer the gift of her amazing voice to worship the LORD on the streets of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during their Christmas parade!
Praise the Lord . . . as you listen to this GLORIOUS sound!!
Worship with Us Today!
"Chanukah" by Marty Goetz
Make my life Your temple
L-rd at this season start
To pull down every idol I have raised up in my heart
On this Chanukah
On this Feast of Dedication
I dedicate myself to You . . .
To worship with Marty Goetz, go here.
