Feel Good News

Poll Shows More People Are Trusting Doctors Over Pastors

In a year when faith is needed more than ever, a new study has found that Americans’ trust of pastors has reached a near all-time low point in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, while medical professionals are deemed more trustworthy. The study also found that women were more likely to rate pastors as ethical than men. The recent Gallup results marked the second time Gallup surveyed Americans on their trust of different occupations, in which less than 2 to 5 gave clergy high ratings. Read more about these startling results here.

Museum Of The Bible Returns Artifacts

The Museum of the Bible in Washington, has returned 5,000 manuscripts and bits of papyrus to Egypt, which has long asserted the items were stolen from the country in 2011 amid the upheavals of the Arab Spring. The museum says its mission is to keep the Bible relevant to the modern age. Its collection of bibles dating to the 10th century has been applauded by scholars. Read more about the return here.

Black History Month Begins Today

February marks the start of Black History Month, a federally recognized celebration of the contributions African Americans have made to this country and a time to reflect on the continued struggle for racial justice. Black History Month originally started as National Negro History Week back in 1926. It was founded by Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland. It fell on the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Read more about this national holiday here.

Chick-fil-A Employee Gives Away Car

Chick-fil-a prides itself on serving people with honor dignity and respect and a 17-year-old Wisconsin employee did just that when she gave the car she won to a fellow coworker and friend. Haley Bridges won a chick-fil-a Christmas raffle and decided to give the car she won to her best friend Hokule’a Taniguchi, who didn’t own a car. and had been traveling to and from work on a bike. Read more about her generous gift here.

Immigrant Woman Living In Church To Return Home

When President Trump launched efforts to find and to deport undocumented immigrants, more than 40 people fled to churches for sanctuary. But now following President Biden’s 100-day hold on certain deportations, many are now hoping for a reprieve. Francesca Lino, an illegal alien who lived above a Chicago church for more than three years to avoid being deported, returned to her family’s Chicago home last weekend due to the hold. Read more about Lino and others who sought sanctuary here.

Biden Overturns Pro-life Rule Allowing U.S. Funding For Abortions In Other Countries

In a sad decision that is bound to thrill Satan, President Biden is preparing to reverse a Trump administration policy that prohibits U.S. funding for nongovernmental groups that provide or refer patients for abortions.  The Mexico City Policy previously banned U.S. funds from going to for abortion and prohibited such organizations from lobbying for more liberal abortion policies in other countries. Read more about this heartbreaking policy reversal here.

Professor Suspended From Facebook For Disagreeing With Biden Policy

In yet another example of the censoring of conservative voices, Facebook suspended a Christian university professor after he voiced his disagreement over President Biden’s executive order. This order would permit trans-identifying individuals to serve in the military. Gagnon’s post suggested that the order would endanger women, and that those who promote transgenderism may be allowing males to invade women’s athletics and shelters. Facebook labeled the post an “incitement” to violence. Read more about the suspension

Officers Chop Wood For Elderly Woman Burning Furniture For Heat

When Canadian officers responded to a residence in a small community near the U.S. border to assist paramedics on a medical call, they found a heartbreaking scene. An elderly woman was in the process of breaking up household furniture to burn in the home’s wood stove for heat. The officer immediately rounded up the troops, who travelled into the backcountry to chop wood, which they sorted, split, delivered and stacked. Read more about this act of kindness here.

California Church Hit With Covid-19 Fine

A California church has been hit with a million dollar fine for holding in person worship services. Calvary Chapel San Jose held an indoor Christmas Eve service despite Santa Clara County’s public health order against such gatherings. The northern California church had already racked up fines for previous violations of state health orders. Mike McClure, the church’s pastor, said of the church’s violation of local health restrictions: “We have to obey God’s Word. And we need to gather together.” Read more about these outrageous fines here.

Chinese Officials Fear growing Rise of Christianity

No matter their efforts to persecute Christians for their faith, Chinese leaders find that the people are receiving Jesus Christ as their savior in growing numbers. Boyd-MacMillan, director of Strategic Research at Christian charity Open Doors is quoted as saying, “We think the evidence as to why the Chinese Church is so targeted, is that the leaders are scared of the size of the Church and the growth of the Church, and fear they’ll have to share power”. Read more about the growth of Christianity in China here. 

WW1 Hand Grenade Found In Jerusalem

Archaeologists working in Jerusalem to clear an area ahead of an upgrade of a park dug up a hand grenade, left behind by the British Army. The grenade was identified as a Mills 23 that was used by the British army in the First World War. The British Army conquered Jerusalem from the Ottoman Empire in 1917. Authorities believe that the grenade was found in the past and was thrown into a cistern to bury it and remove the danger from the area. Read more about this discovery here. 

Appalachia-Based Company Builds Indoor Farm In Coal Country

In a way to bring new jobs to a region that has struggled as the coal industry collapsed, start up company, AppHarvest, has built a 2.76-million-square-foot facility, designed to grow as many as 45 million pounds of tomatoes in a year. A method which uses far less land than traditional farms, and far less water, as it grows the food hydroponically, without soil. The Kentucky-based company known for its focus on restoring economically-suffering communities in former coal country. Read more about this new and exciting venture here.

Tennessee Governor Lifts Some Restrictions On Houses Of Worship

For many, one the hardest parts of the epidemic has been the closing of their local house of worship. But now, Christians in Tennessee are getting some new hope. Tennessee Governor, Bill Lee, has issued a new executive order Tuesday lifting some gathering restrictions put in place at the end of 2020. Although the governor warns that church services, weddings and funerals are encouraged to occur virtually, he has lifted the previous 10 person limit on social gatherings in indoor spaces. Read more about the new orders here.

Black Churches Stepping Up To Help In Covid-19 Vaccine Distribution

Although covid-19 vaccines have been developed, the government has been struggling to get the vaccines in the arms of Americans across the country. Now black churches in Florida have stepped up to aid the community. Pastor, R. B. Holmes Jr., along with other black worship leaders, have organized the Statewide Coronavirus Vaccination Community Education and Engagement Task Force. The group is partnering with hospitals and the state to better distribute vaccines as they become available through local churches to the people who are most at risk. Read more about their efforts here.

Christian Leaders Call For Lift Of Sanctions Against Syria

Church leaders in the Middle East, have written a letter to the new US President Joe Biden urging him to end restrictions in the war torn area of Syria. The middle east worship leaders called on President Biden to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the country, which is threatening the whole region and the world with a new wave of instability. Nearly 400,000 Syrians have died and over 11 million have been displaced since the uprising against Syrian President Assad began in 2011. Read more of these religious leaders pleas here.

Chinese Gold Miners Rescued

 Twenty two people have been trapped underground in the city of Qixia, Shandong Province, since an explosion blocked their exit on January 10. But now, eleven of those miners have been rescued, Chinese state media reported. The fate of 10 others who were underground at the time is unknown. Explosions and deaths are not uncommon in Chinese mines. but Increased supervision has improved safety in China’s mining industry, which used to average 5,000 deaths per year. Read more about the rescue here.

Double Suicide Bombing In Iraq

The Islamic State (IS) group has said it was behind a double suicide bombing in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Thursday that killed at least 32 people and wounded more than 100. “It’s because of the elections. They are fighting for positions,” said Hussein Nahi, a porter at the scene who was wheeling goods in a wooden cart when the first bomber detonated his explosives. “This is because of disputes by the politicians, because always when elections are close, we pay the price.” Read more about this tragic taking of innocent lives here.

Immigration Ministries Praise Executive Order

Newly elected President Joe Biden spent his first hours as president signing many executive orders. Two of which were repealing former President Trump’s restrictions on travel from several Muslim countries, and stopping construction of the Southern border wall.  Evangelical advocates for immigrants and refugees were encouraged by President Biden’s decision, seeing it as  a positive step forward. Read more about these executive orders here.

Evangelist Stephen Lungu Passes Away

Many people around the world are mourning the death of a popular and much loved international evangelist. Steven Lungu, a leading African evangelist and former international team leader and CEO of African Enterprise, passed away in Lilongwe, Malawi today from Covid-19 complications. Lungu, whose powerful testimony of how God transformed him from a bitter freedom fighter to a global evangelist, has touched multitudes of people around the world. Read more about this man of God and his powerful testimony here.

Popular Christian Singer Relying On Jesus

Grammy award winning Christian artist, Zach Williams, has released his newest song entitled, ‘Less Like me”.  In the song Williams asks to be more like Jesus with a little more mercy and a little more grace towards others. “What does being more like Jesus mean to me? A couple things that come to mind, especially in this season, would be patience and peace,” Williams is quoted as saying. See the video for this uplifting song here.

Thousands Pray In Virtual Western Wall Visits

Thousands of people visit Jerusalem’s western wall to pray. But in a year of Covid-19, those visits have been shut down. But in a virtual prayer rally, 30,000 Coronavirus patients have been added to prayer petitions. Many of the names come from online petitions given to The Western Wall Heritage Foundation, which runs the wall. The prayer requests are printed daily and placed before the wall. Read how you too can send your prayer petitions here.

President Elect Joe Biden To Be Sworn In

Today is inauguration day. That means after much division and controversy, Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. Biden, who has been in office more than 40 years, will take office with Kamala Harris, the first female elected to her position, serving as his vice president. With tensions high and the country divided, it promise to be a ceremony of historic portions. Read more about today’s planned events here.

Chinese Officials Raid Christian Home School

In Chengdu, China where children of Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC) were being homeschooled, Chinese officials conducted a raid on the home where the studies were being taught. Education bureau administrators, national security officials, police officers, and urban management agents surrounded the home early that morning, then searched the place while children were playing together. Read more about this crackdown on Christianity here. 

Tim Tebow writes Children’s book

Pro athlete, Tim Tebow has written a new children’s book entitled, Bronc and Friends: A Party To Remember. The picture book, features the names of children Tebow met through his foundation, and follows the adventures of a sight challenged dog. The book means much to Tebow who included children whom have since gone to heaven. “Even though they’re not with us, I was still able to honor them and their memory and how much they meant to me,” Tebow was quoted as saying. Read more about this inspirational athlete’s book here.

Astronaut Quotes Psalm 30

Psalm 30 is a song written for the dedication of David’s palace and a Psalm of hope. So when NASA astronaut, Victor Glover, saw the sun rising above the earth’s horizon, the Psalm popped into his  mind. Aboard the international space station, Glover sees many beautiful sights and posts many pictures on social media. Of the sunrise he said, “Took these photos today, I love sunrises and sunsets,” Glover wrote on Instagram and Twitter, “Can you see the bands of color? They remind me of the scripture in Psalm 30. See his breathtaking photos from space here. 

Houston Megachurch Pastor Sentenced To Prison

Houston megachurch pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell has been sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and defrauding investors. Caldwell was the pastor of the Windsor Village United Methodist Church and was a spiritual adviser to presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush.  The pastor was convicted of selling nearly $3.5 million in worthless pre-revolutionary Chinese bonds to the elderly and other vulnerable investors. Read more about his conviction here.

Jerusalem Gives Approval For New U.S. Embassy Location

Coming off the backs of successful accomplishments with the Abraham Accords, Jerusalem has now approved the new location for the U.S. Embassy. The site, on Hebron Road, is on an invisible line that separates East and West Jerusalem. In 2018 President Trump moved the embassy to Jerusalem and declared declared Jerusalem Israel’s Capital. New President elect Joe Biden, says that he will not move the embassy back to Tel Aviv. Read more about the new proposed embassy here. 

Johnson & Johnson Develops New One Shot Vaccine

Yet another corona vaccine has hit the market. Johnson & Johnson has developed a new Covid- 19 vaccine that is safe and appears to generate a promising immune response in both young and elderly volunteers, according to trial data published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. This vaccine not only means one shot and you’re done, it also doesn’t have to be kept as cold as other vaccines making it more convenient and easier to transport.  Read more about this encouraging vaccine here. 

North Carolina School Board Considering Displaying The ten Commandments

In a time when society wants to do away with all things God, North Carolina school board is considering the bold move of displaying the Ten Commandments. The Cleveland County school board approved making a draft of a policy that would mandate the Biblical principles be put on display at entrances to 30 buildings across the district. However, Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin-based legal group that advocates for a strict separation of church and state, has threatened legal action against the school district. Read more about the school’s intentions here.

Born Alive Abortion Bill Heading To Kentucky Governor’s Desk

Pro-life supports are feeling joyous as lawmakers in Kentucky on Monday sent a pro-life bill to Governor Andy Beshear’s desk. Senate Bill 9, known as the “Born Alive” bill, would make it illegal for medical professionals to deny medical care to babies born alive during abortions.  “A physician performing an abortion shall take all medically appropriate and reasonable steps to preserve the life and health of a born-alive infant,” the bill reads. Read more about this pro-life bill here.

Doctor gives Father Covid-19 Shot After Spending Months Apart

One of the hardest things about the covid pandemic has been the separation from loved ones and friends. After a ten month long separation from her father, Dr. Anne Hampton jumped at the chance to came to Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, a long term care facility where her father stays, to vaccinate patients. The meeting was an emotional one as Hampton is quoted as saying, “It was really lovely just to hold his hand.” Read more about this touching reunion here.

Congress Set To Vote On Impeachment

In a show meant for retribution and political payback, rather than uniting the country, congress is voting on impeaching President Donald Trump for the second time in 13 months. The impeachment resolution on the House floor Wednesday includes one article, citing “incitement of insurrection,” and will be debated on the House floor. According to the planned schedule, the House is expected to approve the resolution in the afternoon. Read more about the impeachment proceedings here.

Pro-Life Activist Called Domestic Terrorist

When “Live Action” founder Lila Rose tweeted that “Abortion is violence”, Leah Torres, an abortionist whose medical license was suspended by the state of Alabama, started a heated debate when she responded to the tweet. Torres called Rose a terrorist saying, “This is violent rhetoric. It is objectively false and meant to incite others to commit crimes against clinics, patients, and health care providers. This is what domestic terrorism looks like.” Read more about the debate and rhetoric here.

The 50 Most Dangerous Countries To Be A Christian

The World Watch List is an annual report on the global persecution of Christians, ranking the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted for their faith. Released at the beginning of each year, the list uses data from field workers and external experts to quantify and analyze persecution worldwide. North Korea and Afghanistan are listed as the top two countries for religious persecution. Read more about the findings here.

Seattle Home Bakers Keeping Food Banks Stocked With Bread

“Community Loaves”, a network of over 500 volunteer bakers, are doing their part to feed the needy. Katherine Kehrli, who runs the company says twice a month, participants whip up batches of the group’s signature honey oat bread to donate to local food banks. The project has “restored my faith in the collective good that we can actually do,” said Kehrli,  “And it restores my faith that we can be more self-determined even in the face of the pandemic.” Read more about these amazing volunteers here. 

Conservative Social Media Site Parler Shut Down

After being removed by from the Google Play Store, and Apple App store, the social media platform. Parler, has been shut down.  After threatening to do so, Amazon cut Parler off from its Web-hosting service, forcing it to find a new host or shut down. “We are clearly being singled out,” said Chief Policy Officer Amy Peikoff. The same standards aren’t being applied to other big tech companies. Read more about this attempt to silence conservatives voices here.

Chinese Uighurs Forced Into Factory Labor

China is well known for its religious persecution. Just ask the Uighurs. Thousands of Muslims from China’s Uighur minority group, have been removed from internment camps and forced into factory labor. According to a report from The Australian Strategic Policy Institute, the factories claim to be part of the supply chain for 83 well-known global brands, including Nike, Apple and Dell. Read more about these vulgar actions by the Chinese government here.

Newly Elected Senator, Raphael Warnock Will Continue Pastor Work

Georgia’s newest senator Reverend Raphael Warnock will continue to be both a pastor and a congressman. “It’s unusual for a pastor to get involved in something as messy as politics, but I see this as a continuation of a life of service: first as an agitator, then an advocate, and hopefully next as a legislator,” Warnick said.  “I say I’m stepping up to my next calling to serve, not stepping down from the pulpit.” Read more about his senate win and future plans here.

British Plumber Hailed for Acts of Kindness

James Anderson, a plumber from the UK, is being called a hero. Anderson, who works on a volunteer basis and takes no wages for himself, owns a non-for-profit plumbing company that he started two years ago called DEPHER, which stands for Disabled & Elderly Plumbing and Heating Emergency Repair. He wants to help alleviate the costs of plumbing for elderly and others in need, and his company has helped more than 10,000 families. Read more about this good Samaritan here.