Worthy Brief - 12/9/2019
Friend, where's your house?
Matthew 7:24-27 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.
Over the past weekend, Israel began experiencing heavy rainfalls throughout the country and the calls for heavy rain are expected to continue into the beginning of this week.
When we read in the Bible about the rainy season, there are two references mentioned, the "Yoreh", the early rain, and the "Malkosh", the latter rain.
In this passage, Yeshua (Jesus) is talking to Jews, of course. They were familiar with the rainy seasons and how vigorously it comes down these seasons. Since Israel receives little rain for most of the year, the ground becomes hard and unable to absorb the rains when they begin. As the storms begin, the downpours can quickly form "rivers in the desert" and can quickly destroy anything in their path. Jews understood this concept and they understood the dangers of building their houses on the sand -- otherwise, they faced calamity when the rainy season came!
The Lord is warning us about building our houses on an unstable foundation. He knew that stormy seasons would come and He wants us to be prepared! We don't want to be one of the many of whose lives will collapse because they were built on fame, fortune and other things of this world. We must be careful to build our lives only upon Him. Even building our lives upon seemingly innocent things like family, tradition and good works can be dangerous. We want to be of those who've established our foundation upon the ROCK of the truth of His Word and who will be able to weather the coming storms because of it!
Friend, are there storms raging about you today? Let's hurry and examine whether our lives are completely built upon the Rock.
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah
Baltimore, MD
Editor's Note: Looking for the best holiday gift EVER for the person who has everything??? How about a LIFE ALTERING trip to ISRAEL?! Join us (George and Baht Rivka Whitten of Worthy Ministries) as we will be your personal hosts through the Holy Land! Together we will experience amazing historical and biblical sites, relax at the Dead Sea Spa, enjoy all the delicious cuisine of the Middle East, join in power packed worship and solid teaching, participate in hands-on ministry, meet Israelis and Holocaust Survivors, an outreach concert, a special Yemenite lunch, tasting at Jerusalem’s outdoor food market, camel rides, Bedouin hospitality, Shabbat dinner at our home, a baptism at the Jordan River, sunset Galilee boat ride, and loads more!! Experience Real Israel with us— you don’t want to miss this!! We have limited spaces available. For more information, visit Worthy Israel Tours or send an email to george [ @ ] worthyministries.com.
Editor's Note: Our preliminary US speaking tour is now online. We have quite a few more dates to add as soon as they are confirmed. 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.
Editor's Note: If you have a prayer request, or if you'd be interested in becoming an intercessor, be sure to visit the Worthy Prayer Team!
Vladimir Putin says Russia open to extending New START treaty with U.S.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has opened the door to immediately extending the last nuclear arms treaty between the U.S. and Russia that is still active.
Trump warns Kim Jong Un he has ‘everything’ to lose after test at North Korea missile site
President Trump on Sunday said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has 'everything' to lose by acting aggressively after Pyongyang conducted a 'very important test' at a missile site that supposedly had been shuttered.
New Russia-Turkey S-400 Missile Deal in the Works, Interfax Says
Russia and Turkey are working on a contract for the delivery of a new batch of Russian S-400 missile systems, the Interfax news agency cited a senior official at a Russian military cooperation agency as saying on Friday.
Iran boasts it will soon unveil new nuclear centrifuges, power plant
Iran is set to unveil at least 50 new nuclear-related 'products,' including new centrifuge systems and a heavy water power plant in 2020, boasted an Iranian official on Saturday.
Canadian Church of Atheism denied charitable status after court finds it's not a religion
A federal court in Canada has ruled that the self-titled 'Church of Atheism' isn't a religion and can't be treated like one for tax purposes.
Massive rally in Hong Kong marks six months of protests
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators poured into the Hong Kong streets on Sunday in a mass show of support -- marking sixth months of pro-democracy protests and highlighting the resilience of a people who continue to fight for their freedom and autonomy against the Chinese government.
China’s Unexpected Export Drop Shows Why It Wants a Trade Deal
The unexpected drop in China’s exports in November shows one reason why the nation wants to agree on a phase one trade deal - U.S. tariffs are hurting China’s exports at a time when global demand is already weak.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
US House passes resolution supporting two-state solution
The US House of Representatives approved on Friday a resolution expressing support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while also warning Israel against any attempts toward annexation of territory in the West Bank.
Netanyahu: America and Israel have 'decided to speed up work' on mutual defense pact
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met in Lisbon, Portugal Wednesday to discuss a mutual defense treaty between the US and Israel.
No talks set as coalition deadline approaches
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Blue and White leader Benny Gantz and their parties’ coalition negotiating teams will all be at the Knesset on Monday, but sources close to them all said there would be no negotiations to end the political quagmire.
FM: Bombing Iran to stop its nuclear program remains 'an option'
The option to launch a preemptive strike against Iran to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon remains viable, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in an interview Saturday.
Inside the United States
As Fed reiterates rate pause, forecasts likely to be blown off course
Friday’s booming U.S. jobs report should give the Federal Reserve all it needs to stick to its plan not to cut interest rates further in the near future, so when U.S. central bankers meet this week, most of the focus will be on their outlook for next year and beyond.
U.S. Justice Ginsburg puts temporary hold on Trump financial records dispute
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday put a temporary hold on a court ruling that would require records held by Deutsche Bank AG and Capital One Financial Corp to be handed over to Democratic-led congressional panels.
FBI Says it Presumes Base Shooting was act of Terrorism
The Saudi gunman who killed three people at the Pensacola naval base had apparently gone on Twitter shortly before the shooting to blast U.S. support of Israel and accuse America of being anti-Muslim, a U.S. official said Sunday as the FBI confirmed it is operating on the assumption the attack was an act of terrorism.
Judge Tosses Five Charges Against Anti-Abortion Activists for Undercover Videos
A California judge dismissed five felony charges against two activists who secretly recorded Planned Parenthood executives talking about the practice of providing human body parts of aborted babies for research.
Unemployment at a 50 year low; 24th Record Breaker for Trump
he Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics says the economy added a whopping 266,000 jobs in November; and for the sixth month in a row, a record number of Americans were counted as employed.
Manufacturing Jobs +54,000 in November; Up 510,000 Under Trump
Manufacturing jobs increased by 54,000 in November, climbing from 12,811,000 to 12,865,000, according to the numbers released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
U.S. trade deficit shrinks sharply; labor market tight
The U.S. trade deficit dropped to its lowest level in nearly 1-1/2 years in October, suggesting trade could contribute to economic growth in the fourth quarter, though a broad decline in imports hinted at a slowdown in domestic demand.
Christian News
Christian pastor in India meets great opposition for seeking the lost
A Christian pastor in India called to minister to one of the country's unreached people groups was beaten along with his congregation in November by a Hindu mob.
Over 40 Hong Kong Christian leaders receive threatening messages
Hong Kong Christian leaders are coming under fire for their involvement in protests, with many receiving threatening messages that reflect a disturbing amount of surveillance.
Americans abandoning faith linked to drop in charitable giving, analysis finds
Americans are giving less to charitable organizations and declining religious affiliation is contributing to the decrease, according to a new analysis of philanthropic trends.
Muslims in Norway target Christian street preacher
Four Muslim men attacked a Christian evangelist in Norway, threatening to kill him if he did not convert to Islam.