Worthy Brief - Christian Newsletter » Newsletters » 2023 » April » Worthy Brief - 4/4/2023

Worthy Brief - 4/4/2023

Friend, you've been freed to worship!

Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

As the Biblical feast of Pesach (Passover) is celebrated throughout the world on Thursday, we are reminded of the deliverance of the Jewish people from the land of Egypt where they had served as slaves. The word for slaves in Hebrew is "avadim", which, interestingly, is also the same word for "servants."

Pesach recalls to us our own personal deliverance from the slavery of sin -- and the amazing joy and privilege of being free to be servants of the Living God who redeemed us. The same root letters which form the words for "slave" and "servant" also give us the word "avodah", the Hebrew word for "work", which is also a word that means "worship"!

Friend, to be a freed SLAVE of our God is to be a devoted SERVANT whose WORK is WORSHIP. So, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." [Colossians 3:23-24]

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Going to Christian College in Dallas, Texas)
Mansfield, Texas

Editor's Note:
New Video: Worthy Wrap-Up: The Demise of the Dollar, Indictments, Crisis in Israel

Around the World
Saudi Arabia, Six Other OPEC+ Members Announce Surprise New Oil Production Cuts
Saudi Arabia and half a dozen other members of OPEC+ announced on Sunday that they plan to cut up to a combined 1.15 million barrels of oil a day from May until the end of 2023, calling the decision a “precautionary measure” aimed at ensuring market stability.
US seeks to keep Yemen-bound ammunition seized from Iran
The United States is seeking to keep more than 1 million rounds of ammunition the US Navy seized in December as it was in transit from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to militants in Yemen, the Justice Department said on Friday.
Japan Not Supporting Price Cap On Russian Oil
Cracks have emerged in ties between Western allies, with Japan refusing to rally behind a $60-a-barrel cap on purchases of Russian crude oil.a
Hungary’s Premier Warns Of World War III
Hungary’s prime minister has warned that the West’s military support for Ukraine will lead to World World III.
Dozens Killed In India Temple Well Tragedy
A debate about poor maintenance and structures of buildings rages in India after dozens of people were killed when the covering of a temple well collapsed and fell inside.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Israel launches fresh strikes on Damascus area, Syrian state media reports
Israel has launched a fresh round of airstrikes on the Damascus area as loud blasts rattled the Syrian capital, the country's state media reported overnight Tuesday, in the fourth such attack attributed to Israel in less than a week.
Jordan king says Muslims have ‘duty to deter Israeli escalation’ in Jerusalem
Jordan’s King Abdullah II expressed on Sunday a commitment to “safeguard” Jerusalem’s holy sites, in a meeting in Amman with Muslim and Christian religious leaders from the city.
Mystery drone downed by IDF in Israeli airspace was sent by Iran
The IDF confirmed that the drone that invaded Israeli airspace from Syria and that it brought down on Sunday was Iranian.

Inside the United States
US Manufacturing Reaches New Low
U.S. manufacturing reached its lowest point since the start of the pandemic, according to a report released just as President Joe Biden embarked on a tour of U.S. factories to tout his promise to boost the industry.
Trump calls for indictment of DA Bragg, claiming he leaked charges illegally
Former President Donald Trump on Monday accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of illegally leaking the details of the charges Trump will face at his Tuesday arraignment.
Florida Senate oks 6-week abortion ban
The Florida Senate passed a bill on Monday to ban abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.

Christian News
Scotland: Church leaders say proposed conversion therapy ban could criminalize Christians who teach that homosexual behavior is sinful
A group of twenty Scottish church leaders have written to Scotland’s Minister for Equality expressing their alarm that a proposed government ban on “conversion practices” could result in the criminalization of Christians who teach anyone, including their own children, that the practice of homosexuality is sinful, Christian Today reports.
Thailand: Asylum-seeking Chinese congregation taken into police custody following expiry of visas
All 63 Chinese Christian members of the asylum-seeking Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church have been taken into police custody in Thailand, after overstaying the tourist visas on which they sought refugee status from persecution in China, the Associated Press reports.