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Worthy Brief - 5/24/2023

Friend, the wave of change!

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

The third great awakening took place during the late 1850s into the beginning of the 1900s. It was during this era that the wave of revivals sweeping America began spreading throughout the world. The era saw the abolition of slavery, women’s right to vote, and the end of child labor in factories.

George Mueller began a movement of orphanages and Christian schools, and amazingly, was accused of raising the poor out of their ‘station in life’ as he educated over 120,000 children.

Elsewhere in Great Britian, William Booth's Salvation Army outreach was birthed out of the third great awakening. His concern for rampant alcoholism led to the prohibition movement of the 1930s. Riding on a wagon through the streets, Booth called on alcoholics to stop drinking and come to faith in Jesus. His success led former drunks to coin the phrase, “I’m on the wagon”.

Meanwhile, in China, Hudson Taylor led an evangelical movement in the Far East, another arm of the "awakening". And D.L. Moody, Charles Spurgeon, and R.A. Torrey were leading revivals throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

D.L. Moody rarely spoke of His Baptism in the Spirit which took place in New York just after his church was burned down in the great Chicago fire of 1871. It radically changed his ministry, earning him the moniker, “Crazy Moody.” Yet, his preaching brought thousands to faith, and Moody Bible Institute in Chicago has educated thousands more for ministry since its birth.

The third great awakening saw God radically empowering believers by His Spirit to usher in a harvest in their generation which continues to impact society today.

Friend, will you allow the Spirit of God to radically transform your life? This day and hour, when it seems so dark — is our time to shine; to be the beacon of light to this world that so needs the transforming power of the Gospel of Jesus.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna
(Dallas, Texas)

Around the World
Iranian official threatens war if nuclear sites attacked
An Iranian official said on Tuesday that an attack on nuclear facilities would mean a widespread war that Israel would bear responsibility for. Speaking to the Qatari-based Al Jazeera network the official said Israeli threats would not change the course of things.
Russia ‘Defeats Insurgents’ Killing Scores Of Fighters
Moscow said Tuesday it had pushed back armed insurgents who crossed the border from Ukraine to launch attacks in Russia's Belgorod region in the deadliest cross-border confrontation since the war began 15 months ago.
Chiefs of US, British and French navies transit through Strait of Hormuz to deter Iran from attacking ships
In an extremely rare joint move, the respective chiefs of the US, British and French navies transited through the Strait of Hormuz aboard the USS Paul Hamilton American warship on Friday in a signal to Iran to cease attacking foreign ships passing through this waterway, the Associated Press reports. A strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, the Hormuz is one of the world's most strategically critical waterways.
Belarus Pardons Leading Opposition Activist
A leading Belarusian opposition activist who was detained after his Ryanair flight was forced to land in the capital Minsk says he has been pardoned following mounting Western pressure.
Massive Pro-EU Rally In Moldova Amid Russian Invasion Fears
A tense calm has returned to Moldova's capital Chisinau, after a massive pro-European Union rally here over fears that Russia may invade the country after a similar move in nearby Ukraine.
One billion poor people at risk of contracting cholera, “there is a pandemic killing the poor”
The United Nations on Friday issued an urgent call to member states to step up out of their inertia and take immediate action against outbreaks of cholera that are putting 1 billion poor people in over 40 countries at risk of being killed by the deadly disease, i24News reports.
Ukraine War Expanding Into Russia; Cross Border Clashes Intensify (Worthy News In-Depth)
Ukraine’s war rapidly escalated and expanded into neighboring Russia on Monday as Kyiv and Moscow confirmed cross-border clashes which injured and perhaps killed several people.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
IDF chief: Israel could be forced to react to ‘negative developments’ in Iran
Military chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi warns that there may be “negative developments” with regard to Iran’s nuclear program that would prompt Israel to react.
Saudi Arabia demands US backing for nuclear program before for peace with Israel
Saudi Arabia has demanded that the Biden administration enter a military alliance with it that would include approval for a civilian nuclear program in return for a normalization agreement with Israel, the Jewish state’s Channel 12 news reported on Tuesday.
Hezbollah terror group conducts large-scale military exercise next door to Israel
The Iran-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah on Sunday conducted a wide-ranging military exercise in Lebanon it claimed was a simulated "resistance maneuver" against an “invasion” by neighboring Israel, i24News reports.

Inside the United States
Second IRS Whistleblower Probing Hunter Biden Comes Forward, Claims Retaliation
A second Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblower came forward Monday to express concern about the investigation into Hunter Biden’s alleged tax fraud and financial crimes after the entire team working on it was removed from the case, according to the New York Post.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis To Announce Presidential Bid
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a prominent member of the Republican Party and a former military officer, was to announce his 2024 U.S. presidential bid during a discussion with Elon Musk on Wednesday, U.S. sources say.
New survey finds only half of Americans are sure God exists
A new report published by NORC at the University of Chicago on May 4 shows that only about half of Americans now say they are sure God exists, the Hill reports. The data was gathered as part of NORC’s biennial nationally representative General Social Survey (GSS) conducted in 2022.