Friend,
Welcome to the Friday Five! Every Friday we share our top articles,
stories, and quotes for you to read and share with your friends and
church families.
Nonprofits like ours are expected to
experience significant impacts to our fundraising efforts. If you
support our work, would
you consider making a needed $100, $50, $25, $10, or even $5 donation
to ensure we have the resources necessary to remain financially
healthy during these difficult times?
1. NC VALUES: Christians
arrested for praying in public outside abortion clinic in
Greensboro
Earlier this week, the Greensboro police arrested Christians for
peacefully and legally praying and exercising their religious rights
on the sidewalks outside an abortion clinic. This was actually the
second time in the past couple of days they were arrested for
praying...
As our country comes together to battle the threat
of COVID-19 (coronavirus), Americans are heroically rising to the
challenge of social distancing and helping the vulnerable.
However, there is one clear outlier—the abortion
industry. It is irresponsible and dangerous for abortionists to
put patients at risk of contracting the virus and to consume masks,
gloves and other personal protective equipment in short
supply. Would you consider taking a minute today to join over
5,000+ of your neighbors who have signed our
click-to-contact letter to Governor Cooper and Secretary of NCDHHS
Secretary Dr. Mandy K. Cohen, and ask them to close abortion clinics
and redirect PPE and other medical equipment to our state's needed
coronavirus response? Click to contact Governor Cooper: https://www.ncvalues.org/close_abortion_clinics
2. PJ MEDIA: Christian Round-Ups
Continue: 7 Arrested for Praying Near Greensboro Abortion Clinic
During Stay-at Home Order
"On Sunday, we reported that four men were arrested outside a
Greensboro, N.C., abortion clinic, where they were conducting a prayer
walk. Despite the fact that a pro-life group, Love Life, had canceled
its group meeting and everyone was following the rules for social
distancing, the Greensboro Police Department arrested them and charged
them with violating Guilford County's stay-at-home
order. Apparently not happy with violating the First Amendment
rights of four prayer warriors, the Greensboro Police Department
arrested seven more people on Monday after they were caught praying in
public in front of a facility that makes its money by slaughtering
innocent children." Furthermore, " Alliance
Defending Freedom sent a letter Thursday to the city of Greensboro
on behalf of pro-life advocates whom police arrested for engaging in
peaceful prayer outside an abortion facility. As the letter explains,
the arrests should not have occurred because the pro-life volunteers,
who are members of the Christian ministry Love Life, were in
compliance with a Guilford County emergency proclamation related to
the coronavirus crisis."
3.
CHRISTIAN HEADLINES: Idaho's Governor Signs Abortion Ban, Fairness for
Women in Sports Act
"In addition to SB 1385, on Monday, Governor Little signed into law
the “Fairness for Women in Sports Act (HB 500),” which prohibits
biological males from taking part in all-female athletic competitions
and thus gaining an unfair advantage over the field.
'Girls deserve to compete on a level playing field. Allowing males
to compete in girls’ sports destroys fair competition and women’s
athletic opportunities,” said Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Vice
President of U.S. Legal Division, Kristen Waggoner. “We commend Gov.
Little for signing the Fairness for Women in Sports Act into law so
that those opportunities will be protected in Idaho. When the law
ignores biological differences, women and girls bear the brunt of the
harm.'"
NC needs to pass these same laws. A law that
will override the NCHSEE’s new policy last year that allows boys to
compete on girls’ sports teams so that women’s sports are protected.
And a law that will outlaw abortion once Roe v. Wade is overturned by
the Supreme Court.
4. NC CIVITAS: Liberal group
suggests Gov. Cooper replace Folwell as Treasurer
"In an article published on April 1, NC Policy Watch’s Rob
Schofield makes a series of concerning arguments about the North
Carolina State Treasurer’s office.
The current State Treasurer,
Dale Folwell (a Republican), has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and has
self-quarantined. However, in that context, Schofield quickly jumps to
the conclusion that Treasurer Folwell may be completely incapacitated
and unable to perform his constitutional duties. He then leaps from
that conclusion to a discussion about a plan of succession for the
office of Treasurer and who can administer the powers of that office.
Schofield writes, 'Folwell doesn’t appear to be empowered under state
law to simply designate such a person. That power resides with the
governor.'
Remember, the office of State Treasurer is a duly
elected official, not appointed by the governor. Schofield launches
into nothing less than a partisan power grab with his
arguments."
We wish Treasurer Folwell a speedy recovery
and renounce this disgusting power grab by liberal groups in our
State. At a time like this, we need unity and charity, not political
maneuvering.
5. WRAL: Coronavirus coverage in North
Carolina
Here are the latest updates on the impact of the coronavirus
outbreak in North Carolina and across the globe:
- What you need to know:
- At least 869 people in North Carolina in 61 counties have tested
positive for the coronavirus. Four North Carolina residents have
died.
- Gov. Roy Cooper issued a statewide stay-at-home order that takes
effect at 5 p.m. March 30. Any local orders with tighter restrictions
take precedence over the state order.
- Businesses that remain open under the statewide order are
encouraged to take the temperatures of all employees and customers
before allowing them inside and to exercise "social distancing."
- President Donald Trump has signed a $2.2 trillion relief package
into law that will send payments to most Americans, expand
unemployment benefits and help small businesses.
- All schools statewide are closed through May 15. Online learning
and teaching is in place.
- The State Department has warned all U.S. citizens not to travel
internationally.
- The Tokyo Olympics have been postponed one year, to summer
2021.
- A toll-free Hope Line has been established for older adults
experiencing isolation from social distancing. Call
1-866-578-4673 or
1-866-578-HOPE.
ONGOING PRAYER: CORONAVIRUS
LORD, we pray to you regarding the health pandemic facing our
nation and the world. Christ—you are the Great Physician—and we bring
to you a solemn petition in regards to our physical, social, and
economic health.
Protect our bodies and our nation as we combat the coronavirus.
We pray that our leaders in office will be blessed with wisdom to make
decisions in the interest of public health and saving lives. We pray
in particular for the elderly, who are most at risk to experience
complications when infected. We pray for all the medical
professionals on the front-lines of battling this virus.
LORD, protect all of us from infection, and may you work
through your Church in the midst of this crisis to help bring people
to acknowledge you are sovereign and good. We pray deeply that people
will come to salvation, and that our neighbors will spend their time
wisely with their families praising God for our blessings.
We pray that this virus will quickly die out, that our public
efforts—as communities and neighbors—will slow the virus' spread and
impact. LORD, we ask for you to work through those individuals
currently developing a cure, and plead that it may come soon. We also
pray for all those who will be impacted by the economic fallout of the
measures taken to combat the viruses. Be with individuals nearing
retirement who will have their savings ravaged; be with small business
owners and employees—particularly those in recreation, dining,
part-time employment, and vacation industries—who may face bankruptcy
and financial stress related to economic decline; be with our nation
as a whole, as it sets itself on the difficult path of recovering
physically and economically from this virus.
LORD, we acknowledge you are good, and that your provision for
your children is unquestionable. May your inspired words remind us in
this time of panic and anxiety:
"Be not anxious
for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for
your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food,
and the body than the raiment? Behold the birds of the heaven, that
they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your
heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value than they?
And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure
of his life? And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the
lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they
spin: yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one of these. But if God doth so clothe the grass of the
field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he
not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Be not therefore
anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or,
Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the
Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of
all these things. But seek ye first his kingdom, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not
therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for
itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Matthew
6:25-34)
Amen
Will
you chip in $100, $50, $25, $10, or even $5 to help the NC Values
Coalition continue to fight for your rights? You can donate by
clicking here.
Sincerely,
North Carolina Values Coalition
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