New Survey from Gallup shows Americans’ declining faith in its institutions

Important Takeaways:

  • The survey asked people if they have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in a long list of prominent institutions, and these were the results…
  • Small business: 65 percent
  • The military: 60 percent
  • The police: 43 percent
  • The medical system: 34 percent
  • The church or organized religion: 32 percent
  • The U.S. Supreme Court: 27 percent
  • Banks: 26 percent
  • The public schools: 26 percent
  • The presidency: 26 percent
  • Large technology companies: 26 percent
  • Organized labor: 25 percent
  • Newspapers: 18 percent
  • The criminal justice system: 17 percent
  • Television news: 14 percent
  • Big business: 14 percent
  • Congress: 8 percent

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Franklin Graham doesn’t hold back at NRB and warns “There’s a storm coming and we all need to be prepared”

Deuteronomy 28:43-53 43 “Foreigners who live in your land will gain more and more power, while you gradually lose yours. 44 They will have money to lend you, but you will have none to lend them. In the end they will be your rulers. 45 “All these disasters will come on you, and they will be with you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and keep all the laws that he gave you. 46 They will be the evidence of God’s judgment on you and your descendants forever. 47 The Lord blessed you in every way, but you would not serve him with glad and joyful hearts. 48 So then, you will serve the enemies that the Lord is going to send against you. You will be hungry, thirsty, and naked – in need of everything. The Lord will oppress you harshly until you are destroyed. 49 The Lord will bring against you a nation from the ends of the earth, a nation whose language you do not know. They will swoop down on you like an eagle. 50 They will be ruthless and show no mercy to anyone, young or old. 51 They will eat your livestock and your crops, and you will starve to death. They will not leave you any grain, wine, olive oil, cattle, or sheep; and you will die. 52 They will attack every town in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and the high, fortified walls in which you trust will fall. 53 “When your enemies are besieging your towns, you will become so desperate for food that you will even eat the children that the Lord your God has given you.

Important Takeaways:

  • Franklin Graham at Christian media convention: Every ‘demon from hell’ has been ‘turned loose’ in society
  • In his keynote address at the opening session of the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) International Christian Media Convention here on Monday night, Rev. Franklin Graham minced no words regarding faith in today’s society.
  • He told all those gathered, “There’s a storm coming, and we’ve all got to be prepared.”
  • Graham also said that “every demon from hell” has been “turned loose” in our culture today.
  • “The world has deteriorated so quickly,” he said from the stage. “We cannot be deceived and we can’t be fooled. We need to get ready and be prepared.”
  • [He] began his remarks by commenting on data protection, referencing those who run faith-based businesses.
  • “Who owns the [data] cloud?” he said. “Amazon.”
  • “We’re living in a cancel culture, and [big corporations] want to destroy Christian organizations,” he also said. “They want us to shut our mouths. They don’t want to hear from us.”
  • Graham urged Christian organizations to prepare to defend themselves against the growing cancel culture in business, insurance, banking and technology, and challenged them to continue sharing the hope of Jesus Christ in the face of increasingly difficult circumstances.

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Legendary Deion Sanders’ faith now the target of Atheist group

1Peter 4:12-14 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

Important Takeaways:

  • NFL Legend Deion Sanders Targeted by Atheists: ‘A Football Coach…Not a Pastor’
  • Atheist activists have set their sights on NFL legend-turned-coach Deion Sanders, targeting Sanders’ purported intermingling of “football games and events with Christianity.”
  • The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) accused Sanders of “inappropriate and unconstitutional actions.”… after purported complaints from Colorado residents over the handling of faith and football.
  • As CBN’s Faithwire has extensively reported, Sanders’ Christian faith is something he frequently discusses. In fact, he recently glorified God during an introductory press conference Dec. 4 commemorating his new head coaching position with the University of Colorado.
  • Rather than leading with self-accolades, Sanders praised the Lord.
  • “Wow. Don’t you ever tell me what God ain’t. Don’t you ever tell me His limits,” Sanders said. “Don’t you ever tell me what you’re up against and what you can’t do.”
  • “Out of all the persons in the world, God chose me,” Sanders said. “For that, I thank Him; for that, I love Him; for that, I magnify Him; for that, I glorify Him; for that, I praise Him; for that, I owe Him. Each and every day, I’m trying to please Him.”

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Queen Elizabeth II ‘Teachings of Christ provide a framework in which I try to live by’

Important Takeaways:

  • Faith Was Foundational for Queen Elizabeth II: ‘I Have Drawn Great Comfort in Difficult Times from Christ’s Words’
  • Queen Elizabeth died at the age of 96 in her Scottish estate, Balmoral Castle, Thursday. She ruled for 70-years, longer than any other monarch, and saw 15 Prime Ministers lead Britain during her reign.
  • Great Britain will observe 10 days of mourning as the constitutional monarchy begins its formal process and transfer of power to her eldest son, King Charles III.
  • Thursday, a double rainbow appeared in the sky over Buckingham Palace, shortly before the announcement of the Queen’s death – news that broke the hearts of many Brits.
  • In The Queen’s Christmas Message from 2000, she said, “For me, the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life… I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.”

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Poll shows in America not all systems of thought are welcomed as Christians face increasing intolerance

Matthew 5:10 ““Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Important Takeaways:

  • Christians Face Increasing Intolerance? Poll Reveals Americans’ Stunning Take on Faith and Religious Liberty
  • According to Lifeway: nearly six-in-10 (59%) say religious tolerance for Christians in the U.S. is on the decline.
  • Notably, the majority of people in every religious group — Catholics (59%), Protestants (69%), and those of other religious beliefs (52%) — agree that Christians face ramped-up intolerance.
  • The survey results come as Christianity continues to decline, with the Pew Research Center finding that 63% of Americans identify as Christians, down from 78% in 2007.
  • At the same time, the growth of the “nones” — those individuals who are either atheist, agnostic, or unaffiliated — continues to swell, expanding from 16% in 2007 to 29% in 2021.

Read the original article by clicking here.

Country Founders knew the Government would rule over the Church if the First Amendment wasn’t established

  • The Founders Meant to Keep Government Out of the Church, Not God Out of the Government
  • These days the phrase “wall of separation between church and state” has come to mean keeping God or His believers from having a big effect on government and public life.
  • But that’s far, far from what the Founding Fathers were thinking of when they were separating church and state.
  • They were afraid of what so many of the Old World countries had: a religion established by the state as its one true religion, that would tyrannically rule over the faith and conscience of every citizen.
  • Not only did the First Amendment say, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” but it also said, “or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
  • “What they wanted was the freedom that we have in the Bible: the rights of conscience,” Barton said. “And they didn’t want the state telling us how we could or couldn’t practice our faith.”

Read the original article by clicking here.

Pastor Andrew Brunson asks the question: “Are we more afraid of persecution than the consequences of not obeying God?”

Matthew 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Important Takeaways:

  • I understand fear. In prison I was separated from my loved ones by force.
  • Jesus repeatedly warned His disciples that they would encounter persecution and hardship, and He repeatedly admonished them not to fear… I think Jesus’ emphasis is not so much “do not feel fear” but rather “do not act out of fear.” The danger is that the person who surrenders to fear may compromise his faith, fall away and even deny Jesus.
  • First, we need to nurture a straight-up fear of God as judge.
  • We rightly emphasize the love of God, but we don’t like to talk about hell and judgment. Yet Jesus talked about it quite a bit, and He did this because there are terrible consequences to denying Him, to compromising our faith. Jesus said it very clearly and bluntly: “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
  • Second, we need to nurture a right perspective-—to develop eternal eyes… For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)
  • Third, we need to nurture a desire for Heaven… “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:11-12).

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One of the little girls killed in Uvalde, Texas is being remembered for sharing the gospel on social media

Mark 13:13 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”

Important Takeaways:

  • Ellie Garcia, a 9-year-old victim of Tuesday’s massacre, had posted a short video to TikTok about Jesus before she died.
  • “Jesus. He died for us. So when we die, we’ll be up there with Him,” she said.
  • “Her faith is inspiring, seeing these posts makes me realize how much I have to learn from such a young soul who was wise beyond her years”

Read the original article by clicking here.

Mother who lost only son to rare COVID complication warns parents to look for early signs

SANTIAGO (Reuters) – By the time doctors realized that Lorena Navarrete’s son had a rare complication of COVID-19 that afflicts some children, it was too late to save her 16-year-old Emilio.

Lorena, a single mother who lives in the southern Chilean city of Puerto Montt, told the TVN network that her music-loving and sociable son died about a week after he first complained of feeling tired and of a pain in his legs in late January.

Within days he had developed livid blotches on his skin, a high fever, vomiting and dark urine.

Doctors at the city’s hospital, overrun with severe COVID cases, repeatedly tested him for COVID but with the results coming back negative were at a loss as to what was wrong with him.

By the time his illness was identified as Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, it was too late. Lorena could not be at her son’s bedside because of strict health protocols, but a social worker called to pass on the message that her son loved her very much. She asked the social worker to tell her son she would see him soon, and that his pets were well.

“A doctor said that if I had faith, I should pray because my son was very ill,” said Navarrete, who works as a nurse technician. “They had a diagnosis and it was PIMS.”

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), as PIMS is more commonly known, is a rare, life-threatening syndrome linked to COVID-19.

It usually appears between two and six weeks after infection, even in asymptomatic cases of COVID-19.

It shares symptoms with toxic shock and Kawasaki disease, including fever, rashes, swollen glands, conjunctivitis and, in severe cases, heart inflammation, and can cause multiple organ failure. It is not always fatal if caught and treated early.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in January that it was investigating whether COVID variants were increasing the number or severity of cases following anecdotal reports from some states.

Dr. Loreto Twele, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Puerto Montt hospital, said catching it was like piecing together a jigsaw.

“There is no single exam. You have to put the pieces together to be able to make an early diagnosis and start treatment,” she said.

Chilean public health chief Paula Daza said in a media briefing on Monday that of the 69,563 confirmed cases of COVID in children so far in Chile, 157 cases of MIS-C have been reported.

“The rate of cases of children with these conditions is quite low, however, health professionals have to be alert,” she said.

For Emilio’s mother Lorena, the pain of losing her only son is partly helped by knowing she can raise awareness.

“I do not want Emilio’s death to be in vain and for this to be known so that the same thing does not happen to other parents,” she said.

(Writing by Aislinn Laing and Fabian Cambero; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

After surviving wars, pestilence, religions use technology to beat pandemic

By Angela Moore

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Throw a global pandemic at the world’s religions, and you get confessions via Skype, virtual seders and recitations of the Koran over Facebook.

The world’s three leading religions have survived famines, plagues, pestilence and wars. Now, in the 21st century shutdown, New York-area Jewish, Islamic and Christian clerics are turning to technology to help their followers through the coronavirus.

Worshipers have taken to online connections as the dangers of the virus and uncertainty of self-isolation deepen their spirituality and strengthen their faith, the clerics said.

“I think from a spiritual standpoint, it’s very empowering,” said Sheikh Osamah Salhia, Imam at the Islamic Center of Passaic County in Clifton, New Jersey.

The government-ordered shutdowns have been “a chance for us to recognize our real priorities in life and gain a sense of clarity on what really matters: family, community, the masjid (mosque) and its role,” he said in an interview.

While bans on mass gatherings have taken away the communal aspect of prayers, especially during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the Islamic Center is connecting online with congregants for classes and Koran readings, Salhia said.

Livestream prayers, however, are not encouraged, he said, adding families should pray together at home.

VIRTUAL HUGS AND KISSES

This year, many Jews, including Esther Greenberg of New York’s Long Island, gathered their families for Passover on Zoom.

“Unfortunately, we all can’t be together holding each other around, giving hugs and kisses, but we’re doing it virtually because this is what our family does,” Greenberg, 73, said at her April 8 seder.

At the Park East Synagogue in Manhattan, many of the sanctuary’s mostly older congregants have been connecting via the internet for the first time, Cantor Benny Rogosnitzky said.

“Technology has been amazing,” said Rogosnitzky. “It really is a lifeline.

Congregants use online platforms to link not only to morning services but to a supportive community that has grown more spiritual during the crisis, Rogosnitzky said.

After the lockdown, he said he envisions smaller, shorter gatherings, with barriers in the sanctuary and temperature-takers greeting worshipers.

“It’s going to be more about, stay separate,” he said.

Contrary to some polls showing declines in virtual religious attendance since the virus outbreak, the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in Manhattan has seen an increase in online worshipers for its Episcopal services, said the Rev. Patrick Malloy.

“One of the great things that’s happening on Sundays is we have people from all over the world, and thousands of them sharing of worship with us every Sunday,” said Malloy.

“For the first time, I heard a confession by Skype,” he added. “You know, you have to do what you have to do.”

Like other clerics, Malloy says he has seen more spirituality in the flock during the pandemic.

“When you’re locked in your house, and especially when you’re locked in a small New York apartment by yourself, day after day after day, you come to think about the bigger questions,” he said.

When the crisis ends, Malloy said he expects to see the church at least as full as it was before because “people really do miss one another.”

(Writing by Peter Szekely; editing by Bill Tarrant and Sonya Hepinstall)