Worthy Brief - 8/17/2016
Friend, raise your expectations!
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say to you, Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.
Charles Spurgeon wrote "Prayer pulls the rope below and the great bell rings above in the ears of God. Some scarcely stir the bell, for they pray so languidly. Others give but an occasional pluck at the rope. But he who wins with heaven is the man who grasps the rope boldly and pulls continuously, with all his might."
Some might take this to mean that we need to beg and plead desperately for God to answer our prayers. I don't think so.
I believe that we must pray, expecting for God to bring the answer and do the work because, among many other reasons, He is faithful, just and loves us with an everlasting love!
Friend, raise your expectations today! Expect God to do something great and we'll believe along with you to see mighty breakthroughs!
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?
Today's Breaking News
Around the World
Russian warplanes take off from Iran to target ISIS in Syria
Russian warplanes took off on Tuesday from a base in Iran to target Islamic State fighters and other militants in Syria, Russia’s Defense Ministry said, marking a major development in the country’s civil war, now in its sixth year.
Russia-Iran cooperation in Syria send message to US
Russia's use of an Iranian air base to bomb targets in Syria sends a message to Washington as it weighs a military partnership with Moscow: Join us or we'll look to your enemies.
Iran official: No permanent Russia base for Syria strikes
The speaker of Iran's parliament is stressing that Russia does not have a permanent military base within the Islamic Republic, a day after Moscow announced launching airstrikes on Syria from Iran.
July broke global heat record, NASA says
Earth just broiled to its hottest month in recorded history, according to NASA.
Germany says Turkey supports terrorist groups
The German government believes that Turkey finances terrorist organisations such as Hamas and armed Islamist groups in Syria, a leaked document shows.
UK to have 'special status' in EU relations, Germany says
The UK is likely to have a 'special' relationship with the EU after it leaves, but there can be no leeway on free movement, a German minister has said.
Obama administration again underestimates Islamic State as Afghan affiliate grows into threat
When reporters asked senior military leaders last summer about the Islamic State franchise in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, the answer was that it was 'emergent' -- in other words, a fledgling terrorist army.
Leaked Soros memo celebrates 'new normal' of migrant crisis
A leaked memo from leftist billionaire George Soros's Open Society Foundations (OSF) reveals the organization's ultimate goal of influencing immigration policies and refers to the current refugee crisis in Europe as the 'new normal.'
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Hezbollah used Facebook to recruit Palestinian terrorists: security service
Israel recently foiled terror attacks planned by West Bank Palestinians recruited via Facebook by Hezbollah operatives living in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, Israel's Shin Bet security service announced on Tuesday.
A Soros Plan, a Marginalized Israel
After the election of Barack Obama in 2009, the George Soros organization saw an opportunity to weaken the pro-Israel lobby's influence in Washington. So his Open Society Foundations began an ambitious project in 2009 to persuade Europe and the U.S. to 'hold Israel accountable' for violations of international law.
IDF arrests key Hamas elections official in the West Bank
Security forces arrested a top West Bank Hamas official overnight Tuesday, drawing accusations from the Gaza-based terror group that Israel is meddling in the upcoming Palestinian municipal elections.
Inside the United States
Monstrous California wildfire drives over 80,000 from homes
It tore through canyons and flew over ridges in every direction with astonishing speed, sending flames 80 feet skyward and forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes.
NSA website recovers from outage amid intrigue
The National Security Agency’s website was offline for almost a full day until Tuesday evening, in an unexplained outage that began shortly after hackers claimed to have stolen a collection of the agency's prized cyber weapons.
Appeals court rules feds can't prosecute medical marijuana cases unless state law violated
A federal appeals court on Tuesday banned the Justice Department from prosecuting medical marijuana cases if no state laws were broken.
'No Scientific Basis' for Children to Think They Are Transgender, Born in Wrong Body, Pediatricians Say
There is 'no scientific basis' for transgender individuals to believe that they are trapped in the wrong body, the American College of Pediatricians argued in a recently released report addressing gender dysphoria in children.
Obama to take trade battle to the heartland
President Barack Obama is taking the fight for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal to America's streets -- directly countering the fusillades from Donald Trump and, increasingly, from Hillary Clinton.
U.S. Politics
House Committee Releases Video Showing Clinton Contradictions
The U.S. House oversight committee released a video on Monday showing Hillary Clinton’s many inconsistencies from her testimony about her private email server.
Trump campaign gets second major shake up
Donald Trump has shaken up his presidential campaign again, promoting a senior advisor and hiring a top executive from Breitbart News, sources said Wednesday.
Christian News
Christians Wait for New Law in Egypt to Authorize New Churches
Egypt is scheduled to vote as early as next month on a law that would ease the country’s historic restrictions on church construction.
Churches destroyed, Bibles burned: Nigerian church leader on Christians returning home after Boko Haram
For years a key state in Islamist terror group Boko Haram's attempt to create a caliphate, parts of Adamawa state in northeastern Nigeria have now been liberated by government forces. However, as civilians begin returning home, they are finding it difficult to adjust to life after the insurgency.
Around the World
Russian warplanes take off from Iran to target ISIS in Syria
Russian warplanes took off on Tuesday from a base in Iran to target Islamic State fighters and other militants in Syria, Russia’s Defense Ministry said, marking a major development in the country’s civil war, now in its sixth year.
Russia-Iran cooperation in Syria send message to US
Russia's use of an Iranian air base to bomb targets in Syria sends a message to Washington as it weighs a military partnership with Moscow: Join us or we'll look to your enemies.
Iran official: No permanent Russia base for Syria strikes
The speaker of Iran's parliament is stressing that Russia does not have a permanent military base within the Islamic Republic, a day after Moscow announced launching airstrikes on Syria from Iran.
July broke global heat record, NASA says
Earth just broiled to its hottest month in recorded history, according to NASA.
Germany says Turkey supports terrorist groups
The German government believes that Turkey finances terrorist organisations such as Hamas and armed Islamist groups in Syria, a leaked document shows.
UK to have 'special status' in EU relations, Germany says
The UK is likely to have a 'special' relationship with the EU after it leaves, but there can be no leeway on free movement, a German minister has said.
Obama administration again underestimates Islamic State as Afghan affiliate grows into threat
When reporters asked senior military leaders last summer about the Islamic State franchise in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, the answer was that it was 'emergent' -- in other words, a fledgling terrorist army.
Leaked Soros memo celebrates 'new normal' of migrant crisis
A leaked memo from leftist billionaire George Soros's Open Society Foundations (OSF) reveals the organization's ultimate goal of influencing immigration policies and refers to the current refugee crisis in Europe as the 'new normal.'
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Hezbollah used Facebook to recruit Palestinian terrorists: security service
Israel recently foiled terror attacks planned by West Bank Palestinians recruited via Facebook by Hezbollah operatives living in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, Israel's Shin Bet security service announced on Tuesday.
A Soros Plan, a Marginalized Israel
After the election of Barack Obama in 2009, the George Soros organization saw an opportunity to weaken the pro-Israel lobby's influence in Washington. So his Open Society Foundations began an ambitious project in 2009 to persuade Europe and the U.S. to 'hold Israel accountable' for violations of international law.
IDF arrests key Hamas elections official in the West Bank
Security forces arrested a top West Bank Hamas official overnight Tuesday, drawing accusations from the Gaza-based terror group that Israel is meddling in the upcoming Palestinian municipal elections.
Inside the United States
Monstrous California wildfire drives over 80,000 from homes
It tore through canyons and flew over ridges in every direction with astonishing speed, sending flames 80 feet skyward and forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes.
NSA website recovers from outage amid intrigue
The National Security Agency’s website was offline for almost a full day until Tuesday evening, in an unexplained outage that began shortly after hackers claimed to have stolen a collection of the agency's prized cyber weapons.
Appeals court rules feds can't prosecute medical marijuana cases unless state law violated
A federal appeals court on Tuesday banned the Justice Department from prosecuting medical marijuana cases if no state laws were broken.
'No Scientific Basis' for Children to Think They Are Transgender, Born in Wrong Body, Pediatricians Say
There is 'no scientific basis' for transgender individuals to believe that they are trapped in the wrong body, the American College of Pediatricians argued in a recently released report addressing gender dysphoria in children.
Obama to take trade battle to the heartland
President Barack Obama is taking the fight for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal to America's streets -- directly countering the fusillades from Donald Trump and, increasingly, from Hillary Clinton.
U.S. Politics
House Committee Releases Video Showing Clinton Contradictions
The U.S. House oversight committee released a video on Monday showing Hillary Clinton’s many inconsistencies from her testimony about her private email server.
Trump campaign gets second major shake up
Donald Trump has shaken up his presidential campaign again, promoting a senior advisor and hiring a top executive from Breitbart News, sources said Wednesday.
Christian News
Christians Wait for New Law in Egypt to Authorize New Churches
Egypt is scheduled to vote as early as next month on a law that would ease the country’s historic restrictions on church construction.
Churches destroyed, Bibles burned: Nigerian church leader on Christians returning home after Boko Haram
For years a key state in Islamist terror group Boko Haram's attempt to create a caliphate, parts of Adamawa state in northeastern Nigeria have now been liberated by government forces. However, as civilians begin returning home, they are finding it difficult to adjust to life after the insurgency.