#ourCOG Daily Brief [November 16, 2025]

Good evening, and welcome to #ourCOG Daily Brief for November 16, 2025.

Today in U.S. news, the government has reopened after a 43-day shutdown, though questions remain about how quickly federal operations can return to normal. Meanwhile, House Democrats have released emails from Jeffrey Epstein reportedly referencing President Trump, a claim the White House dismisses as a “selective leak” designed to create a false narrative. The contentious shutdown saw eight Senate Democrats break ranks to vote with Republicans, sending the measure to the House. In other news, immigration courts are undergoing significant changes under the Trump administration, aiming to speed up removals and increase detentions. On a cultural front, Howard University is leading efforts to preserve the invaluable history of the Black press, uncovering treasures like Frederick Douglass’s *The North Star*. Internationally, the USS Gerald R. Ford has arrived in the Caribbean, marking a major military buildup near Venezuela, raising questions about what comes next. Federal immigration enforcement has also begun in Charlotte, leading to arrests, with officials citing public safety concerns while local leaders express worry about unnecessary fear. Finally, hopes for a new diplomatic era between Israel and Syria are dimming, as Israeli raids and arrests, along with expanded occupation, continue to trouble residents of Syria’s Golan Heights.

Turning to our recent video content, we’ve had some inspiring broadcasts. You can catch up on “Baptism Sunday” featuring special guest Steven Marjerison at the 11:15 service, our regular “Sunday Service” available Sundays at 9:30 AM & 11:30 AM EST from citylife church, and “Join us now for this morning’s worship experience!” which was our 11 AM EST service.

From our FaithNews RSS feed, we’ve seen several important updates. Robeck is set to present the Azusa Lecture on Evangelism at Azusa Street Mission. “Decision Point” is confronting America’s cultural lies, while the “Our Faith, Our Family, Our Freedom Conference” is scheduled for Atlanta from November 6-8, 2025. Additionally, the Ministry to Israel’s “Lone Soldier Program” is actively looking to welcome one of the hostages.

In prophecy news, a remarkable trend is emerging as people worldwide, once disengaged from the church, are now searching for stability, meaning, and spiritual truth. While this appears to be good news, the crucial question remains: which God are they finding? We’re also following reports that Iran is suspected of seizing an oil tanker, the Talara, from international waters. Closer to home, a conservative watchdog group has urged House Speaker Mike Johnson to garnish Rep. Ilhan Omar’s salary to cover her student loans. This comes after Omar herself brushed off deportation threats, stating she could “go live wherever” she wanted, while the IAEA continues to demand uranium inspections in Iran.

Finally, in Jewish history, we look to November 17th. On this day in 9 CE, Titus Flavius Vespasianus, better known as Vespasian, was born. He famously put down the Judean Revolt and was responsible for the destruction of the Second Temple. Later, in 284 CE, Diocletian was proclaimed emperor. Jewish tradition recounts that in his youth, Diocletian was a swineherd. After becoming emperor, he spent time in Tiberias, where enemies of the Jewish people accused them of disrespectfully referring to him as ‘the swineherd.’ This incident led to the emperor demanding that Jewish leaders account for their alleged slander.