Worthy Brief - 8/4/2016
Friend, be fruitful in spite of your circumstances!
Matthew 7:17-20 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a corrupt tree bears evil fruit. A good tree cannot produce evil fruit, nor can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. So then you will know them by their fruits.
In Israel, it's amazing how many trees are being planted all the time. In fact, the green line that you hear about so much in the news isn't an actual drawn borderline, but it is a visible line you can only see from the air. It's where Israelis stopped planting trees.
Now suppose I wanted to plant a fig tree -- would I go searching for lemon seeds? Of course not! And even if I planted a fig tree next to a lemon tree, it would still only produce figs, no matter how close it was planted to the lemon tree.
So in our lives, though we may be surrounded with sourness, even planted in a "lemon grove", we are "fig trees" -- and the sweetness of our fruit will remain, because we were planted by the Lord Himself, to produce good fruit under all conditions. There is no question that if we are planted in Him the good fruit we bear will come forth in both good times and bad times.
Life is filled with ups and downs, unforeseen circumstances that send our lives in strange loops we weren't expecting -- nevertheless, we were fashioned to be fruit bearers...unconditionally. You may say " George, you don't understand, you have no idea what's happening in my life right now!" You're right, I don't -- but I do know the Lord who laid down his life unconditionally for you -- and that He did it so He could abide in you and you in Him -- guess what for...
Friend, if life is overwhelming you, then it's time to reach down deep and draw nourishment from the Root of our lives -- Yeshua the Messiah. The sap of His Life will produce... MUCH! GOOD! FRUIT!...despite the lemons!
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
White House denies $400 million payment to Iran was ransom for hostages
The Obama administration insisted Wednesday that its airlift of $400 million in cash to Iran in January wasn’t ransom for the release of five imprisoned Americans, while Republican lawmakers called the move appeasement and demanded that Secretary of State John F. Kerry turn over documents and testify before Congress.
Iran says West failing to meet nuclear deal commitments
The U.S. airlifted $400 million in cash to Iran at the same time four Americans held in Tehran were released, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing U.S. and European officials and congressional staff briefed on the covert mission.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
US, Israel close many gaps in defense aid talks, hope for deal soon
The United States and Israel have closed many of the remaining gaps in negotiations over a new multibillion-dollar military aid package for Washington's top Middle East ally, and the two sides hope to reach a final deal soon, a senior US official said on Wednesday.
Inside the United States
Supreme Court temporarily blocks order on transgender bathroom use
A divided Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to temporarily block a lower court order that had cleared the way for a transgender male high school student to use the boys' bathroom in a Virginia public school this fall.
Fed official says 1 rate increase might be needed this year
A Federal Reserve official who has been a leading supporter of a slow approach to raising interest rates said Wednesday that one rate increase "could be appropriate" this year.
More than 2 dozen large wildfires burn in Western states
Federal officials say 27 large wildfires are burning in the West. Hot, dry temperatures often combined with winds have made firefighting conditions difficult, destroying homes and forcing evacuations.
Welfare discourages middle-class marriages, study finds
New research indicates that welfare is crimping the formation of families as benefits extend into the lower-middle class.
US declares F-35 'combat ready'
The US Air Force on Tuesday declared an initial squadron of F-35A stealth fighters as 'ready for combat.' The much anticipated jet is set to make its debut in Israel this December following an official transfer ceremony which took place in Dallas, Texas in June.
Obama Admin Calls for Zika Bill Weeks After Veto Threat
The Obama administration sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to pass emergency funding to fight the Zika virus just weeks after the president threatened to veto a $1.1 billion Zika spending measure passed by the House of Representatives.
The average Americans' weight change since the 1980s is startling
There's no doubt about it: Americans are getting heavier and heavier. But new U.S. estimates may still come as a shock -- since the late 1980s and early 1990s, the average American has put on 15 or more additional pounds without getting any taller.
CNN show airs 200 times more Trump controversies than Iran
Only hours after news broke that the Obama administration sent $400 million in cash to Iran that coincided with the release of four American prisoners, a popular CNN news show dedicated nearly 200 times more coverage to controversies involving GOP nominee Donald Trump than to the breaking Obama-Iran revelations.
U.S. Politics
Crowd Cheers Clinton's Call To 'Raise Taxes On The Middle Class'
Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton called on raising taxes on the middle class as she was in Omaha, NE campaigning with Democrat Billionaire Warren Buffett.
Trump and the RNC jointly collect $82 million in July, while Clinton and the DNC pull in $90 million
GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump was buoyed an enthusiastic base of small donors in July, helping him raise $82 million in conjunction with the Republican National Committee, the campaign announced Wednesday.
Trump, N.C. conservatives call voter ID ruling a green light for voter fraud
A federal court's ruling that struck down North Carolina's voter ID law could lead to massive voter fraud in November, GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump said.
Christian News
Christians in Russia Refuse to Stop Sharing the Gospel Despite Putin's Ban on Evangelism
The Slavic Centre for Law and Justice, an affiliate of the American Center for Law and Justice, said a new manner of carrying out missionary work in Russia will have to be established.
California Could Deprive Students from Attending Christian Universities
California state lawmakers are closely considering a bill that would force Christian colleges to give up their religious convictions or lose state funding.
Franklin Graham Cancels Persecution Summit in Moscow over Repressive Law
Rev. Franklin Graham says he is cancelling an evangelical summit in Russia after the government passed a new law placing severe restrictions on Christian evangelization.