Worthy Brief - 5/18/2018

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Worthy News Brief - May 18, 2018
Friend, be transformed this shavuot! Leviticus 23:15-17 'And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord. As the world celebrates the feast of Shavuot this Saturday evening, it's important to understand it's deeper implications for us as believers in Yeshua. In the Torah, the Lord (YHVH) commanded the grain offering on Shavuot, (known as Pentecost among Christians), to be made of the finest flour, baked with yeast, that is, leaven. Leaven, in the Bible, is almost universally, a symbol for "sin", and in the OT is strictly forbidden on the altar of YHVH., yet here, in the Feast of Weeks it is commanded as part of the offering. Just six weeks prior to this festival, Israel had spent a week eating unleavened bread, a clear picture of the connection between the Passover Lamb and the removal of sin from our lives. Now the grain offering for Shavuot contains yeast; two loaves with it. Why? A common interpretation of this for NT believers is that the loaves represent Jews and Gentiles, the two types of redeemed people, who, of course, still contain sin in our lives. So the sequence of these two spring festivals can be seen to illustrate, on the one hand, our perfect deliverance from sin and death through the Passover Lamb (Yeshua); and subsequently, the reality of our true condition as "leavened loaves" offered to the Lord as "first-fruits". We know that having come to faith in Yeshua (Jesus), cleansed by His shed blood, we stand righteous and perfect in Him; and yet, we constantly struggle with our Adamic nature. In this light, Shavuot begins to emerge as a festival marking and illustrating the opportunity and means for our transformation. The Lord's sending forth of His Holy Spirit at this time awakens and empowers us to change; to be inwardly transformed from the old creation into a new creation. On the day of Pentecost, 2000 years ago, this transformation process was dynamically accelerated and made accessible to every believer. Baptized with the Holy Spirit of God, and with His fire, our sinful nature with all its impurities and "leaven" takes a back seat to the powerful indwelling of the Spirit of Messiah, so that as we continually pray, walk in obedience, and thus cooperate to be filled with His Spirit, we are sanctified and transformed into His likeness - "from glory to glory", and so become His effective witnesses. Praise God that He works with our issues-- and is transforming us into a bride without wrinkle or spot! Friend, allow the Holy Spirit to burn away the impurity of your sinful nature; to purge out the dross, and deeply penetrate your life. The process can be "firey" and involve some painful sacrifices, but the result is purity and the holiness without which no one will see God. And remember that Yeshua is returning soon, greatly anticipating a bride who is prepared for His arrival! Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah Arad, Israel
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Around the World Putin Meets Assad, Says 'Foreign Armed Forces Will Start Leaving Syria' Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in the southern Russian city of Sochi on Thursday, Russian news agency TASS reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Turkey probed over shipment of Israeli-made electronic equipment to Iran Turkey is reportedly under investigation by the United Nations over a shipment of Israeli-made electronic equipment to Iran in violation of a Security Council resolution which prohibits the transfer of nuclear-related products to the Islamic Republic. Google's Selfish Ledger is an Unsettling Vision of Silicon Valley Social Engineering Google has built a multibillion-dollar business out of knowing everything about its users. Now, a video produced within Google and obtained by The Verge offers a stunningly ambitious and unsettling look at how some at the company envision using that information in the future. France freezes assets of 3 people, 9 firms over Syria chemical weapons France said on Friday it had frozen the assets of three people nine companies suspected of involvement in the development of chemical weapons in Syria. Pentagon stands firm: No talk of scaling back U.S.-South Korean military drills Despite threats from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to cancel a planned summit with President Trump set for next month, the Pentagon on Thursday insisted there’s absolutely no discussion of scaling back the joint U.S.-South Korean military drills that have put that landmark meeting in jeopardy. Israel-Palestinian Conflict Israel girds for first Friday of Ramadan amid heightened tensions Israeli police were gearing up for another possible day of mass Palestinian protests Friday, with officials saying that the points of friction may move from the Gaza border to the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Erdogan hosts Islamic summit to back Palestinians, condemn Israel Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday hosts for the second time in half a year a summit of the world’s main pan-Islamic group seeking to show solidarity with the Palestinians and condemn Israel after deadly clashes at the Gaza border Monday in which some 60 Palestinians were killed by IDF fire. Iran's Khamenei: Palestine will be liberated from the enemies Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei said Thursday that 'Palestine will be liberated from the enemies and Jerusalem will be its capital.' Russian missile defense system took direct hit during Israeli strikes in Syria Russia relies heavily on foreign military sales to boost its economy. So the Kremlin scrambled to avoid bad publicity for one of its weapons systems last week after it took a direct hit during Israeli airstrikes in Syria. Inside the United States Trump poised to unveil policy cutting funds for abortion providers The Trump administration is poised to roll out a new policy that would place additional restrictions on Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health organizations administering abortions, a new report says. California resistance to Trump administration includes at least 32 lawsuits, including everything from health care and DACA to the border wall President Donald Trump heard a group of local officials from California vent frustration Wednesday about the state's so-called 'sanctuary' laws. He called the controversial policies 'a disgrace' and vowed 'to take care of it.' 'Excited and scared': Hawaii volcano spews huge cloud of ash A volcano on Hawaii's Big Island erupted anew Thursday with little sound and only modest fury, spewing a steely gray plume of ash about 30,000 feet (9,100 meters) into the sky that began raining down on a nearby town. Trump signs new environmental executive order President Trump is starting his own government-wide environmental sustainability and energy efficiency program through an executive order he signed late on Thursday. Gina Haspel confirmed as CIA's first female director President Trump’s pick to head the CIA is a seasoned spymaster who has avoided the limelight during a 32-year career that has included stints running overseas 'black sites' where dangerous terrorists were waterboarded. US Birth Rate Hits All-Time Low: What's Behind the Decline? The number of babies being born in the United States continues to fall, with the birth rate reaching a new record low in 2017, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Brown signs bill protecting undocumented immigrants in California courts Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Thursday to limit when a person’s immigration status can be disclosed in open court, a measure aimed at keeping crime victims and witnesses from exposing themselves to possible deportation when they take the stand. Christian News Nepal Four Churches Targeted in Arson Attacks Four Christian Churches in Nepal have been attacked over a five-day period by unidentified assailants. The attacks, which began on the 9 May, targeted Mahima Church in Dhangadhi, Emmanuel Church in Kanchanpur and Emmanuel Church Budor in Doti, Western Nepal. Hebron Church in Panchthar, Eastern Nepal was also targeted. Turkey Is Accusing American Churches of Conspiracy in Case Against Andrew Brunson, Sen. Tillis Says North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis on Wednesday shared more details about Turkey's case against imprisoned American Pastor Andrew Brunson and slammed prosecutors for claiming that churches in the United States are conspiring to undermine the Turkish government.
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