The Pour Over Today - Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Episode Date: October 19, 2022

Today, we’re talking about drones in Ukraine, BTS in the military, Covid’s latest upgrades, and other top news for Wednesday, October 19th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Sponsored by the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) TPO's Pick Of The Day: Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest

Today, we're talking about drones in Ukraine, BTS in the military, COVID's latest upgrades, and other top news for Wednesday, October 19th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Here's the quote of the day. One of the surest tests of whether we have really brought our Christianity into our political outlook is to watch our manner of discussing a ruler or statesman to whose policy we are opposed, Emily Herman. Let's start with some espresso shots. A new unmanned threat has entered the stage in Ukraine. Russia unleashed new attacks on

Kiev on Monday, launching 28 explosive-laden drones into the capital city. While many were intercepted, a small number got through, killing at least four people. Russia reportedly purchased thousands of the so-called kamikaze drones from Iran, a claim both Russia and Iran deny, though photos of the downed drones suggest otherwise. Russia has been stepping up drone strikes on Ukraine's infrastructure, especially targeting its energy grid ahead of winter. In the coming days, Ukraine will have to look north, too, as Belarus announced around 9,000 troops will deploy to Belarus' border with Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelensky warned that Moscow is attempting to engage its ally in the conflict, but Belarus claims we are not going

to attack anyone. When lamenting international conflict, begin with gratitude for the peace-filled life most of us enjoy. Then pray that believers in both countries could be a light. Pray for an end to the conflict and for justice to be realized everywhere. Romans 8 verse 26 says, In the same way, the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should. But the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. Having conquered music, BTS sets their sights on North Korea. Kinda. The band's management confirmed that all seven members of the K-pop group will serve at least 18 months in the South Korean military, a requirement for all able-bodied men

ages 18 to 28 due to the ongoing war with its nuclear-armed northern neighbor. The announcement came after a national debate over whether BTS members should be exempt from military service. It wasn't purely about celebrity privilege. The group has been the world's best-selling artist for the past two years and contributes an estimated $5 billion to South Korea's economy annually. In 2020, South Korea's parliament passed a law allowing certain K-pop stars, hint BTS, to delay service until age 30 to avoid breaking up the band. But the reprieve is up. The band said they plan to reconvene around 2025. The world has different priorities than God does, and many eternally insignificant things are compelling for a season. Celebrities may not be wrong to follow, but

neither should they consume our attention. Colossians 3 verse 2 through 4 says, Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ and God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory. Looks like we're officially adding some new sub-variant villains to the COVIDverse. They're called BQ1 and BQ11, points for originality, and they've jumped to 10% of total cases within a week of being named. Dr. Fauci said they're pretty troublesome and could potentially evade some of our current interventions. Though new cases, hospitalizations, and death are decreasing nationwide, officials warn Americans against complacency in the light of these nimbler strains.

In related virus news, Boston University is pushing back against reports claiming that they'd developed an 80% lethal super COVID strain. In a statement, BU called the report false and misleading and says that though their hybrid version killed 80% of mice tested, the original strain killed 100%, representing a decrease in lethality. BU says their research was approved by the Institutional Biosafety Committee and will lead to better targeted therapeutic interventions. As COVID continues and continues to pop up in headlines, it can be easy to become anxious and discouraged. Yet as followers of Christ, Scripture reminds us that Jesus will be with us

in troubling and uncertain times all the way into eternity. Philippians 4, verse 6 says, Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. For those of you using the Google Translate app to forge through your Hebrew Old Testament, there is a better way. The Christian Standard Bible Translation is the product of over 100 top biblically-minded scholars from 17 denominations, dedicating years to translate God's Word. The result shines by academic standards and is remarkably enjoyable to read.

Learn more about the translation in our show notes. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. Billionaire rapper Kanye announced he is buying Parler, a Twitter alternative popular with conservatives numbering 700,000 monthly users. By comparison, Twitter has 450 million. The announcement comes days after Instagram and Twitter restricted his accounts over anti-Semitic posts. Parler's CEO announced Ye will never have to fear being removed from social media again. President Biden dangled a carrot to the Democratic voters ahead of the midterms, promising a bill enshrining Roe v. Wade protections into law if Dems expand their congressional majority. Recent polling shows Republicans regaining momentum as 5% of likely voters listed abortion as most important, while 44% listed economic concerns.

Should have checked Priceline A House inquiry found that Trump-branded hotels significantly overcharged the Secret Service agents assigned to protect the Trump family, contradicting statements that they stayed for free or at cost. The Trump Organization rebutted saying the agents were offered discounts compared to full-paying clients. Netflix moochers beware. The streaming giant launched a new feature called Profile Transfer, allowing users to move their profile,

you know, the one that's under your ex-roommate's parents' account, into a brand new account without losing their viewing preferences. It's part of their campaign to crack down on password sharing. The NBA tipped off its 77th season yesterday with the Warriors mounting a defense to their title. Meanwhile, Tennessee is looking for volunteers to donate to the field goal post fund after fans dumped theirs in the river following their dramatic upset over Alabama on Saturday. And now it's time for the pour-over's pick of the week, embracing rhythms of work and rest. Life moves at a frenzied, non-stop pace that is glorified, praised, and rewarded. Most people

know that they need rest, but find within themselves a deep resistance to letting go and resting in God one day a week, let alone for longer seasons of sabbatical. I mean, come on, the world would fall apart. This book grounds us in God's intentions in giving us the gift of Sabbath and provides practical steps for embedding Sabbath rhythms in churches and organizations. The journey to a meaningful Sabbath practice is slow, and it is a journey we need to take in community. This book helps us do that. An absolute must-read. That's all we have for today. Thanks so much for listening. If you're listening on the Apple Podcast 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.