A 21-Day Call to Fasting and Prayer,
Based upon the Book of Daniel,
Chapters 9 and 10
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Today is Day 20 of 21 Days
Our verse to claim for today:
PSALM 110:3 (NAS)
It is written:
"Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power . . ."
Our prayer:
"Father God, as we come before Your Throne of Grace this morning, we thank You for Your Word, which does not return void. We call forth Your people to intercede over this election; to observe our fast throughout today; and to praise You in the gates of our cities. In Your name we offer this prayer, amen."
Focus on Israel
1. Ministers said to agree on extending lockdown, split on timeline - Times of Israel
Ministers meeting Tuesday to discuss the exit strategy from the ongoing national lockdown agreed restrictions should be kept in place for several more days, though opinions differed on how much longer the country should be kept under closure, according to Hebrew media reports.
Before the meeting started, a decision was made that ministers would only vote on whether to reopen preschools and small businesses - the first phase of easing the lockdown - at another meeting scheduled for Thursday, when more data on infection rates would be available, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.
As the meeting got underway, after hours of delays, leaked details of the debate were reported by Hebrew media.
2. IDF sets up military hospital unit at Galilee Medical Center - Jerusalem Post
The IDF has sent soldiers from the Northern Command's medical battalions to assist the Galilee Medical Center in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and treating patients infected with the virus.
The soldiers set up a military hospital unit on the hospital's property. Their primary job is to aid medical center staff in opening additional coronavirus wards, moving patients between wards, collecting blood samples and coronavirus tests, and delivering them to the lab.
"They prepared us for biological and chemical scenarios and suddenly the coronavirus pandemic happened and presented new obstacles," said Medical Battalion Commander Lt.-Col. Yair Hebroni. "Medical battalions have become essential in hospitals all across the country... in Nahariya, and I am proud of my battalion and its activity. We will continue to help whoever needs it."
3. Likud instructs MKs to attack Bennett - Israel National News
The Likud called on its MKs and ministers to attack Yamina chairman Naftali Bennett following his vote of no confidence in the government.
A statement sent by Netanyahu's spokesman to Likud members read that "for your information - Naftali Bennett today recommended Yair Lapid as Prime Minister and voted with Tibi and Abu Shehadeh from the Joint List."
Earlier tonight, the Likud said, "A subversive remains a subversive. Tonight, Bennett decided to retire from the right-wing bloc and recommend Yair Lapid, who said he intends to displace 100,000 settlers from Judea and Samaria, for prime minister. The person who dismantled the right-wing coalition for a 'gentleman's agreement' will recommend the left for the job."
Bennett responded to Netanyahu, "On the evening of the 2000th death of an Israeli from the coronavirus, with 9 million Israelis trapped in their homes in existential and economic anxiety, on such an evening, do you sit down with your political advisers and formulate a third-rate spin against me?"
4. Knesset panel tells Deri to wipe fingerprints from biometric database - Jerusalem Post
The Knesset's joint committee on the biometric database on Tuesday told Interior Minister Arye Deri to remove fingerprints from the smart passports database by May 31, 2022.
Although cyber experts have said that there is no need for fingerprints to be retained as a countermeasure against fraud, Deri tried to convince the committee to keep them.
But Knesset Law, Justice and Constitution Committee chairman Yakov Asher warning the minister that the Knesset's patience was not infinite and it was apparent that possibly for the first time, privacy concerns had won over a majority of the political echelon.
Asher cautioned that it was dangerous to put "all forms of identity defense into a database that could be hacked."
5. Ancient two-shekel weight discovered near Western Wall - World Israel News
An ancient limestone-made weight, dating to the Iron age - the First Temple period - was discovered in an archaeological excavation conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in conjunction with the Western Wall Heritage Foundation beneath Wilson's Arch, adjacent to the Western Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the IAA announced Tuesday..
The weight, corresponding to the known measurement unit of two shekalim, was retrieved during sifting of earthen fills by the City of David sifting project. The excavation is nearing its completion, unearthing fascinating discoveries soon to be included in the tour of the Western Wall Tunnels.
"How exciting, in the [Hebrew] month of Tishrei, whose symbol is the scales of justice, to find a souvenir from the First Temple period, enthused Mordechai (Suli) Eliav, director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.
"Actually now, when coming to the Western Wall is so restricted due to the coronavirus pandemic, this finding strengthens the eternal connection between the Jewish nation, Jerusalem, and the Western Wall while offering us all encouragement," he said.
The Daily Brief
1. Trump demands FBI focus on Antifa after riot declared in Portland - Washington Times
President Trump on Monday called for the FBI to crack down on Antifa following another night of rioting in downtown Portland where demonstrators smashed windows and toppled statues of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. "Put these animals in jail, now," Mr. Trump said in a series of tweets. "The Radical Left only knows how to take advantage of very dumb 'leadership' fools. This is Biden! Law & Order!" "The FBI and Law Enforcement must focus their energy on ANTIFA and the Radical Left, those who have spent the summer trying to burn down poorly run Democrat Cities throughout the USA!" he continued.
In a retweet of a video showing the Lincoln statue being knocked down, Mr. Trump wrote. "Get them FBI, and get them now!"
Mr. Trump's tweets come after a riot was declared downtown Portland on Sunday night. The protest started as "Indigenous Peoples Day of Rage," which unfolded on the eve of Columbus Day to demonstrate against Christopher Columbus. Multiple statues were spray-painted and toppled and the windows to the Oregon Historical Society were smashed. Several storefronts were also destroyed. By 9:30 p.m., a riot was declared. Several people were arrested according to local media in Portland, though an exact number is not known. (Read more)
- Father, this antifa organization is wicked at its core and we ask you to put a firm and complete stop to it! May the people involved be brought to their knees before a Holy God and repent and may their violence and aggression be brought under control of You, Holy Spirit. It is time Lord that these anarchist rioters and terror-mongers are held responsible for their crimes, in Jesus name.
- "But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord, Nor do they understand His counsel; For He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor." (Micah 4:12)
2. Supreme Court declines to hear Democrats' emoluments case against Trump - The Hill
The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to take up a case by 29 Senate Democrats who alleged that President Trump violated the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, which prohibits self-dealing by federal officeholders.
The lawmakers had asked the court to review a February ruling by a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals that the senators lacked the legal right to sue the president.
In their brief, the lawmakers had argued that Trump's continued ownership of companies engaged in business with foreign governments amounted to accepting "unauthorized financial benefits from foreign states" in violation of the constitutional restriction.
The court's denial means that Democrats' petition failed to garner support from at least four justices. It also leaves in place the lower court ruling. (Read more)
- Lord God, we thank You that the Supreme Court has declined to hear the case against our President regarding gains from his business dealings with foreign governments. Grant Your wisdom to President Trump and his legal team as this case is remanded back to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. We ask also that the harrassment of our President cease and desist. Send Your vindication, Lord!
- They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. (Psalm 24:5)
3. German Journalist in DC Says He Received 3 Ballots in Mail, One for Dead Person - The Epoch Times C A German journalist living in Washington who isn't eligible to vote in the United States recently received three ballots for the Nov. 3 election in his mail.
Stefan Niemann, who is a U.S. correspondent for ARD, the German state-funded broadcaster, posted on Twitter a picture of a mail-in ballot for the upcoming election.
"The chaos that [President Donald] Trump lamented with the delivery of mail voting papers is here," a translation of Niemann's Oct. 10 tweet says.
"I am not allowed to vote here. But three ballots came to my Washington address: for the previous tenant who moved five years ago, the landlady living in Puerto Rico, and her deceased husband."
The tweet gained traction as Richard Grenell, former acting director of national intelligence and a former ambassador to Germany, shared it on his Twitter feed the next day.
"German journalist living in the US (with no US voting rights) received multiple ballots in the mail," he said. "This is outrageous." (Read more)
- Precious Lord, we praise You for exposing the multiplicity of fraud going on surrounding this election. Father, we appeal to You to continue to show for all to see how desperate the enemy is to control the vote and not allow a free election. We speak failure, in the name of Jesus, to all devices of the enemy to stuff ballot boxes all over the country with votes from illegals, the deceased, and those ineligible to vote. Lord, set Your angels round about all polling places to highlight evil and stop fraud.
- "You are to use accurate scales, an accurate ephah, and an accurate bath."
(Ezekiel 45:10)
4. Bipartisan Christian group forms super PAC to oppose President Trump - AP
A group of prominent Christians from both sides of the aisle, including a past faith adviser to former President Barack Obama, is forming a political action committee designed to chip away at Christian support for President Donald Trump in the final weeks of the 2020 campaign.
Dubbed Not Our Faith, the new super PAC plans to roll out six-figure TV and digital ads focused on Christian voters - particularly the evangelical and Catholic voters who helped power President Trump to victory in 2016. Its first digital ad, set to run in Michigan and Pennsylvania, takes sharp aim at Trump's claim to a foothold with Christians.
The ad, shared with The Associated Press in advance of its release, says President Trump "has used Christianity for his own purposes," invoking imagery of the Republican president's photo op outside a historic Washington church amid this summer's racial justice demonstrations. Urging Christians to break from President Trump, the ad states that they "don't need Trump to save them. The truth is that President Trump needs Christians to save his flailing campaign." (Read more)
- Dear Lord, we pray that Your people will not be deceived into falling into this trap set to drain support away from a President whose fruit while in office shows what his real values are. Lord, we speak failure for this and all other organizations that are out to siphon off support for President Trump by attacking his faith. We pray that You will work in the lives of these people to open their eyes to what You are doing in America at this time.
- "Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous." (1 John 3:7)
5. Whitmer says Michigan won't rush to get results on Election Day, calls it an 'artificial deadline' - Fox News
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Sunday said her state will not rush to ensure all the results of the 2020 presidential race are counted on Election Day, Nov. 3 -- a date she appeared to imply was artificially set.
The Democratic governor made the comments during an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation," while discussing the election's expected surge in mail-in votes amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Asked by host Margaret Brennan how long it will take Michigan to declare the winner of the race, Whitmer would not give a definitive timeline.
"Michigan will be able to announce results, but we are not going to have artificial deadlines set by, you know, people with political agendas," Whitmer said. "It will be soon after polls close. I'm not going to put a number on it, but we're going to get it right."
Whitmer reminded viewers that they can cast their ballots now so "every day between now and Nov. 3rd in Michigan is Election Day."
She added: "And the more people that vote earlier, the more likely you'll be safe and get counted." (Read more)
- Lord, we pray that You will preserve the election from wrong-headed thoughts. We ask that You send Your Angelic host to guard the votes and make certain they are received at the correct time.
- "For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways." (Psalm 91:11)
6. New York Times Reporter Surprised America's Coronavirus Recovery apparently happening faster than expected - Fox News
A reporter for The New York Times wrote Monday he was surprised to find America's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic appears to be unfolding faster than experts initially anticipated.
In "A Dose of Optimism, as the Pandemic Rages On," science and health reporter Donald G. McNeil Jr. argued the coronavirus death toll in the U.S., standing at around 250,000, is far below the initial 2.2 million Americans initially projected to die by mid-October.
"Since January, when I began covering the pandemic, I have been a consistently gloomy Cassandra, reporting on the catastrophe that experts saw coming: that the virus would go pandemic, that Americans were likely to die in large numbers, the national lockdown would last well beyond Easter and even past summer. No miracle cure was on the horizon; the record for developing a vaccine was four years," McNeil wrote. "Events have moved faster than I thought possible. I have become cautiously optimistic. Experts are saying, with genuine confidence, that the pandemic in the United States will be over far sooner than they expected, possibly by the middle of next year."
Citing a March 16 White House press briefing on the virus, McNeil recalled President Trump and the White House Coronavirus Task Force presenting their "15 Days to Slow the Spread" recommendations. They showed a chart from London's Imperial College, which used a "sinuous blue line" to demonstrate what Dr. Deborah Birx called a "the blue mountain of deaths." (Read more)
- How we praise You, Merciful Father, for this excellent report of what You have done in the midst of this pandemic. All glory goes to You for giving our government and medical officials wisdom in how to manage the care of a vast number of people and at the same time institute measures to decrease infection rates. We pray for such a swift continued downturn of cases of this virus that the world can only give You the credit.
- "But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, and longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." (Psalms 86:15)
7. Denver shooting victim identified as pro-cop vet, shot in front of son: family - Fox News
The man shot dead at a Denver protest was a military veteran, grandfather and avowed patriot who was there to express his support for police and died as his son looked on in horror, according to his mom.
Lee Keltner was identified by his mother, Carol, in a Facebook post to the group Northeast Arkansas Tea Party Group. The heartbroken mom said her grandson was with his father when he was killed by a man working as a security guard for a local TV station.
"My son Lee was at the patriot rally today in Denver," she wrote to the group. "After the rally a person on the BLM and Antifa side went up to him said a few nasty words then shot him in the head. He was murdered because he backed the police."
"His 24-year-old son was with him. I moved to Arkansas because Colorado got too expensive and liberal," she added. "The left has gotten out of hand." (Read more)
- Father, we pray for this family to know Your comfort, and we ask that Your justice be delivered to the perpetrator and show him the error of his ways.
- "The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence." (Psalm 11:5)
8. Trump hoping to strike last-minute nuclear arms deal with Putin before election: report - The Hill
President Trump is hoping to strike a last-minute nuclear arms deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin before the Nov. 3 election, Axios reported on Sunday.
The two leaders have talked about arms control in a series of phone calls over the past six months. But representatives for both countries were unable to make progress in talks in Vienna until recently. U.S. national security adviser Robert O'Brien and Russia's Nikolai Patrushev met in Geneva on Oct. 2, and the success of the meeting prompted Marshall Billingslea, Trump's arms control envoy, to make a last-minute trip to Helsinki and to adjust another trip in Asia. A source familiar with the discussions told Axios that the Trump administration thinks it has an agreement in principle that has earned the approval of Putin and Patrushev. Officials told the news outlet that they think the agreement could be completed within a week once talks resume.
But Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's deputy foreign minister, disagreed, saying that "there are still huge differences in approaches, including to the central elements of such an agreement."
The National Security Council did not immediately return a request for comment.
Details of the negotiations have been limited to certain officials, with one administration official telling Axios that just the highest levels of the National Security Council and the State Department, as well as some Senate Foreign Relations Committee members and a national security group, have knowledge on the discussions. Besides the upcoming election, the Trump administration is also hoping to meet a Feb. 5 deadline, as it is the expiration of New START, the current nuclear arms deal between Russia and the U.S.
Putin and Democratic nominee Joe Biden have both expressed interest in extending the agreement five years. (Read more)
- Lord, we pray for this nuclear arms deal to move forward and that Russia and the U.S. put a limit on their nuclear stockpiles. I'd like to add spiritual brakes onto China and North Korea as well, not to mention a need for limiting India and Pakistan, their hostilities and Iran and its intentions. We ask for great grace and wisdom for President Trump and all negotiators to be successful and that Putin willingly agrees to a half to building and arming up with nuclear capacity.l.
- "A wise man is strong, Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength; For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety." (Proverbs 24:5-6)
9. Trump moves to aid US solar panel-makers by eliminating China tariff loophole - Washington Examiner
President Trump said in a proclamation that he would eliminate a loophole granted by his administration that has allowed certain imported solar panels to avoid tariffs.
The White House has sought to claw back the exemption for bifacial, or two-sided, solar panels granted by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in 2019. At the time, bifacial panels were a specialized product, but one that the tariffs had prompted some U.S. manufacturers to begin developing.
In the proclamation on Saturday, Trump said the exclusion "has impaired and is likely to continue to impair the effectiveness" of the original tariff action intended to boost U.S. manufacturing.
In addition, Trump said that tariffs scheduled to fall from 20% to 15% in their fourth year will instead be set at 18%.
Under Trump, the White House has sought to bolster U.S. manufacturing by targeting China, which dominates solar panel manufacturing. In early 2018, Trump approved four years of tariffs on solar panels beginning at 30% in the first year and set to decline by 5% each year thereafter. (Read more)
- Father, we thank You for American industries that have been able to open and thrive in our nation, at least prior to Covid. We ask You also Lord to break through the lockdowns that have been crippling our country and the world, so that everyone can begin to work and build again. We thank You for creative solutions to challenges.
- "When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." (Proverbs 16:7)
10. White House moves forward on three arms sales to Taiwan: sources - Reuters
The White House is moving forward with three sales of advanced weaponry to Taiwan, sending in recent days a notification of the deals to Congress for approval, five sources said on Monday, while China threatened retaliation. The move in the run-up to the Nov. 3 U.S. election, first reported by Reuters, is likely to anger China, which considers Taiwan a wayward province that it has vowed to reunite with the mainland, by force if necessary. Reuters broke the news in September that as many as seven major weapons systems were making their way through the U.S. export process as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on China.
Leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations and House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committees were notified that three of the planned weapons sales had been approved by the U.S. State Department which oversees foreign military sales, said the sources, who are familiar with the situation but declined to be identified. The informal notifications were for a truck-based rocket launcher made by Lockheed Martin Corp called a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), long-range air-to-ground missiles made by Boeing Co called SLAM-ER, and external sensor pods for F-16 jets that allow the real-time transmission of imagery and data from the aircraft back to ground stations. Notifications for the sale of other weapons systems, including large, sophisticated aerial drones, land-based Harpoon anti-ship missiles and underwater mines, to deter amphibious landings, have yet to reach Capitol Hill, but these were expected soon, the sources said.
A State Department spokesman said: "As a matter of policy, the United States does not confirm or comment on proposed defense sales or transfers until they are formally notified to Congress."
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said U.S. arms sales to Taiwan severely damaged China's sovereignty and security interests, urging Washington to clearly recognize the harm they caused and immediately cancel them. "China will make a legitimate and necessary response according to how the situation develops," Zhao told reporters in Beijing, without elaborating. (Read more)
- Holy King, we ask you to put a yoke on China and reign them in so they don't start something hostile. Taiwan has every right to be a free and democratic nation, and we are obliged to stand with them. Thank you that we are standing up to provide defensive resources for this tiny nation of many people. Please do not let China overrun them like they did Hong Kong. We thank You for Your great grace and strength the leaders of these nations.
- " . . . aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, . . . " (1 Thessalonians 4:11)
The Daily Jot
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Gamechanger: Smoking Biden Computer
A water damaged computer with a Beau Biden Foundation sticker seized by the FBI last December has revealed emails indicating that Joe Biden lied about discussing his son Hunter's business dealing in Ukraine when he was Vice President. The emails, obtained by the New York Post, demonstrate that Vice President Joe Biden met with a key figure in Bursima, a Ukraine company under corruption investigation. Hunter Biden was on the board of directors for Bursima. The meeting occurred eight months before Joe Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion of US aid to Ukraine unless the prosecutor "looking into his own son's company was fired." Bribes were paid, the prosecutor fired, and the investigation was closed.
In his debate with President Trump, Biden emphatically claimed that, "I have never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings." The New York Post writes: "The never-before-revealed meeting is mentioned in a message of appreciation that Vadym Pozharskyi, an adviser to the board of Burisma, allegedly sent Hunter Biden on April 17, 2015, about a year after Hunter joined the Burisma board at a reported salary of up to $50,000 a month. "Dear Hunter, thank you for inviting me to DC and giving an opportunity to meet your father and spent [sic] some time together. It's realty [sic] an honor and pleasure," the e-mail reads. An earlier e-mail from May 2014 also shows Pozharskyi, reportedly Burisma's No. 3 exec, asking Hunter for "advice on how you could use your influence" on the company's behalf."
In that email dated May 12, 2014, a month after Hunter Biden had joined Bursima, Pozharskyi pleaded, "We urgently need your advice on how you could use your influence to convey a message/signal, etc. to stop what we consider to be politically motivated actions." According to the NY Post, Hunter Biden responded by asking for more information, ""Who is ultimately behind these attacks on the company? Who in the current interim government could put an end to such attacks?" he added. The exchange came the same day that Burisma announced it had expanded its board of directors by adding Hunter Biden, who was put in charge of its "legal unit and will provide support for the Company among international organizations," according to a news release that's since been scrubbed from Burisma's Web site."
Biden and Hunter Biden's lawyer have claimed that Hunter Biden was never part of the Bursima management team, contradicting the Bursima announcement. Here's the point: One of the untrue impeachment charges against Trump was that he threatened to withhold aid to Ukraine unless the investigation into Hunter Biden/Bursima was reopened. The FBI, however, had this information on Biden when impeachment proceedings were taking place, but did not reveal it. Biden and the Democrats were falsely accusing Trump of abuse of power, something Biden actually did when he was Vice President. The result was that the Biden family was enriched at the expense of US interests. 2 Timothy 3:13, "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." The Biden family is among them and there is proof.