FRIDAY

2 hours ago15 min read

FRIDAY 3, [7], 25

Verses for today:

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Mark 16:15 KJV

The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17 KJV

A friend loveth at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 17:17 KJV

For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

Hebrews 4:10 KJV

bless them that curse you and pray for them which despitefully use you.

Luke 6:28 KJV

Alberta Reports 39% DECLINE in Opiod Deaths!

Alberta earmarks $180m for involuntary drug treatment sites

Alberta reported a 39 per cent decline in opioid deaths in the first ten months of 2024

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said there were two key ways to fight the opioid crisis. She said one is through policing, which she said is being addressed through her border security plan to stop fentanyl flowing over the border.

Smith said the second way was to focus on the victims, by emphasizing recovery.

Despite Alberta leading the country, Williams said it isn’t enough for those who are unwilling or unable to find a way into treatment.

He cited a case where an individual overdosed 186 times in one year—a figure he said is likely even higher, as not all overdoses are reported.

Smith previously warned of safe supply drugs seeping into Alberta from B.C.

Police in B.C. warned that so-called “safe supply” drugs were being sold on the street. Police made a similar warning in London, Ont.

Patrick Bestall

Tested over Ukraine:

Bloomberg POLITICS

Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven’t yet, sign up here.Donald Trump’s relationship with Vladimir Putin is about to get its first big test on Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Top US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, their first direct talks since the US president paused military aid to Kyiv and intelligence-sharing after his White House blow-up with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

European officials say they’ve been told Trump wants Kyiv to commit to a quick ceasefire as a condition for concluding a US-Ukraine deal to exploit the country’s natural resources.

Zelenskiy will be in Riyadh on Monday to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who hosted the first US-Russia talks last month. Ukrainian acceptance of the US demands would require Trump to get President Putin to commit to a ceasefire.

So far, Putin has shown no interest in doing that.

Trump has positioned himself as a mediator seeking to push both sides to the negotiating table, to the consternation of nervy Europeans who point out that Putin started the war. He has demanded plenty of concessions from Kyiv and practically none from Moscow.

Zelenskiy said yesterday a ceasefire in the sky that stops missile and drone attacks and on the Black Sea could be “initial steps” toward a settlement. That mirrors plans advanced by the UK and France for a one-month truce that might be followed by deployment of European troops as peacekeepers.Russia flatly rejects any European forces in Ukraine. Overnight, Ukraine said Russian missiles and drones targeted energy infrastructure nationwide.

Putin may accept an air-and-sea truce while intensifying land attacks in eastern Ukraine to seize more territory. He told a group of war widows yesterday that “we will not give up what is ours.”

If Trump fails to persuade Putin to make even that limited concession, however, his strategy to end the war may founder before it really starts. — Tony Halpin

GLOBAL Must Read:

China’s top diplomat accused Trump of taking a hypocritical approach to bilateral ties and denounced tariffs as tensions rise between the world’s largest economies. Foreign Minister Wang Yi defended his nation’s actions on stemming the flow of fentanyl to the US today, accusing the Republican leader of using the issue as a pretext to pressure his government.

Armed men affiliated with Syria’s toppled regime carried out surprise attacks on the port city of Latakia and other Mediterranean areas, killing dozens in the fiercest confrontations since the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in December. The death toll reached 48 from both sides, including four civilians.

Trump exempted Mexican and Canadian goods covered by the North American trade agreement known as USMCA from his 25% tariffs until April 2, offering major reprieves to the US’s two largest trading partners. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s calculated and technocratic approach — once seen as such a political weakness that her opponent in the election branded her the “Ice Queen” — turns out to be a key strength in dealing with Trump.

From his speech accusing European leaders of “running in fear from their own voters” in Munich to his dismissal of their military capabilities, US Vice President JD Vance has quickly emerged as chief antagonist in the eyes of officials across the continent. He’s also a prominent reminder that Trumpism and its skepticism of US allies will likely outlast the sitting president.

A billionaire tech entrepreneur who used his wealth and influence to help Trump win the presidency has deep connections to the new administration’s efforts to remake the government. His name? Peter Thiel. While Elon Musk’s acolytes have fanned out across Washington under the banner of the Department of Government Efficiency, more than a dozen people with ties to Thiel have been folded into the Trump administration.

An Egyptian proposal for the reconstruction of Gaza backed by leaders of Arab countries doesn’t meet the “nature of what President Trump was asking for,” the State Department said.

Trump signed an executive order calling for the creation of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a separate stockpile of other digital assets ahead of a White House meeting with about two dozen crypto-industry executives today.

Japan is joining Germany in continuing to support Indonesia’s energy transition following the exit of the US from a $20 billion initiative to help one of Asia’s biggest polluters shift away from fossil fuels.

Sign up for the Washington Edition newsletter for news from the US capital and watch Balance of Power at 1 and 5 p.m. ET weekdays on Bloomberg Television.

In Iran, there is a growing debate between different factions over whether the country may finally need to build a nuclear deterrent to guarantee its security. With the rules-based international order looking more fragile as the US government eschews multilateralism and diplomatic norms, more countries are asking themselves whether they, too, need a deterrent of their own, says Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

And Finally

Argentine artist Mariano ‘Tute’ Di Tella’s custom-made chainsaws have come to symbolize the radical change that made President Javier Milei famous around the world. Milei gifted an aluminum and bronze example to Musk last month that had Viva La Libertad Carajo! — Long Live Freedom, Dammit! — burned into the metal with a laser. Now, Di Tella is preparing his next project: building one for Trump.

Pop quiz (no cheating!). The economy minister of which country was removed in a parliamentary vote as criticism mounted of the government over its handling of economic troubles and a sharp currency depreciation? Send your answers to balancepower@bloomberg.net

More from Bloomberg

· Economics Daily for what the changing landscape means for policymakers, investors and you
· Green Daily for the latest in climate news, zero-emission tech and green finance
· Check out our Bloomberg Investigates film series about untold stories and unraveled mysteries
· Next China for dispatches from Beijing on where China stands now — and where it’s going next
· Next Africa, a twice-weekly newsletter on where the continent stands now — and where it’s headed
· Explore more newsletters at Bloomberg.com.

BLOOMBERG

EVANGELISM – ‘A PERFECT EXAMPLE’!

Have you ever wanted to share your faith but just felt too nervous and was even unsure as to how to get the conversation started?You're not alone! Please keep reading...This was the question asked on our recent YouTube evangelism video, which was titled “A PERFECT Example of How to Casually Share Your Faith with Strangers”. (Obviously Jesus is the only PERFECT evangelist, but we do thank God for Keith's faithful example!).In this video, EETN Trainer Keith and Trainee Devin engage in a friendly gospel conversation with Neil and Leon.

CLICK TO WATCH "A PERFECT Example" video, which now has over 200K views!

At first glance, Neil and Leon looked like they wouldn’t be interested—they were on their phones, smoking, and had serious demeanors. But as Keith followed the Spirit’s prompting (and TCC’s training tips), to everyone’s surprise they were not only receptive, but actually appreciative of the conversation.

The non-confrontational approach Keith took has resonated with thousands of people, who left comments like these:

We praise God that as you read this update this video has gone viral with more than 200,000 views, and has also helped our YouTube channel gain 4,400 new subscribers in just 30 days! That's quadruple the amount we had previously! Admittedly, the constant temptation with YouTube is creating sensational or confrontational content to gain more views and likes. However, as Scripture reminds us, "... the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil " (2 Timothy 2:24, ESV).

One of the most amazing moments in Keith’s conversation came at the very end. Neil shared how that earlier that morning, he had a desire to read the Old Testament—something he said never happens. Praise God the Spirit for bringing them together with our evangelists and for graciously guiding the entire gospel conversation!

We can all take away three important reminders from this evangelism encounter:

1. Not to judge by appearances. Despite people’s appearances, God may already be working in their heart, preparing them to hear the Gospel.

2. The Internet has the power to amplify evangelism. Our channel's rapid growth reminds us that faithful Gospel conversations can reach far beyond our immediate surroundings and impact thousands.

3. We are setting an example for believers. We must resist the temptation of sensationalization to gain followers. Rather, by exampling gentle, biblical evangelism, we'll encourage and equip more believers to share their faith.

If you haven’t yet, please CLICK HERE and take just 2 minutes to check it out!

Please also remember to Like & Subscribe to our channel so we can continue equipping more Christians and engaging more non-Christians with our gospel outreach media content.Finally, we also pray that Keith’s “perfect example” inspires you to step out in faith to start a gospel conversation with the lost in your life! Because after all, you never know how the Holy Spirit might already be working in their hearts!We thank God for you and your partnership in His gospel!

Because Canada needs Christ,

Daniel

Daniel Bayssassew is a Missionary Evangelist with The Cross Current. Having accumulated extensive experience in media production and conversational evangelism, the Lord is using Daniel to equip the Church to engage the culture through our gospel outreach media ministry.

Connect with Daniel directly at: daniel@thecrosscurent.com

Prayer Pleas

· Please pray for Daniel as he edits episodes for our "EETN Test Drivers Competition" docuseries being released on our YouTube channel April 11th.
· Please pray that more Christians will be equipped for evangelism and more lost saved by earing the gospel through our gospel outreach media content.
· Please pray that we will be faithful stewards of our growing YouTube channel.

The Cross Current

CHRIST for your CITY:

We want to inform and exhort you of this crucial call to prayer! Thank you for responding as the Lord leads you by using the link below.

Love & Kingdom Blessings,

MIchael & Ann Pierce

HOLY CONVOCATION:

40 Days of Fasting & Prayer March 9 to April 18, 2025

Dear Global family,

As a family in Canada, the Lord has challenged us to a corporate 40 days of fasting and prayer from March 9th to April 18th. As we prepare for this sacred assembly, many have felt this is not just for the Church in Canada but for His Body globally. There is an invitation in the Spirit to come up higher - together. We invite you as families, leaderships, churches, nations to consider the charge of the Lord for this time in the following Holy Convocation.

The Watchmen team

_______________________________

The voice of the Lord resounds, issuing a solemn charge to His Church globally:

It is time for a HOLY CONVOCATION—an appointed moment for divine intervention.

There is a time for everything: a time for peace and a time for war, a time to come in and a time to go out.

The Lord awakens us with a resounding question:

“What time is it?”

It is time to:

*"Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; Bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, 'Spare your people, Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” -- Joel 2:15-17

We hear the Lord calling His Church to 40 days of corporate fasting and prayer from 6pm March 9 to 6pm April 18, 2025.

This is not an individual consecration—this is a corporate call.

As ONE body, we come to the altar in repentance, aligning with His time, His ways, His sovereign plan and His holy desires. This is a Holy Turning and RE- turning to the Lord as He brings us into a transformation.

The Charge is Clear: Fast all you consume, and consume Me. Hear My voice and obey. Give Me your TIME. “All we consume” is not just food—it is everything that takes our attention, focus, and mental space.

We hear the Lord is saying:

“I challenge you to make ROOM for Me in a radical way. Fast everything that consumes your time, and let Me consume you.”

How Can We Engage Together?

Set times of corporate prayer and fasting— whether in small groups or larger gatherings at the altar.

· Open your homes
· Set weekly prayer times
· Gather with friends
· Pray as families
· Join as local churches
· Unite as cities and regions—open your churches
· Free your evenings, free your lunch breaks — make room for the Lord
· Ask Him what He desires and give it to Him
· Fast food and stay light (for fasting guidance, refer to the provided resource document)

May the fear of the Lord and our longing to give Him what He desires take the highest place in our lives. May our ways be reformed to His ways.

May fresh oil and fresh fire increase on the altar of the Lord in our nations.

May our hunger for the Bridegroom never run dry but be increasing evermore until the Spirit and the Bride say come, Lord Jesus, come .

Share this Holy Convocation with your families, your churches, your friends.

Share with us how you’re participating! How is the Lord leading you? How are you gathering?

If you receive a corporate word from the Lord, a testimony, or a verse to share, we’d love to hear from you.

Email us at share@watchmen.org

GLOBE & MAIL:

Morning Update:

Trudeau’s era ends

Good morning. Donald Trump’s aggression has brought out an unusual bluntness in Justin Trudeau, who will be replaced as Liberal leader on Sunday. More on that below, along with a rise in measles cases and a tone-deaf Meghan Markle series. But first:

Today’s headlines

· Trump partly waives 25-per-cent tariffs on Canada and Mexico until April 2
· Trudeau and his cabinet are approving dozens of appointments in the government’s final days
· The RCMP launches a probe into contracting allegations in Alberta’s health care system

POLITICS

A shifting Canadian Political Landscape

Hi, I’m Shannon Proudfoot, a feature writer in The Globe’s Ottawa bureau. On Sunday, the Liberals will count the votes and announce their new party leader. That will mean curtains on something set into motion two months ago: the end of the Justin Trudeau era.

Liberals were wandering the political wilderness before he became leader in 2013, and since he swept them to a majority victory in 2015 and two subsequent minority governments, the party has arguably functioned as more of a cult of personality, with its tone, decision-making and influence centred tightly on the Prime Minister and his inner circle. So this is a seismic change.

Trudeau’s final moments as leader and Prime Minister have unfolded amid the threat of punishing tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump. For weeks, there was a sort of strategic, careful politesse to what the Prime Minister said about Trump and his threats against Canada. But as the tariffs came into force this week, Trudeau got rather blunt in his assessment of the situation.

“What he wants is to see a total collapse of the Canadian economy, because that’ll make it easier to annex us,” is how Trudeau assessed the President’s true goals. He also explicitly linked the tariffs to Trump’s support of “lying, murderous dictator” Vladimir Putin, challenging the world (or maybe Trump?) to “Make that make sense.” This seemed designed to underline the generalized madness of Trump’s actions, and to make the case that the attack on Canada today could be any other country tomorrow.

It’s impossible to tell whether this saying-the-quiet-part-loud approach is because the Prime Minister has one foot out the door or because there was no point in walking on eggshells any more once the full force of Trump’s aggression had come into play. Trudeau has generally not been a politician given to directness or clarity.

In a broader sense, it’s been fascinating to watch how these simultaneous huge shifts in the Canadian political landscape – Trudeau exiting, a leadership contest to choose his successor and the bellowing threats against Canada emanating from the White House – have reshaped how citizens see things that looked carved in stone not long ago.

Polls that had been lodged for a year and a half with fat Conservative leads suddenly started to shift over the past two months. The average gap between the Tories and Liberals shrank from more than 20 points to single digits, and a handful of major polls even showed the Liberals sneaking ahead for the first time since 2023.

It’s not clear yet exactly what Canadians are reacting to.

Is it Trudeau finally stepping down, taking some of the pent-up incumbent resentment with him? Is it the fear and stress of what the tariffs will mean for the Canadian economy, and the corresponding search for someone who seems like a steady hand to manage that? Is Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre becoming a less-appealing prospect?

The steepness of the shift almost guarantees some regression, but it remains to be seen where things even out.

Already, a Leger poll out this week shows the Conservatives recovering some of their lead, and a small three-point gap in people’s willingness to vote for a Liberal Party led by former central banker Mark Carney vs. one led by Trudeau.

While the winner will take over the party leadership on Sunday, that person becoming prime minister is a separate process, though Trudeau has indicated that it will happen soon after, once he and his successor agree on a plan.

The opposition parties have vowed to bring down the minority government at their first opportunity, and the House of Commons is set to return from prorogation on March 24, which means Canada would be launched into an election campaign days later.

Carney, the front-runner for the leadership, suggested he would dissolve Parliament and trigger an election campaign himself rather than waiting to be defeated in the House. Rival Chrystia Freeland said that if she wins, she’ll meet premiers and territorial leaders, as well as business and union leaders, to seek their thoughts on whether she should go to the polls.

All of this means that whatever public opinion is doing and whatever is fuelling that as the Trudeau Liberal era ends, the next one begins, and Trump looks at Canada with wolf eyes from across the border, we won’t have to wait long to find out what Canadians think about it all.

Ride-alongs with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Atlanta and Colorado show Trump’s crackdown at work, as migrants fear for the worst – regardless of whether they came to the United States illegally or not. This is what an ICE raid looks like.

The Wrap

What else we’re following

At home: Canada’s cybersecurity protection agency is warning that China, Russia and Iran are all very likely to use AI in an effort to interfere with the coming federal election.

Abroad: As new atrocities against civilians are reported in Sudan, Canada announces its toughest-ever sanctions on the the two highest-ranking leaders in the war.

Bad news: Canada’s top public-health officer warns of more measles cases and local transmission as families head into the spring travel season.

Bad views: The new Netflix series from Meghan Markle – sorry, it’s Meghan Sussex now – is a royal blunder, Johanna Schneller writes.

The Decibel podcast

New episode

How Trump’s imperialism is reshaping global alliances

Recent episodes

1. A carve out in the trade war – is this the first of many?

2. What Canada did day one of the trade war

All EPISODES

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/the-decibel/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Morning%20Update&utm_content=2025-3-7_6&utm_term=Morning%20Update%3A%20Trudeau%E2%80%99s%20era%20ends&utm_campaign=newsletter&cu_id=KCSNw9NkcX2%2BZBiNTAjh%2FrTgRxlyDX0W

GLOBE & Mail

This Is Brilliant

Watch Epstein Celebs Get ROASTED by Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais Jeffrey Epstein Clip Goes Viral After List Released

Footage of Ricky Gervais taking aim at the rich and famous for their ties to Jeffrey Epstein has gone viral, after many of the names of former associates, employees, friends and victims of the deceased sex offender were released.

The names were unsealed from a lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre, an alleged trafficking victim, against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend. Maxwell, 62, is serving a 20-year prison sentence after she was convicted in December 2021 of helping Epstein recruit and sexually abuse underage girls.

Many of those whose names appear in the documents released on Wednesday aren't accused of wrongdoing or have been mentioned previously in legal proceedings or news accounts. Despite persistent assertions across social media, the documents released on Wednesday are not an Epstein "client list."

In December, U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska found no legal justification for continuing to withhold the names of as many as 175 individuals allegedly connected with Epstein, ordering the unsealing to begin from January 1.

Much more details at this LINK: https://www.newsweek.com/jeffrey-epstein-ricky-gervais-full-list-lolita-express-golden-globes-1857688