Castro Indicted
The U.S. Department of Justice indicted Raul Castro, former President of Cuba, on Wednesday. The charges in the indictment date back to 1996 and allege that then-President Castro ordered the shootdown of two small planes flown by Americans and conducting a humanitarian mission. Four were killed and this week’s developments demand that Castro appear in the U.S. to answer to the charges—an expectation most assume he will resist.
Entangled
If your name reflects on His Name, and if your reputation reflects on His reputation, that entanglement means that your rescue contributes to the defense of His Name! Your God is a jealous God (Ex. 34:14), and He will defend His Name!
Mosque Shooting
That is our mandate this week—to help those around us fully grasp a soul-level knowledge of their intentional design! They, like you, are created, known, and loved by the very God who formed them! They, like you, were made on purpose and for a purpose! They, like you, have a need to know it full well!
ISIS Leader Killed
Nigerian Christians are living in some of the most intense persecution in the world. Mass killings of entire Christian villages have been horrifically common, much of it at the hands of ISIS and related terrorist groups. The U.S. has been leading the effort to hold accountable those responsible, and the participation of Nigerian forces in this week’s operation is a significant sign of the Nigerian government’s increased commitment to eradicating the religious-based violence.
Ebola
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a public health emergency in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after more than 500 illnesses and more than 100 deaths are believed to be linked to a rare strain of Ebola virus. Ebola outbreaks in the region are somewhat common, but this particular strain—known as Bundibugyo—has only been detected three times, and the current pace of the spread and intensity of its impact is significant.
The Singing Comes Second
My friend, I know you are ready to sing. You desire a new song on your lips. You want your life to be a signpost by which others find faith in and relationship with the one true God. You want to sing, but instead you find yourself waiting in the pit of life, and you are tempted to despair. You are inclined to despise the waiting. This is not a condemnation, but rather a statement of association. I know this to be real because of my own life. I want the jubilation but so often find myself in a pit of waiting. From that place in the pit, I say to you:
Your singing comes just after your waiting!
UFOs
While we may not be able to conclusively answer the question about intelligent life on other planets, we can safely say that what we do know about God’s creation is beyond magnificent and breath-taking! Let us praise Him for what He has done (Ps. 150:2)!
The Real Battle
The decision to choose Jesus—and to truly surrender everything to Him—is in fact a dangerous one. Moving forward is the bravest thing you will ever do. It is also the decision that will thrust your life into the greatest story ever told, and which will ensure your place on the victorious side of God’s conquering of evil and death (Is. 25:8, Hos. 13:14, 1 Cor. 15:54-57).
Superpowers Summit
The world’s leading superpowers are meeting this week in Beijing, China as U.S. President Donald Trump and China President Xi Jinping are set to speak directly on matters ranging from trade to human rights to the war in Iran. The two leaders have divergent views on a number of issues and certainly enter this week’s talks as fierce economic competitors, but both also appear eager to find some public common ground on at least economic issues.
Cruise Outbreak
Be of good courage (Josh. 1:9)! It is easy to let the emotional scar tissue of recent years cause us to fear, but our God has called us to lifted minds and spirits! This is not a head-in-the-sand mindset, but rather one specifically informed by the truth that there is nothing in this world that can rob us of eternal life in Him (Matt. 6:19-21).
Mail Order Abortion
Mail order abortions are at the center of a legal spat once again this week after two notable court decisions. First, on Friday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Louisiana and restricted the dispensing of Mifepristone—the first of a two-part drug regime used for at-home abortions—to patients seen in-person. On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court paused enforcement of that ruling until it could further consider whether to take up the case. This most recent order temporarily restores mail order access to the abortion drug, but the Court is expected to weigh in further after a May 11 deadline.
Redistricting Wars
It may soon be easier to list which states are not in a redistricting debate rather than those that are after a new avenue for re-drawing congressional district maps opened this week. The new branch in this debate stems from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that immediately enforces a narrower application of the Voting Rights Act and allows Louisiana to redraw its congressional map ahead of the midterm elections. The ruling opens the way for several additional states to attempt to redraw their maps based on the new criteria for the Act.
Strait Clashes
War is ugly. The most obvious impact is on life and limb, but as this story underscores, it also makes its mark on the economy and the everyday life of people all around the world. Because of the global nature of today’s market, especially when it comes to oil and energy, the impact of the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is as close as your nearest gas station.
The Declarer
You, my friend, are the Declarer! While it is God’s glory that is to be spread to the nations, and while it is His marvelous deeds that will be told to all people, it is you who will tell of them! It is from your lips that these magnificent Truths are to be made known! It is by way of your declarations that God’s perfect and holy mission and mandate will be realized!
Drawing Lines
In the latest installment of a redistricting battle between red and blue states, the Virginia Supreme Court will soon decide whether to allow a redrawing of congressional lines recently approved by Virginia voters.
Tens of Thousands
If God is for you, who can be against you (Rom. 8:31)? If you now resonate with the idea that tens of thousands—both literally and figuratively—assail you on every side, but you also believe in the God who hears, defends, and sustains you, then cast aside fear, because in the shadow of the Almighty, the attacks of the enemy have no power!
The King's Visit
It has been 250 years since America declared its independence from Britain, and while the relationship between the two countries has ebbed and flowed in the time since, King Charles’ visit is intended to bolster the ties and celebrate the significant milestone.
Attempted Assassination
Left to its own accord, the current violence and discord is certain to continue and even to escalate. But if we will be a people drawn to humility and prayer, the everlasting God will hear us from on high and will indeed come to calm the storm.
Shreveport Shooting
As you pray for the hurting in Shreveport, commit anew to the daily renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:2) and make intentional decisions about the portfolio of news you consume. These proactive measures will help you heed both the greatest commandment to love God with everything you have and the second greatest commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37-39).
Senseless Act
I do not know what tragedies are part of your story. But I do know there are some. It is the reality of our existence in these temporary bodies. But no matter the details, God has a plan that is greater than the circumstances in which you find yourself. The enemy of your soul came to “steal and kill and destroy,” but your God came to give you life “to the full” (Jn. 10:10)!
Your story has tragedy in it. But your story is wrapped up in His story, and the end of it has been written. You will cry no more (Rev. 21:4), and you will reign with Him forever (2 Tim. 2:12)!