Worthy Brief - 4/12/2023
Friend, just say no!
Psalms 27:1-3 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
Two hunters came across a bear so big that they dropped their rifles and ran for cover. One man climbed a tree while the other hid in a nearby cave. The bear was in no hurry to eat, so he sat down between the tree and the cave to reflect upon his good fortune. Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, the hunter in the cave came rushing out, almost ran into the waiting bear, hesitated, and then dashed back in again. The same thing happened a second time. When he emerged for the third time, his companion in the tree frantically called out, "Woody, are you crazy? Stay in the cave till he leaves!" "Can't," panted Woody, "there's another bear in there!"
Do you ever feel like fear is giving us the run around? Although there are a lot of scary things going on in the world these days and perhaps even in our own personal lives, God has not called us to live in fear. He’s has called us to stand strong in His confidence, knowing that He is in control! He’s called us to live lives full of power, love and a sound mind!
Dr. E. Stanley Jones said “I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt, and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath--these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely--these are my native air.”
Friend, let's say no to fear! Let us determine to put our hope in the Lord once again today!
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Going to Christian College in Dallas, Texas)
George & Obadiah (Flying over the Atlantic on our way to Israel), and Elianna (Dallas, Texas), Baht Rivka (Israel)
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Hungary’s foreign minister has sealed deals with Russia on expanding nuclear energy, natural gas, and oil supplies despite Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Saudi officials travel to Yemen to try and end crushing civil war
As part of an effort to end the devastating civil war in Yemen, a delegation of Saudi Arabian officials on Sunday traveled to the Yemeni capital city of Sanaa to try and negotiate a peace deal with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels who have taken over the city, AFP reports.
China completes 3 days of military drills simulating blockades around Taiwan
China announced Monday it “successfully completed” a three-day military exercise during which it practiced installing naval and aerial blockades around Taiwan, i24 News reports. The drill began on Saturday, causing some consternation amid ongoing fears that China is edging toward an invasion of self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of the Chinese mainland.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Netanyahu Vows to Restore Security ‘On All Fronts’ After Terror Attacks, Rocket Fire
Israel’s embattled prime minister pledged on Monday evening to restore security after a turbulent few days saw violent clashes on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, deadly acts of terrorism, and cross-border rocket fire including the biggest barrage from Lebanon since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.
Netanyahu bars Jewish visitors from Temple Mount for last 10 days of Ramadan
Jewish visitors will be barred from the Temple Mount from Wednesday until the end of Ramadan in ten days’ time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Tuesday, after a series of security consultations on the issue amid widespread violence linked to tensions at the holy site.
Israel has the “right to defend itself” against aggression, US government says
Following a barrage of rockets directed at Israeli towns from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, the United States government said Thursday that Israel has a right to defend itself against sustained attacks from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants and the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah terror group, the Times of Israel reports.
Inside the United States
Biden administration officials were involved in Mar-a-Lago raid despite claiming otherwise: report
The Biden administration involved itself in the raid of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home despite reports that its officials were "stunned" to find out about the news on social media, according to the group America First Legal, which obtained internal government documents related to the raid through a Freedom of Information Act request.
US Bank Lending Slumps by Most on Record in Final Weeks of March
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Leak of US classified documents online is “very serious risk to national security” and could lead to loss of life, Pentagon says
The Pentagon said Monday that the recent leak of classified US Defense Department documents for circulation online presents an ongoing “very serious risk to national security” and could potentially lead to the loss of life, CNS News reports.
Christian News
Attacks on churches surged in first quarter of 2023, report finds
Attacks on churches escalated in the first quarter of 2023 consistent with a years-long trend of rising vandalism, arson and shootings, none worse this year than the deadly rampage at the Covenant School in Nashville.