Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Talks Begin Between Iran's FM Zarif, John Kerry and EU's Ashton
Nov 9th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

MUSCAT - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif began talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry and European Union envoy Catherine Ashton in Oman on Sunday.

The aim of the talks is to try to advance efforts to end a standoff over Tehran's nuclear program, a witness said.

Report: Turkish Army Bans Game of Thrones, Requires Officers Take Course on Islam
Nov 9th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Turkey has forbidden army officers from watching the popular hit series Game of Thrones while also requiring them to take classes on Islam, the Turkish daily Cumhuriyet reported over the weekend.

In a sign of the growing trend toward Islamization, the military has been instructed to cease watching the show as part of its new “protection of students” regulations that ban “sexual exploitation, pornography, exhibitionism, abuse, harassment, and all negative behavior.”

Obama Casts Distance from Iran and Doubt on a Nuclear Deal
Nov 9th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

WASHINGTON -- US President Barack Obama cast doubt on whether negotiators in Vienna will succeed in clinching a comprehensive agreement with Iran over its nuclear program in a television interview aired on Sunday.

Praising Iran's performance under the eight-month old interim agreement, the Joint Plan of Action, which froze the crisis between Iran and world powers, Obama said the US seeks a "verifiable," lock-tight" deal that makes sure "they don't get a nuclear weapon."

US Secretary of State John Kerry met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Muscat, Oman for those negotiations on Sunday, working toward a deadline terminating talks on November 24.

"We've now had significant negotiations," Obama said. "The question now is whether we're going to be able to close this final gap."

North Carolina Magistrates Resign Rather Than Perform Same - Sex Marriages
Nov 9th, 2014
Daily NewsFriday Church News Notes, www.wayoflife.org,
Categories: Moral Decline

At least six North Carolina magistrates have resigned rather than perform same-sex "marriages" as required after the state's ban on the same was declared unconstitutional on October 10 by federal judges. Five of the magistrates are Baptists and one is Wesleyan. Bill Stevenson of Gaston County says: "I prayed about it; I asked for wisdom. I think our hearts have been led away by the cares of the world, our desires, and ultimately, our intense arrogance--our hubris--against the Lord. We've rejected the prime authority of the Scriptures, something our Nation's Founding Fathers, such as John Adams, knew better than to do. ... In both the Old and New Testaments, homosexuality is something the Lord does not approve of, and since He doesn't, I could not put the sanction of the state on a relationship that runs afoul of scripture. ... The concern I have is that America just needs to repent of many sins, not just this sin" ("Judges Quit," say no to same-sex marriages," Christian Examiner, Oct. 29, 2014). Gayle Myrick of Jackson County said: "I believe marriage was ordained by God to be between a man and a woman. For me to do what the state said I had to do, under penalty of law, I would have to go against my convictions, and I was not willing to do that. I want to honor what the word says." Referring to the loss of salary (more than $50,000 a year) and prestige, Gilbert Breedlove of Swain County said: "None of that matters when it goes against the Word of God specifically. The Lord did so much for us and He requires His people to stand on His Word, and live in faith, and that's what we're doing. I'm just standing in faith to declare this is what the Lord has said. It's my way of honoring God." Tommy Holland of Graham County said, "When the federal judges ruled that gay marriage was legal and North Carolina honors that, and part of a magistrate's job is to perform marriage ceremonies, I knew I couldn't honor that law. It's against my belief. It's against what the Bible says … I was raised a Southern Baptist. God has always taken care of me" ("Four More North Carolina Judges Resign," The Christian Post, Oct. 30, 2014). In his resignation letter, John Kallam, Jr., of Rockingham County said that marrying gay couples "would desecrate a holy institution established by God Himself" ("NC magistrate resigns," WCT112.com, ABC News, Oct. 27, 2014). Other magistrates have said that they will refuse to perform same-sex "marriages," which will probably lead to their dismissal unless a law is passed to grant protection. Republican state senator Phil Berger has promised to draft such a bill. (A magistrate is a judicial officer who handles certain criminal and civil matters.)

Netanyahu: World Must not Cave to Iran
Nov 9th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday warned the six world powers, including the US, against caving to Iranian demands to pursue its nuclear program, just so that it can meet a November 24th deadline to conclude a deal with Tehran.

“The international community faces a clear choice,” Netanyahu said. “It can cave to Iranian demands in an agreement that would be dangerous for Israel and the world.”

“Or it can stand firm and insist that Iran dismantle its capacity to produce nuclear weapons,” he said.

Israel won’t support any agreement that allows Iran to be a threshold nuclear state, Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu: Islamic Movement, Palestinian Authority Agitating for Israel's Destruction
Nov 9th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday accused the Islamic Movement and the Palestinian Authority of inciting mobs to act toward the destruction of Israel.

The premier made the remarks at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.

Let the Headlinews Speak
Nov 9th, 2014
Daily NewsFrom the internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Hamas forces cancellation of Arafat rally in Gaza
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Hamas militant group forced the cancellation Sunday of a memorial on the 10th anniversary of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's death, underscoring the lingering tensions with the rival Fatah movement despite the formation of a unity government meant to end years of hostilities.  

Iraqi officials say IS leader wounded in airstrike
BAGHDAD — Iraqi officials said Sunday that an airstrike wounded the leader of the Islamic State group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Pentagon officials said they had no immediate information on such a strike or al-Baghdadi being wounded.  

Supreme Court will look at 'Obamacare' subsidies
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a new challenge to President Barack Obama's health care law - a case that threatens subsidies that help millions of low- and middle-income people afford their health insurance premiums. The justices said they will review a federal appeals court ruling that upheld IRS regulations that allow health-insurance tax credits under the Affordable Care Act for consumers in all 50 states.  

Supreme Court will look at 'Obamacare' subsidies
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a new challenge to President Barack Obama's health care law - a case that threatens subsidies that help millions of low- and middle-income people afford their health insurance premiums. The justices said they will review a federal appeals court ruling that upheld IRS regulations that allow health-insurance tax credits under the Affordable Care Act for consumers in all 50 states.  

Netanyahu: We won’t tolerate Hamas or ISIS flags at protests in Israel
Israel won’t tolerate violent rallies within its midst in which the protestors call for the nation’s destruction, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the cabinet on Sunday. He spoke in the aftermath of Saturday’s violent riots by Israeli Arabs in the Lower Galilee near the village of Kfar Kana.  

Romney hammers Obama as ‘dictatorial’ to friends like Israel, ‘naive’ on Iran
At Israeli American Council event, former Republican presidential candidate says president ‘continues to diminish himself and America.’The Obama administration was in the hotseat at the inaugural Israeli American Council National Conference Friday, facing critiques from former Republican presidential candidate Gov. Mitt Romney and former Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman.  

U.S. airstrikes 'hit ISIS leader': Terror group chief 'critically wounded' in Iraq after coalition forces bomb jihadi leaders
American war planes have reportedly launched a strike on a gathering of ISIS leaders, critically wounding their leader. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was hurt in the strikes today, according to local witnesses and government sources.  

Is this creepy website live-streaming YOUR living room? 73,000 webcams now viewable to anyone because their owners haven't set a password
A creepy website has collected streaming footage from more than 73,000 cameras around the globe that are connected to the internet, because the owners haven't changed their default passwords, making them accessible to virtually anyone.  

Apec agrees network to share information on corruption
Countries of Asia and the Pacific region have agreed to set up a network to share information on corruption. Apec members said in a statement that the purpose of the agreement, proposed by China, was to deny safe haven to anyone engaged in corruption.  

Iran Nuclear Talks and North Korean Flashbacks
With the Iran nuclear talks nearing a Nov. 24 deadline for a deal, U.S. chief negotiator Wendy Sherman is under pressure to bring almost a year of bargaining to fruition. While U.S. policy rests ultimately with President Obama, and the most prominent American face in these talks is now that of Secretary of State John Kerry, the hands-on haggling has been the domain of Sherman.  

Obama’s Iraq: Anti-War President to Send 1,500 More Troops to Iraq
Death toll will be much greater because of Obama's desire to protect his agenda is more important to him than to engage and destroy advancing hordes of Islamic State terrorists. President Barack Obama promised his war against ISIS would not include a ground war. He promised the American people there would be no boots on the ground, and that this new war against an Islamic terrorist group that is not Islamic would not be anything like Bush’s evil war in Iraq. And now, the decision has been made; 1,500 more troops are going to Iraq, more than doubling the number of American personnel on the ground in this new war that isn’t a war.  

Iran says nuclear deal within reach by November 24, no alternatives
DUBAI - Iran sees no alternative to a diplomatic settlement with six world powers on its nuclear program and believes both sides are resolved to reach a deal by a self-imposed Nov. 24 deadline, its deputy foreign minister said on Saturday.  

Kerry denies US linked Iran atom talks to militant efforts
Beijing - US Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday vehemently denied that Washington offered to discuss cooperation with Iran in the fight against Islamic militancy if a nuclear deal was reached with Tehran.  

US, Iran seek nuclear breakthrough amid domestic pressures
US Secretary of State John Kerry will Sunday seek a breakthrough in nuclear talks with Iran, with domestic pressures in both countries now weighing heavily on hopes for a deal.  

Iran: Time to Destroy Israel
Nov 9th, 2014
Daily NewsIsrael Today
Categories: Warning;Contemporary Issues

Just days after US President Barack Obama reportedly sent a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei extolling America’s and Iran’s shared objectives in the Middle East, the Iranian leader on Saturday again called openly for the destruction of Israel.

“This barbaric, wolflike & infanticidal regime of #Israel which spares no crime has no cure but to be annihilated,” Khamenei wrote on his official Twitter account. “The only means to confront a barbaric regime like #Israel is arming [the Palestinians],” he continued.

Former US presidential candidate Mitt Romney said he was astonished to learn that the Obama White House had even considered the possibility of working together with such a regime.

“I was frankly stunned that the president of the United States would write a letter of that nature and in effect, legitimize a nation and a leadership which is violating international norms and is threatening the world,” Romney told the inaugural conference of the Israeli American Council.

The secret letter that Obama is said to have sent Khamenei reportedly offered an American-Iranian partnership in combatting the Islamic State (formerly known as ISIS), so long as Tehran agreed to a comprehensive deal regarding its defiant nuclear program by the end of the month.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said in remarks cited by Reuters over the weekend that his government was taking seriously the November 24 deadline, and was keen to conclude an agreement with world powers.

But it would appear Iran’s new willingness to negotiate has less to do with accepting global concerns, and more to do with Washington’s increasing flexibility regarding the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

“Iran and the US have come to terms that despite more than three decades of mistrust, it is now in their national interest to constructively negotiate and reach an agreement,” Ali Khoram, an adviser to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, told Asharq Al-Awsat. “Both sides seem to have recognized each other’s concerns and are ready for maximum flexibility.”

Araqchi likewise clarified that the agreement Iran is looking to reach will not bring and end to its enrichment of uranium or its nuclear program as a whole. “Iran’s [uranium] enrichment will continue. This issue has been agreed upon by both sides,” he told Iran’s Press TV, referring to more recent talks between Iran and the six world powers known as the P5+1.

Insurgents Seize Strategic City in Southwest Syria from Army
Nov 9th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

BEIRUT - Syrian insurgents including fighters from Nusra Front, a wing of al-Qaida, seized a key city and other areas of Syria's southwestern Deraa province on Sunday after fierce battles, fighters in the area told Reuters.

A source close to government forces confirmed the advance and said the army had pulled out of Nawa city.

The capture of Nawa and surrounding areas will help the insurgents consolidate control of territory stretching to near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The insurgents also seized the surrounding areas of Sheikh al-Maskin, Tal Hauran and a military headquarters known as the 122 Brigade in the major offensive, the sources said.

Human Suffering: Learn What God Says About It
Nov 9th, 2014
Thought For The WeekA. W. Tozer
Categories: Commentary;Exhortation

Anything that gets as much space as the doctrine of human suffering gets in the Scriptures should certainly receive careful, reverent attention from children of the new creation. We cannot afford to neglect it, for whether we understand it or not we are going to experience some suffering.

From the first cold shock that brings a howl of protest from the newborn infant, down to the last anguished gasp of the aged man, pain and suffering dog our footsteps as we journey here below. It will pay us to learn what God says about it so that we may know how to act and what to expect when it comes.

Because suffering is a real part of human life, Christ himself took part in the same and learned obedience by the things He suffered.

It should be said that there is a kind of suffering which profits no one: it is the bitter and defiant suffering of the lost. The man out of Christ may endure any degree of affliction without beind any wiser or better for it.

There is common suffering which we must share with all the sons of men-loss, bereavement and griefs of a thousand sorts.

But there is such a thing as consecrated griefs, sorrows that may be common to everyone but which take on special character when accepted intelligently and offered to God in loving submission.

For that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted. Heb. 2:18 A. W. Tozer

Europe: Divide Jerusalem; Netanyahu: not a Chance
Nov 9th, 2014
Daily NewsIsrael Today
Categories: The Nation Of Israel

The European Union’s new foreign affairs chief, Federica Mogherini, visited the region over the weekend and insisted on the urgent need for a Palestinian state with the eastern half of Jerusalem as its capital.

“We need a Palestinian state - that is the ultimate goal and this is the position of all the European Union,” said Mogherini while in the Gaza Strip, adding later during her stop in Ramallah that “Jerusalem can be and should be the capital of two states.”

Mogherini said that establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital is a “global” objective, and that Israel is obstructing this important and worthy goal by continuing to allow Jews to live in areas claimed by the Palestinian Arabs, in particular on the eastern side of Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by once again stating that “Jerusalem is our capital and as such is not a settlement.”

Speaking to reporters ahead of his own meeting with Mogherini, Netanyahu stressed that “the neighborhoods in which we are living…and we’ve been building, have been there for close to 50 years… Everybody knows that in any peace arrangement they will remain part of Israel.”

Indeed, the issue of Jerusalem remains perhaps the largest stumbling block to international efforts to conclude a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. A firm majority of Israeli Jews insist that after millennia of longing for a return to Jerusalem, the city must never again be divided, while Palestinian leaders say they won’t accept any peace deal that doesn’t give them control of half the city, including the Old City and Temple Mount.