Generations Radio

97% of churches will be closed for worship on Easter, and 97% of abortion clinics are opened the day after. Somethin’ wrong with that. You can kill babies, but you can’t gather as a church to worship God at a six-foot distance with or without a mask? Pro-lifers are arrested, while abortion goes on and everybody else has to stay home? We’re just asking for an equitable treatment of risks. . . we’re just asking for a right prioritization of the spiritual as well as the physical here.

She is a Quadruple Amputee, and a child of God. This is one of the inspirational stories of our generation. What could have been a total devastation, God used to redeem. You will enjoy this story form Cyndi Wilkins, author of the book “Shine On. . . The Remarkable True Story of a Quadruple Amputee.”

A Harvard economist refers to this one as potentially ‘the mother of all financial crises,” and “the deepest dive on record for the global economy for over 100 years.” This one is tough. The worldwide implications are very extensive. There are five factors that make the present conditions far worse than the Great Depression of 1929. Are you ready for a very big humbling of the nations, beginning with the United States of America. Here’s the strategy to prepare: Get Serious.

Could Christian apostasy be part of the wakeup call going on with the COVID-19 disruption? The last twenty years may be the worst in American history. Barna reports that the Christian worldview adherents dropped from 12% to 6%, and only 2% of 18-29 year olds hold to some semblance of a Christian worldview now. The fault lies with the churches. Where are the pastors that disciple in the most basic fundamentals of a biblical worldview? Where is the concrete in the foundations of the church?

Two pastors have been arrested for “unlawful assembly” during the present virus spread, and at least one of the pastors will be defended by the Liberty Counsel. Some Americans are still sort of sensitive over the religious liberty question, after those Pilgrims had a run-in with the magistrate 400 years ago. The argument is over “essential services” and the church jurisdiction. The question is legitimate and needs to be considered by rational, thoughtful churchgoers in every country around the world. Has the civil magistrate have given control over the church when it comes to these matters of assembly? Was it the priest or the judge who sequestered the lepers in Leviticus? Kevin Swanson outlines some of the key governing biblical principles that tie into the question, and challenges every pastor and elder board to make a judgment call on whether to assemble or not.

The $2.2 trillion Stimulus Bill offers quite a few opportunities for compensation. Tax credits for companies withholding social security, forgivable loans for ministries and small businesses, and the tax rebates. When the chips are down, shall we take the government handouts? Do our churches or ministries grab for the government subsidies? Kevin Swanson goes over a list of 8 biblical principles tying in to the question of whether to take the handouts.

This time of national shutdown, increased incidence of infection, and virus mania will be a time of testing for us. How will we react in such times as these? Will we be more susceptible to fixation on conspiracy theories? What about hording, snitching, or dependence on the state - turning to government to bail us out? Will we realize this to be an opportunity? Will we respond in love, power, and a sound mind?

The problem was bad enough, but the fix was worse. Unemployment filings this week are highest in history. Things are heading towards a worse economic conditions than that faced during the Great Depression. The added debts produce another 14% on the Debt to GDP, putting America with Venezuela, Sudan, Greece, Eritrea, and Mozambique — among the ten most economically endebted and unstable nations in the world. This is a society that has killed 80 million babies, imploded its birth rate and spent their grandkids into $120 trillion of debts and unfunded liabilities. Somehow, something needs to put the brakes on the stealing, the dishonesty, and the greed that constitute this house of cards. At this point, the only advice for Christians is Matthew 16:25-26.

After the proudest year, arguably in world history, comes. . .what is this? Proverbs 16:18 has as sure as the law of gravity. There’s no use arguing against it, even if you take a flying leap off of the Empire State Building. A leading pastor/dean of Dordt college insists Jesus would be marching in the front of a pride march. And, we conclude that such perspectives are as far away from the Christian faith as atheism. If there is anything American religious people need, it is James 4:6-10.

The states are shutting down all non-essential businesses, including the church. Is this appropriate? What are the biblical requirements for quarantine upon any indication of symptoms? Get a flavor for what churches are doing around the nation during the pandemic, with this discussion with Scott Brown, Director of the National Center for Family Integrated Churches.