The Chinese communist government continued its campaign against Christianity during the country’s coronavirus outbreak by destroying crosses and demolishing a church while people were on lockdown.

On March 13, a church in Guoyang County, Anhui Province saw its cross removed by authorities. A video shared by the Chinese Christian Fellowship of Righteousness documented the moment when the crane removed the red cross from the church’s rooftop.

A Christian with the surname Chen told persecution watchdog group China Aid that this church usually has 40 churchgoers attending its services. Authorities used the lockdown as an opportunity to remove the church’s cross.

Bob Fu from China Aid also shared a video showing the demolished Xiangbaishu Church in Yixing city, Jiangsu province on March 11.

2020年3月13日，安徽亳州涡阳基督教堂的十字架被强拆！ pic.twitter.com/RUnrAMgrpP

— 華人基督徒公義團契 (@ccfr2017) March 13, 2020

“Religious persecution continues even in the midst of #WuhanVirus,” Fu captioned the video. “Xiangbaishu Church in Yixing city, Jiangsu province was destroyed by #CCP govt. Cross is our Glory.”

Another church in Huaishang district of the city of Bengbu, Anhui province also had its cross removed at the beginning of March, according to International Christian Concern. Ms. Yao, a local Christian, said the removal was led by the head of the local United Front Department, a Communist Party organ employed to govern religious affairs.

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, which originated in Wuhan, China, most of the churches across the country, both underground or state-approved, are able to meet online as of now.

Religious persecution continues even in the midst of #WuhanVirus March 11 Xiangbaishu Church in Yixing city, Jiangsu province was destroyed by #CCP govt. Cross is our Glory大疫当前，江苏宜兴香柏树教会,于3.11日遭到强拆.举国上下深感人民的苦难，但谁知道在十字架上那位上帝之子的苦难？ pic.twitter.com/wp35ZexYIu

— Bob Fu傅希秋 (@BobFu4China) March 15, 2020

However, in China’s Shandong province, two state-run Christian organizations, the Three-Self Patriotic Movement and China Christian Council released a statement ordering all online preaching be ceased and churches that gather in secret be rooted out, reports China Aid.

In addition, it posits officials should “guide” Christians “in other ways, with the caveat of not gathering together!”

For the past 20 years, China has been labeled by the U.S. State Department as a “country of particular concern” for religious freedom violations.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Leah MarieAnn Klett

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Last Friday, Bethlehem Bible College’s spring semester came to a sudden stop as COVID-19 was discovered among tourists and the whole town was quarantined.

Bethlehem is often described as peaceful in Christmas songs. It is again this week, but not for a good reason.

Palestinian and Israeli officials agreed, the town should be quarantined. Mercy Aiken, a volunteer at the college, says, “Friday night, we got word that the checkpoint was going to be closed that people walk through to go to Jerusalem. And so a bunch of people left in the middle of the night.”

All churches, mosques, and gathering places were closed. The Church of the Nativity was closed and sanitized. Citizens were encouraged to stay indoors.

Aiken says that she herself only went out to get food. She felt conspicuous walking through the quiet streets, knowing that it was Americans who brought the virus in the first place. “If you are a foreigner walking around, you don’t want to add more stress, but it’s not like there’s a lot of people out on the street. You might see one or two cars going by a minute. It’s very, very, very low-key, the streets are pretty much empty.”

Aiken describes the city as more peaceful than otherwise. One street in the town, near the separation wall, often features protests and political demonstrations. During the lockdown, Aiken saw children playing in this area.

Not only that, but citizens are facing the outbreak with great solidarity. Aiken relates this story: “I just saw, about an hour ago, a car drive down the street that was praying. It was blasting prayers from its loudspeakers. And it had a big orthodox picture of Mary and Jesus. They had a big sensor and they were burning incense. They were driving around Bethlehem filling it with incense and, and singing prayers. So I think the town has come together in a really beautiful way.”

SOURCE: Mission Network News, Kevin Zeller

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Sex trafficking is on the rise, and followers of Jesus are on the frontlines of freeing its victims.

Calvin Fanning, a former church-planting missionary with the Assemblies of God, is one of those called to this critical ministry.

“The inspiration for shelter planting is borrowed from church planting,” says Fanning, director of shelter mentoring at The Samaritan Women’s Institute for Shelter Care, on the Charisma Connection podcast.

Fanning says that any Christian called to this challenging expression of ministry can “plant” a shelter. The Institute for Shelter Care, based in Baltimore, Maryland, has a three-year shelter training and mentoring program that takes mentees through the process of starting a shelter “from start to finish,” says Fanning, addressing topics such as raising funds, choosing board members, selecting your property, training staff, deciding on group activities for the residents and selecting the types of therapy the program offers victims.

“Typically there’s a turning point for shelters,” he says. “Many of them open too soon, without having a defined program in place or trained staff. Usually in the first three months, there’s a stunning realization about the depth of trauma these victims have experienced and the darkness of this evil. It can be overwhelming.”

He compares the process to parenting.

“We liken it to having your first child; every moment is a potential new experience or new challenge.”

Fanning sees the call to plant a shelter akin to the call to plant a church or to engage in foreign missions.

“I often compare it to committing your life to foreign missions,” he says. “It is such a big commitment. Believers who want to get into this ministry need discernment as they enter into this foreign mission field.

SOURCE: Charisma News, Christine D. Johnson

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This is Daniel Whyte III president of Gospel Light Society International with The Scripture & the Sense Podcast #450, 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 5:3.

3 For thus saith the Lord God; The city that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred, and that which went forth by an hundred shall leave ten, to the house of Israel.

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That was Amos 5:3. Now here is the sense of it.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary reads:

Her armies had been decimated. The city or town that had detached a military unit of a thousand or a hundred saw only 10 percent return from war. An army could sustain a 50 percent loss and still fight. But if 90 percent were slain, that nation had received its death sentence. Amos lamented an Israel that would cease to exist.

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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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This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International with the Whyte House Daily Devotional Bible Reading Episode #115. Where I read three chapters of the Holy Bible in the King James Version a day with my family as a part of our family devotions, to encourage you to read the Holy Bible in a year’s time. Today we are reading Numbers 29, Psalm 125 and Romans 13.

John Wycliffe said, “All Christian life is to be measured by Scripture; by every word thereof.”

Joyce Meyer said, “It is not about reading the Word. It is about obeying the Word.”

Numbers 29
1 And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you.

2 And ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the Lord; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish:

3 And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram,

4 And one tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs:

5 And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you:

6 Beside the burnt offering of the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord.

7 And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein:

8 But ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord for a sweet savour; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish:

9 And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals to a bullock, and two tenth deals to one ram,

10 A several tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs:

11 One kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering of it, and their drink offerings.

12 And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days:

13 And ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord; thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year; they shall be without blemish:

14 And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto every bullock of the thirteen bullocks, two tenth deals to each ram of the two rams,

15 And a several tenth deal to each lamb of the fourteen lambs:

16 And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.

17 And on the second day ye shall offer twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without spot:

18 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

19 And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering thereof, and their drink offerings.

20 And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish;

21 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

22 And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.

23 And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:

24 Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

25 And one kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.

26 And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without spot:

27 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

28 And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.

29 And on the sixth day eight bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:

30 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

31 And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.

32 And on the seventh day seven bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish:

33 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

34 And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.

35 On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly: ye shall do no servile work therein:

36 But ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord: one bullock, one ram, seven lambs of the first year without blemish:

37 Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullock, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner:

38 And one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.

39 These things ye shall do unto the Lord in your set feasts, beside your vows, and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your meat offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.

40 And Mo’-ses told the children of Is’-ra-el according to all that the Lord commanded Mo’-ses.

Psalm 125
A Song of degrees.
1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zi’-on, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.

2 As the mountains are round about Je-ru’-sa-lem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.

3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.

4 Do good, O Lord, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.

5 As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Is’-ra-el.

Romans 13
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

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PRAY
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When I was a teenager I wanted to get wisdom and knowledge, so I set out the read the big family Bible that many families had in those days. But I couldn’t get past Genesis 2 before I got bored with reading the Bible. I found out later in life that you have to believe on Christ and get saved before you can understand the Bible. So here is how I became a Christian and how you can too:

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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The Idaho Senate passed legislation Monday that would ban biologically male trans-identified athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s athletic competitions. 

By a tally of 24-11, the upper chamber voted in favor of House bill 500a, known as the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act.

The bill was introduced by Republican Rep. Barbara Ehardt to require that eligibility for competing on school sports teams be based on biological sex, not gender identity.

The bill would apply to all sports teams sponsored by Idaho public institutions, including high schools and colleges.

LGBT activists have accused the bill of being “transphobic,” but supporters of the legislation say the bill is focused on creating fairness in female sports.

Supporters note that men have distinct physical advantages over women and allowing them to compete women’s and girls’ sports could limit opportunities for female athletes.

According to Times-News, the bill will return to the House of Representatives for concurrence because the Senate changed language regarding how an athlete’s sex will be determined.

The Idaho House passed the bill in February.

The bill comes as biologically male trans-identified athletes nationwide are increasingly participating in female athletic competitions and winning.

On the Senate side, the bill has been pushed by Republican Sen. Mary Souza, who made her closing debate on the floor Monday.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Samuel Smith

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With swiftly changing circumstances and new guidelines regarding COVID-19 in relation to large gatherings, churches have turned to livestreaming, garnering millions of views. 

Megachurch pastor Joel Osteen canceled all his worship services at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, over the weekend to help contain the coronavirus. Osteen’s sermons were instead broadcast on Facebook, YouTube, Roku, AppleTV and online at JoelOsteen.com.

“We saw 4.51 million people tune in throughout the weekend across platforms,” the church shared with The Christian Post on Monday.

“This broke our previous record of 4.17 million in November of last year when we broadcast Kanye West’s Sunday service from Lakewood.  This number could increase throughout the week.”

On Sunday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that there not be gatherings of 50 people or more for the next eight weeks to reduce the virus’ spread.

“Large events and mass gatherings can contribute to the spread of COVID-19 in the United States via travelers who attend these events and introduce the virus to new communities. Examples of large events and mass gatherings include conferences, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events, weddings, and other types of assemblies. These events can be planned not only by organizations and communities but also by individuals,” the CDC said Sunday.

Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas also saw a high turnout for his church’s online service.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Jeannie Law

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Two Christian leaders recently highlighted some of the key differences between Gospel benefits and prosperity theology, stressing that Jesus is not simply a delivery system of blessing but that He is the very blessing every person desires.

In a video posted on the Gospel Coalition website, Glen Scrivener, director of the evangelistic ministry Speak Life, said the underlying problem with prosperity theology is that it treats Jesus as though He is the “delivery system for a bunch of blessings.”

“I think the problem [with prosperity theology] is whenever you unpack the Gospel as giving you a package of blessings at the end of all things, as though Jesus is the root toward what you really want, as though He’s the mechanism, He’s the delivery system that actually gives you what you want,” Scrivener said.

One type of prosperity theology promises that if an individual “gets Jesus,” they have access to benefits such as “better skin, better teeth, a boyfriend or a girlfriend.”

But the other, more “insidious” type of prosperity theology says, “Get Jesus, and then you’ll get eternal fire insurance.”

“The real problem is, once again, treating Jesus as though He is the delivery system for a bunch of blessings that are apart from Him,” he said.

Scrivener referenced Sinclair Ferguson’s book, The Whole Christ, which says that “the problem with our Gospel presentations is that we talk about every blessing through Jesus when we should preach every blessing in Jesus.”

“So offering Christ Himself to people,” Scrivener explained. “Therefore, you’re not promised health and wealth and prosperity. What you are promised is Jesus Himself. We really need to have a good doctrine of union with Christ and be far more Christ-centered in what we offer.”

“We’re not just offering health and wealth, and we’re not just offering fire insurance. We’re offering Jesus Himself,” he stressed.

Evangelist and author Sam Chan added that Christians should focus on “union with Jesus” — not earthly benefits — when sharing the Gospel.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Leah MarieAnn Klett

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