Worthy Brief - 7/1/2016
Friend, don't dry up!
Isaiah 58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
One of the great marvels of the Roman Empire was the invention of the aqueduct system to provide water over vast distances. It was an absolutely ingenious method which made use of gravity, with stone arches to support the water channels. An aqueduct was built in 109 AD which carried water to the city of Segovia for eighteen hundred years. For nearly sixty generations this aqueduct provided cool water from the mountains above. But fairly recently, it collapsed.
A well-intentioned citizen, observing the ancient structure, remarked, "This aqueduct is so great a marvel that it ought to be preserved for our children, as a museum piece. We shall relieve it of its centuries-long labor." So the city decided to construct a modern water system with iron pipes to carry the water, intending to give the aqueduct a long-deserved rest. What they failed to realize, of course, was that attempting to preserve the aqueduct by stopping the flow of water through it, assured its rapid disintegration! As the sun beat down on the now dry mortar and stone, the centuries old structure quickly began to fall apart. Amazingly, nearly two millenia of service would not accomplish the destructive work of less than a century of idleness!
Friend, this story ought to really encourage us in Kingdom work...since, continuing to allow Yeshua's living water to flow through us, we are constantly renewed and preserved, rather than drying up with idleness and atrophy. So...with so much work to be done, let us do it with the life-giving stream: the ever-renewing vitality of Yeshua's living water!
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?
Today's Breaking News
Around the World
Turkey and the Islamic State appear to be headed toward outright war
A brazen assault by three suicide bombers on Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport has set the stage for a more violent conflict between Turkey and the Islamic State, a development that would deepen Turkish involvement in the Syrian civil war.
U.S. offers to share Syria intelligence on terrorists with Russia
The Obama administration has offered to help Russia improve its targeting of terrorist groups in Syria if Moscow will stop bombing civilians and opposition fighters who have signed on to a cease-fire and use its influence to force Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to do the same.
Navy commander surrendered to Iran to protect Obama's nuclear deal
he Navy commander in charge of a pair of patrol boats captured by Iranian forces in January opted to surrender rather than fight back, citing later fears that a confrontation could endanger the Obama administration’s efforts to lock in a deal with Tehran on its nuclear program.
India successfully tests missile defense system developed with Israel
The Indian military on Thursday successfully test fired the Barak 8, a surface-to-air missile defense system it developed jointly with Israel, reports in Indian media said.
'Healing' detected in Antarctic ozone hole
Researchers say they have found the first clear evidence that the thinning in the ozone layer above Antarctica is starting to heal.
U.S. sailors divulged sensitive information while held by Iran: Navy
U.S. sailors who blundered into Iranian waters in January divulged sensitive information to their captors while held at gunpoint by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a U.S. Navy report said on Thursday.
Istanbul airport attackers 'Russian, Uzbek and Kyrgyz'
The three men who carried out Tuesday's deadly attack on an Istanbul airport were all from parts of the former USSR, Turkish sources say.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Quartet draft report: Israel should stop settlements, denying Palestinian development
Israel should stop building settlements, denying Palestinian development and designating land for exclusive Israeli use that Palestinians seek for a future state, the Middle East peace "Quartet" recommended in a draft of an eagerly awaited report seen by Reuters.
Terror attack in Netanya: Palestinian wounds two, killed by civilian
A Palestinian terror attack on Israeli civilians, the second of the day, was carried out in the vicinity of Netanya's central market, on the corner of Milkhemet Sheshet ha-Yamim Street (Six Day War Street) and Shoham Street.
Jewish girl, 13, stabbed to death in West Bank bedroom was U.S. citizen
A 13-year-old Jewish girl who was stabbed to death in her bed by a Palestinian attacker on Thursday was an American citizen, the State Department said.
Inside the United States
U.S. judge blocks Mississippi law allowing denial of services to LGBT people
A day before it was due to come into effect, a federal judge has blocked a Mississippi law permitting those with religious objections to deny wedding services to same-sex couples and impose dress and bathroom restrictions on transgender people.
Tough Fla. abortion law blocked by federal judge at eleventh-hour
A federal judge late Thursday put on hold key portions of a new Florida law that would block public funding for Planned Parenthood and greatly increase inspection requirements for abortion clinics.
Federal judge blocks Indiana's controversial abortion law
A federal judge granted an injunction Thursday that temporarily blocks a controversial new Indiana law that prohibits abortions based on the fetus' gender or disability.
U.S. military repeals ban on transgender service members
The Pentagon on Thursday ended its ban on openly transgender people serving in the U.S. military, formally removing the risk to an estimated thousands of U.S. troops who once could have been kicked out of the armed forces due to gender identity.
House to Vote on Gun Measure Next Week
House Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) is planning to schedule a vote on a watchlist-based gun ban bill.
U.N. denies knowledge of military trucks labeled 'U.N.'
The identity of the owner of the military-style trucks painted with the United Nations' initials seen being transported through Virginia this week was narrowed on Wednesday. A little.
DHS Whistleblower: There Were Multiple Purges of Records to Remove Linking Info to Muslim Brotherhood, Mosques Involved
During a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts on Tuesday, author and former Customs and Border Protection officer Philip Haney testified about multiple purges of law enforcement records of information that had to do with the Muslim Brotherhood and 'both to the San Bernardino mosque...and the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, down in Florida.'
White House downplays Lynch meeting with Bill Clinton
President Obama's top spokesman declined to say Thursday whether the White House is worried about a meeting Attorney General Loretta Lynch had with former President Bill Clinton amid the ongoing investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server and the propriety of the Clinton Foundation's dealings.
Report: Cutting $2.6 Trillion of Waste in Government Would Balance Budget in One Year
If Congress were to cut unnecessary and ineffective spending in the federal government, it could balance the budget in one year by following the recommendations put forth by Citizens Against Government Waste, a non-partisan organization.
State Dept. asks judge for 27 more months to release Clinton staff emails
The State Department has asked a judge for two more years to sort through emails from four former aides to Hillary Clinton, saying the search method the department used was faulty and omitted thousands more emails than initially thought relevant to a lawsuit by a conservative group.
Federal regulation of Internet coming, warn FCC, FEC commissioners
Democrats targeting content and control of the Internet, especially from conservative sources, are pushing hard to layer on new regulations and even censorship under the guise of promoting diversity while policing bullying, warn commissioners from the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Election Commission.
House to vote on measure to keep guns from terrorists: source
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan told Republican lawmakers on a conference call that the House will vote next week on a measure intended to keep guns out of the hands of people on terrorism watch lists, according to a knowledgeable source.
CIA Director Brennan Says Istanbul Bombings Should Serve as Warning to U.S.
CIA Director John Brennan said that the suicide bombings in Istanbul, Turkey bore the signs of ISIS and should serve as a warning to Americans that the terrorist group is aiming to carry out similar attacks in the U.S.
U.S. Politics
Bill Clinton meeting causes headaches for Hillary
A meeting this week between Attorney General Loretta Lynch and former President Bill Clinton is creating headaches for Hillary Clinton's campaign.
Trump: Obama 'abused Israel'
Donald Trump accused President Barack Obama of treating Israel in such a poor fashion that it was tantamount to abuse.
White House Watch: Trump 43%, Clinton 39%
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds Trump with 43% of the vote, while Clinton earns 39%. Twelve percent (12%) still like another candidate, and five percent (5%) are undecided.
Clinton's Private E-Mail Use Said to Frustrate Top Aide Huma Abedin
A top aide to Hillary Clinton said the former secretary of state's use of a private e-mail server to conduct government business on at least one occasion got in the way of Clinton's work and left the aide frustrated, according to a transcript of the aide's deposition released Wednesday.
Christian News
Canada: Genocide declaration defeated by Parliament
The House of Commons in Canada recently voted against a motion declaring that the atrocities committed by the Islamic State against religious minorities in Syria and Iraq were actually acts of genocide.
Syria: Church leaders escape assassination attempt
Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II and other senior leaders of the Syriac Orthodox Church survived an assassination attempt on June 19.
Pakistan: Two Christians, one Muslim sentenced to death for blasphemy
Anjam Naz and Javed Naz, both Christians, and Jafar Ali, a Musilm, have been found guilty for insulting Prophet Muhammad by the Anti-Terrorism Court in Gujranwala, Punjab province.
Franklin Graham draws thousands to prayer rally in Olympia
Evangelist Franklin Graham held a prayer rally that drew thousands to the state Capitol in Washington state as part of his national tour to urge Christians to get involved in politics.
Islamic State kills Christian priest in Egypt's North Sinai
Islamist militants gunned down a Christian priest in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula as he was fixing his car, the Interior Ministry and the Coptic Orthodox Church said on Thursday.
Around the World
Turkey and the Islamic State appear to be headed toward outright war
A brazen assault by three suicide bombers on Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport has set the stage for a more violent conflict between Turkey and the Islamic State, a development that would deepen Turkish involvement in the Syrian civil war.
U.S. offers to share Syria intelligence on terrorists with Russia
The Obama administration has offered to help Russia improve its targeting of terrorist groups in Syria if Moscow will stop bombing civilians and opposition fighters who have signed on to a cease-fire and use its influence to force Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to do the same.
Navy commander surrendered to Iran to protect Obama's nuclear deal
he Navy commander in charge of a pair of patrol boats captured by Iranian forces in January opted to surrender rather than fight back, citing later fears that a confrontation could endanger the Obama administration’s efforts to lock in a deal with Tehran on its nuclear program.
India successfully tests missile defense system developed with Israel
The Indian military on Thursday successfully test fired the Barak 8, a surface-to-air missile defense system it developed jointly with Israel, reports in Indian media said.
'Healing' detected in Antarctic ozone hole
Researchers say they have found the first clear evidence that the thinning in the ozone layer above Antarctica is starting to heal.
U.S. sailors divulged sensitive information while held by Iran: Navy
U.S. sailors who blundered into Iranian waters in January divulged sensitive information to their captors while held at gunpoint by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a U.S. Navy report said on Thursday.
Istanbul airport attackers 'Russian, Uzbek and Kyrgyz'
The three men who carried out Tuesday's deadly attack on an Istanbul airport were all from parts of the former USSR, Turkish sources say.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Quartet draft report: Israel should stop settlements, denying Palestinian development
Israel should stop building settlements, denying Palestinian development and designating land for exclusive Israeli use that Palestinians seek for a future state, the Middle East peace "Quartet" recommended in a draft of an eagerly awaited report seen by Reuters.
Terror attack in Netanya: Palestinian wounds two, killed by civilian
A Palestinian terror attack on Israeli civilians, the second of the day, was carried out in the vicinity of Netanya's central market, on the corner of Milkhemet Sheshet ha-Yamim Street (Six Day War Street) and Shoham Street.
Jewish girl, 13, stabbed to death in West Bank bedroom was U.S. citizen
A 13-year-old Jewish girl who was stabbed to death in her bed by a Palestinian attacker on Thursday was an American citizen, the State Department said.
Inside the United States
U.S. judge blocks Mississippi law allowing denial of services to LGBT people
A day before it was due to come into effect, a federal judge has blocked a Mississippi law permitting those with religious objections to deny wedding services to same-sex couples and impose dress and bathroom restrictions on transgender people.
Tough Fla. abortion law blocked by federal judge at eleventh-hour
A federal judge late Thursday put on hold key portions of a new Florida law that would block public funding for Planned Parenthood and greatly increase inspection requirements for abortion clinics.
Federal judge blocks Indiana's controversial abortion law
A federal judge granted an injunction Thursday that temporarily blocks a controversial new Indiana law that prohibits abortions based on the fetus' gender or disability.
U.S. military repeals ban on transgender service members
The Pentagon on Thursday ended its ban on openly transgender people serving in the U.S. military, formally removing the risk to an estimated thousands of U.S. troops who once could have been kicked out of the armed forces due to gender identity.
House to Vote on Gun Measure Next Week
House Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) is planning to schedule a vote on a watchlist-based gun ban bill.
U.N. denies knowledge of military trucks labeled 'U.N.'
The identity of the owner of the military-style trucks painted with the United Nations' initials seen being transported through Virginia this week was narrowed on Wednesday. A little.
DHS Whistleblower: There Were Multiple Purges of Records to Remove Linking Info to Muslim Brotherhood, Mosques Involved
During a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts on Tuesday, author and former Customs and Border Protection officer Philip Haney testified about multiple purges of law enforcement records of information that had to do with the Muslim Brotherhood and 'both to the San Bernardino mosque...and the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, down in Florida.'
White House downplays Lynch meeting with Bill Clinton
President Obama's top spokesman declined to say Thursday whether the White House is worried about a meeting Attorney General Loretta Lynch had with former President Bill Clinton amid the ongoing investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server and the propriety of the Clinton Foundation's dealings.
Report: Cutting $2.6 Trillion of Waste in Government Would Balance Budget in One Year
If Congress were to cut unnecessary and ineffective spending in the federal government, it could balance the budget in one year by following the recommendations put forth by Citizens Against Government Waste, a non-partisan organization.
State Dept. asks judge for 27 more months to release Clinton staff emails
The State Department has asked a judge for two more years to sort through emails from four former aides to Hillary Clinton, saying the search method the department used was faulty and omitted thousands more emails than initially thought relevant to a lawsuit by a conservative group.
Federal regulation of Internet coming, warn FCC, FEC commissioners
Democrats targeting content and control of the Internet, especially from conservative sources, are pushing hard to layer on new regulations and even censorship under the guise of promoting diversity while policing bullying, warn commissioners from the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Election Commission.
House to vote on measure to keep guns from terrorists: source
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan told Republican lawmakers on a conference call that the House will vote next week on a measure intended to keep guns out of the hands of people on terrorism watch lists, according to a knowledgeable source.
CIA Director Brennan Says Istanbul Bombings Should Serve as Warning to U.S.
CIA Director John Brennan said that the suicide bombings in Istanbul, Turkey bore the signs of ISIS and should serve as a warning to Americans that the terrorist group is aiming to carry out similar attacks in the U.S.
U.S. Politics
Bill Clinton meeting causes headaches for Hillary
A meeting this week between Attorney General Loretta Lynch and former President Bill Clinton is creating headaches for Hillary Clinton's campaign.
Trump: Obama 'abused Israel'
Donald Trump accused President Barack Obama of treating Israel in such a poor fashion that it was tantamount to abuse.
White House Watch: Trump 43%, Clinton 39%
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey of Likely U.S. Voters finds Trump with 43% of the vote, while Clinton earns 39%. Twelve percent (12%) still like another candidate, and five percent (5%) are undecided.
Clinton's Private E-Mail Use Said to Frustrate Top Aide Huma Abedin
A top aide to Hillary Clinton said the former secretary of state's use of a private e-mail server to conduct government business on at least one occasion got in the way of Clinton's work and left the aide frustrated, according to a transcript of the aide's deposition released Wednesday.
Christian News
Canada: Genocide declaration defeated by Parliament
The House of Commons in Canada recently voted against a motion declaring that the atrocities committed by the Islamic State against religious minorities in Syria and Iraq were actually acts of genocide.
Syria: Church leaders escape assassination attempt
Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II and other senior leaders of the Syriac Orthodox Church survived an assassination attempt on June 19.
Pakistan: Two Christians, one Muslim sentenced to death for blasphemy
Anjam Naz and Javed Naz, both Christians, and Jafar Ali, a Musilm, have been found guilty for insulting Prophet Muhammad by the Anti-Terrorism Court in Gujranwala, Punjab province.
Franklin Graham draws thousands to prayer rally in Olympia
Evangelist Franklin Graham held a prayer rally that drew thousands to the state Capitol in Washington state as part of his national tour to urge Christians to get involved in politics.
Islamic State kills Christian priest in Egypt's North Sinai
Islamist militants gunned down a Christian priest in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula as he was fixing his car, the Interior Ministry and the Coptic Orthodox Church said on Thursday.