Worthy Brief - 4/19/2016
Friend, run after it!
Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers"...when the term "peacemaker" is used the initial thought is of someone who keeps the peace between two opposing parties. A "peacemaker" solves dilemmas often without the force of violence, although the threat of violence is sometimes present and to be used if necessary.
When I was growing up, I watched dozens of westerns where the sheriffs -- or the good guys -- were armed with the Colt 45 "peacemaker." How ironic that one of the most famous guns of the 1800?s was named the "peacemaker". The rationality is simply you can only have peace through strength.
When Jesus (Yeshua), the Prince of Peace (in Hebrew the "Sar Shalom") returns again, He will usher in the Messianic age of Shalom -- His strength will be on display as He rules with a "rod of iron."
Interestingly enough, as I was studying the Hebrew New Testament, the word "peacemaker" has a completely different connotation than our understanding in English. The word peacemaker in Hebrew is the phrase "rod-fey shalom".
Shalom has a much richer meaning than simply the word peace.It can also mean completeness, prosperity, safety, contentment, health, blessing and rest. The word "rod-fey" in Hebrew literally means to "run after" or "to chase!"
So, in Hebrew it says to "chase after shalom" -- to run after God's shalom! And one can only find God's shalom through our "Sar Shalom" -- our Prince of Peace!
Friend, let's strive to reach a new level of intimacy with our Lord! Let's run after a deeper knowledge of our Lord and in doing so, we'll experience new levels of peace, contentment, blessing and rest! With so much work to be done, isn't it good to know this is available to us NOW through our Sar Shalom!
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
This electronic tattoo turns your skin into a screen
Putting clock-radio-style numbers on your skin might not seem all that desirable. But these flashing digits are the proof of concept for a new electronic skin. In theory, e-skins like the one described Friday in Science Advances could be used for everything from monitoring vital signs to making wearable electronics a whole lot more wearable.
Turkey, Iran agree to improve economic ties, banking a priority
Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani agreed on Friday to improve economic cooperation, with banking a priority, prime ministry sources told Reuters, following the lifting of international sanctions on Iran.
Putin Shuts Down Nuclear Reduction
In March 2009, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented a toy 'reset button' replica to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov symbolizing a cooperative 'New START' era of mutual nuclear arms reduction.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Jerusalem bus blown up in terror attack, injuring at least 21
A bomb exploded on a bus in Jerusalem Monday afternoon, injuring over 20 people as it and other vehicles were engulfed in flames, and ratcheting up tensions in a city just recovering from a months-long wave of violence.
Kerry vows to continue pushing for 'two-state solution'
The United States will push for a two-state peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians until the end of President Barack Obama's mandate, Secretary of State John Kerry announced on Monday, according to AFP.
United States 'doesn't consider the Golan a part of Israel'
The United States does not consider the Golan Heights to be a part of Israel, State Department spokesperson John Kirby stressed on Monday, a day after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu vowed the Golan Heights 'will forever remain under Israeli sovereignty.'
Netanyahu lauds world first in being able to detect tunnels
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday hailed the IDF for what he called a breakthrough in tunnel detection, hours after the army announced it had located a tunnel meant for attacking Israel reaching from the southern part of the Strip into Israeli territory.
Inside the United States
Bitter Fight over North Carolina's Bathroom Law Not Slowing Down
The fireworks over North Carolina's new bathroom law show no signs of slowing as LGBT opponents are vowing to pressure state lawmakers to repeal the measure.
Houston region swamped and shut down by 'historic' flood
A flood event of excessive proportions has crippled Houston and a vast region surrounding it. Five to 17 inches of rain have fallen in the area in less than 24 hours, inundating homes and roads, while forcing more than 1,200 high water rescues.
Supreme Court split on Obama amnesty
A deeply divided Supreme Court grappled Monday with President Obama's deportation amnesty, as conservatives said the White House was encroaching on Congress' lawmaking powers, but liberal justices saying the court should stay out of the fight, leaving the president with a free hand.
State Department: Iran's Possession of S-300 Missile System Could Lead to Sanctions
Iran's recent purchase of the Russian S-300 surface-to-air missile system could lead to U.S.-levied sanctions on the country, State Department spokesman John Kirby said Monday.
Constitutional Sheriffs: The Cops Who Think the Government Is Our 'Greatest Threat'
Constitutional Sheriffs is a movement that doesn't just reject gun control -- it encourages law enforcement officers to defy laws they decide are illegal. And it sometimes puts police on the same side as 'sovereign citizens,' a fringe group that the FBI considers one of the most serious domestic terrorism threats.
45% of Americans pay no federal income tax
An estimated 45.3% of American households -- roughly 77.5 million -- will pay no federal individual income tax, according to data for the 2015 tax year from the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan Washington-based research group.
Americans Earning Six Figures Or More Pay Nearly 80% of Individual Income Taxes
Americans earning six figures or more paid 79.5 percent of the nation's share in individual income taxes in 2014, according to the latest preliminary data from the Internal Revenue Service.
U.S. Politics
Donald Trump's national field director resigns
The shakeup in Donald Trump's presidential campaign continued Monday night as his national field director resigned.
Charge: FEC Dems would ban Drudge, NYT, free media on election eve
The war between Republicans and Democrats on the politically splintered Federal Election Commission flared late Monday when a Republican commissioner and former chairman charged that the panel's Democrats want to regulate the press and end free election media.
Revealed: Colorado Lawmakers Who Voted to Scrap Election Are Ted Cruz Delegates
Social media posts, along with Cruz's campaign website, reveal that Sen. Ted Cruz supporters in the Colorado Republican Party were responsible for crushing an effort to give Colorado the ability to vote in a state primary.
Christian News
New Report Weighs Impact of Christian Exodus on Middle East
War and persecution has led to a haemorrhaging of Christians from the Middle East, particularly from Syria and Iraq. A new report highlights what the region stands to lose should Christians continue to leave.
Christians Facing Violent Persecution in Buddhist Sri Lanka
Christians are facing increasing levels of persecution in the heavily Buddhist country of Sri Lanka, and the pressure has turned violent in several cases.
Pastor-Hunting Jihadi Becomes Christian After Seeing 'Hand of Christ' Save Poisoned Girl
A radical Islamic jihadi-turned-Christian evangelist says he accepted Christ as his Savior after Jesus foiled his plot to kill the daughter of a Christian pastor by bringing his hand down from Heaven to give her blood.
Health-minded Americans now turn to healing prayer, biblical 'laying on of hands': Study
A new study released Monday reveals that a vast majority of Americans turn to their faith during a health challenge. Nearly nine of 10 Americans have relied upon healing prayer at some point in their lives, praying for others even more than for themselves, according to a study by Baylor University epidemiologist Jeff Levin.