The Pour Over Today - Trump Trial Testimony, No Gaza Ceasefire, Updates from Russia & More | 05.08.24

Episode Date: May 8, 2024

Today, we’re giving an update on testimony in the trial of former President Trump, ongoing negotiations in Gaza, a U.S. soldier detained in Russia, and other top news for Wednesday, May 8th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over Today. Please support our TPO sponsors! Cru: give.cru.org/tpo Compassion International: compassion.com/TPO Christian Standard Bible: https://links.thepourover.org/ChristianStandardBible_Pod Holman Handbook Series: https://links.thepourover.org/HolmanHandbook

Today's episode is brought to you by our lead sponsor, Crew. Today, we're giving an update on testimony in the trial of former President Trump, ongoing negotiations in Gaza, a U.S. soldier detained in Russia, and other top news for Wednesday, May 8. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with the pour-over today. Here's the quote of the day. God doesn't want our success. He wants us.

He doesn't demand our achievements. He demands our obedience. Chuck Colson. Let's get started with some espresso shots. Yesterday was a combative day in court. Adult film actress Stormy Daniels testified against former President Trump, detailing an alleged affair in 2006, which Trump denies, and hush money payment. Trump's legal team requested a mistrial halfway through Daniels' testimony, saying

it was way different than the story she was peddling in 2016. The judge rejected the request for a mistrial, but saved no kind words for Daniels, describing her as a difficult witness. He frequently directed her to give shorter responses and repeatedly sided with objections from Trump's lawyers. Yesterday morning, former President Trump deleted a post about not being informed Ms. Daniels would testify, likely for fear prosecutors would say

it violated his gag order. The judge found Trump in contempt for the 10th time on Monday and threatened jail time for future infractions. A major way we can reflect the peace and hope of Christ is by dwelling less on certain topics than the rest of the world. This trial is not unimportant, but neither is it all important,

and we should not let it consume our attention or steal our focus from eternity. Colossians 3, 2-4 says, Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things, for you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." The celebrations were premature. On Monday, Hamas announced that they had agreed to the latest ceasefire proposal, sparking celebrations in Gaza.

The problem? Israel says that the deal Hamas agreed to wasn't one they'd offered and was far from meeting their core demands. Israel promised to continue negotiations, sending a delegation to negotiate with mediators in Egypt. Meanwhile, Israel's war cabinet unanimously approved moving forward

with targeted strikes against Hamas and Ra'afah. Yesterday, Israel's war cabinet unanimously approved moving forward with targeted strikes against Hamas and Ra'afa. Yesterday, Israel used tanks to take control of the border crossing between Ra'afa and Egypt. Israel has told U.S. officials the current military operation in Ra'afa is limited and focused on preventing weapons and funds from entering. Hamas says if this latest military aggression continues, there will be no ceasefire deal. War is a heavy burden that impresses upon us our world's need for restoration.

Jesus came to bear that burden of sin, lighten our load, and restore our world. Pray that the Middle East would experience that restoration and glorify the Messiah, Jesus. Matthew 11, 28 through 30 says, come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." The Kremlin continues to boast low turnover. Yesterday, Russian President Putin was sworn in for another six-year term. In his fifth presidential inauguration speech, Putin said his landslide reelection confirmed the correctness of the country's course and said that the West could choose either cooperation or aggression.

It's not just speeches keeping tensions high. The White House confirmed that an American soldier stationed in South Korea was arrested for theft while traveling through Russia for personal reasons last week. Russian officials say he will be detained at least until July, and American officials are warning citizens against any travel to Russia. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, security services said they foiled a Russian plot to assassinate President Zelensky and other top officials. According to Zelensky, there have been more than 10 such attempts on his life.

No matter the scope of the problem or how justified fear feels, God's command is the same. Don't worry about tomorrow. Every Moment Holy, Vol. 3, pages 204 and 205 says, Now take these, my present anxieties, O Lord, And unseat them with your better promises. You are the only foundation upon which I might weather these Buffettings of anxious thought, overwhelmed as I am. Release me from my cares, O God, as I release my cares to you.

With over 1,000 translations and every type of decorative edition, it's easy to forget how many people can't even get their hands on a single copy of the Bible in their native language. This is why we've partnered with Crew. Crew has missionaries in almost every country, but they need more Bibles. One missionary said, I have never seen such a thirst for the Word of God in my country. Let's quench that thirst. For just $24 a month, you can provide three people with Bibles every month.

As a bonus, Crew will provide meals to 12 hungry individuals through their humanitarian ministry and send you a free TPO coffee mug. Simply text TPO to 71326 or visit give.crew.org slash TPO. Again, that's texting TPO to 71326 or give.cru.org slash TPO. Message and data rates may apply, available to U.S. addresses only. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene won't force a vote to oust Speaker Mike Johnson

following two days of constructive meetings. Greene is upset Johnson has worked with Democrats on recent legislation. Johnson says the GLP's slim majority has left him no choice. In a twist, Democrats promise to help Johnson keep the Speaker's gavel if there is a vote. Columbia University canceled its main graduation ceremony scheduled for May 15th in the wake of pro-Palestinian protests. A spokesperson said the university tried to find alternative accommodations for the 50,000-person event, but security concerns proved insurmountable. Instead, Columbia has promised to hold smaller, school-specific ceremonies over the next week.

Funky fashion was in vogue at the 2024 Met Gala Monday night, where guests took the Garden of Time theme seriously. Pocher Zendaya notably adorned her head with flowers for the first of two looks. Individual tickets to the invite-only fundraiser were $75,000, up from $50,000 last year, prompting TPO to back out due to our strict $50,000 per ticket budget. The 68th annual Eurovision Song Contest is underway, with 37 countries vying to win enough votes for the best original song. The home country of last year's winner, Sweden, is hosting this year. Hoping to prevent Eurovision from confusing Americans as much as cricket, Peacock is airing

the live semi-final round tomorrow and the live four-hour finale on Saturday. The 108th annual Pulitzer prizes were awarded Monday. Yes, TPO was snubbed again. Each of the 23 prizes honoring achievements in journalism, books, drama, and music came with applause and $15,000. The New York Times and Washington Post took home three Pulitzers each, and ProPublica received the gold medal for public service for their work investigating Supreme Court ethics.

And that's all we have for 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 day. We'll see you on Friday.