Worthy Brief - 4/11/2018
Friend, never forget!
Ruth 1:16-17 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
As we are enter into Holocaust Remembrance Day later this evening in Israel, I want to share a touching story about an exceptional woman who assisted 2,500 young Jewish children out of the ghettos during World War II.
Her name was Irene Sendler. She was an employee of the Polish Social Warfare Department who had a special permit to enter the ghettos to check for signs of typhus. During these visits, she would wear a Star of David as a sign of solidarity with the Jewish people. Once inside, she would convince Jewish parents to part with their children as she and others created for them false papers and smuggled them out so to put them in various good homes around Poland. Sendler then buried the children's true identities in jars in her backyard, hoping to reunite them with their families after the war.
In 1943, Irene was arrested by the Gestapo, severely tortured and sentenced to death. She was able to save herself by bribing German guards on the way to her execution. Listed on bulletin boards among those who had been executed, she was left in the woods unconscious, with broken arms and legs. For the remainder of the war, she lived in hiding. Though she had suffered much, she continued her work with Jewish children.
In 2007, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and lost to former vice president Al Gore.
Friend, may we take up the call of Ruth – "your people shall be my people, and your God shall be my God!" To Israel and the Jewish People, know that you have thousands of friends standing in solidarity with you!
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Arad, Israel
After gas attack, US, UK, France weigh strike on Syria by end of week
Trump administration officials have consulted with global allies on a possible joint military response to Syria’s alleged poison gas attack, as US President Donald Trump canceled a foreign trip in order to manage a crisis that is testing his vow to stand up to Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Russia vetoes US resolution on Syrian chemical weapons investigation
Russia on Tuesday vetoed a U.S.-led resolution to establish a process for investigating the apparent chemical weapons attack in Syria, during the second consecutive day of debate on the incident at the United Nations Security Council.
Trump cancels South America trip in sign Syria military strike imminent
President Trump canceled plans Tuesday for his first trip to South America, in another sign that he is preparing to order an imminent military strike against Syria over its deadly chemical weapons attack against civilians in a rebel-held suburb of Damascus.
Russia has figured out how to jam U.S. drones in Syria, officials say
The Russian military has been jamming some U.S. military drones operating in the skies over Syria, seriously affecting American military operations, according to four U.S. officials.
Russian lawmaker urges Putin to take 'military measures' if US strikes Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin should authorize 'military measures' in response to any strike by western powers on Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime, according to a senior Russian lawmaker.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israeli Airstrikes Target Iran's Presence, Drones in Syria
In recent months, Israel-Iran tensions have evolved from covert and proxy battles to direct confrontations. Early Monday, Israel targeted the Syrian regime's T-4 military air base in Homs, killing at least seven Iranian personnel. One of the fatalities was a colonel with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC), responsible for overseeing Iran's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) unit. The IRGC ordered Iranian state-affiliated media outlets to retract articles describing the incident.
IDF probes video of troops cheering as sniper shoots Palestinian near Gaza fence
The Israeli military said it was investigating a video that surfaced on Monday that appears to show IDF sharpshooters cheering as one of them shoots and fells a Palestinian who approached the Gaza security fence.
Moscow calls in Israeli ambassador after alleged attack in Syria
A day after Russia accused Israel of attacking the T4 airbase in Syria, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov summoned Israel's Ambassador to Russia Gary Koren to the Foreign Minister to discuss the matter, TASS reported on Tuesday.
Inside the United States
Trump seethes over FBI raid, ponders firing those he blames
President Donald Trump was so incensed by the FBI's raid of his personal attorney's office and hotel room that he's privately pondered firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and publicly mused about ousting special counsel Robert Mueller.
Trump signs order seeking work requirements for welfare programs
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday directing federal agencies to add and strengthen work requirements for public assistance and other welfare programs.
Key moments from Mark Zuckerberg's Senate testimony
Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Facebook, appeared before lawmakers for the first time on Tuesday to answer questions about how his social networking juggernaut handles its 2.2 billion users’ private data, as well as the role the company played in Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election.
The largest Black Lives Matter page on Facebook has been exposed as a fraud
The largest Black Lives Matter page on Facebook is reportedly a fraud — run by a white man in Australia who used it to take in more than $100,000 in donations.
Senate ready to change the rules to speed up Trump nominees
Senate Republicans, frustrated by delaying tactics imposed by Democrats on President Trump’s judicial and executive branch nominees, are on the verge of altering the Senate rules in order to speed up the process.
Illinois Senate advances plan requiring public schools to teach LGBT history
The Illinois Senate has advanced a plan requiring public schools teach a unit on the role and contributions of gays, lesbians and other LGBT individuals in society.
Christian News
'Multitude' of Egyptians Coming to Christ Despite Persecution from Muslim Extremists, Reveal Church Leaders
Despite continued persecution from Muslim extremists, Christians in Egypt remain unwavering in their faith, compelling a 'multitude' to come to Christ, church leaders have revealed.
Egyptian military court sentences 36 to death over bombing three churches, police checkpoint
An Egyptian military court sentenced on Tuesday 36 defendants accused of bombing three churches and a police checkpoint. The court referred the ruling to Egypt’s Grand Mufti Shawki Allam for approval, a step required by law, though his opinion is non-binding.
Only 47 Percent of Americans Identify as Protestant, Atheism Growing: Gallup
Church attendance by Roman Catholics in the United States has hit a new low, according to a study released on Monday by Gallup, while Protestants are seeing a big drop in their demographic.