Worthy Brief - 7/17/2020
Friend, rise up!
Luke 10:18-20 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Returning from their 'mission' trip, the 72 disciples of Yeshua (Jesus) were filled with joy. "Even the devils are subject to us through your name", they exulted. Yeshua responded that He saw Satan fall like lightening from Heaven and that He had given them authority to trample snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy.
The nature of the enemy is to fall. His destiny and his eternal condition is Fallen. Thus, Satan and his demons want to pull us down with them. Their schemes are subtle, as they watch carefully for opportunities when our own evil desires rise up in us; [James 1:14]. However they can do it, these evil spirits will seek to drag us down into the miserable fallen condition they are in. In every temptation, the enemy is present seeking to pull you down with him. But our calling and destiny are not to fall, it is to rise. Our identity and our authority as the children of God is with the resurrected Messiah. And it's His resurrection life and power that gives us authority over demons and victory over sin – to rise above temptation through a life of spirit-empowered obedience. "For He has rescued us from darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves", [Col 1:13]
Friend, you are no longer under the power of fallen angels but in the power of a risen God. Rise above temptation. Exercise your authority to tread upon the powers of darkness in your own life, and be led by His Holy Spirit, even to deliver others from their power as well. Exercising the authority of our risen Lord over evil is one of our great living testimonies to His goodness and salvation!
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Portland, Oregon
Editor's Note: Read about our new project, Taking the Camp in our first blog post -- Beginning of a Journey
Deadly Fight Erupts Between Azerbaijan, Armenia
Fresh fighting erupted Thursday on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, dashing hopes of an end to the worst clashes between the neighbors in years.
Pro-Western Party Wins Troubled Vote In North Macedonia
A pro-Western party in North Macedonia is trying to form a coalition government after it claimed victory in somewhat historic but troubled elections. The Balkan nation's first national vote under a new state name faced a suspected hacking attack impacting the publishing of results.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel Drafts Secret List of Hundreds of Officials Who May Stand Trial at International Court
Israel is drawing up a secret list of military and intelligence officials who might be subject to arrest abroad if the International Criminal Court in the Hague opens an investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes in the Palestinian territories.
Israel: New surge in COVID-19 cases may cause return to lockdown
Israeli officials are anticipating the likelihood of renewing a nationwide lockdown as the country had 1,575 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, the Times of Israel reports. With a population of fewer than nine million residents, Israel has now had over 43,000 cases, including over 23,000 currently active cases and 375 coronavirus related deaths.
Inside the United States
DHS accuses Portland officials of enabling ‘mob,’ posts timeline of damage by ‘violent anarchists’
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf on Thursday accused Portland politicians of enabling the 'mob' of protesters who have besieged the city for more than six weeks -- and posted a lengthy timeline of the damage caused by 'violent anarchists.'
Mortgage rates hit new record low
Mortgage rates dropped to a new record low last week as the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, with a conforming loan balance of up to $510,400, fell from 3.26% to 3.19% to, CNBC reported Wednesday. Points fell from 0.35 to 0.33 for loans with a 20% down payment: 63 basis points lower than the recent high in late March.
Trump signed secret authorization for CIA to conduct cyber attacks
In 2018 President Trump signed a secret authorization, known as a presidential finding, which granted the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) sweeping freedom to conduct covert cyber operations against Iran and others, Yahoo News reports.
Highest ever numbers of Americans buying guns
US gun sales began surging in March as COVID-19 cases, lockdowns and unemployment took hold, but reached record numbers with added worries about the civil unrest that followed the killing of George Floyd on May 25, Fox News reports.
Christian News
Chinese Christians Injured While Protesting Removal of Crosses
Christians in eastern China were recovering of their injuries Thursday after trying to prevent the removal of crosses from churches by Chinese government forces.
Alarming reduction in number of Christian refugees allowed into the US
As Christians around the world face increasingly intense persecution, the number of Christian refugees being allowed entry to the US has dropped by 90% since 2015, CBN News reports. This year the Trump administration set the total maximum number of Christian and non-Christian refugees to be allowed in at 18,000. Historically, the yearly average was 81,000.