Worthy Brief - 7/15/2016
Friend, learn a lesson from history!
1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
Numbers 14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.
Numbers 27:18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.
For the past two weeks we've been building life lessons derived from the Exodus wanderings and from Paul's exhortations to the church in Corinth. Notice carefully that Paul says, "these were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages have come"...
...that is, written for us today! – admonitions from Paul to learn lessons from the history of the children of Israel.
Much of what we can learn is how NOT to behave, and what NOT to do. Yet there are also the lessons from the few who were over-comers, Joshua and Caleb particularly. From them, we may grasp what a life of faith, courage, and victory looks like.
While people often say that history repeats itself – it doesn't mean that people must repeat history. We do have the option of learning from it, and from those who were the over-comers. In the days of the Exodus, only two adult men actually entered the Promised land, out of the thousands that originally left Egypt – only Joshua and Caleb. What was different about them? They followed God fully – and were of a different spirit.
Friend, enjoy your Shabbat rest – and take these lessons from Israel's history to heart. By learning from their mistakes, and being encouraged by the faithful few, you may avoid repeating (sad) history – and rather, learning from it, enter your own inheritance in the "Promised Land".
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
Terrorist Attack in France: At least 60 killed as truck crashes into Bastille Day crowd
France’s national holiday turned bloody and violent Thursday night in the southern city of Nice, as a truck drove through crowds of Bastille Day revelers and gunmen attacked several tourist haunts throughout the city.
Kerry meets Putin to work on new Syria plan
Secretary of State John Kerry met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday at the Kremlin to discuss a new proposal that would coordinate Russian and U.S. forces in Syria to try and hasten an end to Syria's five-year-long civil war.
Russia, China move closer to joint moon, Mars missions
The U.S. might soon see two of its Cold War adversaries move closer to an agreement on joint missions to colonize Mars and the moon. Russia and China discussed expanding their cooperation to explore outer space, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin told reporters Wednesday.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
EU UNESCO draft also disregards Jewish connection to Temple Mount
The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem is fuming over a draft decision distributed on Thursday by representatives of the European Union at meetings of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in Istanbul on the subject of the Israeli capital's Old City that completely ignores the Jewish connection to the site.
Inside the United States
Military told to avoid 37 U.S. cities for fear anti-police protests may turn violent
The Army last week warned all military personnel in the United States to avoid 37 American cities this week over concerns that anti-police protests, dubbed “Days of Rage,” are planned and could turn violent.
Editor's Note: Are nationwide day of rages scheduled? If so, it would fall on the 9th of Tammuz on the Hebrew calendar. This is historically the day "walls were breached" in Jersualem. Last year, the Supreme Court redefined marriage on this very same day.
Religious Freedom Bill Ignites New Battle over Gay Marriage
Legislators on Capitol Hill are weighting a bill that would protect those who have a religious objection to gay marriage.
Satanic prayer disrupted at council meeting
Satanic prayer at Pensacola city council meeting was disrupted by crowd. Police escorted people out of the meeting.
ISIS hit list names include 1,700 individual churchgoers, Jewish worshippers in U.S. labelled as 'crusaders'
The Islamic State militant group (ISIS) disseminated a new hit list of American targets earlier this month, including churchgoers and Jewish worshippers, forcing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to brief religious leaders.
Feds fear prospect of violence at GOP, Dem conventions
Top national security officials testified on Capitol Hill on Thursday that they are worried about the prospect of violence descending on the Republican and Democratic national conventions over the next two weeks.
Newt Gingrich: Deport all Muslims who support shariah law
One of the Republican Party's most-prominent figures blamed the Nice terror attack on gutless Western elites and called for the deportation of every Muslim in the U.S. who supports shariah law.
U.S. Politics
National polls shift toward Trump
As the effects of the FBI's investigation into her use of a private email system begin to sink in with the electorate, Hillary Clinton has seen her 6-point lead in one poll evaporate and Donald Trump pull ahead in another poll by 7 points.
Sources Say Gov. Mike Pence Is Trump's VP Pick
It appears that presidential candidate Donald Trump has chosen Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate.
Evangelicals back Trump; atheists support Hillary, Pew survey finds
A new survey shows evangelicals and atheists are sharply divided over which presidential candidate to support in 2016.
Christian News
Together 2016: 1M Christians, Francis Chan, Hillsong United, Pope Francis Will Pray for Revival This Saturday
Influential evangelical leaders throughout the U.S. will fly to Washington, D.C. this weekend to join a crowd of as many as 1 million Christians to pray and worship together for the nation.
Pastor Evan Mawarire released from custody, calls for more protests against Mugabe
A Zimbabwean court has dismissed charges against a pastor accused of trying to overthrow the government through an internet campaign that inspired rare protests against President Robert Mugabe.