Embattled in Maine
Scandal and politics seem at times to be ubiquitous. As a Jesus follower endeavoring to invest in the welfare of your community, your city, and your nation, it can be a discouraging reality.
Remember, however, that yours is a story of rescue and redemption from scandal! Your sin once threatened to condemn you to an eternal separation from your Creator and Savior, but the astounding—and even scandalous—love of your God wiped away your sentence and put in its place the gift of eternal life!
America 250
The United States of America is officially 250 years old. Saturday marked the quarter millennium—or semiquincentennial—of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
From 48-8
Sporting events—especially major ones like the World Cup—often stir up intense emotions. While this has the potential to accentuate conflict, it also presents an opportunity for Jesus followers to demonstrate “peculiar” love for both neighbor and sporting adversary (1 Pet. 2:9). As the World Cup moves closer to completion, take a moment today to consider how it can be a catalyst for your participation in the Great Commission!
Why Freedom?
Freedom is worth prioritizing because you were created and designed to be free! Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Earthquakes in Venezuela
Life on Earth is both short and fragile. We are reminded of these truths regularly in the stories we consider. What seems certain in one moment is gone forever in the next. It is a reality of our temporary home.
We return to reminders of this truth not because we aim to be flippant about the gift of life of Earth, but in fact for the exact opposite reason: time is short for reaching those who are without a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!
Built on the Site
My friend, the foundation of your life is of critical importance! There is only one foundation that will stand forever, and it is the only one strong enough to support all the enemy will bring against you! Here is the tremendous news: that foundation is freely available to you even if the earthly foundations of your life are in shambles. You need only to build on the site that is the rock of Jesus Christ!
Heat Wave
There is nothing that can replace neighbors looking out for each other when something like a natural disaster or an intense heat wave strikes. In those moments, communities that have invested in thick relationship will thrive while those without it will suffer.
Knockout Stage
As a Jesus follower, the World Cup provides you with an opportunity to observe a beautiful cross-section of humanity as fans from all over the globe descend on North America. For those living in proximity to one of the many game sites, it is a chance to welcome the nations to whom you are commissioned into your backyard (Matt. 28:19-20)!
B-52 Bomber Crashes
All eight people onboard were killed when a B-52 bomber crashed just outside of Edwards Air Force Base in California last week. Passengers included the servicemember crew as well as civilian government contractors. The plane went down in a remote desert area, and officials report that the investigation into the cause could last several months.
The Truth Had to Travel
The Emancipation Proclamation was both right and True when it was issued. But in order to make a difference to the one for whom it was intended, it had to travel! It had to be carried. It needed a vessel to both transport and enforce it!
Truth’s intended impact is not fully realized until you carry it!
Truth was always intended to travel, and you were created to be its mode of transportation!
British Prime Minister Resigns
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Monday he is resigning as soon as a replacement can be selected. Starmer’s resignation comes in the wake of waning support from his party, and the change will usher in the seventh Prime Minister in less than a decade. A successor will be chosen from Starmer’s ruling Labour Party, and most observers believe Andy Burnham, former Mayor of Greater Manchester and newly-elected Member of Parliament, is the odds-on favorite to be selected.
A Deal to Make a Deal
Peace is often elusive, but perhaps nowhere more so than in the Middle East, where it is often difficult to tell the difference between open hostilities and a “ceasefire.” Even so, the current talks between the U.S. and Iran present the most recent opportunity to secure an end to the fighting.
Going Public
Three of the world’s largest companies are going public. SpaceX, the rocket company owned by Elon Musk, became the first of the three to complete the process last week. In doing so, SpaceX broke the record for the largest initial public offering in history, and Musk became the world’s first trillionaire (SpaceX’s market cap is still settling out but currently stands just shy of $2.7 trillion).
A Peace Deal and the G7
As leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States gather in France for the G7 Summit, the U.S. and Iran have reportedly reached a peace deal to end the ongoing conflict. The deal is said to involve a ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and a 60-day period for resolving the issue of Iran’s enriched uranium.
Meanwhile, the three-day G7 Summit included a focus on both the U.S.-Iran war and the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The Beautiful Game
No matter where on the athletic spectrum you fall (from World Cup caliber to two left feet), allow this story that will play out over the next several weeks to continually remind you of your life’s work. It may be called “the beautiful game,” but you are to tell “The Greatest Story!”
Of Wood and Stone
No expense was spared. Only the finest materials were used, and only the most skilled craftsmen were allowed to do the work. It was extravagant beyond words.
All of this was necessary, because they were building a house in which the Living God would abide!
War Powers
The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed by a vote of 215-208 a resolution instructing U.S. President Donald Trump to end the U.S. military operation in Iran. Four Republicans joined with Democrats to pass the measure, which would now need to pass the U.S. Senate to be considered by the president. The Senate is not expected to approve the measure, and the vote in the House is not sufficient to withstand a presidential veto.
$69.5 Billion
After a lengthy and contentious debate, Congress has approved $69.5 billion to fund operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) through the end of the current presidential term. The bill was considered through a process known as budget reconciliation, which allows for simple majority approval in the U.S. Senate rather than requiring 60 votes to overcome procedural hurdles.
Chasing Fantasies
What are your dreams today? And to be clear, your dream is not automatically a fantasy. Far from it! Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” This is far more than a promise that God will bring your dreams to reality. He certainly may do that, but this is more than that. This is a promise that the God of the universe will not be elusive as your desires are transformed to be in accordance with His and increasingly rooted in Him!
Rocket Explodes
Can you imagine the day when you will have eternal access to the new heaven and the new earth (Is. 65:17, Rev, 21:1)? No, me either! But that day is coming, my friend! So as our human efforts to explore more of the universe experience ebbs and flows, remember you will soon know in full (1 Cor. 13:9-12)!