12-12-12: a Global Day of Worship!
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The Daily Brief Wednesday, December 12, 2012
"This people that I formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise."
(Isaiah 43:21)
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The Daily Brief
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1. Reid says budget deal by Christmas 'extremely difficult' - Fox News
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid splashed cold water on the prospects of reaching a budget deal by Christmas to avert sweeping tax hikes and spending cuts, saying "it's going to be extremely difficult" to do so by Dec. 25 -- even as the White House and House Republicans exchange offers and counter offers.
- Holy Father, we make a declaration in the Name of Jesus that Harry Reid shall have no power to prevent a solid and obtainable budget deal by Christmas to avert sweeping tax hikes and spending cuts, nor will anyone else be given that power to hinder this from being made law. Break the deadly teeth in the jaws of ungodly men who are in our government. God, step in front of them and stamp Your approval on a divinely ordered budget deal before Christmas. We trust You, Lord. We have called on Your Name and You are faithful to answer our prayers. In the Name of Jesus.
- "Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness. Giving thanks unto the Father, which has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son." (Colossians 1:11-13)
2. Preparing for 'fiscal cliff,' investors move assets to avoid higher taxes - Washington Post
As lawmakers struggle to agree on a plan to avert the series of tax increases looming next year, many investors are taking preemptive action to get out of harm's way.
- Father, we pray that You will lead all of the American public to act with godly wisdom in taking the proper action to protect their investments from high tax increases. God, take the cycle in Your hand and cut down and shred this tax hike to small pieces that it will never be implemented against the American people. We trust almighty God to step into the middle of this evil destructive creation to increase taxes. Sound out the victory from heaven, O Lord, and save Your people. In the Name of Jesus we pray.
- "Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let them also that hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God." (Psalm 68:1-2)
3. U.S. Should Consider Automatic Voter Registration: Holder - Bloomberg
The U.S. should consider automatically registering eligible voters and extending voting hours to counter the November election's long lines and administrative hurdles, Attorney General Eric Holder said.
- God, take us back to the legal voting process and break all the illegal ways that are being conjured up to hinder fair voting. Let the scales of justice be in the hands of the Lord, so there will never be unfairness and lawlessness in the voting process. In Jesus' Name.
- "Withholding not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it." (Proverbs 3:27)
4. Michigan enacts right-to-work law, dealing blow to unions - Washington Post
Senator Paul Rand Congratulates the People of Michigan
Michigan enacted far-reaching legislation Tuesday that threatens to cripple the power of organized labor in a state that was a hub of union might during the heyday of the nation's industrial dominance.
- We offer praise today for this victory for the workers of the State of Michigan by quoting Senator Paul Rand:
"I offer my congratulations to the Michigan state legislature on their hard work on and passage of freedom in the workplace legislation, and to Gov. Rick Snyder for signing these bills into law, making Michigan the country's 24th Right to Work state," Sen. Paul said. "No one should be forced to join or pay dues in order to work. Voluntary associations will both preserve worker freedom and allow greater cooperation between employers and employees."
"This is good for Michigan taxpayers who share the goal of more efficient government and lower taxes - and it is just the thing Michigan needs to jumpstart their struggling economy. I support this goal on the national and state level, and look forward to Kentucky joining Michigan in the near future," he continued.
- Thank You, Lord, that 24 States in the Union have now passed Right-to-Work laws for their workers. Understanding that labor unions provided the backbone of the system of Communist tyranny in Russia, we ask that, by the Wind of the Spirit, all other 26 states in the Union will now do the same, so that all of our people will be free to make their own decisions in the workplace. We ask in Jesus' Name, amen.
- 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. (Zech. 4:6)
5. Rare December tornadoes slam southern states - NBC News
At least six tornadoes ripped through four southern states Monday evening, blowing over gas pumps and destroying homes. The hardest hit areas by the unusual December tornadoes were in Florida and Alabama. . . while the Weather Channel reported widespread tree damage and structural damages to buildings in other areas of Mississippi and Louisiana.
- God, there are prophetic warnings in the Bible that tell us that in the last days, many signs will come about that will cause great tribulation on the earth. It behooves all people everywhere to call upon the Name of the Lord to save their souls from sin and pray that the covering of God will protect them in these times of distress. We therefore pray for a spiritual cleansing that will come upon those affected by these six tornadoes which caused their homes to be destroyed and gas pumps to be blown over. Draw them by the Holy Spirit to call on a loving God who will deliver them and supply all their needs. In Jesus' Name.
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The Middle East in Focus
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The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, because of your father's God, who helps you . . . " (Genesis 49:24, 25a)
1. US to give Israel thousands of 'bunker-buster' bombs - Ynet News
The Pentagon has appealed to Congress in a bid to increase the United States' military aid to Israel by $647 million, Ynet learned Tuesday.
2. Pentagon Wants to Sell Israel More Satellite-Guided Bombs - Bloomberg
The Pentagon notified Congress it wants to sell Israel as many as 6,900 tail kits used to convert free-fall bombs into satellite-guided ordnance, including weapons capable of penetrating hardened targets.
3. Israel is the farthest our missiles need to reach, Iran's air force commander says - Times of Israel
Iran's air force commander said Tuesday that the distance between Iran and Israel is the maximum range that Tehran requires its missiles fly. Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh made the statement in response to a US intelligence report revealed last week that claimed Tehran is no longer on track to achieve an intercontinental missile by 2015.
4. IDF to begin giving its medics chemical weapons antidote - Times of Israel
The IDF has acquired tens of thousands of doses of a drug used to combat nerve agent chemical poisoning and will distribute them to all combat medics in the coming months, according to a report in the new issue of the army's Bamahane weekly magazine.
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The Daily Jot
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US District Judge says life is unconstitutional
My friend Robert Knight recently wrote a column for the Washington Times where he cited George Orwell's novel 1984 that depicts how a tyrannical government uses Newspeak. Newspeak, he says, is "saying or doing something opposite of what the word means." Knight writes, "The Ministry of Plenty oversees rationing and starvation; the Ministry of Peace wages war; the Ministry of Truth dispenses propaganda, and the Ministry of Love conducts torture." Knight goes on to discuss how the American Civil Liberties Union, the self-proclaimed protector of free speech, actually works to silence free speech, especially religious free speech. Trouble is, there are many judges who agree with this Orwellian concept.
Knight cited examples of where the ACLU files lawsuits against local governments when they pray at the beginning of County Commissioner meetings or put up nativity scenes at Christmas. He makes the point that the ACLU cannot actually say it despises Christianity, so it uses the word "sectarian" as Newspeak for mentioning the name of Jesus. If a prayer is sectarian, it must be banned. Judges often affirm the ACLU by banning nativity displays, substituting the right to free speech and religious expression with a new right of not to be offended. Knight writes, "In a country in moral freefall, silence is freedom of speech, religious suppression is tolerance, and atheism is the de facto official religion of the state."
On the heels of Knight's observation comes yet another example of Newspeak. US District Court Judge James C Fox Friday ruled that North Carolina cannot issue a "Choose Life" license plate unless the state offers a similar such pro abortion license plate. The local ACLU director said, "This is a great victory for the free speech rights of all North Carolinians." Poppycock! This judge violated his oath to uphold the Constitution. The Declaration of Independence, granting the Constitution its standing says, "...that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." A right to death is not mentioned.
Remember when Peter and the Apostles were prohibited by the ruling Sadducees to preach in the name of Jesus? In Acts 5:29, they answered and said, "We ought to obey God rather than men." These Apostles lived during a time when free speech was not protected, and both religious leaders and government were against religious free speech when it came to preaching Jesus. They obviously were undeterred. Paul says in Ephesians 6:20, "That therein (as an ambassador of the gospel) I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." If man's law is unjust against the plumb line of God's law, it is no law at all. How can a judge say that muted speech is free speech, or that government support of life must be counterbalanced with support of death in order to be constitutional? Robert Knight nailed it--Newspeak. We are living it in our "free" nation.
Have A Blessed And Powerful Day,
Bill Wilson
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The Madison Report
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The Madison Report
www.MadisonProject.com
THE MADISONIAN
Week of December 10 - 14, 2012
Fiscal Cliff
The media is portraying the negotiations over the end-of-year tax and spending provisions as a stalemate. However, both sides agree on the fundamentals. They both plan to raise taxes and enact illusory spending cuts. The point of contention is over the specific amount and the particular details.
Obama and the Democrats are demanding that we increase taxes by $1.6 trillion. His plan would raise the marginal tax rates in the top two tax brackets from 33% to 36% and from 35% to 39.6%. He also wants to raise the Death Tax to the 2009 levels of a 45 percent top rate and a $3.5 million exempt amount, raise the capital gains top rate to 20% and let the tax rate on dividends revert to 39.6 percent for people in the top two brackets. His idea of a spending reduction plan is to use phony war savings and other unicorn cuts that are premised on unrealistic baselines. In fact, he is demanding even more spending in the form of $150 billion in new public works "stimulus" spending and a $30 billion extension of yet more long-term unemployment benefits.
John Boehner's plan is to raise $800 billion in taxes by eliminating and/or capping deductions for upper-income earners. His plan calls for $1.4 trillion in vague cuts to entitlements, but lacks the specificity and vision that is needed for any serious proposal. Moreover, Boehner's plan (and presumably, Obama's plan as well) would replace the $1.2 trillion sequester, thereby neutralizing any baseline cuts to begin with. Remember that even if you oppose the defense cuts, half the sequester effects the harmful parts of government.
As we predicted last week, once the GOP would begin caving on raising taxes through deductions, they would ultimately acquiesce to marginal rate increases. Senator Bob Corker and others have already suggested that they are open to the idea of raising the top marginal rate from 35% to somewhere in between Obama's demand of 39.6%.
Conservatives also must beware any attempt to insert a massive farm/food stamp bill, which dramatically increases pending, yet is peddled as a budget saver.
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FRC Drops UPS
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Family Research Council Drops UPS Over Discrimination Against Boy Scouts
December 11, 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Family Research Council (FRC) announced today that it would cease using United Parcel Service (UPS) as its primary package distributor in the wake of UPS's decision to cease funding the Boy Scouts of America because of the Scouts' longstanding policy of not accepting openly homosexual Scout leaders or members.
In November, FRC sent a letter to UPS urging them to reconsider and reverse their new policy.
FRC President Tony Perkins made the following comments about the change:
"The Boy Scouts of America has for decades been a force for moral integrity and leadership in the United States. Sadly, their principled stances have marked them as a target for ridicule and harassment by organizations that disagree with their convictions. Although as recently as September UPS had said they would not discriminate against the Scouts, they recently reversed themselves following an online petition campaign by homosexual activists.
"I spoke with UPS executives about their recent change. But they showed no willingness to back down on bullying non-profits into abandoning their values. Because of this, FRC will cease using UPS for our shipping needs.
"The mission of the Boy Scouts is 'to instill values in young people' and 'prepare them to make ethical choices,' and the Scout's oath includes a pledge 'to do my duty to God' and keep himself 'morally straight.' It is entirely reasonable and not at all unusual for those passages to be interpreted as requiring abstinence from homosexual conduct. UPS should not try to impose the competing values of the sexual revolution upon the Boy Scouts.
"The Scouts' policy is also a matter of security. After hundreds of cases of child sex abuse plagued the organization, the Boy Scouts tried to create a membership criterion that reduces the risk to Scouts, and that protects the rights of their parents to be the first to discuss topics like sexual orientation with their children.
To read FRC's letter to UPS, click here.
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Abortion Policy Debated in DoD Defense
Funding
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Troop Bill Takes Aim at Unborn
It's not the deal most Americans are waiting for, but Congress is days away from agreeing on a final Defense Authorization bill. That could be particularly significant for social conservatives, who have a big stake in the finished product. For the past 16 years, the military has had the most life-honoring laws of any federal government department. Despite FRC's efforts, that could all change this week if conferees agree to new exceptions on the DOD's abortion law. Since the Clinton administration, the Defense Department's rule has been to finance abortions -- only to save the mother's life.
Today, Congress is considering a major break with military policy and weighing whether or not to funnel taxpayer dollars to abortions in the cases of rape and incest as well. Although victims of sexual assault are free to pursue an abortion privately, taxpayers have never been forced to fund them. While the issue is a sensitive one, we believe abortion is never a loving solution for the mother or the child. The circumstances surrounding a pregnancy from rape or incest are extremely difficult, but one brutal act of violence against a woman doesn't justify the government encouraging a second act of violence against an unborn child. Everyone has a right to life -- even those whose lives begin in horrible situations like these.
House and Senate conferees also have a chance to do in the Defense bill what West Point and other bases have not: protect the sanctity of marriage in the military and conscience rights of chaplains. In the House version of the legislation, two amendments were passed to that effect. As the chambers iron out their differences, we encourage leaders on both sides to fight for the inclusion of these measures in the final bill. (Family Research Council)
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A Word for Hanukkah
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Happy Hanukkah 12-12-12!
(An excerpt)
Lamplighter Ministries
Hanukkah: Reconsecrating Your Temple
The good news is that many more now are realigning wholeheartedly with God's heart and covenant. This is the primary transition through which we must pass from 2011 into 2012.
A great picture of how God wants to meet us is portrayed in the Jewish Festival of Lights, which begins later this month. As you may know, Hanukkah celebrates the re-consecration of God's temple to the Lord after it had been purposefully defiled by the enemy. As part of this defilement, the fire on the altar had been snuffed out.
To re-consecrate the temple, God's priests relit this sacred flame, but they only had enough oil for one day. Miraculously, the lamp burned for eight days, until fresh supplies of oil came through! For this reason, the Jewish menorah, or lampstand, has become the primary symbol of the Festival of Lights.
Many scholars believe that Jesus, the Light of the World, was actually conceived over Hanukkah. As you reset covenant with Christ during this season, watch how Holy Spirit begins to overshadow you, conceiving His restorative word and work!
Hanukkah Miracle--When God Lit Our Flame Eight years ago, during our time of covenant consecration, Jolene and I experienced this miracle first-hand. Our wedding happened to be the first day of Hanukkah. So we decided to incorporate a menorah into the ceremony. As the wedding began, we lit all the candles of the menorah except the larger one in the center, which we had reserved as our unity candle.
While we were worshiping the Lord, literally asking Him to send His glory, my best man Will Ford leaned over to me with tears running down his face. He pointed to the menorah. Somehow this unity candle had itself become ignited!
In front of everyone, God lit the center candle of our lampstand, on the first day of Hanukkah, during our wedding ceremony. We as Lamplighter Ministries are still pondering the implications!
Resetting the Lampstand, Relighting the Flame!
But one thing we knew from the beginning is that this Hanukkah miracle was not for us alone. After many years of prayer, we feel the time has come to release this word governmentally-meaning the word and experience is now accessible to all. Individually and from region to region, God is saying, "I am resetting your lampstands in their place, and relighting the flame!"
Maybe you feel the enemy has directly targeted your passion for Jesus. Whether through circumstances beyond your control, mistakes, betrayal or outright abuse-you feel your temple has been compromised, your fire quenched.
God is inviting you into a glorious new season. What He had done for us, He will certainly do for you! Please take time now, before 2012 begins, to renew your consecration to the Lord, and enter into this process. Prepare communion, and receive fresh cleansing from all the defilement the enemy tried to impose upon you. Ask the Lord Jesus Christ to reset your lampstand and relight the flame!
So--keep your fire burning, and again, Happy Hanukkah!
> > > This is an excerpt of today's teaching by Jon Hamill. This email was sent to members of the Lamplighter Ministries email list. Jolene and Jon are grateful for each of you! To subscribe or unsubscribe, please send an email to: admin@lamplighterministries.net. Website: www.lamplighterministries.net
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The Good News Corner (Hanukkah, Part 2)
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The Good News Corner
(Hanukkah, Part 2)
Matthew 25:1-13 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
This parable in Matthew 25 is a warning to the entire body -- be ready with your oil! Each of these virgins was anticipating the Lord's return; none were atheists, or non-believers. They were all virgins who claimed to be awaiting the Bridegroom's arrival. But notice carefully that only half of them were truly ready.
In the ancient Temple era the Aaronic priests were in charge of lighting the lamp of God and keeping it burning. Their main responsibilities included trimming the wicks, refilling the lamp constantly with fresh oil, and making sure it never burned out.
A clear parallel can be drawn between the Aaronic priesthood and the New Covenant priesthood of Melchizedek and Yeshua (Jesus). Both are responsible to keep the lamps burning!
Are you feeling burned out this Chanukah season? Then trim your wick by getting rid of the useless things in your life and diving deeper into His Word. Are you feeling spiritually drained? Then wait on the Lord and ask Him for a fresh anointing. Bearing the light of God is the responsibility of all true believers; you are the bearer of that light; so be reignited today and keep your lamps burning bright for Him. Let's be wise virgins, anxiously awaiting His return!
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Negev Desert, Israel
Editors, Worthy News
Editor's Note: We've posted our speaking schedule online! We're still looking for places to minister, so if your congregation or home group would like us to minister about what the Lord is doing in Israel and throughout the world, please contact us at george [@] worthyemail.com
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Worship with Us Today!
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Worship with Us Today!
Shabbat Shalom - Jonathan Settel - Shabbat Peace
Technically, today (Wednesday) is not our Sabbath, but our Lord has brought us His rest, and His peace, every day of the week.
So today, we greet you all with His Shabbat in the midst of another busy week!
Shalom!
Join us in worshipping Him here.
