Prayer News | Where Christians Pray Through the News

Prayer List: Covid-19 Global Menace

Cases of Covid-19, the Wuhan Coronoavirus, have been reported in more than 200 nations and more than 80,000 people have died. – Stats from Wikipedia

Orders to stay at home are preventing normal funeral services for the victims. Some families and friends of the deceased are experiencing deep depression.

Severe economic problems are also on the horizon for the unemployed.

Prayer List

  • Pray for the Holy Spirit to comfort the families and friends of people that have died from Covid-19.
  • Pray for a rapid recovery for those who are sick.
  • Pray for safety for doctors, nurses and family members caring for the sick.
  • Pray for financial needs to be met for people financially struggling after losing a job or receiving fewer work hours.
  • Pray for the spiritual needs of people to also be met.
  • Pray for opportunities to share God’s love and hope to people that are depressed from these circumstances.

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    Bible Gateway

    • newNIV Study Bible, Fully Revised Edition: Meet the Editors—Jeannine Brown
      The NIV Study Bible, Fully Revised Edition includes thousands of new or updated study notes based on historical discoveries, cultural findings, and thematic insights; over 100 new commentary articles; and the NIV Comfort Print® typeface. In this Q&A, Bible scholar Dr. Jeannine Brown talks about the NIV Study Bible, Fully Revised Edition (Zondervan, 2020) (website). […]The post NIV Study Bible, Fully Revised Edition: Meet the Editors—Jeannine Brown appeared first on Bible Gateway Blog.
      - 14 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 10:41am -
    • How Prayer Really Works
      By Alli Worthington It’s not easy to admit this to you, but I forget to pray. I’ve always felt God loves me and known he was intimately involved in the details of my life, but I forget he wants me to talk to him. I know he knows my thoughts and the intent of my […]The post How Prayer Really Works appeared first on Bible Gateway Blog.
      - 4 days ago 24 Sep 20, 4:20pm -
    • Why Jesus Had to Die: An Interview with Randy Clark
      What does it mean when the Bible says Jesus died as a ransom? How do we benefit from his death? Why was it necessary for Jesus to die? Why did he have to die by tortuous crucifixion? How does understanding what happened on the cross provide a new way of living in a hurting world? […]The post Why Jesus Had to Die: An Interview with Randy Clark appeared first on Bible Gateway Blog.
      - 4 days ago 24 Sep 20, 2:33pm -
    • How to Live the Bible — Faith Rises on the Horizon of Doubt
      This is the one-hundred-twenty-third lesson in author and pastor Mel Lawrenz’ How to Live the Bible series. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email here. What about the question of […]The post How to Live the Bible — Faith Rises on the Horizon of Doubt appeared first on Bible Gateway Blog.
      - 5 days ago 23 Sep 20, 7:29pm -
    • New to the Bible Gateway Plus Collection. . .
      Put a library of commentaries, study notes, and Greek & Hebrew language tools right in your pocket. With no software to install, Bible Gateway Plus is the easiest and most cost-effective way for serious Bible readers to simplify and deepen their personal or group study of Scripture. We often add new titles to this growing […]The post New to the Bible Gateway Plus Collection. . . appeared first on Bible Gateway Blog.
      - 6 days ago 22 Sep 20, 3:56pm -

    Christian Headlines

    Christian Newswire

    • newBarrett's Faith Trashed by Media and Activists
      NEWS PROVIDED BYCatholic League for Religious and Civil RightsSept. 28, 2020NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on who is trashing Amy Coney Barrett's Catholicism: As I predicted last week, Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett would be spared another round of anti-Catholic commentary by senate Democrats. From what was said over the weekend, my assessment was correct. Indeed, Rep. Nancy Pelosi affirmed that it "do Source: Catholic League
      - 4 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 8:57pm -
    • newCraig Groeschel, Tony Evans, Bob Goff, Lee Strobel, David Platt, and Others Join the Luis Palau Association to Host Nationwide Pastors Gathering on October 29
      NEWS PROVIDED BYLuis Palau AssociationSept. 28, 2020PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 28, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- There's no question this has been one of the most difficult years in history, and pastors and church leaders have not been immune to this pain. Many are struggling to keep perspective, stay encouraged, and lead their churches well.In an effort to bring unique encouragement and support to pastors during this difficult time, the Luis Palau Association is hosting a free online pas Source: Luis Palau Association
      - 5 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 7:52pm -
    • newNot All Abortion Polls Are Equal
      NEWS PROVIDED BYCatholic League for Religious and Civil RightsSept. 28, 2020NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue (photo) comments on abortion surveys: On September 25, the Wall Street Journal ran a lengthy piece on Joe Biden's Catholicism. It was quite informative. However, one of the items it mentioned was a Pew Research Center survey from 2019 that showed "56% of Catholics said abortion should be legal in all or most cases, comp Source: Catholic League
      - 6 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 7:27pm -
    • newCMA Doctors Laud President's Executive Order on Care for Newborns, Call on Congress to Pass Related Legislation
      NEWS PROVIDED BYChristian Medical Association (CMA)Sept. 28, 2020  BRISTOL, Tenn., Sept. 28, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- The nation's largest faith-based health professionals' organization, the Christian Medical Association* (CMA, www.cmda.org), today expressed thanks for the President's signing of an executive order guaranteeing appropriate medical care for babies born alive, regardless of disability or other factors.  Dr. Jeffrey Barrows, an OB/Gyn and CMA's Senior Vice Presiden Source: Christian Medical & Dental Associations
      - 10 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 3:17pm -
    • Pro-Life Judge Amy Coney Barrett Tapped by Trump as Ginsburg Replacement
      NEWS PROVIDED BYOperation RescueSept. 26, 2020WASHINGTON, Sept. 26, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- In an effort to return the U.S. Supreme Court to its proper Constitutional role of interpreting the law, President Donald Trump has nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court for the seat formerly occupied by leftist Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The Supreme Court has been controlled by an activist liberal majority for decades, and has had a penchant for usurping the power of t Source: Operation Rescue
      - 2 days ago 27 Sep 20, 12:58am -

    Christian Post

    Christian Research Network

    • newBetrayed Trust, Part Three: Ravi Zacharias Claimed Accusers in Sexting Scandal Were Extortionists, But Evidence Indicates Otherwise
      Both Brad Thompson and Ian deGroot laughed when I asked if Thompson was in “significant financial distress” after his alleged “settlement” with his pastor, as Zacharias’ lawsuit alleges. … Similarly, Tamara Battiste, Lori Anne Thompson’s sister, said: “Thompson is a millionaire … Continue reading →
      - 6 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 7:36pm -
    • newProgressive Christians’ ‘sainting’ of RBG is bizarre and wrong
      “With a deep, deep bow, I honor this absolute legend. She blazed the very trails we walk on today. I cannot say this with more sincerity:  Well done, good and faithful servant. You fought the good fight, and you finished your … Continue reading →
      - 9 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 4:27pm -
    • newProject Veritas Exposes Ballot Harvesting Scheme With Alleged Ties to Ilhan Omar
      (Bronson Stocking – Townhall)  FBI Director Christopher Wray may be unaware of the voter fraud going on in the country, but Project Veritas keeps exposing it. A new investigative report was put out by Project Veritas on Sunday exposing what appears to … Continue reading →
      - 10 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 3:29pm -
    • newHow Your Child is Being Groomed to be the Next Antifa/BLM Street Rioter
      “The left’s obsession with race is driving a wedge between generations and tearing at the social cohesion necessary for any nation to succeed.” (Harbingers Daily)  President Trump’s executive order banning critical race theory from federal agencies is a great first … Continue reading →
      - 10 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 3:03pm -
    • newLight and Darkness
      1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came … Continue reading →
      - 21 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 3:59am -

    Christian Sentinel

    • Come Together Right Now Over Trump? by Jackie Alnor, The Christian Sentinel
      Pastor Jack looks like the odd man out in Paula’s White House Faith Initiative. He has a different view of Bible prophecy than the core of the group. He preaches the soon rapture of the ChurchThe post Come Together Right Now Over Trump? by Jackie Alnor, The Christian Sentinel appeared first on The Christian Sentinel.
      - 57 days ago 2 Aug 20, 6:51pm -
    • Excerpt from the Berean Call, originally published, October 1991
      How negligent it would be not to warn the sheep of poisoned pastures and false shepherds who promote lies in the name of truth.The post Excerpt from the Berean Call, originally published, October 1991 appeared first on The Christian Sentinel.
      - 60 days ago 30 Jul 20, 3:52pm -
    • Wrestling with Alligators, Prophets and Theologians — A review of the biography of the founder of The New Apostolic Reformation – by Jackie Alnor
      The only place in Scripture where we see anyone sitting on seven mountains is in the 17th chapter of Revelation – the Mother of Harlots: a prophetic peek into the future of what Wagner’s group, the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), is evolving into when it unites with its fellow false religionists. The post Wrestling with Alligators, Prophets and Theologians — A review of the biography of the founder of The New Apostolic Reformation – by Jackie Alnor appeared first on The Christian Sentinel.
      - 64 days ago 27 Jul 20, 3:44am -
    • Parable: When the Cow Said Meow
      Once upon a time there was a creative cow that said, “Meow!” The farmer’s cat was confused. What could this mean? So the cat looked…The post Parable: When the Cow Said Meow appeared first on The Christian Sentinel.
      - 69 days ago 22 Jul 20, 2:47am -
    • RULES OF ENGAGEMENT IN APOLOGETICS-101
      We need to sound the alarm – but at the same time not to fall for the devil’s snare in casting aside all ethics and common decency. The Church should not act like the WWA.The post RULES OF ENGAGEMENT IN APOLOGETICS-101 appeared first on The Christian Sentinel.
      - 69 days ago 21 Jul 20, 8:58pm -

    Christian Today

    • The Church Mothers Teach Us to Delight in Scripture
      Monica and Macrina didn’t just influence Augustine and Gregory of Nyssa. They were biblical interpreters in their own right.”What are you doing? In those books which you read, have I ever heard that women were introduced into this kind of disputation?” This almost awkwardly direct question comes from Augustine’s mother, Monica, when she finds out he is recording her comments for his book On Order. She is not so much honored as dismayed by the censure her inclusion may bring him. In response, Augustine concedes that some may dismiss him for including the voice of a woman in his writings. But he doesn’t give a whit for such critics, he says; such “proud and ignorant men” should attend more to the substance and less to the “dress” of what they read.Though he expects some superficially minded people will look down on him for including a woman’s ideas, Augustine incorporates Monica’s contributions because her ideas are so good. He wants her to be a part of the discussion because her spiritual inclinations and intellectual chops make her indispensable. He writes of his mother, “By long intimacy and diligent attention I had by this time discerned her acumen and burning desire for things divine … her mind had been revealed to me as so rare that nothing seemed more adapted for true philosophy. Accordingly, I had determined to do my best that she be not absent from our conversation.” And so, through Augustine’s account, we gain a precious glimpse of this brilliant mother of the church.Of the few early Christian women commonly known today, Monica, along with her near-contemporary Macrina, are perhaps the most familiar. But despite the records we have of their extraordinary spiritual and intellectual gifts, they are not commonly known for their own abilities. Instead, these ...Continue reading...
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    • Evangelical Biden Voters Straddle Partisan Divides
      Unlike most Americans, they say many of their close friends will vote differently from them in 2020. In another divisive election year, here’s one demographic that personally feels the strain of the nation’s partisan tensions: white evangelicals who plan to vote for Joe Biden.The Pew Research Center recently found few Americans, Republicans or Democrats, have many close friends who support a different presidential candidate in the 2020 race. In religious breakouts provided to Christianity Today, evangelical Biden supporters emerged as the exception. Just under half say their close friends disagree with them over the 2020 race.These longtime Democrats, former Republicans, and previous third-party voters represent an increasingly rare group straddling partisan lines, a position they’re in largely due to their faith.White evangelicals who back Biden are about twice as likely (46%) as Biden supporters overall (22%) to say that many of their close friends plan to vote for Trump. And they are three times as likely to have close friends who support a different candidate as their fellow white evangelicals who plan to vote for Donald Trump (16%).“Most of my family, friends from home, and a decent number of friends from college are Trump supporters,” said Clayton Job Myers, who graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University in May. He plans to vote for Biden this year because of his opposition to Trump’s rhetoric and what he sees as religious posturing. “I do my very best not to let that change how I view them and how I treat them.”As the country becomes more polarized, Americans may be drawn to the idea of friendships that overcome political divides. Many read and shared accounts of the unlikely relationship between Supreme Court justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg after her ...Continue reading...
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    • Amy Coney Barrett, a Catholic and Scalia Protégé, Nominated by Trump
      With an abortion record opposite Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s, Barrett has said her faith does not shape her decisions behind the bench.Amy Coney Barrett paid homage to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her White House speech Saturday as a shatterer of glass ceilings. She said she would be mindful of the woman whose place she would take on the Supreme Court.The conservative Catholic even commented that her seven children think their father is the better cook, much as Ginsburg used to talk about her husband’s prowess in the kitchen.But the replacement of the liberal icon Ginsburg, the second woman to serve on the high court, by Barrett, who would be the fifth, would represent the most dramatic ideological change on the Supreme Court in nearly 30 years and cement conservative dominance of the court for years to come.Barrett, a judge on the federal appeals court based in Chicago, made clear in her Rose Garden address that she looks to conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, for whom she once worked, and not Ginsburg, on matters of law.“His judicial philosophy is mine, too. Judges must apply the law as written. Judges are not policy makers,” Barrett said. She was referring to their common method of interpreting laws and the Constitution based on what they were understood to mean when they were written.Ginsburg, who died this month at age 87, and Scalia were dear friends, but they were on opposite sides of the most divisive issues of the day.Barrett’s conservative judicial record, her writings, and speeches suggest that she too would be Ginsburg’s polar opposite on a range of issues that include abortion and guns.Conservative evangelicals have applauded Trump’s decision to nominate Barrett, who would be the third Supreme Court justice added during his term.“There is no question that Judge Barrett is qualified by intellectual ...Continue reading...
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    • Eritrea Frees Evangelical Prisoners Due to COVID-19
      Dozens of persecuted believers released on bail. But hundreds reportedly remain imprisoned in the “North Korea of Africa.”The Eritrean government has released on bail more than 20 prisoners detained for years because of their faith, the BBC reports.Sources told the British broadcaster that the prisoners are from evangelical and Pentecostal denominations, some held at Mai Serwa prison outside the capital Asmara.Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) confirmed the news, putting the number released at 27.In 2002, Eritrea introduced a new law that forbids all churches except for Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Lutheran ones. Sunni Islam is also officially recognised.The Horn of Africa nation is No. 6 on the Open Doors 2020 World Watch List of the 50 countries in which it is most difficult to live as a Christian.According to a religious freedom campaigner from Asmara but now based in North America, Hannibal Daniel, believers who’d been in prison for up to 16 years have been freed on bail.A regional spokesperson for Open Doors International said that, for some time, the group had heard discussion that prisoners might be freed on bail due to the coronavirus pandemic—as has happened in other countries—but could not independently confirm the reports: “If true, this could be quite significant.”According to CSW sources, the group released consisted of 19 men and 8 women detained without charge or trial for 2 to 16 years. About 54 total releases were anticipated.However, CSW stated no detained church leaders were released, while a handful more were arrested in Asmara weeks before.“It is a government strategy,” stated CSW, quoting one of its sources. “They cannot detain everybody, so they keep you for some time, hoping that you will become weak or frightened. Then they put in other people. They release and ...Continue reading...
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    • Atlases No More: Parenting During the COVID-19 Crucible
      How to lead your family well through times of transition.Transitions in family life are inherently difficult. They require us as parents to be open to change while also maintaining a sense of family cohesion. When we are able to anticipate, communicate about, and plan for major family transitions, we adapt better. When we avoid acknowledging or are taken unawares by a necessary transition, we can struggle to preserve a sense of balance as a family and stressors can begin to pile up quickly. And, when under the burden of such a pile up of stressors, we can so easily buckle under the weight, failing to live up to our usual standards for loving our spouses and our children well.We haven’t been able to plan for all of the changes COVID-19 has produced in our lives. It has stripped away many of the supports we have relied upon to uphold our family structures (e.g., school, sports, friends, extended family, church). It has upended our routines. Such changes have left many of us as parents feeling the need to, like the Greek mythological figure Atlas, support the weight of the world all by ourselves to keep it from crushing us and our families.Unfortunately, no one knows for certain if and when we will be able to resume our “normal” lives and make use of our old family supports and routines once more. Thus, we must ask how we can transition our families to adapt to life in a world of social distancing, quarantine, and self-isolation. I believe that one of the founders of the field of family therapy, Dr. Salvador (“Sal”) Minuchin, can assist us in this endeavor.During his lifetime, Sal helped families to make sense of the way they organized themselves as a unit. He paid particular attention to the structure of the family (e.g., the roles played by each member ...Continue reading...
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    Faith on Film (Video Podcast)

    Forum 18 News Service

    • KAZAKHSTAN: Courts fail to halt seizure of Churches' property
      Almaty's New Life Church was not represented when the City Court upheld an earlier court decision to seize two buildings the Church bought in 1993 and uses as a spiritual centre. Almaty Justice Department officials responsible for carrying out the seizure refused to answer questions. A Nur-Sultan court rejected Grace Presbyterian Church's suit to have annulled an order seizing their church, and the half-built place of worship of Agape Pentecostal Church.
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    • BELARUS: Another Catholic priest banned from serving
      Belarus' senior state religious affairs official gave the Catholic bishop of Vitebsk one day's notice that he was annulling permission for Polish priest Jerzy Wilk to serve in his parish, giving no reason. Fr Wilk has served in Belarus since 2003. The State Border Committee told Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz he was denied re-entry because his Belarusian passport was invalid. The Interior Ministry then said it was checking if he gained citizenship lawfully.
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    • TAJIKISTAN: "No reason to fear" census religion question?
      Some fear the religion question in the October nationwide census will be used to facilitate freedom of religion and belief violations. "It is probable that Tajiks who have accepted the Christian faith, or are Ahmadis, or are Salafi Muslims, will feel forced to lie and write that they are Hanafi Muslims," one commentator noted. Some Protestants fear the authorities "are trying to identify our members and where they are located".
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    • TURKMENISTAN: 24th conscientious objector jailed since 2018
      A court in Mary Region jailed 18-year-old Myrat Orazgeldiyev for one year on 3 September, the 24th Jehovah's Witness conscientious objector to military service to be imprisoned since January 2018. Eleven – including Orazgeldiyev – are now jailed, eight of them at the harsh Seydi Labour Camp, where a former prisoner of conscience described conditions as "inhuman". All 24 young men offered to do an alternative civilian service, but none exists.
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    • UZBEKISTAN: Jail, restricted freedom sentences, for discussing faith
      Tashkent Criminal Court on 14 August punished eight Muslims who discussed their faith on social media, jailing five for up to 11 and a half years, giving the other three restricted freedom sentences. The men knew each other mainly on social media "where they were asking questions about Islam", the mother of one of those jailed said. Prosecutors also handed a criminal case against four more Muslims to court.
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    Get Religion

    • Press gets mythic about Ruth Bader Ginsburg's timely death on Rosh Hashanah eve
      Before every U.S. presidential election, there is almost always an “October surprise” that throws everything awry and has the potential to swing the contest in a completely different direction.This year’s “surprise” happened Sept. 18 with the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The term “black swan” is also popular in social media, when talking about this kind of plot twist.Barely a few minutes had passed after the announcement when a lot of folks noticed that she’d died just before the start of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, giving her instant mythic status with reporters from everything from NPR to Reuters. The latter described what last Friday was like for American Jews. WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Just as many Jews in the United States were sitting down to a post-sunset Rosh Hashanah dinner on Friday, preparing to dip apples in honey to signal the sweetness of the year to come, news came of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death. Ginsburg, the first female Jewish member of the U.S. Supreme Court, died on one of the holiest days in Judaism, as many of the country’s nearly six million Jews welcomed the new year 5781, based on the Hebrew calendar… Her death on the eve of Rosh Hashanah also has significance in Jewish tradition, rabbis and friends said. “One of the themes of Rosh Hashanah suggests that very righteous people would die at the very end of the year because they were needed until the very end,” said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism.The Jewish Telegraphic Agency, which has been giving wall-to-wall coverage of RBG’s death, encapsulated why the mourning for Ginsburg has been so intense — because the justice “had come to represent the liberal American feminist spirit for so many.”JTA asked Jewish leaders around the country what their congregants were doing when the news came through. (Durham, N.C. Rabbi Matt) Soffer’s tribute was among countless salutes made by rabbis and Jewish community members this weekend as the news of Ginsburg’s death broke over Jewish communities like a wave in the first moments of the Jewish New Year, or the last moments of the one that was just ending. In some parts of the country, many synagogues had already launched their Rosh Hashanah services on Zoom and many families had already sat down for a holiday meal when the alert came.
      - 6 days ago 22 Sep 20, 3:00pm -
    • Podcast-blitz: RBG black swan, global fertility, decades of Catholic sin, religious liberty and more
      Where were you when the Ruth Bader Ginsburg news hit the screen of your smartphone?When I saw the news, the first thing I thought about was that recent Jess Fields podcast in which political scientist and data-chart-maestro Ryan Burge was working through some key points about the 2020 White House race and last-minute factors that could come into play.This brought him to his “black swan” prediction. If you didn’t check out that podcast several weeks ago, you are going to want to flash back to it now. It’s the one with this headline, “Jess Fields meets Ryan Burge: As you would image, they're talking 'nones,' 'evangelicals,' etc.” If you prefer audio only, click here.So what is a “black swan”? Here is that online definition from the previous post: A black swan is an unpredictable event that is beyond what is normally expected of a situation and has potentially severe consequences. Black swan events are characterized by their extreme rarity, their severe impact, and the widespread insistence they were obvious in hindsight.So do I need to tell you what Burge picked as his ultimate 2020 black swan?He dropped me this note last night: I was actually in the middle of taping a podcast and switched over to Twitter during the middle of the conversation and saw it. And I had to interrupt the host and tell them. I don't have the video of it, but I bet the color drained out of my face. I think this is the most precarious position our country has been in since I was born (1982). The government of the United States runs on norms more than it does on laws. And both parties seem ready and willing to violate norms in a tit for tat fashion in ways that only do damage to the future of our country.So that’s one podcast you need to check out this morning. Before that political earthquake, I had already written a post centering on a blitz of podcasts that I knew would interest GetReligion readers-listeners.That’s not your normal newsy Monday GetReligion, of course. However, I had a medical reason for getting something ready to go in advance.On Friday, I headed into the hospital for one of those “minor surgery” operations. But you know the old saying: Minor surgery is surgery on somebody else.
      - 7 days ago 21 Sep 20, 5:00pm -
    • Plug-in: What's in a name? More evidence that Americans live in a post-denominational age
      When it comes to religious groups, what’s in a name?In 2018, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began a push to get rid of the term “Mormon.” (A quick side note: Continued news media use of that identifier is “significantly correlated” with negative sentiment in the article, argues a new study, coauthored by Brigham Young University journalism professor Joel Campbell and Public Square Magazine’s Christopher D. Cunningham.)Now, the Southern Baptist Convention — the nation’s largest Protestant denomination — seems to be recasting itself, as first reported by Washington Post religion writer Sarah Pulliam Bailey.Bailey’s story this week noted: Leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention are increasingly dropping the “Southern” part of their Baptist name, calling it a potentially painful reminder of the convention’s historic role in support of slavery. The 50,000 Baptist churches in the convention are autonomous and can still choose to refer to themselves as “Southern Baptist” or “SBC.” But in his first interview on the topic, convention president J.D. Greear said momentum has been building to adopt the name “Great Commission Baptists,” both because of the racial reckoning underway in the United States and because many have long seen the “Southern Baptist” name as too regional for a global group of believers. “Our Lord Jesus was not a White Southerner but a brown-skinned Middle Eastern refugee,” said Greear, who this summer used the phrase “Black lives matter” in a presidential address and announced that he would retire a historic gavel named for an enslaver. “Every week we gather to worship a savior who died for the whole world, not one part of it. What we call ourselves should make that clear.”For more insight on the possible change, see Religion News Service national correspondent Adelle M. Banks’ follow-up report.Speaking of names, Greear serves as pastor of The Summit Church, a Durham, North Carolina, megachurch whose website contains scarce references to its Baptist affiliation.Other examples of prominent Southern Baptist churches that don’t necessarily market themselves that way include Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church in Southern California and Ed Young Jr.’s Fellowship Church in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
      - 8 days ago 21 Sep 20, 1:00pm -
    • Surviving 2020: How many churches will die because of COVID-19 and 'worship shifting'?
      Television professionals who survived the past decade have made their peace with terms like "binging" and "time-shifting."But how, pray tell, can clergy embrace "worship-shifting"?The coronavirus crisis has plunged pastors into digital technology while trying to replace analog community life with online worship, classes and fellowship forums. These changes have frustrated many, especially believers in ancient traditions built on rites requiring face-to-face contact. But many worshippers have welcomed online worship.These changes have altered the "fundamental relationship that many young adults have with their churches," said David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, which does research with a variety of religious groups. "We're hearing about worship-shifting, as people use all the tech in their homes to fit services into their own schedules, just like everything else they watch on all those screens."This is another way people are using social media to renegotiate the role the church plays in the lives of their families."The question religious leaders are asking, of course, is how many people will return to their pews when "normal" life returns. But it may be several years before high-risk older believers decide it's safe to return, even after vaccines become available. Younger members may keep watching their own local services, switch to high-profile digital flocks elsewhere or do both.In talks with clients, Kinnaman said he is hearing denominational leaders and clergy say they believe that, in the next year or so, some churches will simply close their doors. Early in the pandemic the percentage of insiders telling Barna researchers they were "highly confident" their churches would survive was "in the high 70s," he said.“Now it's in the 50s. … Most churches are doing OK, for now. But there's a segment that's really struggling and taking a hit, week after week."After reviewing several kinds of research -- including patterns in finances and attendance -- Kinnaman sent a shockwave through social-media channels with his recent prediction that one in five churches will close in the next 18 months.
      - 8 days ago 20 Sep 20, 6:22pm -
    • Would the United States of America be better off without all that tacky religion stuff?
      THE QUESTION:“Would America Be Better Off Without Religion?”THE RELIGION GUY’S ANSWER:That provocative big-picture question is the title of an article by grad student Casey Chalk, which we’ll turn to after some ground-clearing. Atheism (or its cousin, agnosticism) isn’t what it used to be. Folks who didn’t believe in God used to mostly downplay it while polite public debate engaged certain thinkers like Bertrand Russell (“Why I Am Not a Christian,” 1927) or J. L. Mackie (“The Miracle of Theism,” 1982).In recent times, faith has been thrown more on the defensive, not just by skepticism from without but damaging developments from within — Horrid scandals of sexual predators among Christian clergy. Angry Protestant splits over whether to shed traditional sexual morals. Terrorism by Muslim sects and certain Buddhists and Hindus.Well-publicized “new atheists” have emerged more aggressively to attack believers as not merely mistaken but downright stupid, even evil.Take James Haught, who wrote for the Freedom From Religion Foundation that because people are getting smarter they “perceive that magical dogmas are a bunch of hooey — just fairy tales with no factual reality…. Right before our eyes, supernatural faith is dying in America.” (Actually, there’s a slide, not death.) Notably, Haught was West Virginia’s most important journalist, as longtime editor of the Charleston Gazette.Such bludgeoning can have limited persuasive power except among those already convinced. But Max Boot offered an interesting new anti-faith line this year in a Washington Post column (behind a pay wall). This Soviet immigrant is a public intellectual to reckon with, as a senior fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations and acclaimed author (also conservative Never-Trumper on cable newscasts).“Too much religion is bad for a country,” Boot contended. He made that case by compiling nation-by-nation statistics on e.g. per capita gross domestic product, unemployment, poverty, homicide, life expectancy, infant mortality, education and political liberties.
      - 9 days ago 19 Sep 20, 3:55pm -

    ID the Future (Podcast)

    • newNew Book on Thomas Reid’s Common Sense Design Philosophy
      On this episode of ID the Future, Jay Richards speaks with James Barham, who’s just edited a new edition of Scottish Enlightenment philosopher Thomas Reid (1710-1796), Lectures on Natural Theology.
      - 6 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 6:47pm -
    • Scott Turner on Purpose in Nature, Part 1
      Scott Turner is a biologist and physiologist, a professor at State University of New York College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry and visiting professor at Cambridge. In this episode from the vault, Rob Crowther interviews him about his book Purpose and Desire: What Makes Something Alive and Why Modern Darwinism Has Failed To Explain It. Turner argues that modern Darwinism has reached a scientific dead end, unable to tell us what life is, treats many of its features — including purpose and desire — virtually as illusions. There’s a better way to view life, says Turner.
      - 3 days ago 25 Sep 20, 4:30pm -
    • Richard Weikart on Darwinian Racism, Eugenics, and Slavery
      The evil of racism was nothing new when Darwin and his evolutionary theory came on the scene, but according to Weikart, racist thinking, increased “by orders of magnitude” under the influence of Darwinism and evolutionary thinking, and became mainstream science.
      - 5 days ago 23 Sep 20, 4:55pm -
    • Richard Weikart on How Darwinism Fueled Scientific Racism
      On this episode of ID the Future, historian and Cal State Stanislaus emeritus professor Richard Weikart speaks with host Michael Keas about the dark history of “scientific” racism.
      - 7 days ago 21 Sep 20, 6:47pm -
    • James Tour and Stephen Meyer on the Origin of Life, Pt. 3
      On this episode of ID the Future, Rice University synthetic organic chemist and inventor James M. Tour continues his conversation with Stephen C. Meyer, director of the Center for Science and Culture. In this third of three episodes featuring the two researchers, Tour draws from questions sent in by listeners of his own podcast. These include questions about the multiverse, quantum cosmology, the possibility — and theological implications — of life on other planets, the Big Bang, and what intelligent design thinking has to say about viruses and bacteria. The episode is excerpted from an extended interview from Tour’s excellent new video series The Science & Faith Podcast: Follow the Evidence. There you will find the full Meyer interview in video form as well Read More ›
      - 10 days ago 18 Sep 20, 7:38pm -

    International Missions Board

    • newArkansas churches partner through prayer with South Asia
      Editor’s Note: The Arkansas Baptist Convention is asking churches to commit to pray for the salvation of the lost in South Asia and for the workers there. Will you commit to pray for a people group or missionary family you know? Find out more at imb.org/pray. Twelve years ago, I was a tired mother of two young boys, sitting in a rocking chair in our bedroom in a mega-city in South Asia. I had snuck away to rock my baby boy while enjoying the air conditioner blowing on me before facing the heat and busyness of dinner and bedtime routines....The post Arkansas churches partner through prayer with South Asia appeared first on International Mission Board.
      - 13 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 12:00pm -
    • Highlights from South Asia
      Editor’s note: This is the tenth post in a 12-part series that highlights information found in IMB’s Annual Statistical Report. The report is based on 2019 research data. A full copy of the report is available at imb.org/asr.   STORIES FROM THE FIELD – SOUTH ASIAN PEOPLES Entry In 2019, many people were affected by floods in South Asia. One village of 60 families was nearly destroyed. Because the area was not registered as being flood-prone, no governmental aid is available. Give thanks to the Lord that believers were able to provide relief supplies in the name of Jesus and...The post Highlights from South Asia appeared first on International Mission Board.
      - 5 days ago 24 Sep 20, 12:00pm -
    • Refugees find Jesus on Refugee Highway
      Shams* and Layla* are from a war-torn country in the Middle East. Their search for real truth and peace began on the internet. They searched online for articles about Jesus. The couple escaped from their country and traveled on what’s known as the “refugee highway” to start a new life with their young family. During their journey, Shams and Layla continued searching for Jesus and what it means to be Christian. They eventually connected with an online Arabic ministry that had a call center in the Middle East. Through this ministry, they were able to talk with a counselor. Shams and Layla had...The post Refugees find Jesus on Refugee Highway appeared first on International Mission Board.
      - 5 days ago 23 Sep 20, 1:29pm -
    • IMB workers say prayer initiative ‘begins with us’
      In 2012, a church in Texas committed to pray for an unengaged people group in Northern Africa. They knew they would not have access to much, if any, information or updates but they remained committed to pray. Several Christian workers in the Northern Africa region were also burdened to pray for this same people group. In 2015, through a series of events and connections that only God can orchestrate, the gospel was taken to this group by believers from other people groups, and workers reported the first believers among this previously unengaged people group. James Keath*, leader of IMB’s Northern...The post IMB workers say prayer initiative ‘begins with us’ appeared first on International Mission Board.
      - 8 days ago 21 Sep 20, 12:00pm -
    • Highlights from Northern Africa and the Middle East
      Editor’s note: This is the ninth post in a 12-part series that highlights information found in IMB’s Annual Statistical Report. The report is based on 2019 research data. A full copy of the report is available at imb.org/asr. STORIES FROM THE FIELD Entry A few months ago, three workers went out to share with people in a park. They met Amina* and shared the gospel with her. Amina said she’s wanted to know more about Jesus for some time now, because while getting on the ferry to North Africa, she got a packet with a New Testament and the JESUS...The post Highlights from Northern Africa and the Middle East appeared first on International Mission Board.
      - 12 days ago 17 Sep 20, 11:21am -

    Julie Roys

    • newJames MacDonald Suspends New Home Church Network
      Seven months after launching a Home Church Network (HcN) for those who “struggle to get to church or to stay in church,” former celebrity pastor, James MacDonald, is suspending the program.According to an announcement at his website, MacDonald will pause HcN “for a minimum of 8 weeks.” Then in mid-November, HcN plans to reconnect with its leaders and their group members to announce HCN’s plans “for the new year.”“Like many of you, after carrying an extended heavy burden these long months, our team is in need of margin to regroup and strengthen our ministry platforms,” MacDonald said. 
      - 20 mins ago 29 Sep 20, 12:47am -
    • John MacArthur will Face New Hearing in November for Defying Ban on Indoor Services
      A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge on Thursday refused to decide whether to hold Pastor John MacArthur and Grace Community Church in contempt for violating a ban on indoor worship services, and instead scheduled a hearing for mid-November.Attorneys for MacArthur hailed the delay as a victory.“This ruling prevents Los Angeles County’s attempted rush to judgement in its continued prosecution of Pastor John MacArthur and Grace Community Church for courageously exercising their First Amendment rights,” said Charles LiMandri, special counsel for the Thomas More Society, in a statement. 
      - 2 days ago 26 Sep 20, 3:35pm -
    • Churches hit home run with services in ballparks and stadiums as COVID-19 cancels sports
      It was sunny and 73 degrees, the perfect day for a baseball game. But that’s not why the crowd filled the stands Sunday at Four Winds Field in South Bend, Indiana, home of the South Bend Cubs.They were there for a church service, complete with worship leaders on the third-base line and Scriptures on the Jumbotron.South Bend City Church — a 4-year-old church that draws on a number of Christian traditions for its music, messages and mantras — has been meeting at the minor league ballpark since the novel coronavirus pandemic threw a curveball into large gatherings like worship services. 
      - 3 days ago 25 Sep 20, 1:29pm -
    • Mark Dever’s Church Sues D.C. over COVID-19 Worship Limits
      A prominent church headed by author and pastor, Mark Dever, is suing the District of Columbia and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for banning indoor and outdoor worship services of more than 100 because of COVID-19.The complaint filed yesterday by the 850-member Capitol Hill Baptist Church (CHBC) alleges that Mayor Bowser has been discriminatory in her application of the ban. The suit notes that Bowser appeared at a massive anti-racism protest in June and even assigned city police to the event. 
      - 4 days ago 24 Sep 20, 6:00pm -
    • New SBC Leader Urges Colleagues to Protect Abuse Survivors, but Questions Remain about Denomination’s Resolve
      In his first meeting yesterday as leader of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Executive Committee, the Rev. Rolland Slade called on his fellow committee members “to shepherd and to protect” survivors of church sex abuse. Yet questions remain about the denomination’s resolve to tackle the problem, especially given the decision by SBC President J.D. Greear earlier this year to hire a pastor accused of covering up sex crimes.  Slade, senior pastor of Meridian Baptist Church in El Cajon, California, announced that the issue of sex abuse is “personal” for him because his wife is an abuse survivor. 
      - 6 days ago 23 Sep 20, 12:41pm -

    Life News

    • newKamala Harris Opposes Judge Amy Coney Barrett: She Will be a Threat to Abortion
      Sen. Kamala Harris slammed Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett as a threat to abortion Monday during a speech in Raleigh, North Carolina. Harris, a pro-abortion Democrat who raided the home of undercover journalist David Daleiden after he exposed Planned Parenthood’s aborted baby body parts trade, told voters that abortion rights are at stake, WRAL News […]
      - 2 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 11:01pm -
    • newCatholic Archbishop: Vote Pro-Life, Nothing More Important Than the “Basic Right — to Live”
      As Catholics approach the polls, we are asked to weigh many important issues. The U.S. bishops have reaffirmed that “the threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself, because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because of the number of lives destroyed.” While they did warn […]
      - 3 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 10:23pm -
    • newLiberal Media Calls Joe Biden a “Devout” Catholic, Attacks Amy Coney Barrett’s Christian Faith
      We have a number of posts today about the nomination of 7th Circuit Court of Appeals judge Amy Coney Barrett, already affectionately referred to as “ACB,” to sit on the United States Supreme Court. In this story, we’ll parallel what we do each day with the presidential race between pro-life President Trump and pro-abortion former […]
      - 3 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 10:04pm -
    • newJoe Biden Would Only Nominate Pro-Abortion Radicals for the Supreme Court
      On Saturday President Trump today announced that he will nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit to fill the seat vacated by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. National Right to Life President Carol Tobias was a guest of the White House during Saturday’s announcement. NRLC […]
      - 4 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 9:29pm -
    • newPregnant Mom Diagnosed With Cancer Refuses Abortion, She and Her Baby Survive
      Consiglia Varriale was willing to sacrifice her life for her unborn daughter when doctors diagnosed her with breast cancer earlier this year. Though her doctors advised her to have an abortion, Varriale could not bear the thought of ending her daughter’s life, Aleteia reports. The 42-year-old from Quarto, Italy chose life for her daughter, Aurora, and […]
      - 4 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 9:15pm -

    Mennonite Central Committee

    • 10 steps to deeper engagement in political advocacy
      This year has illuminated in new ways the existing inequalities and injustices of this world. The global COVID-19 pandemic highlighted preexisting health and economic disparities.
      - 11 days ago 18 Sep 20, 4:00am -
    • 100 years ago and today
      Caption: Head teacher Madina Abrahim sprays sanitizer on the hands of Bayish Tababain early September before she collects food and soap at Meserete Kristos Church preschool in Adama, Ethiopia.
      - 11 days ago 18 Sep 20, 4:00am -
    • Closing the door on asylum seekers
      This article is excerpted from the Fall/Winter edition of the Washington Memo, a publication of MCC's Washington Office. You can download the full publication here.
      - 20 days ago 9 Sep 20, 4:00am -
    • Celebrate with us!
      Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in the U.S. is inviting its supporters and the public to join a livestreamed celebration of its 100 years of ministry on Saturday, Oct. 17, starting at 6:50 p.m. (EDT).
      - 20 days ago 9 Sep 20, 4:00am -
    • Looking back on 13 years
      At the end of August, I will be stepping down after 13 years as director of the Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Washington Office. Although there have of course been challenges over the years, it has been a rich and wonderful experience for me and has helped me grow in many ways.
      - 25 days ago 4 Sep 20, 4:00am -

    MinistryWatch

    Religion News Service

    • new‘Humanists for Biden-Harris’ to mobilize nonreligious vote
      (RNS) — The group hopes to reach atheists, agnostics and other religiously unaffiliated voters who make up the largest belief group in the Democratic Party.The post ‘Humanists for Biden-Harris’ to mobilize nonreligious vote appeared first on Religion News Service.
      - 4 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 9:03pm -
    • newTrump taxes report highlights nearly $400,000 payment from Billy Graham group
      WASHINGTON (RNS) — A new report from The New York Times citing Trump’s tax information raises questions about the potential conflicts of interest in making money off his religious allies while in office.The post Trump taxes report highlights nearly $400,000 payment from Billy Graham group appeared first on Religion News Service.
      - 5 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 7:38pm -
    • newReckoning with race, Black Buddhists seek space for healing in the dharma
      (RNS) — The nation's reckoning with racism has prompted Black Buddhists to seek a practice that answers the moment. The post Reckoning with race, Black Buddhists seek space for healing in the dharma appeared first on Religion News Service.
      - 6 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 7:31pm -
    • newLutherans ask Trump administration to admit more refugees as deadline looms
      (RNS) — Clergy in the US largest Lutheran denomination are asking the administration to admit at least 95,000 in the 2021 fiscal year, which begins in October.The post Lutherans ask Trump administration to admit more refugees as deadline looms appeared first on Religion News Service.
      - 6 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 6:41pm -
    • newGeneral Conference would be a good time for the LDS Church to apologize to the Black community
      "Racist statements and policies were once made by prophets and apostles, and we specifically need prophets and apostles to overturn them now," says guest columnist Kristin Lowe.The post General Conference would be a good time for the LDS Church to apologize to the Black community appeared first on Religion News Service.
      - 7 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 6:24pm -

    Trinity Foundation

    • Investigative Reporters Examine Religious Fraud Across Latin America
      An ambitious investigation of religious fraud cases shows that religious leaders are rarely prosecuted, and churches are increasingly participants in money laundering. The Cross-Borders Data Project at Columbia University has […]The post Investigative Reporters Examine Religious Fraud Across Latin America first appeared on Trinity Foundation.
      - 6 days ago 22 Sep 20, 4:02pm -
    • Brazilian Church Accused of Money Laundering $1 Billion
      The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, founded by controversial pastor Edir Macedo, has been accused of money laundering again. The accusations come from Rio de Janeiro’s Public Prosecutor’s […]The post Brazilian Church Accused of Money Laundering Billion first appeared on Trinity Foundation.
      - 6 days ago 22 Sep 20, 3:41pm -
    • Taxing Jerry Falwell’s Golden Parachute Payments (severance over $10M)
        After analyzing Jerry Falwell Jr’s Liberty University compensation, Trinity Foundation estimates tax penalties of $1,530,383 on golden parachute payments of $10.5 million. Excessive compensation is a scandalously common practice […]The post Taxing Jerry Falwell’s Golden Parachute Payments (severance over M) first appeared on Trinity Foundation.
      - 28 days ago 31 Aug 20, 3:24pm -
    • Televangelist Morris Cerullo Dead at 88
      After preaching for 70 years, faith healer and televangelist Morris Cerullo has died at 88 years of age from pneumonia. In the months before he died, Cerullo’s final project, a […]The post Televangelist Morris Cerullo Dead at 88 first appeared on Trinity Foundation.
      - 77 days ago 13 Jul 20, 1:25pm -
    • Warning Signs When Reviewing Church or Ministry Financial Statements
        Before donating to a particular organization, stop and consider a few warning signs first. Trinity Foundation has spent several decades examining financial statements of religious organizations. There are common […]The post Warning Signs When Reviewing Church or Ministry Financial Statements first appeared on Trinity Foundation.
      - 87 days ago 4 Jul 20, 10:49am -

    United Methodist News Service

    Women of Faith

    • The 2 Hearts Story | Only in Theaters Oct 16
      The 2 Hearts StoryHi Women of Faith, as part of the cast of the upcoming film ‘2 Hearts’, we are excited to share with you a first look at the inspirational true story behind the film. Do you believe in miracles?  2 Hearts is a romantic journey that celebrates life, love and generosity of spirit and will strengthens our belief that miracles still happen. 2 Hearts will open in theaters everywhere on October 16th.  
      - 20 days ago 8 Sep 20, 5:14pm -
    • Women of Faith Interview with Jeremy Camp
      Jeremy Camp...  Throughout his 17-year career, Capitol CMG artist Jeremy Camp has established himself with landmark accolades including: Holds title for most #1s among solo artists on the Christian Airplay chartBillboard’s #2 artist of the Decade in 201040 #1 radio hits across all formats4 RIAA certified gold albums and 1 gold single1 Grammy nomination, 3 American Music Award nominations & 4 ASCAP Songwriter of the Year AwardsJeremy has also authored an autobiography, I Still Believe (2013, Tyndale) and toured the world, sharing his music in more than 36 countries, and his organization, Speaking Louder Ministries, has allowed him to travel to Brazil, Guatemala, Ukraine, Japan and Kyrgyzstan.Now his story is being told in a movie for the ages!One love can change your life. One life can change the world. From the creators of I Can Only Imagine comes an inspiring true story of faith, hope, and love. I STILL BELIEVE is based on the real-life story of chart-topping singer Jeremy Camp. Starring KJ Apa, Britt Robertson, Shania Twain, and Gary Sinise, I STILL BELIEVE is a powerful reminder that in the midst of life’s storms, true hope can be found in Christ. Learn more at https://istillbelievemovie.com. Women of Faith is a global ministry, specializing in the use of all forms of media & technology, as a conduit to connect people to people and exponentially grow friends and community globally and to create disciples 24/7, 365 days per year.  This allows Women of Faith to reach more people and to have more impact in growing God’s Kingdom.  Women of Faith is also committed to carrying the legacy of wisdom, story and authenticity, by providing various media, initiatives, resources, events, courses, studies, partnerships and programs.  These are utilized in delivering spiritual strength, life leadership, real relationships and to encourage and equip women to experience a deeper relationship with Jesus. Women of Faith's Foundational Voice is Alita Reynolds. 
      - 25 Mar 20, 5:01am -
    • Experience I STILL BELIEVE in Theaters This Weekend!
      Experience I STILL BELIEVE in Theaters This Weekend! Love. Young love, the love of a parent, the love for a sibling, the love of God. I STILL BELIEVE is a true love story you are sure to love.This new movie from the creators of I Can Only Imagine opens in theaters THIS Friday, March 13. Telling the real-life story of Melissa and Jeremy Camp, I STILL BELIEVE is already touching hearts.CLICK HERE to take a minute to watch this video to hear what some of your favorite Christian artists (including for King & Country, Michael W. Smith, Rebecca St. James, and Mark Hall) are saying about this powerful film.The musicians on the video aren’t the only ones singing the movie’s praises.Lauren Daigle says:“I STILL BELIEVE was stunning to say the least. The story captivated so many sentiments. I saw this film with my grandmother, my dad and my aunt, so that’s three generations and we all had tears falling down our face. We were all moved equally. This movie isn’t a matter of age. This movie is a matter of heart. If you have a heart, you’ll be able to feel something in this film that’s real.”Dannah Gresh from True Girl Conferences adds:“I STILL BELIEVE is the kind of love story that’s been missing in our theaters. It’s refreshingly honest and gritty and showcases a love that maintains innocence but does not lack passion. You’ll leave with a desire to both experience and express the right kind of love. … Salty and full of light.”Author Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle says:“I STILL BELIEVE will take your breath away. Your heart will soar as you are drawn into a most-incredible love story. Feel every emotion—cry, cheer, fret, jump for joy, and praise God as your soul is deeply touched by faith, hope, and love. Miracles still happen—don’t miss this movie!”And Women of Faith’s own Alita Reynolds declares:“I STILL BELIEVE is a movie for everyone and a love story for the ages. Prepare to laugh, cheer, cry, and renew your hope.”Be sure to let us know what YOU think after you see I STILL BELIEVE in theaters this weekend. Chances are: you’ll LOVE it!One love can change your life. One life can change the world. From the creators of I Can Only Imagine comes an inspiring true story of faith, hope, and love. I STILL BELIEVE is based on the real-life story of chart-topping singer Jeremy Camp. Starring KJ Apa, Britt Robertson, Shania Twain, and Gary Sinise, I STILL BELIEVE is a powerful reminder that in the midst of life’s storms, true hope can be found in Christ. Learn more at https://istillbelievemovie.com. Women of Faith is a global ministry, specializing in the use of all forms of media & technology, as a conduit to connect people to people and exponentially grow friends and community globally and to create disciples 24/7, 365 days per year.  This allows Women of Faith to reach more people and to have more impact in growing God’s Kingdom.  Women of Faith is also committed to carrying the legacy of wisdom, story and authenticity, by providing various media, initiatives, resources, events, courses, studies, partnerships and programs.  These are utilized in delivering spiritual strength, life leadership, real relationships and to encourage and equip women to experience a deeper relationship with Jesus. Women of Faith's Foundational Voice is Alita Reynolds. 
      - 12 Mar 20, 5:01am -
    • JONAH: More Than a Whale of a Tale
      Who doesn’t know Jonah?  While at first glance we think of it as the tale of a whale, it’s really a story of God’s heart toward the nations.  God uses this timeless story to challenge us to His most important commitment – reaching the nations with the news of His love and forgiveness.  Even if they are our archenemies, He wants us to go there and tell them of the wonderful grace of Jesus…greater than all our sin.Jesus Himself summed up the story of Jonah as He left this earth.  It’s recorded in the last two verses of Matthew 28: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.”  He had a plan for Jonah, and that same plan is for us.From Women of Faith Devotional Bible.  Copyright © 2003 (Thomas Nelson, Inc.)  Used by permission.   Women of Faith is a global ministry, specializing in the use of all forms of media & technology, as a conduit to connect people to people and exponentially grow friends and community globally and to create disciples 24/7, 365 days per year.  This allows Women of Faith to reach more people and to have more impact in growing God’s Kingdom.  Women of Faith is also committed to carrying the legacy of wisdom, story and authenticity, by providing various media, initiatives, resources, events, courses, studies, partnerships and programs.  These are utilized in delivering spiritual strength, life leadership, real relationships and to encourage and equip women to experience a deeper relationship with Jesus. Women of Faith's Foundational Voice is Alita Reynolds. 
      - 10 Feb 20, 6:00am -
    • LOOKING THROUGH THE LENS OF ANGER
      Looking through the Lens of Anger"In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” (Ephesians 4:26–27)Anger is a God-given emotion, yet many believe anger is always negative, always a sin. We stuff it, hide it, avoid it, and deny it. Hidden anger only fuels the fire inside. These Keys for Living will help you identify the four sources of anger and learn how to apply the quick answer to anger. You will also find biblical solutions for resolving past anger and practical tools to identify triggers, handle angry people, and act rather than react in volatile situations.Anger is appropriate at certain times.Anger must be resolved, or it becomes sinful.Anger can be curtailed.Anger, if not stopped, can be used by Satan.Anger, if prolonged, gives ground to Satan.“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.”(Ephesians 4:29–30)Anger can lead to unwholesome talk.Anger can grieve the Holy Spirit.Anger can be totally cancelled.Anger becomes sin when it results in bitterness.Anger must be eradicated before it turns to rage.Anger must be let go before it leads to fighting.Anger must be overcome before it leads to slander.Anger must be mastered before it becomes malicious.Anger can be conquered through kindness and compassion.Anger can be fought and defeated through forgiveness.“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”(Ephesians 4:31–32)Facing the Internal FireIs your commute plagued by road rage?Do you battle difficult people every time you step into the grocery store?How often have you sat alone after an argument, regretting your harsh words?Do you try to control your emotions and find yourself at the mercy of unpredictable anger?Anger can make you feel like a powder keg, vulnerable to even the smallest spark. When you lose control, the flames can be explosive, singeing your relationships, charring your work and burning your health. In truth, anger is a positive emotion, designed by God as a warning signal to alert you to a problem. But if left unchecked, anger grows into deep destructive bitterness.God can help you uncover the source of your anger whether injustice, hurt, fear or frustration. He is ready and able to heal your heart and help you control your anger before it controls you!To learn more about working through anger, check out our resources on ANGERAND... you are able to check out all of our resources here: RESOURCES   Women of Faith is a global ministry, providing digital media, resources and events to encourage and equip women to experience a deeper relationship with Jesus.  Initiatives and programs allow women to be reached with the Word of God. Various media and events are utilized in delivering the message.  Women of Faith's Foundational Voice is Alita Reynolds.
      - 6 Feb 20, 5:21pm -

    The World And Everything In It (Podcast)

    • new9.28.30 Legal Docket, Moneybeat, and History Book
      On Legal Docket, Mary Reichard talks to John Malcolm about Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court; on the Monday Moneybeat, Nick Eicher talks to financial analyst David Bahnsen about the increases in durable goods orders and home sales despite stubbornly high unemployment; and on History Book, Paul Butler recounts significant events from the past. Plus: commentary from Marvin Olasky, and the Monday morning news.Support The World and Everything in It today at wng.org/donate.Additional support comes from Dordt University. Providing an education rooted in faith—for engineers, nurses, social workers, teachers, and more. More at Dordt.edu.
      - 18 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 7:15am -
    • Legal Docket, Episode 9: Admitting Privileges
      Hosts Mary Reichard and Jenny Rough consider abortion law, incrementalism, and the surprising plurality opinion from the Supreme Court in June Medical Services L.L.C. v. Russo.We also release Legal Docket as a stand-alone series, and we publish new episodes each Tuesday. So if you want to listen sooner or help others find this program, you can subscribe by searching for Legal Docket on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen.Legal Docket is a production of WORLD Radio. Support WORLD at wng.org/donate.
      - 3 days ago 26 Sep 20, 7:15am -
    • 9.25.20 Culture Friday, Cobra Kai, and Listener Feedback
      On Culture Friday, Megan Basham and Myrna Brown talk to theology professor Katie McCoy about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, and feminism; Megan reviews the streaming series Cobra Kai; and your Listener Feedback. Plus: a vinyl resurgence, and the Friday morning news.Support The World and Everything in It today at wng.org/donate.Additional support comes from Samaritan Ministries. Join a community of Christians who will care for you spiritually and financially when you have a medical need. www.samaritanministries.org/world
      - 4 days ago 25 Sep 20, 7:15am -
    • 9.24.20 Arizona’s senate seat, homeschooling in Texas, and cinnamon rolls
      Sarah Schweinsberg reports on why the Arizona Senate race could hold the key to flipping control of the upper chamber to Democrats; Laura Edghill talks to Texans about the surge in homeschooling in the Lone Star State; and Vivian Jones meets a couple in Nashville who unexpectedly launched a successful business during the pandemic. Plus: commentary from Cal Thomas, a slithering surprise, a preview of this week’s Listening In, and the Thursday morning news.Support The World and Everything in It today at wng.org/donate.Additional support comes from Samaritan Ministries. Join a community of Christians who will care for you spiritually and financially when you have a medical need. www.samaritanministries.org/world
      - 5 days ago 24 Sep 20, 7:15am -
    • 9.23.20 Washington Wednesday, World Tour, and the state of theology
      On Washington Wednesday, Mary Reichard talks to Palm Beach Atlantic University professor James Todd about what the hysteria over the Supreme Court nomination tells us about the court’s role in American society; on World Tour, Africa correspondent Onize Ohikere reports on international news; and Paul Butler details a new report on the state of theology. Plus: commentary from Janie B. Cheaney, fly eradication overkill, and the Wednesday morning news.Support The World and Everything in It today at wng.org/donate.Additional support comes from Samaritan Ministries. Join a community of Christians who will care for you spiritually and financially when you have a medical need. www.samaritanministries.org/world
      - 6 days ago 23 Sep 20, 7:15am -

    World Magazine

    • newTrump, Biden prepare to debate
      Chris Wallace of Fox News will host the opening round of the 2020 presidential debates at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland at 9 p.m. EDT on Tuesday—the first of three debates between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden.What will the candidates talk about? Trump and Biden will face questions about the Supreme Court, election integrity, race issues, and the coronavirus pandemic. Trump said Sunday that his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have been helping him prepare for the debate. Biden’s staff had a senior adviser pretend to be Trump during practice sessions. The remaining debates are scheduled for Oct. 15 and 22, with a vice presidential debate slated for Oct. 7.Dig deeper: Read my report in The Stew on the campaigns’ differing spending strategies.Image: Category: ElectionsArticle Title: Trump, Biden prepare to debateKeywords: PoliticsCampaign 2020DebateElectionsAuthor: Kyle Ziemnick
      - 3 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 10:15pm -
    • newPlayoffs are here on ice, diamonds, and courts
      Major League Baseball will begin an unusual 16-team playoff as the best-of-three wild card round kicks off on Tuesday. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays are the top seeds from the National League and American League, respectively. The NBA Finals begin on Wednesday when LeBron James and the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers take on the surprise winners of the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat. Like all NBA playoff games this year, the finals will take place in the league’s Orlando, Fla., bubble. Baseball is holding much of its postseason at four neutral bubble sites in California and Texas.What other sports are on right now? The 2020 NHL season could end on Monday night when the Tampa Bay Lightning, leading three games to two, play the Dallas Stars in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Professional tennis began its second major tournament of the pandemic, the French Open, on the red clay courts of the Stade Roland Garros in Paris on Sunday. Twelve-time winner Rafael Nadal of Spain is the defending champion.Dig deeper: Read Sharon Dierberger’s report in Muse about why colleges decided to start playing football.Image: Category: SportsArticle Title: Playoffs are here on ice, diamonds, and courtsKeywords: SportsCoronavirusHealthBaseballBasketballHockeyTennisNBANHLMLBAuthor: Kyle Ziemnick
      - 3 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 10:07pm -
    • newMaking a city notice
      Pastor Ken Peters said his wife’s eyes widened when he announced to the congregation his plans to start holding church gatherings outside Planned Parenthood in Spokane, Wash. It was the end of an August 2018 service at Covenant Church Spokane after a talk from Rusty Thomas of Operation Save America. Peters thought of the idea during Thomas’ talk and hadn’t discussed it with anyone, but he said the announcement “drove home” the message.“[Thomas] was encouraging people to get out to Planned Parenthood and worship and pray and preach the gospel,” Peters said. “That sounds like a church service to me.” Within a couple of months, his church held its first gathering outside the abortion facility, an event the organizers call “The Church at Planned Parenthood.”For almost two years, Covenant has held evening services once a month on the grassy lawn next to the facility, drawing up to 600 people at a time. Though the gatherings have sparked conflict inside and outside the church, organizers said they force the community to reckon with the abortion industry’s presence and have inspired similar efforts in other cities.Covenant livestreamed its services at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March and April. It started meeting in person again in May. Planned Parenthood sued the services’ organizers in June, arguing the gatherings intruded on operations and violated state laws that prohibit noise at health facilities. Even though the church starts at the facility’s 6 p.m. closing time, Planned Parenthood said patients and staff often remain inside until 7 p.m. and the services disrupt some appointments.Superior Court Judge Raymond Clary on Sept. 21 ordered the church to move across the street and push the start time to 7 p.m. Peters and the other organizers texted congregants about the change in plans before the Sept. 22 service. Some silently protested by coming at 6 p.m. to kneel and pray on the property. Peters and his church plan to appeal the injunction and fight the lawsuit claiming a violation of their First Amendment rights.In the meantime, he said the congregation would continue gathering near the facility because the church serves a specific function in the community. People at the services rarely interact with Planned Parenthood clients or employees besides seeing some leave work for the day. But Peters said the church draws the community’s attention to abortion and attacks evil “in a spiritual manner.”“When you meet right by Planned Parenthood, the whole city notices that, and they wonder, ‘Why are all of those people at Planned Parenthood?’” he said. “It really exposes their industry, it exposes their sin … in a very peaceful way.”Peters said the services have led to conversations with members of the city council, the police chief, the city attorney, and the mayor and led to coverage on a few television networks. During the events, people driving by sometimes make rude gestures or curse at the worshippers. Some have even protested at the services.Peters said some congregants left the church because of the Planned Parenthood gatherings. “For some people, it’s just a little too close to the action,” he said. “A lot of Christians will say it’s too protest-y or it’s too mean-looking.”But since he started the services in 2018, Peters said other “churches at Planned Parenthood” have popped up other cities, including Salem, Ore., and Indianapolis. Pro-lifers across the country have contacted him for ideas on how to replicate his model.“It’s a really good, solid foundation for what needs to be done if we’re going to protect children,” said longtime pro-life activist John Cavanaugh-O’Keefe, who helped start the nonviolent “rescue” movement of the 1970s and 1980s. “When you launch a campaign of nonviolence, you are deliberately provocative. … You’re asserting that the power of love is greater than the power of death.”Image: Deck: Pro-life advocates hold church services near abortion facilities to expose the evil of the industryCategory: Pro-LifeKeywords: LifeAbortionChurchesFaithReligionChristianitySlug: LifeArticle Title: Making a city noticeAuthor: Leah HickmanDigital Branding: VitalsHide from Archive?: 0
      - 3 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 10:00pm -
    • newA religion test for jurors?
      The defendant in a fraud case said a federal judge in Florida unfairly booted the one juror who thought she was innocent. In April 2017, a jury convicted former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., of federal tax and fraud charges. She received a sentence of five years in prison for allegedly spending money donated to her charity on personal expenses.During the trial, a juror informed the judge that one of the other members of the jury said he prayed and received guidance from the Holy Spirit. He believed Brown was not guilty. The judge replaced the juror with an alternate, who voted with the others to convict Brown.In January, a panel of judges from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to uphold Brown’s conviction, saying the juror had put in doubt whether he could make a decision based solely on the evidence. In his dissent, Chief Judge William Pryor Jr. of the 11th Circuit disagreed that seeking divine guidance disqualified a juror.“As long as the object of … prayers is an honest attempt to discern the facts from the evidence and to apply the law to those facts, the prayerful meditations of such a juror are no less valid a form of deliberation than any other,” he wrote.Religious liberty organizations also criticized the ruling, saying it could effectively impose a religious test that would exclude Christians and others who pray from serving on juries.“How is it possible that we demand a juror take an oath invoking God’s aid in rendering a verdict but then dismiss that same juror for taking that oath seriously?” said First Liberty’s Lea Patterson. “If this decision stands, millions of Americans are disqualified from fulfilling their civic duty as jurors simply because they believe that God answers prayer.”On Thursday, the full 11th Circuit vacated the panel’s decision and said it would hear the case. It hasn’t yet set a date for the hearing. Officials released the 73-year-old Brown in April to avoid exposing her to COVID-19.Image: Deck: The removal of a jury member for praying could result in a retrialCategory: Religious LibertyKeywords: Religious LibertyCourtsCrimeFirst AmendmentSlug: CourtsArticle Title: A religion test for jurors?Author: Steve WestDigital Branding: LibertiesHide from Archive?: 0
      - 4 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 9:23pm -
    • newTrump picks up pro-life effort dropped in Congress
      President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday to shore up protections for babies who survive abortions. The order requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to ensure medical centers that receive federal funding give life-saving assistance to all premature and disabled newborns in compliance with existing laws.Seven months ago, just a few weeks before the coronavirus lockdowns began, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act failed to receive the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster in the U.S. Senate. The bill also stalled in the House, where Republican lawmakers have filed a discharge petition to bring the measure to the floor for a vote. The petition has 205 of the 218 signatures needed, but it likely will not get any more before the end of this congressional session.“Unfortunately, after months of waiting, no action was taken,” said Connors Semelsberger, a legislative assistant with the Family Research Council. “The administration is doing what they can.”The 2002 Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, signed by President George W. Bush, clarified that born infants have the same right to lifesaving medical care as any other human. But that law did not institute penalties for medical professionals who failed to comply. Trump’s executive order gives the secretary of health and human services the power to cut funding from medical programs that ignore the 2002 law. Organizations that don’t receive federal funding are outside of the order’s purview.“Without … the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection [Act], there are no federal enforcement tools to punish abortionists and healthcare professionals performing abortions in private clinics … that do not provide medical care,” Semelsberger said.This order joins a host of other pro-life policies the Trump administration has enacted, including limiting funding for overseas groups that support abortion, increasing oversight of fetal tissue research, and blocking Planned Parenthood’s participation in the Title X family planning program.Congress has the power to codify each of those actions into law, but Semelsberger said lawmakers have been “delegating out their duties to legislate” to the courts and the executive branch instead: “It has put us as the pro-life movement in very much a pendulum swing.”Image: Deck: The president’s executive order seeks to protect abortion survivorsCategory: Pro-LifeKeywords: LifeAbortionPoliticsMedicineWhite HouseSlug: LifeArticle Title: Trump picks up pro-life effort dropped in CongressAuthor: Leah HickmanDigital Branding: VitalsHide from Archive?: 0
      - 4 hours ago 28 Sep 20, 9:10pm -