Worthy Brief - 8/8/2016
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
Negev Desert, Israel
Editor's Note: Watch George's message: Which voice will you listen to in the last days?
Around the World
Iran: Nuclear Scientist executed for spying for 'Great Satan'
An Iranian nuclear scientist who once claimed he was kidnapped by the CIA has been executed after being accused of spying for the United States.
Obama administration's Syrian refugee surge could approach 30,000 in next year
After a massive surge of effort, the administration is on pace to blow past President Obama's goal of 10,000 Syrian refugees this fiscal year, and could end up taking in more than 12,000 if the pace continues -- locking the next president into an even bigger 2017.
Former intel chief: U.S. misses the point on Moscow's 'highly effective' operations
U.S. politicians and media are seemingly oblivious to what Russia has in its sights - 'nothing less than the democratic fabric of American society and the integrity of the system of Western liberal values,' the former head of Estonia's intelligence service said.
Machete-wielding man dies after being shot; reportedly shouted 'Allahu Akbar' during attack
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel says 'preliminary indications' suggest the attack against two female officers in the city Charleroi was an act of terrorism, but that authorities are still collecting information.
Rio Olympic Games kick off under cloud of insecurity
Despite a slew of robberies and terrorism arrests in the weeks leading up to Friday's opening ceremony, U.S. officials say they are confident that Brazilian security forces can fully protect the Olympic Games.
Obama will bypass Congress, seek U.N. resolution on nuclear testing
President Obama has decided to seek a new United Nations Security Council resolution that would call for an end to nuclear testing, a move that leading lawmakers are calling an end run around Congress.
Freed American Hostage: We Waited All Night at the Airport
Pastor Saeed Abedini, one of four American hostages released from Iran on Tuesday, joined the FOX Business Network's Trish Regan to describe the night he was set free.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Russia, not Hezbollah, sent drone into Israel
A drone that crossed into northern Israel last month belonged to Russia — not Hezbollah, as was initially suspected — the Haaretz newspaper reported Sunday.
Netanyahu rejects Obama’s assertion that Israel now supports Iran accord
Israel on Friday firmly rejected US President Barack Obama’s claim that its officials now support last year’s nuclear deal with Iran. Far from accepting Obama’s assertion, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s stance had not changed, while the Israeli Defense Ministry compared the accord to the Munich Agreement signed by the European powers with Nazi Germany in 1938.
Inside the United States
Federal court finds IRS may still be targeting conservatives
A federal court ruled Friday that the Internal Revenue Service has not yet demonstrated that officials stopped targeting Tea Party groups in a decision that excoriated the tax agency for its 'discriminatory' treatment of conservative organizations.
FDA just greenlit releasing mutant Zika-killing mosquitoes in Florida
Our sci-fi future just got a whole lot closer to becoming a reality, after the Food and Drug Administration gave the okay to a field trial that would release genetically modified Zika-killing mosquitoes in the Florida Keys.
Soberanes Fire grows to more than 57,000 acres in Northern California
The Soberanes fire near Big Sur in Northern California has grown to more than 57,500 acres Sunday as all but one evacuation order was lifted, fire authorities said.
Strong U.S. employment report brightens economic outlook
U.S. employment rose more than expected for the second month in a row in July and wages picked up, bolstering expectations of faster economic growth, and raising the probability of a Federal Reserve interest rate increase this year.
North Carolina to seek Supreme Court stay of voter ID law
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said his state will petition the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene and reinstate a voter identification law that was struck down by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which said the law discriminated against minorities.
$2.67 trillion: Federal tax receipts through July hit record
Federal tax receipts for the first ten months of the fiscal year hit a new record in July, according to the Congressional Budget Office, reaching a total of $2.679 trillion by the end of the month. The figure comes with a couple of caveats: It sounds slightly better after adjusting for inflation, but the deficit sounds worse.
U.S. Politics
Cotton: Clinton discussed executed Iranian scientist on email
Hillary Clinton recklessly discussed, in emails hosted on her private server, an Iranian nuclear scientist who was executed by Iran for treason, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Sunday.
Reuters Poll: Shocking Trump Turnaround, Trump Down Only 3 Points
After a week of being behind Hillary Clinton by ten points or more in various polls, Donald Trump has suddenly pulled to nearly even in a national poll by Reuters/Ipsos released Saturday.
Trump pollster: 'There's a big hidden Trump vote'
They're not exactly the Nixon era 'silent majority,' but both Republican and Democratic pollsters claim that there is a secret vote for Donald Trump showing up in some polls.
Christian News
Christianity Grows In Myanmar Despite Persecution
Christianity in Myanmar is growing at a dramatic rate despite threats from Buddhist nationals, according to the UN Population Fund.
Attacks on Christians in Egypt raise alarms
Residents in the southern Egyptian village of Naj al-Nassara watched in horror as their beloved Archangel Mikhail Coptic Church burned to the ground.
Driven from Their Homes, Iraqi Christians Losing Hope
An Assyrian bishop says Iraqi Christians in exile are enduring desperation.
Chile: Church Burned Down, Adding to Growing Number of Targeted Churches
Churches are being targeted in Chile as political unrest increases and protests become more frequent.
NFL's Benjamin Watson: Planned Parenthood was created to 'exterminate blacks'
In a wide-ranging interview on the racial climate in America, Baltimore Ravens tight end Benjamin Watson brought up Planned Parenthood's founding, saying the organization was created to 'exterminate blacks.'
10 Christian Team USA Athletes at Rio Olympics 2016 Who Put God First
Team USA athletes have fans rooting for them an ocean away while they participate in the Olympic games taking place in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.