"Blessed is the Nation Whose God is the Lord." (Psalm 33:12)Today's Daily Brief
1. President Bush: "Government Can Take Decisive Action To Help Us Deal With This Period Of Uncertainty"
President Bush: "The fundamentals are strong, we're just in a rough patch, as witnessed by the employment figures today. . . . After 52 consecutive months of job creation, we lost 17,000 jobs. The unemployment rate went down, but nevertheless, a serious matter is that for the first time in 52 months that we didn't create jobs. . . . One way to address [economic concerns] is to have a temporary, robust tax rebate. . . And the House of Representatives passed a good package. . . And now the Senate is debating the bill, and it's very important for the Senate to finish their work quickly because the sooner we can get money into our consumers' hands, the more likely it is, is that this economy will get back - recover from this period of uncertainty." (President George W. Bush, Remarks On The Economy, Kansas City, MO, 2/1/08)
· Keep praying for repentance for this nation and our sins against God, for how can He bless our nation otherwise? Financial prosperity is a condition that Americans pridefully expect to continue at all times. Is every Christian bringing his tithes and offerings into God's house? And, are we asking God to bless Israel? · "Bring ye all the tithes into Mine warehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now here; saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven , and pour you out a blessing, that there shalt not be room enough to receive it." (Malachi 3: 10)
2. No Tax Rebates for Illegal Immigrants, House Leaders Say - CNSNews.com
House leaders want to set the record straight on the economic stimulus package the House passed on Tuesday: It "would not allow any taxpayer funds to be distributed to illegal immigrants," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Leader John Boehner said on Thursday.
· Lord, thank You for setting a watch over our economy. We pray for illegal immigrants to develope a heart toward You. Give them revelation of the biblical principles that bring blessings.
· But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. (James 1:25, Rom.2:13)
3. Tighter U.S. border ID rules begin - AP
New rules for the types of identification U.S. or Canadian citizens must present to cross into the country shouldn't cause significant delays and won't be strictly enforced at first, a senior federal official said. Under the rules going into effect Thursday, people will no longer be allowed to simply declare to immigration officers at border crossings that they are citizens, Jayson Ahern, deputy commissioner with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said Tuesday. Instead, those 19 and older will have to show proof of citizenship - a passport, trusted traveler card or a birth certificate and government-issued ID such as a driver's license.
· Thank You, Lord for the restrictions being put in place for our borders to become more secure. We ask You to alert immigration officials of any terrorists who are trying to enter our land.
· Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you. And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablilsh you, and keep you from evil. (II Thes.3:1-3)
4. Terror Coming to Town Near You - AP
15 more cities considered at high risk for terror attack, according to new Homeland Security funding priority list. Last year the department made 45 cities or regions eligible for a competitive counterterrorism grant program. This year, the list has been expanded to 60 areas that can apply for the nearly $782 million available, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
· Lord, we thank you for the programs being put in place to counter terrorist attacks. Bless those who work in Homeland Security with wisdom and strength as they faithfully serve our country in the most urgent of times. We continue to ask You to expose the enemies and to give us protection. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
· Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help the; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Is.41:9,10)
5. Hindu chants invocation in Colorado Senate - WorldNetDaily
A Nevada Hindu who has opened the U.S. Senate with a faith-specific chant now has provided the invocation to open the state senate in Colorado, and a senator is suggesting since "om" has been cited, perhaps prayers "in Jesus name" again should be allowed. The comments came after Rajan Zed, a Hindu from Reno who is making a series of appearances at state legislatures to promote Hinduism, was allowed to open the Colorado Senate, under the leadership of Senate President Peter Groff, with a Hindu chant of the "om" syllable that, according to his belief system, contains the universe.
Sen. David Schultheis, however, told WND he was shocked by the appearance of the Hindu, since rules ban faith-specific references, such as the words "in Jesus name," that many Christian leaders have used in prayers. "Actually, I was shocked when I walked in there," he said. "I don't know of any Hindus or individuals from India actually in the legislature." The appearance by Zed was disturbing, he added.
· Lord Jesus, the One True God, we lift Your name high above our nation in all high places of government. We refuse the bondage of idols and tear down the lifting up of idols. Please forgive us, Lord, for even giving place of prayer through idol worship. May this sound an alarm to identify Jesus Christ as the one true and only foundation of this great nation.
· Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? ( Gal. 4:8,9)
6. U.N. chief warns of Kenya catastrophe - Reuters; BBC The Middle East in Focus 1. What Winograd Means for Olmert - CBN News 2. Olmert: My name has been cleared - Ha'aretz 3. Opposition leader Netanyahu: Olmert is incompetent, unfit to lead - Ha'aretz 4. Shekel hits 10-year high against dollar as U.S. interest rates cut - Ha'aretz 5. Egypt issues ultimatum to PA, Hamas - Jerusalem Post Prayers for the Persecuted Church This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE: 1. Jordan: Authorities Expel Foreign Christians - Worthy News 2. China Police "Burning" Bibles and "Beating" Christians in Yunan Province - Worthy News 3. Pakistan Evangelical Pastor Killed Amid Growing Religious Tensions - Worthy News 4. LETTERS FROM KENYA: Dear Rev Priscilla, Keep Values the Front-Runner To read the media's account of the final moments leading up to Super Tuesday, one would think the victors had already been declared. Of course, this is what Americans have come to expect from a press that has proven to be more interested in influencing the public than informing it. Since Day 1, when the media anointed Rudy Giuliani as the GOP's nominee, we've watched the press continue to substitute its own agenda for the political reality. And that reality--as we've seen in the collapse of New York's former mayor--is that nothing is certain in this race but the resolve of values voters to be seen and heard in the process. Don't be fooled by the press. This contest is far from over. That said, much depends on you in these next few days. We must go out as we always have--to serve notice that in this contest, values are the front- runner. On Tuesday, social conservatives must send the message that we will not compromise on principle regardless of who the final nominees may be. What the exit polls say will mean as much as who the nominees are. A strong showing next week will go a long way in proving that the value voter bloc is a must- win for any candidate. The Republican establishment may insist on taking social conservatives for granted, but with an energized Left that is doubling the turnout of 2004 the Republican candidates cannot afford to make the same mistake. Our allegiance is not to a political party but to a cause. We are not bound to vote for a candidate simply because he or she is the choice of a particular party. As you prepare to cast your vote, remember this. We are not involved in this process to win at the expense of our beliefs. We are in this race to advance the humanity of the unborn, the sanctity of marriage, the importance of faith, and the integrity of our culture. Vote your values! For an honest appraisal of where the hopefuls stand on our issues, log on to www.frcaction.org and download the presidential voter guide. Let's keep values at the forefront of this race. (Tony Perkins' Washington Update; Family Research Council; Feb. 1, 2008) Case in point is the presidential debates. Of course, the debates appeared to be fair and open, especially to the leftist-how much air time did socialist fruitcake Democrat Dennis Kucinich receive? Here is a guy who got a lot of coverage though nobody in their right mind would support the man who would talk to interplanetary aliens. But on the conservative side, Americans knew little of Republican candidate Duncan Hunter, a true conservative with viable ideas, a man who had serious things to add to the public debate. The media would say that Hunter didn't get any traction as a candidate, but in reality, the media would not carry his news and viewpoints with the same enthusiasm as, say, a John McCain. The recent Republican debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is another such example. The moderator, leftist CNN reporter Anderson Cooper, virtually ignored candidate Ron Paul, while giving the stage mainly to two candidates McCain and Mitt Romney. Romney has in the past supported abortion and normalization of homosexuality and McCain, himself, is pretty iffy on a lot of conservative issues. These men are more in line with what Cooper would consider mainstream. But Ron Paul, who is a more strict Constitutionalist and has ideas that challenge mainstream liberal thinking, was "often left out," according to observations from another liberal media outlet, the Los Angeles Times. Americans are being railroaded by an elite, liberal group of people into believing that their only choices are ones conforming to the group think liberalism of the times-even if they are clothed as conservative. These deceptive scoundrels and traitors seek to destroy the United States from within and establish their own socialist utopia. And they have reach critical mass in this day and age to get the job done. The only difference between the media's top four candidates of either political party are degrees of socialism. 2 Timothy 3:13 says, "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." Americans need to think with the Holy Spirit as their guide rather than the liberal media. Bill Wilson (Source: Anonymous)
A police officer in Kenya shot dead an opposition legislator on Thursday, the second killed in a week, sparking fresh protests and interrupting talks to try to end more than a month of violence. Warning of catastrophe, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said he would travel to Nairobi on Friday from an African Union summit in neighboring Ethiopia to help his predecessor Kofi Annan, who has been trying to mediate an end to the crisis.
(Read more from BBC, including maps showing the areas of Kenya now affected by this violence.)
· Father, arise over Kenya with Your mercy and peace. Empower our brothers and sisters in Kenya to do spiritual battle to take their land in Your name. We pray for reconciliation over the historical wrongs that have caused many Kenyans to act with hatred. We pray for the hatred, killing and violence to stop. Give plans to authorities to gain control of the violence and to protect all innocent civilians -- from all tribes -- of Kenya.
· Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will aboundantly pardon. (Is. 55:5,7)
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
"Who is like unto You, O LORD, among the gods? who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" (Exodus 15:11)
Retired Judge Eliyahu Winograd first delivered his report personally to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Then Winograd and his panel released it to the press. With the release of the report, many analysts believe Olmert dodged a political bullet. It did not hold him personally responsible and exonerated his decision to undertake a major ground offensive during the final hours of the war where more than 30 Israeli soldiers died.
Feeling exonerated over his decision to order a major ground operation during the final 60 hours of the Second Lebanon War, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert characterized the Winograd Committee's report as "lifting the moral stigma off of me."
Israel is being led by an unfit and incompetent prime minister, opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday, one day after the release of the Winograd report on the failures of the government and the military during the Second Lebanon War.
The dollar on Wednesday hit a 10-year low against the shekel, following the U.S. Federal Reserve's second reduction of interest rates within a week.
Egypt has threatened to close its border with the Gaza Strip indefinitely unless the Palestinian Authority and Hamas reach an agreement on controlling the Rafah border crossing, Palestinian sources in Ramallah said Wednesday.
"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Mt. 5:44)
Jordan has increased pressure on foreign Christians living in the kingdom, expelling many long-time residents over the past 13 months in what local churches see as an attack on their legitimacy.
Members of a house church in China's Yunan Province were "severely beaten" by police officials, who earlier "burned" the church's Bibles, a Christian rights group said Wednesday, January 30.
Christians in Pakistan's volatile North West Frontier Province (NWFP) faced new tensions Wednesday, January 30, amid reports that a Pakistani pastor has been shot and killed because of his involvement in evangelistic work.
The situation in Kenya is becoming worse daily. There is still killings and chaos all over. Moving from one place to the other is still a problem. The biggest burden is how to help the displaced women and children who ran to our church and homes daily. The 90 families we had accepted to help are still staying in our church building and homes. The 10 bags of corn and beans we had is getting finished. We are just believing God for what we will feed them with as from next week onwards. We have only raised 15 blankets but they are 90. Only 15 families use the blankets during night time while 75 sleep in cold. I know God is using you powerfully to get us a support, we are praying that many will be touched to help as you share this to them. We need 75 blankets, 10 sacks of both corns and beans, cooking fats , sugar and medicines.
God bless you,
Pastor Lucas
Leftist News Media Guiding and Influencing Presidential Election
The liberal, if not leftist, mainstream news media is attempting to influence the U.S. presidential election and rig it so that only moderate to liberal candidates survive the primaries. This trickery played upon the American people is a threat to the national security in the sense that leftist candidates and a leftist news media have a vision for the United States that is far away from the precepts of the Constitution and the intention of the Founding Fathers. Free speech is not an exclusive right for the news media, but rather a right for all Americans, yet the news media is the channel through which free speech often travels and if the channel is biased, while deceiving the public into thinking it is unbiased, free speech is maligned.
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
NFL Pulls Plug On Big-Screen Church Parties For Super Bowl Ministers are not happy. The Super Bowl, the most secular of American holidays, has long been popular among churches. With parties, prayer and Christian DVDs replacing the occasionally racy halftime shows, churches use the event as a way to reach members, and potential new members, in a non-churchlike atmosphere. The NFL said, however, that the copyright law on its games is long-standing and the language read at the end of each game is well known: "This telecast is copyrighted by the NFL for the private use of our audience. Any other use of this telecast or any pictures, descriptions, or accounts of the game without the NFL's consent is prohibited." (Washington Post) · Stand in the gap for the spirit of GREED that has overcome the television and professional sports industries. The value of the saving of souls cannot come with a price, for Jesus already paid for it all at the Cross. Ask the Lord to visit the heads of the NFL (etc.) with a spirit of MERCY. · "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) · PRAY FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL WHO WILL ATTEND THE SUPER BOWL IN PHOENIX, ARZONA, THIS SUNDAY NIGHT. Pray that any plots, plans, schemes, and devices planned by terrorists against this huge event would be STOPPED, in Jesus' Name! · He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. (Job 5:12)
For years, as many as 200 members of Immanuel Bible Church and their friends have gathered in the church's fellowship hall to watch the Super Bowl on its six-foot screen. The party featured hard hitting on the TV, plenty of food -- and prayer. But this year, Immanuel's Super Bowl party is no more. After a crackdown by the National Football League on big-screen Super Bowl gatherings by churches, the Springfield church has sacked its event. Instead, church members will host parties in their homes. Immanuel is among a number of churches in the Washington area and elsewhere that have been forced to use a new playbook to satisfy the NFL, which said that airing games at churches on large-screen TV sets violates the NFL copyright.
"There is a part of me that says, 'Gee, doesn't the NFL have enough money already?'" said Steve Holley, Immanuel's executive pastor. He pointed out that bars are still allowed to air the game on big-screens TV sets. "It just doesn't make sense."
"It takes people who are not coming frequently, or who have fallen away, and shows them that the church can still have some fun," said the Rev. Thomas Omholt, senior pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in the District. Omholt has hosted a Super Bowl party for young adults in his home for 20 years. "We can be a little less formal."
Prayer for the Primaries
Next week is SUPER TUESDAY, when more than 20 states have scheduled their contests for the earliest date allowed by the party without special exception.
· Earnestly intercede against media and special interest manipulation during this primary season. Pray that moral, God-fearing, pro-life, pro-marriage, and pro-family men and women be selected, supported, and find favor in local, state, and national campaigns. Intercede that the Lord reveal His choices, expose corruption, immorality, bribery, the occult, and hidden anti-biblical agendas.
(Source: Intercessors for America)
" . . . if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:19)
For a complete guide to the Republican primaries, go here:
For a complete guide to the Democratic primaries, go here:
