https://youtu.be/Lkzt-sua33M?si=v3Uq-y6t6E6arrtr
Survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell speak to NBC News' Hallie Jackson after Attorney General Pam Bondi was questioned by lawmakers in an hours' long hearing on Capitol Hill. The women express frustration over Bondi's handling of the case, and her refusal to apologize for the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files.
https://youtu.be/CJjDyJMwr5U?si=ObqqLXy0ZRQqHhor
Survivors continue to wait for answers and an apology from Attorney General Pam Bondi after some of their names were left unredacted in the Epstein files released by the Department of Justice. Danielle Bensky, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein, joins Ana Cabrera to share her reaction to Bondi's hearing, saying the AG is "evading" any sense of accountability.
“For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick, and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Gospel of Matthew
Others will be drawn to God by the love, mercy and kindness we show to them. They will see the fruit of Holy Spirit in our lives. our good works reflect His heart, His love, for the world that He created. Carla
1 Peter 4:15-19 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now
“If the righteous one is scarcely saved,
Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”
19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. NKJ
1 Peter 4:15-19
15 But let no one among you be made to suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as an intriguer.
16 But whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed but glorify God because of the name.
17 For it is time for the judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, how will it end for those who fail to obey the gospel of God? 18 “And if the righteous one is barely saved, where will the godless and the sinner appear?"
19 As a result, those who suffer in accord with God's will hand their souls over to a faithful creator as they do good. New American Bible—Vatican
Christians are to entrust their very lives to God, especially in the midst of suffering, always recognizing that He is the faithful Creator who is in control of all things. God never gives us more than we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13); everything He does always has a good purpose (Romans 8:28). The NKJV Study Bible
The Greek term used here for Christian rarely occurs in the New Testament despite its later popularity as a designation for people who follow Jesus and trust in His saving work (Acts 11:26). Here Peter probably uses the term to affirm believers’ identification with Christ and His sufferings ( 1 Peter 4:13).
Time for the judgment to begin likely refers to future judgment at Jesus’ return rather than present sufferings. Those who suffer for Christ’s sake can be confident that God’s judgment will validate their hardship. Peter lives in the era between Jesus’ resurrection and return—thus, relatively speaking, the judgment is imminent and has in many ways begun, since the time to choose Jesus is now.
The household of God evokes the building metaphor from 1 Peter 2:4–5 and refers to the family of believers in Jesus. Peter maintains that God will judge all people impartially, but also stresses that He will begin with His own people. All people will be held accountable for their actions, even though God will grant mercy to those who chose the path of faith in Jesus (Jude 21).
if the righteous are saved with difficulty just as Jesus faced suffering—being mocked, beaten, and crucified—to make the gift of salvation possible, believers must faithfully follow their Lord until the end of their lives or Jesus’ return. This is not because their salvation depends on it—Jesus alone saves them (1 Peter 1:3–12)—but because others may come to Jesus due to their model of faithfulness.
Although they are experiencing overwhelming evil, believers should continue to do good, as a means of honoring God and demonstrating that they trust Him with their entire lives. Faithlife Study Bible
Proverbs 11:31
If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth,
How much more the ungodly and the sinner.
Jeremiah 25:29 For behold, I begin to bring calamity on the city which is called by My name, and should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished, for I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth,” says the LORD of hosts.’
Luke 23:31 For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?”
Amos 3:2
“You only have I known of all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”
…I am not a fan of people who—in the name of upbeat coaching or “theology”—dismiss life's complications, irritations, tensions and visible suffering.
But here's the deal:
When we make space, we are able to bring who we are, wholeheartedly—whether that be grief or sadness, or bewilderment, or gladness or joy. And in that space, there is hope. There is mercy. And there is compassionate inclusion.
Let’s call this space, the Gift of Enough.
“Not all of us can do great things.” Mother Teresa reminds us. “But we can do small things with great love.”
And today, is my hour. To stand. To speak. To love. Sabbath Moments
Psalm 112:9
He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever;
His horn will be exalted with honor.
The gifts of God, our talents and our finances, come with inner peace and love for all of God’s creation, not chaos and hatred. We are meant to share them. We cannot be followers of Christ, who was born a man of color, and be racist. We cannot be Christ followers and seek to kill, steal and destroy His creation. That is the works of Satan. There is no one righteous but God and He knows that we are mere humans praying for His will in our lives and in the world. We fail but we get up and try again. It is never too late to change. Carla
2 Corinthians 9:8-9 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written:
“He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever.” NKJV)
2 Corinthians 9:8-9 Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written: "He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." New American Bible—Vatican
If we give, God is able to give us more so that we can perform other good works. In other words, God sees to it that the generous giver will not suffer want. Instead, God generously provides for those who give so that they can continue to do so. This verse is Paul’s prayer for God’s blessing to be poured out on the Corinthians. The words supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food are adapted from Isaiah 55:10. The latter part of the verse is a reflection of Hosea 10:12. The NKJV Study Bible
God is able to cause all grace. The Corinthians may have felt concerned about giving money because of the uncertainty of life in the ancient world. Paul does not want this to be reason for them to withhold their generosity. Paul affirms that God can provide everything they need, just as He is doing for the church in Jerusalem. “His righteousness remains forever” Paul quotes Psalm 112:9 to suggest that giving alms and being generous are expressions of God’s righteousness. Faithlife Study Bible
Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Proverbs 11:24–25
There is one who scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who withholds more than is right,
But it leads to poverty.
The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.
In a world where exclusion is real, I choose the Gospel: “You belong. Your humanity is not up for negotiation. Your presence does not require anyone’s permission.”
I choose to be a witness.
And one of the gifts of wisdom the Buddhist monks offered to us these past weeks, is the permission—and the necessity—to embrace peace within.
“We walk not to protest, but to awaken the peace that already lives within each of us,” said Bhikkhu Pannakara, spiritual leader of the Walk for Peace.
Because here’s the deal: We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves. And as another monk reminded us, “Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.”
This makes sense. And is so important in a world where it is easy to be troubled, and “have no words.” Recently, people have shared with me, “I feel so powerless.”
This I know to be true: Uncertainty and insecurity take a toll on our emotional and mental and spiritual well-being.
I choose to be a witness… Yes. And it comes from being grounded in self-care. And self-care is a radical act of healing, resilience and well-being.
So. Where do we begin?
Well, a self-care plan isn’t a bad start.
This I know: I don’t want to shut down.
We begin with the essential reminder that care of any kind—engagement, service, kindness, generosity, ministry, teaching, compassion, gentleness, encouragement, healing, being a witness—is predicated on, and fueled by self care.
As “witnesses”—grounded in self-care—we offer coffee, and we make space.
We make space to see—I “see” you, and you belong here.
We make space to give wholeheartedly.
We make space to welcome those excluded and demeaned.
We make space to offer comfort or reprieve or hope.
We make space to speak truth to power, to not be silent about things that matter.
We make space to be Sabbath (sanctuary—self-care and self-love), in a world of disquiet, disruption, misgiving and cruelty. Sabbath Moment
“Dear God, May we come home to what is true within us. May we be grounded in love, steady in compassion, awake to our purpose, and willing to carry that light into the world. Amen.” Maria Shriver
1 John 1:9 (ESV) "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
The Apostle John wrote these words in a letter to the churches of Asia Minor, where people were exposed to many conflicting ideas about sin. False doctrines within the Church had begun to blur lines, denying or minimizing the reality of sin and removing the perceived need for confession. These heresies posed a serious threat to the core truths of the Christian faith.
In response, John wrote to refute these dangerous teachings and encouraged believers to get "back to the basics" of authentic Christianity, including the need to acknowledge their own sin (1 John 1:8). He also emphasized confession as a necessary step toward being made clean: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us ..." (1 John 1:9, emphasis added).
The Greek word for "sins" in this verse is hamartias, which literally means "to miss the mark." Confession acknowledges the distance between us and the mark: Jesus Himself. Hebrews 4:15 reminds us that Jesus was fully God and fully man on earth, and He faced every kind of testing yet did not sin. John, who walked closely with Jesus (1 John 1:1), personally witnessed what it meant to live in perfect truth and love. So he also understood the deep divide that sin creates between us and God ... because unlike Jesus, we are all imperfect and inevitably miss the mark. But through confession, we experience cleansing and restoration of our fellowship with God. Our Creator already knows everything about us (Psalm 139:1), and when we confess, we acknowledge and agree with this fact. We also acknowledge that He is "faithful and just" (1 John 1:9). He freely forgives us and replaces our guilt with deliverance and joy (Psalm 32:5-7). First5
Romans 5:6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. NKJV
Romans 5:6 For Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. New American Bible-Vatican
Jesus gives us His heart of compassion, mercy and ultimately His grace. It is the beginning of our walk with our triune God. May we offer all of His creation the peace only He can give. Carla
Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. NKJV
Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom we have gained access (by faith) to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God.
3 Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance,
4 and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope,
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us. New American Bible—Vatican
Peace here is not a subjective feeling of peace. Rather, this peace is the state of being at peace instead of at war. The hostility between God and the believer has ceased. The believer has been reconciled to God. To have access means “to approach,” as if by introduction into a king’s throne room. Believers have been granted admission to stand before God. Even though they were once rebels, they do not have to face His judgment. Instead they approach His throne in the realm of grace, or in the King’s favor.
Rejoice means “to boast” and hope means “expectation.” Believers boast in the sure expectation of the glory of God. They are confident, for God Himself has placed the Holy Spirit in their hearts.
Glory is the same Greek word that is translated “rejoice” in verse 2. Believers can rejoice, glory, and boast not only in their future hope but also in their present troubles. Tribulations refers to physical hardship, suffering, and distress. Perseverance means “endurance.” Trials and tribulation produce endurance when we exercise faith during those difficult times (James 1:2, 3). Such faith produces its own reward (Matthew 5:10–12; 2 Timothy 2:12).
Perseverance produces character, the quality of being approved. As believers endure tribulation, God works in them to develop certain qualities and virtues that will strengthen them and draw them closer to Him. The result is fortified hope in God and His promises.
The hope that believers have of their future glory with God will not disappoint them by being unfulfilled. They will not be put to shame or humiliated because of their hope.
The reason the believer can be so confident is that the love of God has been poured out. The moment a person trusts in Christ, that person receives the Holy Spirit (8:9), who constantly encourages them in their hope in God. The NKJV Study Bible
Paul has argued extensively that salvation comes only through faith. He assumes that conclusion here, using it as the starting point to expound on the implications of being declared righteous by God.
Paul uses this word peace similarly to how it is used throughout the Old Testament: to describe well-being, prosperity, safety from harm, and deliverance from enemies. This peace is more than just the absence of conflict; it is the result of having been declared righteous by faith (Ephesians 2:14–17; Colossians 1:20).
This grace in which we stand Indicates not only a past event, but also a present reality made possible by the work of Christ on the cross.
We boast refers to expressing trust in God to do what He promised. Paul uses a similar phrase to describe Abraham’s response of faith to God’s promise (Romans 4:20). Those who have faith like Abraham will not boast about their works (i.e., “good works” or “works of the law”); rather, they will boast in God’s power to provide despite human limitation and sinfulness. This stands in contrast to the idolaters (1:20–23).
Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, every believer experiences God’s love and therefore can have hope despite sufferings. Faithlife Study Bible
Romans 5:10–11 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,
Matthew 5:11–12 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Ephesians 2:18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Hebrews 3:6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end
In a world where exclusion is real, I choose the Gospel: “You belong. Your humanity is not up for negotiation. Your presence does not require anyone’s permission.”
I choose to be a witness.
And in my heart, I am so grateful for all the light spilling each day from the Buddhist monks, witnesses for a world where peace is possible. As they come to the end of their the 120-day, 2,300-mile journey, let us take to heart their reflections—honoring the reality that we are all on this journey together.
“These monks walk not for themselves, but for every child who deserves a future without conflict, and for every soul seeking a moment of calm. Even our silent four-legged friend knows that peace isn’t just a word—it’s a way of moving through the world together.
When we stand together in such numbers, our collective presence becomes a ‘Golden Ripple,’ reaching even the farthest corners of the earth.
Bring your heart. Bring your hope. Let’s show the world that kindness is still the most powerful force we have.”
(Thank you, Walk for Peace) SabbathMoments
We wait in the dawn
Until Your light is within us
Lord, let your deep joy
Shine out from our eyes
Grant that your wisdom
Will inspire us with brightness
Let the splendour of your glory
Glow out through our actions
Come and burn within us
Until we radiate your light
Capture our cold hearts
Set us ablaze with your love
Change us and we shall changed
Lord, fill us with the light of life...
David Adam
