The Pour Over Today - Three Hostages Killed, Giuliani Ordered to Pay, & More | 12.18.23

Episode Date: December 18, 2023

Today, we’re talking about three hostages accidentally killed by Israel, a jury ordering Rudy Giuliani to pay $148 million in damages, why shipping companies are avoiding the Red Sea, and other top news for Monday, December 18th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over Today. Sponsored by Biblingo

Today, we're talking about three hostages accidentally killed by Israel, a jury ordering Rudy Giuliani to pay $140 million in damages, why shipping companies are avoiding the Red Sea, and other top news for Monday, December 18th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over today. Here's the quote of the day. The gospel is this, we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe. Yet at the same time, we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope. Tim Keller. Let's get started with some espresso shots.

More bad news out of Gaza has allies pushing back on Israel. Israel announced it accidentally shot and killed three hostages on Friday. The men were waving a white flag when IDF soldiers misidentified them as a threat. Critics cite the incident as evidence of the IDF's disregard for civilians. Israel says it is investigating the sad and painful incident. Meanwhile, severe food shortages continue to grip Gaza, and the UN says it's nearly impossible to distribute aid as hungry civilians swarm and loot aid trucks. The UK, France, and Germany are calling for a ceasefire, with the US also signaling growing

unease. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to push for an end to the air and ground campaign in favor of a more precise offensive against Hamas when he meets with Israeli officials today. Death is all around us, and the darkness weighs heavily on our hearts and our world. But believers have hope because Emmanuel is present with us in the darkness weighs heavily on our hearts and our world. But believers have hope because Emmanuel is present with us in the darkness, and our living God has removed the sting of death so that it's powerless against those who love him. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verses 54 through 58 say, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory

through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. bounding in the work of the Lord. A jury has ordered Rudy Giuliani to pay $148 million to two Georgia election workers. Following the 2020 presidential election, Giuliani claimed Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shea Moss mishandled ballots to benefit Joe Biden. He continued to accuse them of election fraud after an investigation by the FBI and GBI, or the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, determined the claims were false and unsubstantiated. The woman testified that Giuliani upended their lives, sharing audio of violent and racist voicemails they received

after he accused them of fraud. He called the threats against the women deplorable, but said he had nothing to do with them. After the verdict, Giuliani said, the absurdity of the amount is indicative of the absurdity and unfairness of the entire proceeding, promising to appeal. When discussing divisive topics such as Rudy Giuliani, remember that both your stance and how you take your stance reflect on Christ. We shouldn't sacrifice relationships to win arguments. Romans 12, verse 18 says,

If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. The Red Sea, it's not just for parting. It's also one of the world's busiest shipping routes. Or it was. Five major shipping companies have ceased their Red Sea operations due to an increasing number of attacks. Iran-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen have been targeting Israeli-linked commercial ships, of any nationality, with drones and missiles, even boarding and commandeering a British ship last month. The U.S. and British militaries reportedly shot down 15 drones on Saturday alone, and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to announce expanded maritime protection forces

on his visit to the Middle East this week. Houthi fighters have said they'll continue their attacks until Israel ends the war, but indicated that, quote, genuine steps responding to the humanitarian situation in Palestine and Gaza, unquote, would help in reducing the escalation. the escalation. War and the evil it brings out are a terrible reminder that the world is not as it should be. Seek peace where you are and trust that the Lord will end all war in his perfect timing. Psalm 46 verses 6, 7, and 9 say, Nations are in uproar, Kingdoms fall. He lifts his voice. The earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us.

The God of Jacob is our fortress. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. Today's episode is sponsored by Biblingo. We've got your New Year's resolution. Read the Bible in its original Greek or Hebrew. If that sounds like a stretch, then you haven't heard of Biblingo. Biblingo's learning method is intuitive, fun, and only requires 15 minutes a day. It breaks down the lessons into interactive activities that can be completed in just a few

minutes, making it easy to make consistent progress. Reading the Bible in its original languages provides insights you can't get through translation. If you want that rich relationship with God's Word, go to biblingo.org slash tpo that's

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a subscription for a full year. That's biblingo.org slash tpo or check out the link in our show notes. Happy learning! In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates.

Prince Harry cried over spilled tea. And scored a big win. Prince Harry cried over spilled tea and scored a big win. London's High Court ruled that Mirror Group's British tabloids engaged in habitual illegal activity against celebrities from 1991 to 2011, including hacking Harry's phone. King Charles' youngest son has a vendetta against what he calls criminals masquerading as journalists and is suing multiple other tabloids. Cardinal Angelo Becciu was sentenced to five and a half years in prison on Saturday. He's the first cardinal ever prosecuted by a Vatican criminal court. Becciu was convicted of embezzlement and fraud related to his involvement in a 350 million euro investment made by the Vatican's Secretariat of State in 2013. He was acquitted of other charges and promised to appeal. Homelessness in the U.S. has hit a record high. Roughly 653,000 people are homeless, a 12%

jump from last year. Officials blame a mixture of rising housing costs, the opioid epidemic, the expiration of pandemic-era aid and eviction moratoriums, and a surge in migrants. Homelessness has been on the rise since 2015. A 24-year-old staffer for Senator Ben Cardin has threatened legal action after being fired for allegedly creating an X-rated film in a Senate hearing room and sharing it on a private group for gay men in politics. The staffer posted on LinkedIn that he would never disrespect his workplace. Capitol Police say they are investigating the incident. A former Mississippi political candidate has been charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief

for destroying a goat-headed, pentagram-wearing demon statue placed inside Iowa's state capitol building by the Satanic Temple. The statue was permitted by a state law allowing any religious organization to have a display but has been heavily criticized by conservatives. And that's all we have for today. Thanks so much for listening.

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