Worthy Brief - 8/24/2016
Friend, receive power!
Acts 1:6-8 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own power. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses unto Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
I love this passage of scripture. If you can imagine the disciples on this day -- they had gone through a roller coaster ride of emotions over the past 50 days. They had seen their Lord crucified. And then had gone into hiding ... until they discovered in amazement, He was alive! Just over 7 weeks had transpired and they were now watching Yeshua (Jesus) departing Earth and returning to His Father. The disciples were understandably unsure what was next, and so they asked a very reasonable question -- "Lord, will you at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?"
Notice that Yeshua did not answer the question directly or give them the details they were expecting. He merely said, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons...." But then He set His own precedent and called them to be Holy Spirit empowered witnesses for Him and His Kingdom.
Friend, we don't know the exact timing of His return and the coming of His Kingdom either, but just as those disciples were, we also are called to receive the power of the Holy Spirit and be His witnesses. We must seek the fullness of His Spirit, become empowered, and eagerly participate in this great end time mission, a harvest that likely will dwarf all that has gone before, and be part of a rich welcome for our glorious and awesome God!
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
North Korea fires submarine-launched ballistic missile towards Japan
North Korea fired a submarine-launched missile on Wednesday that flew about 500 km (311 miles) towards Japan, a show of improving technological capability for the isolated country that has conducted a series of launches in defiance of UN sanctions.
Superbug Nightmare: The Danger of Taking Too Many Antibiotics
It's a nightmare scenario: A deadly infection strikes and those antibiotics we've depended on for years no longer work. Even more scary is this life-and-death situation is largely being ignored.
Reports that Russia has stopped using Iran base are challenged
The U.S. State Department on Aug. 22 said that 'it's not clear' that Russian warplanes have stopped using an Iranian air base to carry out bombing runs in Syria.
Japan, China, S. Korea ministers slam N. Korea missile test
The foreign ministers of China, Japan and South Korea criticized North Korea's latest submarine missile test on Wednesday during their annual talks that were held amid lingering frictions over territorial disputes and wartime history.
Magnitude-6.2 earthquake levels central Italian town; fatalities reported
Central Italy was hit with a series of earthquakes in the early hours of Wednesday morning that led an Italian mayor to say his town had been destroyed and that he feared major fatalities just in his town.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Netanyahu phones Putin to discuss Middle East developments
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday evening to discuss a variety of issues in the Middle East, Russian media reported.
Israel will not allow Hamas to rearm itself, says defense minister
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman accused Islamist militant group Hamas of using Gazans' tax money on rearmament rather than rebuilding, two days after the Israeli military struck targets in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a rocket that landed in the city of Sderot.
Inside the United States
Obama Admin Stonewalls Congressional Inquiry of Iran Receiving $1.3 Billion in Taxpayer Funds
The Obama administration is withholding from Congress details about how $1.3 billion in U.S. taxpayer funds was delivered to Iran, according to conversations with lawmakers, who told the Washington Free Beacon that the administration is now stonewalling an official inquiry into the matter.
Debt to reach highest level since 1950 this year
The national debt this year will jump to the highest level since 1950 relative to the size of the economy, the Congressional Budget Office reported Tuesday.
Over 200 Released Gitmo Detainees Returned to Fight Jihad
Last week the Obama Administration approved its largest-ever release of detainees from Guantanamo Bay, sending 15 extremists back into the world. By now, the pattern has become familiar: the President lets hardened terrorists go free, Congress and the American people express outrage, and the White House ignores the uproar. But the grave risks of this policy cannot be ignored. The President is giving terrorists a one-way ticket back to the battlefield.
Hillary Clinton outspending Donald Trump 17-to-1 on TV ads
Hillary Clinton is far outpacing Donald Trump in spending on television advertising in the presidential campaign to date, though that gap could soon narrow, an analysis shows.
U.S. Politics
Clinton Faces Ethics Challenges as Many Donors to Clinton Foundation met with her at State
More than half the people outside the government who met with Hillary Clinton while she was secretary of state gave money - either personally or through companies or groups - to the Clinton Foundation. It’s an extraordinary proportion indicating her possible ethics challenges if elected president.
Hillary Clinton outspending Donald Trump 17-to-1 on TV ads
Hillary Clinton is far outpacing Donald Trump in spending on television advertising in the presidential campaign to date, though that gap could soon narrow, an analysis shows.
UPI/CVoter poll: Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump hold steady in virtual tie
The UPI/CVoter daily presidential tracking poll released Tuesday shows Hillary Clinton leading Donald Trump by less than 1 percentage point for a second consecutive day.
Christian News
Charges against Pastors in Sudan Could Lead to Death Penalty
Prosecutors in Sudan yesterday accused two church leaders and two others of tarnishing the image of the country and crimes calling for the death penalty, sources said.