| Friday, November 12, 2021 |
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| | The popular Bible mobile app YouVersion has amassed over 500 million installs after starting as one of only 200 free apps in the iOS App Store in 2008. YouVersion founder Bobby Gruenewald, who first created the YouVersion website to prompt people to read the Bible more consistently, developed the app to give users a mobile-friendly experience. |
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| | Daystar Television Network, one of the largest Christian television networks in the world and The American Family Association, a nonprofit Christian organization, said in a lawsuit Tuesday that a federal vaccine mandate forcing large companies to require their employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine is a ”sin against God’s Holy Word.” The AFA and Daystar said in their filing that because they believe the right of conscience is sacred, they had no other choice but to resist the mandate which doesn’t allow employees to apply for religious or medical exemptions. |
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| | The largest school district in Virginia is receiving criticism from a parent advocacy group for administering a voluntary survey that asked students personal questions about their sex lives and habits. It also asked a question that first noted that “some people describe themselves as transgender when their sex at birth does not match the way they think or feel about their gender" before prompting the student to indicate whether they identify as transgender. |
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| | The U.S. State Department urged Americans to “depart Haiti now” before not even the government is able to help them leave as widespread fuel shortages triggered by growing violence in the Caribbean nation continued while 17 missionaries, including 16 Americans, were still being held hostage by a local gang demanding a $17 million ransom. Officials at Christian Aid Ministries who continue to pray for the safe return of their workers said earlier that nearly half the country is now “under the control of gangs.” |
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| | Christian Post Executive Editor Richard D. Land writes about the service and sacrifice of veterans. "I am personally extremely grateful that in times of grave crisis we have always had men and women who were willing to answer the call to duty and don the uniforms of our military branches and put themselves in harm’s way and risk their lives for us and for our freedoms," he writes. |
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| | On the eve of her Nov. 3 birthday, outspoken Christian social media influencer Khafi Ekpata of London was in the middle of taking a shower and thinking of ways to celebrate her special day when she believes she heard the voice of God tell her: “Just give everything away.” Ekpata did just that and kept only essential items needed to survive. |
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| | It’s clear that many churches have closed or have considerably shrunk in size since COVID-19. Reasons range from “church-goers are still scared to return,” to “they prefer watching live feeds.” But why have bold churches experienced tremendous growth? This issue is much deeper—it’s crystal clear that people are hungry for the truth.
As a church in California located in Los Angeles County, I understand the enormous challenges of pastoring in these dire times. But, if the truth be told, the COVID crisis simply revealed the foundation of many churches, as well as the heart of many pastors. But thank God, there is hope!
Pastors, I’m writing this to you to encourage you to be bold as you lead your congregation through these difficult and challenging times. But this boldness won’t come naturally, it will come supernaturally. It will have a cost: “Life-giving preaching costs the preacher much—death to self, crucifixion to the world, and the travail of his own soul. Crucified preaching only can give life. Crucified preaching can come only from a crucified man” (E.M. Bounds). | |
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