Sunday 28 June 2020 ‘virtual church’

Brian Robertson 2 Timothy 1:13-18

“A Guarded Treasure”

Sunday 5 July 2020 ‘virtual church’

Brian Robertson 2 Timothy 2:1-4

“Sons and Soldiers”

WELCOME to the

CORAL COAST CHRISTIAN CHURCH If you are visiting with us today, we welcome you and invite you to sign our Visitor's Book.

The restrooms are on the southern side of the hall, with entry off the veranda. There are baby-change facilities in the Toilet for People with Disabilities.

Most Activities in Abeyance In accordance with the Federal Government’s decision to close all places of worship, most of our church worship services and ministry activities are in abeyance until further notice. While no one in our church has contracted COVID-19, we are complying with the ruling that is designed to limit numbers of people gathering together. We are presenting a ‘virtual church’ service each Sunday so that you can watch and listen to our worship service on your home computer or electronic device. Pastor Brian emails the link for each Sunday’s worship service toward the end of each week. Pastor Brian is still producing a weekly Bulletin, and there is daily email contact with devotional thoughts, prayer points, and any requests for practical support. If you have any needs – practical or spiritual – please advise Pastor Brian on 0407 547036 (or email pastor.brian@coralcoastchurch.org) or Pastor Lisa on 0414 983353 (or email pastor.lisa@coralcoastchurch.org).

Working Bee The next church working bee will be held on Saturday 11 July, beginning at 7.00am and continuing on throughout the morning. The main tasks are a thorough cleaning of the church buildings and general gardening as we tidy up around the property. Please come along and ‘lend a hand’ to ensure that everything is in readiness for the re-opening of our buildings.

Resumption of Sunday Services Providing there is no significant upsurge in the number of COVID-19 cases in Queensland, our State is scheduled to move to Stage 3 easing of restrictions on Friday 10 July. This will mean that gatherings of up to 100 people can occur for religious ceremonies as from that date. However, there are a number of other restrictions! There must be 4m2 of floor space per person. So, a couple must have 8m2, and a couple with two children must have 16m2. And these measurements are for no singing; if there is to be congregational singing, there must be 7m2 per person. So, a couple with two children will require 28m2 if they are going to join in congregational singing. Furthermore, everyone must remain 1.5m away from other people (unless from the same household); there is to be no mingling before or after the service; and no morning tea is allowed (even to the extent of providing cups of water in disposable cups is prohibited). And there is to be no communion. These restrictions are particularly onerous, especially in light of the fact that many people have ignored social distancing rules at other events in recent times. The leaders of the Christian denominations are lobbying the State Government to review and relax these restrictions, but this is ‘the state of play’ at present. We have measured the floor space in our church auditorium. If we have services without congregational singing, we can fit 50 persons in the room. If we have congregational singing, we can fit only 28 persons in the room. So, although our church could resume services on Sunday 12 July, we would either have to prohibit congregational singing and hold two services, or have congregational singing and hold three or four services to give everyone the opportunity to attend. We will advise you of what is decided during the next couple of weeks.

Birthdays This Week Monday 29 June – Rose Kenyon Thursday 2 July – Colin Stollery Friday 3 July – Trish Williamson

Church Account Details If you would like to have your weekly or fortnightly offering directly debited from your bank account into the church account, you will need the following information –

BSB Number 704 913 Account Number 400040010 Account Name Coral Coast Christian Church

Please reference you giving as “Offering” or “Tithe”. Including your surname is optional.

Still Accepting Cash Offerings With our church not holding ‘live’ worship services, those people in the church family who give their offerings in cash or cheque are not able to make those donations. A number of people have switched to direct deposits, but some people may not be able to (or may not want to) set up a direct deposit arrangement. On the outside of the Church Office is a solid metal moneybox, bolted through the block wall at the front of the Office. So, if you would like to make your offering to our church by means of cash or cheque (made payable to “Coral Coast Christian Church”), put you donation in an envelope, seal the envelope, and put it in the moneybox outside the Office. The contents of the box are emptied at least once a week. [Obviously, if the Office is open when you come to make your donation, you can hand the envelope in to whoever is there.]

Mission News

A Great Opportunity to Support Baptist World Aid Australia At this time of year, a number of development and aid agencies receive a ‘bonus’ from the Federal Government in the form of matching grants. The Federal Government, through its international aid programs, gives some of its grant money to credible agencies to support them in their development and relief projects. Once again, Baptist World Aid Australia is a recipient of this arrangement. BWAA has advised that donations to their general fund (which are income-tax deductible) are attracting a ten-to-one subsidy from the Federal Government. For every $1.00 given by individuals before 30 June, the Federal Government will match it with $10.00. This means that it is timely to make a gift to BWAA now because each gift will have an enormous impact! Go to the website, www.baptistworldaid.org.au/matching-grant, and follow the prompts. Alternatively you can send a gift to BWAA, Locked Bag 2200, North Ryde, NSW, 1670, or telephone 1300 789991. Designate your gift for the ‘Matching Grant Fund 2020’.

Carinity Chaplains Appeal 2020 As part of Carinity’s holistic approach to caring, Carinity’s sixty chaplains support more than 10,000 people every year in hospitals, prisons, and aged care communities across Queensland, from Townsville to the Gold Coast. While continuing to provide chaplaincy services to the residents of Carinity’s aged care communities, Carinity is expanding its assistance to bring chaplaincy directly to seniors in their homes, particularly those facing troubling times and experiencing social isolation. Carinity is able to provide hope, comfort, and compassionate holistic spiritual care to people in their homes. The Carinity Chaplains Appeal 2020 is seeking to raise funds to expand this chaplaincy program, as well as continuing the existing aged care chaplaincy services and the Inside Out Prison Chaplaincy ministry. If you would like to make an income-tax deductible gift to the Carinity Chaplains Appeal 2020, please send it to PO Box 6164, Mitchelton, 4053, or telephone 35503737, or go to the website www.carinity.org.au/donations.

CBM COVID-19 Crisis Appeal Christian Blind Mission (CBM) Australia is conducting a COVID-19 Crisis Appeal to supply soap, sanitiser, personal protective equipment, and emergency aid packages to people with disabilities in some of the poorest countries in the world. For example, in Bangladesh, there are only 1,169 public ICU beds for a population of 161,000,000 people, and as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across high-population-density countries like Bangladesh, the public health system becomes overwhelmed. The poorest and most vulnerable miss out on receiving medical attention if they succumb to the virus. Furthermore, more than 1,000,000 garment factory workers in Bangladesh were laid off at the end of March 2020, as clothing stores in Western countries shut their doors. If you would like to make an income tax deductible donation to the work of CBM Australia, post you gift to Christian Blind Mission Australia, PO Box 348, Box Hill, Vic, 3128, or telephone CBM on 1800 678069, or check the website at www.cbm.org.au.

Compassion Australia Disaster Relief Fund Compassion Australia is inviting supporters to contribute to its Disaster Relief Fund, as it seeks to help vulnerable children in developing countries in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. A generous Compassion supporter has pledged to double every donation to the Disaster Relief Fund as Compassion provides children with food, housing, and resources for better hygiene. All donations up to a total of $100,000 will be matched until 30 June 2020. If you would like to contribute to the work of Compassion Australia, send your income tax deductible gift to Compassion Australia, PO Box 1, Hunter Region MC, NSW, 2310, or check the website at www.compassion.com.au, or telephone 1300 224453.

Some Current Projects through Wycliffe Bible Translators Wycliffe Bible Translators has advised that they are seeking funds for some projects.

COVID-19 Relief – In many of the minority communities in which Wycliffe translators are working, the pandemic has caused significant hardship. Day labourer jobs have disappeared, movement has been restricted, food is scarce, and access to medical support is limited. Wycliffe recognises the need to assist people in these practical ways, and so will send funds to be distributed in places where translators are at work. (Project No.8874 – $100,000.00 in total)

South East Asia Maternal Health – In an ongoing program in an unnamed country, training and equipping of midwives will result in better health outcomes for expectant women and for newborn babies. (Project No.8887 – $10,000.00 for 2020)

Education and Healthcare in South Asia 1 – This project funds medical support and literacy development in two communities in an unnamed country in south Asia, resulting in better health outcomes, in better employment and business opportunities, and in increased confidence amongst the people as they deal with others outside of their minority community. (Project No.8880 – $17,000.00 for 2020)

If you would like to contribute to any of these projects, send your gift to Wycliffe Australia, 70 Graham Road, Kangaroo Ground, Vic, 3097, or telephone (03) 97122777, or visit the website at www.wycliffe.org.au/donate, or email info@wycliffe.org.au. Since these three projects are conducted under the auspices of the Wycliffe Relief and Development Foundation, donations to these projects are income-tax deductible.

Coronavirus Topics

Smoking Nearly Doubles the Rate of COVID-19 Progression Smoking significantly worsens COVID-19, according to a new analysis by researchers at the University of California San Francisco. In a meta-analysis of studies that included 11,590 COVID-19 patients, researchers found that among people with the virus, the risk of disease progression in those who currently smoke or previously smoked was nearly double that of non-smokers. They also found that when the disease worsens, current or former smokers had more acute or critical conditions or death. Overall, smoking was associated with almost a doubling of the risk of disease progressing. The report was published on 12 May 2020 in Nicotine & Tobacco Research. “Smoking is associated with substantially higher risk of COVID-19 progression,” said Dr Stanton A Glantz, professor of medicine and director of the UCSF Centre for Tobacco Control Research and Education. “This finding suggests that California’s ongoing strong tobacco control measures that have lowered smoking may, together with the State’s other strong public health interventions, be contributing to California’s efforts to thwart the effect of COVID-19.” Smoking and e-cigarette use increase the risk and severity of pulmonary infections because of damage to upper airways and a decrease in pulmonary immune function in general, although these effects have not yet been specifically studied for SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Smokers have a known higher risk of infection and mortality from MERS-COV, a viral respiratory illness caused by a different coronavirus. In the new meta-analysis, the authors identified nineteen peer-reviewed scientific papers published in PubMed as of 28 April 2020, which included data on smoking behaviour and severity of COVID-19. The studies, from China, South Korea, and the United States, were mostly based on hospitalised patients, although two studies included both hospitalised patients and outpatients. Reviewed studies used a variety of definitions of “smoking”, sometimes including both current and former smokers. There was also variability in how disease “progression” was defined. In addition, the levels of smoking reporting were below the levels reported in the population. A total of 11,590 patients were ultimately identified for the study: 2,133 (18%) experienced disease progression and 731 (6.3%) had a history of smoking. Among smokers, 218 patients (29.8%) experienced disease progression, compared with 17.6% of non-smoking patients. “The fact that smoking prevalence is lower among COVID patients than the general population has been cited as evidence for a protective effect of smoking,” said Dr Roengrudee Patanavanich, a visiting scholar at UCSF from the Department of Community Medicine at Ramathibodi Hospital at Mahidol University in Thailand. “But this low prevalence may actually be due to an under-assessment of smoking, especially when you consider the difficult conditions involved when caring for people in often overwhelmed health systems.” All nineteen studies were of patients who had already developed COVID-19, so the report does not represent the effect of smoking on the risk of contracting COVID-19 in the general population. As population-level testing ramps up, the authors said it would be useful to collect data on smoking and e-cigarette use to determine what risks these behaviours impose on infection. They suggested that both smoking cessation and e-cigarette cessation, given the pulmonary effects of e-cigarette, be added to the list of practices to blunt the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wisdom for Life “When principles that run against your deepest convictions begin to win the day, then battle is your calling and peace has become sin.” Abraham Kuyper

“If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.” Ronald Reagan

“Before you remove a fence, ascertain why one was first built.” Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Social Issues in the News Update from Family Voice Australia This comment was written by Peter Downie, the new National Director of FamilyVoice Australia, and released online on 11 June 2020.

Like millions of others, I was deeply disturbed by the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police on 25 May. Not only America but Britain and Australia have erupted in mass mayhem, led by the Black Lives Matter movement founded in 2013. Floyd was 1.93 m tall and weighed 100 kg. His friends called him a “gentle giant”. He was a keen basketballer and rapper, using the stage name “Big Floyd”. After a stint in jail for armed robbery and home invasion, his life changed – he became involved in the Christian ministry Resurrection Houston. He was known for decades as a mentor to a generation of young men and a “person of peace” – but things seemed to have gone wrong during the COVID pandemic. His autopsy showed the presence of drugs. Floyd’s death follows another tragic death at the hands of Minneapolis police. The Australian-born woman Justine Damond was fatally shot on 15 July 2017 by a Somali-American police officer. She had phoned the police to report the possible assault on a woman in an alley behind her house. Why did the killing of a black man by a white cop provoke protests and riots, when the killing of a white woman by a black cop didn’t? The answer, of course, is the widespread belief that blacks are unfairly targeted by police due to racial hatred. But what are the facts? US homicide records show that, in the general population, there are more murders of whites by blacks than the reverse. In 2016, for example, over twice as many whites (533) were killed by blacks as blacks (243) killed by whites. A recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found no racial differences in the use of lethal force by US police. It said: “On the most extreme use of force – officer-involved shootings – we find no racial differences in either the raw data or when contextual factors are taken into account.” However, there are big differences in crime rates between the white and black US subcultures. In 2016, African-Americans became murder victims at the rate of 71 per million, compared with 15 whites per million. That is, blacks were 4.7 times as likely to be killed as whites. But most of these killings occur within the racial groups. Whites were killed by other whites in 82% of cases and blacks were killed by blacks in 90% of cases. The Black Lives Matter campaign is motivated by a common myth, that police unfairly target blacks. But the situation is far more complex. US attorney and radio host Larry Elder believes the underlying cause of much crime is fatherlessness. A large proportion of African-Americans are raised in fatherless homes. Lacking male role models who are strong yet caring and protective, boys often turn to crime gang leaders to provide their missing father figures. These days, those who promote stable marriage and families are mocked in the media, or worse. But out of love for our neighbours, we in FamilyVoice intend to keep on doing it. For family, faith and freedom Your brother in Christ,

Peter Downie

The Pseudo-Scientific Basis of Racism There have always been examples of people groups exploiting, persecuting, oppressing, and enslaving other people groups. Sinful human beings forget that all humans are a reflection of the image of God, and fail to understand that we all have the same skin colour – it is a pigment called melanin contained in everyone’s skin cells, just in different concentrations. However, it is important to know that the Theory of Evolution, as proposed by Charles

Peter Downie

Darwin, provided a supposed scientific basis for racism! Most people do not know the full title of Darwin’s On the Origin of the Species, published in 1859. The full title was On the Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. Charles Darwin believed that some groups of human beings were inferior – less developed on the ‘evolutionary tree’ – and destined to be ‘out-competed’ by more favoured groups. In the process of natural selection, the inferior groups would eventually disappear. Racism existed before Charles Darwin, but his so-called science provided a scientific basis for racist beliefs and practices. It was justification for white-skinned people mistreating dark-skinned people, because white-skinned people thought of themselves as more advanced and higher up the ‘evolutionary tree’. On the other hand, a true Bible-based understanding affirms that all human beings are descendant from an original directly-created-by-God couple – Adam and Eve – whose skin colouring was probably mid-brown (because that combination of genetics would allow for the occurrence of all skin colourings in successive generations). Furthermore, the Bible tells us that all human beings are descendants of Noah’s family (because everyone else perished in the worldwide flood). We are all inter-related. We are all one race. We are all sinners. No one is superior or inferior, simply on the basis of his or her racial background. So, why are there differences between the different groups of people? Genesis 11 tells us that God scattered humanity – because of their prideful scheme to build a tower up to the heavens and, in effect, become like gods – and He did this by confusing the languages. Now, the people of that time did not know about genetics … but God did! When He distributed the various languages, He gave the same language to individuals whose genetics would result in the concentration of certain features in their subsequent offspring. For example, the concentration of melanin in skin cells is controlled by two pairs of genes. If individuals with the genetic pattern to produce high concentrations of melanin can only find marriage partners with the same genetic pattern, then all of their offspring will have high concentrations of melanin and will be dark-skinned. So, after Genesis 11, as the same-language-in-common people groups spread out across the earth, there was a narrowing of the ‘information’ in each group’s ‘genetic pool’. This gave rise to the distinctive features characteristic of each people group. Furthermore, it also resulted in the loss of some knowledge and skills. For example, if a people group did not contain anyone with the knowledge about working stone and building towers, then that skill would be lost to that group and its descendants. So, as Christians who believe that God’s Word is entirely true, we must never accept any racist ideas and practices. And we should not ‘buy into’ any movement that seeks to divide human beings on the basis of race, whether favouring white-skinned people or favouring dark-skinned people.

Issues of the Faith “God Made Us to Gather: The Fresh Wonder of Corporate Worship” This article was written by Bob Kauflin, who is director of Sovereign Grace Music and who serves as a pastor at Sovereign Grace Church in Louisville, Kentucky USA. The article was published online by www.desiringGod on 2 June 2020.

Only God could have ordained that I would be writing an article on the benefits of corporate worship during the COVID-19 pandemic. My church in Louisville hasn’t met since 15 March, and we’re still trying to decide what the process of meeting together again will look like. Livestreaming Sunday mornings is beginning to feel almost normal. Almost. Although I’m thankful for the virtual contact technology has made possible during this season, God has unique purposes for the weekly gathering that no livestream or Zoom meeting can replace. Perhaps we feel similar to the apostle John when he wrote, “Though I have much to write to you [or many virtual meetings to participate in], . . . I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete” (2 John 12). Not being able to meet in person makes us appreciate more deeply the privilege, joy, and benefit of gathering with the saints.

What We’ve Been Missing On a recent Sunday, I led “Crown Him with Many Crowns” in front of a camera and seven other people. On any other Sunday, our church would normally explode in a spontaneous overflow of jubilant shouting and God-exalting clapping. That day? All you could hear was my voice lamenting that the congregation wasn’t there to respond. While writing this article, I reached out through social media to find out what else people missed most about not meeting together. The overwhelming number of comments mentioned sensory elements. Hearing. Touching. Seeing. Heartfelt hugs and handshakes of dear friends and new acquaintances The sound of God’s people passionately raising their voices in praise together Watching those going through painful trials lift their souls to their faithful Father in prayer

and song The robust “Amen!” of people responding to the preached word Saints, feeling victorious and defeated, experiencing grace and mercy in the Lord’s

Supper Opportunities to encourage, pray for, counsel, and get to know both members and

visitors The sweet foretaste of gathering around the throne in the new heavens and new earth And for some, the donuts and coffee

One person’s response to the question “What do you miss most about not gathering?” was simply “Everything.”

What Difference Does Gathering Make? I’d like to unpack that “everything,” focusing on the time we spend singing together. What difference should singing God’s praise in the same physical space weekly make in our lives? I can think of at least five God-glorifying effects.

Exaltation When we sing God’s praise together, He is exalted more highly than if we do it alone. His inherent glory doesn’t change, but the manifestation of it does. It’s the difference between playing a basketball championship in an empty arena (not such a strange thought these days), and playing the same game in front of twenty thousand screaming fans. The final score is no different. But it’s safe to say that the glory of the winning team in the second scenario will far

Bob Kauflin

surpass that of the first. I might be no less sincere and passionate singing to the Lord alone as when I’m singing in the midst of a congregation. But hearing the voices of those around me makes me realise that God is much bigger than whatever He happens to be doing in my life. And others are experiencing the same change of perspective. That’s one reason why King David’s impulse was to say things like, “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!” (Psalm 34:3) and, “I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise You” (Psalm 35:18). Worshiping God in song together affirms that His worthiness stretches far beyond what I can offer by myself.

Edification My personal times of Bible reading, prayer, meditation, and worship in song are often rich and rewarding. I experience the Spirit’s sweet conviction, assurance that my sins are forgiven, and fresh comfort and security in God’s promises. But those times don’t replace what I do every Sunday with the church. That’s because we’re living stones, not random bricks, being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit (1 Peter 2:4; Ephesians 2:22). On Sunday mornings, my weary spirit is buoyed by the joyful early-morning service of the setup team. The loud praises of those around me remind me that I’m not alone in my struggles and that God is supremely worthy of my trust. I’m strengthened by the counsel and prayers of friends. I benefit from spiritual gifts like administration, mercy, leadership, and teaching. At the same time, God uses the unique gifts He’s given me to build up those around me. I can’t do this on my own. You can’t either. If we are “eager for manifestations of the Spirit,” as Paul says, then we should “strive to excel in building up the church” (1 Corinthians 14:12).

Exhortation Why not forgo the Sunday service and use that time to invade our neighbourhoods, fix what’s broken, feed the poor, and share the gospel? Because corporate worship is meant to fuel and direct the way we serve others for the glory of God. God intends our times together to be a means of stirring up “one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:25). It’s worth noting that Paul immediately follows his exhortation to “sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” with the command to “do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:16-17). The “word of Christ” dwelling in us richly through song naturally leads us to want to do “everything” in the name of the Lord Jesus. That's because each time we gather, we have the opportunity to realign our priorities, refocus on what is ultimately true, and remember whose love has changed our lives.

Encounter Although God is omnipresent, He chooses to localise His presence on various occasions. He makes us more aware of His activity in us or among us. We can’t always predict when that will be, but one of those occasions seems to be when we sing together. The Psalms connect God’s name being near with recounting his deeds (Psalm 73:28; 75:1). In Psalm 105, in the midst of singing God’s praises, we’re exhorted to “seek his presence continually” (Psalm 105:2-4). Psalm 95 encourages us to sing songs of praise with an expectation that we will hear God’s voice (Psalm 95:2, 7). It’s no coincidence that in Ephesians 5, Paul connects singing with being filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18-19). Nor is it surprising that in 1 Corinthians 14:26-33, singing finds a home among more spontaneous gifts of the Spirit like tongues and prophecy, which make us aware of God’s presence. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve been overcome by an awareness of God’s nearness in the midst of singing on Sundays. That’s because God delights to reveal Himself when His people are next to each other, lifting their hearts and voices in praise to Him.

Evangelism Even in times of social distancing, we can share the good news of the gospel with friends and

neighbours. But what we can’t do is bring them to a meeting where they see dozens or hundreds of others reflecting the same humility, joy, and passion for Christ they see in us. Corporate worship gives non-Christians a broader and better picture of what Jesus looks like. It brings Jesus’s life-transforming work into focus in a way a single person’s testimony doesn't. In the early church, God delighted to work through individuals like Peter, Stephen, Paul, Barnabas, and others. But the gathered church also played a significant role in the advance of the gospel (Acts 2:46-47; 11:26; 1 Corinthians 14:24-25). Even when churches are forced to meet in secret, their very existence testifies to the power, beauty, and glory of the Saviour “who gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age” (Galatians 1:4).

What’s Yet to Come Throughout the centuries, churches have in various seasons been unable to meet due to persecution, geography, pandemics, or other limitations. God wasn't worried then, and He's not worried now. His plans will not be thwarted or undone. Because God made the church to gather. And though it may be unclear exactly what that looks like as churches start to reopen, every week brings us one Sunday closer to the day when God will gather His people from every tribe, language, people, and nation to worship the Lamb who was slain (Revelation 5:10-12). Without question, that will be congregational worship like we’ve never experienced before. Until then, let's gladly take full advantage of every opportunity God gives us to get ready.

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World News – United States of America

US Researchers Paid Mexican Women to Get Pregnant and Then Abort Research conducted by a New Jersey company that paid Mexican women to become pregnant and, in some cases, abort their unborn babies has been condemned as unethical across the USA. In early January 2020, news came to light about the disturbing experiments conducted by reproductive geneticist Dr Santiago Munne for CooperGenomics in Livingston, New Jersey. Dr Munne’s research involved 81 women and more than 100 unborn babies at Punta Mita Hospital near Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. Women were each paid about $1,400 to participate in the research program. The researchers aimed to find out if they could collect living human embryos by “uterine lavage”, basically flushing them out, to test genetically and compare to embryos conceived through in vitro fertilisation. Dr Munne and his team injected the women with powerful hormones to stimulate their ovaries to produce eggs and then inseminated them with donor sperm. After four to six days, the team flushed out any resulting embryos from the uterus via a procedure known as ‘lavage’. Some of the embryos – already unique, living human beings – were implanted into other women’s uteruses and were born, according to the reports. Others were less fortunate. In some cases, the lavage did not work and the unborn babies remained in their mothers’ wombs; those babies were then aborted. Writing at National Review, bioethics attorney Wesley Smith condemned the experiments for exploiting both women and babies. “First, it created human life for the purpose of experimenting upon it,” Mr Smith said. “Second, it paid women to have abortions (when all the

embryos were not flushed). Third, it treated women as objects …. Fourth, hyper-stimulation can have serious side effects, even leading to occasional death. Add in the likelihood that the women were very poor, and you have a real exploitive circumstance.”

“Every Child Born and Unborn is a Sacred Gift from God” “Every child is a precious and sacred gift from God,” President Donald Trump said during his speech at the annual March for Life held in Washington DC on 24 January 2020. “Together we must protect, cherish, and defend the dignity and sanctity of every human life. When we see a baby in the womb we glimpse the majesty of God’s creation,” he added. “Every child born and unborn is made in the holy image of Almighty God.” The President thanked the millions of Americans who are pro-life and the March participants for showing up to fight to fight against abortion. “It is my profound honour to be the first president in history to attend the March for Life!” President Trump told the crowd. “We are here for a very simple reason: To defend the right of every child – born and unborn – to fulfil their God given potential,” he said. “Young people are the heart of the March for Life and it is you who is making it the pro-family, pro-life generation.” He then stated, “Mothers are heroes”, as he thanked attendees for their leadership. He added, “Every child brings joy to a family … every human life is made in the holy image of Almighty God.”

For Women, Giving Birth Has Better Outcomes than Abortion A large record-based study from the United States has found that overall death rates were higher among women following abortion compared to those among women who had given birth. The US study examined Medi-Cal records for more than 173,000 low-income California women who had experienced abortion or childbirth. Linking these records to death certificates, the researchers found that women who had state-funded abortions were 2.6 times more likely to die from suicide compared to women who delivered their babies. Giving birth, on the other hand, was shown to reduce women’s suicide risk compared to the general population.

US Air Force Officer Faced Backlash for Leading Worship from His Apartment A leading church-state separation legal group is calling on the commander of a US Army base in Germany to take action against a US Air Force officer who has been leading Christian worship services from the balcony of his military housing apartment. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation sent a letter to Colonel Jason W Condrey, the commander of US Army Garrison Stuttgart, calling for disciplinary measures to be taken against Lieutenant Colonel David McGraw. MRFF, which advocates for a strict separation of church and state, said it was representing twenty-eight military complainants (twenty-one of whom were Christian) who objected to Lt Col McGraw’s “Sunday Christian Porch Preaching” at the Kelley Barracks, an apartment complex that houses mostly military families with four kids of more. According to an email sent to MRFF by a concerned resident of the apartment complex, on 15 March 2020, Lt Col McGraw began hosting Sunday services for the two apartment buildings that overlook the barracks playground. For the past eight weeks, the email explained, Lt Col McGraw’s services have drawn more attendees and have increased in duration. The email said song sheets for the weekly services have for the past four weeks been distributed to the doorsteps of all the apartments in the buildings. “At four weeks into this, the song and scripture flyers are now being placed on individual doorsteps of residents to join in to what is essentially an evangelical worship service that is happening outside of the multitude of virtual services being hosted by the Military Chaplains,” the email told MRFF. The resident argued that while it’s perfectly fine to host a Bible study in one’s home, “you should not be able to hold others hostage and disallow their quiet enjoyment in their own homes. They absolutely know that this is something that would not be OK if someone used the architectural acoustics to announce the Call to Prayer of those in the Muslim faith,” the complaining resident wrote in the email. Another person contended that the actions violate “a plethora” of US Department of Defence

and US Air Force directives, instructions, and regulations. The actions also violated the core values of the US Army and Air Force. Mike Berry, General Counsel for the First Liberty Institute, a legal non-profit that often defends the First Amendment rights of military service members, told The Christian Post that Lt Col McGraw did not “forfeit his constitutional rights when he joined the military”. “Of course, it is perfectly legal for a service member to sing worship songs, read from the Bible and share the Good News with friends and neighbours,” he said. Mr Berry cited the US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit’s 1984 ruling in Katcoff v Marsh that held that “the Constitution obligates Congress to provide for the free exercise of religion by military personnel”.

World-Renowned Christian Apologist Ravi Zacharias Died World-renowned Christian apologist, Ravi Zacharias, aged 74, passed away at his home in Atlanta on 19 May 2020 from a rare form of cancer in his spine. Rev Zacharias announced earlier this year that he was suffering from severe pain in his spine and would undergo surgery. A malignant tumour of the sacrum called sarcoma was discovered in March. He battled the disease with the help of top doctors, but his daughter announced in early May that no further medical treatments were available. The apologist founded his international apologetics ministry, RZIM (Ravi Zacharias International Ministries), in 1984, and had been widely sought after for decades for his eloquent answers to life's biggest questions. “Ravi saw the objections and questions of others not as something to be rebuffed, but as a cry of the heart that had to be answered,” said Michael Ramsden, president of RZIM. “People weren’t logical problems waiting to be solved; they were people who needed the person of Christ. Those who knew him well will remember him first for his kindness, gentleness, and generosity of spirit. The love and kindness he had come to know in and through Jesus Christ was the same love he wanted to share with all he met.” Ravi Zacharias was a prolific author, debater, and academic throughout his life, reaching sceptics with the gospel of Jesus Christ. “It was his Saviour, Jesus Christ, that my dad always wanted most to talk about,” said Sarah Davis, CEO of RZIM, and daughter of Ravi. “Even in his final days, until he lacked the energy and breath to speak, he turned every conversation to Jesus and what the Lord had done. He perpetually marvelled that God took a 17-year-old sceptic, defeated in hopelessness and unbelief, and called him into a life of glorious hope and belief in the truth of Scripture – a message he would carry across the globe for forty-eight years.” Ravi Zacharias is survived by his wife of 48 years, Margie; daughters, Sarah and Naomi; son, Nathan; and five grandchildren.

3,000 Californian Churches Vowed to Reopen on Pentecost Sunday Around the USA, a robust debate had emerged as to how much State entities can restrict certain freedoms, particularly religious worship by deeming it “nonessential” in order to prevent further spread of a disease and stem a public health crisis. Increasing numbers of Californian churches announced plans to restart worship services on 31 May 2020, Pentecost Sunday, regardless of what the Governor of the State said. Church United, a network of approximately 3,000 churches representing 2.5 million members in California, announced its intentions to reopen before the State set in motion the third phase of its reopening plan, which would permit modified reopening of houses of worship. “Our fear is simply this,” Governor Gavin Newsom said. “Congregations of people from far and wide coming together in a closed space at a large scale remains a point of concern and anxiety for us. We are working on guidelines for physical distancing and working with faith leaders talking about unique conditions in their own facilities. Nothing is etched in stone.” Matt Brown, who pastors Sandals Church in Riverside, blasted the Governor’s decision to deem churches “nonessential”. “He didn't ask us. He overstepped and he's overreached,” Pastor Brown said. “And he needs to step back and he needs to declare that the church is an

essential part of what we do as Americans, as what we do as Californians.” Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills explained in a phone interview with The Christian Post that it is the pastor’s burden to minister to the people, particularly those in his congregation, and to continue to proclaim the gospel. “When we look around at this crisis, the issue of not exactly meeting the criteria of what is defined as a church – meaning our getting together, our fellowship with one another – the mandate given to us from Scripture to pray for one another even to the point where we are to lay hands on the sick and pray for them.

USA Cancelled Funding to World Health Organisation On 29 May 2020, President Donald Trump announced that the USA will cut ties with the World Health Organisation (WHO), which has been under heavy criticism for the way it handled the coronavirus as well as for it being strongly influenced by China. “China has total control over the World Health Organisation despite only paying $40 million per year compared to what the United States has been paying, which is approximately $450 million a year,” President Trump said. He declared that the WHO “failed to make the requested greatly needed reform” and the USA “will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organisation and redirecting those funds to other worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs.” He also challenged China for the way it handled the problem with the coronavirus. “The world needs answers from China on the virus. We must have transparency. Why is it that China shut off infected people from Wuhan to all other parts of China?” he asked. “It didn’t go to Beijing,” the President added, “it went nowhere else, but they allowed them to freely travel throughout the world, including Europe and the United States.” On 14 April, President Trump had written to WHO advising that he had temporarily halted funding for the WHO as from that date. This temporary suspension of the more than $400 million which the United States sends the United Nations entity every year was related to a review of its “role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus”. The President also intimated that he might very well withdraw altogether the USA’s membership from the WHO. He wrote to WHO General-Director Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that if the WHO “does not commit to major substantive improvements within the next thirty days, I will make my temporary freeze of United States funding to the World Health Organisation permanent and reconsider our membership in the organisation.” “The World Health Organisation has repeatedly made claims about the coronavirus that were either grossly inaccurate or misleading,” the President stated. He accused the WHO of not passing on important medical findings that would have helped to constrain the spread of the virus early on. “Throughout this crisis,” he added, “the World Health Organisation has been curiously insistent on praising China for its alleged ‘transparency.’” Many conservatives have welcomed President Trump’s criticism of the WHO. The organisation has a well-known anti-life and anti-family agenda. It heavily promotes abortion and contraception throughout the world. During the corona crisis, the WHO declared abortion to be “essential”. Steve Mosher, the head of the Population Research Institute and a China expert, has long pointed to the close connection between the WHO and Communist China which constantly violates human rights and is following a very strict population control. He recently pointed out that Dr Ghebreyesus and his senior adviser, Dr Bruce Aylward, have been “carrying water” for the Chinese regime, from backing claims that the virus didn’t originate in China to praising the regime’s handling of the outbreak.

Christian Charity Distributed 10,000,000 Meals During Pandemic The US Christian charity, Convoy of Hope, distributed more than 10,000,000 meals to hundreds of hard-hit communities across the USA, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The organisation’s fleet of semi-trailers has been crisscrossing the United States for several weeks, delivering emergency supplies and food. “At our distribution sites, the line of cars is often stretching two miles,” said Hal Donaldson,

president of Convoy of Hope. “Lots of people have lost their jobs, and children don’t have access to school lunch programs. We’re hearing heart-wrenching stories and seeing lots of desperate faces.” Convoy of Hope is a faith-based organisation with a driving passion to feed the world. They have a long history as an early responder in times of natural disasters. According to Mr Donaldson, the generosity of corporations, churches, and individuals has enabled many families to receive much-needed assistance. “This is a united act of compassion. Groups and businesses are more concerned about helping people than they are receiving credit. We’re seeing compassion in action on a large scale,” he said.

Billy Graham Rapid Response Team Sent Chaplains to Minneapolis The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (RRT) sent trained chaplains to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to support the community experiencing a time of crisis surrounding the death of George Floyd. “Our chaplains have specialised training and experience, and are coming from across the United States to share God’s hope in Minneapolis, which was home to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for fifty years,” said International Director of the RRT Jack Munday. “We are praying for the entire community and – along with supporting those who are hurting – our chaplains will encourage local churches and pastors to be involved and provide prayer support.” Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, posted about the recent events on his Facebook page, saying, “This makes me sick to my stomach. What took place Monday on a Minneapolis street, by the Minneapolis Police Department should deeply concern each and every American. It’s inexcusable. To watch a police officer kill an unarmed black man – with no concern on his face, his hand in his pocket, indifferent to the bystanders begging for something to be done to help the man – is so disturbing. He and the other officers on the scene refused to listen and refused to respond. I hope they have deep regret and remorse for their actions. Police are not the judge and jury. These officers will have to stand before God and the authorities on this earth for what they have done. Thankfully, this is not the story of every police department. Most men and women who work in law enforcement are tremendous servants who put their lives on the line every day to protect their communities. We need to pray that God will give them wisdom and grace to face the storms that they encounter. I hope every police department will learn from this and make the changes needed to never let something like this happen again. Pray for George Floyd’s family, loved ones, and friends, that God will put His loving arms around them and comfort them during this tragedy.” A total of twelve crisis-trained chaplains went to Minneapolis to assist in the pastoral care of the community during this difficult time.

George Floyd Left a Christian Legacy in Houston in Texas As a person of peace, “Big Floyd” opened up ministry opportunities in the Third Ward housing projects in Houston in Texas. The rest of the world knows George Floyd from several minutes of mobile phone footage captured during his final minutes of life. But in Houston’s Third Ward, they knew Floyd for how he lived for decades – a mentor to a generation of young men and a “person of peace” ushering ministries into the area. Before moving to Minneapolis for a job opportunity through a Christian work program, the 46-year-old spent almost his entire life in the historically black Third Ward, where he was called “Big Floyd” and regarded as an “OG”, a de-facto community leader and elder statesmen. Mr Floyd spoke of breaking the cycle of violence he saw among young people and used his influence to bring outside ministries to the area to do discipleship and outreach, particularly in the Cuney Homes housing project, locally known as “the Bricks”. “George Floyd was a person of peace sent from the Lord that helped the gospel go forward in a place that I never lived in,” said Patrick P T Ngwolo, Pastor of Resurrection Houston, which

held services in the Cuney Homes neighbourhood. “The platform for us to reach that neighbourhood and the hundreds of people we reached through that time and up to now was built on the backs of people like Floyd,” he told Christianity Today. The church expanded its involvement in the area, holding Bible studies and helping out with groceries and rides to doctor’s appointments. Mr Floyd didn’t just provide access and protection; he lent a helping hand as the church put on services, three-on-three basketball tournaments, barbecues, and community baptisms. “His faith was a heart for the Third Ward that was radically changed by the gospel, and his mission was empowering other believers to be able to come in and push that gospel forth,” said Nijalon Dunn, who was baptised at Cuney. “There are things that Floyd did for us that we’ll never know until the other side of eternity. There were times where we’d have Church at the Bricks until 3pm, and by 4:30pm, they’re firing shots right at the basketball courts.” Tributes and prayers of lament from fellow Christians rolled in over social media as the news of Mr Floyd’s death spread. On Twitter, Davis described Floyd as “the definition of ‘Be the change you want to see’” and shared a video tribute that has been viewed 1,100,000 times. Christians around the world were urged to pray for the Minneapolis police officers involved, for peace to return to cities where there was rioting, for those who will feel his passing the most (especially those in Houston’s Third Ward), and for those deliberately using this incident to incite violence for their own political and ideological evil intentions, that they would come to repentance and know the peace and love of Christ.

Percentage of Religious “Nones” in the USA May Be Declining The percentage of religiously unaffiliated Americans, or “nones” as they are called, has been growing for some time. But new data suggests it might finally be levelling off, or even declining. Paul Djupe and Ryan Burge, co-authors of the Religion in Public blog, have analysed data seemingly showing that the growth of “nones” (combining atheists, agnostics, and those “nothing in particular”) could actually be “slowing or possibly even slightly reversing itself”. Overall, from 1994 until now, the percentage of religious “nones” in the USA has risen from 5% to around 30%. Broken down by generation, that percentage has steadily accelerated. That trend, though, seems to be changing. Mr Djupe and Mr Burge acknowledge their Gen Z sample size is small and the respondents are young (“only a few have graduated from college at this point and may be gaining distance from their parents and religious institutions”). Nevertheless, the shift is striking. In addition to data from the General Society Survey, the Cooperative Congressional Election Study is showing similar results. The latter study revealed that, in 2018, 42.8% of millennials identified as “nones” while 42.9% of Gen Z’ers identified the same way. There is little data to explain why this potential shift is taking place. But Mr Djupe and Mr Burge plan to continue investigating the change. This will definitely be a trend worth tracking.

Prayer Points

George Floyd was not perfect – he had a criminal past, and may have slipped back into some of his ‘bad old ways’ when he moved to Minneapolis. But he had also expressed faith in Jesus and had been involved in caring ministry in Jesus’ name. Pray for God’s comfort for his family, and pray that all those who knew him as a Christian would remember that he had served the Lord. Pray that those who would use his death for divisive political purposes would not be successful in politicising his tragic death.

Pray that the true purposes of the Black Lives Matter movement will come to light and that people will realise that BLM’s neo-Marxist agenda is ultimately not helpful for African-American people.

Thank God that the numbers of religious “nones” in the USA may have peaked and be in decline. Pray that the difficult times being faced by Americans will cause many of them to seek out a genuine faith relationship with the Lord.

Thank God for the life and ministry of Ravi Zacharias, whose books and television programs have been such powerful witnesses to the truth of the Christian faith.

Keep praying for God’s hand on the outworking of the democratic process in the USA as the Democratic Party proceeds to endorse former Vice-President Joe Biden as their presidential candidate to stand against President Donald Trump in November’s election. Sadly, Mr Biden is on record as a supporter of abortion-on-demand and government funding for abortion services. And he is also facing an accusation of sexual assault against a woman who was in his staff when he was a Senator in the early 1990s.

Pray again that China will backdown on its plans to further restrict political and religious freedoms in Hong Kong, in a clear rejection of the treaty agreement that was accepted when the United Kingdom returned Hong Kong to Chinese rule. Pray too that the Chinese communist government will back away from its rhetoric about “aggressively seizing” Taiwan, for such an action would result in a major war in the western Pacific.

Pray too for an easing of tensions between China and India, along the disputed border territory high in the Himalayan Mountains. Scores of soldiers have been killed on both sides, and this has the potential to escalate into something very serious.

Keep praying for those who are suffering the loss of income because of the shutdown of much of everyday life in our country. Pray that this ‘hit’ to our country’s economic wellbeing will cause many people to seek spiritual answers to life’s issues.

There has been an upsurge in the number of COVID-19 cases in Victoria. Pray that the Victorian health authorities will be able to quickly confine the spread of the virus.

Thank God that Baptist World Aid Australia is in receipt of a ten-to-one matching grant from Australia Aid for donations made before 30 June. Pray that a large amount will come in from Baptist Christians across the country, so as to maximise the total of funds that will be supplied by the Federal Government.

Pray that the Carinity Chaplains Appeal 2020 will raise a good amount of money to allow for the continuance and the expansion of chaplaincy work in hospitals and prisons across our State.

Continue to pray for Trish Wherritt’s son and daughter-in-law (Rohan and Lisa) as they face the difficult time of Lisa undergoing chemotherapy over the next six months to treat her grade 3 breast cancer. Pray that this physically and emotionally difficult time will cause them to call out to the Lord for His healing mercies and spiritual renewal. Pray too that Trish will have opportunities to support them and witness to them of the love and grace of God.

Ask for God’s healing touch on Deb Pearson, especially praying that the pain that she still experiences from her broken knee will ease. Pray too for Deb as she considers whether to move into a smaller home and sell her current home.

Uphold Elizabeth Fitz-Alan in prayer as she comes to terms with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and embarks on a course of treatment to manage her condition. Pray that Elizabeth will know the Lord’s peace and comfort during this time of adjustment, and that the medications will be effective in holding the progression of the disease at bay.