The Pour Over Today - Epstein List, Violence Spreading in the Middle East, & More | 01.05.23

Episode Date: January 5, 2024

Today, we’re talking about the release of the so-called “Epstein List,” spreading violence in the Middle East, the latest jobs data, and other top news for Friday, January 5th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over Today. Please support our TPO sponsors! LMNT: https://links.thepourover.org/LMNT0103 The Bible Recap: https://links.thepourover.org/TBR_pod The Bible Recap for Kids: https://links.thepourover.org/TBR4Kids0104

Today we're talking about the release of the so-called Epstein list, spreading violence in the Middle East, the latest jobs data, and other top news for Friday, January 5th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over today. Here's the quote of the day. The eternal, everlasting God has become our father, and the moment we realize that, it transforms everything. Martin Lloyd-Jones. Let's get started with some espresso shots. The initial batch of the so-called Epstein list was released Wednesday evening. The unsealed court documents include names of prominent people connected to the once-prominent financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein,

who died in jail in 2019. They were originally from a 2015 lawsuit that Virginia Giuffre, an underage victim of Epstein's, brought against his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence. Former President Bill Clinton was mentioned more than 50 times, and former President Trump was mentioned four times. Neither is accused of any wrongdoing. Other high-profile mentions include magician David Copperfield, not accused of wrongdoing, the UK's Prince Andrew settled a lawsuit with Giuffre in 2022, and French modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel charged with rape before he died by suicide in 2022. More related documents will be released over the coming weeks.

The injustice in our world stirs 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. 2 Peter 3 verse 9 says, 2 Peter 3 verse 9 says, Violence is rippling across the Middle East. On Tuesday in Beirut, Lebanon, a drone strike killed Saleh al-Elroui, a founder of Hamas's military wing and liaison with Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terrorist group based in Lebanon. Israel neither confirmed nor denied its involvement, saying whoever did this seemed to be targeting Hamas, not Lebanon or Hezbollah. Hezbollah's leader said the attack will not go unpunished. On Wednesday, in predominantly Shia Muslim Iran, a pair of explosions killed 84 people and injured almost 300 more as crowds gathered around the tomb of Qasem Soleimani

to mark the anniversary of the Iranian general's 2020 assassination. The Sunni Muslim Islamic State, ISIS, has claimed responsibility for the bombing, and Iran has promised a harsh response as the two Islamic sects continue to feud. There are growing worries that violence will continue to spread across the region. worries that violence will continue to spread across the region. Our world is overwhelmed by violence and loss and by swirling and spiraling anxieties. Turn to Jesus for mercy, who himself suffered violence and loss at the hands of those who hated him. Pray that the hope Jesus offers through his compassionate people will turn hearts to the Lord, the only source of true comfort. Psalm 147, 3-6 says,

The Lord heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power. The Lord sustains the humble, but casts the wicked to the ground. The labor market is finally cooling off. The latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey report shows there are now fewer than 8.8 million job openings in the United States, down from 12 million in March 2022. The news is likely to please the Federal Reserve, which has been trying to cool the piping-hot labor market to curb inflation for years. The Labor Department also reported a decline in quitting and layoffs, but Xerox didn't get the memo. It announced it would

shred 15% of its workforce, about 3,000 jobs, in a restructure. Perhaps there was too much duplicate work happening. Meanwhile, the national debt topped $34 trillion for the first time, up $14 trillion since early 2020, as Congress gears up for funding negotiations. Interest payments on debt now account for 18% of Uncle Sam's budget. Whether economic numbers are good or bad, God will remain in control. In the midst of uncertainty on earth, set your hope on the abundance we will enjoy with Christ when he comes. 1 Peter 1, 3-4 says, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy, he has given us new

birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you. Sometimes it feels like money doesn't stretch very far these days. But when you sponsor a child through Compassion International, just $43 per month is crazy powerful. Sponsorship means education, clean water, healthy food, medical care, and most importantly, hope. Through local churches in the area, sponsored children build relationships with Jesus-loving adults who can offer the specific

support kids need to thrive. Not sure where to start? Go to compassion.com slash TPO or find the link in the show notes and search by birthday to see if there's a child with your birthday that needs a sponsor. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. Bomb threats were mass emailed to a dozen state capitals on Wednesday. At least nine states, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Montana evacuated the buildings before determining there was no actual threat. The FBI is working with local, state, and federal officials to investigate the origin of the hoax. On Tuesday, federal prosecutors charged Senator Bob Menendez with accepting F1 racing tickets, a designer watch, and his go-to gold bars in exchange for taking action to benefit the government of Qatar.

Menendez, who has already pleaded not guilty to acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government, faces calls to resign from within his own party. Russia and Ukraine continue exchanging prisoners and fire. Tuesday, Ukraine reported that hundreds of Russian missiles and attack drones targeted Kyiv over the weekend. Then on Wednesday, Russia downed 12 missiles targeting border regions. That same day saw the largest prisoner swap since the war broke out, 230 Ukrainians in exchange for 248 Russians. in exchange for 248 Russians.

A sixth grader was killed and five more people injured in a shooting at a small-town high school in Perry, Iowa, as students filed in for their first classes after winter break. Police quickly arrived on the scene and found the 17-year-old suspect dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. At least three victims were taken to Des Moines hospitals for treatment. Gypsy Rose Blanchard is out of prison and onto Instagram fame, gaining millions of followers seemingly overnight. Blanchard was released on parole last week after serving most of her 10-year sentence for persuading her then-boyfriend to kill her mother, who had forced her to pretend to have

multiple serious illnesses for years. A lifetime documentary about her life airs tonight. And that's all we have for today. Thanks so much for listening. If you're listening on the Apple today. Thanks so much for listening. If you're listening on the Apple Podcasts app, give us a five-star rating and drop a review. If you're listening on Spotify, give us a follow and hit the notification bell to never miss a new episode. We appreciate your support and hope you have a great weekend. We'll see you on Monday.