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Worthy Brief - 3/21/2024

Friend, storms are raging!

Psalms 112:6-7 Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.

This weekend, the Jewish people will celebrate the festival of Purim. This holiday commemorates Israel's amazing reversal in Persia during the reign of King Xerxes (Ahasuerus) when Queen Esther and her uncle Mordecai gained victory for the Jews and protected them from annihilation at the hands of the evil Haman.

The news this week carries a certain irony concerning Iran, once the ancient kingdom of Persia, is presiding over the UN's Disarmament Conference. Given the historical and ongoing tensions, it raises the question: might this development be the final straw that compels the Jewish nation to take defensive measures to ensure their own survival?

Let me share a story that took place during Purim in 2010.

In 2010, just as the festival of Purim was getting underway, a lightning bolt struck outside our house, destroying the neighborhood's transformer and cutting off our electric power. Then, later that day, as I was driving to the Dead Sea region to pick up a package, a ferocious river torrent from the desert came out of nowhere, sideswiped my car, and nearly washed me into the Dead Sea. The river's immense force was so powerful that it lifted the rear end of my car off the road, ripping off most of the bumper, while the front wheels struggled to maintain traction as I maneuvered the car to safety. For the next 7 hours, I was stuck between two rivers as the rains that came down over Israel. Later that night,  I spoke with a police officer who informed me that a few weeks earlier a driver in similar circumstances was carried into the Dead Sea and drowned!

The lesson I learned that day was I do NOT actually see these experiences as "coincidences" but as signs and portents of things to come. We will soon be facing severe unexpected storms, which will shock and possibly dislodge us from the roads we are traveling on. But we are under Divine protection as we focus on the Lord, and our devotion rests in Him. We may be badly shaken -- but He will rescue and restore us!

Friend, the message in these days of earthquakes and tsunamis is clear: "Do not fear, for I am with you, even unto the end of the age."

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Dallas, TX)
(Melbourne, Florida)

Editor's Note: We posted 4new videos on YouTube -- Purim, Palm Sunday, New Year and New Beginnings | Is there a Great Harvest Coming? | The Simchat Torah War - Is this a Water Breaking Moment of Revival? | Eclipses, Red Heifers, Purim and a Move of God!

Editor's Note: During this war, we have been live blogging throughout the day -- sometimes minute by minute on our Telegram channel. Be sure to check it out!

Editor's Note: We are planning our summer Tour so if you would like us to minister at your congregation, home fellowship, or Israel focused event, be sure to let us know ASAP. You can send an email to george [ @ ] worthyministries.com for more information.

Around the World
US Forces Permanent In Taiwan As Tensions Rise
The world was moving towards another potentially massive armed conflict Thursday, with Taiwan officially confirming the permanent stationing of U.S. troops on its territory in the Taiwan Strait.
Iran Presiding Over UN’s Disarmament Conference Triggers Outrage (Worthy News In-Depth)
Iran, accused of developing nuclear weapons, has come under international criticism after taking over the presidency of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament.
USCIRF Calls For US To Support Iraqi Victims Of ISIS On Anniversary Of Genocide Determination
Marking the eighth anniversary of the 2016 determination by the United States that ISIS carried out a genocide against northern Iraq’s Yazidis, Christians, and Shi’a Muslims two years earlier, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has called on the US government to do more to support survivors of the 2014 jihadist campaign that involved mass murders, systematic abductions, rape and sexual slavery, forced labor, and forced religious conversion to Sunni Islam.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Senate Democrats Call On Biden To Recognize Palestinian State
Nineteen Democratic Senators have urged President Joe Biden, in a letter sent on Wednesday, to establish a "bold, public framework" for the United States to unilaterally acknowledge the establishment of a demilitarized Palestinian state, which would be administered by a reformed Palestinian Authority.
Bible’s Esther Inspires Fast For Hostages Held By Hamas In Gaza
Inspired by the Biblical woman Esther, who saved the Jewish people from extermination, a group of Israeli activists has urged Jews worldwide to fast and pray for hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.
International Court of Justice Will Hear Nicaragua’s Case Against Germany Over Israel Aid and UNRWA Defunding
As tens of thousands of Nicaraguans are fleeing their homes to escape President Daniel Ortega’s brutal dictatorship, the Nicaraguan government is bringing the German government before the International Court of Justice to demand it stop giving military aid to Israel and start funding the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) again.

Inside the United States
Poll Finds Most Americans Believe Role Of Religion Is Declining In US
A new poll by the Pew Research Center shows that 80% of US adults now believe that the role of religion in public life is diminishing. The poll was conducted Feb. 13-25, 2024, among a nationally representative sample of 12,693 American adults.
Texas Immigration Law Blocked by Appeals Court Despite Supreme Court Allowing State to Arrest Illegal Immigrants
Just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court authorized its implementation, a federal appeals court overturned its decision, preventing Texas' new anti-illegal immigration law from taking effect and once again halting its enforcement.
Presumptive Nominees Biden, Trump Sweep Tuesday Primaries
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the presumptive presidential nominees for their respective parties, won big again in Tuesday's primaries.
US Conservative Christians Denied Bank Access Under Biden Policies (Worthy News In-Depth)
U.S. banks and financial institutions are cancelling bank accounts and other services of American conservative Christians due to their “religious and political views” under the policies of President Joe Biden, Worthy News learned from several sources.

Christian News
Christian Ministry Serves Thousands Of Ukrainian Refugees In Moldova, “Pray For Us”
An international Christian mission has been ministering to thousands of Ukrainian refugees who fled their homes for the former USSR country of Moldova after the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine began two years ago, CBN News reports. Headquartered in Tennessee, USA, Mission Eurasia has outreaches in the 13 countries of the former Soviet Union and Poland.