Have you heard
the sound of the trumpet?
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The Daily Brief:
"Praying for All in Authority"
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
"Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)
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The Middle East in Focus
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"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you." (Isaiah 54:10)
1. Israel denies reports of truce talks with Hamas - Israel Hayom
Israel denied reports on Monday that it was involved in indirect talks with Hamas about a long-term truce deal that would include the lifting of the blockade on the Gaza Strip.
A Prime Minister's Office official said, "There have been no meetings with Hamas -- no indirect meetings, no meetings in other countries and no meetings involving mediators."
The official made the statement after Arab media reported that a delegation of Hamas officials, led by Ismail Haniyeh, would travel to Cairo soon for talks with Egypt's intelligence chief about a long-term truce with Israel.(Read more)
2. US Jewish groups on alert after bin Laden's son calls for attacks - Times of Israel
The national Jewish community's security arm has asked Jewish institutions to be on the alert after Osama Bin Laden's son called for attacks on Jewish American interests.
The Secure Community Network alert said Friday that Hamza bin Laden, who has ambitions to lead al-Qaeda, the terrorist organization founded by his father, posted an audio message calling "for the targeting of Jewish American interests globally." "Hamza also reportedly called for attacks on Washington, London, Paris and Tel Aviv," the alert said. (Read more)
3. The Iran Nuclear Deal's Fallout on the United Nations - AmericanThinker.com
The U.S. Congress is presently reviewing the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action, a deal concluded on July 14, 2015, by Iran and the main world powers. It is likely Congress will reject the deal next month and it may or may not be able to later override the inevitable presidential veto.
The central issue is whether Iran will or will not be allowed to become a nuclear power. But other matters of considerable importance seem to have been kept away from the limelight: the impact of the JCPOA on the role and credibility of the United Nations. (Read more)
4. Arab Bank Reaches Settlement in Suit Accusing It of Financing Terrorism - New York Times
Three days before a first-of-its-kind damages trial was supposed to start, a Middle Eastern bank has reached a settlement with hundreds of American plaintiffs, including victims of terrorist attacks around Israel, who had filed a lawsuit against the bank accusing it of supporting terrorism.
A spokesman for the bank, Arab Bank, and a spokeswoman for one of the law firms representing the plaintiffs confirmed on Friday that an agreement had been reached but declined to offer additional details, including the amount of the settlement. (Read more)
5. Iran says the nuke deal will help it target Israel - New York Post
President Obama says his nuclear deal with Iran is good not just for America, but also for US ally Israel. Iran's foreign minister disagrees. Mohammad Javad Zarif was in Lebanon this week, meeting with the head Hezbollah terrorist, Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah's TV station al-Manar reported, "Zarif said from Beirut that the nuclear agreement between Tehran and the world powers created a historic opportunity for regional cooperation to fight extremism and face threats posed by the Zionist entity."(Read more)
6. Iraqi Kurds say Islamic State attacked them with chemical weapons - Reuters
Kurdish authorities in Iraq said on Friday they believe their Peshmerga forces have been attacked with chemical weapons, possibly chlorine gas, by Islamic State militants.
The Kurdistan Region's Security Council said it was investigating multiple attacks by Islamic State insurgents against Peshmerga positions, including in Makhmour, southwest of Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region, earlier this week. It was the third report of suspected chemical weapons use on the Iraqi battlefield this year.
Translation: With a "signing bonus" to Iran of $100 billion or more, the nuke deal will empower the Islamic Republic to send more cash, rockets and other arms to Hezbollah and other anti-Israel terrorist groups. It will also boost Tehran's regional prestige - allowing it to bully other nations into greater hostility toward Israel. (Read more)
7. The Terror Strategist: Secret Files Reveal the Structure of Islamic State - spiegel.de/international
What Bakr put on paper, page by page, with carefully outlined boxes for individual responsibilities, was nothing less than a blueprint for a takeover. It was not a manifesto of faith, but a technically precise plan for an "Islamic Intelligence State" -- a caliphate run by an organization that resembled East Germany's notorious Stasi domestic intelligence agency. (Read more)
Footnote: This is an excellent article, providing an indepth analysis of the actual workings of ISIS.
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The Daily Brief
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1. White House Hires First Openly Transgender Official--as Recruitment Director for Presidential Personnel - CNSNews.com
The White House has hired its first openly transgender staff member.
The White House announced Raffi Freedman-Gurspan's appointment on Tuesday. Freedman-Gurspan is an outreach and recruitment director for presidential personnel in the Office of Personnel. Transgender advocates say she is the first openly transgender official to serve in the White House.
White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett says Freedman-Gurspan's commitment to improving the lives of transgender Americans reflects the values of the Obama administration. (Read more)
- Abba Father, we stand in the gap and repent for the White House appointing a transgender to the Office of Personnel. When You made man and woman, You did not make some to be homosexual or transgender. You made man and woman perfect in Your image. Abba, forgive us for agreeing with these misconceptions of personality. In Your Name we pray, Amen.
- Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)
2. Poll: Only 40% of Teachers Support Common Core - CNSNews.com
Less than half of Americans (49 percent) and only 40 percent of teachers now say they support Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Public support has dropped 16 percent since 2013, when 65 percent of Americans were in favor of the Common Core standards, according to the ninth annual Education Next poll released Tuesday.
But the greatest change in opinion has been among teachers.
In 2013, 76 percent of teachers said they were in favor of the Common Core. In the new survey, only 40 percent say the favor Common Core--representing a 36-point drop in two years. (Read more)
- Abba Father, Our educational system is in chaos. We no longer graduate young people from high school that can read, write and do arithmetic! We are not educating our children as they should be educated. Abba, we pray that Common Core be abolished, and that the states set standards for our children. In His Name we pray, Amen.
-"For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. (Proverbs 1:32)
3. Senate leader admits little chance Iran deal will be blocked - Times of Israel
President Barack Obama has "a great likelihood of success" in his showdown with congressional Republicans on the Iran nuclear deal, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell grudgingly acknowledged on Monday.
The GOP-led Senate and House are expected to turn down the deal next month, with the Kentucky Republican calling it flawed and House Speaker John Boehner criticizing the accord. The deal with Tehran and world powers would curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions.
Obama has pledged to veto a congressional resolution of disapproval. The question then becomes whether opponents of the accord can muster the votes to override the president.
Offering a preview of the struggle, McConnell talked about the difficulty in achieving an override. Obama needs 34 Senate Democrats to sustain a veto, and 20 have announced they are backing the deal. In the House, 146 Democrats are necessary to sustain a veto and 48 have expressed their support for the accord, compared to 10 opponents. (Read more)
- Abba Father, without Your help this deal will go through. We have come before Your throne and asked that You would intervene and stop this Iran Nuclear Agreement. We come before You again and ask that You stop this deal. Abba, in our eyes, this agreement advances nuclear proliferation. Not our will, but Your will be done. In Your Name we pray, Amen.
- "Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10)
4. IRS Cyberattack Was 3 Times Worse Than Previously Revealed - Time/Money
Hackers stole tax return information from 334,000 taxpayers, according to a new review.
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said Monday a hacking attack into one of its computer databases revealed in May was much more extensive than previously thought, with nearly three times as many taxpayers hit by data theft.
The IRS said in late May the tax return information of about 114,000 U.S. taxpayers had been illegally accessed by cyber criminals over the preceding four months, with another 111,000 unsuccessful attempts made. (Read more)
- Abba Father, we ask for Your protection for those whose identity has been stolen. May the IRS notify people in a timely manner so that they can take action to protect their identity. Abba, we also ask that You would provide the resources and manpower to protect our identities from hackers. In Your Name we pray, Amen.
- "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)
5. Report: Hillary's Server With 'Mom and Pop' Shop That Lacked Security - Newsmax
The Denver-based company that maintained Hillary Clinton's "home-brew" private email account during her tenure as secretary was a "mom and pop shop" that until earlier this year operated its business from a converted loft apartment that housed its servers in a bathroom closet, according to The Daily Mail, which interviewed former employees of the company, Platte River Networks.
Platte River did not have security clearance to handle classified materials, the chief spokesman for the Defense Security Service, part of the Defense Department and "the only federal agency authorized to approve private sector company access to sensitive or confidential material," told Business Insider.
The revelation - "which will raise the most significant questions over security and over what checks Clinton's aides made about how suitable it was for dealing with what new transpires to be classified material" - is deeply concerning to Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. It "raises serious questions," Johnson said. (Read more)
- Lord God, only You can judge this case, but it does seem that, the more evidence that is now coming to light regarding the history of Hillary's email activities, the more she may be headed for criminal indictment. We ask that strong security measures now be imposed upon the cyber activity of all who are in authority, so that our own national security is not in jeapordy. Thank You, Lord, for hearing our prayer, in the Name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen and amen.
- "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Matthew 21:22)
6. Wait Till You See What Hillary Just Said In Private Meeting With Black Lives Matter Activists - Western Journalism
After watching what Hillary Clinton just did and said in an extraordinary private meeting with black activists, one could reasonably believe that the presumed 2016 nominee for president is trying to ingratiate herself with a radical but potentially viable voting bloc that could help rescue her failing bid for president.
In a just-revealed video of the private, backstage meeting between Hillary Clinton and Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists from Boston, Hillary readily agrees with their claims that America is a racist nation that routinely practices "mass incarceration" of black people to keep them subservient and oppressed. Clinton observes that her country "has still not recovered from its original sin" of "anti-blackness."(Read more)
- Lord God, we lift up every candidate who has, or who will, throw their hat into the ring for the presidential election next year. We come against any spirits that would seek to further divide us, and we call forth a spirit of peace, healing and restoration upon our land, We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
- ". . . God is not a God of confusion but of peace . . ." (I Corinthians 14:33)
7. ISIS calls Erdogan infidel, urges followers to conquer Istanbul - Jerusalem Post
A fighter proclaiming allegiance to Islamic State has appeared in a video urging fellow Turks to rebel against "infidel" President Tayyip Erdogan and help conquer Istanbul, highlighting the threat the NATO member faces as it battles the radical insurgents.
Turkey has been in a heightened state of alert since launching a "synchronized war on terror" last month, which included air strikes against Islamic State fighters in Syria and the opening of its air bases to US-led coalition forces. (Read more)
- Abba Father, President Erdogan's sins have consequences. He looked the other way for years allowing Muslims to join ISIS through its porous borders. Now, they are attacking Turkey, and him, because Erdogan has attacked them. His fence sitting has caused him problems. Erdogan is not a good ally of the United States. Lord, we ask that his true colors be exposed. In Your Name we pray, Amen.
- "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." (Galatians 6:7)
8. US General Says Islamic State Gaining in Afghanistan - ABC News
The Islamic State is making small inroads in Afghanistan and could grow into a more worrisome threat, a U.S. Army general said Thursday.
Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon from his offices in Kabul, Brig. Gen. Wilson Shoffner said the Islamic State, which rose to prominence by capturing large swaths of Syria and Iraq, is not yet capable of coordinating military operations in more than one part of Afghanistan at a time.
"We see their capabilities increasing somewhat but not to the point where they can conduct operations that you're seeing in Iraq and Syria, although we do note the potential for them to evolve into something more serious, more dangerous," he said. (Read more)
- Father God, only You can stop ISIS. We ask for this today, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
- "Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes." (Psalm 21:8)
9. U.S. Navy on alert: China, Russia to launch largest-ever joint navy exercise - Washington Times
The Chinese and Russian navies are gearing up for their largest-ever joint exercises, slated to begin Thursday in the Pacific with more than 20 ships and featuring anti-submarine operations as well as a joint-beach landing. The "Joint Sea 2015 II" exercises will run through Aug. 28 in the Sea of Japan and off the coast of Vladivostok.
While analysts say the operations have increased in size and sophistications during recent years, the Chinese and Russian navies have held five such joint exercises over the past decade. But in the current round of exercises, Chinese frigates have reportedly made their first-ever visit to the Russian Novorossiysk naval base in the Black Sea. (Read more)
- Lord God, we thank You that our intelligence is working, and that we are able to monitor this dangerous situation. We ask for Your wisdom to guide those who direct our own military, that all decisions be made only in Your time and according to Your will. We ask this in Your name, amen.
- "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence." (I Timothy 2:1,2)
10. 'Ridiculous': FBI warns of next big terror attack
Leaked document blames Fox, WND, Pam Geller for fueling militias
Just three weeks after an ISIS-inspired attack on a Muhammad cartoonist event in Garland, Texas, the FBI began circulating an intelligence bulletin that alerts state, federal and local law enforcement about the likelihood of attacks against Muslims by "militia extremists."
The bulletin, marked "sensitive" and not for distribution without FBI authorization, cites evidence gathered since 2013 that American militia groups are planning attacks on mosques, Islamic centers and possibly individual Muslims.
The document is dated May 28, 2015, and was leaked to Public Intelligence, an online information site committed to exposing government secrets and data. Public Intelligence posted the document on its site Aug. 18. Named in the bulletin as news sites that provide information that supposedly fuels the militia groups were WND.com, Fox News, the Blaze, Western Journalism Center, Patriot Newswire and Pamela Geller's blog, AtlasShrugs.com. (Read more)
- Lord God, we have now reached the epitome of those who are calling good evil . . . and evil, good. We ask for Your hand of mercy to rest upon us, as we stand in repentance for the sins of our nation. Lord God, please restore "right thinking" to those in authority at the FBI, so that only the true terrorists in this land are tracked down instead of the innocent. We ask this prayer in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen and amen.
- "The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful." (Prov. 12:22)
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The Daily Jot
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They call it immigration
Columnist Patrick Buchanan has described illegal immigration as the issue of the century. In a recent column, Buchanan asks: "Will the West endure or disappear by the century's end as another lost civilization? Mass immigration, if it continues, will be more decisive in deciding the fate of the West than Islamist terrorism. For the world is invading the West." In particular, the Center for Immigration Studies reports that America's "immigrant population has grown 4.1 million from the 2nd quarter of 2011 to the 2nd quarter of 2015, with roughly 2.1 million of the growth coming from Latin America, of which one million are coming from Mexico." That's where many are coming from, but not necessarily who they are.
Conservative Review's David Horowitz opines: "While we are painfully aware of the epidemic of 360,000 known criminal aliens roaming the streets, what is less evident is how many new illegal immigrants are arriving because of the public incentives that are being made to illegal aliens and their relatives." According to FY 2014 US Sentencing Commission data, of 74,911 sentencing cases, citizens accounted for 43,479 (or 58.0%), illegal immigrants accounted for 27,505 (or 36.7%), legal immigrants made up 3,017 (or 4.0%). Illegal immigrants represented 16.8% of drug trafficking cases, 20.0% of kidnapping/hostage taking, 74.1% of drug possession, 12.3% of money laundering, and 12.0% of murder convictions.
But wait, there's more. There has been a huge increase in Islamic terror-related crime in the US. All the while, the current Administration has upped the numbers coming from Somalia, Iraq and other radical Middle East countries. Problems have also arisen with Islamic radicals recruiting young Muslim refugees in America. WND has reported in recent weeks about FBI investigations into 25 to 30 Somali refugees leaving their homes in Minnesota to become fighters for ISIS in Syria and the al-Qaida-linked Al-Shabab in Somalia. We have an Administration that has refused to secure our borders from illegal entry, and at the same time, is rapidly increasing the numbers of Islamists immigrating from radicalized countries.
Numbers 9:14 says, "You shall have one ordinance (statute), both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land." While we seek to treat others as we would like to be treated, there is this matter of the law. If someone enters this country illegally, they are breaking the law. Their first act here is as a criminal, but it doesn't stop there. There appears to be little regard of any law of the nation, including voting illegally. There is no "right" of citizenship. There is a legal path to becoming a citizen, which includes an oath to obey the laws. The problem, however, is not just illegal alien criminals, it is the politicians who are allowing two ordinances--one for the law abiding citizen and another for the illegal immigrant.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
www.dailyjot.com
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Our Grandmothers' Songs
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Songs Our Grandmothers Sang:
HOLY GROUND
Lyrics
When I walk through the doors I sensed His presence
And I knew this was a place where love abounds
For this is a temple the God we love abides here
Oh we are standing in His presence on holy ground
(chorus)
We are standing on holy ground
For I know that there are angels all around
Let us praise Jesus now
For we are standing in Hos presence on holy ground
Verse 2
In His presence I know there is joy beyond all measure
And at His feet sweet peace of mind can still be found
For when we have a need He is still the answer
Reach out and claim it for we are standing on holy ground
(chorus)
We are standing on holy ground
For I know that there are angels all around
Let us praise Jesus now
For we are standing in His presence on holy ground
Let us praise Jesus now
For we are standing in hHis presence on holy ground
Melody
Please go here.
About the Author:
Words: Bill Gaither
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Signs and Wonders
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Mysterious Trumpet-Like Sounds Around World Leave Many Baffled
"If a Shofar shall be blown in a city, can it be that the inhabitants will not be shaken?" (Amos 3:6)
Mysterious trumpet-like noises from the sky have been "continuing to baffle people all over the world," the Daily Mail reported. People in Germany, Ukraine and even Canada and the United States have reported hearing the sounds, leaving many to speculate whether a heavenly signal is being blown from above.
The Bible provides various signs as to the beginning of the Messianic era and the End of Days. However, one such sign, or rather sound, will herald in his final arrival and signal to the nations God's ultimate kingship - the shofar, or ram's horn. . .
The shofar's origin is attributed to the binding of Isaac, when Abraham's love of God was tested against the love of his son. At the last moment, an angel stayed his hand, and in place, a ram was substituted instead (Genesis 22:13). The site of the altar is, according to Jewish tradition, the site of the Holy Temple, where the ram appeared again as a sacrifice and its horns were used as shofarot in the Temple service.
. . . The Biblical significance of and the ancestral connection to the shofar serves as a reminder of personal service to God. The piercing sound of the ram's horn is a wakeup call to the nations to seek out God and inwardly repent, an essential element to the ultimate arrival of the Messiah. (Breaking Israel News) Read more
"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea." (Luke 21:25)
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The Good News Corner
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"Untold Misery" as Ukraine Cease Fire Falters, Yet the Gospel Shines Amidst the Suffering
(Ukraine) - Missionaries native to Ukraine are risking their lives to bring life-saving aid to civilians as violations of a cease-fire add to the nearly 7,000 people who have perished.
A cease-fire signed in February between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces has been crumbling fast in the past week as troops on both sides have reported casualties. The February agreement followed the breakdown of a prior cease-fire signed in September 2014. The United Nations estimates more than 6,800 people, both civilians and troops, have been killed since April 2014, with 17,100 wounded.
In combat areas in eastern Ukraine, heavy artillery has been used in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in spite of the cease-fire signed in the Belarus capital of Minsk. As many as 400 pro-Russian separatists attacked Ukrainian forces over the weekend (Aug. 8-9) with the aid of 10 tanks and 10 armored personnel carriers, according to a government spokesman.
Many stores are closed, making it difficult to buy staple items such as bread, and travel is dangerous. The indigenous missionaries that Christian Aid Mission assists said they have the know-how and contacts to overcome the obstacles of war to get aid to people.
"Every week we send out food parcels and clothing to different locations in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions where people are unable to leave the territory," a local ministry director said. "Food delivery capability is very limited, as there are only seven corridors through which humanitarian supplies may be delivered. Many people are in need of food."
The ministry has established mobile kitchens in tents where people are fed. Three such tents are in place in Donetsk, two in Lugansk, and one each in Makiyevka, Krasnodon, Rubizhne, and Yenakievo. Each day, up to 1,000 people receive food, the ministry director said.
"All these people hear the testimony of Jesus Christ," he said. "They are offered the opportunity to repeat a prayer of repentance. According to the pastors, no one refuses to repent."
The daily cost of feeding one person per day is 70 cents. The ministry also provides clothes and toiletries, but great needs for pharmaceutical items remain.
Read More
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Worship With Us Today!
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Worship With Us Today!
"I Love You Lord" - Maranatha Singers
Worship Here
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Two Daily Conference Calls
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