KOENIG

Pope Francis, the Argentine Jesuit who became the first Roman Catholic pontiff from the Americas, has died, the Vatican said Monday. He was 88.

Francis, who was elected the church’s 266th pope after the retirement of Benedict XVI in 2013, was born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio in the middle-class neighborhood of Flores in Buenos Aires on Dec. 17, 1936.

He was the first Jesuit pope and the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere. He was the first person from outside Europe selected to lead the church in nearly 1,300 years, after Pope Gregory III of Syria, who was chosen in 731.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance met briefly with Pope Francis on Sunday to exchange Easter greetings, after they got into a long-distance tangle over the Trump administration’s migrant deportation plans.

Francis... received Vance in one of the reception rooms of the Vatican hotel...

“I know you have not been feeling great but it’s good to see you in better health,” Vance told the pope. “Thank you for seeing me.”

Pope Francis reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in an Easter Sunday message read aloud by an aide as the pontiff, still recovering from pneumonia, looked on during a brief appearance on the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

In the Easter message, the pontiff said the situation in Gaza was “dramatic and deplorable”. The pope also called on Palestinian militant group Hamas to release its remaining hostages and condemned what he said was a “worrisome” trend of antisemitism in the world.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night pledged to continue the war against Hamas until all objectives are met, rejecting recent ceasefire proposals that would leave the terror group in power in Gaza.

“Our war is not over,” Netanyahu declared in a nationally televised statement. “We will not end this war before destroying Hamas, returning all our hostages, and ensuring Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel.”

Rejecting calls to halt the fighting, Netanyahu said Israel would not accept Hamas’s demands, which he said include full IDF withdrawal, a ceasefire and reconstruction funding that would allow the group to rearm.

A senior Israeli official has acknowledged that if the US and Iran sign a new nuclear deal, it will become "much harder" for Israel to carry out military action against Iran's nuclear program. Nevertheless, he stressed that despite the political difficulty that such a deal would create, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not hesitate to act, even with President Donald Trump in the White House.

By Tania Curado-Koenig

Returning to America this week—on my first international trip since the elections—I sensed something profound had changed. In the spirit, it was unmistakable. The atmosphere has shifted. America is not the same.

There is a tangible sense of breakthrough—strongholds breaking, darkness lifting, and angelic activity intensifying. You can feel it. You can see it if your spirit is tuned. As Scripture declares:

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12)

Since the inauguration, laws have been signed by the President of the United States that disrupted dark spiritual agendas. Doors long held open to unrighteousness were suddenly shut. In their place, new declarations were made—ones that honor truth, righteousness, and freedom of belief.

We’re receiving reports from pastors who have labored day and night alongside senior government officials, including the President and the Secretary of State. These are not vague impressions—they are testimonies from the front lines of intercession and influence.

Just this Wednesday, during a time of intense prayer with a believer working inside the U.S. State Department, we cried out for justice, exposure, and the end of oppressive agendas. Within two hours of that prayer, 200 employees—those directly involved in deplatforming Americans for expressing dissent from radical DEI ideologies—were fired and walked out.

Then, only three hours later, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued an extraordinary internal directive across the entire State Department and every U.S. embassy in the world. He requested that every employee come forward with any experience of religious discrimination—specifically as Christians. He urged them to report, in full detail, the incidents, individuals involved, and the impact.

One of our dear friends, working closely on the Israel desk, is now drafting his formal report. He’s been deeply affected by both the actions and the hostility toward faith that has been allowed to fester inside the system. That discrimination has not only harmed individuals—it has weakened America’s moral clarity and our covenantal relationship with Israel.

Now, for the first time, he will have the opportunity to speak truth—to document what has happened, and to testify.

And this is what I believe with all my heart: the same power that raised Christ from the dead is now at work in our nation.

As Paul wrote:

“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…”

(Philippians 3:10)

…and that same resurrection power is at work in you, in your home, and in the very atmosphere around you.

This is Resurrection Sunday. And this is resurrection power.

We are witnessing the mercy of God in motion.

We are seeing light break through the shadows.

We are living in days when prayer is shifting policy.

PRAISING JESUS FOR SUCH REPORTS!

Let every believer rise with boldness. Let the Church awaken to her hour.

He is risen—and He is moving.

I. The Pattern of Passover: Obedience Brings Protection

In Exodus 12, every family in Israel was saved—not by religion, lineage, or heritage—but by one thing: the blood of the lamb applied in obedience.

The lamb was slain. The blood was in the basin. But it did not protect a single soul until it was transferred—by faith and obedience—to the doorposts of their homes. And the transfer came through something simple: a little bunch of hyssop.

That hyssop represents something powerful in our lives today: our testimony.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:7:
“Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.”

His blood has been shed. The sacrifice is complete. But just like Israel, we must still apply the blood—not with literal hyssop, but by the word of our testimony.

II. Testimony: The Hyssop in Your Hand

Revelation 12:11 gives us heaven’s battle strategy:
“They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…”

Your confession—when it agrees with God’s Word—is not just helpful. It is essential. It is what transfers the blood from basin to doorpost. It brings the finished work of the cross into living reality.

No confession, no High Priest.
No testimony, no overcoming.
No alignment with God’s Word, no legal authority in the spirit realm.

You must speak what the blood has done. And you must speak it in faith.

III. The Sevenfold Sprinkling of His Blood: Fulfilled at the Cross

In the Old Testament, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would sprinkle blood seven times before the presence of God (Leviticus 16). Every drop was prophetic. Every act pointed to Messiah.

Jesus fulfilled it—precisely and painfully—through His suffering:

1. In the Garden of Gethsemane – His sweat became great drops of blood (Luke 22:44)
2. At the high priest’s house – They struck His face with rods (Mark 14:65)
3. They plucked His beard – Tearing skin and drawing blood (Isaiah 50:6)
4. He was scourged – Flesh torn by bone-laced Roman whips (John 19:1)
5. A crown of thorns – Pierced into His scalp (Matthew 27:29–30)
6. Nails in His hands and feet – Crucifixion (John 20:25)
7. A spear in His side – Blood and water flowed (John 19:34)

Each wound fulfilled Isaiah’s words:
“He poured out His soul unto death” (Isaiah 53:12).
“The life is in the blood… I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls.” (Leviticus 17:11)

The soul is in the blood. And Jesus poured out His soul—His very life—as your substitute.

IV. How to Appropriate the Blood of Jesus

It’s not enough to believe it happened. You must learn to apply it:

1. Know what the Word says about the blood.
You cannot testify to something you don’t understand.
2. Speak it out loud.
Your testimony is the legal transfer from the basin to your life.
3. Stay under the blood.
Obedience matters. You must remain in the place where the blood has been applied.

V. The Seven Declarations of Victory

These are not just truths—they are weapons. When spoken in faith, they become your hyssop:

1. Redemption
Through the blood of Jesus, I have been redeemed out of the hand of the devil. (Ephesians 1:7) 

2. Cleansing
While I walk in the light, the blood of Jesus cleanses me now and continually from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

3. Justification
Through the blood of Jesus, I am justified—just as if I had never sinned. (Romans 5:9)

4. Sanctification
Through the blood of Jesus, I am sanctified—set apart for God, made holy. (Hebrews 13:12)

5. Reconciliation
Through the blood of Jesus, I have peace with God. I am no longer far away. (Colossians 1:20)

6. Access to God
Through the blood of Jesus, I have bold access to the presence of God. (Hebrews 10:19)

7. Victory over Satan
Through the blood of Jesus and the word of my testimony, I overcome Satan. (Revelation 12:11)

VI. The Power of Total Commitment

Revelation 12:11 gives us one final key:

“They loved not their lives unto the death.”

These are not casual Christians. These are committed soldiers in the army of the Lord.

Total commitment terrifies Satan. The one who is not afraid to die is the one who truly lives.

“The world passes away… but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:17)

We overcome by the blood.

We overcome by our testimony.

And we overcome by not clinging to our lives—even unto death.

Final Word: Apply the Blood

We are living in prophetic times—days of shaking, sifting, and intensifying spiritual warfare. And yet, the ancient pattern of Passover still holds firm. Christ has died. His blood has been shed. But protection, purity, and transformation only come when that blood is applied—by faith, through obedience, and with the bold confession of our mouths.

The blood is in the basin.
The hyssop is in your hand.
What will you declare?

Let the Church arise and speak. Let every believer make the confession of faith that transfers the power of the cross into their daily lives. Let every household come under the blood. Let every father, every spiritual leader, take their place at the doorpost—applying the blood through intercession, through leadership, and through the word of their testimony.

Because we overcome by the blood of the Lamb—and by the word of our testimony.

This is not just remembrance.
This is war.
This is victory.

Blessed Good Friday and Happy Passover!

With reverence and boldness,
Tania Koenig

About the author: https://watch.org/node/130515

A second round of negotiations between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program ended Saturday after several hours of talks, Iranian and American officials said.

There was no immediate US readout on how the talks went at the Omani Embassy in Rome’s Camilluccia neighborhood. A convoy carrying US envoy Steve Witkoff left as Iranian state television announced the talks’ conclusion, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi leaving a few minutes later.

Araghchi later told Iranian state television that talks were “moving forward” after a positive meeting.

He said the next round of talks would be held next weekend in Oman.

Iran told the United States in talks last week it was ready to accept some limits on its uranium enrichment but needed watertight guarantees US President Donald Trump would not again ditch a nuclear pact, a senior Iranian official said on Friday. He also vowed that Iran would never agree to dismantle its centrifuges for enriching uranium.

Iran and the United States are set to hold a second round of talks on Saturday in Rome, a week after a first round of negotiations in Oman, which both sides described as positive.

Trump, meanwhile, reiterated Friday that he would not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons.

Nearly half of the country's provinces were hit by the agricultural freeze, damaging a wide range of crops from fruits and vegetables to tea and nuts.

A severe agricultural freeze has affected 36 provinces across Turkey, causing extensive damage to crops and raising concerns about food inflation and supply chain disruptions.

The event is being described by officials as one of the most widespread agricultural freezes in history.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani told Russian President Vladimir Putin at talks in the Kremlin on Thursday that Syria's new leader was keen to build ties with Moscow.

The assurance from Sheikh Tamim comes as Putin attempts to retain Russia's use of two military bases in Syria and avoid a serious blow to its strategic influence in the region, after the fall of its ally Bashar al-Assad in December. Assad was toppled by rebels led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has replaced him as president.

Israel intended to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities as early as May, a plan that would have required American assistance. But U.S. President Donald Trump decided against an attack in favor of negotiations, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.

Trump’s decision came “after months of internal debate” about whether to pursue a military or diplomatic option. Even hawkish members of Trump’s cabinet expressed skepticism that a military strike could destroy Iran’s nuclear ambitions, resulting in a “rough consensus” that for the time being negotiation was the better option, the Times reported.

The Times said it had spoken to multiple officials who had been briefed on Israel’s plans. Most were interviewed on condition of anonymity.

No, Mr. President, Gaza’s genocidal terrorists don’t wink at their hostages or show any ‘sign of love,’ and Iran’s nuclear ambitions can’t be ‘easily’ solved in talks led by an overextended non-expert

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that Iran’s uranium enrichment as part of its nuclear program was “non-negotiable,” after US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff said the processing program must be dismantled as part of any deal between the sides.

“Iran’s enrichment is a real, accepted matter. We are ready to build confidence in response to possible concerns, but the issue of enrichment is non-negotiable,” Araghchi told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

Witkoff’s comments Tuesday were themselves a reversal of those he made a day earlier, contrary to Israel’s position, that Washington would be satisfied with a cap on Iranian nuclear enrichment and would not require the dismantling of its nuclear facilities.

The Trump administration has informed Israel that it will begin a phased withdrawal of US troops from Syria within two months, the Ynet news outlet reports.

A senior Israeli official tells the outlet that Jerusalem believes the move will result only in a partial withdrawal but is still working with American counterparts to convince them to keep troops in Syria.

Israel predicts that a US withdrawal will increase Turkey’s “appetite” to control Syria, and as such tensions between Jerusalem and Ankara would increase if America leaves, says the official.

Asked about US talks with Iran on its nuclear program, US President Donald Trump told reporters Sunday that he expects a decision to be made soon, ahead of a second round of talks set to take place this Saturday in Rome.

“We’ll be making a decision on Iran very quickly,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way from Florida back to the White House.

His comments came a day after talks in Oman, which included a conversation between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the highest-level Iran-US negotiations since the collapse of the 2015 nuclear accord.

The renewed nuclear negotiations with Iran will concentrate on capping uranium enrichment and enforcing stringent verification measures to block Tehran’s path to nuclear weapons, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said on Monday.

On Tuesday, Witkoff appeared to present a tougher stance, insisting Iran halt and “eliminate” its enrichment of uranium under any deal.

“The president’s message of peace through strength … resonates throughout the world,” Witkoff told Fox News. “They [the Iranians] cannot have a bomb. … The conversation with the Iranians will be much about two critical points: enrichment, … and ultimately verification on weaponization.”

Hamas has rejected Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal, a senior Palestinian official confirmed Tuesday, citing the plan’s failure to meet core demands, including a permanent end to the war and a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. The Israeli proposal, reportedly calling for a six-week ceasefire, included a demand for Hamas to disarm in exchange for the phased release of hostages.

Israel has the right to defend itself, but its current actions go beyond proportionate self-defense, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, tells reporters.

Earlier today, Kallas said Europe was stepping up its support for the Palestinians, with a plan to provide €1.6 billion ($1.8 billion) until 2027 to “help stabilize the West Bank and Gaza.”

“The EU will invest in essential infrastructure while delivering humanitarian aid and support for refugees, she said on X.

Washington and Tehran have resumed indirect discussions aimed at reviving nuclear diplomacy.

Saturday’s renewed engagement, facilitated by the Sultanate of Oman in Muscat, was the first such exchange since Donald Trump returned to the U.S. presidency. Iran’s state broadcaster confirmed that U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi briefly met in person—marking the first direct interaction between American and Iranian officials at this level since the Obama era.

Both parties described the talks as “productive,” with a follow-up meeting already set for April 19 in Rome.