Worthy Brief - 1/11/2023

[WorthyNewsBot]

Friend, pass the test, run the drill!

1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, don't be astonished at the fiery trial which has come upon you, to test you, as though a strange thing happened to you.

1 Corinthians 3:13 each man's work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man's work is.

When I was growing up, we used to have fire drills in school at least once a year. The fire alarm went off, causing you to shake from the sudden loud bell momentarily, but it was only seconds before you knew.... it was only a drill; you really didn't expect a fire. Nevertheless, everyone present was expected to rush out the door (in an orderly fashion) to the parking lot. It was a nice break from class, that yearly fire drill.

These days, we get alerts on our TV from the Emergency Broadcast System. The annoying long "beep" noise is finally followed by the same drill-like announcement, "This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. If this was an actual emergency ..."

These tests are not supposed to be "crying wolf" but actually serious rehearsals to prepare people for an actual crisis should one arise.

Throughout our lives, we face potential or actual dangers, threats, and real crises, various trials. Is it possible to see them as "drills" preparing us for eternity? I think so. Our whole life on Earth can be understood as a trial period, a God-ordained drill, a preparation for the real "fire" which will test every man's work at the judgment seat of Christ; [2 Corinthians 5:10]

Friend, your trials, fiery as they may be, are God's drills, testing, shaping, and preparing you, even equipping you for the good works which will be richly rewarded in the world to come. Fiery trials produce gold, silver, and precious stones. Don't panic, don't succumb to fear, or be discouraged. Pray for the Lord's grace to endure every drill, every test. The Lord is a refining fire; His work in and with you will endure forever, and the rewards will be amazing.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Going to Christian College in Dallas, Texas)
Dallas, Texas

Join us on an epic, life changing journey through Israel, through the eyes of those who are well acquainted with the culture, the people and the Land. This is not your average Israel tour— bring your family, bring your friends, and experience the REAL ISRAEL with George and Baht Rivka as your personal hosts.

Around the World
Sweden Says it Can’t Meet All of Turkey’s Demands; NATO Entry Now Up to Ankara
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has called on Turkey to lift its block against Sweden’s accession to the transatlantic alliance, after Stockholm acknowledged it cannot meet Ankara’s demands.
U.S. Navy seizes over 2,100 Iranian assault rifles in Gulf of Oman bound for Yemen
The U.S. Navy said Tuesday that it seized over 2,100 assault rifles from a fishing vessel in the Gulf of Oman that it believes came from Iran and were meant for the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Monk Kidnapped By Islamists Elected Bishop
A Syriac Catholic monk and priest who was kidnapped in Syria by militants of the Islamic State (IS) group has been elected Archbishop of Homs, the Vatican confirmed Tuesday.
Peru: At least 17 dead amid protests calling for President Boularte to resign
At least 17 people have been killed in Peru amid clashes between supporters of former left-wing President Pedro Castillo, who was arrested for sedition and high treason in December, and government security forces backing new president Dina Boularte, BBC News
Iran sentences 3 more protestors to death for “waging war against God”
Ignoring Western condemnation of its actions, Iran’s judiciary has sentenced three more anti-government protesters to death on charges of “waging war on God,” Reuters reports. Iran’s Islamic extremist regime has already executed four people involved in nationwide protests triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who had been arrested for not wearing her hijab correctly in September last year.
Brazil’s Ex-President Condemns Brasilia Attack
Brazil’s former president and conservative rightwing leader Jair Bolsonaro has condemned supporters who invaded and ransacked the government’s top institutions on Sunday.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Netanyahu: In a democracy there will be no call to civil riots
In a democratic country, the leaders of the opposition are not arrested, just as the government ministers are not called Nazis, the Jewish government isn't called the Third Reich and the citizens are not called to start a civil rebellion," PM Benjamin Netanyahu told President Herzog in a call on Tuesday, Maariv reported.
Israeli officials meet Abraham Accords counterparts in Abu Dhabi ahead of Negev Forum summit
Senior Israeli officials and their counterparts from Abraham Accords countries attended a two-day meeting in Abu Dhabi this week to prepare for the upcoming Negev Forum summit in Morocco later this year, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports. High-level delegations from Egypt and America, including US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, also participated in the meeting.

Inside the United States
Pentagon ditches COVID vaccine mandate for troops
The Pentagon is formally dropping a controversial COVID-19 vaccine mandate for troops, according to a memo from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
House Oversight Republicans Reveal Six Things ‘We Will Investigate’
Accompanied by the ominous sound of a bell tolling, a video by House Oversight Republicans lists six scandals the new House Republican majority will investigate in order to “get answers the American people deserve.”
Misplaced Classified Documents In President Biden’s Former Office On Iran, Ukraine, UK
Misplaced classified documents that were illegally held in U.S. President Joe Biden’s former office at a Washington think tank included materials about Iran, Ukraine, and Britain, several sources said.

View the full article