Our Worthy Brief is a daily Christian newsletter designed to encourage, inform, and edify believers in their daily walk with God. Our online Christian magazine incorporates our daily devotional (Worthy Devotions) along news from around the world provided by our Christian News service, Worthy News.

Worthy Brief - Christian Newsletter » Newsletters » 2016 » May » Worthy Brief - 5/9/2016

Worthy Brief - 5/9/2016

Friend, build a lasting legacy!

Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

In his book, A Spiritual Clinic, J. Oswald Sanders wrote about the lasting family legacies of two families from New York.

"Two families from the state of New York were studied very carefully.  One was the Max Jukes family and the other was the Jonathan Edwards family.  The thing that they discovered in this study is remarkable: like begets like.

Max Jukes was an unbelieving man and he married a woman of like character who lacked principle.  And among the known descendants, over 1,200 were studied.  Three hundred and ten became professional vagrants; 440 physically wrecked their lives by debauched lifestyle; 130 were sent to the pen for an average of thirteen years each, 7 of them for murder.  There were over 100 who became alcoholics; 60 became habitual thieves; 190 public prostitutes.  Of the 20 who learned a trade, 10 of them learned the trade in a state prison.  It cost the state about $1,500,000 and they made no contribution whatever to society.

In about the same era the family of Jonathan Edwards came on the scene. He was a man of God, who married a woman of like character. The study yielded the following concerning Jonathan Edward's descendants:  Three hundred became clergymen, missionaries, and theological professors; over 100 became college professors; over 100 became attorneys; 30 of them judges; 60 of them became physicians; over 60 became authors of good classics; 14 became presidents of universities.  There were numerous giants in American industry that emerged from this family.  Three became United States congressmen and one became the vice president of the United States."

Friend, never forget the impact your life decisions will make...in yourself, your marriage, and on your children.  In ways you will never know in this life, you are building a legacy that will last for generations!

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
Iran says it tested mid-range ballistic missile
Iran successfully tested a medium-range ballistic missile two weeks ago, a senior military planning official was quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency on Monday.
Saudi prince: Getting nukes an option if Iran breaks deal
In a reflection of the change and churn in the Middle East, former high-level officials from Saudi Arabia and Israel -- nations that have no formal diplomatic ties -- spoke publicly about their shared sense of Iran as a threat, their differences on Palestinians and the role the United States plays in their chaotic region.
London's new Muslim mayor attends Holocaust memorial
London's newly elected Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan, attended an annual memorial to the millions of Jews slain in the Holocaust as his first official act in office on Sunday.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Hamas, Israel agree to de-escalation
A general agreement has been reached between the warring sides after tremendous mediation effort by international parties in recent days and a great number of messages exchanged via intermediaries.
Dead Sea oil reservoir ‘entirely within Israel’ says company
An Israeli company authorized to drill an oil reservoir near the Dead Sea, recently evaluated to contain NIS 1.2 billion worth of fuel, stressed Sunday that the area is located entirely inside Israel, which it said was a response to Arab media reports that the site stretched into Palestinian territory.

Inside the United States
Lawmakers, advocates push to reveal extent of surveillance
Even though the bulk collection of Americans' telephone records has ended, calls and emails are still being swept up by U.S. surveillance work targeting foreigners. Congress is making a renewed push to find out how many.
White House official admits fudging of facts to sell Iran deal
A senior official in the Obama administration acknowledged that the background to nuclear talks with Iran was misrepresented in order to sell the impression of a more moderate Iranian regime and thus gain greater American public support for an agreement.
Army shrinks to smallest level since before World War II
The Army's latest headcount shows that nearly 2,600 soldiers departed active service in March without being replaced, an action that plunges manning to its lowest level since before World War II.
Kerry slams Trump's wall, tells grads to prepare for 'borderless world'
Secretary of State John Kerry took a shot at Donald Trump during his Friday commencement speech at Northeastern University, by saying no wall is big enough to keep dangerous terrorists out of the United States.
50% of Teens Say They're 'Addicted' to Their Phones
Last week, the nonprofit Common Sense Media released the findings of a new poll on mobile device usage and family conflict. Of over 1,200 parents and teenagers surveyed, 50% of teens said they 'feel addicted' to their mobile devices.
Swarm of earthquakes strikes Mount St. Helens
In the past eight weeks, more than 130 small earthquakes have trembled beneath the surface of Mount St. Helens.

U.S. Politics
Donald Trump breaks the GOP
It was as shocking as it was predictable after a year of slow-motion buildup -- the dramatic splitting apart of the Grand Old Party in the 72 hours after Donald Trump became its presumptive nominee.
Trump: 'Taxes for the rich will go up somewhat'
Donald Trump says taxes on the wealthy could increase if he's elected president, and that he supports an increase in the minimum wage. Both positions are departures from where Trump stood in the GOP presidential primary.

Christian News
Nigeria to criminalize 'street evangelism'?
Street evangelists could be fined and pastors sent to jail under new legislation proposed by the Muslim governor of Kaduna state, Nigeria.
Franklin Graham Blasts NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio's Chick-fil-A Boycott Call as Intolerant Bullying
The Rev. Franklin Graham has strongly condemned Mayor Bill de Blasio's call for a boycott of popular fast-food chain Chick-fil-A, which is opening a new location in the New York City borough of Queens, just because its Christian owners believe in the biblical definition of marriage.