Worthy Brief - 10/16/2017
Friend, work it out!
Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
One of the paradoxes of our walk is that God’s gifts often require work on our part. After He delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians, the Lord led them to the Promised land and told them He was going to "give" it to them. It wasn't long before they realized, however, that they were going to have to fight battles and overcome fortified cities in order to inhabit the land. God did promise that they would not have to fight the battles on their own, but even with this divine advantage the Israelites themselves would be required to destroy their enemies – they would still need to fight.
They might have preferred that God just give them the land, without having to do anything; to just walk into already built cities and houses without any conflict or opposition. But this was not God’s plan. He desired and expected their full cooperation, expecting them to take serious responsibility for the destiny He had prepared for them, and to grow in faith, thereby.
Our situation is similar. Though the gift of our salvation is free, the Lord requires us to work it out...with fear and trembling! [Phil. 2:12] We are not automatically or supernaturally filled with knowledge of the Bible, or faith to move mountains, or the power to pray without ceasing. Instead, we discover that we have to fight the fight of faith, taking serious responsibility for the destiny He has prepared for us.
Friend, are you discouraged because the walk of a believer is more difficult than you imagined and the challenges greater than you expected? Don’t be! God is calling you to the simple responsibility of working out your faith and participating in your own destiny. You can be grateful that He doesn't treat you like a helpless infant who has no part in shaping his/her life, but as a growing adult who can rejoice in his/her participation with a loving and powerful Creator.
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Arad, Israel
Editor's Note: We are coming to the United States this Winter/Spring for a cross country speaking/music tour. If you want to hear timely word from Worthy News Founder and Director, George Whitten and powerful Israeli Worship Music from Baht Rivka Whitten, Lazman Hazeh Music, as well as testimony of life and ministry in the Land, make sure to book soon for your Congregation, Conference, Church, Home Fellowship or Israel focused Event. We hope to hug you! Please send an email to george [ @ ] worthyemail.com for more information.
Around the World
Death toll from Mogadishu truck bomb rises to 276 in deadliest single attack ever in Somalia's capital
The death toll from a truck bomb that exploded near to a hotel and market in Mogadishu rose to 276 on Sunday, making it the worst terrorist atrocity in the country's history.
US officials: Trump won’t scrap Iran deal in Friday speech
US President Donald Trump will unveil a more aggressive strategy to check Iran’s growing power Friday, but will stop short of withdrawing from a landmark nuclear deal, or declaring the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization.
Iran 'behind cyber attack' on British lawmakers in June
Iran carried out a cyber attack on British lawmakers earlier this year, The Times newspaper reported on Saturday, citing an intelligence assessment of the incident.
Antibiotic resistance could spell end of modern medicine, says chief medic
England’s chief medical officer has repeated her warning of a “post-antibiotic apocalypse” as she urged world leaders to address the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.
Vietnam braces for typhoon Khanun after floods kill 72
Vietnam braced for typhoon Khanun on Monday after destructive floods battered the country’s north and center last week, killing 72 people, the disaster prevention agency said.
Ireland and UK on alert as Storm Ophelia nears
Storm Ophelia is set to bring 'potentially deadly' gusts of up to 80mph from the Atlantic to Ireland and parts of the UK.
Iraqi and Kurdish forces clash in oil-rich Kirkuk
Clashes have broken out between Iraqi and Kurdish forces south of the city of Kirkuk.
Nikki Haley: US to ‘stay’ in Iran nuke deal, aim to ‘make it better’
The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said on Sunday that the US would 'stay' in the Iranian nuclear agreement negotiated between the world powers, including the US, and Iran, but 'aim to make it better.'
Austria's Kurz: Europe's youngest leader in waiting
'Whizz-kid', 'Basti Fantast', 'Messiah' are just some of the monikers given to Austrian conservative Sebastian Kurz, Europe's youngest leader in waiting.
AI implants will allow us to control our homes with our thoughts within 20 years, government report claims
Artificially intelligent nano-machines will be injected into humans within 20 years to repair and enhance muscles, cells and bone, a senior inventor at IBM has forecast.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Al-Aqsa Mosque Imam: 'Israelis are waging war on Al-Aqsa'
Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, the imam of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, is accusing 'extremist' Jewish organizations of waging a legal battle aimed at achieving Israeli sovereignty in the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Two rockets fired from Egypt's Sinai toward southern Israel
Two rockets were fired at southern Israel from Egypt's Sinai desert on Sunday evening, the Israeli army said.
Report: Hamas agrees to halt terrorist attacks from West Bank
As part of the intra-Palestinian reconciliation, Hamas has pledged not to perpetrate terrorist attacks from Judea and Samaria, the London-based pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat reported on Sunday.
Def. minister: 'Europeans putting heads in the sand' on Iran deal
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman slammed Great Britain, France and Germany Saturday night for their opposition to the steps US President Donald Trump announced against the Iranian nuclear deal.
Netanyahu to Christian Media Summit: 'Israel has no better friends in the world'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised a crowd of Christian tourists on Sunday evening for being some of Israel’s best friends, while addressing the Christian Media Summit at Jerusalem’s Israel Museum.
Inside the United States
Trump Administration: Life Begins at Conception
The Department of Health and Human Services has published a draft of a new strategic plan that states in its introduction that life begins at conception.
18 states, DC file lawsuit against Trump over Obamacare insurer subsidies
Attorneys general from eighteen states and the District of Columbia have teamed up for a lawsuit against President Trump's decision to discontinue payments to Obamacare insurers.
Devastating California wildfires predicted to cost US economy $85 billion; Containment may take weeks
Devastating fires charring California have claimed more lives than any fire in the state's history, and the economic toll is predicted to climb to $85 billion.
Trump’s decertification plan for nuclear deal gives Congress 60 days to get tough on Iran
The U.S. plans to remain in the nuclear deal with Iran but will push to make sure Tehran lives up to its end of the bargain, administration officials said Sunday, as President Trump asks Congress for help in beefing up an international pact he once derided as 'the worst deal ever.'
Ex-DEA agent: Opioid crisis fueled by drug industry and Congress
In the midst of the worst drug epidemic in American history, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's ability to keep addictive opioids off U.S. streets was derailed -- that according to Joe Rannazzisi, one of the most important whistleblowers ever interviewed by 60 Minutes.
Christian News
George Barna Explains How Christians Altered America's Future by Supporting Trump Last November
A veteran researcher has detailed how on Nov. 8, 2016, Christian conservatives altered the course of American history by voting overwhelmingly for and delivering victory to Donald Trump to be the 45th president of the United States. And though the mainstream press derides or ignores them, he says, such Christians will retain their influence if and only if they stay alert and engaged.