Worthy Brief - 2/15/2023
Friend, persecution is coming? Are you ready?
Genesis 37:4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
John 15:25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
Matthew 5:11-12 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Being hated without cause is an aspect of Messianic prophecy that applies to both Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David. Just as Joseph was hated by his brothers, and David was hated by Saul without cause, is it any wonder that Yeshua (Jesus) was hated by the world without cause -- thus fulfilling a Messianic Psalm. [Psalm 69:4]. And should it surprise us that He is still hated? And if Yeshua was hated without a cause, should we expect our lives to be any different?
As thousands of saints suffered intense persecution in ages past, and thousands are still being persecuted today (126,000 martyrs last year alone), they prepare(d) the way for the salvation of millions of others. Since Yeshua said, "Greater love hath no man than this that he lay down his life for his friends," the love expressed by the martyrs is a tremendous source of inspiration to all of us.
Friend, as we are rapidly approaching the end of the age, we can expect persecution to be on the rise. We're sent out as sheep among wolves – so lift your head high when suffering persecution for the Lord. Your response of faith and love could well lead to the salvation of the ones persecuting you!
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Going to Christian College in Dallas, Texas)
Daytona Beach, Florida
Registration is closing soon! Join us on an epic, life changing journey through Israel, through the eyes of those who are well acquainted with the culture, the people and the Land. This is not your average Israel tour— bring your family, bring your friends, and experience the REAL ISRAEL with George and Baht Rivka as your personal hosts.
Some Israeli Rescuers Leaving Earthquake Hit Turkey Amid Violence; Christians In Area
Several Israeli rescue workers have left earthquake-hit Turkey after reported threats from Islamic militants and violence of frustrated local survivors, a Christian group supporting the Israeli rescuers acknowledged to Worthy News.
Clashes Devastating Ukrainian City And Its People (Worthy News Radio)
Heavy fighting between invading Russian forces and Ukrainian troops around Ukraine's devastated eastern city of Bakhmut increasingly resembles the horrors of World War One. The trench-for-tranch battle is taking its toll on the local population.
Genocide Watch NGO adds Yemen and Ethiopia to list of top 10 conflicts to watch
US-based NGO Genocide Watch has placed Yemen and Ethiopia on a list published on January 1 of the top 10 conflicts to watch in 2023.
UK:Catholic priest criminally charged for praying inside abortion clinic buffer zone
A Catholic priest and pro-life activist in the UK was recently criminally charged with "intimidating service-users" after he stood inside an abortion clinic buffer zone (while the clinic was closed) holding a sign which said "praying for free speech," Christian Today reports.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israeli officials double down on settlement construction, rebuke US criticism
Two ultranationalist Israeli Cabinet ministers on Tuesday defiantly dismissed a growing chorus of global condemnation of new Israeli settlement construction in Judea and Samaria, instead promising to double down and legalize dozens of wildcat outposts.
24 hours in Jerusalem: three terror attacks
Israel is experiencing a wave of terrorist attacks focused on Jerusalem. Many of these attacks are being carried out by young boys, many armed with handguns.
Inside the United States
Biden administration announces $231M to fund red-flag laws, other gun violence prevention
President Biden announced on Tuesday that the Department of Justice will give more than $231 million to states for crisis intervention projects, such as red-flag programs, in an effort to reduce gun violence.
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A train derailment in Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3 has led to toxic chemicals spilling into the Ohio River and being released into the air.
Chinese Spy Balloon Shot Down off the Coast Was Carrying 2,000 Pounds of Electronics
Pentagon officials say a "significant amount" of the electronic technology that was suspended below that Chinese spy balloon that flew over the U.S. and was shot down 10 days ago has now been lifted from the floor of the Atlantic.
Christian News
Asbury Awakening Spreads to Lee University: ‘A Mighty Move of God Started This Morning’
The revival fires are continuing to burn brightly at Asbury University, even after 133 hours, and now this outpouring of the Holy Spirit is spreading to more college campuses.
Pakistan: Christian girl abducted into forced marriage with Muslim employer, lawyer demands police action
The chairman of the Minorities Alliance Pakistan has pressured Pakistani police to find and rescue a 15-year-old local Christian girl who was abducted and forced into marriage with her Muslim employer: officers had ignored earlier pleas for help from the girl’s impoverished father, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
New Lebanese Christian radio station reaching hundreds of thousands of listeners
An Protestant-led radio station that was launched in Lebanon at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic is now bringing worship music and Biblical content to hundreds of thousands of Lebanese struggling with the ongoing devastating effects of sectarian division and political and economic chaos, Christianity Today (CT) reports.
Pakistan Man Lynched For Blasphemy; Christians Fearful (Worthy News In-Depth)
Pakistani police on Monday had detained dozens of suspects in the weekend lynching of a man accused of blasphemy against Islam, but a Christian rights activist warned of more violence.