Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The Daily Brief - Tuesday, February 19, 2008

"But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him." (Psalm 37:39-40)


1. Real ID slow to take hold - Washington Times

All but six states have complied with federal rules on asking for more time under the Real ID Act to make their driver's licenses more secure and restricted to U.S. citizens or legal residents.

· Heavenly Father, if this is not a good plan, we pray that You will block it. We pray that You will direct our decisions and actions in choosing leaders that have Your wisdom as they establish security programs for our nation. Let not any of our private rights be intruded upon.

· Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established. (Proverbs 15:22)

2. Largest recall of ground beef ordered in U.S. - Int'l Herald Tribune

A California meatpacker on Sunday ordered the largest recall of beef ever by far, calling for the return of 143 million pounds, or 65 million kilograms, of ground beef from a California slaughterhouse that supplies school lunch programs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

· Heavenly Father, we rely on You more and more for our security both nationally and in our physical man every day. There are dangers to our borders and our food. We pray that no one will consume any tainted food and that You help us to remain vigilant against all these dangers. In You, we have peace!

· You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. (Psalms 23:5, 6)

3. Obama, Edwards Meet in N.C.; No Nod Yet - AP

Barack Obama sneaked down to North Carolina Sunday and met with former rival John Edwards, who has yet to make an endorsement in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

· We pray for the elections, Lord, that You will give us a nominee who will do things in an ethical way. We pray that You will give us a president who will love You with a passion and serve You with his whole heart like King David did. We pray for one who will follow Your laws and unite this country.

· And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.' (Acts 13:22)

4. CDC: Flu season getting worse - USA Today

The flu season is getting worse, and U.S. health officials say it's partly because the flu vaccine doesn't protect against most of the spreading flu bugs.

· Lord, You have created everything and You know what is best for man. We pray that You will give our scientists and medical personnel Your wisdom about which types of flues will be currently attacking our people and that they will increase in their knowledge of how to cure these diseases in a safe way.

· The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3)

5. Russia Denounces Kosovo Declaration - AP

Russia denounced Kosovo's independence declaration Sunday, warning that the move threatened to ignite a new conflict in the Balkans and calling on NATO and U.N. officials in the territory to nix the decision.

· Father God, You have instilled in all humanity a desire to be free. We pray peace for this area of the world where there has been conflict for so long. We pray that You will remove any hindrance that has stalled the peace process in Kosovo.

· For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose against me. You have also given me the necks of my enemies, So that I destroyed those who hated me. (2 Samuel 22:40, 41)

6. Pakistan vote expected to further weaken Musharraf - Int'l Herald Tribune

Pakistanis began to vote Monday morning in parliamentary elections that are expected to diminish President Pervez Musharraf further and present Washington with a challenging new political lineup here as it pursues its fight against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the region.

· Lord, we pray that these elections will not diminish President Musharraf's authority nor his bonds with the Pakistani people. Let the outcome of these elections be a favorable one for the United States. We ask for Your grace to visit the Pakistani people, that we might yet find favor with them as we work together to locate the terrorists of the Taliban and Al Qaeda camps in their land.

· Have mercy on me, O Lord! Consider my trouble from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death, That I may tell of all Your praise In the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation. (Psalms 9:15)

7. Castro Bows Out - Fox News

Ailing Cuban president Fidel Castro resigns after half- century in power, says he won't accept a new term. President Bush expressed hope Tuesday that the end of Fidel Castro's presidency will launch a transition to democracy in Cuba after nearly 50 years of ironclad, communist rule.

- We agree with President Bush, in prayer, asking our Lord to raise up a leader, through a truly democratic form of government, that will honor Him and serve the Cuban people in truth. May our Lord yet visit the people of this beleaguered nation, with His love and His salvation,. Amen.

- "By Me kings reign." (Proverbs 8:15)

8. Satellite shoot-down time advanced to this Thursday - CNN

The U.S. Navy will likely attempt to shoot down a faulty spy satellite Thursday, the day after the space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to land, two officials told CNN Monday. The officials -- who spoke on condition of anonymity because much of the planning remains classified -- said the idea is to leave as much time as possible so a second attempt could be made if necessary.

Because the 5,000-pound satellite malfunctioned immediately after launch in December 2006, it has a full tank of fuel. It would likely survive re-entry and disperse potentially deadly fumes over an area the size of two football fields, officials have said. The Navy plans to fire at the satellite as it enters Earth's atmosphere at an altitude of about 150 miles.

- Pray in unity, asking our Lord to loose His angels to guide this spacecraft safely back to earth.

- "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." (Mt. 18:19)


The Middle East in Focus

This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:

"As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so LORD is round about His people from henceforth even for ever." (Psalm 125:2)

1. Iran: Cancerous Israel to be destroyed by radiation - Ynet News

General Mohammad Ali Jaafari, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, has sent a letter of condolence to Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah following the assassination of the organization's senior commander Imad Mugniyah, saying he believed "the cancerous bacterium called Israel" would vanish soon, the Iranian news agency Fars reported Monday.

2. 'Hizbullah has a few thousand fighters' - Jerusalem Post

The army is on high alert along the northern border following reports that Hizbullah has deployed 50,000 men in southern Lebanon after last week's assassination of arch-terrorist Imad Mughniyeh in Syria.

3. 'Gaza op will bring int'l troops' - Jerusalem Post

Israel is considering a large-scale incursion into the Gaza Strip during which it would present an ultimatum to the international community for the deployment of a multinational force as the only condition under which it would withdraw, defense officials have told The Jerusalem Post.

4. 400 Eritreans arrive at UN offices in Tel Aviv, seek refugee status - YNet News

The Interior Ministry reported Sunday that 400 Eritrean refugees had arrived at the UN offices in Tel Aviv, announced that they had crossed the border from Egypt into Israel last week and applied for refugee status in Israel.

5. U.S. Methodists to Weigh Divestment as Tool to Shift Israel - Washington Post

The United Methodist Church is poised to become the next U.S. church to consider divestment from a company or companies operating in Israel, a strategy that has embroiled the Presbyterian Church (USA) and other denominations in controversy.

Prayers for the Persecuted Church

This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:

"Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth." (Psalm 124:8)

1. Orissa Authorities Detain Christians Following Violence - Worthy News

At least eleven Christians remained behind bars Sunday, February 17, in India's troubled state of Orissa after deadly clashes with Hindu mobs attacking churches, Christian homes and other properties, a lawyer said.

2. China Security Forces Raid Sunday School - Worthy News

A church in China's autonomous region of Xinjiang faced uncertainty Thursday, February 14, after Chinese security forces raided its Sunday School, detaining church leaders and interrogating "terrified" children, investigators said.


Earthquake on Temple Mount!

Earthquake Damages Temple Mount and Shechem (Nablus)

An earthquake shook Israel at 12:37 PM Friday. The only damage reported in Israel was on the Temple Mount and near Shechem (Nablus). The earthquake measured 5.3 on the Richter scale; its epicenter was located in northeastern Lebanon. Earlier last week an earthquake measuring 4.1 was felt in northern Israel, also originating from Lebanon, near its northern city of Tyre.

A large hole opened up on the Temple Mount during Friday's earthquake, which was soon covered by officials from the Wakf Islamic Authority that administers the mosques built atop Judaism's holiest site.

The only other reported damage in the Holy Land was incurred between Palestinian Authority-controlled Shechem (Nablus) and Jenin, where an old home collapsed, blocking the main road to the village of Khufin. The village is not far from the site of the Biblical Joseph's Tomb, which was set ablaze by Muslim vandals last week.

At least five people were injured and two homes were destroyed in southern Lebanon as a result of Friday's quake.

Wakf Officials Blame Israel

Wakf officials tried to blame Israel for the 6-foot by 5- foot hole, which is about three feet deep, claiming it was caused by Israel, which it accuses of tunneling beneath the Temple Mount. They demanded an end to all Israeli excavations in the area.

Though several excavation projects are taking place around the Western Wall Plaza, none of them entail tunneling past the wall itself and beneath the mount. The Wakf's official position is that there was never a Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount and has gone to great efforts to erase archaeological evidence of Judaism's historical ties to the site.

Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz issued a statement rejecting the Muslim claims. "These are mendacious reports without a grain of truth," he said, adding that work in the Temple Mount compound would be contrary to Jewish law. "Such claims are a desecration and cause hatred and incitement for no reason whatsoever," Rabbi Rabinowitz said. He stressed that work on the Rambam (Mughrabi) Gate ramp to the Temple Mount is vital for the safety of those who visit the Western Wall and called on the authorities to finish the work speedily. (By Ezra HaLevi; Israel Insider)

Click here to view a photo of the crater in the Temple Mount.

- "For thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land'. " (Haggai 2:6)

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/954691.html /


The Bible and Immigration

New and Dangerous Evangelicals Threaten the Sovereignty of the United States

Illegal immigration, promoting the North American Union, and allowing Muslim culture to establish its own foothold unabated are all components of a dangerous concept that is not only embraced by one world order politicians, but also by the new evangelical left. There are religious leaders involved with the National Association of Evangelicals, the National and World Council of Churches and large independent churches across the country who believe it is Biblical to welcome illegal aliens and diverse cultures into America and allow them to maintain their own culture and language rather than assimilating into American culture. They are deceived and dangerous evangelists of a new democracy destructive to America.

There are over 120 mentions of how to deal with "strangers", also interpreted as "aliens," in the Bible. Using quotes from the Bible, those who seek to undermine America by diluting it as a melting pot of diverse cultures have convinced naïve evangelical Christians that encouraging illegal immigration and cultural diversity is Biblical. They quote verses like Leviticus 19:34, "But the stranger that dwells with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself." But they conveniently ignore that the Lord, in instructing how to treat aliens in the Bible, repeatedly commands that the aliens embrace and live by the laws of nation. Exodus 12:49 says, "One law shall be to him that is home born, and unto the alien that sojourns among you." Leviticus 19:26 says, "You shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any alien that sojourns among you." Leviticus 24:22 says, "You shall have one manner of law, as well for the alien, as for one of your own country: For I am the Lord your God." There are many more such references. America has many enemies who intend to destroy her. And they will use every means to dilute and weaken the U.S. while the sword of colonization patiently awaits the soft underbelly of its target.

Exodus 12:49 says, "One law shall be to him that is home born, and unto the alien that sojourns among you." Leviticus 19:26 says, "You shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any alien that sojourns among you." Leviticus 24:22 says, "You shall have one manner of law, as well for the alien, as for one of your own country: For I am the Lord your God." There are many more such references. America has many enemies who intend to destroy her. And they will use every means to dilute and weaken the U.S. while the sword of colonization patiently awaits the soft underbelly of its target.

Bill Wilson

The Daily Jot

www.dailyjot.com


'Palestinian government' in Israel within weeks

'Palestinian government' in Israel within weeks

The Palestinian Authority, aided by international donors, will attempt to open official institutions in Jerusalem within weeks, WND has learned. While Israel has not officially approved the PA's presence in Jerusalem, Palestinian diplomatic sources said there is an unwritten agreement in which Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office has agreed not to interrupt some PA activities in Jerusalem. Hatem Abdel Khader, a member of Palestinian Authority President Mahmad Abbas' Fatah party and a former member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, held a meeting today with Fatah activists in Jerusalem in which he declared the PA would start officially acting in Jerusalem.

Official PA minutes of the meeting, obtained by WND, announced the launching of "practical PA activities in Jerusalem such as those that took place before the closing of Orient House in Jerusalem by Israeli Occupation Authorities." In line with previous Israeli-Palestinian accords, the PA has been barred from conducting political activity in Jerusalem, although it maintained an office, called Orient House, in an eastern Jerusalem neighborhood that previously functioned as a de facto PA headquarters. (By Aaron Klein; WorldNetDaily)

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