Vatican flags at half-mast in solidarity with coronavirus victims

The flag of Vatican City with St. Peter's Basilica in the background.

Vatican flags are flying at half-mast on Tuesday in solidarity with the victims of the coronavirus in Italy and worldwide.

“Today, in solidarity with Italy, the Holy See will display flags at half-mast in mourning to express its closeness to the victims of the pandemic in Italy and in the world, to their families, and to all those who generously struggle for its end,” Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni told journalists March 31.

Record low number of Americans hold biblical worldview, survey says

Only 6 percent of Americans possess a biblical worldview, according to a new survey.

The study, which was released last week out of the recently launched Cultural Research Center based at Arizona Christian University, is called the American Worldview Inventory and is the first of what will be an annual report from veteran researcher George Barna, who is the CRC research director.

The survey asked 51 worldview questions that examined both what people believe and how they conduct their lives.

Approximately one-fifth of those who attend evangelical Protestant churches espouse a biblical worldview, as do one-sixth of those who attend charismatic or Pentecostal churches (16%), the survey found. The numbers were much lower for those among mainline Protestant churches, 8 percent, and Catholics, 1 percent.

"Born again Christians — a segment defined in part by their acceptance of scriptural exhortations regarding sin, grace, and salvation — were three times more likely than average to have a biblical worldview (19%). However, the fact that not quite one out of five born again adults holds a biblical worldview highlights the extensive decline of core Christian principles in America over the last several decades," the report said.

Rodney Howard-Browne Arrested: Prophetically Speaking, What's Next?

Rodney Howard-Browne was arrested on Monday and is facing misdemeanor charges of unlawful assembly and violation of public health rules. The megachurch pastor had several hundred in attendance at The River at Tampa Bay church on Sunday—and held two services.

"His reckless disregard for human life put hundreds of people in his congregation at risk, and thousands of residents who may interact with them this week, in danger," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said at the press conference.

 

Howard-Browne has been outspoken about churches that close their doors. Will his church now be shuttered in the wake of the arrest until the coronavirus falls flat? He has vowed his church will "never close." Howard-Browne considers church an essential service that is therefore exempt from the coronavirus orders.

 

"In a time of crisis, people are fearful and in need of comfort and community, more than ever before," a Facebook post on the church's page said. "Even people who do not attend church regularly, or perhaps never go to church, need to know that there is somewhere for them to go when they need help."

 

Prophetically speaking, what is going on here? Prophets have been prophesying about a "new era." More churches are going digital in the face of this plague. But is this the beginning of a new era that will see the church persecuted in the United States?

 

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8 indispensable tips for confronting your boss

A friend of mine recently told me, “People go to work because of a vision. People leave work because of managers.”

People are difficult to work for. The No. 1 reason why? Because they are people. No matter how great your manager is, there will come a time when you will feel a need to confront your boss. If you don’t know how to face that, you may end up leaving a dream job over a simple misunderstanding.

So, what’s the right way to confront your boss? Of all the pointers I’ve read, there’s one that stands out: honor those in authority above you.

When the Apostle Paul told people to respect those in authority over them in Romans 13, he was likely speaking to a group that wasn’t really excited about their leaders. Showing honor is biblical. It’s lacking in our culture. It’s also effective. If you must confront your boss, they will likely remember how you carried yourself more than what you said, and showing honor may get you closer to your goal than any critique you may bring.

Is Jezebel Worship Releasing Witchcraft Against Your Mind?

From Lent until Resurrection Day every year—then again in May, the month of Mary—we see believers around the world suffering from the wicked effects of spiritual witchcraft.

That's because many sincere people around the world—and probably in your city—are exalting Mary in this season. Many are lighting candles, worshipping Mary or hailing Mary—and what we exalt we empower. Just as God inhabits the praises of His people (see Ps. 22:3), idol worship impacts a spiritual climate. If you've ever been to idolatrous nations, you've immediately noticed the oppressive atmosphere.

Christian Leaders Will Tell You, 'Never Give Up!'—Here's Why That's Wrong

Our spiritual leaders constantly tell us not to give up. The movies we watch say don't give up. Our music tells us don't give up. Our sports stars tell us not to give up and even our politicians tell us not to give up.

One of the most difficult things for us to learn to do is to give up. We have had it drummed over and over into our thoughts and minds: "Never give up!" But I am telling you that in order to be successful in our faith, we must learn to give up.

Jamal Bryant calls out Christians who burn sage, says it’s ‘witchcraft,' 'satanic aromatherapy’

Calling sage burning “witchcraft” and “satanic aromatherapy,” Pastor Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, warned his members on Monday to stay away from the practice.

In a teaching session with the women of his church streamed on YouTube, Bryant explained that he had to dive into some research on the practice after two members of his church gifted him sage for his new home in Atlanta.

I “was amazed because two saints gave me sage for my new house. I didn’t know what to do with it. I was unsure of it. And all the more, why they’d feel comfortable giving it to a pastor. Then I began to research and study it and found out that the sales of it have gone up by over 200% in the last four years and have to be constantly placed on restock in natural health stores.”

Biblical Ways to Find the Person You're Supposed to Marry

School closes gender-neutral bathroom after alleged sexual assault

A Wisconsin high school has closed its gender-neutral bathroom after an 18-year-old student was arrested for fourth-degree sexual assault, child enticement and exposing his genitals to a child inside the facility.

Austin Sauer, a student at Rhinelander High School, was arrested last week, according to the Oneida County Sheriff's Office, WSAW-TV reported.