The Daily Brief: Monday, November 6, 2017

The Daily Brief: Monday, November 6, 2017 (Short form)

1. BREAKING: Bloody Sunday: At least 27 killed in mass shooting at Texas church - WND

A quiet morning at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, turned into a bloodbath Sunday when a gunman dressed in full combat gear walked in and opened fire during services, killing multiple people and injuring many others, including children.

Wilson County Commissioner Albert Gamez Jr told CNN that at least 27 people were killed in the horrific attack at the First Baptist Church, and the death toll may climb.

"My heart is broken," Gamez said. "We never think where it can happen, and it does happen. It doesn't matter where you're at. In a small community, real quiet and everything, and look at this, what can happen."

"May God be w/ the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas," tweeted President Donald Trump. "The FBI & law enforcement are on the scene. I am monitoring the situation from Japan."

"Our prayers are with all who were harmed by this evil act," said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a tweet Sunday afternoon. "Our thanks to law enforcement for their response." (Read more)

- Holy God, we cry out to You tonight for mercy from the onslaught of evil that has been unleashed across our nation this past week. In New York City, in Senator Rand Paul's front yard, and now in the little town of Sutherland Springs, Texas -- God, it seems there is now no protection from the evil that besets us. Have mercy, O Lord, and send forth Your angels to protect us. Bring comfort to those who grieve tonight - members of that Baptist Church in Texas. Amen.

- ". . . we are in great distress. And because of all this, we make a sure covenant and write it; our leaders, our Levites, and our priests seal it." (Ezra 9:37e,38)

2. Rand Paul recovering from 5 broken ribs after attack at Kentucky home - Fox News

Rand Paul was recovering Sunday from five broken ribs, including three displaced fractures, after he was assaulted by a neighbor who tackled him from behind at the senator's Kentucky home, officials said.

Senior Adviser Doug Stafford said it is unclear when the Republican senator will return to work since he is in "considerable pain" and has difficulty getting around, including flying. Stafford said this type of injury is marked by severe pain that can last for weeks to months.

"This type of injury is caused by high velocity severe force," Stafford said a statement to Fox News. The Bowling Green Daily News reported that an arrest warrant said Paul told police his neighbor came on his property and tackled him from behind Friday, forcing him to the ground, all while the senator had been mowing his lawn. He had trouble breathing because of the rib injury, the warrant said. (Read more)

- Father in heaven, we pray the angels of the Lord be assigned to protect Sen. Rand Paul, and that the forces of evil surrounding his home be removed by the mighty power of the Blood of Jesus. Bring conviction upon Mr. Boucher that will be made public and he be charged accordingly with ramifications and damages, and compelled to be evicted from this home, never to return again. In the Name of Jesus we pray.

- "Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob." (Psalm 114:7)

3. Trump: DOJ must do 'what is right and proper' and investigate Hillary Clinton - Fox News

President Trump opened up on Democrats with both Twitter barrels from high in the sky Friday, exploiting fractures in the rival party after top operative Donna Brazile revealed insiders plotted to steal last year's presidential primary from Bernie Sanders. "Bernie Sanders supporters have every right to be apoplectic of the complete theft of the Dem primary by Crooked Hillary!" Trump tweeted from Air Force One, as he headed off on a 13-day tour of Asian nations.

It was part of a mid-morning Twitter barrage in which Trump called for his own Justice Department to probe a range of scandals involving the Democratic Party and his vanquished 2016 presidential rival, Hillary Clinton.

"Everybody is asking why the Justice Department (and FBI) isn't looking into all of the dishonesty going on with Crooked Hillary & the Dems," Trump tweeted early Friday. "New Donna B book says she paid for and stole the Dem Primary. What about the deleted E-mails, Uranium, Podesta, the Server, plus, plus." (Read more)

- Almighty God, You see from heaven all the evil exploiting fractures in the Democratic party after it was revealed that insiders plotted to steal last year's presidential primary from Bernie Sanders by the complete theft of Hilary Clinton. God, we pray that all the guilty groups be charged as their deeds are exposed to the light. The Justice Department and the FBI and Hillary Clinton are brought before the throne room of the Lord to be charged and found guilty of all their wicked deeds. In the Name of Jesus we pray and trust God to cleanse the land through the Blood of Jesus. Amen.

- "And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies; but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, says the Lord. And they will deceive every one his neighbor and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity. Your habitation is in the midst of deceit, through deceit they refuse to know Me, says the Lord." (Jeremiah 9:3, 5. 6)

4. Judge Jeanine: After Russian Dossier Funding, Time to 'Lock Her Up' - Fox News

Judge Jeanine slammed Democrats' involvement in the Russia dossier used to smear President Trump during the campaign, saying it is time to "lock up" Hillary Clinton. Last week new reports surfaced that Hillary Clinton's campaign and the Democratic National Committee paid an opposition research firm for the controversial and salacious document.

Special Counsel and former FBI Director Robert Mueller must be fired, and all involved in the scandal investigated, Judge Jeanine said. "This has been a charade." Pirro pointed out that the media have accused Donald Trump's campaign of colluding with Russia, but the tables seem to be turning. "The whole time they were the ones lying. They were the ones making it up. They were the ones cutting the deals and collecting the cash," she said.

"This dossier was used not only to smear the president," she explained. "It was used to create a special counsel. It was the basis for congressional hearings, the reason for wall to wall anti-President Trump coverage." If the dossier was also used as the reason for further investigation, wiretaps, unmasking, and FISA warrants, then any results of that are "illegal and unusable," she said. (Read more)

- Lord God, we pray that You stand in the middle of the path of time, and look down the path at all the evil deeds that Hillary Clinton has personally commanded to be done regarding the Russian Dossier Funding, God, we pray she be charged accordingly and brought to justice once and for all for all the wickedness that she has authored and created. There are masses of information and material to back up all she has been guilty of in creating many crimes that she has never had to face charges for. Father God, we pray she be found guilty of collusion with Russia, and her rope cut that would sever her forever from protection. May all the insidious lies she has assayed against President Trump, fall to the ground and she reap what she has sown. We pray in the Name of Jesus.

- "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light." (Romans 13:1)

5. The real scandal of the declassified Osama bin Laden trove implicates Obama and the CIA - Washington Examiner

The Central Intelligence Agency has finally declassified and released hundreds of thousands of documents it seized when it liquidated al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in 2011. Initially, the Obama administration released only a handful of documents which, divorced from the context of the larger trove, appeared to support its narrative that the war on terrorism was largely won. The documents show just how deep Iran-al Qaeda links are. The close operational relationship between the Islamic Republic of Iran and al Qaeda is well-known.

The 9/11 Commission, for example, detailed tight relations between the two on several occasions. After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Iranian officials acknowledged sheltering senior al Qaeda operatives when they sought to use their presence to compel the United States to turn over all Mujahedin al-Khalq members at the time present in Iraq.

The real scandal now seems to be how Obama and his CIA heads Leon Panetta, David Petraeus, John Brennan, and acting head Mike Morell released only what upheld and affirmed Obama's tenuous theories about Iran. Had the U.S. public known about the Iranian leadership's outreach and association with al Qaeda, even Democratic congressmen might have been far less willing to tolerate the trust which Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry placed in their Iranian counterparts. After all, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, the coordinating body for Iran's security and defense policy, at a time when Iran was developing its al Qaeda outreach. (Read more)
- Almighty God, because You see from heaven the millions of dollars given to funding terrorist organizations around the world, we therefore pray that You will close down completely and shut the doors of the following organizations: Islamic Relief Worldwide and its sister organization in the United States, GF Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, George Soros' Open Society Foundation, ISNA, MAS, ICNA, MPAC, and CAIR. Father, we ask that confusion in their offices will be overwhelming and that all money going into and coming out of these will be lost, will be dried up, will be bound and broken by the Blood of Jesus so that all such funds and organizations will be wiped out by the mighty hand of the Lord God Almighty. We pray this in Jesus' Name and for His glory.

- "For the scripture says unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose has God raised up, that I might show my power in you, and that My Name might be declared throughout all the earth. What if God, willing to show His wrath, and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction."
(Romans 9:17, 22)

6. Investigation: Foundations Gave Millions To Groups Accused Of Terror Ties - Daily Caller

Major American foundations have given millions of dollars in funding to Islamic organizations accused of having ties to radical Islamist movements or designated terrorist organizations and a group of activists are trying to convince them to stop. Groups like Islamic Relief Worldwide, which some countries have banned for allegedly funding Hamas and other terrorist organizations, have received millions of dollars from corporate charities like the GE Foundation, community foundations like the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and independent foundations like George Soros' Open Society Foundation.

Researchers with the Middle East Forum, an activist group devoted to promoting American interests abroad, identified the financial stream from American foundations to seven Islamic groups with radical ties: Islamic Relief Worldwide and its sister organization in the United States - Islamic Relief USA, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the Muslim American Society (MAS), the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) and, despite rebounding from highly damaging terrorist allegations in 2008, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

The various foundations have given $5.8 million to these seven groups since 2000, IRS filings show, with $5.6 million of that taking place since 2008. In total, 46 corporate foundations, eight community foundations, nine private foundations and one donor-advised fund have given money to these seven groups. (Read more)
- Almighty God, because You see from heaven the millions of dollars given to funding terrorist organizations around the world, we therefore pray that You will close down completely and shut the doors of the following organizations: Islamic Relief Worldwide and its sister organization in the United States, GF Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, George Soros' Open Society Foundation, ISNA, MAS, ICNA, MPAC, and CAIR.

Father, we ask that confusion in their offices will be overwhelming and that all money going into and coming out of these will be lost, will be dried up, will be bound and broken by the Blood of Jesus so that all such funds and organizations will be wiped out by the mighty hand of the Lord God Almighty. We pray this in Jesus' Name and for His glory, amen.

- "For the scripture says unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose has God raised up, that I might show my power in you, and that My Name might be declared throughout all the earth. What if God, willing to show His wrath, and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction."
(Romans 9:17, 22)

7. GOP takes charge on taxes and judicial nominees - Washington Examiner

House Republicans plan to advance a major tax reform bill next week, while GOP senators hope to repeat last week's successful effort at confirming President Trump's nominees. The tax plan unveiled on Thursday will be taken up by the House Ways and Means Committee, where some GOP lawmakers believe it could be changed to soften the impact of killing off a slew of popular tax deductions.

Several lawmakers representing high-tax districts in New York and New Jersey are seeking to increase a proposed $10,000 cap on the property tax deduction to $12,500. Other lawmakers, including influential House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, R-N.C., want to broaden the scope of a lower business tax.

Meadows and other conservative lawmakers will also push to include a provision that would eliminate the Obamacare individual mandate tax. "This initial draft will not be the final draft," Rep. Ryan Costello, R-Pa., told reporters. The Senate is also preparing its own tax bill, and it could be released as early as next week. Senate Republicans said they plan to have their tax bill ready by Thursday's expected passage of the House plan in the Ways and Means Committee. (Read more)
- Father, we pray the GOP has great success at advancing the tax reform bill.

- "O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today," (Nehemiah 1:11)

8. Democrat shouts down black pro-life woman at House hearing, accuses her of 'ignorance' - LifeSite News

Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, yelled at an African-American woman today, accusing her of "ignorance," after she testified before a Congressional committee about abortion being the "leading cause of death in the black community today." Star Parker, founder and president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE), suggested it's disingenuous to conflate abortion with social ills. Parker was testifying before the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice as it discussed legislation banning abortions on babies with beating hearts.

Cohen retorted that he would "like to say that I am not disingenuous about anything I say about Medicaid, or Medicare . . . or SNAP programs." Then, raising his voice, he continued, "And to suggest I'm disingenuous shows your ignorance or your absolute inability to deal with Congresspeople the way they should. I believe in those issues and I think they're proper, and to say I'm disingenuous is just wrong and I expect an apology." Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, immediately quipped, "I would ask for an apology from the gentleman from Tennessee (for) calling our witness ignorant when it seems to me she has a whole lot more knowledge and wisdom" than he does. Chairman Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, then ended the hearing, citing the "lack of civility before this committee." (Read more)
- Father, move upon the heart of Congressman Steve Cohen to know that You are the creator of life. May he apologize to the woman he yelled at and accused of ignorance.

- For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. (Psalm 139:13)

9. Trump team wants Supreme Court to discipline ACLU for helping 17-year-old illegal immigrant get abortion - Fox News

The Trump administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court to discipline ACLU lawyers for helping a teen illegal immigrant get an abortion while federal lawyers were preparing their case to the high court opposing the procedure. The Justice Department argues that American Civil Liberties Union lawyers misled the administration - in a case that could become President Trump's first major battle in the country's politically divisive abortion issue.

ACLU lawyers in October successfully filed a federal lawsuit that allowed the teen to see a doctor and have an abortion, according to The Los Angeles Times. A federal appeals court upheld the ruling on Oct. 24, and the undocumented minor had the abortion the following day - before the administration could appeal to the high court. However, Justice Department lawyers say the ACLU lawyers had agreed to keep them informed about when the teen would have the procedure, which was purportedly paid for with private funds. And they argue that the teen's appointment with an abortion provider was moved from Oct. 26 to the early morning of Oct. 25, to sidestep a high court review. They also claim the appointment was supposed to be a counseling session. "In light of that, the Justice Department believes the judgment under review should be vacated and discipline may be warranted against Jane Doe's attorneys," the agency told the LA Times. (Read more)
- Jesus, Your heart is broken as some in our nation disregard the value of life as abortions continue. The abortion for this teen was done in a very underhanded way. We pray for repentance for abortion providers, the ACLU and all who were involved in this and all abortions. How many more babies have to lose the chance to become what You created them to be? Only You, Jesus, know what it is like for one's innocent blood to be shed at the hands of evil people. Thank You for caring for the souls of these precious babies. Lord, have mercy on our nation and forgive those who continue to disregard Your laws. We pray for the hearts of evildoers to turn to You for salvation. If they refuse Your love, grace and eternal life in Your kingdom, deal with them as You will, Father. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

- "Again, you shall say to the children of Israel: 'Whoever of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who gives any of his descendants to Molech, he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones." (Leviticus 20:2)

10. Democrats will delay Brownback vote over gay rights record - McClatchy

Senate Democrats will delay the confirmation of Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback as ambassador for religious liberty because of his record on gay rights. Democrats plan to force Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to take extra procedural steps on the Brownback nomination in order to get him confirmed, a Democratic aide told The Kansas City Star. Senate Democrats, though, will have trouble blocking a final confirmation vote. Under current rules, executive appointees such as Brownback only need 51 votes to overcome additional hurdles for confirmation. Republicans control 52 of the Senate's 100 seats.

At a hearing before the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee earlier this month, Brownback faced tough questioning from Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who pressed the governor to explain why he signed an executive order in 2015 that rescinded a protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender state workers. (Read more)

- Father, we thank You for the upcoming confirmation of Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback as ambassador for religious liberty. We ask You to forgive those who are standing in the way of this action, for they know not what they do, and we bind the spirit of resistance that is delaying this vote. Please give Senator Brownback favor with man. In Your Name we pray, amen.

- May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands. (Psalm 90:17)

11. 2017 Elections on Tuesday - Family Research Council

Many believe the gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia are bellwethers for the 2018 election. But many seemingly smaller elections (state, city, and county) will impact us all (1 Cor 12:26). A case in point is in Douglas County, Colorado, where a huge school board election fight is taking place. Four conservative parents are running against the second largest national teacher's union and their candidate slate. The union has put $600,000 into the race, with the debate involving parental choice, school vouchers, and conservative values. The union hopes to regain a contract with the schools and is pushing to win all seven school board seats, which reports say would have parental rights and religious liberty implications, and threaten even charter schools in the community. Other local elections will decide transgender bathroom debates and other matters of concern to believers and their families.
- May God's people rush to the polls and vote their biblical values. May God intervene in the elections in New Jersey, Virginia, Douglas County, Colo., Charlotte, N.C., and every jurisdiction with elections this year!

- " Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens." (Exodus 18:21)

12. Why media, officials mistranslate 'Allahu akbar' - WND

As the horrific news broke Tuesday that the driver of a Home Depot rental truck in New York City had mowed over pedestrians and bike riders, "terrorism" naturally came to the minds of most Americans. When reports began circulating that witnesses heard the perpetrator yell "Allahu akbar," even law enforcement officials typically reluctant to apply the terrorism label to such incidents acknowledged they were looking at something more than a tragic accident.

"Allahu akbar" is an Arabic phrase that has become significant in this post-9/11 era, yet in the aftermath of the attack Tuesday in which eight people were killed and a dozen injured, official after official and news outlet after news outlet mistranslated it, insisting it means "God is great." An accurate translation - and even Google Translate affirms it - is "Allah is the greatest" or, literally, "Allah is greater," as in the god Allah is greater than all other gods.

The interpretation is important, contends Islam expert Robert Spencer, because it makes clear that the threat Western Civilization faces is rooted in a historic dogma of global conquest. (Read more)
- Father God, we come against this vile deception and we ask that truth prevail in the media. We ask for a miracle, Lord, in Jesus Name - that every hidden thing be revealed and that every wicked scheme of the enemy be found out, lest we find ourselves trapped in a web of deception. In Your name, amen.

- "Let no man deceive you by any means . . ." (2 Thessalonians 2:3)

- "Behold the Lord God will come with His strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with him, and His work before him." (Isaiah 40:10)

13. Saudi princes, others arrested in sweep viewed as show of force by crown prince - Fox News

Saudi Arabia has arrested dozens of princes, senior military officers, businessmen and top officials, including a well-known royal billionaire with extensive holdings in Western companies, as part of a sweeping anti-corruption probe that further cements control in the hands of its young crown prince.

The surprise arrests, which also reportedly include two of the late King Abdullah's sons, were hailed by pro-government media outlets as the greatest sign yet that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is keeping his promise to reform the country, long been plagued by allegations of corruption at the highest levels of government.

Analysts have suggested the arrest of once-untouchable members of the royal family is the latest sign that the 32-year-old crown prince is moving to quash potential rivals or critics. The prince's swift rise to power has unnerved more experienced, elder members of the ruling Al Saud family, which has long ruled by consensus, though ultimate decision-making remains with the monarch. (Read more)

- Father, we ask that You be with this young ruler as he seeks to "drain the swamp" in his own nation. We pray for his salvation, and that all Saudis will turn away from Islam to serve the one true God. We ask for a miracle, Lord, amen and amen!

- "Nothing is too difficult for Thee." (Jeremiah 32:17)