Worthy Brief - 9/27/2023
Friend, it's time to cut down the trees!
Colossians 3:13-14 Bear with each other, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against anyone: even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love (agape), which is the bond of perfection.
After the Civil War, Robert E. Lee visited a Kentucky lady who took him to the remains of a once beautiful old tree in front of her house. There she bitterly cried that its limbs and trunk had been destroyed by Federal artillery fire. She looked to Lee for a word condemning the North or at least sympathizing with her loss. After a brief silence, Lee said, "Cut it down, my dear Madam, and forget it."
The enemy is constantly attacking the body of Messiah. Some of his most effective tactics are anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness, which are often based on real, sometimes deep, wounds we have received from others in the faith. Paul wrote that we should not be ignorant of the enemy's schemes (2 Cor. 2:11), that bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness give him an opportunity to quench the Holy Spirit and destroy our fellowship with God and one another. So the apostle urged forbearance, forgiveness, and above all else, the kind of love which Yeshua (Jesus) showed to us; a love which covered our sins against Him, forgiving and restoring relationship. This is not a love which is natural to us. Our nature is to hold on to offenses, to desire justice, recompense, or even revenge. Do we realize that the love we need to truly forgive is from another Source?
The beautiful old tree in the woman's front yard might symbolize something very dear, beloved and precious in your life....something which was terribly damaged by an enemy you feel justified to hate.
Whatever is left of that "tree" in your life or in your memory is a constant temptation to nurture hate and unforgiveness. Is this how you want to live? Will this "tree" become a memorial unto hatred and revenge, or hardness of heart and a never-ending cry for "justice"? If so, you will find yourself bound to that tree, as if you were chained to it. General Lee's words apply here: "Cut it down, my dear Madam, and forget it." "Vengeance is Mine, says the Lord, I will repay." So, not only can you afford to forgive and leave justice in His hands, but the freedom and joy of loving the way God loves, will also be yours.
Friend, Yeshua (Jesus) has forgiven us. We should forgive others as we've been forgiven. Let's cut down the battered trees in our lives, choose forgiveness, in the Spirit of Jesus, and put on (agape) love.
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Dallas, TX)
(Knoxville, TN)
Editor's Note: My wife is on a roll with new music! Check out her encouraging new release called Awake My Soul!
Editor's Note: We are planning our Winter 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.
African leaders tell UNGA: Africa must be treated as a global partner, not sidelined
African leaders delivered an unequivocal message to the UN General Assembly last week that Africa is a global power that deserves to be treated by the West as an equal partner and not sidelined as a charity case, the Associated Press reports.
Mexico: Increased femicide rate directly related to organized crime, experts say
Lethal violence against women in Mexico has steadily increased in recent years, and experts believe that the phenomenon is directly related to Mexican militarization and organized crime, Global Citizen reports. According to data released by Mexico’s National Public Security System, 43,000 women were killed in the country between 2006 and 2021.
Ethiopia: Tigray conflict has left more than 10,000 survivors of sexual violence
The UN-backed international commission of human rights experts on Ethiopia reported this week that the recent conflict in the country’s Tigray region has left at least 10,000 survivors of rape and sexual violence, the Associated Press reports. The commission added that all sides in the war had committed atrocities, including mass killings, rape, starvation, and destruction of schools and medical facilities.
20 Killed In Nagorno-Karabakh Depot Blast; Thousands Of Armenian Christians Flee (Worthy News In-Depth)
At least 20 people were killed and hundreds injured in an explosion at a fuel depot in the volatile South Caucasus enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Germany, U.S. slam Netanyahu’s Middle East map presented at UN
German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sebastian Fischer on Monday, expressed the country's reservations over a map exhibited by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his address to the UN General Assembly.
Inside the United States
Federal judge rules Texas ‘drag ban’ unconstitutional
A bill conservative Texas lawmakers said they passed to protect children from obscene drag performances is an unconstitutional restraint on speech, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.
North Carolina passes bipartisan bill requiring age verification for access to pornography websites
With overwhelming bipartisan support, the North Carolina Legislature passed a bill Thursday that requires age verification on websites that publish pornography and other material considered harmful to minors under the age of 18, the Associated Press (AP) reports.
Federal court strikes down California ban on gun magazines for second time
A federal judge yet again declared California's ban on gun magazines unconstitutional Friday.
Credit card losses are rising at the fastest pace since the Great Financial Crisis
Credit card companies are racking up losses at the fastest pace in almost 30 years, outside of the Great Financial Crisis, according to Goldman Sachs.
Christian News
Less than half of religious refugees can gain U.S. entry, Christian groups report
The U.S. is no longer a “safe haven” for people fleeing religious persecution, according to a new report noting massive declines in U.S. arrivals by Christian, Jewish and Muslim refugees, among others.