Timothy Cole, Rector of Episcopal Church in D.C., Tests Positive for Coronavirus

A prominent Episcopal church in Washington suspended all activities Sunday after announcing that one of its senior leaders was the first person in the nation’s capital to test positive for the coronavirus.

The Rev. Timothy Cole, the church rector, was in stable condition after being hospitalized Saturday night, according to a statement from the Rev. Crystal Hardin, the assistant rector.

“Out of an abundance of caution, Christ Church has canceled all activities including church services until further notice. We recommend that concerned community members contact their health care providers,” the statement said.

“Above all else, we know that whether we meet in person or in spirit, not one of us is alone while we have each other. And, we firmly believe that we are held in God’s embrace through it all. Praying without ceasing for all affected, for all in fear, and for all who are working to find solutions,” the statement said.

According to the church’s website, Cole has been the rector since September 2016. “He brings with him the depth of his experience in service with and to young people and families, a dedication to pastoral care and community building through outreach and prayer, a joy in traditional liturgy and music, and a commitment to scripture,” the site says. He is married and has two children.

Officials on Saturday had announced the district’s first positive test, but identified the victim only as a man in his 50s. A second local positive test involves a man who visited the Washington area from Nigeria, but he was being hospitalized in Maryland, Mayor Muriel Bowser said.

Health officials said Sunday said they had determined as part of their investigation that “an individual’s visitation to Christ Church Georgetown warrants precautionary measures” and they recommended a temporary halt to services.

In response, the church publicly identified Cole as the victim.

Virginia recorded its first case Saturday when a Marine stationed at Fort Belvoir was found to have the virus. On Sunday, Virginia officials announced a second case involving a Fairfax man in his 80s who took a Nile River cruise.

District officials said they had no plans to cancel any events, including the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, which starts March 20 and draws thousands of tourists.

“We recognize that it is fluid and every day we will monitor the situation on the ground in the district,” Bowser said.

Dr. Jennifer Smith, who leads Washington’s public health laboratory, said officials have the capability of testing about 50 patients per day. The district has also ordered more than 42,000 masks to be delivered to the district’s fire and emergency medical workers, officials said.

Officials said they were in contact with their counterparts at health departments across the U.S., including in New York and California, after two people who attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee event in Washington recently were diagnosed with coronavirus.

Maryland officials said a person who attended the recent Conservative Political Action Conference in suburban Oxon Hill had tested positive for the virus. Both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence spoke at the conference. The White House said there was no indication that either had met or were in “close proximity” to the infected attendee.

The Marine at Fort Belvoir was the first military case of coronavirus reported inside the U.S., said a Pentagon official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the case.

The Marine was being treated at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, located south of Washington, and had recently returned from an overseas assignment, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said on Twitter.

Dr. Benjamin Schwartz, director of epidemiology and population health for the Fairfax County health department, said the Fairfax man developed systems of respiratory illness on Feb. 28 and was hospitalized on March 5. He remains hospitalized but is in stable condition and not in an intensive care unit, Schwartz said.

“Fortunately, the individual had limited contact with others while ill, and therefore the risk to the general Fairfax community remains low,” said the county’s health director, Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensa.

Virginia state epidemiologist Dr. Lilian Peake said testing for the Fort Belvoir case was done at Walter Reed medical center, and testing for the Fairfax resident was done at a state lab in Richmond.

“The two cases are not related,” Peake said. “At this point, there are no signs of the virus spreading in the community in Virginia.”

SOURCE: The Associated Press, Michael Balsamo and Ashraf Khalil

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PODCAST: Finding Rest and Peace in a Restless World, Part 11 (Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign, Day 1020 since Jan. 20, 2017 / Day 1,317 since Jan. 1, 2016 with Daniel Whyte III)

TEXT: Matthew 11:25-30

25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.

27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

——

Jon Bloom said, “What is happening here is a yoke-exchange. In the cross, Jesus takes our inconceivably and unbearably heavy yoke of sin’s condemnation and penalty, and offers us in exchange the easy yoke and light burden of simply trusting him and obeying Him. He does all the work and gives us all the rest. And his work not only fully addresses our sin problem, but also provides the supply of every other need we will ever have. All we are required to do is trust him and obey Him!”

A yoke was a wooden frame which was put on the backs of animals and around their necks joining the two animals for a common task, such as plowing or pulling a load. If you were yoked with Jesus Christ, who do you think would “pull the load”? Obviously the Lord. And so in order to manifest meekness we must yoke ourselves to Jesus, for He is the very essence and epitome of meekness. The picture would have been very familiar to Jesus’ audience for in Biblical times a young ox was commonly yoked to an older, more experienced ox so that the older ox might train the younger to perform properly. For example, by bearing the same yoke, the untrained ox would soon learn the proper pace and how to heed the direction of the master. By analogy, believers learn by being yoked to Christ as we surrender to His will in every area of your life.

——-

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.

Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.

He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.

He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.

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One Place. One Day. Thousands of Ideas.

In less than 50 days hundreds of church revitalizers will descend on Bradenton, Florida. The church revitalizers joining us are leaders, pastors, pastors wives, and network leaders who are looking for the next idea, the next step, and the next solution that will help grow healthy churches. 

Our breakout topics are almost finalized and we are excited to release to you a sneak peak. We have partnered with Idea Network to enlist over 30 leaders that will discuss some 40+ topics.

You can download the list of breakout topics by clicking HERE.

Some topics include:

  • Revitalizing a Rural or Small Town Church
  • How the History of the Church Affects the Revitalization of the Church
  • Women, Ministry, & The Church
  • Leadership Challenges in a Revitalization
  • How Counseling Can Revitalize

In just a few days the early bird price will end. We would love to see you in Bradenton, Florida on April 20th and 21st.

Click here to REGISTER TODAY.

None of this would be possible without our gracious sponsors.

Revitalize 2020 Presented by:

 

Church of the Year Sponsors:

         

 

 

… Read More

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

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Bibles Survive Nashville Tornadoes Intact

First responders, rescue personnel and volunteers are searching for survivors as they comb through the debris left by damage to an undetermined number of homes, businesses, churches and other structures in areas around Nashville, Tenn., affected by the Tuesday, March 3, early morning tornadoes. The death toll from the Middle Tennessee storms was at 25 on March 5.

USA Today reported that on Wednesday, March 4, hundreds of additional volunteers “headed for hard-hit neighborhoods to help homeowners and renters sift through debris to find belongings and mementos.”

Among the debris are Bibles, one inscribed with the name of the owner and the date it was inscribed, perhaps marking a birthday or another landmark event in the recipient’s life.

In Putnam County, hardest hit with 18 deaths, the Bible was found among debris by first a responder identified only as Officer Denton of the Sparta Police Department, Amanda Hara of TV station WVLT reported.

“There’s not a page gone in this Bible,” Denton told WVLT. It’s a family Bible. We’d like to find out whose family Bible it was.”

Source: Christian Headlines

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Megan West on Fostering Hope in the City of Sin

Megan West is Media Director of My Faith Votes, a nonpartisan movement that motivates, equips and activates Christians in America to vote in every election, transforming our communities and influencing our nation with biblical truth. By partnering with national faith leaders, My Faith Votes provides resources to help Christians Pray, Think, and Act to create an America where God is honored in the public square. My Faith Votes also has a free Voting Assistance Center that provides information on registering to vote, sample ballots, candidates, polling locations and more.

At the tender age of eight, Carly Souza witnessed a classmate’s adoption and it made a lasting imprint on her heart. Watching that journey unfold, Carly knew that one day she wanted to adopt. Little did she understand then just how profound that dream would become.

Fast forward to today. Carly and her husband, John, have seven incredible children; five by the gift of adoption through foster care and two by birth. She’s also leading Fostering Hope, a Las Vegas church-based ministry she founded in 2012.

Fostering Hope is working alongside churches in the Las Vegas valley to grow the number of certified foster families, provide ongoing support for current foster parents, bring awareness and education to the unmet needs in the valley, and meet the practical needs of local agencies caring for children.

In the United States, there are roughly 500,000 children in the foster care system. In Clark County, Nevada, where Fostering Hope operates, there are approximately 3,500 children in foster care ranging in age from birth to eighteen years old. A heart wrenching 28% of these children have experienced four or more placements within the system. In February of 2017, Clark County reported 1,002 licensed foster homes, leaving a large discrepancy between available homes and children needing placement.

While the goal of foster care is reunification, there is a tension to provide beneficial and healthy interim care for a child who has been removed from their biological home. As a result of these experiences, children will likely have experienced trauma, abuse, and neglect. The statistics are dire for older children. More than 23,000 kids age out of U.S. foster care each year. Without the support that comes from an adoptive family or permanency connection, these children face tough odds. Many will end up with chemical dependencies, criminal records, pregnancies and even being trafficked. Few will graduate college. It’s a critical opportunity for every congregation to act on the biblical mandate of James 1:27.

According to Jason Weber, National Director of Foster Care Initiatives for Christian Alliance for Orphans, in the past “the church would kind of sit back and sometimes be critical of the state and talk about all the ways they’re falling short to a different approach of humility.” But now, states Weber, “Churches are saying, ‘Man, we were supposed to be at this party a long time ago. We’re here now. How can we help?’”

There is still a challenging amount of caution from all facets when it comes to engaging the church and foster care. Carly experienced that first-hand. She and her husband were thrust into the foster care world by accepting a placement of four siblings ranging from 7 months to 5 years of age, just five weeks after fast-tracking from attending the first informational session on how to become a foster parent to bringing the four children into their home. While she and her husband had a strong support system of family and friends to help, she realized the desperate need she had for a community who understood her specific situation and all the physical, spiritual and emotional needs that come with caring for kids with a history of trauma.

So Carly opened up her home to other foster families to meet once a month for encouragement and support. The group outgrew the space of meeting at her home so she asked her church if they could hold the support group there. With hesitation, they agreed. It wasn’t until a few years later, after hearing Carly’s heart to grow what was becoming a vital resource to foster families, that the church stepped in to provide more space, childcare, assistance, and now, a fully engaged church – even to the point of calling foster care a core ministry of the church and bringing on Carly as a staff member to run Fostering Hope.

Source: Christian Headlines

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DC Church Reports its Rector Tests Positive for Coronavirus

WASHINGTON (AP) — A prominent Episcopal church in Washington suspended all activities Sunday after announcing that one of its senior leaders was the first person in the nation’s capital to test positive for the coronavirus.

The Rev. Timothy Cole, the church rector, was in stable condition after being hospitalized Saturday night, according to a statement from the Rev. Crystal Hardin, the assistant rector.

“Out of an abundance of caution, Christ Church has canceled all activities including church services until further notice. We recommend that concerned community members contact their health care providers,” the statement said.

“Above all else, we know that whether we meet in person or in spirit, not one of us is alone while we have each other. And, we firmly believe that we are held in God’s embrace through it all. Praying without ceasing for all affected, for all in fear, and for all who are working to find solutions,” the statement said.

According to the church’s website, Cole has been the rector since September 2016. “He brings with him the depth of his experience in service with and to young people and families, a dedication to pastoral care and community building through outreach and prayer, a joy in traditional liturgy and music, and a commitment to scripture,″ the site says. He is married and has two children.

Officials on Saturday had announced the district’s first positive test, but identified the victim only as a man in his 50s. A second local positive test involves a man who visited the Washington area from Nigeria, but he was being hospitalized in Maryland, Mayor Muriel Bowser said.

Health officials said Sunday said they had determined as part of their investigation that “an individual’s visitation to Christ Church Georgetown warrants precautionary measures” and they recommended a temporary halt to services.

In response, the church publicly identified Cole as the victim.

Virginia recorded its first case Saturday when a Marine stationed at Fort Belvoir was found to have the virus. On Sunday, Virginia officials announced a second case involving a Fairfax man in his 80s who took a Nile River cruise.

District officials said they had no plans to cancel any events, including the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, which starts on March 20 and draws thousands of tourists.

“We recognize that it is fluid and every day we will monitor the situation on the ground in the district,” Bowser said.

Dr. Jennifer Smith, who leads Washington’s public health laboratory, said officials have the capability of testing about 50 patients per day. The district has also ordered more than 42,000 masks to be delivered to the district’s fire and emergency medical workers, officials said.

Officials said they were in contact with their counterparts at health departments across the U.S., including in New York and California, after two people who attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee event in Washington recently were diagnosed with coronavirus.

Maryland officials said a person who attended the recent Conservative Political Action Conference in suburban Oxon Hill had tested positive for the virus. Both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence spoke at the conference. The White House said there was no indication that either had met or were in “close proximity” to the infected attendee.

The Marine at Fort Belvoir was the first military case of coronavirus reported inside the U.S., said a Pentagon official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the case.

The Marine was being treated at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, located south of Washington, and had recently returned from an overseas assignment, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said on Twitter.

Dr. Benjamin Schwartz, director of epidemiology and population health for the Fairfax County health department, said the Fairfax man developed systems of respiratory illness on Feb. 28 and was hospitalized on March 5. He remains hospitalized but is in stable condition and not in an intensive care unit, Schwartz said.

“Fortunately, the individual had limited contact with others while ill, and therefore the risk to the general Fairfax community remains low,” said the county’s health director, Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensa.

Virginia state epidemiologist Dr. Lilian Peake said testing for the Fort Belvoir case was done at Walter Reed medical center, and testing for the Fairfax resident was done at a state lab in Richmond.

“The two cases are not related,” Peake said. “At this point, there are no signs of the virus spreading in the community in Virginia.”

Copyright 2020. The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Source CBN

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PODCAST: Whyte House Family Devotional Reading of Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening #51 (with Daniel Whyte III)

This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International with the Whyte House Family Devotional Reading of Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening podcast. This is Episode #51.

Charles Spurgeon was a prominent English Particular Baptist preacher. He was very influential among the Christians of various denominations during his age and even today, and is commonly called the “Prince of Preachers”. After some time of alternately searching for God and running from God, he had a powerful encounter which led him to give his life to Christ. Spurgeon was only 16 when he preached his first sermon and he began publishing books shortly afterward. At the time of his death, he had preached nearly 3,600 sermons and published 49 volumes of commentaries, sayings, anecdotes, illustrations and devotions. Spurgeon said, “encouraging thoughts are like honey to the heart”, and wrote this devotional in hopes that its uplifting messages for each day of the year would bring comfort and refreshment to our walk with God. He was inspired by Isaiah 50:4 which reads, “He wakeneth morning by morning. He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned” and Psalm 63:5-6 which says, “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips; when I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches.”

Matthew 6:26 reads: “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”

God’s people are doubly his children, they are his offspring by creation, and they are his sons by adoption in Christ. Hence they are privileged to call him, “Our Father which art in heaven.” Father! Oh, what precious word is that. Here is authority: “If I be a Father, where is mine honour?” If ye be sons, where is your obedience? Here is affection mingled with authority; an authority which does not provoke rebellion; an obedience demanded which is most cheerfully rendered—which would not be withheld even if it might. The obedience which God’s children yield to him must be loving obedience. Do not go about the service of God as slaves to their taskmaster’s toil, but run in the way of his commands because it is your Father’s way. Yield your bodies as instruments of righteousness, because righteousness is your Father’s will, and his will should be the will of his child. Father!—Here is a kingly attribute so sweetly veiled in love, that the King’s crown is forgotten in the King’s face, and his sceptre becomes, not a rod of iron, but a silver sceptre of mercy—the sceptre indeed seems to be forgotten in the tender hand of him who wields it. Father!—Here is honour and love. How great is a Father’s love to his children! That which friendship cannot do, and mere benevolence will not attempt, a father’s heart and hand must do for his sons. They are his offspring, he must bless them; they are his children, he must show himself strong in their defence. If an earthly father watches over his children with unceasing love and care, how much more does our heavenly Father? Abba, Father! He who can say this, hath uttered better music than cherubim or seraphim can reach. There is heaven in the depth of that word—Father! There is all I can ask; all my necessities can demand; all my wishes can desire. I have all in all to all eternity when I can say, “Father.”

PRAY.

Thank you for listening to the Morning and Evening podcast. If you do not know the Lord as your Savior, here is how you can be saved from Hell and walk with the Lord morning and evening until you go to that wonderful place called Heaven when you die:

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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PODCAST: The Scripture & the Sense Podcast #437: Amos 3:13-15 (with Daniel Whyte III)

This is Daniel Whyte III president of Gospel Light Society International with The Scripture & the Sense Podcast #437, where I read the Word of God and give the sense of it based on an authoritative commentary source such as the Bible Knowledge Commentary or Matthew Henry Commentary. This podcast is based upon Nehemiah 8:8 where it says Ezra and the Levites “read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” The aim of this podcast is that through the simple reading of the Word of God and the giving of the sense of it, the church would be revived and the world would be awakened.

Today we are reading Amos 3:13-15.

13 Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord God, the God of hosts,

14 That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground.

15 And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the Lord.

________

That was Amos 3:13-15. Now here is the sense of it.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary reads:

God addressed the Northern Kingdom as the house of Jacob, using the patriarchal name to remind them of His early commitment to their ancestors. In times past God had been a Warrior on their behalf. But now He would lead another army against them to punish them for their sins. God Almighty designates the most awesome Warrior. Throughout these chapters which describe Israel’s violations the Lord is repeatedly presented as a mighty Su-ze-rain who commands vast forces, whose power to punish rebels is both massive and irresistible. In punishing them, God would destroy the altars of Bethel. Bethel was the royal sanctuary of Jeroboam II, the most popular religious center in Israel. As the site of the golden calf erected by Jeroboam I, its altars symbolized Israel’s continued rebellion against God. The horns of these altars were projections on the altars’ corners. Fugitives could grab these horns to claim asylum from their pursuers. Murderers, however, could not receive protection, but were torn by force from the altar. Israel’s sin was similarly so great that God Himself was going to cut off the means of claiming asylum. There would be no sanctuary from the enemy who was coming against them. God would not only destroy their religious center; He would also tear down the luxurious mansions which resulted from their commercial exploitation. Once only kings could afford both a winter house and a summer house. For example, in the ninth century Ahab had a winter palace in the warmer plains of Jez-reel besides his Samaria residence. Luxury houses adorned with ivory inlay or furnishings were likewise the province of royalty. Yet the ill-gotten prosperity of Israel’s upper classes had enabled them to build such dwellings. All these, however, would be demolished on the day God would punish Israel.

____________

Thank you for listening to the Scripture & The Sense Podcast. Remember to read the Word of God each and every day and pray without ceasing to God for wisdom to understand it and apply it to your life. Most importantly, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Please stay tuned for a complete presentation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ so that you can get your soul saved from Hell to that wonderful place called Heaven when you die. May God bless you and keep you is my prayer.

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Michael Wear and Amy Black on Why the Stories We Tell About Our Country and Our Faith Matter

Michael Wear, who led religious outreach for former President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign, is founder of Public Square Strategies, LLC. Amy E. Black is professor of political science at Wheaton College. The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of BCNN1.

Pluralism, the presence of socially or politically meaningful diversity in a society, is a defining feature of 21st-century American life. It is the source of great tensions that ripple through our society and our politics. How to contend with diversity is one of the great questions of our day for political leaders, religious leaders and the American people.

In a new report we co-authored for The Trinity Forum, with support from Democracy Fund, titled “Christianity, Pluralism and Public Life in the United States: Insights from Christian Leaders,” a diverse group of Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christian clergy, institutional directors and thought leaders told us about their faith’s place in the public square and how they see Christianity portrayed in a polarized environment that thrives on toxic conflict.

Too many influential people believe and tell the story that either a diverse America is a threat to Christianity, or that Christianity is a threat to a diverse America.

But in more than 50 in-depth interviews with Christian leaders, we heard different stories that are worth telling. They pointed out that Christians are quietly working in myriad ways to improve their communities, making positive contributions to public life that often go underreported. The Rev. Michael Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, talked about Christian “hospitals and schools and universities and other human service institutions … (that) provided human service delivery that was a living out of the ethical and moral teachings of their faith.”

Christianity’s long history of service, hospitality and compassion in communities around the country rests in the Christian’s foundational belief in the dignity of the human person and the call to love one’s neighbor and even one’s enemies. Duke Kwon, pastor of Grace Church in Washington, D.C., told us that “Christians, more than anyone, should be willing to vote for or labor towards interests that might actually come at the cost of their own,” calling that “the basic cruciformity of life — bearing the cross and loving others, even at the cost of ourselves.”

In this sense, the Christian tradition provides some of the ideas that are key to our common public life. This includes the pluralism that is the basis of American democracy.

Source: Religion News Service

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Rolls-Royce Reportedly Cancels Offer for Private Mass With Pope Francis

A high-priced offer to attend a private Mass with Pope Francis made available only to owners of Rolls-Royce cars has reportedly been canceled, with the company no longer promoting the chance to meet the pontiff on its exclusive app.

Religion News Service reported on Thursday (March 5) that Rolls-Royce promoted an offer — which the Vatican press office said it was unaware of — to attend a private Mass with the pope via the company’s Whispers app. The advertisement for the promotion, which carried a price tag of about $155,000, in addition to a suggested donation to the Catholic Church of $112,000, promised potential customers that Francis “will administer the Holy Sacrament by his very own hands, leaving you and your guest(s) with personal blessing that will be unique to each of you.”

But according to Catholic News Agency, the organization facilitating the offer, Italian Luxury Living, has now rescinded it in the wake of RNS’ reporting.

“The offer does not exist anymore,” Ananda Gari of Italian Luxury Living told CNA.

CNA reported that Rolls-Royce and Italian Luxury Living “have decided mutually to cancel the offer to meet Pope Francis.”

In addition, Italian Luxury Living’s website has been taken down. It now carries a message written in Portuguese that roughly translates as: “The site is down for maintenance. The return forecast is for April 5, 2020 2:25 pm.”

Representatives for Rolls-Royce and Italian Luxury Living did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Source: Religion News Service

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source