Worthy News
Federal authorities are intensifying efforts to investigate a series of deaths and disappearances involving scientists and staff tied to some of America’s most sensitive research facilities, raising questions about whether the incidents are isolated—or something more concerning.
The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday it will take up a closely watched case involving religious liberty and government funding, agreeing to hear a dispute over Colorado’s universal preschool program and its exclusion of a Catholic school.
President Donald Trump announced April 17 that his administration is preparing to release long-awaited government documents related to unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and unexplained aerial phenomena, signaling a renewed push for transparency on one of the most debated mysteries in modern history.
Israel entered one of its most solemn national observances Monday evening as sirens sounded across the country, marking the beginning of Memorial Day with a unified moment of silence to honor fallen soldiers and victims of terror.
President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States is unlikely to extend its current ceasefire with Iran if a comprehensive peace deal is not reached before the looming April 22 deadline, intensifying global attention on high-stakes negotiations set to resume this week.
British police on Monday confirmed the detention of two teenagers over an arson attack on a synagogue in London, the latest in a series of incidents targeting the Jewish community, as investigators examine possible links to Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly condemned the actions of an Israeli soldier who vandalized a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon, calling the incident “stunning” and “deeply saddening” to both himself and the overwhelming majority of Israelis.
The U.S. Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has redeployed to the Middle East following weeks of repairs after a fire aboard the vessel, according to Pentagon-linked reports and defense officials.
Tsunami warnings were issued in Japan after a powerful earthquake struck off the coast of northeastern Japan on Monday afternoon, authorities said.
The United States military has intercepted and seized an Iranian-flagged container ship that attempted to bypass an American blockade near the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first such incident since restrictions on Iranian ports began last week.
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Worthy Devotions
While most read the story of Jonah focusing on Jonah’s journey, I want to pause and examine the lives of the pagan sailors. What a journey they were on! We see the hand of God touching them providentially through Jonah’s disobedience. Talk about God bringing good from evil.
So the captain came to Jonah, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.” At this point the captain (who probably worshiped Baal and Yamm, god of the sea) has more faith than Jonah.
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…
For the next week or so we’ll be looking closely at the life of Jonah the prophet. Jonah was told to “preach against the city of Nineveh”, that was in the ancient kingdom of Assyria. Nineveh was a major city on the banks of the Tigris River about 500 miles north and east of where Jonah was; located on a contemporary map in modern Iraq, about 300 miles north of Baghdad. Archaeologists have found the ruins of ancient Nineveh right outside the Iraqi city of Mosul. Yes, the same Mosul that was taken last week by jihadists!
So Jonah goes and begins to preach in this pagan city. His message is very simple. “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown”(v. 4). That’s it. That was his whole message. It’s eight words in English; only 4 words in Hebrew.
Abraham was sitting in front of his tent on the plains of Mamre, when the LORD (Yehovah — Yud Hay Vav Hay) came to him and declared the fulfillment of a promise He had made to him many years before, saying that through Abraham’s seed the world would be blessed! (Genesis 12:7; 13:15-16, 15:18, 17:7-9)
As we conclude the Feast of Sukkot tonight, I want to reflect on one of the profound mysteries of God—how He aligns the prophetic clock with the Hebrew calendar. Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Ingathering, is a harvest celebration. Notably, it remains one of the few biblical feasts yet to be fulfilled prophetically, pointing us to future events in God’s divine plan.
The story of the Exodus is a story of miracles – yet in the beginning when Moses first appeared before Pharaoh to deliver the children of Israel from 400 years of slavery, the Israelites were severely tempted and became angry because of the initial hardships that were laid upon them.
One beautiful correlation when celebrating Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) is recognizing its connection to marriage, specifically pointing to our future union with God. This festival not only commands us to rejoice, but it also carries deep symbolism that mirrors the joy and intimacy of a wedding celebration.
During the feast of Tabernacles in Yeshua’s (Jesus’) day, the temple priests would set up four great lampstands with golden lampholders, which they would light with the aid of enormous ladders in the Temple courtyard. The lighting of these lamps began the celebration of the “Great Hosannah” (Hoshannah Rabbah, in Hebrew).
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