In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• CONFERENCE CALL WITH RICK PERRY!!
• The Good News Corner (1)
• The Good News Corner (2)
• Worship with Us Today!
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The Daily Brief - Tuesday, July 12, 2011
"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." (2 Thessalonians 3:16)
The Daily Brief
1. A.) Quartet meeting ends without statement - ICEJ News
But prospects on this front looked dim on Monday as a meeting of Middle East Quartet representatives in Washington adjourned after over two hours of talks and did not issue a press statement, indicating no progress had been made.
B.) Quartet to Meet Again on Mideast Peace Talks - CNN
Envoys with the Mideast Quartet are expected to meet again Tuesday after they failed to reach an agreement on how to jumpstart stalled talks between Israelis and Palestinians. The process got a jolt last month when Yasser Abed Rabbo, secretary-general of the Palestinian Liberation Organization's executive committee that is led by President Mahmoud Abbas, read a statement announcing the government's intent to go to the United Nations this September and ask to be recognized as an independent country.
Its leaders hope to get "recognition for the country of Palestine within the 1967 borders ... on the basis of international legitimacy resolutions specific to Palestine since 1947," according to a report from the official WAFA news agency. The Palestinian leadership added it is calling "on all (countries), without exception, to support this initiative" -- saying the move "will strengthen efforts to resume negotiations" over its relations with Israel.
• Lord, this is the most important prayer we will ever pray against this continued effort to recognize the illegal Palestinian state with the border it is seeking. We thank you that these talks have broken down, but we pray that all the plans to continue will be thwarted. Let there be dissension and confusion in the language among the quartet comprising the United Nations, the European Union, the U.S. and Russia so they will not succeed against Israel in any way. Let them be bound and let the U.S stand with Israel. Protect and bless Israel and P.M Netanyahu.
• When the three hundred Israelites blew their horns, the Lord caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who were not killed fled to places far away. (Judges 7:22 NLT)
2. Debt Deal: How to Kill Three Birds with One Stone - Reuters
Obama and Republican leaders have been mired in a dispute over taxes as they try to avert a looming debt default, but a deal is possible that would allow both sides to declare victory. Republicans could live up to their promise to prevent tax increases. At the same time, Democrats could say they are raising taxes on the rich and boosting the economy.
Last week, Cantor suggested a way beyond the impasse. Republicans could support closing some of a range of tax breaks, he said, as long as they are offset by tax cuts elsewhere. Thus, Cantor's proposal could kill three birds with one stone: Democrats could close some of the tax breaks they have targeted; Democrats could pass some of the economy-boosting tax breaks they have proposed; Republicans could claim that the overall package does not raise taxes.
• Lord, we pray that our leaders will stand firm on the plan that You would have us follow in order to get control of this crisis. Let no deals be agreed upon that is not from You and that would further complicate this matter. Give our leaders a vision for the answers.
• My son, keep sound wisdom and discretion; so they will be life to your soul and grace to your neck. Then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble. (Proverbs 3:21, 22)
3. Debt to Rise $5,240 Per Household by End of September - NewsMax
Just keeping the federal government operational between now and the end of September will cost $616 billion - a staggering debt increase of $5,240 per U.S. household, according to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
That means that, even if Obama and Republicans, were to agree to cut half a trillion in federal spending in the next 80 days, politicos would have to make another $116 billion in cuts to avoiding adding more red ink to the national ledgers.
• Lord, we pray those who are supporting more increases on tax hikes and spending will come to the reality of the truth that we are adding a great burden to our children and our posterity. Let there be a loud outcry of our nation for our leaders to stop the spending. Let our leaders hear those voices. But let it be done peacefully and respectfully. And let the leaders listen and obey the voters' call for cut-backs.
• For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly. (Proverbs 2:6, 7)
4. Conservative Ben Stein Calls For Tax Hikes on Millionaires, Billionaires - CNS News
Ben Stein, an economist, actor, and conservative writer, said taxes should be raised on millionaires and billionaires to help reduce the federal deficit. In the interview with Laura Ingraham, Stein defended his position, saying, "We are spending an enormous amount of money that we're not covering with tax revenue; we're borrowing it. At some point we're going to have so much debt that there's going to be a crisis and there will have to be austerity measures here just as they were in Greece."
Ingraham remarked that the federal budget is nearly $4 trillion and the national debt is over $14 trillion. She then asked Stein, "Do we have a spending problem? Is the spending a bigger problem than taxing the rich, yes or no?"
Stein said, "The spending is a huge problem, it depends on how you calculate it," adding that, "We're not going to be able to eliminate Social Security, we're not going to be able - going to be able to eliminate Medicare. We've got to do both. We've got to cut spending and raise taxes on the rich."
• Lord, our government has used its credit card to over-charge and over-extend its credit for too long. We pray that you will remove those from authority who will not cut back on the spending and replace them with people who understand that we are not going to extend any more credit. Close the tax loopholes for companies and those who are being deceptive, but have leaders cut back on everything except Social Security and defense.
• Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil. (Proverbs 4:26-27)
5. Drought in 14 States Means Disaster for Many - New York Times
In a spring and summer in which weather news has been dominated by epic floods and tornadoes, it is hard to imagine that nearly a third of the country is facing an equally daunting but very different kind of natural disaster. Climatologists say the great drought of 2011 is starting to look a lot like the one that hit the nation in the early to mid-1950s.
But this time things are different in the drought belt. With states and municipalities strapped for cash and unemployment still high, the stress on the land and the people who rely on it for a living is being amplified by political and economic forces, state and local officials say. As a result, this drought is likely to have the cultural impact of the great 1930s drought, which hammered an already weakened nation.
• Lord, our Hedges of Protection are down, so we are experiencing these calamities in our nation. We pray You will restore the Hedges. This drought is a symbol of the drought of our lack of you, Lord. Let the people turn back to you and honor you. Restore our nation to a Christian nation which will faithfully and obediently will follow you.
• "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord God, "That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the Words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the Word of the Lord, But shall not find it. (Amos 8:11, 12)
6. Ala. Churches Leading Opponents of Immigration Law - USA Today
For some, opposing Alabama's toughest-in-the-nation law against illegal immigration is a chance for Bible Belt redemption. Now that Alabama has passed what's widely considered the nation's most restrictive state law against illegal immigration, mainstream churches, faith-based organizations and individual members are at the forefront of opposition to the act. Some see their involvement as a way to avoid repeating mistakes of the past.
Leaders of the United Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church, the Lutheran Church and the Roman Catholic Church all have criticized the law as running counter to biblical teachings about caring for neighbors, helping visitors and showing hospitality to strangers.
• Lord, people are getting confused about the immigration problem. Let the message be clear that it is not the legal immigrant that people are against; the law is against people who are here illegally and who have broken the law. We are a nation of laws that must be respected. We pray that more people will understand we cannot reward people who break the law.
• Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. (Nehemiah 8:3)
7. Court: Gov't Must State Position on Gay Troop Ban - AP
A federal appeals court that has called for the immediate halt of the military's ban on openly gay troops issued an order Monday requiring the U.S. government to state whether it will continue to defend the policy's constitutionality in court. Log Cabin Republicans attorney Dan Woods said the order shows the court is wondering whether Congress intends to intervene in the case, just as it did when President Barack Obama ordered the DOJ to stop defending the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act in February. The House of Representatives disagreed, hiring separate counsel to defend DOMA's constitutionality.
Woods doesn't expect that will happen this time because Congress approved repealing the military ban in December and the Pentagon is already preparing to accept gay military personnel. Monday's order states that if the government does not intend to defend the policy's constitutionality, it must report that to Congress, and let the court know whether that will happen in time for Congress to intervene if it chooses to do so.
• Lord, we pray that you will bind those - especially from our government - who are pushing these unrighteous policies onto our military and in our nation. Let there be confusion in their camp and we pray the fear of God will fall upon these individuals personally. Help us overturn these policies.
• For this reason God gave them up to vile passions - also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. (Romans 1:26, 27)
8. Record Temperatures Seen as Heat Wave Plagues 23 States - CNN
A heat wave is building and could reach dangerous levels in parts of the Midwest, the Plains and the Southeast this week. Twenty-three states were under heat advisories Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Several high-temperature records have been broken recently.
Excessive heat is extremely hazardous to human health. According to information on the National Weather Service website, heat disorders can develop when the body heats too quickly to cool itself safely, or when a person loses too much fluid or salt by sweating or dehydration. Signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, pale and clammy skin, weak pulse, fainting and vomiting.
• Lord, we pray for this record heat to end, and that gentle cooling rains will fall in areas that have extremely hot weather and especially to those areas which have been under severe drought conditions. Protect those especially most vulnerable: the elderly, the sick, the poor, and the homeless.
• You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah (Psalm 32:7)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"The LORD has prepared His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all." (Psalm 103:19)
1. Gunmen Blow Up Portion of Egyptian Gas Pipeline to Israel - Fox News
Masked gunmen blew up a terminal of the Egyptian natural gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan in a predawn attack Tuesday, security officials said.
2. Lebanon says it will protect its borders and resources - Jerusalem Post
Lebanon Monday warned Israel against taking "unilateral steps" on the borders of its exclusive economic zone, as the dispute over the deepwater natural gas reserves threatens to boil over.
3. Ya'alon: September is all about scare tactics - Ynet News
In an interview with Ynet on Monday Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya'alon said that even Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is not interested in a UN declaration of the establishment of a Palestinian state. "He knows what it means to deal with Hamas without IDF assistance," he said.
The Daily Jot
Is real persecution around the corner?
The story of Yosef Nadarkhani is relevant to every American citizen. Nadarkhani is a 32 year old evangelical pastor who became a Christian when he was 19. He lives in Iran. In October 2009, he was arrested for apostasy. He had objected to Islam being taught to Christian children in Iranian schools. He was sentenced to be hanged. Upon appeal to the Iranian Supreme Court, the sentence was modified. The Human Rights Activist News Agency reported on July 2 that the case may be returned to the lower court for re-examination, previous charges may be withdrawn while new charges are filed, or the case may be closed and charges dropped.
The news agency says that the case has not yet been referred to the lower court. This may mean that charges will be dropped and new charges will be filed. The new charges are likely to center on Nadarkhani being an apostate and that he has preached Christianity. While Iran ostensibly has freedom of religion, the Iranian Constitution allows the courts to question whether a defendant is of Islam. If the defendant is not, then he is an apostate and can be sentenced to death. In this case, Nadarkhani can deny he is a Christian by saying he is a Muslim and live or he can continue to proclaim he is a Christian and die. The US State Department has expressed its outrage to the Iranian government, CNSNews reports.
The freedom of religion in Islam is very simple. You have the freedom to choose Islam. If you do not, and you are caught, you will likely be put to death unless you recant and swear to be a believer in Islam. This is important to Americans because if we continue to allow the deterioration of our Bill of Rights, especially the First Amendment, by the US courts and through social tolerance, the First Amendment may someday mean the same thing as the Iranian Constitution. There is religious freedom, but there is no religious choice. Galatians 5:1 says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
Our Founding Fathers had the foresight to establish freedom of speech and freedom of religion as your right in the Supreme Law of the Nation--The US Constitution. We must choose our leaders wisely and hold them accountable otherwise every humanist, homosexual, Islamist, socialist, communist, and even some brands of Christians will do everything they can to take this right away. These are the deceivers and the deceived. It is our job to rightly discern. This is done through prayer, through your close relationship with the Lord, and by checking all things against the Word of God to make sure your discernment is correct--it is not an emotional, self-indulgent, self-righteous response, but one well grounded in the Holy Scriptures of the Bible.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
CONFERENCE CALL WITH RICK PERRY!!
The Response Mobilization
Important Invitation for Conference Call with Governor Rick Perry
We are just a few weeks away from a significant moment in the American Church. With August 6th quickly approaching, we are asking for individuals like you to help stir awareness, momentum and attendance for The Response USA at the Reliant Stadium in Houston on August 6, 2011.
This Wednesday, [TOMORROW - July 13] we have the honor of hearing directly from Governor Rick Perry in a scheduled conference call. This is going to be a significant opportunity for us to personally hear his heart and vision for The Response.
Please inform key pastors and ministry leaders about Wednesday's conference call. Feel free to forward this email to insure that the details of this conference call are quickly and clearly received.
HERE ARE THE DETAILS FOR THIS CALL, TO BE HELD TWICE TOMORROW.
The concall number is 507-726-3300
Access code: 55163#
Wednesday, July 13
11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time
The conference call will have a lecture format with participants muted.
The Good News Corner (1)
Former Atheist's Testimony Proves Nobody is Beyond Redemption
June 15, 2011
"Hell's not meant for us. That's why Jesus came. We're all meant for Heaven." - Matthew Botsford
Bob Williamson used to be the sort of person some, if not many, Christians would write off as someone least likely to get saved. He was cruel as a child, became an alcoholic at 15, was a drug addict by the time he was 17, and at the ripe old age of 18 was labeled a clinical sociopath who had no conscience. He was also an atheist who practiced witchcraft.
According to a Christian Post report, today, at the age of 64, Williamson-author of Miracle on Lucky Street-is a successful businessman who runs a multimillion-dollar company.
The report of his testimony includes an account of his time in a hospital following a near-fatal car accident when he was in his 20's. While there, he befriended an African-American nurse. "I thought that if there was a God," said Williamson, " He was mean and I didn't want to do anything with Him because my life up to that point had been a total disaster and I blamed God."
After the nurse gave him a copy of her own Bible to read, he said he became "enamored" with God and began discovering that Jesus Christ was "nothing like I had always thought."
Still, in defiance, he said: "I told her 'your Bible is nothing but a lie.' I showed her the verse and I said 'I am a hardcore drug addict and less than 2 percent of whoever puts a needle in their arm ever gets out of that alive. I had all kinds of friends die. I've seen people commit suicide including my brother; I committed armed robbery.'"
She put her hands on her hips," he said, "and said 'Jesus is God and He can do anything He wants to do and He can change your sorry tale.' Since then I believed the Bible was the Word of God."
Since then, he has never touched drugs or alcohol. (Source: Josephine Vivaldo - The Christian Post)
The Good News Corner (2)
Riveting Interview with Former Atheist Rescued from Hell
Teresa Neumann-A BCN Exclusive (July 8, 2011)
(Atlanta, Georgia)-Because our readers responded so enthusiastically to our May 9 report on Matthew Botsford, the former atheist who was rescued from Hell, we conducted a Skype interview with Matthew to learn more about his amazing experience.
In this exclusive interview, Matthew goes into more detail about his experience, such as the bleakness and horrible loneliness of Hell, the sense of being immersed in "liquid evil" and the "cold" hotness of the place.
Equally riveting is the divine rescue that transpired when the hand of God came to deliver him from the Abyss, accompanied by a vortex of feathers and the voice of God that consisted of a "clap of thunder, a bolt of lightning and the rushing of waters" all at once.
This video is sure to be one shared with family and friends, watch parts 1 and 2 by clicking on or pasting this link: http://www.youtube.com/user/BCNEditor#p/u/1/xFyf84f4Kew .
To find out more about Matthew and his Seeds of Love ministry, go to http://seedsoflove.net
(Source: Breaking Christian News)
Worship with Us Today!"With All I Am" - Hillsong
I'll walk with You wherever You go,
with tears and joy, I'll trust in You.
And I will live in all of Your ways,
Your promises forever
Jesus, I believe in You.
Jesus, I belong to You.
You're the reason that I live,
the reason that I sing,
with all I am.
