Worthy Brief - Christian Newsletter » Newsletters » 2016 » March » Worthy Brief - 3/11/2016

Worthy Brief - 3/11/2016

Friend, let's learn to love, rather than shove one another!

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

One day, a man was walking across a bridge and saw another man standing on the edge, about to jump off. He immediately ran to him and said, "Stop! Don't do it!" "Well, why shouldn't I?" he replied. The other said, "Well, there's so much to live for!" "Like what”? "Well ... are you religious or atheist?" "Religious." "Me too! And are you Christian or Jewish?" "Christian." "Me too! Are you Catholic or Protestant?" "Protestant." "Me too! Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?” "Baptist." "Wow! Me too! Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?" "Baptist Church of God." "Me too! Are you Original Baptist Church of God, or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?" "Reformed Baptist Church of God." "Me too! Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915?" "Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915!" To which he said, "Die, you heretic!" and pushed him off the bridge.

When we get together with our family here in Israel on Shabbat, we often find ourselves discussing and even arguing our views on various topics, political, spiritual, etc. You’ve heard the phrase two Jews, five opinions? That’s our family. At the end, we all laugh about who argued best and try to learn from one another.

The body of the Lord is one big family. Yes, we differ in opinion on some issues. But we are going to be together for eternity and we must learn to live in peace with one another! In order for us to make a real difference in the world, the world needs to see us loving each other.

Friend, let's not be like the man who pushed the other off the bridge. Let’s laugh about it and try to learn from one another.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Tampa Bay, Florida

Editor's Note: We hope to see you on our travels across the United States. Check out our schedule online.

Editor's Note: Watch George's message: Which voice will you listen to in the last days?

Today's Breaking News
Around the World
Islamic State defector brings goldmine of details on 22,000 supporters
A disillusioned former member of Islamic State has passed a stolen memory stick of documents identifying 22,000 supporters in over 50 countries to a British journalist, a leak that could help the West target Islamist fighters planning attacks.
Key powers mulling possibility of federal division of Syria
Major powers close to U.N.-brokered peace talks on Syria are discussing the possibility of a federal division of the war-torn country that would maintain its unity as a single state while granting broad autonomy to regional authorities, diplomats said.
Former Putin aide found dead in Washington
A former top press aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin was discovered dead in a Washington, D.C., hotel Thursday.
Internet domain handoff takes major step forward
A major step was taken Thursday in the U.S. government's plan to hand off oversight of the Internet domain name system.
Iran Rebuilds, Arms Stolen U.S. Spy Drone
Iranian military leaders announced Thursday that they had successfully reproduced and improved a U.S. sentinel spy drone, one of which was downed and captured in Iranian territory in 2011.
Revolutionary Guards commander says Iran's missile work will not stop: state TV
A senior Revolutionary Guards commander has said that Iran's ballistic missile program will not stop under any circumstances and that Tehran has missiles ready to be fired, according to Iranian state television.
U.S. plans to publicly blame Iran for dam cyber breach
The Obama administration is preparing to publicly attribute a 2013 cyber attack against a New York dam to Iranian hackers, according to U.S. officials familiar with the investigation.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Abbas rejects US peace initiative
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas rejected a peace initiative presented by US Vice President Joe Biden during their meeting in Ramallah on Wednesday, according to Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds.
Security cabinet approves completion of barrier around Jerusalem
The security cabinet late Thursday night approved the immediate renewal of construction work on the security barrier around the area of Jerusalem, in an effort to halt Palestinian terrorist attacks against Israelis.

Inside the United States
Report: Taxpayers Haven't Received Single Dollar of $1.2 Billion in Loans From Failed Co-Ops
Not one of the failed co-ops under Obamacare has repaid a single dollar of the $1.2 billion in federal loans they received, according to a majority staff report produced by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
US credit card debt balloons to $917B
Last year, credit card debt in the U.S. surged by approximately $71 billion to $917.7 billion, according to a new study from CardHub.com. The research also found that most of the debt accrued in 2015 came in the fourth quarter, when Americans tacked on more than $52 billion.
$1,248,371,000,000: FY2016 Taxes Set Record Through February; $8,263 Per Worker; Feds Still Run $353,005,000,000 Deficit
The U.S. Treasury hauled in a record of approximately $1,248,371,000,000 in tax revenues in the first five months of fiscal 2016 (Oct. 1, 2015 through Feb. 29, 2016), according to the Monthly Treasury Statement released today.
AG Lynch: DOJ Discussed Making 'Climate Denial' Criminal
The Justice Department has considered suing the fossil-fuel industry and others who deny the existence of climate change, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said.
FBI makes waves for Obama Administration
The aggressive posture of the FBI under Director James Comey is becoming a political problem for the White House.

U.S. Politics
Four Out of Five of Obama's Supreme Court Finalists Are Obama Donors
The White House has reportedly narrowed its list of potential Supreme Court nominees down to five people, and four of them have donated to Barack Obama's political campaigns.
46,000 Pa. Democrats Become Republicans Due To Trump
Nearly 46,000 Pennsylvania Democrats have switched to Republicans since the beginning of the year.

Christian News
Hindu Radicals Beat 60 Christians Worshiping at Pentecostal Church, Strip Women Naked
A group of Hindu radicals in India's Chhattisgarh state reportedly attacked and beat 60 Christians worshiping at a Pentecostal church on Sunday, only a week after the Indian government denied visas to a U.S. Commission investigating religious freedom abuses in the country.
Franklin Graham, Christian Leaders to Hold World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians in Moscow
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the Russian Orthodox Church will be hosting a summit on religious persecution in Moscow, the Rev. Franklin Graham announced today.
Obama pressured to declare Islamic State 'genocide' of Christians
The Knights of Columbus, one of the largest Catholic fraternal organizations in the world, released a report Thursday that outlines the Islamic State's torture, murder and rape of Christians, and demands that the U.S. deem those actions as genocide against Christians.
Chinese government accused of burning crosses in Christian crackdown
China is facing accusations it's cracking down on the religious freedom of Christians.
Evangelical Christians Flocking to Healthcare Ministries
Evangelical Christians are opting out of healthcare plans that cost thousands in deductibles every year and turning to health care sharing ministries that require members to help other members' major medical costs.