In This Issue• The Daily Brief: On The Hill
• The Daily Brief: International News
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• Al-Qaida Plots Include U.S
• The Good News Corner
• Worship with Us Today!
Greetings!
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The Daily Brief - Monday, December 20, 2010
"But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end." (Luke 1:30-33)
PUBLISHING NOTICE:
Please be advised that the Daily Brief will be published three days this week, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, only. We will then stand down [barring a national emergency] until Monday, January 3, 2011, allowing our hard-working staff much-needed time to celebrate the birth of our Savior with family and friends. Thank you for your continued support of our ministry in prayer and in giving. God bless you!
The Daily Brief: On The Hill
1. US Senate lifts 'don't ask, don't tell' gay soldier ban - BBC News
The US Senate has approved landmark legislation allowing openly gay people to serve in the military. Senators voted 65-31 to overturn the 1993 "don't ask, don't tell" law, which bars gay people in the military from revealing their sexual orientation. The House of Representatives had already approved the repeal bill. Obama says he is looking forward to signing it into law.
• Today, we are shocked and chagrined that the US Senate has voted to legalize sodomy in our armed forces. Our soldiers say that homosexual behaviors break the bonds of the "band of brothers" that they must develop in order to protect each other on the battlefield. Many senators have never been in the military and have no clue about the damage they are creating. Pray that the Lord, by His power, will block any overt or covert homosexual behavior in the military. Again, keep your prayers focused on God's mercy until this bill can be repealed and ask our Lord to forgive those who voted "yes" for the repeal. Remember God in His mercy!
• "The fear of the Lord prolongs days; but the years of the wicked shall be shortened." (Prov. 10: 27)
2. Republican Amendment to START Accord Fails Senate; Debate Continues
- Fox News
The Senate on Sunday blocked a Republican-sponsored amendment on a nuclear arms reduction treaty that would have sent the accord back to the negotiating table with Russia. Democratic senators will continue to try to win over reluctant Republicans to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, START, but may find several unwilling to budge on ratification because of language in the preamble that Republicans say will inhibit U.S. authority to develop its missile defense capabilities. The failed amendment offered by Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, would have changed the preamble to include language on tactical weapons and the "inter-relationship between non-strategic and strategic offensive arms." It failed on a 32-60 vote. Any changes to the treaty would require re-negotiation with Russia.
• Pray against the passage of the START Treaty with Russia this week by this "lame duck" session of the Senate. What is the hurry? Any treaty with Russia must be considered very carefully. Obama is perhaps too young to remember the "cold war" with the USSR, and is therefore a bit naïve to trust Putin with this treaty. Pray that the Lord gives strategies to the Senate to delay any agreement with Russia until all aspects of the treaty and wording can be thoroughly investigated and the American people told the truth.
• "You shall make no covenant [treaty] with them, not with their gods." (Ex. 23: 32)
3. DREAM Act Goes Down in Flames in Senate - Fox News
An immigration bill that would blaze a trail to legal status for hundreds of thousands of undocumented students went down in flames in the Senate on Saturday, delivering a critical blow to Democrats and Hispanic activists. Even though the House approved the DREAM Act last week, the Senate fell five votes short of the 60 needed Saturday to advance the bill past Republican opposition.
• Praise the Lord that the Dream Act has been blocked. We should not even entertain the thought of rewarding illegal actions, as this bill would do. Call your Senators to vote "no" on this act. If it comes up for a vote again this week. Pray that the Lord hears our cry and praise Him and remember that He is the lawgiver.
• "Keep My commandments, and live: and My law as the apple of your eye." (Prov. 7:2)
4. Mike Pence: Cut All Taxpayer Funding for Planned Parenthood - Lifesite News
Rep. Mike Pence, the leading member behind legislation in Congress that would de-fund Planned Parenthood, is not happy about the new annual report the abortion business released.
The annual report shows the total government grants and contracts received by PPFA affiliates from government sources including state, local and federal governments, increased from $350 million in 2009 to $363 million in the 2009-2010 fiscal year. That comes after a September report revealing the number of abortions Planned Parenthood performed in 2008 increased to 324,008, a 6.1 percent increase over the 305,310 abortions it did in 2007.
Pence, an Indiana congressman with potential presidential ambitions, sent a statement to LifeNews.com Friday afternoon responding to the new taxpayer funding figures. "It is morally wrong to end an unborn human life by abortion. It is also morally wrong to take the taxpayer dollars of millions of pro-life Americans and use those funds to promote abortion."
• Praise the Lord for the uncompromising convictions of Congressman Pence to object to using taxpayers monies' to promote abortions. Also, praise the Lord for sending man of such strong moral conviction to Congress. Pray that Mike Pence will never yield to pressure to follow what he knows is a violation of God's laws. Ask the Lord to give other members of Congress ears to hear the Word of God and to follow his lead.
• "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord:, and He delights in his way." (Psalm 37:23)
5. In Sunday-evening surprise, Senate unanimously passes food safety bill
- The Hill
The Senate unexpectedly approved food safety legislation by unanimous consent Sunday evening, rescuing a bill that floated in limbo for weeks because of a clerical error. . . Reid announced he would send the legislation - this time properly attached to a House-originated measure - back to the lower chamber for final approval. The bill is number S. 510. Read more.
- Although the mainstream media has avoided addressing this issue, a number of friends of our ministry have voiced serious concerns about a number of the parameters "buried" within this legislation. Pray that this is blocked in the House, so the next Congress can slow down and take a very careful look at every bit of the language of the Food Safety bill before passing it.
- "The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous." (Prov. 15:29)
The Daily Brief: International News
1. S. Korea conducts firing drills from border island - Fox News
South Korea fired artillery in a 90-minute drill from a front-line island Monday and launched fighter jets to deter attacks after North Korea warned of catastrophic retaliation for the maneuvers. There was no sign of any North Korean military response during the drill, a South Korean Defense Ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, citing office rules. The South had evacuated hundreds of residents near its tense land border and sent residents of islands near disputed waters into underground bunkers amid soaring fears of war.
- This story is now changing hour by hour. Please monitor all events surrounding the growing conflict between the two Koreas, and ask our Lord to bring peace to all who are involved. May He quell the troubled waters of the Korean Peninsula, by His Spirit. Amen.
- On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side." Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!" (Mark 4:35-41)
2. American Christian killed by terrorists, Messianic friend wounded - Israel Today
Arab terrorists attacked and killed a visiting American Christian woman and badly wounded her UK-born Messianic Jewish friend in a forested area south of Jerusalem on Saturday. Kay Wilson is a leading tour guide with Shoresh Tours, which operates under the auspices of the CMJ global ministry from the Christ Church complex in Jerusalem's Old City. Kristine Luken came to Israel with a Shoresh tour three years ago. From there she became involved win CMJ's US branch, and then went on to become adminsitrative secretary at the UK branch.
- Please join us today in asking God to comfort the family of Kristine Luken, as they mourn the tragic loss of their loved one. Clearly, this saint of God has given her life for the work of the Kingdom of God, and has left a legacy of blessings for many others to receive.
Lift up the Israeli authorities as they work to apprehend the thugs who perpetrated this heinous deed. And finally, offer a quiet word of thanks for God's protection over Kay Wilson. May she, too, be healed and comforted in this difficult time. Amen.
- "Comfort ye, comfort ye, My people." (Isaiah 40:1)
3. Mexico Drug War Death Toll Climbs to 30,196 Since 2006, Government Says - Bloomberg
Mexican Attorney General Arturo Chavez said that 30,196 people have been killed in drug-related violence nationwide since President Felipe Calderon took office four years ago.
• Mexico is a country that needs to repent for allowing the seeds of violence and wicked power to gain control. Pray that Mexico's leadership will turn to the Lord for His healing of their land. Ask the Lord to expunge corruption from the land at every level and to lead the people to fall onto their knees, crying out to the Lord for His help.
- "Here is the man who did not make God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, And strengthened himself in his wickedness." (Psalm 52:7)
4. Putin: Moscow riots show need for stronger order - AP
Violent rampages outside the Kremlin have highlighted the need to strengthen public order and raise police prestige, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Thursday, using the occasion to lash out at liberal critics.
• Please pray for peace in Moscow and satisfaction for rule there. Overall, the Russian people need Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, not a resurgence of the communist party. Pray for the presence of the Holy Spirit in Moscow and throughout Russia and for the decline of Putin's power.
• "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom He hs chosen for His own inheritance." (Psalm 33 12)
5. Iran reportedly in nuclear fuel swap negotiations - Jerusalem Post
Iran is in negotiations with France, Russia, Turkey and the United States on a nuclear fuel swap deal that Teheran hopes will curb sanctions levied against it, The Telegraph reported on Thursday.
• Why in the world would Iran be in negotiations with the USA? Do we need a swap of nuclear fuel with Iran? Jesus told us to be loving to our enemies, but a nuclear fuel swap aggravates the enemy and lets him "off the hook" to do more mischief. The Iranian president Ahmadinejad has insulted Americans and the American president; he talks of obliterating Israel, and America has said nothing. We have heaped love on the Iranians when they suffered catastrophes. Pray for the end of these negotiations.
• "I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity, I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And lay the haughtiness of the terrible . . ." (Isaiah. 2:11)
6. EU agrees new debt plan, but near-term help needed - AP
Even though EU leaders have agreed on a new rescue system for future debt crises, rating agencies' increasingly pessimistic view on some euro nations' ability to handle debts added pressure Friday to come up with more short-term measures to ease the crippling market turmoil.
• The darkness surrounding the EU has produced not the salvation of the European countries but a loss of hope in economics. When a number of countries like Ireland, Portugal, and Greece accepted the socialistic views and EU monies, they bought into a system not sanctioned by the Lord.
Please pray that the EU countries turn back to the Lord for His sustenance and salvation in Jesus Christ. Ask the Lord to remove from the leadership the many wicked men and women at the top of the EU, many of whom are hidden from the public.
- "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind, There was no profit under the sun." (Ecclesiastes. 2:11)
7. UN mulls internet regulation options - IT News
The United Nations is considering whether to set up an inter-governmental working group to harmonise global efforts by policy makers to regulate the internet. ...At a meeting in New York on Wednesday, representatives from Brazil called for an international body made up of Government representatives that would attempt to create global standards for policing the internet - specifically in reaction to challenges such as WikiLeaks.
• Rather than punish the users of the internet with regulations, the perpetrator of the Wikileaks should be punished, especially since his name is known. Regulations only lead to more problems, and we certainly do not want the UN to become involved - with so many Moslem countries having gained power within the UN. Pray that this maneuver bears no fruit. If any meeting does occur, ask the Lord to direct the US representatives to move very wisely and carefully. America is not obligated to sign any treaty with the UN. Why is Brazil so concerned?
• "The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them." (Proverbs 11: 3)
8. Will Tuesday Be the Darkest Day in 456 Years? - Fox News
Break out the flashlights. When a full lunar eclipse takes place on the shortest day of the year, the planet may just get awfully dark. The upcoming Dec. 21 full moon -- besides distinguishing itself from the others in 2010 by undergoing a total eclipse -- will also take place on the same date as the solstice (the winter solstice if you live north of the equator, and the summer solstice if you live to the south).
- According to a report published by NASA, this moon will have a reddish, copper color at the height of its eclipse. That fact, in combination with the solstice on the same day, gives one pause to think. We then factor in the situation in North Korea, which one Russian diplomat has called "precarious," and it certainly seems to be a time to pray.
Thank the LORD for His signs in the heavens, for His soon coming, and for the harvest of souls about to be released into His Kingdom. It is time to walk in the fear of God. Amen.
- "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered." (Joel 2:30-32)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
You, God, sent plentiful rain, whereby You did confirm Your inheritance, when it was weary. (Ps. 68:9)
1. Erekat: 10 EU states will upgrade their PLO missions - Jerusalem Post
Around 10 EU countries are set to upgrade the status of Palestinian representative offices in their capitals in the near future, chief Palestinian Authority negotiator Saeb Erekat declared on Sunday.
2. American Christian killed by terrorists, Messianic friend wounded - Israel Today
Arab terrorists attacked and killed a visiting American Christian woman and badly wounded her UK-born Messianic Jewish friend in a forested area south of Jerusalem on Saturday.
3. Netanyahu: Stalled peace talks are not catalyst for anti-Israel sentiments - Ha'aretz
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected claims that the standstill in the peace process since his government took power is the reason for the delegitimization campaign against Israel.
4. Mubarak to Israel: Peace, not occupation, will ensure your security - Ha'aretz
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak blamed Israel on Sunday for the stalemate in negotiations with the Palestinians, warning that security could be ensured only through peace and not occupation or force.
The Daily Jot
Where is the Birth Certificate?
There is a lot of discussions about whether the man who occupies the Oval Office is a natural born citizen. His birth certificate, if it exists, is so highly protected that even WikiLeaks has not found it. A battery of his lawyers also have been very successful at fending off challenges to his eligibility through the court systems. To qualify for president one must meet the standards in Article II, Section I of the Constitution saying, "No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President." There is still no verifiable proof by the president, although he has publicized a certificate of live birth--not a birth certificate.
The kids on my football team have to show us a verified copy of their birth certificate in order to prove their age eligibility to play. No one seems to mind. Its amazing that such a simple thing has already cost over a million dollars by a man who does not want to show his birth certificate. But even worse, there are those who think that just by raising the subject demonstrates disrespect to the office. They say it is unthinkable to believe that a man who is elected president may not be eligible to serve because of such a small thing as a birth certificate. Yet many of these very same people would be the first to deny the authenticity of another historical figure because there is no birth certificate.
The same, however, would say that Jesus Christ is not the Messiah. No proof, no birth certificate. They also would deny well over 350 Biblical prophecies that foretold Jesus Christ. They deny that the Bible is the inerrant and infallible word of God, yet they are often found quoting scripture to make themselves look wise in the sight of others. They would count as superstitious the account of Herod in Matthew 2:4, 5, "And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea." Herod murdered all the males under two years old in and around Bethlehem--just a story they would say.
What makes the world fighting mad if someone questions the eligibility of a president who refuses to show his birth certificate, but denies the very existence of Jesus Christ as savior of the world? 2 Corinthians 4:3,4 says, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." Indeed, the truth is hid by satan. Verse 6 says, "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." So let us shine, so that the truth of the gospel is known.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
Al-Qaida Plots Include U.S
International Al-Qaida Plots Include U.S. as Target
IPT News - Al-Qaida is preparing a series of attacks on Western targets, especially in the United States, during the Christmas season, Middle Eastern and European officials say.
Iraqi authorities said Wednesday that captured insurgents confessed that al-Qaida is plotting suicide attacks in the United States and Europe in the coming weeks. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari called the confessions indications of a "critical threat."
Some of the insurgents told Iraqi authorities they are part of a group which takes direct orders from al-Qaida's central leadership. The captured suspects "represent the main structure of the al-Qaida organization in Iraq," said Iraqi Interior minister Jawad al-Bolani.
Last Saturday's car and suicide bombings in Stockholm were just a small part of many attacks planned as part of the wider al-Qaida plot, the captured insurgents said. The Iraqi-born man suspected to be behind the attacks, Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, is now said to have been trained by al-Qaida's affiliate in Iraq, the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). After Saturday's bombings, the ISI warned that if NATO countries didn't withdraw their troops from Afghanistan "immediately and unconditionally," that they "should expect that we will strike at the heart of Europe." The ISI also said that the bombings were "only the beginning of a new era of our jihad."
• Here is another reason to keep a serious attitude during this Christmas season. Pray fervently for your unsaved friends and relatives, for we do not know what tomorrow will bring. God does promise peace in our hearts but not in the world. Now that our American Congress has legalized sodomy in our military, we do not know when and where God will lift His shield of protection over the USA. Pray for God's mercy.
• "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you; not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." ( John 14: 27)
The Good News Corner
ANOTHER "Outbreak of Grace!"
"The Hallelujah Chorus" Sung at the Orlando International Airport - Orlando, FLORIDA
Saturday, December 18, 2010
First at Macy's Department Store in Philadelphia on Saturday, October 30th. . .
Then at a Food Court in a mall in Canada on Saturday, November 13 . . .
And now, this past weekend in Florida. . .
Offer praise to the Lord as more and more folks join together in the public square to sing The Hallelujah Chorus!!
Worship with Us Today!
"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" by Selah
This beautiful rendition of "O Come Emmanuel" is by the highly anointed group, Selah. The beginning background music is Hatikvah (The Hope), The National Anthem of Israel. This is significant because Emmanuel, the Messiah, will return to save His people, Israel. Emmanuel is "The Hope Of Israel".
