Just sharing.

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“Seeking the wealth of his people.”

Esther 10:3

Mordecai was a true patriot, and therefore, being exalted to the highest position under Ahasuerus, he used his eminence to promote the prosperity of Israel. In this he was a type of Jesus, who, upon his throne of glory, seeks not his own, but spends his power for his people. It were well if every Christian would be a Mordecai to the church, striving according to his ability for its prosperity. Some are placed in stations of affluence and influence, let them honour their Lord in the high places of the earth, and testify for Jesus before great men. Others have what is far better, namely, close fellowship with the King of kings, let them be sure to plead daily for the weak of the Lord's people, the doubting, the tempted, and the comfortless. It will redound to their honour if they make much intercession for those who are in darkness and dare not draw nigh unto the mercy seat.




Instructed believers may serve their Master greatly if they lay out their talents for the general good, and impart their wealth of heavenly learning to others, by teaching them the things of God. The very least in our Israel may at least seek the welfare of his people; and his desire, if he can give no more, shall be acceptable. It is at once the most Christlike and the most happy course for a believer to cease from living to himself. He who blesses others cannot fail to be blessed himself. On the other hand, to seek our own personal greatness is a wicked and unhappy plan of life, its way will be grievous and its end will be fatal.

Here is the place to ask thee, my friend, whether thou art to the best of thy power seeking the wealth of the church in thy neighbourhood? I trust thou art not doing it mischief by bitterness and scandal, nor weakening it by thy neglect. Friend, unite with the Lord's poor, bear their cross, do them all the good thou canst, and thou shalt not miss thy reward.

 

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“Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people ... Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.”

Leviticus 19:16, 17

Tale-bearing emits a threefold poison; for it injures the teller, the hearer, and the person concerning whom the tale is told. Whether the report be true or false, we are by this precept of God's Word forbidden to spread it. The reputations of the Lord's people should be very precious in our sight, and we should count it shame to help the devil to dishonour the Church and the name of the Lord. Some tongues need a bridle rather than a spur. Many glory in pulling down their brethren, as if thereby they raised themselves.

Noah's wise sons cast a mantle over their father, and he who exposed him earned a fearful curse. We may ourselves one of these dark days need forbearance and silence from our brethren, let us render it cheerfully to those who require it now. Be this our family rule, and our personal bond — Speak evil of no man.




The Holy Spirit, however, permits us to censure sin, and prescribes the way in which we are to do it. It must be done by rebuking our brother to his face, not by railing behind his back. This course is manly, brotherly, Christlike, and under God's blessing will be useful. Does the flesh shrink from it? Then we must lay the greater stress upon our conscience, and keep ourselves to the work, lest by suffering sin upon our friend we become ourselves partakers of it.

Hundreds have been saved from gross sins by the timely, wise, affectionate warnings of faithful ministers and brethren. Our Lord Jesus has set us a gracious example of how to deal with erring friends in his warning given to Peter, the prayer with which he preceded it, and the gentle way in which he bore with Peter's boastful denial that he needed such a caution.

 

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Thanks be to God!​

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Romans 7:24-26 NIV


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Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?

Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

1 Corinthians 10:16-17 NIV





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The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:56-58 KJV


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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“The forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”

Ephesians 1:7

Could there be a sweeter word in any language than that word “forgiveness,” when it sounds in a guilty sinner's ear, like the silver notes of jubilee to the captive Israelite? Blessed, for ever blessed be that dear star of pardon which shines into the condemned cell, and gives the perishing a gleam of hope amid the midnight of despair! Can it be possible that sin, such sin as mine, can be forgiven, forgiven altogether, and for ever?




Hell is my portion as a sinner — there is no possibility of my escaping from it while sin remains upon me — can the load of guilt be uplifted, the crimson stain removed? Can the adamantine stones of my prison-house ever be loosed from their mortices, or the doors be lifted from their hinges? Jesus tells me that I may yet be clear. For ever blessed be the revelation of atoning love which not only tells me that pardon is possible, but that it is secured to all who rest in Jesus. I have believed in the appointed propitiation, even Jesus crucified, and therefore my sins are at this moment, and for ever, forgiven by virtue of his substitutionary pains and death.

What joy is this! What bliss to be a perfectly pardoned soul! My soul dedicates all her powers to him who of his own unpurchased love became my surety, and wrought out for me redemption through his blood. What riches of grace does free forgiveness exhibit! To forgive at all, to forgive fully, to forgive freely, to forgive for ever! Here is a constellation of wonders; and when I think of how great my sins were, how dear were the precious drops which cleansed me from them, and how gracious was the method by which pardon was sealed home to me, I am in a maze of wondering worshipping affection. I bow before the throne which absolves me, I clasp the cross which delivers me, I serve henceforth all my days the Incarnate God, through whom I am this night a pardoned soul.

 

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“For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.”

3 John 3

The truth was in Gaius, and Gaius walked in the truth. If the first had not been the case, the second could never have occurred; and if the second could not be said of him the first would have been a mere pretence. Truth must enter into the soul, penetrate and saturate it, or else it is of no value. Doctrines held as a matter of creed are like bread in the hand, which ministers no nourishment to the frame; but doctrine accepted by the heart, is as food digested, which, by assimilation, sustains and builds up the body.




In us truth must be a living force, an active energy, an indwelling reality, a part of the woof and warp of our being. If it be in us, we cannot henceforth part with it. A man may lose his garments or his limbs, but his inward parts are vital, and cannot be torn away without absolute loss of life. A Christian can die, but he cannot deny the truth. Now it is a rule of nature that the inward affects the outward, as light shines from the centre of the lantern through the glass: when, therefore, the truth is kindled within, its brightness soon beams forth in the outward life and conversation.

It is said that the food of certain worms colours the cocoons of silk which they spin: and just so the nutriment upon which a man's inward nature lives gives a tinge to every word and deed proceeding from him. To walk in the truth, imports a life of integrity, holiness, faithfulness, and simplicity — the natural product of those principles of truth which the gospel teaches, and which the Spirit of God enables us to receive. We may judge of the secrets of the soul by their manifestation in the man's conversation. Be it ours today, O gracious Spirit, to be ruled and governed by thy divine authority, so that nothing false or sinful may reign in our hearts, lest it extend its malignant influence to our daily walk among men.

 

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Give thanks to the LORD​

Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.

Psalm 105:1,2 NIV


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O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good:
for his mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks unto the God of gods:
for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalm 136:1,2 KJV


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"Now consider this, you who forget God,
Or I will tear you in pieces, and there
will be none to deliver.

"He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me;
And to him who orders his way aright I shall show
the salvation of God."

Psalm 50:22,23 NASB


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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“They shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel.”

Zechariah 4:10

Small things marked the beginning of the work in the hand of Zerubbabel, but none might despise it, for the Lord had raised up one who would persevere until the headstone should be brought forth with shoutings. The plummet was in good hands. Here is the comfort of every believer in the Lord Jesus; let the work of grace be ever so small in its beginnings, the plummet is in good hands, a master builder greater than Solomon has undertaken the raising of the heavenly temple, and he will not fail nor be discouraged till the topmost pinnacle shall be raised.

If the plummet were in the hand of any merely human being, we might fear for the building, but the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in Jesus’ hand. The works did not proceed irregularly, and without care, for the master's hand carried a good instrument. Had the walls been hurriedly run up without due superintendence, they might have been out of the perpendicular; but the plummet was used by the chosen overseer. Jesus is evermore watching the erection of his spiritual temple, that it may be built securely and well.




We are for haste, but Jesus is for judgment. He will use the plummet, and that which is out of line must come down, every stone of it. Hence the failure of many a flattering work, the overthrow of many a glittering profession. It is not for us to judge the Lord's church, since Jesus has a steady hand, and a true eye, and can use the plummet well. Do we not rejoice to see judgment left to him?

The plummet was in active use—it was in the builder's hand; a sure indication that he meant to push on the work to completion. O Lord Jesus, how would we indeed be glad if we could see thee at thy great work. O Zion, the beautiful, thy walls are still in ruins! Rise, thou glorious Builder, and make her desolations to rejoice at thy coming.

 

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“Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord.”

Zechariah 3:1

In Joshua the high priest we see a picture of each and every child of God, who has been made nigh by the blood of Christ, and has been taught to minister in holy things, and enter into that which is within the veil. Jesus has made us priests and kings unto God, and even here upon earth we exercise the priesthood of consecrated living and hallowed service. But this high priest is said to be “standing before the angel of the Lord,” that is, standing to minister. This should be the perpetual position of every true believer.




Every place is now God's temple, and his people can as truly serve him in their daily employments as in his house. They are to be always “ministering,” offering the spiritual sacrifice of prayer and praise, and presenting themselves a “living sacrifice.” But notice where it is that Joshua stands to minister, it is before the angel of Jehovah. It is only through a mediator that we poor defiled ones can ever become priests unto God. I present what I have before the messenger, the angel of the covenant, the Lord Jesus; and through him my prayers find acceptance wrapped up in his prayers; my praises become sweet as they are bound up with bundles of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia from Christ's own garden.

If I can bring him nothing but my tears, he will put them with his own tears in his own bottle for he once wept; if I can bring him nothing but my groans and sighs, he will accept these as an acceptable sacrifice, for he once was broken in heart, and sighed heavily in spirit. I myself, standing in him, am accepted in the Beloved; and all my polluted works, though in themselves only objects of divine abhorrence, are so received, that God smelleth a sweet savour. He is content and I am blessed. See, then, the position of the Christian—“a priest— standing—before the angel of the Lord.”

 

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Be ye thankful​

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6,7 NIV


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And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Colossians 3:14-16 KJV





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Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12:28,29 NASB


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Thanks be unto God for His wonderful 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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Overthrown​

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Rebel groups finished their rapid advance across Syria yesterday, seizing the capital, ousting President Bashar al-Assad, and ending the country’s 13-year civil war.​

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Assad’s removal ends his family’s 50-year rule of the country, freeing tens of thousands of political prisoners overnight. The Syrian rebel coalition announced plans for a transitional government, and Syria’s Prime Minister said he’d cooperate and hand over functions to the insurgents.​

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Russian state media said Assad and his family have been given asylum in Moscow. ​

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Western leaders have cheered Assad’s fall with caution. Yesterday, President Biden described Assad’s fall as an “act of justice” that brings additional “risk and uncertainty” to the region. He promised humanitarian aid and said the U.S. and its allies are working to promote stability and prevent ISIS from capitalizing on the “new vacuum” of power.​

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
There may be good reasons to be worried about the future of your community or the global one. God does not promise good days, but he does promise his presence and a great eternity with him. Stay focused on him; it changes everything.​

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“Therefore we do not give up... For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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The newest strikers come from 38 General Motors and Stellantis parts distribution centers across 20 states, which provide parts to dealerships for vehicle repairs. The move cranks up the heat for two reasons:

The United Auto Workers (UAW) president said Ford was spared from the new round of strikes because of progress in negotiations. Ford noted that “significant gaps” remain while GM and Stellantis were more openly frustrated, calling the union’s demands “untenable” and accusing them of ignoring “competitive” offers.

President Biden plans to join a picket line in Michigan on Tuesday, becoming the first sitting president to do so. Former President Trump plans to visit on Wednesday.

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ABOVE ALL, LOVE It’s easy to become angry and indignant over world events, but much more difficult to live with the tension of desiring change while simultaneously loving everyone involved. Followers of Christ are called to live in that tension, loving the very people they work against.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4

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Expanded Strike​

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Another 5,600 auto workers set down their car parts to pick up pickets on Friday.​

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1. Car parts are very profitable
2. Drivers will notice (and be upset) when their cars can’t be repaired

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Arrested​

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A 26-year-old man was arrested in connection with last week’s fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in NYC. ​

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A five-day manhunt ended Monday at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania––nearly 300 miles from NYC––when a customer recognized the suspect from police photos and an employee alerted authorities. ​

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Law enforcement found him in possession of a 3D-printed pistol and silencer, consistent with what was used in the shooting. The suspect was also reportedly carrying nearly $10,000 cash (including foreign currency), multiple fake IDs (including a New Jersey ID used at a hostel before the shooting), and a three-page handwritten manifesto expressing “disdain for corporate America” and the insurance industry.​

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The suspect––who had no criminal record and an Ivy League education––faces second-degree murder charges in NYC and is being held without bail on gun charges in Pennsylvania.

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ABOVE ALL, LOVE
Believers have a challenging assignment. We’re called to love victims, suspects, police, and online commentators alike. Like our enemy-loving Savior Jesus, look for restoration rather than revenge.

“Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, ‘Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,’ says the Lord. But ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.’ Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.”
Romans 12:19-21 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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Distorted Views​

Ava walked silently through the town, deep in thought. She’d had a hard day—or maybe I should say a hard month or even year. Nothing had gone the way she wanted. She’d sprained her arm—it was wrapped in a splint under her coat, effectively rendering it hard for her to do much at all. Except walk. She was hoping this walk would help clear her head and lift the fog from her heart.

She paused at the first home she passed, stealing a glance in the window as she did. She saw a little boy laughing and a mom pulling a plate of steaming hot cookies out of the oven. The scene looked so warm…so inviting.

There aren’t any cookies back at my house…and I can’t bake them with this arm, Ava thought to herself. She sighed and walked on.

The next home she passed looked strangely like one from her early childhood. Almost exactly like it, actually. She ventured a longer look inside this time and gasped at what she saw. There was a little girl who looked remarkably like she had, playing with her brother and sister, giggling and laughing. The scene brought back a rush of memories of the fun she used to have with her siblings—siblings that had long since grown up and moved out. If only she could go back in time…

“Ava, what are you doing?” The voice came, not from within the house or her head this time, but from next to her. Her friend Ella stood by her side.

“Just remembering,” Ava replied. “This window—it’s like a glimpse into my past.”

“A distorted glimpse,” Ella replied.

“What do you mean?” Ava inquired.

“Did no one warn you about the windows in this town?” Seeing Ava’s silence, Ella hastened to continue. “They’re coated with a special substance that distorts what you see. They only show the good, not any of the hard or the bad. Take this home, for instance. You see a scene that reminds you of happy moments from your childhood. But you don’t see all the times you and your siblings quarreled, or the hard days you had then too. Like the time you broke your back, remember?”

Ava remembered. She’d had to rest for weeks. The past hadn’t always been easy. “I wish my life could be more like that glimpse I saw in the house over there,” she muttered, pointing back to the home with the fresh cookies.

“You mean the distorted glimpse you saw,” Ella corrected. “If we could look through true glass into that home, we’d find it has struggles too. Is that the Jones’s house? I think the husband just lost his job. You can’t escape hardships, Ella. They come in different shapes and sizes, but we all have them.

“But here’s the deal. You can spend the rest of the day pining after distorted pictures through the windows, or you can head back home and see about making some beautiful memories yourself. Just because you can’t move your arm doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can do.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?” Ava asked. She still wasn’t 100% convinced.

“Like lose to me at a game of chess,” Eva replied with a laugh. “You don’t need two hands for that!”

“That’s true,” Ava replied with a laugh that a few minutes ago had felt impossible. She turned around from the town with the distorted windows back to her reality. She was glad she’d made the positive memories she had in her early childhood, and she wanted to go on making beautiful memories today in this new season, with life’s new challenges…and blessings.

Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 (ESV)

 

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Firefighters have been working overtime to contain a wildfire that has spread across more than 4,000 acres in Malibu, California. ​

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The Franklin Fire started early Monday morning and grew rapidly Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, fueled by Santa Ana winds (strong, very dry winds from inland, high-pressure areas of California). As of yesterday, the fire was ~7% contained.​

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While no injuries have been reported, almost half of Malibu’s 10,000 residents—including stars like Cher, Barbie, Ken, and Dick Van Dyke (who’s celebrating his 99th birthday today)—have evacuated the area. Malibu’s Pepperdine University canceled its final exams but issued a shelter-in-place to students earlier this week, prompting many students to sleep in the school’s library as flames roar outside. ​

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The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Massive weather events and natural disasters remind us that all of the world has been broken by sin. But Christians can look forward to an eternity where there’s redemption not just for people but for creation itself. ​

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“For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children.”
Romans 8:20-21 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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Cup Controversies​

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FIFA announced the 2030 and 2034 World Cup locations.​

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The 100th-anniversary 2030 tournament will take place on a hat trick of continents, with Spain, Portugal, and Morocco hosting after early games in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia will host solo in 2034––a decision that has human rights groups waving red cards.​

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Saudi Arabia has been accused of “sportswashing,” luring big names like Neymar and Ronaldo to play in global-image-boosting events, and critics argue FIFA is ignoring dangerous, potentially deadly labor conditions. The bidding process also raised eyebrows––FIFA’s 2030/2034 package deal forced members to accept or reject both bids and Saudi Arabia ran unopposed. Officials defended the decision, claiming it could spark social change.​

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In other sports news, six-time Super Bowl champ Bill Belichick, 72, is headed back to college as UNC’s new head coach.​

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Injustice and controversy in this world stir up longing in us for a better world where justice always wins, and righteousness is never corrupted. As you wait, celebrate the patience of your merciful Father and live holy lives in anticipation of his coming.​

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“The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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Power Pivots​

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Leadership abroad is experiencing some shake-ups.​

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In South Korea, opposition-led lawmakers impeached President Yoon for his brief-but-alarming attempt to impose martial law. Although he technically remains president, Yoon is suspended from official duties, leaving Prime Minister Han (a Yoon appointee) in charge. The Constitutional Court must decide Yoon’s fate within 180 days.​

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In France, President Macron tapped centrist ally François Bayrou to be prime minister. It’s an unenviable position; parliament is highly divided and voted out the last guy (also a centrist) after only three months.​

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In Georgia (the country), lawmakers replaced the pro-West incumbent president with a former professional soccer player and current hardline critic of the West, causing significant unrest. Protestors say the ruling party wants to return Georgia to its Soviet roots despite overwhelming public support for joining the E.U.​

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
As Christians, we live as strangers and exiles in our home countries, whether that temporary residence is peaceful, turbulent, or somewhere in between. Seek the good of the land you’re passing through while awaiting the arrival of your true, 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 29:4-7 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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That’s Settled​

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ABC and President-elect Trump have settled up.​

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Trump sued ABC News and its top anchor, George Stephanopoulos, in March after Stephanopoulos repeatedly stated that Trump had been found “liable for rape” in a civil lawsuit brought by advice columnist E. Jean Carroll; Trump was found liable for sexual abuse but not rape. ​

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ABC and Stephanopoulos issued a public apology and will provide $15 million to fund Trump’s future presidential library. The settlement avoids a costly trial and hours of court-ordered depositions for both the President-elect and Stephanopoulos. ​

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Trump’s inauguration fund also saw a bump in donations. Amazon, Meta, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman have each given or pledged a cool $1 million, hoping to smooth over their past rocky relationships with #45/47 and encourage tech-friendly policies from Trump’s second administration. ​

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Whether plaintiffs are world-famous or live in obscurity, Christians must always root for justice and fairness. May we continually call our neighbors to side with the final victor and ultimate judge, Christ our king. ​

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“Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life.’”
Revelation 21:6 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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Wisconsin School Shooting​

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A teenage student and a teacher were killed Monday in a shooting at a private K-12 Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin. At least six others were injured, including two in critical condition.​

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According to local officials, a teacher at Abundant Life Christian School called 911 at 10:57 a.m. Police arrived at the school within four minutes to find the shooter down from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The shooter, identified as a 15-year-old female (notably, 95% of school shooters in the last 40 years have been male), was pronounced dead in transport to the hospital. ​

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Investigators say a 9mm pistol was used in the shooting and are still working to determine a motive. Unconfirmed social media reports claim the shooter left a “manifesto,” but police have not confirmed its authenticity. ​

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(We’re also covering this story tomorrow in Decaf, The Pour Over for Families. Sign up—for free—here.)​

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RESPOND
We often say, "It's easy to feel helpless in times like these," and it is, and we do. Scripture encourages us to mourn, to pray, and to love with action. Pray that the “God of all comfort” would move in power in this time of incredible tragedy (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).​

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“Grant, O Lord, to all who are bereaved the spirit of faith and courage, that they may have strength to meet the days to come with steadfastness and patience; not sorrowing as those without hope, but in thankful remembrance of your great goodness, and in the joyful expectation of eternal life with all who love you.”
Book of Common Prayer, page 264​

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“For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

Romans 9:15

In these words the Lord in the plainest manner claims the right to give or to withhold his mercy according to his own sovereign will. As the prerogative of life and death is vested in the monarch, so the Judge of all the earth has a right to spare or condemn the guilty, as may seem best in his sight. Men by their sins have forfeited all claim upon God; they deserve to perish for their sins — and if they all do so, they have no ground for complaint. If the Lord steps in to save any, he may do so if the ends of justice are not thwarted; but if he judges it best to leave the condemned to suffer the righteous sentence, none may arraign him at their bar.




Foolish and impudent are all those discourses about the rights of men to be all placed on the same footing; ignorant, if not worse, are those contentions against discriminating grace, which are but the rebellions of proud human nature against the crown and sceptre of Jehovah. When we are brought to see our own utter ruin and ill desert, and the justice of the divine verdict against sin, we no longer cavil at the truth that the Lord is not bound to save us; we do not murmur if he chooses to save others, as though he were doing us an injury, but feel that if he deigns to look upon us, it will be his own free act of undeserved goodness, for which we shall for ever bless his name.

How shall those who are the subjects of divine election sufficiently adore the grace of God? They have no room for boasting, for sovereignty most effectually excludes it. The Lord's will alone is glorified, and the very notion of human merit is cast out to everlasting contempt. There is no more humbling doctrine in Scripture than that of election, none more promotive of gratitude, and, consequently, none more sanctifying. Believers should not be afraid of it, but adoringly rejoice in it.