Our Worthy Brief is a daily Christian newsletter designed to encourage, inform, and edify believers in their daily walk with God. Our online Christian magazine incorporates our daily devotional (Worthy Devotions) along news from around the world provided by our Christian News service, Worthy News.

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Worthy Brief - 12/17/2024

Friend, speak "salty"!

Col 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

What is it about salt? And how do I season speech with it? Gracious speech is sweet, yet Paul says to season it with salt.

A friend of mine makes this interesting breakfast of quinoa grain mixed with some oatmeal, coconut oil, dried fruit and nuts with some date honey to sweeten it. Then..might seem strange, he adds salt. Salt brings his healthy breakfast to a new level of flavor. Salt carries all the other flavors to a new level of palatability. It brings a wonderful balance to the sweet porridge.

Take out the salt in any recipe and there's something vital missing. What is it about salt? By itself, salt doesn't taste so great. It's too strong. Yet add it to the recipe and its power becomes the very thing which brings life to the food.

I think salt is that element of God's truth that enhances, preserves and strengthens us. Speech seasoned with salt will encourage or warn, it will impart life and prevent decay from setting in, or stop it in its tracks. Stopping decay is reversing a fundamental element of the Fall. Salt is vital to life and salted speech is too.

Believers need to be "salty" in a world that is falling apart from the suffusion of sin and decay.

Friend, our message is sweet. God forgives, He loves, He brings eternal life. Yet these wonderful truths exist in an awful context of death and decay which we must not ignore by only speaking graciously. We must add salt.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Baht Rivka, Elianna and Obadiah
(Kansas City, Missouri)

Editor's Note: Latest Sermon: God Speaking Through Archaeological Timestamps

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Editor's Note: Dear friends — we are going to be heading WEST!!! Now booking in the following states: Texas, New Mexico and Arizona …. If you know Pastors, Rabbis or Ministry Leaders who might be interested in some powerful Israeli style Hebrew/English worship and a refreshing word from Worthy News about what’s going on in the Land, please let us know how to connect with them and we will do our best to get you on our schedule! You can send an email to george [ @ ] worthyministries.com for more information.

Around the World
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The Bank of England (BoE) is working on the introduction of “a digital pound,” a central bank digital currency (CBDC) that critics say will allow for the meticulous recording and monitoring of transactions.
UK Sees Surge in Antisemitic Incidents on University Campuses Since Hamas Oct 7 Attack, Report
A new study shows a record 272 antisemitic incidents were reported at British universities in the academic year following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror massacre against Israel and the onset of the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.
Germany: Archaeologists Find Oldest Physical Evidence of Christianity in Northern Europe
In an extraordinary discovery, archaeologists in Frankfurt, Germany have uncovered the oldest physical evidence of Christianity in northern Europe: a 1,750 year-old amulet containing a minuscule silver scroll inscribed with praise to Jesus Christ, Christian Today reports.

Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Houthi Ballistic Missile Intercepted Before Entering Israel
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Inside the United States
Potential Government Shutdown Draws Near
Congressional leaders are running out of time to forge a bipartisan deal before the federal government shuts down Friday, with farm and disaster assistance posing the biggest holdups to an agreement.
Federal Data: School Leaders Say 40% of Students Are Behind Grade Level
According to a federal survey of school leaders, 40% of students in the nation’s public schools were behind grade level in one or more subjects at the beginning of the school year.
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A shooting at a Christian school in the U.S. state of Wisconsin’s capital, Madison, has left at least five people dead on Monday, including the suspected shooter, and at least seven others injured, police said.

Christian News
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A young newly Christian mother in northwest Somalia has had to leave her children and go into hiding after her husband violently attacked her for leaving Islam, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. Ruled by an oppressive extremist Islamic regime, Somalia ranks 2 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Sudan Is “Collapsing” Amid Worst Humanitarian Crisis Ever Recorded, Report
Urging world leaders “not to look away,” the US-based International Rescue Committee (IRC) aid organization has warned that Sudan is “collapsing” as it faces the “fastest” and “biggest” humanitarian crisis ever documented, Straight Arrow News (SAN) reports.