Worthy Brief - 11/23/2021
Friend, wake up!
Jonah 1:4,5 But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.
It must have been a bad storm. These men were experienced, hardened sailors who had seen it all at sea. If they were scared, this could have been the first "perfect storm" since Noah's flood. So they started the first interfaith prayer meeting in the Bible, each man crying out to his own god. As the ship groaned and creaked in howling wind and massive waves, and the men threw cargo overboard in a desperate attempt to save it, where was Jonah? On deck helping them? Confidently praying to His own God? Shaking with fear and paralyzed with deep conviction? No, he’s taking a nap down below...
How could anyone sleep through a storm like this -- especially a prophet of the Most High? I see a few possibilities: one, Jonah was a prophet whose relationship with the Lord was so close he was used to trusting Him through all kinds of difficulties, so he was just abiding in his usual trust. Remember Yeshua (Jesus) also slept during a very bad storm on the Sea of Galilee. Or, maybe the hold of the ship was so deep and Jonah was so tired that he wasn't aware of the grave danger up above; a perfectly natural explanation. And there's one more possibility: Jonah's disobedience made him vulnerable to the enemy. ( For example, I have at times been somehow induced into slumber when I've made a serious decision to spend time in prayer.)
We know for sure the enemy wants us to sleep while the world falls apart around us. His interests are served when we relax in our own eternal security while others are dying in the storms of this world. But Jonah's apathy toward Nineveh morphed into one which actually threatened his own life, without his even being aware of it. He had the authority and capacity to save the others, but the enemy may have poured out on him such a spirit of apathy and deadening slumber that it required the desperate pagans, far more aware of the danger, to rouse the prophet back to his true calling.
Storms are brewing of every kind; social, economic, political, military. Houses are "burning"; ships are "sinking". Many lives are falling apart. We might be weighed down and paralyzed by it all, or just deeply apathetic because they all deserve judgment while we await the "rapture". But I don't think the Lord wants us to sleep through these storms. At least, not with Jonah's attitude.
Friend, as the very prophetic words of Yeshua (Jesus) are coming to pass -- it should be a wake-up call to us, for He told us when you see "all of these things" coming to pass, know that the Kingdom is near ... even at the doors! [Matthew 24:33] So be awakened to your calling, know that He has ordained you for such a time as this!
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Phoenix, Arizona
Editor's Note: Our preferred social media platform is Telegram [ Follow us on Telegram ]. However, we've also set up a Facebook page for Worthy News. [ Follow us on Facebook ].
Lithuania Allows Taiwan To Establish ‘Embassy’ Despite China’s Outcry
Lithuania has defended its decision to allow Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in the Baltic nation despite an angry response from China.
Austria In Lockdown As Nearby Germany Warns Unvaccinated Of Death
Austria returned to a national lockdown Monday and prepared for forced vaccinations against COVID-19, while in neighboring Germany, the government warned jab hesitant citizens of “death.”
US, Ukraine Scrutinize Russian Troop Buildup as Moscow Dismisses Invasion Fears
Russia’s troop buildup along the Ukrainian border is drawing alarm from U.S. officials who are warning of a potential new invasion. Ukrainian officials estimate 90,000 Russian troops are now positioned along the border and in Russian-controlled parts of eastern Ukraine.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Shin Bet Uncovers, Stymies Huge Hamas Infrastructure, Terror Plan in Judea & Samaria
The Israeli Security Agency (ISA / Shin Bet), in cooperation with the IDF and the Israel Police, uncovered in recent weeks an extensive Hamas infrastructure that was directed by senior Hamas officials abroad and which operated throughout Judea and Samaria in order to perpetrate various attacks – including on a large scale – in Judea and Samaria, and in Jerusalem.
Gantz says he supports a ‘broader, stronger and longer’ Iranian nuclear deal
While the Israeli government opposes the U.S. return to the Iranian nuclear agreement, Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Sunday he was prepared to give his backing to a “broader, stronger and longer” agreement.
Inside the United States
Cleared Teenage Gunman Condemns Biden For Calling Him White Supremacist
The U.S. teenager who shot and killed two men but was acquitted of all charges has condemned President Joe Biden for calling him a “white supremacist.”
More than 90% of federal workers got COVID-19 shots by Biden deadline, report
More than 90% of federal workers have reportedly received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Monday's deadline set by President Biden.
US: $127.5 Million For Parkland Shooting Families
The U.S. government has reportedly reached a tentative $127.5 million settlement with the families of victims of a 2018 mass shooting at a Florida, high school.
Christian News
South Korea Rejects Asylum Claims Of Chinese Christians
South Korea turned down asylum requests from dozens of Chinese Christians despite fears their deportation to China could mean imprisonment, “forced disappearances and torture,” Christians said.
Pakistan Court Releases Two Christian Nurses
A court in Pakistan has released on bail two Christian nurses charged with “defiling the Koran,” deemed a holy book by Muslims, Christians confirmed.
Egypt: Teachers attack Coptic Christian students in school
The headmaster and other teachers at the Al-Thawra school in Upper Egypt’s Minya Governorate earlier this month ordered their Coptic Christian students to remove any jewelry with a cross, and then beat them, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
India: Hindu nationalists attack congregants in Karnataka state
As Hindu nationalist persecution of Christians in India continues to intensify, on November 14 a mob of Hindu radicals stormed the Mercy Divine Church in Bangalor, Karnataka state, throwing stones and chairs at congregants, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Christian persecution in India has increased dramatically since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party took power in 2014.
Indonesia: Islamic radicals attack Christian home believing it to be a church
It was only recently reported that Islamic radicals in East Java, Indonesia, attacked and extensively damaged the home of a Protestant Christian man at the end of last month, apparently believing the house to be a church, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Indonesia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has reportedly launched an investigation into the attack.
Wife of American missionary held hostage in Niger pleads with US to honor promise of help
The wife of Jeff Woodke, an American missionary who has been held hostage in Niger for five years, on Wednesday appealed to the US government to honor its promise to keep all options on the table in seeking her husband’s release, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Making her appeal at a press conference in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Els Woodke also called on the international church for help to finance the rescue effort.