Worthy Brief - 6/8/2016
Friend, let the restoration begin!
Acts 3:19-21 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
The word for "restitution" in this passage is the Greek word - "apokatastasis". This is the one and only place it is found in the New Testament. The word literally means to "restore again" or "to repair". The plan of God in sending His Son Yeshua (Jesus) was to restore that which had been broken and ruined. The Lord's saving work is a global repair job. Each one of us has come to Him already ruined by sin. But God's will and His promise is to restore and renew us through His Son.
This restoration process isn't a one sided affair. Having been initiated by the Lord, it requires of us humans, one essential response - that is, repentance. The passage above draws a clear parallel between repentance and refreshing. Anyone who has walked with the Lord for a while knows this well. Repentance brings refreshment, over and over......and over again.
Friend, allow yourself to be refreshed...seek the Lord today and let Him show you where you need repentance. Then, go ahead and make the turn, and watch how quickly and beautifully you'll be restored, repaired and refreshed. Make it a daily habit, and you'll find yourself in the stream that leads to Eternal Life!
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Negev Desert, Israel
Editor's Note: Watch George's message: Which voice will you listen to in the last days?
Around the World
Ahead of Brexit vote, support for EU falls across Europe
The Pew survey revealed that 48 percent of British voters had an unfavorable opinion about the EU, compared to 44 percent who were in favor, a similar figure to recent national opinion polls.
Global peace deteriorating as world violence hits new all-time high
Global violence has reached its highest level in the last 25 years. That's despite a new ranking showing that the world would be growing more peaceful - if it weren't for conflicts in the Middle East.
EU court rules illegal migrants cannot be jailed
EU countries cannot imprison illegal migrants just for crossing borders inside the passport-free Schengen area, the bloc's top court ruled Tuesday, in a new blow to efforts to crack down on the migration crisis.
Migrants linked to 69,000 would-be or actual crimes in Germany in first three months of 2016: police
Migrants in Germany committed or tried to commit some 69,000 crimes in the first quarter of 2016, according to a police report that could raise unease, especially among anti-immigrant groups, about Chancellor Angela Merkel's liberal migrant policy.
Disenchantment with E.U. Grows, Poll Finds
As Britain prepares to vote on June 23 on whether to remain in the European Union, skepticism about the bloc is on the rise across Europe, with about two-thirds of Britons wanting some powers returned to their national government, according to an opinion poll released on Tuesday by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan institution based in Washington.
ISIS extremists burn 19 Yezidi girls to death in Mosul
Extremist jihadis of the Islamic State (ISIS) on Thursday executed 19 Yezidi girls by burning them to death, activists and eyewitnesses reported.
Iran credits nuclear deal with the doubling of its oil export capacity
Post-sanctions Iran has doubled its oil export capacity, the Islamic republic's oil minister said.
Russia Building Military Base Near Border With Ukraine
Russia is in the process of building a military base close to its border with Ukraine, according to a report Tuesday.
U.S.: Chinese jet makes 'unsafe' intercept of Air Force plane
A U.S. Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft flying Tuesday in international airspace over the East China Sea was intercepted in an 'unsafe manner' by a Chinese J-10 fighter jet, several defense officials tell CNN.
Iran Denies Entry to U.S. Congressmen Seeking to Inspect Nuke Sites
The Iranian government has declined to permit a delegation of U.S. congressmen into the country to monitor the Islamic Republic's compliance with last summer's nuclear agreement, informing the lawmakers in a sharply worded letter that no U.S. persons are permitted under the agreement to monitor Iran's compliance, according to a copy of the communication obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
EU likely to extend Russia sanctions before summit
The EU is preparing to extend its economic sanctions on Russia before the June summit, as Russian diplomacy targets a winter deadline instead.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Syria reports first IAF attack since Lieberman became defense minister
The Syrian website ‘Zaman Al Wasl,’ which identifies with the opposition forces, quoted a military official from the Syrian regime who claimed that the Israel Air Force had carried out an airstrike against military targets close to a village 13 kilometers north of Homs.
Putin backs ‘just’ solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday expressed support for a “comprehensive and just” solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Rice promises Israel 'largest military aid package in history'
Despite her comments opposing 'settlements', U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice promised Israel that the new military aid agreement between the two countries that is currently being negotiated will constitute 'the single largest military assistance package -- with any country -- in American history,' Haaretz reported Tuesday.
Israeli minister: Remove Palestinians from West Bank Area C, annex territory
Israeli minister Uri Ariel proposed removing 'a few thousand Arabs' from Area C of the West Bank -- the 60% of the territory fully controlled by Israel -- and then annexing it.
Putin: 'Relations with Israel are deep'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday afternoon to mark 25 years since the renewal of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Inside the United States
Transgender Bathroom Case Moves To Supreme Court
A Virginia case challenging the Obama administration's interpretation of civil rights for transgender people is headed for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Obama threatens to veto Senate's defense policy bill
The White House warned Tuesday night that President Obama would veto the Senate's National Defense Authorization Act for 2017 if it got to his desk in that form, as it would prevent Obama from closing the detention facilities in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and prescribes other polices Obama opposes.
D.C. Passes $15 Minimum Wage
The Washington, D.C., City Council passed a measure to raise the minimum wage to $15 for hourly employees on Tuesday and increased the tipped wage to $5 an hour.
White House Can't Explain Omission of Damaging Line About Iran Deal Deceit From Transcript
White House press secretary Josh Earnest could not explain Tuesday the omission of a potentially damaging line about the Iran nuclear deal from the official transcript of a White House press briefing last month, refusing to revisit the matter and rejecting the notion that there was any wrongdoing.
California lawmakers try to extend ObamaCare to illegal immigrants
California is on the brink of becoming the first state in the nation to offer illegal immigrants the chance to buy insurance on an ObamaCare exchange -- testing what's being described as a 'loophole' in the law.
FBI wants access to Internet browser history without a warrant in terrorism and spy cases
The Obama administration is seeking to amend surveillance law to give the FBI explicit authority to access a person's Internet browser history and other electronic data without a warrant in terrorism and spy cases.
U.S. Politics
Clinton declares victory, takes aim at Trump
Hillary Clinton claimed a historic victory Tuesday night, exactly eight years to the day since her first presidential campaign ended in defeat. She is now the first female major party nominee for president of the United States.
GOP in disarray over Trump furor
Donald Trump's presidential campaign faced a crisis of confidence on Tuesday as Republicans denounced his attacks on a federal judge as racist and grappled with whether to retract their endorsements.
More Republican Leaders Slam Trump Comments on Judge
U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator Lindsey Graham have joined a growing chorus of Republican leaders to disavow comments by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump about the Mexican heritage of a judge in a class-action lawsuit against Trump University.
Hillary Clinton wins New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota primaries
Hillary Clinton claimed victory Tuesday in the New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota primaries as she claimed the Democratic Party's presidential nomination and made clear she's now preparing for the general election.
Christian News
Christian Convert Near Death in Iranian Prison Temporarily Released
Christian convert Nasim Naghash Zargaran has been temporarily released from an Iranian prison after posting bail.
Islamic Militants Hack To Death Christian Grocer In Bangladesh
Islamic militants have claimed responsibility for the murder of a Christian grocer who was hacked to death Sunday, June 5, after Sunday prayers near a church in northwest Bangladesh. The Islamic State (IS) group said the attack was 'part of a series of operations' targeting Christians and other religious minorities in the impoverished Asian nation.
Chinese Christians Forbidden from Holding Prayer Meeting
Chinese Christians were forced to cancel a prayer meeting after government authorities said they did not have permission to gather together.
Nigeria: Pastor's Wife Stabbed to Death for Insulting Muhammad
Attackers stabbed to death the wife of a Nigerian pastor last week after she reportedly insulted the Muslim prophet Muhammad.
Rev. Franklin Graham: 'This Nation Is in Serious Trouble'
The Rev. Franklin Graham said that he was not endorsing any presidential candidates -- 'but I am appealing to all Americans to pray' because 'this nation is in serious trouble.'
EU agreement threatens freedom of religion and freedom of the press by censoring critical internet posts
The EU has just announced an agreement with major internet providers such as Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft under which material deemed to be 'hate speech' will be removed from the internet within 24 hours. However, we have serious concerns that the definition of hate speech is so vague it could effectively censor anything deemed politically incorrect, including for example, any criticism of Islamism, mass migration or even the European Union itself. This could have serious implications for Christian organisations such as Barnabas Aid which are reporting on the persecution of Christians, such as converts from Islam.
Ahead of Brexit vote, support for EU falls across Europe
The Pew survey revealed that 48 percent of British voters had an unfavorable opinion about the EU, compared to 44 percent who were in favor, a similar figure to recent national opinion polls.
Global peace deteriorating as world violence hits new all-time high
Global violence has reached its highest level in the last 25 years. That's despite a new ranking showing that the world would be growing more peaceful - if it weren't for conflicts in the Middle East.
EU court rules illegal migrants cannot be jailed
EU countries cannot imprison illegal migrants just for crossing borders inside the passport-free Schengen area, the bloc's top court ruled Tuesday, in a new blow to efforts to crack down on the migration crisis.
Migrants linked to 69,000 would-be or actual crimes in Germany in first three months of 2016: police
Migrants in Germany committed or tried to commit some 69,000 crimes in the first quarter of 2016, according to a police report that could raise unease, especially among anti-immigrant groups, about Chancellor Angela Merkel's liberal migrant policy.
Disenchantment with E.U. Grows, Poll Finds
As Britain prepares to vote on June 23 on whether to remain in the European Union, skepticism about the bloc is on the rise across Europe, with about two-thirds of Britons wanting some powers returned to their national government, according to an opinion poll released on Tuesday by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan institution based in Washington.
ISIS extremists burn 19 Yezidi girls to death in Mosul
Extremist jihadis of the Islamic State (ISIS) on Thursday executed 19 Yezidi girls by burning them to death, activists and eyewitnesses reported.
Iran credits nuclear deal with the doubling of its oil export capacity
Post-sanctions Iran has doubled its oil export capacity, the Islamic republic's oil minister said.
Russia Building Military Base Near Border With Ukraine
Russia is in the process of building a military base close to its border with Ukraine, according to a report Tuesday.
U.S.: Chinese jet makes 'unsafe' intercept of Air Force plane
A U.S. Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft flying Tuesday in international airspace over the East China Sea was intercepted in an 'unsafe manner' by a Chinese J-10 fighter jet, several defense officials tell CNN.
Iran Denies Entry to U.S. Congressmen Seeking to Inspect Nuke Sites
The Iranian government has declined to permit a delegation of U.S. congressmen into the country to monitor the Islamic Republic's compliance with last summer's nuclear agreement, informing the lawmakers in a sharply worded letter that no U.S. persons are permitted under the agreement to monitor Iran's compliance, according to a copy of the communication obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
EU likely to extend Russia sanctions before summit
The EU is preparing to extend its economic sanctions on Russia before the June summit, as Russian diplomacy targets a winter deadline instead.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Syria reports first IAF attack since Lieberman became defense minister
The Syrian website ‘Zaman Al Wasl,’ which identifies with the opposition forces, quoted a military official from the Syrian regime who claimed that the Israel Air Force had carried out an airstrike against military targets close to a village 13 kilometers north of Homs.
Putin backs ‘just’ solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday expressed support for a “comprehensive and just” solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Rice promises Israel 'largest military aid package in history'
Despite her comments opposing 'settlements', U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice promised Israel that the new military aid agreement between the two countries that is currently being negotiated will constitute 'the single largest military assistance package -- with any country -- in American history,' Haaretz reported Tuesday.
Israeli minister: Remove Palestinians from West Bank Area C, annex territory
Israeli minister Uri Ariel proposed removing 'a few thousand Arabs' from Area C of the West Bank -- the 60% of the territory fully controlled by Israel -- and then annexing it.
Putin: 'Relations with Israel are deep'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday afternoon to mark 25 years since the renewal of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Inside the United States
Transgender Bathroom Case Moves To Supreme Court
A Virginia case challenging the Obama administration's interpretation of civil rights for transgender people is headed for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Obama threatens to veto Senate's defense policy bill
The White House warned Tuesday night that President Obama would veto the Senate's National Defense Authorization Act for 2017 if it got to his desk in that form, as it would prevent Obama from closing the detention facilities in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and prescribes other polices Obama opposes.
D.C. Passes $15 Minimum Wage
The Washington, D.C., City Council passed a measure to raise the minimum wage to $15 for hourly employees on Tuesday and increased the tipped wage to $5 an hour.
White House Can't Explain Omission of Damaging Line About Iran Deal Deceit From Transcript
White House press secretary Josh Earnest could not explain Tuesday the omission of a potentially damaging line about the Iran nuclear deal from the official transcript of a White House press briefing last month, refusing to revisit the matter and rejecting the notion that there was any wrongdoing.
California lawmakers try to extend ObamaCare to illegal immigrants
California is on the brink of becoming the first state in the nation to offer illegal immigrants the chance to buy insurance on an ObamaCare exchange -- testing what's being described as a 'loophole' in the law.
FBI wants access to Internet browser history without a warrant in terrorism and spy cases
The Obama administration is seeking to amend surveillance law to give the FBI explicit authority to access a person's Internet browser history and other electronic data without a warrant in terrorism and spy cases.
U.S. Politics
Clinton declares victory, takes aim at Trump
Hillary Clinton claimed a historic victory Tuesday night, exactly eight years to the day since her first presidential campaign ended in defeat. She is now the first female major party nominee for president of the United States.
GOP in disarray over Trump furor
Donald Trump's presidential campaign faced a crisis of confidence on Tuesday as Republicans denounced his attacks on a federal judge as racist and grappled with whether to retract their endorsements.
More Republican Leaders Slam Trump Comments on Judge
U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator Lindsey Graham have joined a growing chorus of Republican leaders to disavow comments by presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump about the Mexican heritage of a judge in a class-action lawsuit against Trump University.
Hillary Clinton wins New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota primaries
Hillary Clinton claimed victory Tuesday in the New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota primaries as she claimed the Democratic Party's presidential nomination and made clear she's now preparing for the general election.
Christian News
Christian Convert Near Death in Iranian Prison Temporarily Released
Christian convert Nasim Naghash Zargaran has been temporarily released from an Iranian prison after posting bail.
Islamic Militants Hack To Death Christian Grocer In Bangladesh
Islamic militants have claimed responsibility for the murder of a Christian grocer who was hacked to death Sunday, June 5, after Sunday prayers near a church in northwest Bangladesh. The Islamic State (IS) group said the attack was 'part of a series of operations' targeting Christians and other religious minorities in the impoverished Asian nation.
Chinese Christians Forbidden from Holding Prayer Meeting
Chinese Christians were forced to cancel a prayer meeting after government authorities said they did not have permission to gather together.
Nigeria: Pastor's Wife Stabbed to Death for Insulting Muhammad
Attackers stabbed to death the wife of a Nigerian pastor last week after she reportedly insulted the Muslim prophet Muhammad.
Rev. Franklin Graham: 'This Nation Is in Serious Trouble'
The Rev. Franklin Graham said that he was not endorsing any presidential candidates -- 'but I am appealing to all Americans to pray' because 'this nation is in serious trouble.'
EU agreement threatens freedom of religion and freedom of the press by censoring critical internet posts
The EU has just announced an agreement with major internet providers such as Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft under which material deemed to be 'hate speech' will be removed from the internet within 24 hours. However, we have serious concerns that the definition of hate speech is so vague it could effectively censor anything deemed politically incorrect, including for example, any criticism of Islamism, mass migration or even the European Union itself. This could have serious implications for Christian organisations such as Barnabas Aid which are reporting on the persecution of Christians, such as converts from Islam.