Just sharing.

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35 Days and Counting​

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The government shutdown will officially be the longest on record, and Americans are feeling it.

The food assistance ~42M people rely on is still delayed, but now halfway funded. The Department of Agriculture will empty a $4.65B contingency fund to cover lapsed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (full November assistance costs ~$9B), but the partial assistance could take weeks to arrive. (Some states are making up the difference; check the map here.)​

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Education and transportation are also feeling the pressure. Head Start preschools are missing federal grant payments, forcing some to close, while TSA and air traffic controller staffing shortages spell long security lines and delayed flights.​

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Senate Majority Leader Thune (R-SD) said he’s “optimistic” about reopening this week… but yesterday Republicans were six Democrats short in their 14th vote to advance a shutdown-ending continuing resolution. ​

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(We’re covering this story at a 7th-grade reading level with biblical reflection and response in Decaf: TPO for Families. Sign up for free to get it in your inbox tomorrow!)

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BE DOERS
Hard national headlines can leave us feeling helpless. But 1 in 8 people across America losing food assistance means there will be a surge in the needs of many in our own backyards. Reach out to churches and food banks to see how you can give sacrificially, generously, and cheerfully.​

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“The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.”
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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UPS Plane Crash​

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A fiery plane crash in Louisville, Kentucky, has left at least 13 people dead, 15 injured, and nine still unaccounted for. ​

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The UPS cargo plane was departing Muhammad Ali International Airport Tuesday evening, loaded with 38,000 gallons of fuel for its Honolulu-bound flight, when its left wing caught fire and one of its three engines fell off. The 34-year-old aircraft struck multiple businesses before landing in a massive fireball, spreading the blaze nearly a mile into a nearby industrial area (see the crash path).​

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Louisville’s Worldport, the largest UPS air cargo hub, suspended operations through Wednesday, and a shelter-in-place was issued as far as Southern Indiana. ​

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The plane’s black box has been recovered, but investigators are still probing the crash’s cause. Authorities are still searching for those missing, but survivors are not expected.

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PRAY WITH US
Heavenly Father, our hearts are hurting for the city of Louisville. Great Comforter, You are well-acquainted with our deepest griefs; be near to those who are mourning. Faithful Rescuer, bring home those who are still missing. Wise Counselor, give knowledge and discernment to first responders, investigators, leaders, and authorities. ​

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Our Sovereign God, remind us that even the most tragic accidents are not outside Your hand. We weep, knowing this world is not as it should be. Help us remember that death and destruction do not have the last word. Strengthen our weary hearts as we pursue You today and await tomorrow’s restoration. Amen.​

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Tariffs in the Balance​

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Lady Justice has President Trump’s tariffs in her balance scale in one of the weightiest political-economic cases in decades.​

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POTUS’s global taxes came before SCOTUS in a two-and-a-half-hour hearing Wednesday, and the noble nine seemed skeptical of the tariffs’ legal basis. The Trump administration argues that the sweeping levies are authorized by 1977 emergency powers allowing the president to regulate imports without Congress’s go-ahead. A group of businesses and Democratic states say Trump exceeded his authority, and lower courts largely agreed. ​

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If the Supremes overturn Uncle Sam’s tariffs, he’ll have to refund the ~$90B in revenue collected so far this year and will have less trade talk leverage.​

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President Trump said he “heard the case went well” and that it’s “life or death for our country.” A decision is expected in the new year.

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Verse to consider whether your economic prospects are rock solid or hanging on by a thread… “Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food… yet I will celebrate in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! The LORD my Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights!”
Habakkuk 3:17-19 (CSB) (read full passage) ​

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“His place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.”

Isaiah 33:16

Do you doubt, O Christian, do you doubt as to whether God will fulfil his promise? Shall the munitions of rock be carried by storm? Shall the storehouses of heaven fail? Do you think that your heavenly Father, though he knoweth that you have need of food and raiment, will yet forget you? When not a sparrow falls to the ground without your Father, and the very hairs of your head are all numbered, will you mistrust and doubt him? Perhaps your affliction will continue upon you till you dare to trust your God, and then it shall end.




Full many there be who have been tried and sore vexed till at last they have been driven in sheer desperation to exercise faith in God, and the moment of their faith has been the instant of their deliverance; they have seen whether God would keep his promise or not. Oh, I pray you, doubt him no longer! Please not Satan, and vex not yourself by indulging any more those hard thoughts of God. Think it not a light matter to doubt Jehovah. Remember, it is a sin; and not a little sin either, but in the highest degree criminal.

The angels never doubted him, nor the devils either: we alone, out of all the beings that God has fashioned, dishonour him by unbelief, and tarnish his honour by mistrust. Shame upon us for this! Our God does not deserve to be so basely suspected; in our past life we have proved him to be true and faithful to his word, and with so many instances of his love and of his kindness as we have received, and are daily receiving, at his hands, it is base and inexcusable that we suffer a doubt to sojourn within our heart. May we henceforth wage constant war against doubts of our God — enemies to our peace and to his honour; and with an unstaggering faith believe that what he has promised he will also perform. “Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief.”

 

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Breakthrough​

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Uncle Sam appears poised to reopen his doors.​

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Last night, the Senate passed a bill to provide stopgap government funding through January and fully fund a few key areas, including: veterans affairs, military construction, the legislative branch, and the Department of Agriculture (think: SNAP). It’s a major breakthrough, but the bill still needs to pass the House and be signed by President Trump to end the shutdown. ​

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Meanwhile, air travel has become… turbulent.​

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The Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to cut flights at 40 major airports—beginning with a 4% reduction and ramping up from there—to ease pressure on overworked air traffic controllers. Just this weekend, nearly 4,400 flights were canceled and more than 17,700 delayed (check out the misery map). Transportation Secretary Duffy warned flights would reduce “to a trickle” if the shutdown drags on.​

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CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
It’s easy to throw stones at government operations and their consequences… But how are the conflicts and compromises going in your own house? In all your conversations, demonstrate faith in Christ through patience and compromises that outdo one another in showing honor and love.​

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:23–25 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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From the Bench​

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SCOTUS’s November session went off with a bang SNAP.​

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The Supreme Court temporarily blocked a lower court’s order requiring the Trump administration to fully fund SNAP benefits, allowing the administration to continue with its plan of using contingency funds to cover 65% of benefits. The Department of Agriculture said any states that distributed full SNAP benefits were “unauthorized” and must “undo” those payments or face financial penalties.​

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The High Court also affirmed the State Department’s policy requiring passports to display individuals’ “sex at birth.” Lower courts had blocked the policy because of “irrational prejudice” against transgender-identifying passport holders, but the 6-3 SCOTUS majority said “attesting to a historical fact” isn’t discriminatory.​

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Meanwhile, a federal district judge said the DOJ failed to prove protests in Portland required federal intervention, blocking President Trump from deploying National Guardsmen to Oregon. ​

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Verse to consider whether a decision lands in your favor or goes the other way… “Many plans are in a person’s heart, but the Lord’s decree will prevail.”
Proverbs 19:21 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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[td] The government shutdown got real for millions more Americans this week as food assistance funding ran dry for one in eight U.S. residents (read the latest update here and more background here).​ ​ [td] It’s been a stark reminder that all human institutions—broken as they are by sin—are an unreliable source of security. Their motives are mixed, their resources are few, their execution is questionable, and needy ones always slip through the cracks. Compare them with Jesus:​

[td] Pray with confidence that He is eager and able to provide above and beyond what we need:​ ​ [td] [td] [td] God our Provider, You are the One who sees1 and knows— the Lord who dropped manna from the sky in the wilderness,2 who multiplied a little picnic into a feast for thousands, who turned water into wine to delight Your friends.3 Lord of Leftovers, would You provide generously, lavishly, abundantly in this moment of need? Use Your Church to bless the world, to share and to serve, brimming and bubbling over with the grace You’ve poured into us. Soften our hearts to be compassionate and quick to give4— not hoarding out of fear of scarcity, but freely offering what You’ve given today with confidence that You’ll meet tomorrow’s needs just like You met yesterday’s.5 Whether we look to a six-figure salary, a government check that may or may not come, or a kind friend at the food bank to meet our daily needs, we acknowledge that we are utterly dependent on You.6 Your Spirit is life. Your Word is bread.7 Everything we need is in You. Satisfy us,8 through Jesus our Lord, Amen.​

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“When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ But Jesus said, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘We have only five loaves here and two fish.’ And he said, ‘Bring them here to me.’ Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.”
Matthew 14:14-20 (ESV)​

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Jesus gives out of compassion. He is not overwhelmed by the needs of the crowds. His resources are unlimited. He involves the disciples (who contribute nothing to the miracle except willing hands with a side of doubt). ​

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And the abundance is stunning. Jesus doesn’t give just enough. Even His leftovers are 12x more than the packed lunch they began with. He’s so generous, and not a single person gets passed over or leaves His presence hungry.​

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Government Shutdown​

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The government’s preppin’ to reopen its doors. ​

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The Senate approved a spending bill Monday to end the longest shutdown in U.S. history, sending it to the House for a midweek vote. White House officials urged speedy passage, and President Trump indicated he’ll Sharpie it once it hits his desk—the final step needed to reopen the government.​

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Here’s what the bill would do:​

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• Provide stop-gap funding for the entire government through January 30
• Fully fund veterans affairs, military construction, the legislative branch, and the Department of Agriculture (including SNAP) through September 30, 2026
• Reverse mass layoffs of federal workers during the shutdown

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Senate Republicans have promised a separate mid-December vote on healthcare tax credits.​

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Meanwhile, Trump floated docking pay for air traffic controllers who missed shifts during the shutdown and offering $10K bonuses to those who didn’t. ​

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(We’re covering this story at a 7th-grade reading level with biblical reflection and action steps in Decaf: The Pour Over for Families. Sign up free to get it in your inbox tomorrow!)​

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Our hope is never contingent on a political outcome; it’s much more secure than that. Regardless of whether things get worse or better during your lifetime, everything eventually ends well for followers of Christ.​

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“The life of every living thing is in his hand, as well as the breath of all humanity.”
Job 12:10 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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Controversial Coverage​

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The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is in hot tea over its January 6, 2021, documentary.​

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The film, released last October, featured clips from Trump’s speech urging his supporters to protest the 2020 election results; but a recently leaked internal report revealed that BBC had edited out Trump’s calls to march “peacefully.” ​

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On Sunday, POTUS’s lawyers warned the BBC to retract the documentary’s “false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements,” apologize, and “appropriately compensate” Trump by Friday or face a $1B lawsuit. The same day, the media giant’s director and news CEO resigned amid the report’s broader allegations that BBC leadership “repeatedly failed” to address systemic editorial bias.​

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BBC Chair Samir Shah apologized for the misleading edit, calling it an “error in judgment,” but denied any allegations of widespread bias.​

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Verse to consider when checking your own heart for bias… “Keep me from the way of deceit and graciously give me your instruction. I have chosen the way of truth; I have set your ordinances before me. I cling to your decrees; LORD, do not put me to shame. I pursue the way of your commands, for you broaden my understanding.”
Psalm 119:29-32 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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Back in Business​

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After nearly 43 days, the longest shutdown in government history is over. ​

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Wednesday, the House reconvened (with some Reps driving cross-country to avoid flight delays and make the vote) to pass a stopgap spending bill, turning Capitol Hill’s lights on through January. Hours later, President Trump gave his Sharpie of approval. ​

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Now, Washington’s getting its systems back up and running. Over 800,000 furloughed federal workers will head back to work, and SNAP recipients started receiving full benefits as early as yesterday. Transportation Secretary Duffy says flight cancellations will remain at 6% this week, with things ramping back up once safety is “moving in the right direction.” ​

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Meanwhile, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has a lot of make-up work (think: employment, inflation, and consumer-spending reports); data will likely be delayed and come with asterisks. ​

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
This shutdown was the longest in history… and it felt long. While a lot can happen in six weeks, and the shutdown’s effects are sure to linger for weeks to come, this moment in time is just that—a moment—compared to eternity. Rest in this hope and let it motivate you toward holiness. ​

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“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.”
Romans 8:18 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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Wartime Corruption Allegations​

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Ukraine’s ministers for Energy and Justice resigned on Wednesday in the wake of corruption allegations.​

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Ukraine’s anticorruption bureau publicized its investigation this week, accusing high-level officials of conspiring for $100M in kickbacks from companies that had contracts with the country’s atomic-energy company, Energoatom.​

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Energoatom said it’s “committed to ensuring full transparency” in investigations of its employees; Zelenskyy—associated with the accused but not personally implicated by allegations—acknowledged public outrage at the scandal, saying “schemes in the energy sector” are “unacceptable” given the “enduring power outages, Russian strikes, and losses” Ukrainians are facing.​

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Meanwhile, President Trump sent a letter to Israel’s President Herzog asking that he “fully pardon” PM Netanyahu of corruption charges (read it here). The PM is charged with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate cases Trump calls “lawfare.”​

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Verse to consider whether allegations undermine your trust in a friend or your relationship is more solid than ever… “Cursed is the person who trusts in mankind… he cannot see when good comes but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness… The person who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence indeed is the LORD, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green.”
Jeremiah 17:5-8 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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Tariff Trim​

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Cheaper guac and lattes may be on the way.​

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President Trump signed an executive order Friday rolling back tariffs on over 200 imported food products—from avocados to coffee to beef—to combat high grocery prices. The admin says these goods aren’t produced in sufficient quantities domestically, and easing tariffs will help lower prices. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce agreed, saying the added duties on the foods had “resulted in higher prices for businesses and families.”​

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Democrats say the rollback is an admission that Trump’s tariff policies have hurt American budgets, and say their party’s success in recent elections shows that voters disapprove of Trump’s economic policies.​

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The Trump admin says tariffs have been an overall success, and has suggested the boost to federal revenue could fund $2,000 checks for many Americans.​

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CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
Regardless of whether the broader economy is struggling or thriving, Christians should seek to give generously of their time, talents, and resources to those in greater need. Reach out to your local church to see where help is needed. ​

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“Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.”
Hebrews 13:16 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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[td] ​ ​ [td] What’s your gut reaction to a presidential pardon?​

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[td] Aware of your need for mercy, come near to the God of generous pardons:​ ​ [td] [td] [td] Righteous Judge, You never miss a shred of evidence or misinterpret the facts; You never assume or show favoritism; You’re never fooled by charisma or a smooth tongue; You have no need for a jury, and Your verdicts are always right.1 But Your justice is somehow merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love.2 We were standing among the guilty, among Your enemies, charged with innumerable crimes, and the sentence was set. But You don’t pay us back for what our sins deserve.3 Remembering Your mercy, make us willing, eager, bursting to extend it to others.4 Give the Office of the Pardon Attorney and the president discernment as they review applications. For those who are waiting for clemency, give them humility, true repentance, patience, and reconciliation with You and others. And thank You for Jesus, who saw us in our desperate place and came near.5 In Him we have reconciliation with You and with our neighbors; in Him justice is satisfied perfectly, and mercy is extended generously.6 Amen.​

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Mine is a little bit of squeamishness. The acts of clemency that make the headlines (no matter who’s president) tend to feel faintly unjust—the offender didn’t face fair punishment, they got the pardon just because they’re famous, the commutation seems to undo the justice system’s verdict, etc. Is it just me?​

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Sometimes, we’re right to be unsettled. But more often than we’d like to admit, I think we’re uncomfortable with pardons because we’re uncomfortable with mercy. Remember how the parable of the prodigal son ends, when the older brother hears about the prodigal son’s homecoming bash?​

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“He was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”​

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Luke 15:28-32 (ESV)​

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God’s generous clemency is downright offensive to the law-abiding older brother—for him, fairness is preferable because he thinks he’s righteous. But Scripture describes self-righteousness as a deadly posture before God, while desperate appeals for mercy are the path to pardon.​

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Death Sentence​

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Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death on Monday for violently suppressing student protests in 2024.​

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The U.N. estimates that Bangladesh’s security forces killed up to 1,400 people and injured thousands during a three-week-long clash last summer, allegedly under then-Prime Minister Hasina’s orders. Protests were sparked by government-job hiring practices that favored relatives of those who fought in Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War (read more background here)… but even after policies changed, job-market challenges and inflation kept younger generations demonstrating.​

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Hasina, who led Bangladesh from 1996-2001 and 2009-2024, called the judgment “biased and politically motivated.” She’s currently living in exile in India, which seems unlikely to agree to Bangladesh’s extradition request.​

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Bangladesh’s interim government called the verdict “historic” and upped domestic security, bracing for protests by Hasina’s supporters.

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Christians live as strangers and exiles in our home countries, whether that temporary home is peaceful, disorderly, or somewhere in between. Seek the good of the city you’re passing through while eagerly anticipating your move to your permanent home.​

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“This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: ‘Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce… Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.’”
Jeremiah 29:4-5, 7 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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Bezos is Back​

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Jeff Bezos is getting back in the corner office.​

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The tech billionaire is shifting from same-day delivery to semiconductors, becoming the co-CEO of Project Prometheus, a $6.2B startup focused on AI that supports engineering and manufacturing industries (think: cars, spaceships). At a tech conference last month, Bezos, who co-founded space-travel company Blue Origin, said AI will be essential to “millions of people living in space.”​

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It’s Bezos’s first CEO role since he stepped down from Amazon in 2021—he’s sharing the executive letters with co-founder, physicist, and chemist Vik Bajaj.​

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Not everyone is impressed. Fellow space-focused billionaire and AI-startup founder Elon Musk called Bezos a “copycat” for joining the AI race. Musk’s comments came hours after SpaceX completed its 500th launch with a used rocket—a milestone SpaceX says is key in expanding commercial space travel. ​

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Verse to consider whether you’re weighing a major career change or what to cook for dinner this week… “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his instructions have good insight. His praise endures forever.”
Psalm 111:10 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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A Meeting of Opposites​

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President Trump and NYC Mayor-elect Mamdani are shakin’ hands in the Oval Office today. ​

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The pair will discuss key points of Mamdani’s campaign platform: public safety and affordability. Mamdani, who requested the meeting, said he wants to “speak plainly” about New Yorkers who “are struggling to afford this city.” Trump said he wants “to see everything work out well” for the Empire City. ​

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TBD if today’s sit-down will be cordial or contentious… Trump and Mamdani have been trading jabs for months. Mamdani’s criticized Trump’s immigration policies and threats to cut New York’s federal funding, while Trump’s called Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, a “communist” and said he’ll have the future mayor arrested if he inhibits immigration enforcement in NYC. ​

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Meanwhile, ICE announced it’s ramping up operations in the Big Apple as part of its larger crackdown on sanctuary cities. ​

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ABOVE ALL, LOVE
The good news of the gospel is that God loved us while we were His enemies. His love compels us to love our enemies—political or otherwise—so that the world may see His love through us. ​

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“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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For Unto Us A Child Is Born... To Die​

Prophecy Fulfilled in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth


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Messiah would be sacrificed before the Temple was destroyed


"And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary"

Daniel 9:26 KJV


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"Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent"



Matthew 27:50-51 KJV

(In about 70 AD the Temple was destroyed in the sack of Jerusalem by the soldiers of Titus)


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The same mountain where The Lord tested Abraham in the sacrifice of Issac would be the place where Messiah would be killed




Prophecy:

"And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen."

Genesis 22:14

Fulfillment:

"And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left."

Luke 23:33


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We need a Savior because we are sinners,
and the wages of sin is death...

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift:

Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith;
the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?”

Mark 14:14

Jerusalem at the time of the passover was one great inn; each householder had invited his own friends, but no one had invited the Savior, and he had no dwelling of his own. It was by his own supernatural power that he found himself an upper room in which to keep the feast. It is so even to this day — Jesus is not received among the sons of men save only where by his supernatural power and grace he makes the heart anew. All doors are open enough to the prince of darkness, but Jesus must clear a way for himself or lodge in the streets.




It was through the mysterious power exerted by our Lord that the householder raised no question, but at once cheerfully and joyfully opened his guestchamber. Who he was, and what he was, we do not know, but he readily accepted the honour which the Redeemer proposed to confer upon him. In like manner it is still discovered who are the Lord's chosen, and who are not; for when the gospel comes to some, they fight against it, and will not have it, but where men receive it, welcoming it, this is a sure indication that there is a secret work going on in the soul, and that God has chosen them unto eternal life.

Are you willing, dear reader, to receive Christ? then there is no difficulty in the way; Christ will be your guest; his own power is working with you, making you willing. What an honour to entertain the Son of God! The heaven of heavens cannot contain him, and yet he condescends to find a house within our hearts! We are not worthy that he should come under our roof, but what an unutterable privilege when he condescends to enter! for then he makes a feast, and causes us to feast with him upon royal dainties, we sit at a banquet where the viands are immortal, and give immortality to those who feed thereon. Blessed among the sons of Adam is he who entertains the angels’ Lord.

 

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“So walk ye in him.”

Colossians 2:6

If we have received Christ himself in our inmost hearts, our new life will manifest its intimate acquaintance with him by a walk of faith in him. Walking implies action. Our religion is not to be confined to our closet; we must carry out into practical effect that which we believe. If a man walks in Christ, then he so acts as Christ would act; for Christ being in him, his hope, his love, his joy, his life, he is the reflex of the image of Jesus; and men say of that man, “He is like his Master; he lives like Jesus Christ.”




Walking signifies progress. “So walk ye in him”; proceed from grace to grace, run forward until you reach the uttermost degree of knowledge that a man can attain concerning our Beloved. Walking implies continuance. There must be a perpetual abiding in Christ. How many Christians think that in the morning and evening they ought to come into the company of Jesus, and may then give their hearts to the world all the day: but this is poor living; we should always be with him, treading in his steps and doing his will.

Walking also implies habit. When we speak of a man's walk and conversation, we mean his habits, the constant tenor of his life. Now, if we sometimes enjoy Christ, and then forget him; sometimes call him ours, and anon lose our hold, that is not a habit; we do not walk in him. We must keep to him, cling to him, never let him go, but live and have our being in him. “As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him”; persevere in the same way in which ye have begun, and, as at the first Christ Jesus was the trust of your faith, the source of your life, the principle of your action, and the joy of your spirit, so let him be the same till life's end; the same when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and enter into the joy and the rest which remain for the people of God. O Holy Spirit, enable us to obey this heavenly precept.

 

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Territory: Russia controls the contested Donbas region (see a map in our post) Security: Ukraine commits to never join NATO, caps its military size, and gets a NATO-style guarantee for a “decisive, coordinated military response” if Russia invades again Economy: frozen Russian assets fund Ukraine’s reconstruction; sanctions on Russia are lifted

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Ukraine Peace Plan​

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Ukrainian and American officials gathered in Switzerland yesterday to take a red pen to Uncle Sam’s new 28-point plan for ending the war with Russia.​

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Here are some key points (read the full list):​

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The U.S. has signaled it may stop supplying Ukraine with weapons and intelligence if it rejects the deal.​

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Zelenskyy said the current concession-filled plan forces Ukraine to make “a very difficult choice” between its “dignity” and a “key partner.” Russia was more optimistic, saying the plan “could form the basis of a final peace settlement.”​

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PRAY WITH US
In the face of long-term, large-scale global conflicts, it’s easy to feel helpless. Today and this week, there’s something “powerful and effective” you can do: pray for world leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2; James 5:16).​

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“Lord and Master, you have given these rulers the power of sovereignty through your own mighty power… Grant unto these leaders health, peace, unity, and stability, so they can administer without failure the government you have given them. For you—Heavenly Master and King of the Ages—you give ordinary people glory, honor, and power over all things in this world. Direct their leadership in a way that is good and well pleasing in your sight.”
Clement of Rome, page 127 in Fount of Heaven: Prayers of the Early Church​

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