Worthy Brief - 1/29/2025
Friend, take your enemy by surprise!
Matthew 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
People read this verse, and think God is telling them to be passive -- to overlook what happened. That is not a bad thing -- but it isn't exactly what Yeshua (Jesus) was saying. Turning the other cheek is noat about being passive. It's about being active! So active that it actually confounds your enemy! Turning the other cheek is about taking an action so revolutionary, so shocking, so out of the ordinary that it shocks everyone around. It confounds the world -- and can also change it!
Do you truly want to overcome evil? So stop sulking about it, stop dwelling on it and stop doing nothing about it! Take a most unexpected action of surprising love -- because that is what Yeshua did for us.....and it changed our lives, didn't it?
Friend, has someone hurt you or sinned against you? Those things happen and they always will because of our sinful human nature. But now -- turn that into an action of love!
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Elianna and Obadiah
(Phoenix, Arizona)
Editor's Note: My wife, Baht Rivka, led some powerful, spontaneous worship in Northern Israel with dear friends of ours, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. It’s worth a listen! Don’t forget to subscribe, like and SHARE!
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Embassies Attacked In DRC
The European Union and world leaders expressed outrage Tuesday after rioters stormed embassies and started fires in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Malaysia Launching Digital ID ‘Super-App’
Malaysia’s government says it is launching a “national digital identity ecosystem” named “MyDigital ID Superapp” across the Asian nation.
US Hostage Released by Taliban After Nearly 900 Days in Captivity
US citizen Ryan Corbett was last week released from nearly 900 days in captivity after being taken hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan in August 2022.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel Orders UN Palestinian Agency To Close In East Jerusalem After Massacre
The United Nation's Palestinian refugee agency prepared Wednesday to cease all operations in East Jerusalem after Israel ordered it to vacate its premises there.
Israel: ‘20,000 Hamas Fighters Killed’ Sparking Gaza Death Toll Debate (Worthy News Focus)
A leading war crimes lawyer at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands, has publicly raised doubts that Israel committed genocide in Gaza.
Inside the United States
CA Drops Charges Against Pro-Life Activists’ for Release of Undercover Videos
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a plea agreement has been reached to result in no jail time for activists who recorded conversations with Planned Parenthood staff about the procurement and sale of tissue from aborted fetuses.
Pentagon’s December Answer on Drones Confirmed by White House
Following months of speculation and conspiracy theories surrounding mysterious drone sightings up and down the East Coast, the White House confirms they flew with federal government authorization.
More Than 3,500 Undocumented Migrants Arrested in Trump’s First Week, Including Dozens of Venezuelan Gang Members
President Donald Trump’s first week in office has seen US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and federal partner agencies arrest more than 3,500 undocumented migrants, including dozens of members of the notoriously criminal Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang.
US Supreme Court to Consider Constitutionality of Publicly Funded Religious School
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Trump Blocks Federal Funding For Abortion in US and Abroad
Blocking government funding for abortions both in the US and abroad, newly inaugurated President Donald Trump on Friday reinstated the Mexico City Policy and the Hyde Amendment.
Christian News
China Detains Tibet House Church Members
Chinese authorities have detained 10 Christians from the house church "All Ranges Church" in Tibet as part of a broader anti-Christian campaign, Christian investigators said Tuesday.
California: Christian Charity Reports Surging Interest in Gospel Amid Wild-Fire Relief Efforts
The Dream Center Christian charity which provides food and housing for those in need in Los Angeles has reported a surging interest in the Gospel among volunteers who have flocked to help bring relief following the recent devastating California wildfires that killed 24 people and destroyed some 12,000 buildings and homes.