Worthy Brief - 7/1/2019
Friend, integrity is greater than walls!
Revelation 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
The Great Wall of China is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It stretches over 4,000 miles (6,400 KM) and was built to protect China from the barbaric hordes to the north. The designers of the wall made it so high that it could not be scaled, so thick that it could not be penetrated, and so long that no one could go around it.
Yet, during the first hundred years of the wall's existence China was successfully invaded three times, without the wall having been climbed or breached. So how, you ask, did the invaders raid China? Well, the problem wasn't the wall – it was the gatekeepers! In each of these invasions the barbarians simply bribed the gatekeepers who opened the gates, so the enemies just walked right through.
Friend, the protection of the Great Wall of China was only as secure as its gatekeepers. What a lesson, since, don't we all also have "gates to keep"...our eyes, and our ears, and our mouth? No matter how strong we may feel, we can never forget that these points of entry will be seen by our enemies and there will be attempts to bribe or seduce us so they can break through. We must not allow the "barbaric hordes" to invade our lives by failing to keep careful watch at these entry points –our integrity and our authority depend on the security of our gates!
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Arad, Israel
Russia completes deployment of S-300 missile defenses in northern Syria
Russia has completed the deployment of its S-300 air defense system in Masyaf in northwestern Syria, not far from the cities of Homs and Hama, both of which have been targeted by airstrikes attributed to Israel.
Europe Circumvents U.S. Sanctions On Iran
Europe has found a way of circumventing U.S. sanctions on Iran. The governments of France, Germany and the United Kingdom have developed a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to enable European businesses to maintain non-dollar trade with Iran without breaking U.S. sanctions. That SPV, known as INSTEX, is now up and running.
Trump says China trade talks 'back on track,' new tariffs on hold
The United States and China agreed on Saturday to restart trade talks after President Donald Trump offered concessions including no new tariffs and an easing of restrictions on tech company Huawei in order to reduce tensions with Beijing.
American Delegates Reiterate US 'Maximum Pressure" Campaign on Iran to Allies, While Iran Agrees to Stay in Nuclear Deal
Acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper met with NATO officials in Brussels Thursday, the same day special envoy Brian Hook was in Paris to drum up support from nuclear deal partners for the US’s position on Iran.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Syria says 4 killed as Israel hits targets in Homs and Damascus in major strike
Syria said Israeli jets attacked several military sites near the capital Damascus and the central city of Homs early Monday, killing four civilians, including an infant.
New discovery in Jerusalem's City of David: 2,000-year-old pilgrimage road
In 2004, a sewage pipe burst in the middle of the neighborhood of Silwan in southeast Jerusalem. The municipality sent in a crew of construction workers to fix the leak, and as is the case in Jerusalem and especially in neighborhoods adjacent to the Old City, they were accompanied by a team of archeologists.
Inside the United States
Federal judge blocks Trump from using $2.5B in military funds for border wall
A California federal judge issued a ruling blocking President Trump from using $2.5 billion in military funds to build a wall along the southern border.
Pelosi: ‘The Children Come First’ in Turnaround Decision to Support Trump’s Aid Package
A $4.6 billion aid package will head to the southern border to alleviate worsening conditions for migrants, following a 305-102 vote that capped gridlock in Congress and a rift in the Democratic party.
Trump Administration’s Reasoning for Seeking Citizenship Status of Census Respondents ‘Contrived’: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court rejected an attempt by the Trump administration to place a citizenship question on the 2020 census questionnaire Thursday, leading Trump to suggest a delay to the census count beyond April of next year.
Right-wing protesters, 'antifa' clashes bring chaos to streets of Portland, Oregon
Oregon's largest city was calm and quiet Sunday after a day of chaotic, competing protests that clogged Portland streets, crippled public transit and left at least eight people injured.
Christian News
Indian Believer Called to Comfort the Sick Arrested and Monitored by Police
A Christian evangelist in India, who felt called to minister to sick people in hospitals, was arrested for 'forced conversions' after a local religious leader tipped the police to the fact he was passing out pamphlets.
Pastors alarmed by Christian leaders' push for Calif. churches to accept homosexuality, transgenderism
Individuals who once identified as gay are speaking out against a resolution in the California Assembly that calls upon pastors and other civic leaders to affirm homosexuality and transgenderism, and condemn 'conversion therapy.'