Worthy Brief - 1/11/2022
Friend, have a heart after God!
Psalms 89:3-4 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah. [Selah in Hebrew means “pause and ponder this!”]
Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David [in the Hebrew New Testament it’s written - Yeshua HaMashiach ben David], the son of Abraham.
New Testament genealogies of Yeshua Ha Mashiach (Jesus the Christ) all identify Him as the son of king David. It was universally understood from the Tenach (OT) that the messiah would be descended from David and that he would restore the Davidic monarchy to its ultimate and most universal expression, even that this king would reign and sit on the throne forever.
Why was Yeshua's identification with David so significant? One reason is that David is the only man in the Bible about whom the Lord said, this is “a man after My own heart”. Yet we know well David's imperfections ... adultery and murder -- so why would God say this about him? I believe it was David's lifelong love for and abandoned worship of the Lord, and also his contrite heart (Ps. 51) and the depth of his sorrow and repentance which showed this relationship to be the most important and precious in his life.
God isn’t expecting perfection from us -- His Son has provided that. Yeshua alone is the Man whose heart and actions are flawless. But David exemplified a man whose love and respect for his God were constant, if imperfect, a man after God's own heart. And this is the heart that God is seeking today, contrite, worshipful, and filled with respect and love for our God.
Friend, David provides a wonderful example for us who are as imperfect as he was. We may fall and fail miserably – but its how we get up that makes the difference. Our constant desire to preserve this most precious of all relationships will show that we too have a heart after God. I know I want to hear Him say, "Yes, you are truly someone after my own heart!"
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Phoenix, Arizona
Editor's Note: Our preferred social media platform is Telegram [ Follow us on Telegram ].
Tennis Star Djokovic In Australia After Winning Legal Battle
Novak Djokovic returned to the tennis court Monday after winning a legal battle to stay in Australiadespite opposing COVID-19 vaccines amid a broader fight against the country’s harsh coronavirus restrictions and alleged torture.
Death Toll Brazil Rock Collapse Rises To 10
The death toll of a massive canyon rock falling onto pleasure boaters visiting a waterfall in southeastern Brazil has risen to 10, police confirmed Sunday.
Man receives first-of-its-kind pig heart transplant by US surgeons in last-ditch effort
In a medical first, surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center transplanted a pig heart into a human patient, reporting three days later that he is doing well, the University of Maryland School of Medicine announced in a press release Monday.
T-cells from common colds could help scientists make the “Holy Grail”: A variant-proof COVID vaccine
T-cells generated as part of the body's natural immune response to the common cold may help protect against serious illness from COVID-19, according to a study carried out in the U.K. Researchers at Imperial College London told CBS News the findings could help scientists create vaccines that remain more effective against new variants of the coronavirus.
US and Russia Still Far Apart on Ukraine After Geneva Talks
Russia and the United States gave no sign of narrowing their differences on Ukraine and wider European security in talks in Geneva on Monday, as Moscow repeated demands that Washington says it cannot accept.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Jerusalem: 2,600 year-old clay seals indicate presence of First Temple treasuries
Archaeologists studying 2,600-year-old clay seals uncovered on and near Jerusalem’s Temple Mount believe the artifacts show ancient Israelites had two different treasuries, one for the First Temple and one for the Kingdom of Judah, the Jerusalem Post (JP reports).
Eyeing Iran, Bennett says military undergoing largest rearmament in years
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told the Knesset on Monday that the country’s military and other security services were undergoing their largest rearming in years.
US lawmakers launch bipartisan caucus to promote Abraham Accords
A bipartisan group of United States lawmakers from the House and Senate launched the Abraham Accords Congressional Caucus on Monday, seeking to expand the American legislative branch’s role in the promotion of the normalization agreements Israel has signed with Arab neighbors.
Inside the United States
Washington DC March for Life to take place amid vaccination mandate
The 49th annual March for Life in Washington DC will go ahead on January 21 this year, albeit with restrictions due to a new COVID-19 vaccine mandate in the nation’s capital, the Christian Post (CP) reports. The March for Life is part of an ongoing campaign to end abortion by “uniting, educating, and mobilizing pro-life people in the public square,” the event website attests.
CDC director says 75% of COVID-19 deaths ‘had four or more comorbidities’
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said 75% of people who died of COVID-19 had at least four comorbidities, sparking an outpouring of commentary from people surprised by her statement and others saying, "I told you so."
Trump attorney asks federal judge to dismiss Jan 6. suits from Democrats, Capitol Police officers
An attorney for former President Donald Trump on Monday asked a D.C. federal judge to dismiss a trio of lawsuits filed by Democratic lawmakers and two Capitol Police officers who claim Mr. Trump incited the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
California Plans to Become America’s Abortion Destination, Paying for Exponential Increase in Abortions
California is moving to dramatically expand and fund the number of abortions performed in the state. Its motivation: the possibility of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade this summer.
Christian News
Mexican Christians released from jail after representations from human rights group
Three Christians in Mexico were released Thursday after being jailed three days for refusing to help fund a patron saint festival that involves a mix of indigenous and Catholic religious traditions, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. The believers were freed following representations by the Defense of Human Rights of the Peoples of Oaxaca (DDHPO) organization.
400 million Christians live in countries where churches are persecuted
Over 400 million Christians live in countries that persecute churches, ACS-Italia, the Italian chapter of Aid to the Church in Need, has assessed. The data also shows persecution of believers around the world is worsening, the Christian Post (CP) reports.
Islamic Militants Kill Six Christians In Kenya
Kenyan authorities say they are pursuing suspected Islamic militants who reportedly killed six Christians in southeastern Kenya.
Kidnapped Christian Teenager Returns To Parents
A Pakistani Christian teenager abducted and forced to convert to Islam and marry her kidnapper has returned to her parents, Christians confirmed.