Teenager creates ear guards to help with facemasks: God uses people who don’t know they’re being used

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Paul Coschignano is a thirteen-year-old in Eastchester, New York. His mother mentioned that her ears were hurting due to hours wearing a facemask as she works as a physical therapist. He used his 3D printer to create ear guards that will relieve such stress and wants to make them available to anyone who needs one.

The story does not say whether Paul has a personal relationship with Jesus, but it is clear that the Great Physician is using him to continue his healing ministry today. 

Sara Herlevsen is a tutor in Calgary who offered free assistance “to any child who is at home right now. Anywhere in the world.” Her day now starts at dawn as she teaches children and some parents everything from biology to Latin word roots. She has students in Australia, Britain, and as far away as Vietnam. 

Though Sara credits her wide-ranging knowledge and love for books and teaching to her theologian father, the story does not say whether she has a personal relationship with Jesus. But he is clearly continuing his teaching ministry through her. 

COVID-19 and the “silent killer” 

One of the greatest problems with SARS-CoV-2 is that it can infect people who don’t know they’re infected and can in turn infect others. However, there’s another unseen problem with this unseen enemy: it is especially dangerous for people with a preexisting condition they may not know they have. 

Of those who were hospitalized from COVID-19 in New York’s largest hospital system, 57 percent had hypertension, followed by 41 percent who were obese and 34 percent who had diabetes. Part of what makes this so problematic is that hypertension so often presents no symptoms. That’s why it’s sometimes called the “silent killer.” The CDC estimates that eleven million US adults have high blood pressure but are unaware of their condition and are not receiving treatment for it. 

Here’s another problem that should be making news: healthcare…

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President Donald Trump Will Try to Delay the Election, Joe Biden Predicts

President Donald Trump Will Try to Delay the Election, Joe Biden Predicts


Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden says President Donald Trump will try to delay the November election because of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Fox News, Biden said Trump will try to move the election to give him more time to convince voters to select him.

“Mark my words, I think he is going to try to kick back the election somehow, come up with some rationale why it can’t be held. That’s the only way he thinks he can possibly win,” Biden said in an online campaign event, according to a pool report.

In early April, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top disease expert, said he “can’t guarantee” that it would be safe to physically vote at polls in November.

“There is always the possibility, as we get into next fall and the beginning of early winter, that we could see a rebound,” he said.

Biden said Trump is already trying to “undermine” a November election by blocking emergency funding to the U.S. Postal Service.

“We have to make it easier for everybody to be able to vote, particularly if we are still basically in the kind of lockdown circumstances we are in now,” Biden told about 650 donors. “But that takes a lot of money, and it’s going to require us to provide money for states and insist they provide mail-in ballots.”

Trump has said mail-in voting is “horrible” and “corrupt.” He also claimed that mail-in ballots were open to…

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

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‘Not My Type’ – Jeremy and Adrienne Camp Fell in Love Despite Differences

‘Not My Type’ – Jeremy and Adrienne Camp Fell in Love Despite Differences


Movie buffs who finish I Still Believe and want to learn what happened in the next chapter of Jeremy Camp’s life can do so thanks to a new book.

In Unison, by Camp and his wife, Adrienne, tells how the Camps met, why they fell in love, and how they’ve seen their marriage grow over the years. Essentially, it picks up from an emotional scene in the movie’s final minutes, in which Adrienne’s character tells Jeremy’s character she was impacted by the testimony of his first wife, Melissa, who died of ovarian cancer.

That scene, Adrienne told Christian Headlines, “actually happened” in real life.

After Melissa’s death, Camp met Adrienne, who was the lead singer for the Christian rock group The Benjamin Gate, while on tour together.

Adrienne had heard Melissa’s story while listening to Jeremy’s on-stage testimony.

“I was deeply impacted and changed by both Jeremy and Melissa’s faith,” Adrienne said. “That really caused me to be protective of this story and in a sense, an advocate for it. Because along the way, I just felt if I was one of those people that was so deeply touched, who am I to stand in the way of that powerful testimony reaching others?”

Still, Jeremy wasn’t her type, as In Unison says. Adrienne had always assumed she would marry an artist – maybe a “painter, sculpter or photographer – perhaps tall, skinny and oozing creativity,” the book…

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I couldn’t see meteors in the pre-dawn sky: ‘Doubting Thomas’ and faith in our unseen Father

The starry sky shines over the Baltic Sea on April 22, 2020. Mostly starry skies currently allow a clear view of the shooting stars of the Lyrids.

I went outside early this morning to watch the Lyrid meteor
shower. However, clouds and light pollution kept me from seeing what sky
watchers across the Northern Hemisphere saw and photographed.

Did my failure to see any streaking meteors mean that they were
not there? Am I to discount the experiences of others who claimed to see what I
did not?

‘Doubting Thomas’

The apostle Thomas will forever bear the first name
“Doubting” because he wanted to experience for himself what others
claimed to have experienced. They met the risen Christ, but he was absent from
their gathering and told them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the
nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into
his side, I will never believe” (John 20:25).

Did Jesus reject his disciple for his apparent lack of
faith? The opposite occurred, in fact: eight days later, Jesus appeared again
before them and said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands;
and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe”
(v. 27). Thomas responded, “My Lord and my God!” (v. 28).

This encounter is not recorded in Scripture for Thomas’s
sake, but for ours. He would never forget what happened. John was inspired to
record Thomas’s experience so it can be ours.

By quoting the very objections Thomas raised earlier, Jesus
showed that he knew his questions and ours. By meeting Thomas at the point of
his doubts, our Lord showed that he will meet us at the point of ours.

Faith in our unseen Father

Your greatest questions and problems today likely have to do
with the unprecedented pandemic we are enduring. But one of the tragedies of
this tragedy is that it can mask other tragedies in our world.

For example, the World Health Organization is warning that…

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

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Dave Ramsey Offers Advice to Families Facing Economic Hardships amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Dave Ramsey Offers Advice to Families Facing Economic Hardships amid COVID-19 Pandemic


Tonight, Dave Ramsey will lead a virtual event based on proven principles from Financial Peace University – the tried and true personal finance course that has helped nearly 6 million people get out of debt, save money and build wealth over the last 25 years. Recently, Dave provided Christian Headlines an interview and offered a look into what the virtual event will entail. For Dave Ramsey and the Ramsey team, they have been clear that people of faith will get through the tough season that American’s may find themselves in.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What advice would you give to families who may feel hopeless in what is happening financially to them?

Dave Ramsey: This too shall pass. I’ve been doing this a long time – through 9/11, through the financial crisis of 2008, and now this horrible virus, and here’s what I’ve learned: Americans are both resilient and rebellious. We are going to get through this. You just need a plan. So, start by looking at the facts. Fear is never a great financial advisor. If you lost your job, find something – anything – to bring money in. There are plenty of places hiring right now. It may not be the dream job, but it’s important to do what you can to protect your four walls – food, utilities, shelter and transportation. Then make minimum payments on what you can and stockpile cash. If you…

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

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Bengals make Joe Burrow first pick in the NFL draft: Who you are is not what you do, but what you do reflects who you are

LSU quarterback Joe Burrow scrambles during the first half of a game against Texas A&M. (Nov. 30, 2019.)

The National Football League held its first-ever virtual draft last night. As many predicted, the Cincinnati Bengals made LSU quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow their selection and thus the first pick in the draft.

Will Burrow become a superstar in the league? Or will he soon be forgotten? 

In the fifty-three previous seasons since the AP Rookie of the Year award began, only six first draft picks have won the award. Burrow can enjoy his status until the season begins (whenever that is), but then he will become one of 1,696 players on NFL rosters

What happened to me in 1958 

In our culture, who we are is measured by what we do. The Bible disagrees. 

One of the earliest controversies in Christian history was whether Gentiles could become Christians without first having to submit to the rules and customs of Judaism. In other words, was there something they had to do to become who they could be in Christ? 

Paul answered this question definitively: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:4–7). 

I was born in 1958. I did nothing to deserve being born. I did not choose to be born. Rather, this choice was made for me. Once I became the child of my parents, I would always be their child. There was nothing I could do to earn or lose this status. 

In the same way, when we are “born again,” we become forever the children of God (John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17). 

Br. David Vryhof of the Society of St. John the Evangelist in Boston writes: “Who we are and what we are is…

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Five Hard Things Churches Must Do Right Now

Podcast Episode #635

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This season of isolation and social distancing has forced churches around the  country to make hard decisions without an idea of what the other side holds. Listen in as Thom and Sam discuss the questions and best practices pastors are talking about right now on Church Answers and the five hard things churches must do right now.

  • Hit the reset button, not the pause button.
  • Keep as many employed as possible.
  • Experiment creatively
  • Stop complaining… now and forever. 
  • Comply with the government’s request not to gather

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast:


Episode Sponsors

The mission at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. The school offers more than 40 different degree programs, including the new Master of Arts in Church Revitalization in partnership with Church Answers and the Revitalization Network. This 37-hour degree is designed to help students move established churches from flatlining to flourishing.

Learn about this program and more by visiting sebts.edu. Where are you going? Southeastern will help you get there.


Feedback

If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free copy of Scrappy Church.

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Earth Day Celebrates ‘the Wonder of God’s Creation,’ Trump Says

Earth Day Celebrates ‘the Wonder of God’s Creation,’ Trump Says


President Trump on Wednesday pointed to the “wonder of God’s creation” in celebrating Earth Day and helping plant a tree with First Lady Melania Trump.

The president and his wife helped plant a maple tree on the south lawn of the White House on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and two days before Arbor Day. Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence also took part in the ceremony.

This year’s Earth Day celebration, Trump noted, is taking place amid a pandemic.

“In this time of trial, the beauty of springtime fills us with the peace and the hope of renewal,” Trump said in remarks prior to the planting of the tree. “… On this special occasion, we are renewing our strong national commitment on conserving the wonder of God’s creation. One of the most important ways we uphold this tradition is by protecting our priceless national parks and our public lands.”

Although the national parks have been mostly closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump said they will begin reopening “in line” with the White House’s guidelines for opening up America.

“On this Earth Day, we celebrate that America leads the world in environmental stewardship,” Trump said. “… [W]e continue to have among the cleanest air and cleanest water anywhere on the planet Earth.”

Trump also noted the country’s participation in the One Trillion Tree Initiative, which seeks to have one…

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

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Iran Sentences Christian Woman to 10 Lashes, Prison for Protesting Downed Airplane

Iran Sentences Christian Woman to 10 Lashes, Prison for Protesting Downed Airplane


A well-known Iranian Christian woman received a suspended prison sentence April 21 and an order to be flogged 10 times for reportedly protesting the government’s downing of Ukrainian Airline Flight 752, International Christian Concern says.

Christian human rights activist Mary Fatima Mohammadi was arrested after being in the area of a protest against the destruction of Flight 752, which took off from Tehran on Jan. 8 and was downed by two missiles from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. All 176 persons on board were killed.

Iran’s government initially denied involvement but soon admitted it was at fault. It blamed human error.

Mohammadi was charged with “disrupting public order by participating in an illegal rally.” She was ordered to receive a flogging of 10 lashes and a suspended prison sentence of three months, International Christian Concern (ICC) said.

Mohammadi said on Instagram her conviction was due to “protesting against the slaughter of human beings; because of showing sympathy for the families of those who perished on the Ukraine airline crash; because of defending the rights of all humans.”

Still, on Twitter she said there “is no evidence against me, so I ought to have been acquitted.”

“But instead I was sentenced not only to imprisonment but also flogging. It should be mentioned that even before the verdict was handed down, I was forced to…

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

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Pope Declares We Have Sinned against Earth

Pope Declares We Have Sinned against Earth


Pope Francis called for a worldwide effort to protect the environment during a speech to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

During the speech, which was broadcast from his library because of the COVID-19 lockdowns, he praised the environmental movement and warned of the consequences of not caring for the planet.

The Pope painted a picture of the earth as being angry at people who do not care for it, saying that “natural tragedies” are “Earth’s response to our maltreatment.” He also recounted a Spanish proverb, which says that, “God always forgives, man sometimes forgives, but nature never forgives.” He added, “If we have deteriorated the Earth, the response will be ugly.”

The Pope went on to say that mistreatment of the Earth is sin against God. Speaking of “our maltreatment” of the planet, he said, “I think that if I ask the Lord now what he thinks about this, I don’t think he would say it is a very good thing. It is we who have ruined the work of God.” He also said that humanity has “Sinned against the Earth, against our neighbor and, in the end, against the creator.” This follows comments he made last year after meeting with a synod of bishops from the Amazon region in which he said he wanted to define “ecological sins” in the Roman Catholic Church’s Catechism.

Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro responded harshly to the Pope’s comments, saying they had their…

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

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