William “Bill” Barton, a greeter at Greers Ferry First Assembly in Cleburne County, Arkansas, where at least 34 people have been struck by the new coronavirus became first of the infected to die Tuesday. He was 91.

State and local government officials confirmed the 91-year-old died at 8 a.m. Tuesday at Conway Regional Medical Center, and was the second coronavirus fatality in the state, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. The first was a 59-year-old Sherwood man who had underlying health issues.

“Sadly we’ve had our first death from COVID-19 and since that came about earlier today, we’ve had another death so now we have two deaths from COVID-19,” Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said at a press conference Tuesday.

“Today, I’ve had meetings with hospitals, I’ve had meetings with counties, legislators in talking to my public health team. They used this language and said what we’re seeing is the calm before the storm. I know that many people don’t see this as a calm but I think the way that it’s phrased, makes us understand that we’re still on the lower end of the slope as it goes up,” he warned.

While the church has yet to release a formal statement on Barton’s passing, member Gracie Campbell confirmed with the Gazette that Barton had passed and was a greeter at the church.

His funeral arrangements are currently being handled by Bishop-Crites Funeral Home in Greenbrier, where owner Jeff Crites told The Christian Post Wednesday that Barton’s family was distraught and wouldn’t be available for interviews.

“My main concern is taking care of the family,” Crites said.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Leonardo Blair

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RICHMOND, Va. (BP) — International Mission Board senior leaders have directed IMB missionary personnel around the world to postpone hosting any ministry volunteer groups through June 30, leaders announced Wednesday (March 25). The directive will be reassessed May 1.

“We’re instructing our personnel to postpone all volunteer efforts at this time due to the uncertainty of health and travel for those traveling internationally, and also to comply with the State Department’s guidance,” said IMB President Paul Chitwood. “We strongly recommend that Southern Baptist volunteer teams postpone any travel during this time, particularly overseas travel.”

Chitwood said setting a parameter about volunteer teams is a complex issue because of the global nature of the virus, including with the United States being greatly impacted and movement becoming more restricted.

“We highly value all our field personnel and their partners — our long-term personnel; our mid-term personnel, including Journeymen; and the faithful mission volunteers,” Chitwood said. “Throughout this situation, we are continually assessing local situations in the context of the global crisis and doing our best, at both the local and global levels, to make good decisions for our personnel’s health and safety, and for those who desire to serve alongside us as volunteers for a shorter time.

“Ministry overseas, however, hasn’t stopped as many of our missionaries are making the same efforts to move to online discipleship training and other types of meetings to ensure that Southern Baptists’ work and witness among the nations remains strong.”

Chitwood said every Southern Baptist and other partners have an opportunity to support missions now, even while being restricted in their travel, by committing to a concerted time of prayer.

“We believe that prayer not only paves the way for the Lord to work, but following Jesus’ example, we know that prayer itself is, in fact, part of that vital work,” Chitwood said. “What an incredible opportunity to step into the gap for millions of unreached people while our eyes are on the condition of the world.”

Prayer requests on IMB.org/Pray provide a window on the world, and IMB leaders urge those who are committed to prayer to join IMB’s 175 Days of Prayer, planned for May 11-Nov. 29, 2020, at IMB.org/175.

Olympics volunteers affected

The postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics is affecting volunteers planning to share the gospel and serve other ways through the international event in Japan. IMB’s Olympic ministry coordinators shared a message online as well as through a YouTube video for those volunteers.

“We want you to know that the IMB and our partners here in Japan are still committed to the Tokyo Olympics [when they take place],” said Daniel Rice, who is coordinating IMB’s 2020 Olympic ministries. Between now and then, “our team will continue working hard to keep things moving forward in order to bring the good news of the Gospel to the Japanese. We will make the necessary adjustments to continue our [ministry] plan when the Olympics take place. Our hope is that many of you will be able to join us.

“In the meantime, we ask that you continue to pray for the Japanese people. Many Japanese may feel disappointed and are even concerned that the Olympics’ postponement reflects negatively on them as a nation.”

Source: Baptist Press

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Welcome to the How to Stay the Coronavirus Plague podcast #4. My name is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International.

Deuteronomy 28:59 says “Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.”

Matthew Henry says, “God justly expects from us that we should fear his fearful name; and, which is strange, that name which is here proposed as the object of our fear is, THE LORD THY GOD, which is very fitly here put in our Bibles in capital letters; for nothing can sound more truly august. As nothing is more comfortable, so nothing more awful, than this, that he with whom we have to do is Jehovah, a being infinitely perfect and blessed, and the author of all being; and that he is our God, our rightful Lord and owner, from whom we are to receive laws and to whom we are to give account: this is great, and greatly to be feared. We may justly expect from God that, if we do not fear his fearful name, we shall feel his fearful plagues; for one way or other God will be feared. All God’s plagues are dreadful, but some are wonderful, carrying in them extraordinary signatures of divine power and justice, so that a man, upon the first view of them, may say, Verily, there is a God that judgeth in the earth.”

Leonard Ravenhill said, “If we displease God, does it matter whom we please? If we please Him does it matter whom we displease?”

Here are some news stories about the coronavirus:

According to the Fox8 North Carolina has its first two coronavirus deaths, according to state health officials.

According to Fox News Spain surged past China to now have the world’s second-highest tally of coronavirus deaths after seeing a 738 spike overnight — its highest so far in one day.

According to WTVA The state of Mississippi reported its second death from the coronavirus, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) confirmed Wednesday morning.

I believe that one of the things that God is allowing to happen through this plague is to bring families back together because families are the biggest problem in our society and if you have broken families you have broken churches and a broken community but for many families being cooped up in the house together is going to be rough because many husbands and wives, fathers and mothers are selfish and really don’t want to be in the house all the time with the family and depending on the age of the children they may not want to be either and this can lead to an explosive situation that can potentially be deadly and by the grace of God i will share with you some things as I have done this and we have done family life, ministry life, and business life in the home together.

Deuteronomy 11:19 says “And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

James Emery White said, “Homeschooling fosters family intimacy. When the family is together, it’s together. Homeschooling keeps the family together; the older children with the younger children—full interaction. For one year, we put our oldest daughter, Rebecca, into a private Christian school for first grade. She would come home tired, irritable, impatient with her younger siblings. The intimacy she had with us – that we all had together – was radically different than what we had experienced before. We went back to homeschooling after that, and the difference was immediate and palpable. Intimacy returned in ways that we were accustomed to.”

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Now, if you are with us today and you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, allow me to show you how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and Hell.

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 18:8: “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at [email protected] and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.

God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.

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On Monday March 23rd, six-time GRAMMY^® nominated inspirational artist Tauren Wells teamed up with champion football star Russell Wilson to share hope and encouragement in conversation on Instagram Live. Even champion basketball player Steph Curry dropped in. Watch below: 

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