Just sharing.

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Doing Deals​

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U.S. delegates are headed to Saudi Arabia for peace talks with Russia.​

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Their goal is to end the war in Ukraine… but President Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s invite must have gotten lost in the mail. Also not on the guest list: any European countries. Not to be sidelined, French President Macron invited European leaders to a summit in Paris today to discuss the war and their new normal with Washington. ​

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Meanwhile, fighting continues. Kyiv said a Russian drone with a high-explosive warhead pierced the protective shell of the Chernobyl nuclear plant early Friday, starting a brief fire. Nuclear experts say radiation levels haven’t increased, and there is “no immediate danger.” Russia denies responsibility.​

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On Saturday, Ukraine rejected a U.S. draft deal trading rare-earth minerals for military aid, saying it didn’t contain sufficient security guarantees. Negotiations continue. ​

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CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
Christians should be committed to praying for world leaders to be wise and to work towards peaceful resolutions while placing our hope in God, not government. ​

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“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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“He that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.”

Ecclesiastes 10:9

Oppressors may get their will of poor and needy men as easily as they can split logs of wood, but they had better mind, for it is a dangerous business, and a splinter from a tree has often killed the woodman. Jesus is persecuted in every injured saint, and he is mighty to avenge his beloved ones. Success in treading down the poor and needy is a thing to be trembled at: if there be no danger to persecutors here there will be great danger hereafter.




To cleave wood is a common every-day business, and yet it has its dangers; so then, reader, there are dangers connected with your calling and daily life which it will be well for you to be aware of. We refer not to hazards by flood and field, or by disease and sudden death, but to perils of a spiritual sort. Your occupation may be as humble as log splitting, and yet the devil can tempt you in it. You may be a domestic servant, a farm labourer, or a mechanic, and you may be greatly screened from temptations to the grosser vices, and yet some secret sin may do you damage. Those who dwell at home, and mingle not with the rough world, may yet be endangered by their very seclusion.

Nowhere is he safe who thinks himself so. Pride may enter a poor man's heart; avarice may reign in a cottager's bosom; uncleanness may venture into the quietest home; and anger, and envy, and malice may insinuate themselves into the most rural abode. Even in speaking a few words to a servant we may sin; a little purchase at a shop may be the first link in a chain of temptations; the mere looking out of a window may be the beginning of evil. O Lord, how exposed we are! How shall we be secured! To keep ourselves is work too hard for us: only thou thyself art able to preserve us in such a world of evils. Spread thy wings over us, and we, like little chickens, will cower down beneath thee, and feel ourselves safe!

 

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Flip Landing​

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Delta Flight 4819, from Minneapolis to Toronto, had a traumatic touchdown Monday.​

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Upon landing in windy conditions, the Bombardier CRJ-900 commercial aircraft lost a wing, burst into flame, and flipped upside down (see photos). All 76 passengers and four crew members survived after evacuating through the emergency exit doors; at least 18 people were transported to hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries.​

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It’s not clear what caused the crash. The aircraft was properly maintained and well within its 2-3 decade lifespan. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is leading the investigation, with support from U.S. agencies.​

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It’s been a turbulent few months for commercial aviation. A December crash in South Korea killed 179 people, a January crash in D.C. claimed 67 lives, and a crash in Alaska took 10 lives earlier this month.

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Verse to consider when it feels like the circumstances of life are spinning out of control… “Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken. My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock. My refuge is in God.”
Psalm 62:5–7 (CSB) (read full passage) ​

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Ending Russian Isolation​

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The U.S. and Russia are rebooting their relationship.​

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In the countries’ first official meeting since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov met in Saudi Arabia yesterday. They aimed to lay the groundwork for peace talks in the Russia-Ukraine war that’s claimed more than a million lives by some estimates.​

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Uncle Sam and Mother Russia agreed to pick peace-negotiating teams and restore staffing levels at their embassies, also making plans for “geopolitical and economic cooperation” if the war ends. A summit between Presidents Trump and Putin was discussed but not set.​

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The Trump administration said Tuesday’s talks were “preliminary,” promising Ukraine that it will be able to negotiate with Russia directly. Rubio said, “No one is being sidelined,” but European allies are miffed that they weren’t looped in.​

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
As nations fight over temporary borders, followers of Christ rejoice in our eternal inheritance: the entire world made completely new, where we will live and reign with our Savior forever. ​

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“Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.”
Matthew 5:5 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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“A spring shut up, a fountain sealed.”

Song of Solomon 4:12

In this metaphor, which has reference to the inner life of a believer, we have very plainly the idea of secrecy. It is a spring shut up: just as there were springs in the East, over which an edifice was built, so that none could reach them save those who knew the secret entrance; so is the heart of a believer when it is renewed by grace: there is a mysterious life within which no human skill can touch. It is a secret which no other man knoweth; nay, which the very man who is the possessor of it cannot tell to his neighbour.

The text includes not only secrecy, but separation. It is not the common spring, of which every passer-by may drink, it is one kept and preserved from all others; it is a fountain bearing a particular mark — a king's royal seal, so that all can perceive that it is not a common fountain, but a fountain owned by a proprietor, and placed specially by itself alone. So is it with the spiritual life. The chosen of God were separated in the eternal decree; they were separated by God in the day of redemption; and they are separated by the possession of a life which others have not; and it is impossible for them to feel at home with the world, or to delight in its pleasures.




There is also the idea of sacredness. The spring shut up is preserved for the use of some special person: and such is the Christian's heart. It is a spring kept for Jesus. Every Christian should feel that he has God's seal upon him — and he should be able to say with Paul, “From henceforth let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”

Another idea is prominent — it is that of security. Oh! how sure and safe is the inner life of the believer! If all the powers of earth and hell could combine against it, that immortal principle must still exist, for he who gave it pledged his life for its preservation. And who “is he that shall harm you,” when God is your protector?

 

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Quantumania​

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Look out, solid, liquid, and gas… there’s a new state of matter in town. ​

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Wednesday, Microsoft unveiled its new quantum computer chip, Majorana 1, and reported engineering a “new state of matter” while building it. ​

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Tech giants have spent decades developing quantum computers—machines capable of quickly solving complex problems that take traditional supercomputers millions of years to decipher (watch how it works). Now, Microsoft says it’s harnessed the previously-only-theorized-about “topological state” of matter to create particles capable of crunching quantum data better than today’s most capable machines. ​

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The breakthrough has scientists hopeful for advances in medicine, cybersecurity, AI, and the auto industry decades sooner than anticipated. ​

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In the meantime, Apple revealed its newest—and lowest-priced—phone Wednesday. The iPhone 16e features Apple Intelligence and will be available for $599 ($200 less than the standard iPhone 16). ​

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE:
Whether you’re thrilled or intimidated by new discoveries, live with joy and pursue holiness because believers already know how this story ends. Technology will never outsmart God or thwart his plan to renew and glorify all who are in Christ. ​

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“But based on his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found without spot or blemish in his sight, at peace.”
2 Peter 3:13-14 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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The Value of Work​

Lazy hands make a man poor,
but diligent hands bring wealth.

He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son,
but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Proverbs 10:4,5 NIV


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Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need.

Ephesians 4:28 RSV


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He who tills his land will have plenty of food,
But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty.

A faithful man will abound with blessings,
But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 28:19,20 NASB





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The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;
But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

Proverbs 13:4 NKJV


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Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity,
but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.

Proverbs 21:5 NLT


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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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Elections in Deutschland​

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Germany’s weekend plans included an early trip to the polls, and now a new party leader is poised to take over as the country’s chancellor. ​

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Yesterday, the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party beat out incumbent chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democratic Party (SDP), making Friedrich Merz Germany’s presumptive new chancellor. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured the second most votes—the most support for a far-right party since the 1940s and nearly double its support since the last election. ​

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Snap elections were triggered in December when Scholz lost a vote of confidence after firing Germany’s finance minister, effectively dissolving Germany’s parliament.​

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Now, Merz and the CDU will look to rebuild the parliament, with Merz saying he’s hoping to put together a new parliamentary coalition “by Easter.” ​

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Just as many Americans view the outcomes of foreign elections with a certain level of detachment, Christians view earthly political outcomes as secondary to the campaign of our eternal home, where we hold our truest citizenship.

“From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective.… in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us.”
2 Corinthians 5:16, 19-20 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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“Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty.”

Isaiah 33:17

The more you know about Christ the less will you be satisfied with superficial views of him; and the more deeply you study his transactions in the eternal covenant, his engagements on your behalf as the eternal Surety, and the fulness of his grace which shines in all his offices, the more truly will you see the King in his beauty. Be much in such outlooks. Long more and more to see Jesus.

Meditation and contemplation are often like windows of agate, and gates of carbuncle, through which we behold the Redeemer. Meditation puts the telescope to the eye, and enables us to see Jesus after a better sort than we could have seen him if we had lived in the days of his flesh. Would that our conversation were more in heaven, and that we were more taken up with the person, the work, the beauty of our incarnate Lord. More meditation, and the beauty of the King would flash upon us with more resplendence.




Beloved, it is very probable that we shall have such a sight of our glorious King as we never had before, when we come to die. Many saints in dying have looked up from amidst the stormy waters, and have seen Jesus walking on the waves of the sea, and heard him say, “It is I, be not afraid.” Ah, yes! when the tenement begins to shake, and the clay falls away, we see Christ through the rifts, and between the rafters the sunlight of heaven comes streaming in.

But if we want to see face to face the “King in his beauty” we must go to heaven for the sight, or the King must come here in person. O that he would come on the wings of the wind! He is our Husband, and we are widowed by his absence; he is our Brother dear and fair, and we are lonely without him. Thick veils and clouds hang between our souls and their true life: when shall the day break and the shadows flee away? Oh, long-expected day, begin!

 

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Anniversary Meetings​

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Monday marked three years since Russia invaded Ukraine.​

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To mark the occasion, French President Macron visited President Trump to discuss the war, emphasizing security guarantees for Ukraine in a peace deal that must “not be a surrender of Ukraine.” Both leaders hope the conflict can end within weeks.​

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While the leaders shook hands at the White House, diplomats shared a less genial U.N. meeting. The Security Council passed a U.S.-proposed resolution calling for peace ASAP that (controversially) didn’t blame Russia for the war. Russia and China supported it, while France and the U.K. abstained, not wanting to veto Washington. The U.N. General Assembly passed a symbolic, non-binding resolution that did blame Russia.​

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U.K. PM Keir Starmer will head to Pennsylvania Ave. Thursday to discuss Ukraine, and negotiations for the use of Ukraine’s natural resources continue.​

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Pray for the peaceful end to all conflicts worldwide, even as we wait for God’s kingdom to come in full—for the day when God’s reign of peace will settle every dispute, and all nations will walk in his paths. ​

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“I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem. The bow of war will be removed, and he will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.”
Zechariah 9:10 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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“To whom be glory for ever. Amen”

Romans 11:36

“To whom be glory for ever.” This should be the single desire of the Christian. All other wishes must be subservient and tributary to this one. The Christian may wish for prosperity in his business, but only so far as it may help him to promote this — “To him be glory for ever.” He may desire to attain more gifts and more graces, but it should only be that “To him may be glory for ever.”

You are not acting as you ought to do when you are moved by any other motive than a single eye to your Lord's glory. As a Christian, you are “of God, and through God,” then live “to God.” Let nothing ever set your heart beating so mightily as love to him. Let this ambition fire your soul; be this the foundation of every enterprise upon which you enter, and this your sustaining motive whenever your zeal would grow chill; make God your only object. Depend upon it, where self begins sorrow begins; but if God be my supreme delight and only object,




“To me 'tis equal whether love ordain
My life or death—appoint me ease or pain.”

Let your desire for God's glory be a growing desire. You blessed him in your youth, do not be content with such praises as you gave him then. Has God prospered you in business? Give him more as he has given you more. Has God given you experience? Praise him by stronger faith than you exercised at first. Does your knowledge grow? Then sing more sweetly. Do you enjoy happier times than you once had? Have you been restored from sickness, and has your sorrow been turned into peace and joy? Then give him more music; put more coals and more sweet frankincense into the censer of your praise. Practically in your life give him honour, putting the “Amen” to this doxology to your great and gracious Lord, by your own individual service and increasing holiness.

 

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Trade Talks​

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Tariffs are back on for America’s top three trade partners. ​

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President Trump said yesterday that Canada, Mexico, and China—which together account for 40% of U.S. imports—are still not doing enough to stop the flow of drugs into the U.S. ​

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He announced that a 25% tax on imports from Mexico and Canada will go into effect on March 4 “as scheduled.” (The tariffs had been paused after the American neighbors promised measures like sending more troops to the border.) China—where Trump says “a large percentage” of fentanyl is made—also faces an additional 10% tariff next week on top of the 10% imposed earlier this month.​

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Proponents see tariffs as a way of spurring U.S. manufacturing and securing supply lines, while critics warn they could stoke inflation and harm the economy.​

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Too often we let temporary, passing things like the ups and downs of the market control us. Seeking to steward money well is a good thing, but keep your focus on the Giver rather than the gifts. ​

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“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.”
2 Corinthians 8:9 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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Eternal Life!​

"Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night within his temple; and he who sits upon the throne will shelter them with his presence.

They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Revelation 7:15-17 RSV


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For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 KJV





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And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

1 John 5:11-13 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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“Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.”

Psalm 68:28

It is our wisdom, as well as our necessity, to beseech God continually to strengthen that which he has wrought in us. It is because of their neglect in this, that many Christians may blame themselves for those trials and afflictions of spirit which arise from unbelief. It is true that Satan seeks to flood the fair garden of the heart and make it a scene of desolation, but it is also true that many Christians leave open the sluice-gates themselves, and let in the dreadful deluge through carelessness and want of prayer to their strong Helper.




We often forget that the Author of our faith must be the Preserver of it also. The lamp which was burning in the temple was never allowed to go out, but it had to be daily replenished with fresh oil; in like manner, our faith can only live by being sustained with the oil of grace, and we can only obtain this from God himself. Foolish virgins we shall prove, if we do not secure the needed sustenance for our lamps. He who built the world upholds it, or it would fall in one tremendous crash; he who made us Christians must maintain us by his Spirit, or our ruin will be speedy and final.

Let us, then, evening by evening, go to our Lord for the grace and strength we need. We have a strong argument to plead, for it is his own work of grace which we ask him to strengthen—“that which thou hast wrought for us.” Think you he will fail to protect and sustain that? Only let your faith take hold of his strength, and all the powers of darkness, led on by the master fiend of hell, cannot cast a cloud or shadow over your joy and peace. Why faint when you may be strong? Why suffer defeat when you may conquer? Oh! take your wavering faith and drooping graces to him who can revive and replenish them, and earnestly pray, “Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.”

 

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“The Lord is my portion, saith my soul.”

Lamentations 3:24

It is not “The Lord is partly my portion,” nor “The Lord is in my portion”; but he himself makes up the sum total of my soul's inheritance. Within the circumference of that circle lies all that we possess or desire. The Lord is my portion. Not his grace merely, nor his love, nor his covenant, but Jehovah himself. He has chosen us for his portion, and we have chosen him for ours. It is true that the Lord must first choose our inheritance for us, or else we shall never choose it for ourselves; but if we are really called according to the purpose of electing love, we can sing —

“Lov'd of my God for him again
With love intense I burn;
Chosen of him ere time began,
I choose him in return.”




The Lord is our all-sufficient portion. God fills himself; and if God is all-sufficient in himself, he must be all-sufficient for us. It is not easy to satisfy man's desires. When he dreams that he is satisfied, anon he wakes to the perception that there is somewhat yet beyond, and straightway the horse-leech in his heart cries, “Give, give.” But all that we can wish for is to be found in our divine portion, so that we ask, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.”

Well may we “delight ourselves in the Lord” who makes us to drink of the river of his pleasures. Our faith stretches her wings and mounts like an eagle into the heaven of divine love as to her proper dwelling-place. “The lines have fallen to us in pleasant places; yea, we have a goodly heritage.” Let us rejoice in the Lord always; let us show to the world that we are a happy and a blessed people, and thus induce them to exclaim, “We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”

 

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Diplomatic Discord​

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Tensions boiled over in the Oval Office Friday.​

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The near-final U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal unraveled live on camera as Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy clashed with President Trump and VP Vance. Zelenskyy refused to sign without security guarantees against Russia, prompting Vance to push diplomacy over military assistance. When Zelenskyy dismissed past ceasefires as failures, Vance called him ungrateful. Trump said Zelenskyy was disrespecting the U.S. and “gambling with World War III.”​

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Trump then canceled their press conference, lunch, and deal signing—and showed Zelenskyy the White House door. ​

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Most Republicans have praised President Trump for “standing up for America,” while Democrats have called Trump’s actions an "embarrassment" that benefitted Putin. European leaders quickly rallied behind Zelenskyy, who, on Saturday, thanked Trump for U.S. support but urged him to stand “more firmly” behind Ukraine.​

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Verse to consider when tensions are high… “My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.”
James 1:19-20 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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Tariff for Tat​

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The tariff hammer has dropped. ​

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After a month-long pause, President Trump imposed 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico yesterday and raised last month’s tariff on Chinese goods from 10% to 20%. ​

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Canada and China retaliated swiftly. China imposed a 10-15% tariff on U.S. agricultural imports, and Canada levied a 25% tax on tens of billions of dollars’ worth of American goods. Mexico promised to respond with both “tariff and non-tariff measures” on Sunday. ​

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The stock market didn’t take the news lightly; all three major indexes dropped as investors braced for rising prices and falling consumer demand. Automakers could be hit hardest as car parts currently cross borders multiple times during the manufacturing process. Meanwhile, Target’s CEO warned shoppers to brace for higher prices—specifically on produce and alcohol—as soon as this week.​

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
The governments of the world have different things on their agenda than God’s kingdom. As global powers maneuver to have their way, work to keep in step with the priorities of your heavenly home. ​

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“What does the LORD your God ask of you except to fear the LORD your God by walking in all his ways, to love him, and to worship the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul? Keep the LORD’s commands and statutes I am giving you today, for your own good.”
Deuteronomy 10:12–13 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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(Not the) State of the Union​

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President Trump gave his second administration’s first progress report.​

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In an address to a joint session of Congress (not an official State of the Union address since Trump hasn’t been in office a full year), the Commander-in-Chief spoke for over 140 minutes (a record) on a swath of topics from the busy first 43 days of his second term: the economy and tariffs, federal downsizing, balancing the budget, strengthening border security, and much more.​

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There was lots of clapping… from half the room. The other half was unimpressed. ​

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Democrats held signs that read “False,” “Musk steals,” and “Save Medicaid.” Representative Al Green (D-TX) was escorted out in the opening minutes of Trump’s speech for heckling, and other Democrats walked out during the address. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) delivered the rebuttal, outlining how Democratic lawmakers plan to address Trump-admin policies.

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Verse to consider whether you think your performance deserves a gold star or you didn’t check a single thing off your to-do list yesterday… “Satisfy us in the morning with your faithful love so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days…. Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; establish for us the work of our hands—establish the work of our hands!”
Psalm 90:14, 17 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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Threats and Extraditions​

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The Trump administration is breaking with longstanding American policy of not negotiating with terrorists.​

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The White House confirmed Wednesday that it’s talking with Hamas directly to secure the remaining 59 hostages from Gaza, 5 of whom are American citizens. President Trump issued a public “last warning” to Hamas, saying, “It’s over for you” if all living and dead hostages aren’t released “immediately,” adding that he’s “sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job.” ​

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Hamas said his threats “encourage” Israel to violate the current ceasefire deal.​

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In other news, the ISIS-K member accused of plotting the 2021 Kabul airport bombing during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was extradited to the U.S. Tuesday night. FBI Director Patel said the man responsible for killing 13 American service members and about 170 Afghan citizens will “face American justice.”​

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ABOVE ALL, LOVE
As earthly powers work out their visions for justice on an international scale, believers remember the radical call of Jesus to show uncommon kindness and mercy to the enemies in our personal lives—whether global terrorists, politicians with whom we disagree, or a coworker making life difficult.​

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“The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.”
1 John 4:8–11 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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Sanctuary Squabbles​

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Immigration stats are causing a stir in Washington.​

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Border Patrol reported 8,300 apprehensions in February—the lowest monthly total since 2000 and over 100,000 fewer than this time last year.​

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While border crossings are down sharply, deportations are holding steady. To push forward President Trump’s plan to conduct “the largest deportation operation” in U.S. history, House Republicans focused in on four sanctuary cities—New York, Chicago, Boston, and Denver—in a tense, six-hour committee hearing with the cities’ mayors Wednesday.​

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Republicans argued that sanctuary policies, which dissuade or prohibit local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration officers, allow cities to shelter dangerous criminals. The mayors defended the constitutionality of their sanctuary status, arguing their cities comply with federal law and that local law enforcement assisting ICE would lead to “fear” in the community and make their jobs harder.​

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Verse to consider when a hot-button issue is causing a stir in your own neighborhood… “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.”
James 3:17–18 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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