Worthy Brief - 5/8/2018
Friend, take a leap of faith!
Luke 17:5-6 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
The African Impala (an African antelope) are amazing creatures that can jump to a height of over 10 feet and cover a distance greater than 30 feet. Yet Impalas can be kept in a zoo inside an enclosure with a simple 3 foot wall. Why? Impalas will not jump if they can't see where their feet will land. Do we have something in common with these antelopes? Able to take great leaps of faith, but refusing to do it unless we can see where we'll land?
George Mueller said of faith, "Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man's power ends."
In Biblical terms: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Friend, true faith cannot see how the landing will occur...it simply leaps under the conviction that it WILL occur. Remember, Biblical faith begins where our power ends!
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Arad, Israel
Hezbollah head hails electoral ‘victory’ as protection from calls to disarm
The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Monday praised provisional parliamentary election results as vindicating his Shiite group’s armed operations.
China's trade surplus with US grows
China's surplus with the United States widened in April, underlining an imbalance between the economic titans as they struggle to reach an agreement on averting a potentially damaging trade war.
EU piles last-minute pressure on US over Iran nuclear deal
The EU is demanding the nuclear deal with Iran remain intact and unchanged ahead of US plans to possibly scrap the pact.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
IDF on high alert in north, fears Iran reprisal may include infiltration attack
The Israeli military was in a state of high alert in the country’s north Monday, in readiness for possible retaliation by Iran over alleged Israeli strikes on its sites in Syria. Security forces are preparing for the possibility of attempted infiltrations of military bases and communities in the north, Hadashot TV news reported.
Obama State Department Misled Congress on the Use of Taxpayer Funding to 'Influence the Current Israeli Election'
The ACLJ has just obtained new documents showing the Obama State Department misled Members of Congress about taxpayer funding going to an organization that was attempting to unseat the government of our ally Israel.
Shi'ite militia groups in Syria to do Iran's dirty work, strike Israel
Shi'ite militia groups in Syria are the ones likely to carry out a strike on Israel on behalf of Iran, giving Tehran the ability to deny its role in the attack, according to leading regional experts.
Inside the United States
Trump to demand Congress cut $15B in Spending Cuts in ‘rescission’ package
President Trump wants to do even more to limit the spending side of the budget, the White House told Congress. He said he will send up a $15 billion 'rescissions' package on Tuesday and challenge lawmakers to cut money that has been sitting unspent in accounts across the government.
April was best month in history for U.S. budget, according to CBO figures
The federal government took in a record tax haul in April en route to its biggest-ever monthly budget surplus, the Congressional Budget Office said, as a surging economy left Americans with more money in their paychecks -- and this more to pay to Uncle Sam.
Housing confidence hits record high as home prices skyrocket
Supply is tight, prices are soaring and mortgage rates are rising. That shouldn't exactly add up to a happy housing market, and yet, it does. Consumer confidence in housing jumped to its highest level on record in April, according to a monthly sentiment index from Fannie Mae.
Obamacare Premiums to Surge Next Year, Early Requests Show
The first glimpse of what health-insurance companies plan to charge for Obamacare plans next year suggests there’s no relief ahead for consumers saddled with high premiums.
April Sets Gun Sales Record
April 2018 saw the most gun-related checks run through the Federal Bureau of Investigation's background check system.
Christian News
American Missionary Missing After Boat Capsizes in Indian Ocean
American missionary Kenneth Danforth, who is also known as J.R., is missing after a boat carrying him capsized off the coast of Tanzania.
Trump Religious Freedom Order Helps Charities Serve Over 13.7 Million in Need, Analysis Finds
Over 13.7 million people have been provided with health care and other social services offered by faith-based organizations this past year thanks to President Donald Trump's signing of an executive order protecting religious liberty last year, a new analysis has found.
Turkish Court Rules US Pastor to Remain in Jail, Stoking US-Turkish Tensions
A Turkish court ruled for the continued detention of an American pastor in the face of growing U.S. pressure for his release. Andrew Brunson faces 35 years behind bars on terrorism and espionage charges, in a case condemned by U.S. President Donald Trump.