Worthy Brief - 8/12/2016
Friend, touch someone and bring out their inner beauty!
Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
A young couple was visiting a renown jewelry store in New York City. They browsed through cases of magnificent diamonds with their gleaming yellow light along with many other splendid precious stones. Among those beautiful stones, one in particular caught his wife's eye. It was completely lusterless and didn't seem to be in the right place." That is one terrible looking stone, do you see that?", she said. The curious husband asked a clerk if they could see the stone. The clerk opened the case, took out the stone and held it in his hand for a few minutes. When he opened it, there was a perfectly flawless stone. There was not a place on it that didn't gleam with the splendor of the rainbow. "How did you do that?", they asked in surprise. "This is an opal", he replied. "It is what we call the sympathetic jewel. It only needs contact with the human hand to bring out its wonderful beauty."
Merely a touch brings out this stone's beauty. We live in a world where beauty is hidden under pain, sin and suffering. How many lives only need the warm touch of human sympathy, love and compassion, to make them gleam with a radiant splendor? Reach out and touch someone this weekend for His glory! Share with them the love of God and not only will they receive a glimmer of joy, but you will gleam with His radiance too! When the Lord asked whom shall I send, Isaiah replied "Hineni (here am I)".
Friend, let's say "Hineni" today and be used by the Lord to bring out the beauty of those around us!
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
Erdogan and Putin agree on multi-billion energy deal
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Perseid meteor shower 2016: Once in a decade 'outburst' expected
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7.2 earthquake off Fiji spurs tsunami warning
A large 7.2 magnitude earthquake has struck off the Pacific island nations of Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanautu, authorities said Friday.
US 'welcomes' Russian-Turkish cooperation against IS
The United States on Thursday tentatively welcomed possible Turkish-Russian cooperation against jihadists in Syria, as Ankara has proposed to Moscow, even if those countries support opposing camps there.
Tough talk between Russia, Ukraine heats up Crimea stalemate
Ukraine put its troops on combat alert Thursday along the country's de facto borders with Crimea and separatist rebels in the east amid an escalating war of words with Russia over Crimea.
State Dept. approves $231 million munitions sale to NATO countries
The U.S. State Department has approved the proposed sale of $231 million in guided munitions to several European countries.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Pentagon looks to Israel's 'Iron Dome' for new missile shield
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Israeli athletes in Rio endure 'shocking' hostility, taunting by Muslim nations
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Inside the United States
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FBI widens investigation into hacking of Democrats as 'electronic Watergate' worsens
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Key US Military Command Accused of Manipulating Islamic State Reports
A U.S. House of Representatives task force has accused leaders of a key military command unit of manipulating intelligence reports to depict more favorable progress in combating the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria than warranted.
U.S. Politics
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Christian News
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Pastors sue Illinois over gay conversion therapy ban
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Christians Forced to Hide Bibles Amid Migrant Muslim Death Threats
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