Dealing with doubts: Coronavirus and my favorite prayer in Scripture

-
0
Dealing with doubts: Coronavirus and my favorite prayer in Scripture

There is so much we don’t know about the COVID-19 pandemic.

We don’t know when cases in the US will peak or how long they will last afterward. We don’t know if surviving a COVID-19 infection means we gain long-lasting immunity or if we can become reinfected. We don’t know if the virus will be affected by warmer temperatures in the spring and summer, or, if it is, whether we will see a second onslaught of infections in the fall. We don’t know if measures to keep us from infecting each other will work. We don’t know if vaccine and therapy trials now underway will work. 

At a time like this, it’s easy to wonder if prayer does much good. We pray for our leaders, for our healthcare providers, for our friends and families and ourselves. But if you’re like most of us, there’s an unstated, perhaps unadmitted doubt in the back of your mind—will my prayers really make any difference? They can fall into the “why not” category: something that doesn’t cost us anything but a little time and might make a difference. But who really knows? 

In my spring sermon series, we are following Jesus to Easter and watching him change lives along the way. Last week, we saw him save Peter from drowning on the stormy Sea of Galilee in response to the fisherman’s prayer, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30). The Greek is really just two words: “Lord, save!” 

It’s the shortest prayer in the Bible, and one we can pray any time in any storm. 

Today we’ll shift from the shortest prayer in Scripture to my favorite prayer in Scripture. It’s one that I’ve prayed many times over the years. It’s one that you may need to learn to pray in these hard days. 

Before we learn it, let me ask you: What questions or doubts or struggles are most on your heart today?

They may be about the coronavirus pandemic, but they may be about something else. One tragedy about disease epidemics is that other diseases don’t stop being…

… Read More

—

Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Denison Forum.

قالب وردپرس

Coronavirus Cases in China Decline as Number of Deaths in Italy Surge

-
0
Coronavirus Cases in China Decline as Number of Deaths in Italy Surge


Coronavirus Cases in China Decline as Number of Deaths in Italy Surge

The death toll in Italy surged past China’s death toll on Thursday, according to the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, in the U.S. the Army started making plans to set up mobile military hospitals to be placed in major cities. Other medical centers in the U.S. are setting up drive-thru testing sites.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the United Nations in New York that the world is “at war with a virus” and that “a global recession, perhaps of record dimensions, is a near certainty.”

“If we let the virus spread like wildfire — especially in the most vulnerable regions of the world – it would kill millions of people,” he said.

In Italy, which has a population of 60 million, there have been more than 3,400 deaths, about 150 more than in China, which boasts a population over 20 times larger.

However, Wuhan, the Chinese city where coronavirus first emerged, has since recorded no new infections.

Health officials have said Italy’s high death toll is because of the city’s population of elderly people. Italy has the second-oldest population in the world, and about 87 percent of its dead have been over 70 years old.

Meanwhile, Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit, a virologist at Germany’s Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine said the death rate is also because of a “collapse” of Italy’s health system.

There have also been reports of people still using public…

… Read More

Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.

قالب وردپرس

Robin Schumacher on Evidence of Christianity and The Spiderman Fallacy

-
0
Robin Schumacher on Evidence of Christianity and The Spiderman Fallacy

An atheist that I was dialoguing with a while back tried to support his disbelief in Jesus through the use of the “Spiderman fallacy”, which is a contrived argument that has been defined in the following way by Urban Dictionary:

Archaeologists 1,000 years from now unearth a collection of Spiderman comics. From the background art, they can tell it takes place in New York City. NYC is an actual place, as confirmed by archaeology. However, this does not mean that Spiderman existed.

Often used to illustrate the flaw in the assertion by evangelical Christians that archaeologists unearthing biblical cities today “proves” that the Bible was written by a supernatural force.

The Spiderman Fallacy is committed any time the discovery of a mundane element from a myth, legend, or story is taken to mean that ALL other parts of that story, even the supernatural, are also true.[1]

Let me explain why I believe atheists should not use this argument to try and support their skeptical position on Christianity and whether Jesus actually existed.

Perhaps there are Christians who argue along the lines of “because Jerusalem exists, Jesus also existed…”, but no Christian apologist or theologian I’ve ever listened to has argued in this manner. The Spiderman fallacy argument misstates the true argument that good apologists make, which is this: We tend to trust people who get their facts straight.

Take for example the author of the gospel of Luke and Acts. By all standards of measure, he shows himself to be a top-notch historian, a fact demonstrated by such credible scholars such as Colin Hemer in his work The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History.

Of Luke, historian and archaeologist Sir William Ramsay said: “Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statement of fact trustworthy; he is possessed of the true historic sense; he fixes his mind on the idea and plan that rules in the evolution of history, and proportions the scale of his treatment to the importance of each incident… . In short, this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians.”[2]

Why are such accreditations important? Because historical accuracy matters; an author who shows him/herself to be correct in matters that can be falsified should be granted trust in matters that cannot be directly investigated.

F. F. Bruce puts it like this: “Now, all these evidences of accuracy are not accidental. A man whose accuracy can be demonstrated in matters where we are able to test it is likely to be accurate even where the means for testing him are not available. Accuracy is a habit of mind, and we know from happy (or unhappy) experience that some people are habitually accurate just as others can be depended upon to be inaccurate. Luke’s record entitles him to be regarded as a writer of habitual accuracy.”[3]

This is the direct argument of Christian apologists where the New Testament is concerned. The Spiderman fallacy takes a big misstep right out of the blocks in misrepresenting this fact.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Robin Schumacher

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

Advocates Start Petition for Pornhub to be Shut Down for Giving Free Premium Service to Italians on Lockdown Over Coronavirus

-
0
Advocates Start Petition for Pornhub to be Shut Down for Giving Free Premium Service to Italians on Lockdown Over Coronavirus

Amid an ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a pornography video hosting site that many are presently urging be shut down entirely is offering free premium service to Italian users.

In Europe, Italy has borne the brunt of the global COVID-19 outbreak and the southern European nation has been on lockdown for several days. As a result of the largely incapacitated nation, smut giant Pornhub announced it is opening its vault of videos for the whole country and is donating March proceeds to ModelHub, reports say.

The video site has faced a wave of scrutiny in recent weeks as a Change.org petition, launched by the prostitution abolitionist group Exodus Cry’s Laila Mickelwait, has garnered over half a million signatures and continues to grow. Mickelwait and others have blasted the site for allowing videos to be uploaded that are incidents of human trafficking and the rape of minors, thus facilitating and profiting off of the abuse.

“It is no surprise that Pornhub admitted to verifying the trafficked 15-year-old girl who was sexually abused in 58 videos on its site. The official Twitter account for Pornhub wrote in response to the breaking story that the 15-year-old girl had been a verified member. After quickly realizing it had just admitted to assisting in her being trafficked, the account deleted the tweets, but the evidence of the admission was cached and still exists,” Mikelwait notes in her petition.

The site is now reportedly publishing coronavirus-themed pornography, including a video that features a healthcare worker wearing a hazmat suit.

Critics point out that Pornhub is owned by tech company Mindgeek, a Canadian outfit officially registered in Luxembourg, and is using the pandemic to gather and monetize data, that there is nothing charitable about their offering of “free” premium access, and that it is yet another way of exploiting people’s misery and weakness in a hard time for their own financial gain.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Brandon Showalter

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

CBN News Asks Dr. Perlmutter Your Questions About the Coronavirus Outbreak

-
0
CBN News Asks Dr. Perlmutter Your Questions About the Coronavirus Outbreak

CBN News Medical Reporter Lorie Johnson spoke with Dr. David Perlmutter, a neurologist, immune system expert and best-selling author to ask him your latest questions about the coronavirus pandemic. 

Here are the questions being addressed in this Q&A:

Cheryl: Is this similar to the Asian flu and if so does that mean people who had it are immune to the current virus? 

Steven: Do Vitamins C and D help?

Diana: What are the symptoms and what is a high fever in people over 65 compared to younger people?

Karen: Is wearing a mask helpful if you need to go out?

Don: Does already having a pneumonia shot help?

Marcie: My husband flew back from Switzerland. He is self-isolating with me. We need some groceries. How soon is it safe for me to go?

You can submit new questions to us for our next Q&A at [email protected]. We are answering them in the order in which we receive them.

Source CBN

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

Cash is being shunned for fear of spreading virus: A Shepherd you can trust today

-
0
Cash is being shunned for fear of spreading virus: A Shepherd you can trust today

Can paper money spread coronavirus?

A growing number of businesses and people worldwide are afraid so.

They have stopped using banknotes out of fear that paper currency, handled by tens of thousands of people, could be a vector for spreading the virus. Businesses are refusing to accept currency; some countries are urging their citizens to stop using banknotes altogether.

However, public officials and health experts say that the risk of transferring the virus in this way is small.

Other ways we pay for items are just as likely to be vectors for disease transfer, if not more so. Credit and debit cards are made of plastic and metal. ATMs are touched by hundreds of human hands every day.

And the Federal Reserve has taken efforts to ensure the money supply is not contaminated. Banknotes that circulated in Asia and Europe are being quarantined for seven to ten days as a “precautionary measure,” according to a Federal Reserve spokesperson.

The fear of cash reveals something important about human
nature.

A Shepherd you can trust today

In these days when so much seems out of control, it’s
natural to control what we can. I cannot keep people from sneezing, but I can
stay six feet away from them. I cannot protect our country, but I can protect
myself and my family.

Of course, the best way to handle what we cannot control is
to trust it to someone who can.

We go to doctors in the belief that they can treat illnesses
we cannot. We seek the help of attorneys with legal challenges because they
have training and experience we do not. Unless you’re a home builder, you
probably trusted a home builder to build your home. Unless you’re an automobile
mechanic, you probably trust automobile mechanics to repair your car.

The best way to deal with what we cannot control about
coronavirus is to trust it to the One who can.

The psalmist prayed, “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who are…

… Read More

—

Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Denison Forum.

قالب وردپرس

United Methodist Church Postpones General Conference amid COVID-19 Pandemic

-
0
United Methodist Church Postpones General Conference amid COVID-19 Pandemic


United Methodist Church Postpones General Conference amid COVID-19 Pandemic

The United Methodist Church, anticipating action on a proposal that could split the denomination, has postponed its quadrennial General Conference, which was scheduled for May 5-15 in Minneapolis.

The Minneapolis Convention Center notified the Executive Committee of UMC’s Commission on the General Conference that the venue was not holding large events through May 10, a news release from the church’s press center said.

The convention center’s restrictions, the release said, are based on Minnesota Department of Health recommendations to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, which has caused a global pandemic of respiratory illness and death. The virus is also known as COVID-19.

The release quoted Kim Simpson, chair of the General Conference Commission, who said the convention center’s restrictions are “not unexpected based on the current guidance from health officials, and we expect to move forward with new plans as quickly as possible.”

The release said the commission “has been monitoring the situation for some time” and had scheduled a teleconference of the full commission for March 21 to discuss plans for the event. Only the full commission has the authority to change the date of the General Conference, the release said.

As of Wednesday, that teleconference was still scheduled, the release said, but added that it’s uncertain when the commission would be able to…

… Read More

Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.

قالب وردپرس

Trump Touts Possible 'Game-Changer' Treatment for Coronavirus, Congress Aid Could Put $1,200 in Your Pocket

-
0

New hope may be emerging in the fight against the coronavirus – it’s a possible treatment that President Trump is calling a potential “game-changer”. That spark of optimism comes as the nationwide shutdown just escalated as 40 million Californians have been told to stay home, and New York’s mayor is warning of a hospital shortage.

California’s governor has now ordered his state’s 40 million residents to stay home indefinitely and go outside only for essential jobs, errands or some exercise. He’s concerned the coronavirus could be too much for the state’s medical system to handle.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) says, “There’s a recognition of our interdependence that requires of this moment that we direct a statewide order for people to stay at home.” 

And California’s economy, which is the world’s fifth-biggest, has also taken a hit. Only essential critical infrastructure workers are permitted to continue working.

On the East Coast in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio says the city has only two to three weeks before area hospitals run out of supplies.

Economic Aid from Washington

As the number of US cases climbs over 13,000, and with the economy taking a severe hit from all the business closings and an expected rise in unemployment, Senate Republicans and the White House introduced their trillion-dollar plan on Thursday to boost the economy. It includes sending Americans checks for $1,200.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said, “It is critical that we move swiftly and boldly to begin to stabilize our economy, preserve Americans’ jobs, get money to workers and families and keep up our fight on the health front.”

GET YOUR FREE FACTSHEET
Coronavirus: What You Need to Know

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, “We are ready and eager to look at what Republicans have put together and to work with them. But, we believe that whatever proposal emerges, and it will be bipartisan, that it must be a workers’ first proposal.”

Schumer went on to say that his goal is to make sure “no one loses a paycheck or goes into financial ruin as a result of the coronavirus.”

On Wall Street, investors are hoping for a sustainable rally after the recent collapse in prices.

Possible Treatments for Coronavirus

On the medical front, Vice President Mike Pence says a company that makes the important n-95 masks is accelerating production to 35-million per month. Pence also says the government has found tens of thousands of ventilators as well. 

And President Trump is talking about possible treatments for the coronavirus, including a drug normally prescribed to treat malaria – known as “chloroquine” or “hydroxy-chloroquine” – which is showing some promise. Doctors say it had promising outcomes in China.

President Trump said, “I think it’s going to be very exciting. I think it could be a game-changer. And maybe not and maybe not, but I think it could be based on what I see, it could be a game-changer. Very powerful; they’re very powerful. So I want every American to know that we’re doing everything we can, and these actions are important next steps.”

Reuters reports the malaria drug is already in short supply as demand is surging.
           
Chloroquine, and another drug, Remdesivir, are among several possibilities now being tested as potential therapies for the disease.

Source CBN

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

After Canceling Public Services, This Megachurch Is Feeding Hungry Families

-
0
After Canceling Public Services, This Megachurch Is Feeding Hungry Families


After Canceling Public Services, This Megachurch Is Feeding Hungry Families

LOS ANGELES (RNS) — It’s been a week since the Pentecostal megachurch Angelus Temple in Los Angeles chose to cancel its public church services and decided to instead focus on feeding families in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic that has caused job layoffs and shut down schools and restaurants.

The Dream Center, the church’s nonprofit in Echo Park, has been open from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. to provide free hot and boxed meals all week — not just to families with children from the Los Angeles Unified School District, but to anyone who stops by for its drive-thru or pick-up service.

The center will also be distributing meals this weekend.

Angelus Temple pastor Matthew Barnett said food distributions have gone smoothly.

The church is averaging 5,000 meals a day as well as 150 daily visits to the elderly to provide them with food. Chick-fil-A and Pink’s Hot Dogs have donated food, he said.

The center is also asking for monetary contributions to be able to continue serving residents. Los Angeles Dodgers teammates Justin Turner and Clayton Kershaw are among those who have donated money and have even called businesses to supply food.

Barnett said the church plans to provide meals as long as necessary.

The center has also distributed free diapers to those in need and has taken in some 16 people without a home. On Thursday (March 19) Barnett said the center ordered $20,000 of mass…

… Read More

Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Christian Headlines.

قالب وردپرس

Putting up Christmas lights in March: A collection of good news stories in the coronavirus war

-
0
Putting up Christmas lights in March: A collection of good news stories in the coronavirus war

My purpose today is to encourage you with some remarkable good news in the war against coronavirus.

We’ll look at good news from medical, financial, historical, cultural, and spiritual perspectives. This Daily Article will be unlike any other I’ve written in that it is designed to be a resource that I hope will be helpful for hours and days to come. It includes multiple links as well as videos you can read or watch as you wish. 

Medical good news 

Let’s begin on the medical front. As you’ve probably heard, China is reporting no new domestic infections for the first time since the outbreak began. And a small town in Italy, where the disease has been especially disastrous, cut its cases to zero in just a few weeks by testing and then isolating all positive cases as soon as possible. 

Key biotech companies are making progress as hopes of a coronavirus vaccine grow. China claims to have discovered an antiviral drug that is “clearly effective” in treating COVID-19 patients. And doctors in Japan report that a drug used to treat influenza appears to be effective in treating the virus. 

In more good news, a team of infectious disease experts calculates that the fatality rate for coronavirus in Wuhan was about 1.4 percent, which is lower than earlier estimates. Automakers have agreed to make ventilators for hospitals that are running short, which would utilize shut-down factory space for the public good. 

The Pentagon will provide five million respirator masks and two thousand specialized ventilators as well. And a Navy hospital ship is being sent to New York Harbor to help with trauma causes, which would open up civilian rooms for infectious diseases. 

Financial good news 

While the stock market was up 188 points yesterday, the economy is obviously being affected by the pandemic. However, some companies that provide goods and services especially relevant to the crisis are doing exceptionally well.  

One…

… Read More

—

Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Denison Forum.

قالب وردپرس

1...396397398...3,893Page 397 of 3,893