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The Daily Brief:
"Praying for All in Authority"
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
"Praying for All in Authority"
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
"When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him." (Isaiah 59:19)
> > > To help sustain our work, please go here. Thank you!
> > > Many thanks to ALL OF YOU who called in yesterday to join our 24-hour July 4th Bible Readathon. What a tremendous experience this was!
We praise our God that the streets of our nation were peaceful yesterday, and that this July 4th proved to truly be a celebration of the birth of our great nation. AMEN!
"Standing Together as One . . . Under the Cross of Christ"
North Korea Launches ICBM
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North Korea Launches ICBM:
Headlines in the News
- Father God, we bring all of this news before Your Throne of Grace, and we fear not, for we know that You are with us. We ask for wisdom for President Trump and his military advisors, as they determine how to respond to this development. Thank You, Lord, that You are watching over all of us, in love, Amen.
- "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." (Psalm 18:2)
1. North Korea successfully test-launched ICBM, US officials confirm - Fox News
North Korea successfully test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time on Tuesday, U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News.
The ballistic missile flew longer than any North Korean missile test conducted by the rogue regime to date, U.S. Pacific Command said -- meaning Kim Jong Un's dictatorship may now possess the ability to strike Alaska.
North Korea launched previously a missile on Mother's Day that flew for 30 minutes and reached an altitude 1,000 miles higher than the international space station. But Tuesday's missile flew for 37 minutes and reached a height of 1,500 miles, leading missile experts to conclude it could have reached a target 4,000 miles away, putting Alaska in its cross-hairs.
"The threat is much more immediate now," National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster told reporters prior to the launch. "So it's clear we can't repeat the same failed approach of the past." (Read more)
2. Experts: North Korea's missile was a 'real ICBM' - and a grave milestone - Washington Post
The North Korean missile that soared high above the Sea of Japan on Tuesday was hailed by state-run television as a "shining success." But to U.S. officials, it was a most unwelcome surprise: a weapon with intercontinental range, delivered years before most Western experts believed such a feat possible.
Hours after the apparently successful test, intelligence agencies continued to run calculations to determine precisely how the missile, dubbed the Hwasong-14, performed in its maiden flight. But the consensus among missile experts was that North Korea had achieved a long-sought milestone, demonstrating a capability of striking targets thousands of miles from its coast.
Initial Pentagon assessments said North Korea had tested a "land-based, intermediate-range" missile that landed in the Sea of Japan just under 600 linear miles from its launch point, Panghyon Airfield, near the Chinese border. The State Department and the Pentagon later confirmed North Korea had launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM. Government and independent analyses showed the missile traveling in a steep arc that topped out at more than 1,740 vertical miles above the Earth's surface.
If flown in a more typical trajectory, the missile would have easily traveled 4,000 miles, potentially putting all of Alaska within its range, according to former government officials and independent analysts. A missile that exceeds a range of 3,400 miles is classified as an ICBM. (Read more)
3. North Korea: Could Kim Jong Un's Missiles Hit the United States? - Newsweek
On the night before American Independence Day on July 4, an emotional North Korean news presenter revealed on state-owned TV that Pyongyang had at last successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
The launch prompted a clearly furious President Donald Trump to make yet another demand for China, North Korea's last remaining ally, to rein in Kim Jong Un.
. . .To hit the U.S. mainland, Pyongyang would need to construct a rocket that can go at least 5,700 miles, reaching the Alaskan coast.
To do so it would need to exit and then reenter the Earth's atmosphere.
Roman Pardo, at King's College London, says among experts in South Korea, China, and the United States, the consensus is that North Korea is four to five years away from that feat. (Read more)
4. President Trump: "The Era of Patience with the North Korean Regime has Clearly Failed" - Newsweek
To view this video, go here.
5. Trump Pushes China To 'End This Once And For All' As North Korea Tests Another Missile - Daily Caller
North Korea conducted another ballistic missile test Tuesday. North Korea fired an unidentified missile into the Sea of Japan/East Sea from an area near an airfield in Banghyon, North Pyongan Province. The North has launched over a dozen missiles this year, with promises to test an intercontinental ballistic missile.
North Korea has tested new and improved short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, as well as surface-to-air and coastal defense missiles. The North has also been testing rocket engines with greater thrust capabilities. "The series of recent strategic weapons tests show that we are not too far away from test-firing an intercontinental ballistic missile," North Korean state media said in June, "The DPRK is about 10,400 km far away from New York. But this is just not a long distance for its strike today." Trump previously warned that North Korea will not be permitted to develop a missile capable of hitting the continental U.S., stating, "It won't happen!" It is, however, unclear at this time whether North Korea has developed this kind of technology. (Read more)
Focus on Israel
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1. Israel fumes over 'sad, pathetic' UNESCO decision on Jerusalem - Times of Israel
Israeli officials angrily rejected a resolution by a UN body condemning its activity in East Jerusalem and the Old City, with the Foreign Ministry saying the move was irrelevant.
After the United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization's World Heritage Council on Tuesday evening passed a resolution denouncing Israeli activity in the Old City of Jerusalem, the Foreign Ministry responded by saying the decision cannot change the reality that Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish people.
(Read more)
2. Small Israeli drone crashes in southern Gaza, says army - Times of Israel
A small Israeli drone crashed in the southern Gaza Strip overnight Tuesday, the army said, in the third such incident this year.
There did not appear to be a risk that classified information could be retrieved from the device, the military indicated.
The drone, a Skylark model, fell out of the sky in southern Gaza for as-yet unknown reasons. "The incident is being investigated," a spokesperson said early Tuesday.
(Read more)
3. WATCH: PM pleads for patience amid Western Wall, conversion bill row - Times of Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday pleaded for patience amid on ongoing row between the Israeli government and many in Diaspora Jewry over a pair of cabinet decisions surrounding the Western Wall and the since-frozen conversion bill last week that caused an uproar.
Speaking at Fourth of July celebrations at the residence of US ambassador to Israel David Friedman in Herzliya, Netanyahu said he was committed and "will remain committed to making every Jew feel at home in Israel, including at the Kotel [Western Wall]," which he repeated twice for emphasis.
"All we need is patience and perseverance. Patience, perseverance and courage is what the founders of America had in abundance," he said.
(Read more)
4. IDF officer killed in Hevron - Israel National News
An IDF officer, 22-year-old Second Lieutenant David Golovenchich from Efrat, was killed on Tuesday evening in a misfire incident during an IDF drill in the Gilber checkpoint in Hevron, it has been cleared for publication.
The commander of the Central Command, Major General Roni Numa, has appointed a committee of experts headed by Colonel Ronen Tamim, the head of the Idan division, to investigate the circumstances of the incident.
The Military Police is investigating as well. The officer's family has been informed.
(Read more)
5. Netanyahu: 'Israel and America are two bastions of liberty'- World Israel News
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took part in American Independence Day celebrations at US Ambassador David Friedman's Herzliya residence on Monday night, saluting the United States of America's founding principles.
"Today is a celebration of freedom and independence," Netanyahu opened. "It's a celebration of this most remarkable country, the United States of America."
"This idea, this great idea which brought into being all the philosophies of the enlightenment and the ancient ideas of freedom born in this country, this brought together the United States, and on July 4th, 1776, the United States was born: a nation conceived in liberty, dedicated to the proposition that all men - they later added all women too - are created equal," Netanyahu added.
(Read more)
The Daily Brief
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Please note:
Every prayer below is presented to our Lord in the Name of Jesus Christ, amen.
1. 'In America, We Don't Worship Government, We Worship God,' Says Trump at Veterans Event - CBN News
President Donald Trump has once again shown he cares for two things important to millions of Americans: veterans and faith. This weekend he gave an address at the Celebrate Freedom concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. The event was hosted by Pastor Robert Jeffress and the church where he's the senior pastor, First Baptist in Dallas. It was held Saturday night in honor of men and women who have served in the armed forces.
The president spoke about religious freedom in America. "We love our country, we love our families, we love our freedom and we love our God," he said. He pointed back to the roots of religious freedom in the United States and held that this freedom is only found in God. "Since the signing of the Declaration of Independence 241 years ago, America always affirmed that Liberty comes from our Creator," he said. "Our rights are given to us by God, and no earthly force can ever take those rights away." (Read more)
- Father, we pray You would bless President Trump and his administration as they honor You by lifting up Your standard for our nation.
- What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance. (Psalm 33:12)
2. Trump enters Charlie Gard debate: 'We would be delighted' to help - Fox News
The plight of Charlie Gard - the brain-damaged British baby whose parents recently lost a legal battle to keep him on life support - has now tugged at heart strings as far away as the Oval Office. President Trump on Monday tweeted his willingness to lend a hand - and in doing so exposed the debate over who should make life-and-death decisions for Charlie to a massive audience. "If we can help little #CharlieGard, as per our friends in the U.K. and the Pope, we would be delighted to do so," Trump wrote. (Read more)
- Father, we pray for healing for little Charlie Gard and pray his parents will be allowed to move him and pursue treatment. We also pray this example of the government superseding parental rights and controlling medical delivery will cause us to think through the amount of control we want our government to have over our healthcare system.
- The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer. (Psalm 6:9)
3. 'Interesting things happening' on Mideast peace, Trump tweets - Jerusalem Post
US President Donald Trump personally engaged with Arab world leaders over the weekend in his effort to reboot a regional peace process. "Spoke yesterday with the King of Saudi Arabia about peace in the Middle-East," the president wrote on Twitter early on Monday morning. "Interesting things are happening!"
A White House readout of the president's Sunday calls - with Saudi Arabia's King Salman, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and emir of Qatar - made no reference to a Middle East peace process with Israel, only detailing his conversations with regional leaders over a Riyadh-led blockade of Doha. "He reiterated the importance of stopping terrorist financing and discrediting extremist ideology," the White House statement reads. The US, Israel and Gulf states have long accused Qatar of funding Hamas. "The president also underscored that unity in the region is critical to accomplishing the Riyadh Summit's goals of defeating terrorism and promoting regional stability." (Read more)
- Father, You are realigning the nations for Your purposes. We pray President Trump, Secretary Tillerson and our State Department will move forward with wisdom to take advantage of these new opportunities.
- Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days- You would not believe if you were told. (Habakkuk 1:5)
4. Analysis: Will Trump inflame or defuse Gulf crisis? - Jerusalem Post
The Gulf crisis could escalate in the coming days, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt tightening the economic screws on Qatar. They would be doing this with a green light from Washington, which is anything but a neutral mediator. Washington shares the goals of the four allies that imposed a boycott and severed diplomatic relations with Doha on June 5, saying the moves were a response to Qatari support for terrorism.
"This administration probably shares the broad sentiments driving the Saudi and Emirati pressure on Qatar but at the same time doesn't want to see the situation spin out of control or deteriorate to the point of armed conflict or an unmanageable crisis," said Brandon Friedman, a specialist on Gulf politics at Tel Aviv University's Dayan Center. A two-day extension by the four allies of an ultimatum that Qatar meet a list of 13 demands to change its policies expires Tuesday. A meeting of the allies to discuss the next steps against Qatar will take place Wednesday unless Qatar caves in.
Among the demands are that Qatar close Al Jazeera television, curb ties with Iran, close a Turkish military base and hand over designated terrorists. (Read more)
- Father, we pray Qatar will yield to international pressure and end support for terrorist organizations and nations who support instability in the Middle East.
- But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice. (Jeremiah 7:5)
5. Trump drains big part of White House swamp - WND
Fulfilling his campaign promise to the American people, President Trump is "draining the swamp," at least partly, by dramatically cutting the budget of the White House payroll, ultimately saving American taxpayers a projected $22 million. According to the Trump administration annual report to Congress on White House personnel, the president is reducing "czar" and "fellowship" posts President Obama had in place and is refusing his presidential salary. The report includes the name, status, salary and positions of all 377 White House employees.
Adam Andrzejewski, president of the government watchdog group OpenTheBooks.com, compared the Trump administration's payroll data to the Obama administration's of the last two years. "If the White House payroll is a leading indicator of the president's commitment to shrink government then voters have a reason to cheer," Andrzejewski writes in Forbes. (Read more)
- Father, we pray You would continue to give President Trump, his cabinet and staff wisdom as they apply best practices to our government, eliminating unnecessary and redundant positions and giving our public servants meaningful work.
- Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity (Proverbs 21:5a)
6. Court Delivers Trump's EPA A Defeat Right Before Independence Day - Daily Caller
A federal court has overturned the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) stay on the implementation of regulations on methane emissions for new oil and natural gas drilling wells. Federal judges gave environmentalists a legal win Monday by preventing the Trump administration from staying an Obama-era global warming rule while the EPA considers repealing it altogether. The court ruled that the "EPA's decision to impose a stay, in other words, was 'arbitrary, capricious,'" because "it was thus not 'impracticable' for industry groups to have raised such objections during the notice and comment period." The EPA imposed the methane rule as part of former President Barack Obama's "Climate Action Plan" to fight global warming. The rule was one of the key regulations that Obama hoped would help the U.S. comply with the Paris climate accord. (Read more)
- Father, we pray this regulation (and many others) will be removed when unnecessary to protect our environment.
- For You have shattered their oppressive yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as You did on the day of Midian. (Isaiah 9:4)
7. Republicans submit again to CBO amid call to dump agency - WND
The Congressional Budget Office's scoring of the Senate Republicans' initial health-care proposal fueled Democrat complaints that the GOP is heartlessly stripping millions of their insurance plans. Now, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he will send a revised bill to the CBO next week for scoring, apparently hoping to trim the CBO's estimate that more than 22 million Americans would lose their health insurance in the next 10 years if the legislation passed in its current form. House Republicans passed their own version three weeks ago without waiting for a CBO score. It replaced an earlier version the CBO had said would result in 24 million being without insurance.
But critics of the CBO - described as a bipartisan federal agency within the legislative branch that provides budget and economic information and assessment to Congress - wonder why a Republican Congress would allow a group with a history of inaccurate forecasts that typically fail to account for the impact of market forces. And some have called for the agency to be disbanded or replaced. The CBO, founded in 1974 under President Nixon, also estimated the initial Senate Republican health-care bill will cut the federal deficit by $321 billion by 2026. Premiums, which have more than doubled for most Americans since Obamacare was enacted in 2010, would be 30 percent lower in 2020 than they would be without reform, according to CBO. (Read more)
- Father, the forecasting of this agency has caused our leaders to make poor decisions regarding our budget priorities and has greatly contributed to our national debt. Help us reform or end this agency.
- Wealth is a crown for the wise; the effort of fools yields only foolishness. (Proverbs 14:24)
8. Shadow President? Obama Meets With South Korean President To Discuss Trump - Daily Caller
Former President Barack Obama seems to be feeling nostalgic for his old job, meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in Monday for 40 minutes. The Korea Herald reported that Moon spoke about his recent meetings with President Trump in Washington and asked Obama for his advice on how to improve that relationship.The meeting came after Obama spoke at the Asian Leadership Conference and the Fourth Congress of Indonesian Diaspora in Jakarta. There he attacked Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate change accord.
"In Paris, we came together around the most ambitious agreement in history about climate change, an agreement that even with the temporary absence of American leadership can still give our children a fighting chance," Obama said in Indonesia. The former president had said before leaving office that he appreciated his predecessor George W. Bush's silence during his tenure, but also contended that he's "still a citizen and that carries with it duties and obligations." (Read more)
- Father, we pray You would reveal the insidious nature of meetings between Barack Obama and foreign leaders, and we pray former President Obama would be held fully accountable for his actions.
- The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs. (Proverbs 14:14)
9. Judicial Watch Pres: Mueller's Russia Probe 'Out of Control,' Should Be Shut Down - Fox News
Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton called for Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation to be shut down. Fitton joined "America's News HQ" this afternoon to explain after Mueller's latest hire of Andrew Goldstein, a former prosecutor who worked under Preet Bharara in New York. Fitton questioned who is overseeing Mueller's day-to-day conduct, pointing to the 12 hires he has made for his legal team. He noted that several of the lawyers donated to Democrats and it seems that the team is "searching for a crime."
"I don't understand what this investigation is about," he said, adding that there are constitutional questions that must be answered. Mueller is conducting the investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election and whether the Trump campaign was involved. (Read more)
- Father, we pray You would end this investigation, allowing our government to move on with the nation's business.
- But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. (Colossians 3:8)
10. Hamburg G20 protest: Thousands took to the streets as Donald Trump expected to visit Germany for summit - The Independent UK
Thousands took to the streets of Hamburg on Sunday to air their grievances about the forthcoming G20 summit which will be attended by the likes of Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The demo is the first of around 30 authorised protests in the city. Events range from everything from the "G20 welcome to hell" demonstration to the Green party's alternative harbour tour.
Up to 100,000 demonstrators are expected to descend on the city and around 20,000 police will be safeguarding the summit. (Read more)
- Father, intercessors in Germany have warned us that massive, violent, anti-Trump protests are being planned in Germany during the G20 meetings. They are well funded and well organized. They come with an agenda to take Trump out of power and out of all credibility.
Father, we thank You that those who pray in Your name wield a much greater power than these demonstrators have planned. We turn to You, Abba, asking that You would protect our president while he is in Germany, in Your name, amen.
- "Let God arise, Let His enemies be scattered; Let those also who hate Him flee before Him." (Psalm 68:1)
More Daily Features
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The Persecuted Church
"Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body." (Hebrews 13:3)
Please visit the website for International Christian Concern to lift up prayers for the persecuted around the world, every day. Their link is: www.persecution.org -- or go here to connect. Thank you for interceding for our brothers and sisters who are suffering in Asia, the Islamic World, and the Far East.
Classic Hymns:
A FOURTH OF JULY SPECIAL:
A Military Melody!
A FOURTH OF JULY SPECIAL:
A Military Melody!
This military melody features the "marching songs" of all of our branches of the military.
To enjoy these songs, please go here.
Signs and Wonders
Notilucent Cloud Activity
Nightfall is supposed to bring darkness. This week in parts of Europe, nightfall has brought something different: Bright ripples of electric-blue. "Wow, I witnessed an absolutely spectacular display of noctilucent clouds on July 3rd," says Ruslan Merzlyakov, who sends this self-portrait from Nykøbing Mors, Denmark:
""The whole sky was filled with the shining silver, stretching from west to east and even right above my head!" he adds. "The display lasted so long, I had plenty of time to make a video of it."
This and other outbreaks like it are telling us something about the weather in Earth's mesosphere: It's very cold up there. Noctilucent clouds form when summertime wisps of water vapor rise to the top of the atmosphere, coating specks of meteor smoke with fragile crystals of ice. This process requires temperatures as low as 145 K (-128 C). In early June, an unexpected heat wave in the mesosphere temporarily wiped out noctilucent clouds. Their return proves that the heat wave is over.
Noctilucent clouds are usually confined to near-Arctic latitudes. In recent years, however, they have been sighted as far south as Utah and Kansas in the United States. The ongoing apparition in Europe could herald such a widespread display in the nights ahead. Observing tips: Look west 30 to 60 minutes after sunset when the sun has dipped ~10 degrees below the horizon. If you see blue-white tendrils spreading across the sky, you may have spotted a noctilucent cloud: diagram. (SpaceWeather.com) Read more here.
The Good News Corner
The Bible Can Now be Taught to Kentucky Public School Kids Again
Starting Today!
The bill quickly passed the House and Senate.
Rep. D.J. Johnson, R-Owensboro, sponsored the bill and said students need to understand the role the Bible plays in America's history.
"It really did set the foundation that our founding fathers used to develop documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights," Johnson said. "All of those came from principles from the Bible."
School boards now have the option of developing a Bible literacy class as part of their social studies curriculum. The course would not be a requirement for students, but an elective.
"The idea that we would not want this to be an option for people in school, that would be crazy. I don't know why every state would not embrace this, why we as a nation would not embrace this," Bevin told people during a ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda.
Meanwhile, the Kentucky branch of the ACLU is concerned about how the new law will be implemented in schools. (Breaking Christian News) Read more.
The Bible Readathon
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Our Bible Readathon Continues
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105)
We are now reading the Word of God every night from midnight to 6:00 a.m. EST. We are reading through the whole Word, from Genesis to Revelation, and beginning again in Genesis when finished.
Our numbers of readers continues to grow over time. All are welcome to join!
The access code is: 350430#. Please call at any time from midnight to 6:00 a.m. EST. WELCOME!
[Note: we are reading from these versions of the Scripture: King James, New King James, New American Standard, and NIV.]