Daily Archives: February 14, 2026

News and Info

From Benghazi to Bondi – the New GOP Turnout Machine

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Analysis of GOP strategies and accountability from Benghazi to current political challenges.

 

Earlier this month, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrest of Zubayr Al-Bakoush, one of the alleged leaders of the September 11, 2012, terrorist attack on the US Mission in Benghazi, Libya.

Fourteen years after the deaths of Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty, and Tyrone Woods, and serious injuries to mission security personnel David Ubben and Mark Geist, this is accountability far too long in coming, though nonetheless greatly welcome.

In 2014, I was part of a group that pressed for answers to the Benghazi disaster. We dubbed it the “Benghazi Accountability Coalition,” and through a “select” House committee that was established to investigate the attack and in many months following, we pursued that “accountability,” but mainly to little effect against an arrogant Obama administration and a wholly — and typically — unconcerned mainstream press.

This month’s apprehension is a perfect microcosm of the maddening and incessant frustration — not just of conservative activists such as myself — but of the American people. And it’s that elite arrogance and dismissiveness (as has been frequently noted in these intervening years) that led to the 2016 political primal scream that elected Donald Trump.

The egregious leadership failure on the part of then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama led directly to the Benghazi debacle. They have yet to answer for it. Or Hillary’s email scandal. Or the IRS targeting of conservative groups. Or the DOJ “Fast and Furious” gun-running scandal. Or the Russia Hoax. Or take your pick of a good half-dozen or more euphemized scandals.

So, forgive me if Pam Bondi and D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro making shop-worn declarations to hunt down the violators rings hollow. Where is the indictment of John Brennan? James Clapper? Peter Strzok? (In the interim, Strzok has even secured a settlement from the government for invading his privacy!) His co-FBI conspirator/adulterous snuggle-bunny Lisa Page? The promised re-indictment of James Comey? Again, the list is seemingly never-ending.

Republicans in Washington are in the typical mid-term panic of a majority party. They’re pinning their hopes on a rebounding economy carrying them in November. A couple little inconvenient reminders – bad economies didn’t torpedo Barack Obama in 2012 or produce the highly-touted anti-Biden mid-term “red wave” in 2022.

People are tired of seeing the “big shots” get away with it. Some commentators noted that it was perhaps not a coincidence that this arrest was announced the same day as Hillary and Bill Clinton made a deal to testify on their Epstein dealings before Congress. Maybe – maybe not. But as we’ve seen in his two terms now, Donald Trump is the embodiment of the little guy’s middle finger to the establishment. If Republicans know what’s good for them, they’d better hold Bill and Hill’s feet to the fire on Epstein, and that testimony had better be broadcast far and wide. And Trump, via Bondi, must get the political hacks in the dock and roll out the subpoenas and indictments, and in sufficient time to see some results – ideally, verdicts. You might call it Republican Lawfare.

A recovering – and ideally – booming economy is the standard political cure-all. But we’re not living in standard times – THAT is certainly an “80 percent poll question,” as is the popular reference today. Trump as middle-finger is no longer available as a choice this November, so for Republicans to become his proxy, voters must see some evidence.

As the president frequently inveighed during his first run, it’s HIGH time for him and the Republicans to “lock them (the Democrats) up!”

That is the REAL Republican turnout machine.

By Tommy Sears  | 7:00 AM on February 14, 2026

Source: From Benghazi to Bondi – the New GOP Turnout Machine – RedState

News and Info

Greenpeace, Europe, and the Challenge to American Courts

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Greenpeace challenges a US court verdict via EU laws, raising issues of judicial sovereignty and transatlantic legal trust.

 

In a troubling departure from longstanding legal norms, the environmental activist group Greenpeace has turned to the European Union in an effort to undo an unfavorable verdict rendered against it in the United States. If successful, the implications would extend well beyond the nullification of a judgment unanimously decided by a jury of our peers.

At the center of the dispute is the landmark Energy Transfer v. Greenpeace decision handed down in March 2025 by a North Dakota district court. A jury found Greenpeace International and several of its affiliates liable on several counts related to their involvement in the destructive Dakota Access Pipeline protests in 2016. Energy Transfer, the pipeline’s owner, was initially awarded $667 million in damages. Although the trial judge later reduced to $334 million, Greenpeace’s response was not confined to the ordinary appellate process.

Instead, during the trial, Greenpeace International filed a separate lawsuit in the District Court of Amsterdam, where the organization is headquartered. Invoking the EU’s newly enacted Anti-SLAPP Directive – a legal directive intended to deter lawsuits designed to suppress lawful public speech – Greenpeace accused Energy Transfer of pursuing an “unfounded and abusive” lawsuit, despite offering no new evidence beyond what had already been presented in the North Dakota proceedings.

Setting aside the shaky merits of the EU case, Greenpeace’s pursuit of parallel litigation represents an affront to judicial sovereignty. Our legal system provides established mechanisms for contesting adverse judgments, including post-trial motions and appellate review. Allowing any litigant to pursue a more favorable forum once a lawful judgment has been rendered undermines confidence in the judiciary by weakening its ability to provide finality. A nation’s courts must retain the authority to adjudicate disputes under their own laws without foreign second-guessing.

The doctrine of res judicata exists precisely for this reason. As a doctrine of finality, res judicata exists to bar parties from relitigating claims that have already been decided by a competent court. While limited exceptions do exist – most commonly where new evidence emerges or where enforcing a judgment would result in a clear and grave injustice – Greenpeace satisfies neither. The absence of new evidence is plain, and any claim of injustice is hindered by the court’s careful post-trial review and partial reduction of damages, which largely reaffirmed the jury’s findings.

As concerning are the ripple effects Greenpeace’s actions would have on transatlantic trust and commercial relations. According to Texas-based attorney Charles Meyer, transatlantic judicial respect has served as a bedrock principle of international law for centuries. When legal principles are weaponized for political retribution, that trust erodes, along with the willingness to honor mutually beneficial agreements like the $750 billion EU-US energy pact.

Faced with the prospect that lawful U.S. judgments can be undone abroad, it is no surprise that American energy companies would think twice before aiding our closest allies.

Our courts have a duty not only to deliver justice to those who appear before them, but to safeguard the authority of the judicial system itself. Judicial sovereignty is not a discretionary principle; it is a constitutional necessity. Allowing foreign courts to second-guess duly rendered American verdicts would weaken the rule of law at home, erode confidence abroad, and reward those who seek to evade accountability rather than respect it.

 

George Landrith | Feb 14, 2026

Source: Greenpeace, Europe, and the Challenge to American Courts

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – The Greatest of These Is Love: Love Never Fails

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NEW!Listen Now

Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:8

Recommended Reading: 1 Corinthians 13

The Washington Post carried an article about a paralegal named Mark Turner from Charlottesville, Virginia. He had a grinding daily commute—three hours each way—and it was hurting his marriage. He had little time or energy left for his wife. But he had a sudden moment of awakening, and he realized his family was more important than his job. He quit his high-paying job, took a lower-paying job nearby, and rediscovered the simple joys of unhurried mornings and family dinners. “The commute had beaten me,” he said, “but now I’m driving a new road.”1

When we love others, we make sacrifices for them. It sometimes takes a sudden moment of awakening, and such moments are usually prompted by the Lord and by circumstances. Can you think of one way you can improve the way you love a family member? Love never fails.

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Love is the cohesive force that holds the family together…. True love does not fail. It loves even as Christ loved the church, despite personality defects, physical blemishes and mental quirks.
Billy Graham

  1. Michael Leahy, “Driven to Extremes,” The Washington Post, June 3, 2007.

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – God’s Eternally Beloved

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I have loved you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3

Today’s Scripture

Jeremiah 31:1-4, 7, 9

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Today’s Devotional

One of the most dramatic and mysterious love letters of all time was penned by composer Ludwig van Beethoven and was only discovered after his death in 1827. The hastily handwritten letter is full of passionate lines like, “My eternally beloved . . . I can only live either wholly with you or not at all.” Tragically, it appears the letter was never sent, and his intended recipient remains unknown.

Beethoven’s letter is treasured by readers who can identify with his desperate yearning for love. We seek love and fulfillment in many people, things, and experiences that cannot fully satisfy. But far greater than a fleeting romance is the love of God for His covenant people, to whom He showed great love for the sake of all people. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God declared, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3). Because of His great love, God promised a future of rest and favor (v. 2) and the restoration of anything that was broken (v. 4). Despite their repeated rejection and rebellion, God vowed to bring them back to Himself (v. 9).

Many years later, that same everlasting love motivated Jesus to endure death for sinners, even before we ever returned His love (Romans 5:8). We don’t have to search for love or try to earn it. We’re already loved with an everlasting love!

Reflect & Pray

In what ways do you look for love on earth? How has God demonstrated His eternal love to you?

 

Loving God, I’m so grateful for the way You pursue me with an everlasting love.

How can we love each other the way God calls us to? Find out more by watching A Different Kind of Love.

Today’s Insights

God disciplined His chosen people because of their unfaithfulness. Jerusalem was destroyed and the Israelites exiled to Babylon (Jeremiah 1:14-16; 5:15-19; 6:22-23; 25:9-11). But once the discipline was complete, God brought them back from exile (30:8-17), restored their privileges as His chosen nation (vv. 18-24), and, most important, restored the people to Himself (ch. 31). He did this because of His special love and unmerited mercy. God is “Israel’s father and [Israel] is [his] firstborn son” (v. 9). He assured them, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” (v. 3). God’s discipline isn’t inconsistent with His love, for “the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (Proverbs 3:12). We can be assured that God loves us and pursues us with His everlasting love.

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Is your church a part of the friendship recession?

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How biblical, covenantal friendships can help

Friendships are on the decline, in quantity, but especially in quality. Due to the rise of social media and digital communication, modern relationships often lack depth, commitment, and longevity. The world seems to value individual preference, side hustles, pets, social media appearances, and hobbies over friendships.

These values can infiltrate the church, but so can prioritizing family and spouses at the expense of healthy, deep, covenantal friendships. First, let’s discuss the so-called “friendship recession,” then we can unpack how you and your church can combat it.

The friendship recession

This shift has occurred rapidly, although the phenomenon likely predates the technology. From 1975 to 2000, there was a 35 percent drop in having friends over and a 58 percent drop in club meeting attendance. This decline in America’s social fabric is only exacerbated by social media and casual friendships.

Unlike the friendships of previous generations, which often formed through shared life experiences, community engagement, and long-term interactions, friendships today tend to be more transactional and fleeting. The number of Americans with no close friends quadrupled from 4 percent to 12 percent over the period from 1990 to 2021. This decline has been called the “friendship recession.”

Broadly speaking, people who go to church regularly fare better in the friendship department. Church can be a wonderful place to make close relationships. Church involves a social gathering where folks have shared values—namely, the gospel—and engage in common activities like singing and discussing the Bible. Unfortunately, churches haven’t always capitalized on this fact.

Instead, the friendship recession has affected not only personal relationships but also how friendships are perceived within the church. Rather than being viewed as a crucial aspect of spiritual growth and Christian living, friendships have become secondary to romantic and familial relationships.

This modern neglect of deep, covenantal friendships has significant implications for the church.

When friendships are not prioritized or nurtured, churches can become fragmented, with individuals forming small, insular groups rather than functioning as a unified body. This lack of deep connection weakens communities, making it easier for people to leave their church for minor reasons or to seek fulfillment elsewhere.

If friendships were viewed through a covenantal lens—similar to the biblical examples of David and Jonathan, or even Jesus and His disciples—churches would foster a stronger sense of commitment, accountability, and support among their members.

Biblical examples of covenantal friendship

The Bible presents numerous examples of friendships that transcend cultural expectations and personal circumstances. Jonathan and David, for example, model the biblical picture of covenantal friendship. There are several moments when David and Jonathan show brotherly affection and make lifelong commitments to friendship, but this passage from 1 Samuel stands out:

Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lᴏʀᴅ, saying, ‘The Lᴏʀᴅ shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” (1 Samuel 20:42)

This kind of commitment has the potential to transform both individual lives and church communities. Their friendship was marked by unwavering loyalty, self-sacrifice, and deep emotional connection, demonstrating the power of covenantal love. Jonathan risked his own safety and position for David’s well-being, showing that true friendship often requires personal sacrifice.

In addition to David and Jonathan’s friendship, Jesus Himself modeled deep relational bonds with His disciples. He did not merely serve as their teacher; He called them friends (John 15:15). His love for them was sacrificial and enduring, as seen in His commitment to walking with them in their weaknesses, encouraging them, and ultimately laying down His life for them.

Similarly, the early church exemplified communal friendship in Acts 2:42-47, where believers devoted themselves to fellowship, shared their resources, and supported one another in radical ways.

These examples remind us that friendships in the Christian faith are not meant to be optional or superficial but integral to spiritual growth and community flourishing.

Does every friendship need to be covenantal?

Does every friendship need to be covenantal? In short, absolutely not.

Friendship is not a single category. We use the same word to describe people we occasionally see, people we share activities with, and people who carry our inner lives—but not all friendships are meant to hold the same emotional weight.

The difference between them is not primarily time spent, proximity, or shared interests; it is emotional posture: how open, exposed, and responsible two people are willing to be with one another.

Covenant friendship is not a higher-value human being but a deeper shared agreement. It cannot exist unilaterally. Close and covenant friendships only form when both people—implicitly or explicitly—agree that the relationship carries the next level of responsibility.

When intimacy is assumed without mutual clarity, it becomes high-liability rather than life-giving. Covenant friendship, at its core, is not about intensity or constant access, but about mutual commitment to presence, repair, and care across seasons of change.

As Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” While it’s important for every believer to have one to a few covenantal friendships, there’s no need to stress about making everyone into that kind of friend! It’s a rare, treasured thing that should be protected, cultivated, and celebrated.

How can your church encourage covenantal friendships?

Often, friendships within the church remain segmented along lines of age, marital status, or shared interests, rather than functioning as a holistic, intergenerational community. When friendships are not intentionally cultivated, they can lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection, weakening the overall fabric of the church.

However, if churches were to intentionally cultivate and encourage friendships across different groups—between singles and married couples, across generations, and even across cultural backgrounds—there would be a greater sense of unity and mutual encouragement in the body of Christ.

A culture of covenantal friendship would encourage members to commit to one another in love, fostering an environment where spiritual growth, accountability, and encouragement thrive. This shift would strengthen the church and provide a countercultural witness to a world that often undervalues deep, committed relationships.

To cultivate these kinds of friendships, we need to take practical steps:

  • First, churches should actively teach about the value of covenant friendships, incorporating it into sermons, Bible studies, and discipleship programs.
  • Second, believers should commit to spending intentional time with one another, prioritizing friendship in their schedules rather than relegating it to occasional interactions.
  • Third, accountability should be a natural part of these relationships, where friends encourage one another in faith, challenge each other to grow spiritually, and walk through trials together.
  • Lastly, churches should create spaces where friendships can naturally develop, such as small groups, mentorship programs, and intergenerational gatherings.

Reclaiming the biblical vision of covenantal friendship is essential for both personal and communal flourishing. Friendship, when understood as a covenantal relationship rather than a casual association, has the power to transform the church into a more unified, supportive, and spiritually mature body. By looking to biblical examples and intentionally investing in deep, Christ-centered friendships, we can cultivate a church community that reflects the eternal, relational joy of the kingdom of God.

As marriage fades away in eternity, friendships will remain, demonstrating the enduring nature of covenantal love. In a culture that often isolates individuals and prioritizes independence over interdependence, the church has the unique opportunity to reclaim friendship as a foundational element of Christian life. By doing so, we offer a glimpse of heaven: a

community united in love, bound by faith, and strengthened through covenantal friendship.

To whom can you offer that glimpse of heaven today?

 

Denison Forum

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – A Time to Move

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 Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground.’ 

—Exodus 14:15–16

Scripture:

Exodus 14:15–16 

Ecclesiastes 3 identifies various seasons of life: “A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance” (verses 2–4 NLT), to name just a few.

In Exodus 14:15–16, we find two more: a time to wait and a time to move. When the Israelites found themselves between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea, Moses seems to have misread that particular season of life. He believed it was a time to wait. He continued to cry out to the Lord. God helped him understand that it was a time to move.

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground’” (Exodus 14:15–16 NLT).

Knowing when to wait and when to move is one of the key aspects of discipleship. Waiting is essential. Waiting involves praying. And the apostle Paul wrote, “Never stop praying” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT).

But there comes a point when we don’t need to pray about something anymore. There comes a time when we need to act—that is, in the way that God would have us move. Let’s say a couple is having trouble in their marriage. The husband is praying for his wife to change. But maybe he should change his prayer instead. Maybe he should say, “Lord, help me to be the godly person you want me to be. Help me to do my part.” His wife, of course, needs to pray the same thing.

Maybe someone has wronged you or offended you. Maybe they’ve wounded you or insulted you. You want to forgive them. You’ve prayed about it. Now it’s time to do it. It doesn’t matter whether you’re feeling it. Just do it. The emotions most likely will follow when you take that step of obedience.

Maybe you’ve been praying for the salvation of a friend or a loved one. You’ve prayed for them for years and years. But have you shared the gospel with them? Maybe it’s their moment to come to Christ. Keep praying but do your part.

God was saying to Moses, “Stop crying to me. Stop praying about it. Get moving. The miracle is coming.”

When you’re led by the Lord, make your move. There’s a time to pray, and there’s a time to move.

Reflection Question: What would “making your move” look like in your life right now? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Greatest Love

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” (Genesis 22:2)

There are many types of love in the world—romantic love, marital love, erotic love, brotherly love, maternal love, patriotic love, family love, and love for all kinds of things—pets, food, money, sports, and on and on. But what is the greatest love?

Love is probably the greatest word of the Bible, and, by the principle of first mention of important biblical words, the first time the word “love” occurs should be a key to its use all through the Bible. Rather surprisingly, love is first encountered here in our text, speaking of the love of a father for his son, of Abraham for Isaac, the son of promise. Furthermore, the father is being told by the very God who made the promise to offer his beloved son as a sacrifice!

From the New Testament (see Hebrews 11:17–18), we know that this entire scene is a remarkable type of the heavenly Father and His willingness to offer His own beloved Son in sacrifice for the sin of the world. This tells us that the love of this human father for his human son is an earthly picture of the great eternal love of the Father in heaven for His only begotten Son.

And that means that this love of God the Father for God the Son is the ultimate source of all love, for that love was being exercised before the world began. When Jesus prayed to His Father the night before His sacrificial death, He confirmed this great truth: “for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world,” He prayed (John 17:24). Indeed, “God is love” (1 John 4:8), and the eternal love within the triune Godhead is the fountainhead of all true human love here on Earth. HMM

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Leave Yesterday Behind

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…One thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on….

Philippians 3:13-14 (AMPC)

Many times, before your feet even hit the floor in the mornings, the enemy begins to remind you of everything you did wrong the previous day or everything that didn’t work out well. In doing so, the enemy’s goal is to use yesterday to keep you from living today.

You don’t have to be afraid of repeating the past. If you believe God is greater than your sins, mistakes, and shortcomings, you will have the spiritual energy and the strength and the grace of God to help you press on and do better in the future. The dreams of your future have no room for the disappointments of the past. They will keep you stuck and weighed down.

Every day can be a new beginning if we make a determined decision to press on to achieve the greater things God has for us today. God’s mercy is greater than yesterday’s mistakes.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, thank You that Your mercy is greater than yesterday’s mistakes. Help me release the past, ignore the enemy’s lies, and press forward into the new beginnings You have for me today, amen.

 

Jesus heeded his fears. He still does. Jesus heeds the concern in the parent’s heart. After all, our kids were his kids first.  Even as they are ours, they are still his. We forget that fact. Wise are the parents who regularly give their children back to God. Parents, we can be loyal advocates, stubborn intercessors. And we can take our parenting fears to Christ.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Take Parenting Fears to Christ 

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Play

Parenting comes loaded with fears. Dangers buzz in the background. No parent can sit still while his or her child suffers.

Luke 8 tells us Jairus couldn’t. “Then a man named Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come home with him. His only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying” (Luke 8:41-42 NLT).

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – 2 Thessalonians: You Won’t Miss It

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Read 2 Thessalonians 2

For years I led trips to Israel for students. Often, we traveled in buses on tight schedules. It was important for the students to be in the bus on time, not to miss opportunities to see important sites by the end of the day. Each morning began with a gentle reminder that if they were too late, they might get left behind.

In his first letter to the Thessalonians Paul addressed the issue of Christians who had perished. In his second letter Paul addressed a different problem. It seems the word went around that Jesus had already returned, and they had missed Him (v. 2)! As you might imagine this was disconcerting. To make matters worse, Paul was aware that this rumor might have been backed up by people claiming to have spoken with him and maybe bearing false letters forged in his name (v. 2).

He answers by giving them prophetic insight into the future. After his conversion, Paul received direct revelation from Jesus (Gal. 1:12). Jesus revealed to Paul that certain things must come to pass before He would come back. The details were not so specific that someone could pinpoint the day when Jesus would return. However, they are specific enough to assure his readers that God had a plan. He expected his readers to be encouraged by this. They had no reason to be unsettled, because God was in control.

The events of the future would not roll out haphazardly. God’s sovereign hand was on the future! First, the “man of lawlessness” must appear (v. 3). He must set himself up in the Temple as God (v. 4). But until the time was right, he was being held in check (v. 6). The Thessalonians could stand firm in the knowledge that they would not miss Christ’s return.

Go Deeper

Do you look at the world around you and wonder how bad things will get before the Lord returns? Stand firm! Lawlessness will never ruin God’s plan. Extended Reading:

2 Thessalonians

 

Pray with Us

Jesus, like the Thessalonians, we eagerly await Your return! It gives us great joy to know that You hold our future in Your hands, and we are secure in You. Teach us to always walk worthy of Your kingdom.

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled.2 Thessalonians 2:1–2

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/