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Worthy Brief - Christian Newsletter » Newsletters » 2016 » April » Worthy Brief - 4/25/2016

Worthy Brief - 4/25/2016

Friend, get close for passover!

1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Thousands of people all over the world celebrated Pesach (Passover) over the weekend, commemorating the day the Angel of Death passed over the Israelite slaves in Egypt, sparing their firstborn because the blood of a lamb was applied on their doorposts. Many believers in Yeshua (Jesus) also recognize this as the day that Messiah was crucified, offering Himself as the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, which reconciled man to His Maker, and restored them to close relationship.

The word for sacrifice in Hebrew is "korban"; its root coming from the word "karov" which means closeness, or relative. So the word itself is an expression of what it produces; closeness...between man and God. Since the fall of mankind, sacrifice has been a way in which God expresses love for man and man expresses love for God, bringing the two closer in relationship.

Friend, Passover is a yearly reminder of the sacrifice of Messiah, provided for every person who desires to be close to God. He longs for intimate relationship with us. His Korban is our way of approach to be near to Him...as near as we choose to be. We who love Him might take the time this Passover season for offering spiritual sacrifices and drawing near to our Lord Yeshua. He opened the way as our "korban" because He loves it when we do.

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
Obama, Merkel push for trade deal as foreign crises weigh
U.S. President Barack Obama said on Sunday he would do whatever he could to advance a controversial trade deal with the European Union in his last eight months in office, but warned that time was running short.
Obama to send more U.S. troops to Syria
President Obama is expected to announce Monday that he is sending another 250 military personnel to Syria to assist local forces combat the Islamic State, according to multiple reports.
German court asked to ban political party agitated by refugees
Amid a refugee crisis and a surge of violence targeting foreigners, Germany's highest court is weighing a move it has taken only twice since the fall of the Nazis: banning a political party.
Obama rejects North Korea's offer to suspend missile tests
President Obama said Sunday he doesn't take seriously North Korea's offer to suspend its missile program if the U.S. ends annual military exercises with South Korea.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel's New Half-Billion Dollar Submarine
Israel's fifth submarine cost half a billion dollars and it is 68 meters long (10 meters longer than the existing Dolphin submarines), but the secret to its military might is the fact it can stay deep underwater for longer periods of time, 10 times, and at times even longer, than other submarines. The stealth capabilities of the new submarine, and of its 'sister' INS Tanin, allows them to be completely silent while underwater, thanks to their electric engines.
Worshipers and police swarm Western Wall for priestly blessing
Tens of thousands of people thronged to the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City under heavy police guard for a twice-annual mass blessing ceremony Monday morning.
Jordan: Stop Jews from visiting Temple Mount or face consequences
The Jordanian government warned on Monday that there would be 'serious consequences' if Israel continues to allow Jews to ascend the Temple Mount following a busy Sunday where over 100 Jews visited the holy site in honor of the first of the intermediary days of Passover on Sunday, according to reports by Israel radio.

Inside the United States
Paul Ryan teases 'very comprehensive' tax plan
Americans can expect congressional Republicans to offer a "very comprehensive" plan to simplify the tax code in the near future, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Sunday.
White House poised to release secret pages from 9/11 inquiry
The Obama administration will likely soon release at least part of a 28-page secret chapter from a congressional inquiry into 9/11 that may shed light on possible Saudi connections to the attackers.
No One Works in 1 in 5 U.S. Families
There were one in five families in the United States in 2015, or 19.7 percent, in which no one in the family worked, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

U.S. Politics
GOP chair calls for unity at RNC meeting
The head of the Republican National Committee called on the party to consolidate behind the eventual GOP presidential nominee, saying it is necessary to capture control of the White House in November.
Republicans Cruz, Kasich reach 'stop-Trump' deal
Republican White House rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich announced a deal on Sunday to stay out of each other's way in some upcoming state primaries in hopes of blocking front-runner Donald Trump from winning the party's presidential nomination.
McAuliffe restores voting rights for 206K ex-felons; GOP calls it move to boost Clinton
Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed an executive order Friday restoring the voting rights of 206,000 ex-felons, a sweeping action the governor said was aimed largely at rectifying Virginia's 'long and sad history' of suppressing African-American voting power.

Christian News
Uganda: Muslims Destroy Church
Muslims in Uganda last week killed pigs owned by Christians and then destroyed their church.
Oklahomans to Vote on Whether to Return Ten Commandments Monument to State Capitol
Controversy over a Ten Commandments monument removed from the grounds of the state Capitol in October continues with an effort to reinstate the monument.