Daily Devotional Preaching

The new home secretary, Priti Patel, has been criticised after she said she wants criminals “to literally feel terror” once she begins her law and order reforms. Is this the right approach? Mark and Pete have the answers.

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Nayib Bukele was elected president of El Salvador this past February. At the age of 37, he is the youngest president ever elected in El Salvador, and the youngest president in Central America. He has little political experience prior to this election, having only served briefly as a mayor. He is a successful businessman who had no ultimate desire to run for president.

Yesterday in El Salvador, President Bukele addressed a conference of pastors, businessmen and businesswomen, and local leaders. The day before, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the presidential palace. He and Bukele announced joint efforts between the United States and El Salvador to confront drug trafficking, reduce pressures on immigration and pursue joint economic development.

At today's conference, instead of highlighting the successful state visit, Bukele delivered a personal testimony on his feelings about government. He told the story about being of Palestinian heritage and finding purpose in Christianity. He was a successful businessman by the age of 29, making more money than he ever dreamed. He had no desire to be a politician. He served as mayor to give back to his community as many self-sacrificing people do. Service on city councils, school boards and city task forces are often thankless jobs.

Last year, Bukele was approached by a group of pastors who told him they had received a spiritual message that he should run for president. His response was as you might expect: "No way; you've got to be kidding." Later, another group approached him with the same prophecy. He thought it odd, but this time took note. As the deadline for making a decision about running for president neared, he was approached a third time. These pastors were certain they were correct in their message to him. They asked him to prayerfully consider a run. When they pressed him for an answer, they told him they would respectfully accept his decision. He again told them no.

Bukele struggled with his final decision. Soon thereafter, another pastor whom he did not know advised him not to "fall into the fourth place." When asked to expand on what he meant, the pastor said it was missing God's call on your life. Bukele then decided to reconsider and filed for the office of presidency.

In the opening days of the campaign, Bukele fell into disagreement with his political party. They threatened to kick him out of the party, which would eliminate his position on the ballot. He stood his ground, and the party expelled him. In his testimony to the audience, he said he asked God: "Why would You lead me to this point if You wanted me to run? Why did You allow this to happen?" He paused and then referenced the fact that God did not answer him.

As was the normal in this scenario, a stranger turned up at the campaign headquarters and explained that Bukele could still get on the ballot with 50,000 citizens' signatures on a petition. He had no idea how to obtain them. The stranger said, "We'll take care of it." Forty-eight hours later, 200,000 people had signed a petition for his candidacy. When advised of this, the campaign manager thought they had said 20,000 because even that seemed like an unrealistic number.

Bukele won the general election with 53% of the vote, trouncing all party candidates at one time. No individual had won the presidency in that country since 1972 without a major party endorsement. On the night of the election, he was still surprised at the results. In discussions with his spiritual leaders, he was asked, what makes you think God needs a political party?

Since his election, Bukele has instituted more reforms than all presidents of the previous 49 years combined. For instance, he swept all prisons of cell phones so inmates could not direct illegal activity outside of the prison walls. Funny, no one ever thought of that before. before!

After his speech today, Bukele attended lunch with a smaller group of us. He told us that he had no...

Boris Johnson, the U.K.’s newprime minister, is a charismatic and sometimes controversial figure that already divides his own party and the British public alike but put in a storming performance at his first outing in Parliament as PM. Will he deliver Brexit?

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President Donald Trump has disavowed the "send her back" chants directed at Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar by his supporters at a campaign rally. A pro-Brexit activist has admitted to public order offences after calling MP Anna Soubry a Nazi outside Parliament. When do words matter?

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The United States plans to land astronauts on the moon within the next five years, Vice President Mike Pence announced today (March 26).

The nation had been shooting for a 2028 lunar touchdown, but "that's just not good enough," Pence said during the fifth meeting of the National Space Council (NSC), which he chairs. "We're better than that." So, it is now the official policy of the United States to return astronauts to the surface of the moon by 2024. Let's celebrate the achievements in space travel and look to the futrure - is science fiction becoming science fact?

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NASA’S historic Moon landing on July 20, 1969, placed the first human being on a world other than our home planet – but was the incredible achievement worth the incredible cost it incurred? And should we be sending more people up there or spending money on needs on earth?

The Metropolitan Police has said it “respects the rights of the media” but that the publication of Sir Kim Darroch’s leaked emails could be criminal and is not in the public interest. What does prospective Prime Minister Boris Johnson have to do with this? Is this a disaster or the removal of a problemmatic diplomat?

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British independent journalist Tommy Robinson could face jail time after being found in contempt of court for live-streaming footage of defendants in a 2018 criminal trial. Is this right, is he guilty. And what of the court process, is there something sinister going on here?

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This week's meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the G20 in Argentina may not achieve a trade breakthrough but is Trumps longterm strategy wise? Have your say in the comments.

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“In the early hours of Friday morning, I answered a phone call from a takeaway food delivery driver. At the same time, I heard what sounded like shouting coming from the street.

“I went downstairs, on the phone to the driver, and collected my food. On the way back into my flat, it became clear that the shouting was coming from a neighbour’s flat [where Boris Johnson was staying]. It was loud enough and angry enough that I felt frightened and concerned for the welfare of those involved, so I went inside my own home, closed the door, and pressed record on the voice memos app on my phone." Is this one scandal too many for Boris Johnson in his bid to become Tory leader and Prime Minister? Let us know your views in the commetns.

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