ALERT!
U.N. RELEASES REPORT ON IRAQ SUFFERING
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The Daily Brief:
"Praying for All in Authority"
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)
"And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse . . ." (Rev. 19:1)
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The Daily Brief
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1. Gaza conflict: Israel and Palestinians agree long-term truce - BBC
A long-term ceasefire has been agreed between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. The truce, ending seven weeks of fighting that has left more than 2,200 people - mostly Palestinians - dead, was brokered by Egypt and began at 19:00 local time (16:00 GMT).
Hamas said the deal represented a "victory for the resistance".
Israel is to ease its blockade of Gaza to allow in aid and building materials, Israeli officials said. Indirect talks on more contentious issues, including Israel's call for militant groups in Gaza to disarm, will begin in Cairo within a month. The US gave the full backing to the deal, with State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki saying: "We strongly support the ceasefire announcement." (Read more)
- Lord God, if this cease-fire agreement is in Your will and is a blessing to Israel, then we ask that it will hold. But Lord, if this is devised by man and not according to Your perfect will for Israel, then we ask that this collapse. We ask this in Your Name, amen.
- "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10)
2. US will back Israel in Security Council - Ynet News
As the political aftermath of the long-term ceasefire between Hamas and Israel began to unfold, a government source in Jerusalem told Ynet Tuesday night that the US would be looking out for Israel's interests among the international community, namely in the UN Security Council, where concrete decisions could potentially be made regarding the future of Gaza, Israel, and the West Bank.
"Israel will have American backing if a decision is made in the Security Council," said the source. Most especially, said the government official, the US would be looking out for Israel's security interests in the Gaza Strip. "The US will be sure that the issue of demilitarization will be included," he said. (Read more)
- Father God, if the U.S. holds true to this word, we would be rejoicing in Your goodness to our people. For so long now, we have been standing in the gap for this administration,. as time after time, they have refused to back Israel with their policy decisions and instead have done all they can to weaken her position among the nations. Lord God Almighty, we pray today that this promise would herald a new beginning in U.S.-Israeli relations, for the blessing of both of our nations. We ask this fervent prayer in Jesus' name, amen and amen.
- "But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." (Matthew 5:37)
3. Libya crisis: US 'caught off-guard' by Egypt and the UAE air strikes - BBC
US officials say Egypt and the UAE were behind air strikes in Libya last week that targeted Islamist-linked militia. A senior US official told the BBC that Washington was not consulted about the attacks and was "caught off-guard".
The air strikes on militia positions around Tripoli's international airport were reportedly carried out by Emirati fighter jets using bases in Egypt. The Egyptian authorities have denied involvement, and there has been no direct comment from the UAE. (Read more)
- Father God, we do not understand how this attack could have slipped past our intelligence agencies. We ask that You would bring Your light to bear on this event, and that policy decisions be made for the blessing and the benefit of both Libya and America. We ask this in Your name, amen.
- "For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light." (Mark 4:22)
4. Obama reportedly plotting end-run around Congress on global climate change deal - Fox News
President Obama reportedly plans to do an end-run around Congress to forge an international climate change deal, effectively bypassing the Constitution's requirement to get the Senate's approval for a treaty.
The New York Times reported that the agreement is slated to be signed at a United Nations meeting next year in Paris. However, because the U.S. Senate is unlikely to ratify any international climate treaty, Obama's negotiators reportedly are working toward an alternative agreement - a "politically binding" deal that would serve in lieu of a bona-fide treaty. (Read more)
- Here we go again. Lord God Almighty, we ask You to intervene and place a hedge around Barack Hussein Obama as he once again seems intent upon trampling all over our Constitution, and the United States Senate. We bind the spirit of lawlessness that prevails in this White House, and we loose order and peace. In Jesus' Name, amen.
- "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." (Matthew 18:18)
5. EPA POWER GRAB? Rep claims maps prove secret private property plot - Fox News
PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS could be at risk, Republicans and groups say, after the EPA secretly drafted highly detailed maps of waterways across the U.S., which Texas Rep. Lamar Smith fears will be used as part of a plan to expand the EPA's regulatory power over streams and wetlands.
A top House Republican is charging that the Environmental Protection Agency secretly drafted highly detailed maps of U.S. waterways to set the stage for a controversial plan to expand regulatory power over streams and wetlands, a claim the EPA strongly denies.
Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, released those maps on Wednesday, while firing off a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy voicing concerns over why they were created in the first place.
"These maps show the EPA's plan: to control a huge amount of private property across the country. Given the astonishing picture they paint, I understand the EPA's desire to minimize the importance of these maps," he wrote, in the letter obtained by FoxNews.com. (Read more)
- Lord God Almighty, it is written that "the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof." We bring this alleged threat before Your Throne of Grace, and we ask, dear Lord, for Your mercy to rule over the tyranny of this government. Stay the hand of the wicked, that the righteous might retain that which rightfully belongs to them.
- "I will also plant them on their land, And they will not again be rooted out from their land Which I have given them," Says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:15)
6. More Voices Warn of ISIS Threat - Red State
This weekend we saw a distressed retired Lt. General McInerney issue a dire warning of a possible 9/11 style ISIS attack on, or around, September 11 2014. In addition to McInerney we also saw warnings from Rep. Mike Rogers - Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, former Deputy CIA Director Michael Morel, and Rep. Michael McCaul - Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, on not only the possibility of ISIS attempt another 9/11 style attack in the United States, but also the more general threat of ISIS on the rise. (Read more)
- Lord, we thank You that many of our leaders, in positions of authority in the military and in the government, are now united in warning all of us that ISIS is on the move and plans to harm us next. Each of us asks You, Abba, to show us what we can do to protect our own households, and we ask You show our leaders how to protect our nation. For such a time as this, we ask this prayer, in Jesus' Name, amen and amen.
- "And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14)
7. Sen. Barrasso: 'We Can Either Fight Them There or Fight Them Here' - CNSNews.com
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, says the ISIS/ISIL terrorists are "a threat like no other."
"It is a threat to the homeland," he told Fox News's Greta Van Susteren Tuesday night. "We can either fight them there or fight them here. And I would rather have them fought over there."
Barrasso said he's advocated arming the Syrian rebels "for years now." He also supports arming the Iraqi Kurds. And he wants to hear President Obama's plan to deal with a "blood-thirsty" group that is "well-armed" and now controls an area "larger than the State of Indiana":
"I think it's incumbent now on the president of the United States, as commander-in-chief, to show leadership, to come forward and express to the American people, articulate the threat that we, as Americans, face and what he is going to do in a comprehensive way to deal with this direct threat that we face."(Read more)
- Lord God, we agree with this senator: the President, in his role as the Commander-in-Chief, must certainly "articulate the threat that we, as Americans, face and what he is going to do in a comprehensive way to deal with this direct threat that we face." Lord God, we ask You to turn the heart of this king in the way it should go, and to strengthen and equip him with courage in a time of war. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.
- "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." (Isaiah 41:10)
8. UN: ISIS Massacred 700 Turkmen--Including Women, Children, Elderly - CNS News.com
The Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS) slaughtered about 700 Turkmen civilians last month, including "children, women, and old people," United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Iraq chief Marzio Babille told Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA).
The massacre of members of the country's Shiite minority occurred in the northern Iraqi village of Beshir between July 11th and 12
The Turkmen ethnic group makes up roughly four percent of Iraq's population, according to the BBC. As members of the Shia Muslim sect, they are directly targeted by Islamic State Sunni extremists, who consider them apostates. (Read more)
READ FULL REPORT HERE.
- Lord God, the horrors of these reports just continue to build and to grow. We ask You, dear Lord, to comfort our own hearts, and to turn to You, Almighty One, to battle these enemies for us. In Jesus' name, amen.
- "Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find none." (Psalm 10:15)
9. Feds to Spend $2.5M for Juvenile Justice Reform -- in Central America - CNSNews.com
The State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs has announced a $2.5 million grant for juvenile justice reform and pre-trial detention in Guatemala, El Salvador and Panama.
"Corrections systems in these countries suffer from acute overcrowding and inefficiencies which contribute to poor conditions and, at worst, active criminal recruiting and leadership of criminal activities from within prisons," the grant announcement said. (Read more)
- Lord God, we repent for the foolish waste of our own resources, especially when so many Americans are now struggling to survive in this economy. We ask that You cause this foolish decision to be reversed, and for these funds to return to our own coffers. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.
- "Then I will make up to you for the years That the swarming locust has eaten, The creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you." (Joel 2:25)
10. ENGLAND: 'Terrifying' sinkhole 100ft wide appears overnight - Daily Mail UK
So deep you can't see the bottom . . .
A 100ft-wide sinkhole that is so deep the bottom cannot be seen at one end has appeared overnight just yards from a farmer's house in County Durham. John Hensby, 71, says his partner Sam Hillyard, 39, first discovered the hole on Thursday morning, adding that it has been growing ever since. And Mr Hensby now fears that heavy rain forecast for the coming days could be about to make the situation even worse. (Please go here to see these amazing photos!)
- Lord God, we are now witnessing sinkholes of tremendous size appearing in countries throughout the world. If this is a sign of Your soon coming, then we thank You for it and ask that many be awakened unto salvation as they witness these terrifying events. We ask this in Jesus name, amen.
- "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."
(Luke 21:25-28)
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The Middle East in Focus
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The Middle East in Focus
OPERATION PROTECTIVE EDGE
"Don't be afraid! Those who are with us are more than those who are with them. O LORD, open his eyes so he may SEE!" (II Kings 6:16-17a.)
1. Today's Bullets of Intercession - CHPP
To read today's alert, go here.
2. Quiet night in southern Israel as Gaza ceasefire holds- Ynet news
Even though rocket attacks continued until the very last moment, the open-ended ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas which came into effect Tuesday evening held throughout the night and Wednesday morning.
Though residents can now return to their homes, most residents seem reluctant to do so, saying they have little faith in either the government or the truce. (Read more)
3. Gaza truce deal: Crossings to open under Israeli supervision -Ynet news
After 50 days of intense hostilities, Israel and the Palestinians reached a framework agreement resembling the understandings reached after Operation Pillar of Defense - the sides will reconvene in a month to start deliberations on central issues like demilitarization and the establishment of ports.
Until the next round of talks, Israel has agreed to open to border crossings into the Strip and allow the transfer of humanitarian equipment and construction materials to rehabilitate Gaza - all under heavy Israeli supervision. (Read more)
- Father we ask you to please watch these borders. Protect the Israelis supervising the transfer of all equipment through this area, and we ask that you open their eyes to any materials not approved to be transported. Once materials are inside Gaza, Father, we ask that they really be used for theIR intended purposes. Lord let there be no more funneled to Hamas for terrorist plans. Amen and amen!
- "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you . . ." (Matthew 5:44)
4. US: Palestinian Authority not liable for Wednesday's Gaza rocket strike on Israel -The Jerusalem Post
The United States condemned Wednesday morning's Gaza rocket attack against Israel but said it doesn't at this time hold the Palestinian Authority liable for it, even though Hamas has sponsored its new government.
"We condemn all rocket fire from Gaza. It is unprovoked aggression against civilian targets and is totally unacceptable," US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington.
"We expect the Palestinian Authority will do everything in its power to prevent attacks from Gaza into Israel. But we acknowledge the reality that Hamas currently controls Gaza," Psaki said.(Read more)
5. Top US general in Israel for post-ceasefire talks -The Times of Israel
As fighting between Israel and Hamas persisted for a 50th day Tuesday, retired US general John Allen was set to meet with Israeli officials to discuss the possible renewal of peace talks with the Palestinians once the Gaza operation ends.
John Allen, a four-star marine and former commander of US forces in Afghanistan, arrived on an unannounced visit Monday night, Israel Radio reported. (Read more)
6. Amidror: Israel's red line with Syria is the border, and if anyone crosses it they should be killed - Jerusalem Post
Former National Security Council head says if Nusra Front takes control of Golan Heights, threats of radical Islam will not stop on frontiers of Israel, but spread out to Western countries. (Read more)
- "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be men, be strong." (1 Corinthians 16:13)
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Tracking ISIS
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Tracking ISIS
He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt." (Exodus 14:25)
1. Islamic State Planning to Use Drones to Attack Israel - Israel National News
member of the Islamic State (IS, formerly known as ISIS) has threatened that the organization would soon use unmanned drones to attack Israel.
The IS member, a Canadian who left his country to fight alongside the IS in the areas of Iraq and Syria it declared to be an Islamic Caliphate, claimed on Twitter that the group was developing these drones and that they would be unveiled in the near future.
He further said that engineers who studied in the West are working on the drones.
IS, he wrote, is expected to make use of these drones to attack targets in Baghdad, Kurdistan, Syria, 'occupied Palestine' and the United States.
He added that the drones used to attack targets in the United States would be launched from Mexico.
Other activists of the Islamic state recently repeated the message that the group would soon carry out attacks against targets in the United States and Europe. (Read more)
2. Islamic State might have taken advanced MANPADS from Syrian airfield - Washington Post
The Washington Post reports: "Islamic State militants stormed a Syrian airbase over the weekend, routing the remaining elements of the country's army from northern Raqqah province and reportedly seizing a cache of shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles.
The seizure of Tabqa air base, while not the first installation of its type to fall to militants, highlights the Islamic State's gains in the region and the group's continued pilfering of advanced military equipment, particularly the surface-to-air missile systems known as MANPADS, short for Man Portable Air Defense Systems.
Matt Schroeder, a senior researcher at the Switzerland-based research group Small Arms Survey and author of a recent report on MANPADS in Syria, believes that the takeover of Tabqa airbase could mark a 'significant proliferation' of the weapons across the region.
'What we do know from previous airfield seizures is that these places are a source of MANPADS and similar weapons,' Schroeder said." (Read more)
3. ISIS about to become a nuclear power? - WND
Abdul Maulana Aziz, a follower of Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar who led the infamous Red Mosque rebellion in Pakistan, has declared his support for the newly formed Islamic State, led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The jihadist army of the Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS, had taken over large swaths of Iraq and declared the establishment of a caliphate, governed by Islamic law, or Shariah, that also includes northeastern Syria.
Aziz's backing of Baghdadi is seen as ominous by Western intelligence, since he is close to such groups as Sipa-e-Sahaba and the Tehnik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which seek the overthrow - even by violent means - of the Pakistani government, which possesses nuclear weapons. (Read more)
4. Mashaal Threatens Terror Attacks in Judea and Samaria - Israel National News
Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal threatened on Sunday that his group will not only continue attacking Israel from Gaza, but will also launch attacks from Judea and Samaria as well.
In an interview with Iranian media, Mashaal claimed that Gaza has been under attack for fifty days but was able to disrupt the plans of the 'Zionists'.
He further claimed that the Palestinian Arab side had offered a ceasefire but Israel made verbal maneuvers in order to avoid agreeing to it. (Read more)
5. Islamic State recruiting in Canada, local imam warns - The Telegraph.co.uk
A Canadian imam known for his pacifist sermons has warned that Islamist militant group IS was actively recruiting in Canada and said one member issued him a death threat.
Syed Soharwardy, founder of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada (ISCC), called on Canadian and Western authorities to intensify the fight against jihadist movements.
'Absolutely I am convinced that this recruitment is going on right here in this country, under our noses, in our universities, in our colleges, in the places of worship, in our community,' he told CBC public television.
Soharwardy added that a Muslim man from Ottawa who was fighting with IS in Mosul in northern Iraq had sent him a death threat on Facebook.
'He was condemning me for condemning ISIS, and he was saying that 'You are a deviant imam and your version of Islam is not the right version,'' Soharwardy said, using another acronym by which IS is known. (Read more)
6. ISIS is training kids as young as 10 to fight bloody war against Assad - The National Post
Syrian war atrocities are spreading across the country and region, the United Nations said in a report that took the international community to task for not doing more to stop the violence.
Kidnapping, rape and torture are among the crimes against humanity committed by both sides of the three-year long conflict, the UN's Geneva-based Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria said Wednesday in a 45-page report.
The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, is recruiting and training children as young 10 years old to fight in their ranks, the report claims. Meanwhile, the Syrian government unleashed a chemical agent, likely chlorine, on civilians in northern villages eight times in April, the commission said.
The UN said last week the number of Syrian deaths had doubled to 191,000 in the last year." (Read more)
7. Islam expert: U.S. groomed for Shariah - WND
British intelligence has reportedly identified the terrorist responsible for beheading American James Foley, prompting fears of homegrown Islamic State sympathizers striking in the West and American experts insisting it's time for politicians and the media to stop sanitizing the threat we face and where it comes from.
Reports suggest that hundreds of people holding American passports may be fighting alongside the Islamic State, or ISIS, in Iraq and Syria. The number of Europeans assisting the terrorist army could be well into the thousands.
Pamela Geller is president of the American Freedom Defense Initiative, editor of Atlas Shrugs and a WND columnist. She said, if anything, the real numbers are probably worse than many realize.
'I think the numbers are probably low, because they haven't taken the threat terribly seriously for the past 10 years. They've been discounting and completely avoiding or omitting the motive,' said Geller, who isn't shocked that some Muslims in Western nations are attracted to ISIS.
'It's not surprising at all that Muslims in the West would express support for the Islamic State,' she said. 'The idea of a caliphate transcends national allegiance and goes beyond anything current. It goes back to the beginning of Islamic history.'" (Read more)
8. ISIS Abducts Three-Year-Old from Fleeing Christian Family - Breaking Christian News
Christina Khader Ebada, a 3 year-old Assyrian girl, was abducted from her Christian family in northern Iraq as they fled Baghdeda, also known as Qaraqosh, according to the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA).
ISIS cut off Baghdeda's water supply and placed an embargo on the town, so that nearby Muslim villages stopped trading with them. Those who remained were left fighting for survival.
On August 6, Kurdish troops withdrew from the city and the next day ISIS invaded the town. Many joined the 150,000 Assyrian Christians who were forced to walk towards Erbil without their cars and possessions because Kurdish forces feared Islamist infiltration, according to AINA.
ISIS escorted Christina's family, as well as many other residents, to the Khazar checkpoint and told them to leave and never return.
The girl was last seen by her mother crying and sobbing as a heavily bearded ISIS fighter carried her away. (Read more)
- Father God, today we lift up a cry of travail for the many families now displaced by ISIS. For those who have been separated from their loved ones, we ask that You send Your angelic host to help them be reunited. Father, this is so tragic . . . we turn to You, Holy One, for help. In Jesus name, amen.
- "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles." (Psalm 43:17)
9. For Yazidis, Christians: "They Cut Us Like Sheep" - CBN News
(UN Bajid Kandala Refugee Camp, Northern Iraq) - It looks like a scene out of the Bible-a modern-day exodus. Tens of thousands of Yazidis made the 100-mile trek from Mt. Sinjar all the way to the United Nations refugee camp on the northern border.
For some, it was a two-three-or even a four-day journey. Most of them came with just the clothes on their back. Out of the multitude, each one has a story. (Read more)
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Tracking the Virus
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Tracking the Virus
"No weapon formed against us shall prosper." (Isaiah 54:17)
1. Congo declares Ebola outbreak in northern Equateur province - Reuters
Democratic Republic of Congo declared an Ebola outbreak in its northern Equateur province on Sunday after two out of eight cases tested came back positive for the deadly virus, Health Minister Felix Kabange Numbi said. (Read more)
2. Liberia: Doctor given experimental Ebola drug dies- AP
A Liberian doctor who received one of the last known doses of an experimental Ebola drug has died, officials said Monday. Separately, Canada said it has yet to send out an untested vaccine that the government is donating. (Read more)
3. Alarm grows as Ebola outbreak spurs more flight cancellations, border closures - Washington Post
Brussels Airlines was forced to halt flights to the affected region after Senegal's refusal over the weekend to allow the Belgium-based carrier to touch down in Senegal's capital, Dakar, for crew changes. Senegal was sending a clear signal that it wanted nothing to do with flights going to Liberia, Guinea or Sierra Leone, where the outbreak rages on. (Read more)
4. WHO: High death toll of medics hampering Ebola control efforts - CNTV, Canada
"On Ebola, the World Health Organisation says that the heavy toll on health care workers in this outbreak further impedes control efforts. To date, more than 240 health care workers have developed the disease in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, and more than 120 have died," spokesman for UN secretary-general Stephane Dujarric said. (Read more)
5. Ebola has 'upper hand' says US health official - AP
Ebola still has the "upper hand" in the outbreak that has killed more than 1,400 people in West Africa, but experts have the means to stop it, a top American health official said during a visit to the hardest-hit countries. (Read more)
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The Daily Jot
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Warnings of a coming apocalypse
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Former CIA chief retired General Michael Hayden told CNN that the Islamic State (IS) will attempt an attack on targets in the US or Europe. He said of the recent beheading of journalist James Foley "There's no more powerful way to express their street credentials among the jihadist community than a successful attack against the West." Retired Air Force Lt. General Thomas McInerney said the IS may attack the US "and they will be here maybe this 9/11." Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says that the IS "is beyond anything we have seen." The federal government has issued a warning to local law enforcement that IS could attack US targets as over 100 jihadists are known to have left the US to fight for the IS.
There are many reports from various news sources around the world about the savagery of IS fighters as they conquer villages in Iraq, beheading, mass killing, and crucifying those men, women and children who they suspect do not agree with the IS Caliphate ideology. Quite frankly, this is the Middle East the occupant of the Oval Office has created. His support of the Muslim Brotherhood and al Qaeda (remember who claimed credit for 9/11?) against various governments in Northern Africa and the Middle East, and his direct support for what became the Islamic State, has supplied military know-how, weapons and tactics to birth the most powerful religious-military-economic force Hagel has ever seen.
Various generals are now warning of attacks on American soil--of which this "president" has refused to secure the borders, allowing militants into the nation with impunity. These generals and various politicians are pointing out the obvious--that an attack is imminent. They say the solution is to attack IS in Iraq, and seem to be beating the drums of fear to garner public support for yet another war. It does appear that the US is set up well for the "president's" destructive foreign policy pigeons to come home to roost. He has elevated Islam at the expense of America and everyone is warning of the consequences--an attack on American soil. They wring their hands and wail about it as if nothing can be done.
Biblically, there is much to happen before the Apocalypse, but this "president" has accelerated the times. This "president" appears to love Islam and is doing all to advance it. When his beasts attack our malls and schools, will we awake from our slumber? And what of us? Are we beginning to see the collective consequences of choosing evil to lead? This is not the Apocalypse, but it is in the future. In response, I am reminded of 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Ephesians 6:13, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." There will be a time to stand and it may be soon coming.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
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UN Releases Report on Iraq Suffering
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U.N. RELEASES REPORT ON IRAQ SUFFERING
Iraqi civilians suffering "horrific" widespread and systematic persecution - Pillay
GENEVA (25 August 2014) - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Monday condemned the appalling, widespread and systematic deprivation of human rights in Iraq by ISIL (the self-proclaimed "Islamic State") and associated forces. The violations include targeted killings, forced conversions, abductions, trafficking, slavery, sexual abuse, destruction of places of religious and cultural significance, and the besieging of entire communities because of ethnic, religious or sectarian affiliation. Among those directly targeted have been Christians, Yezidi, Shabaks, Turkomen, Kaka'e and Sabaeans.
"Grave, horrific human rights violations are being committed daily by ISIL and associated armed groups," Pillay said. "They are systematically targeting men, women and children based on their ethnic, religious or sectarian affiliation and are ruthlessly carrying out widespread ethnic and religious cleansing in the areas under their control. Such persecution would amount to crimes against humanity."
. . . "UN staff members in Iraq have been receiving harrowing phone calls from besieged civilians who are surviving in terrible conditions, with little or no access to humanitarian aid," Pillay said. "One of the women abducted by ISIL managed to call our staff, and told them that her teenage son and daughter were among the many who had been raped and sexually assaulted by ISIL gunmen. Another said her son had been raped at a checkpoint."
Pillay also stressed the urgent need for humanitarian assistance to individuals displaced by the conflict and those besieged in ISIL-controlled areas.
At least 13,000 members of the Shia Turkmen community in Amirli in Salah al-Din Governorate, among them 10,000 women and children, have been besieged by ISIL and associated armed groups since 15 June. Residents are enduring harsh living conditions with severe food and water shortages, and a complete absence of medical services - and there are fears of a possible imminent massacre.
The displacement of thousands of Christians and members of the Turkmen and Shabak communities, who fled Mosul and other cities in Nineveh that are under ISIL control, is also of serious concern. Having fled their homes fearing reprisals and executions, many of the displaced people are living in dire conditions within the Kurdistan region and in other locations in the country.
"The Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and the international community must take all necessary measures and spare no effort to protect members of ethnic and religious communities, who are particularly vulnerable, and to secure their return to their places of origin in safety and dignity," said Pillay.
The effect of the ongoing conflict on children is catastrophic. According to interviews by UN human rights monitors with displaced families, ISIL is forcibly recruiting boys aged 15 and above. ISIL has also reportedly been deliberately positioning the boys at the front-line in battle situations, as human shields. The Human Rights Office of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq has also verified reports of a massacre of prisoners and detainees in Mosul's Badoush Prison on 10 June. According to interviews with 20 survivors and 16 witnesses of the massacre, ISIL gunmen loaded between 1,000 and 1,500 prisoners onto trucks and transported them to a nearby uninhabited area.
There, armed men asked the Sunnis to separate themselves from the others. Around 100 prisoners who joined the Sunni group were suspected by ISIL not to be Sunni and were subjected to individual checks based on how they prayed and their place of origin. Sunni inmates were ordered back on the trucks and left the scene. ISIL gunmen then yelled insults at the remaining prisoners, lined them up in four rows, ordered them to kneel and opened fire. Up to 670 prisoners were reportedly killed.
"Such cold-blooded, systematic and intentional killings of civilians, after singling them out for their religious affiliation may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity," the High Commissioner said.
. . . "All parties to the conflict in Iraq have the responsibility not to target civilians or civilian objects, to take all feasible precautions to spare civilians from the effects of hostilities, and to respect, protect and meet the basic humanitarian needs of the civilian population," Pillay stressed. "According to international law, the severe deprivation of fundamental rights by reason of the identity of a group or collectivity amounts to the crime against humanity of persecution."
"I urge the international community to ensure that the perpetrators of these vicious crimes do not enjoy impunity. Any individual committing, or assisting in the commission of international crimes, must be held accountable according to law." [READ FULL ARTICLE HERE.]
- Father, we ask that this detailed report, outlining the atrocities now ongoing in Iraq under siege by ISIS, be circulated far and wide among the nations. We ask that Your people, around the world, would join forces in prayer and in action, to see this monster (ISIS/ISIL) taken down. We ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.
- "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds . . ." (2 Corinthians 10:4)
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A GUIDE TO PRAYER FOR IRAQ
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A GUIDE TO PRAYER FOR IRAQ:
From Friends in Australia
[This excellent prayer guide was sent to us by friends in Australia. This prayer service was recently held in the largest Anglican church in that region. We were blessed to reviewthis prayer guide, and we trust you will be blessed to read and to pray in agreement with these saints, on behalf of the suffering church in Iraq, as well.]
I am attaching a copy of the leaflet we are giving out today as a further guide for your and other people's prayers . . .
With thanks to Open Doors and the Anglican Communion for the prayer points and scripture readings.
With every blessing,
Jonathan
(The Revd.Dr) Jonathan Inkpin
Rector of the Parish of St.Luke, Toowoomba
PO Box 2434, Toowoomba, Queensland, 4350
ph (07) 4639 1910 (office)
0437 391910 (mobile)
rector@stlukestoowoomba.org.au
www.stlukestoowoomba.org.au
www.blessedimp.org
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The Good News Corner
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The Good News Corner:
Missionaries: 'Refugees In Iraq Turning To Christ Amid Islamic Attacks'
Native missionaries in Iraq say God is using them to spread hope and faith in Jesus Christ among thousands fleeing Islamic State militants, and many become Christians.
"In a crisis like this, we are experiencing a time of revival and awakening everywhere," a mission leader said, speaking on condition of anonymity amid security concerns.
"God is not just moving people geographically, He is moving in their hearts, as well."
Among them Norya, a Syrian refugee "who got saved in a [refugee] camp in Iraq," another mission leader said.
"She lost five children and her husband when a rocket fired by Syrian government forces toward the terrorists landed on her house causing their death," the missionary added in a statement obtained by BosNewsLife.
"She sings hymns with us at our church group meetings."
Norya's story is one of several sent to Christian Aid Mission (CAM), a group supporting native missionaries, including in the Kurdish region of Iraq, home to many refugees.
Prayers were said in the Kurdish town of Akra, where some of the displaced are living in buildings originally built to hold Iranian prisoners during Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's reign, missionaries added. "Each bathroom is being shared by some 10 families. Most of the others live in a refugee camp and the only school is without a roof. It collapsed during the winter," CAM told BosNewsLife.
Yet, CAM said teachers not only asked "ministry workers for help to replace the windows and roof, even with just a plastic tarp." The workers also "prayed with the teachers and shared the Gospel with many of the students".
While many refugees demanded food, missionaries suggested that several asked for the 'Bread of Life', a reference to Jesus. "As they were going from tent to tent in the Akra camp, Gospel workers came upon Abu Mustafa, a 50-year-old man who has three girls with cerebral atrophy and whose wife was killed. Mustafa was blaming God for his tragic situation, but allowed the workers to read the Bible to him and pray for him," CAM recalled.
"This is the first time I feel relief," Mustafa reportedly said. "For three years, I couldn't smile or feel safe, but now I feel differently. I have peace in my heart. Please pray for my girls. I believe Jesus can heal them, and heal me, from the inside."
Read More
Source: BosNewsLife
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Signs and Wonders
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Signs and Wonders
Strange sea creatures invade West Coast beaches
Oxnard, California (CNN) -- Thousands of strange sea creatures are washing ashore on California beaches, puzzling tourists and thrilling scientists quick to explain the phenomenon. "The scientific name is Velella velella," said David Bader, director of education at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California. "They're jelly-like creatures, but they're not exactly jellyfish." Also known as "by-the-wind sailors," the creatures have a clear, distinctive fin sticking up from a blue, oval body no larger than the palm of a hand. "Every now and then, the currents and the winds will change and these guys will, instead of being pushed out to sea, they actually wind up on the beach," Bader told CNN. They first started showing up in Washington and Oregon, and by mid-July reached San Francisco. On Thursday, photos turned up on Twitter from Hollywood and Silver Strand beaches in Oxnard. (Read more)
"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."
(Luke 21:25-28)
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Worship With Us Today!
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Worship With Us Today!
Judy Jacobs - "Get Ready"
Worship Here
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Today's Birthday
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Today's Birthday on the Hill
Almost every day of the year, a member of Congress or a Senator is celebrating a birthday. Let's lift up these men and women, day by day in prayer on their special day, that God might bless them and show them His love for each one. Indeed, let's move together in obedience to the Lord's mandate in I Timothy 2:1-4. It is written:
"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."
Today's Birthday Greeting goes to:
Rep. Julia Brownley (CA)
(Source: Bible Pathways Ministries. www.biblepathway.org)
