Laying Siege over the Election:
Thursday, October 15, 2020
Today is Day 19 of 21 Days
Our verse to claim for today:
ZECHARIAH 4:6
It is written:
'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts.
Our prayer:
Focus on Israel
1. Netanyahu won't reveal secret parts of UAE deal in Knesset until after MKs vote - Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has bowed to requests to appear before the Knesset to explain classified portions of the normalization agreement with the United Arab Emirates - but not before Thursday, when the Knesset plenum votes to approve it.
But Netanyahu will present whatever secret parts there may be in the deal only next week to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee's subcommittee on intelligence and secret services, committee sources said, confirming a report by KAN Radio.
Since before the deal was signed in Washington, committee chairman Zvi Hauser (Derech Eretz) has called on Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin to present the agreement in full to his panel. After Levin wrote to Hauser last week and turned down the request, Hauser asked that Netanyahu at least discuss the deal with the committee members.
2. Major retail chains across Israel prepare to join small business revolt - Israel Hayom
The Association of Retail, Fashion, and Café Chains in Israel - which represents 400 chains that employ some 300,000 workers, announced Wednesday that its members will be opening their doors for business starting Sunday.
The chains are throwing their weight behind an initiative by small, independent business owners who last week decided to resume operations in defiance of the government's lockdown.
The ARFCC member businesses will open nationwide, with the exception of cities and towns coded red under the Health Ministry's stoplight plan. These cities include but are not limited to Ofakim, Or Yehuda, Elad, Ashdod, Beit Shemesh, Betar illit, Bnei Brak, the red neighborhoods of Jerusalem, Kiryat Malachi, Rechasim, and Ramle.
The planned opening will apply to member stores located on city streets as well as in shopping malls and open-air shopping centers.
3. Ministers unanimously vote to extend lockdown to Sunday night - Times of Israel
The so-called coronavirus cabinet unanimously voted Tuesday night to extend the ongoing lockdown until next week, pushing off any decision to start easing the sweeping restrictions now in effect across the country.
The coronavirus lockdown will now remain in place until October 18, the Prime Minister's Office and Health Ministry said in a joint statement.
Ministers will convene again Thursday to discuss lifting some restrictions next week "in accordance with the morbidity statistics," including allowing takeout from restaurants and the reopening of preschools and some small businesses that don't receive in-person customers.
4. After Decades of Peace, Jordan Finally Opens up Skies to Israel - Jerusalem Online
Israel and Jordan have signed a new aviation agreement that will allow overflights of civilian and military aircraft on routes to and from the Gulf and Asia, paving the way to shorter flight times.
Despite Jordan having had a peace agreement for decades with Israel, the Jordanians never signed an open skies agreement while its Arab neighbors were boycotting flights to and from Israel.
The official government announcement said the treaty "will lead to substantial savings in fuel, will reduce polluting emissions, and contribute to the quality of the environment."
"This is a successful conclusion to negotiations that started several years ago but that were accelerated and completed only after the signing of the peace agreement with the UAE and the historic permit for Israeli flights over Saudi Arabia," said the joint announcement issued by the civil aviation authorities of Israel and Jordan.
5. Arab Contractor Donates Jewish Prayer Area to Israeli Settlement in the Shomron [video] - Jewish Press
An Arab contractor, who paved an open space that will serve Jewish worshippers at an Israeli settlement in Samaria (Shomron), decided to donate it free of charge.
The contractor, Rami Yihya from Taibeh, was hired by members of the Yemenite synagogue in the community of Einav to prepare an outdoor space where the congregation could pray during the Corona crisis while synagogues are shuttered.
Upon learning that the construction was meant for prayers, Yihya donated all the materials and work time.
"This is a holy place," he explained, speaking at a ceremony held this week after the conclusion of the construction, at which he was the guest of honor, "God will pay me", he added.
6. Insight for Intercessors - Special Report
Go here.
The Daily Brief
1. U.S. Supreme Court allows Trump to wind down census early - Reuters
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed President Donald Trump's administration to wind down population counting for the 2020 U.S. census earlier than planned, in a blow to civil rights groups concerned about an undercount, particularly of racial minorities. The justices blocked a lower-court ruling that had ordered the decennial population count be continued until Oct. 31. The Census Bureau said on Aug. 3 that it would wind down data collection by Sept. 30, a month earlier than originally scheduled.
The Supreme Court's order was a loss for municipalities including Los Angeles, the counties that include Houston and Seattle, and civil rights groups including the National Urban League that sued seeking to get the later deadline reinstated. The Trump administration said it changed the time line in order to meet a Dec. 31 deadline set by statute for delivering census results to the president.
The census count's accuracy is critical, as it determines how the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures draw voting districts during the next round of redistricting and guides the federal government in allocating $1.5 trillion a year in aid. The plaintiffs argued that the "rushed" schedule would lead to inaccurate census results and "a massive undercount of the country's communities of color." They said in an Oct. 10 filing that a ruling for the Trump administration would allow it "to stop the 2020 Census count, shut down field operations, fire hundreds of thousands of employees, and start processing data the very next day."
U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, has repeatedly ruled against the Census Bureau, saying the accelerated schedule would likely produce inaccurate numbers. Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the only justice who publicly dissented, said the Supreme Court's action would allow the Census Bureau to "sacrifice accuracy for expediency." The Justice Department, arguing for the Census Bureau, said complaints about the time line should be raised with Congress, which can extend the statutory deadline. (Read more)
- Father, we pray You will call forth favor from the U.S. Supreme Court to President Trump so that there will be honesty and strong forthrightness toward him. Give him strong support as the redistricting takes place. In the Name of Jesus we pray.
- "Hide not Your face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline Your ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily." (Psalm 102:2)
2. DOJ accuses ex-Melania Trump aide of violating nondisclosure agreement - The Hill
The Justice Department on Tuesday filed a complaint against Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former adviser to first lady Melania Trump, alleging that she breached a 2017 nondisclosure agreement with the publication of her new tell-all book. Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers filed a complaint in federal court in Washington, D.C., accusing Wolkoff of breaching a gratuitous services agreement signed when she volunteered to serve as an aide to Trump by publishing her book, "Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady." The book was released by publisher Simon & Schuster last month.
The 16-page compliant says that the agreement, a copy of which is included in the filing, prevented Wolkoff from disclosing nonpublic information about her work without authorization from the White House. It states that Wolkoff violated the agreement by not submitting a draft of the book to the White House for review or receiving written permission to publish it. The complaint says that the DOJ notified Wolkoff's attorney on July 15 that the publication of the book would violate the terms of her agreement, but that she moved ahead regardless of the administration's outreach.
"Ms. Wolkoff voluntarily, willingly, and knowingly entered into a contractual agreement with the United States of America, allowing her access to the White House and sensitive information in consideration for agreeing to certain conditions on her use and dissemination of that information," the complaint states.
"Ms. Wolkoff breached the GSA by disclosing her manuscript to Simon & Schuster, and causing it to be published, without having received written authorization from the Chief of Staff to the First Lady or the Office of White House Counsel," it continues. The DOJ is asking a federal judge to declare that Wolkoff breached her contractual obligations and her fiduciary obligations, and to set aside profits from the book in a constructive trust.
In a statement, Wolkoff said she fulfilled the terms of her agreement with the government and accused the president and first lady of abusing the powers of the DOJ in an effort to silence her. (Read more)
- Father God, we pray You walk side by side with President Trump during this critical time when the demonic warfare from the Democrats is ruthless and insidious in nature. Back them down and expose their wicked devices. We pray in Jesus' Name.
- "Thus says the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not your's but God's." (II Chronicles 20:15)
3. Supreme Cross-Examination: What Amy Coney Barrett Said Tuesday About Her Faith and Roe v. Wade - CBN/Breaking Christian News
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett was grilled by Senate Democrats during her second day of confirmation hearings. It was the first day for lawmakers to question President Trump's nominee about her judicial philosophy, and some even attempted to get her to pre-judge cases that might come before the court.
Barrett faced questions on issues ranging from healthcare to gun rights, to abortion and even her faith. "You're Catholic, I think we've established that. The tenets of your faith mean a lot to you," asked Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). "That is true," answered Barrett. "Can you set aside whatever Catholic beliefs you have regarding the issue before you," asked Graham.
"I can. I have done that in my time on the 7th Circuit. If I stay on the 7th Circuit, I'll continue to do that," Barrett said. "If I am confirmed to the Supreme Court, I will do that still."
. . . Still, Barrett summed her philosophy by telling the senators, "I apply the law. I follow the law. You make the policy." (Read more)
- Father God, we pray for Ms. Barrett to stand on godly principles and keep her heart centered in God as she is grilled by the Democrats. Help her to be confident that the Lord will carry her through this tedious time of questioning. In the Name of Jesus we pray.
- "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name." (Psalm 100:4)
4. Trump asks Supreme Court to block Manhattan district attorney subpoena for tax returns - Washington Examiner
President Trump's lawyers filed an emergency request with the Supreme Court on Tuesday asking it to block a subpoena forcing the president to release his tax returns.
If granted, the stay would temporarily block a grand jury subpoena from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office that would force the president to hand over years of financial records, including his tax returns.
A federal appeals court rejected the president's challenge to the subpoena on Oct. 7 and sided with New York County District Attorney Cyrus Vance.
"We find that the claim of overbreadth is not plausibly alleged for two interrelated reasons," the appeals court judges wrote. "First, the President's bare assertion that the scope of the grand jury's investigation is limited only to certain payments made by Michael Cohen in 2016 amounts to nothing more than implausible speculation. Second, without the benefit of this linchpin assumption, all other allegations of overbreadth ... fall short of meeting the plausibility standard."
The request is a temporary stay and gives Trump's legal team an opportunity to request a hearing with the Supreme Court to overrule the lower court. (Read more)
- Father God, we pray You walk side by side with President Trump during this critical time when the demonic warfare from the Democrats is ruthless and insidious in nature. Back them down and expose their wicked devices. We pray in Jesus' Name.
- "Thus says the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not your's but God's." (II Chronicles 20:15)
5. Barron Trump Tested Positive for COVID-19, Melania Reveals in 'Personal' Essay - Yahoo News
Barron Trump, the president's 14-year-old son, tested positive for the coronavirus shortly after his parents both contracted the virus, first lady Melania Trump revealed Wednesday.
. . . "My fear came true when he was tested again and it came up positive. Luckily he is a strong teenager and exhibited no symptoms. In one way I was glad the three of us went through this at the same time so we could take care of one another and spend time together. He has since tested negative."
Her husband's dramatic helicopter ride to hospital prompted Melania to "reflect" on her family and on the millions of Americans affected by the virus, she wrote. "For me personally, the most impactful part of my recovery was the opportunity to reflect on many things-family, friendships, my work, and staying true to who you are," she wrote. "We are in unprecedented times-and with the election fast approaching, it has been easy to get caught up in so much negative energy." (Read more)
- Father God, we thank You that the President's son has now recovered from this diagnosis. We ask that You continue to rest Your hand upon the First Family, that they remain in good health in all the days ahead. In Your name, amen.
- "Ask and it will be given to you; . . . " (Matthew 7:7)
6. Sen. Graham on Barrett: 'First Time in American History That We've Nominated a Woman Who is Unashamedly Pro-Life' - CNSNews.com
In his opening statement on day three of the hearings for Supreme Court-nominee Amy Coney Barrett, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said this is the "first time in American history that we've nominated a woman who is unashamedly pro-life," and it "has been a long time coming."
Graham, who is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, also thanked President Donald Trump for selecting Barrett for the court, and giving her the opportunity to showcase her talents. "Here is what is important to me," said the senator in his opening remarks. "Senators Blackburn [R-Tenn.] and Ernst [R-Iowa] are two conservative women on this committee. It is a very give-and-take society called America, but there is one group in America I think is having a hard time of it, and that is conservatives of color and women conservatives."
"There is an effort by some in the liberal world to marginalize the contribution because you come out on a different side of an issue - particularly abortion," said Graham. "This hearing, to me, is an opportunity to not punch through a glass ceiling, but a reinforced concrete barrier around conservative women. You're going to shatter that area."
"I have never been more proud of the nominee than I am of you," he added. "You have been candid to this body about who you are and what you believe. You've been reassuring in your disposition, and this is history being made, folks." (Read more)
- Father, thank You for Amy Coney Barrett and her stand on pro-life! We pray wisdom and strength for her as she continues with the questioning for her confirmation. Give her discernment in her answers, and may the panel be amazed at her responses, just as the Pharisees were amazed at Jesus responses.
- Then the Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap Him in what He said. And they *sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. Tell us then, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?"read more. But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, "Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax." And they brought Him a denarius. And He *said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They *said to Him, "Caesar's." Then He *said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's." And hearing this, they were amazed, and leaving Him, they went away. (Matthew 22:15-22)
7. American Bondholders Call for Trump to 'Hold China Accountable' for Nearly 2T in Bonds Owed to Americans - Breaking Christian News
Back in 1912, what was then the Republic of China issued bonds to establish their government and infrastructure.
Jonna Bianco-President of the non-profit American Bondholders Foundation (ABF), explains in an interview, "These are bonds, no different from US Treasury Bonds. Look, governments issue long term debt; 30, 40, 50, 60-year-old debt. In fact, China is currently issuing 100-year bonds in Europe right now."
According to reports China borrowed millions using those bonds, which were bought around the world, and by some 20,000 American families. But China stopped paying on the bonds in 1938.
"Just because a regime changes, a government changes," noted Bianco, "doesn't mean that you no longer owe that debt. "The majority of these bonds were due to mature in 1960. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been in charge for a long time, and they defaulted-they refused to pay."
The sum now owed to the American people totals around $1.6 Trillion in gold-backed bonds.
In 1987, UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher forced China to make good on their bonds owed.
"Margaret Thatcher, God bless her, she stood up to China," Bianco continued. "They wanted to continue to access their capital market, and she said 'No, you're not going to take another dollar from our people, nor will you get access to our capital market, until you start to pay the defaulted debt you currently owe on your bonds.' (Read more)
- Almighty God, we stand on your promises that the thief shall be held responsible to pay back seven-fold what he stole. Lord, we pray China be held responsible for the many ways they have stolen from nations. We pray in the Name of Jesus.
- "This is the curse that goes both over the face of the whole earth: for everyone that steals shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and everyone that swears shall be cut off as on that side according to it." (Zechariah 5:3)
8. Netherlands to expand euthanasia law, allowing doctors to end lives of children under 12 - Christian Post
The Netherlands is set to pave the way for legalized euthanasia of very young children.
According to the NLTimes Tuesday, the northwestern European nation, which already has some of the most liberal euthanasia policies in the world, is likely to expand its law to permit children ages 1-12 to be euthanized in certain circumstances. The practice is already legal for youth 12 and older and was already possible for infants in their first year of life.
The expansion requires the child being euthanized to be terminally ill.
"Once death is in the driver's seat, it never hits the brakes," commented scholar Wesley J. Smith of the Discovery Institute in a Tuesday National Review blog post, noting that he does not believe the "terminally ill" requirement will last and that the law is already murky enough given how pro-euthanasia doctors exploit the "gray area" in practice.
The Dutch outlet went on to describe how in the new policy doctors are only permitted to permanently sedate or withhold nutrients from children until they die, calling the practice "palliative care." (Read more)
- Lord, raise up opposition to this policy, in Jesus name! We pray there would be such an outcry that this euthanasia law will not pass. We pray for revival in the Netherlands to turn the hearts of the people to you, Lord Jesus!
- "And Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word." (1 Kings 18:21)
9. Pompeo, DeVos warn about China's influence on Confucius Classrooms in US schools - Christian Post
The U.S. State Department and the Department of Education have issued a joint letter to leaders of school districts and colleges across the United States warning about the threat posed by the seemingly innocent Confucius Classrooms and Confucius Institutes set up at many schools.
"Over the last decade, the authoritarian government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) has sent curriculum and PRC-trained teachers into hundreds of U.S. K-12 schools through a program called Confucius Classrooms," an Oct. 9 letter addressed to chief state school officers explained.
"Styled as a language and culture program, Confucius Classrooms are in reality an important element of the PRC's global influence campaign, now reaching tens of thousands of U.S. schoolchildren every day."
The letter, authored by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, cited a review from the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, which "found that approval from an institution affiliated with the PRC's Ministry of Education is generally required when filling teaching positions associated with the Confucius Classrooms."
Pompeo and DeVos warned that teachers in Confucius Classrooms routinely engage in censorship to avoid criticizing the Chinese government. "Classroom students have described their teachers' repeated avoidance of topics perceived to be 'sensitive' to or critical of the PRC," they wrote. "Particularly at the high school level, this creates a troubling deficit of information in a setting supposedly focused on the study of Chinese language and culture. At any grade level, the presence in U.S. classrooms of instructors supported by an authoritarian regime poses risks to our democratic values." (Read more)
- Lord, expose these teachers in our classrooms! Reveal to parents what their children are being taught, and may they make a demand for change in the classroom from marxist ideas and teachings. Raise up teachers with a biblical worldview to reach the hearts of this generation.
- "Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:19)
10. Christian leaders worldwide call on IMF and World Bank to cancel debts of the poorest nations - Christian Today
Christian leaders from around the world and across the denominations have made a joint call to the IMF and World Bank to cancel the debts of developing countries as they struggle with Covid-19.
Signatories include Sister Alessandra Smerilli, Coordinator of the Economy Taskforce of the Vatican Commission for Covid-19, Prof Isabel Apawo Phiri, Deputy General Secretary, World Council of Churches, Bishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, and Rev Fidon Mwombeki, General Secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches.
The letter was sent to the World Bank and IMF ahead of their annual meetings, taking place from 16 to 18 October, when the two institutions are expected to discuss debt relief for poorer nations as part of planning for the global economic recovery.
The World Bank recently warned the pandemic "threatens to push over 100 million people into extreme poverty and is exacerbating inequality throughout the world". The Church leaders warn of the "devastation" being wrought by the pandemic in poor countries and lament that they are having to spend precious resources on debt repayments instead of fighting Covid-19. "As our governments do all they can to respond to the pandemic, we witness the ongoing injustice that the money so desperately needed for medicines, personal protective equipment, emergency food supplies and social safety nets is still being diverted to debt repayments," they write.
They call on the institutions to show "courageous leadership" by cancelling debts as "the most immediate way to release the finance required to prevent millions of our sisters and brothers being needlessly pushed into poverty by the pandemic". (Read more)
- Father God, we ask for mercy for those nations that are being destroyed by this virus and its economic impact. We ask that the IMF and the World Bank would take heed to the pleas of these Christian leaders, with action to follow. In Your name we pray, amen.
- "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:19)
11. Hunter Biden tried to cash in big with Chinese firm, emails suggest - Fox News
Hunter Biden pursued lucrative deals involving China's largest private energy company - including one that he said would be "interesting for me and my family," emails obtained by The New York Post show. One email sent to Biden on May 13, 2017, with the subject line "Expectations," included details of "remuneration packages" for six people involved in an unspecified business venture.
Biden was identified as "Chair / Vice Chair depending on agreement with CEFC," an apparent reference to the former Shanghai-based conglomerate CEFC China Energy Co. His pay was pegged at "850" and the email also noted that "Hunter has some office expectations he will elaborate." In addition, the email outlined a "provisional agreement" under which 80 percent of the "equity," or shares in the new company, would be split equally among four people whose initials correspond to the sender and three recipients, with "H" apparently referring to Biden. (Read more)
- Father God, the more we learn about Hunter Biden's escapades around the world, the worse this story gets. We ask You to forgive him for his wicked ways, and bring terror to his soul lest he spend eternity without You.
- "In a dream, a vision of the night, When sound sleep falls on men, While they slumber in their beds, Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction, That He may turn man aside from his conduct, And keep man from pride; He keeps back his soul from the pit, And his life from passing over into Sheol."