Primary Shakeup
Less than two weeks after U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (LA) was defeated in his Republican primary for reelection, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (TX) was defeated 64%-36% in the U.S. Senate Republican primary by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Sen. Cornyn has been in the Senate for 24 years and was the second-highest ranking Republican in the chamber until his defeat. Paxton will now face Texas state Rep. James Talarico in one of the most watched general elections for U.S. Senate in November.
In Plain Sight
“What treasure from God’s Word is hiding from you in plain sight?”
Racing Legend Dies
Kyle Busch, the all-time leader in NASCAR wins, died at the age of 41 this week. Busch’s passing was caused by severe pneumonia that resulted in sepsis, according to his doctors. Busch is survived by his wife and two young children, and was honored by the racing community in Charlotte over the weekend.
Potential Deal in Iran
The U.S.-Iran war is both escalating and potentially deescalating. On the one hand, U.S. President Donald Trump says that negotiations toward a permanent peace deal are “proceeding nicely.” On the other hand, the U.S. this week launched a new wave of what it called “self-defense” strikes against Iran.
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.
Fathering Well
The change in the world will be wrought with the children of today being led to be the kind of people truly needed tomorrow. Fathering well looks to instill those values for the future and the need for the parents of tomorrow to do the same.
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!
Banning Redistricting Based on Race
Neither Democrats nor Republicans are capable of becoming God’s chosen party. History demonstrates that both political parties are capable of indefensible conduct. Still, contemporary elites' approaches to questions of race evoke Democrat-led measures in the South in the latter part of the 19th century. The behavior of Democrats in the 19th century and the misbehavior of contemporary elites today demonstrate both groups’ triumphant ability to capitalize on and instrumentalize race and then ride the crest of this wave—which they helped foment—to power.
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).
Feeling Entitled?
It is easy to feel like you are not entitled in any way. After all, you have earned your spot through hard work and lots of hours. But, just for fun, here are several signs you are dealing with entitlement.
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.
Will the Rise of Identity Groups and the Collapse of Trust Trigger Civil War in the West?
The West has collapsed into an eruption of wokeness, identity politics, and identity-group movements generously mixed with seething anger despite theologian Herman Bavinck's declaration that God “made the whole human race” from one blood.
The SPLC Indictment
In a bombshell development, an Alabama grand jury has indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on eleven counts. The charges include wire fraud and making false statements to a federally insured bank. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the nonprofit organization sent more than $3 million to informants inside extremist groups without informing donors how their money was used.
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.