Pope Remains in Hospital in Critical Condition

 Doctors have given Pope Francis a "guarded" prognosis as he continues to be treated in a hospital for double pneumonia, the Christian Today website reports today (April 6, 2025). 

The pope spent a ninth night in Rome's Gemelli hospital after experiencing an "asthma--like respiratory crisis of prolonged intensity" on March 29.

Doctors treated the pope with high--flow oxygen and blood transfusions , and said he spent the rest of the day in his armchair,  as he remains "fatigued." 

"The condition of the Holy Father continues to be critical," says a  a statement from t he Holy See press office.

The statement continued, "Today's blood tests also revealed thrombocytopenia, associated with anemia, which required the administration of blood transfusions.

"The Holy Father remains alert and spent the day in an armchair, although he is more fatigued than yesterday. At the moment the prognosis remains guarded." 

One week ago ,doctors said they expected the pope to remain in the hospital all of t he coming week, and that although he is not "in danger of death, he is not completely out of danger yet. "

Who and "What" Is the Holy Spirit?

 The Holy Spirit is God and part of t he Trinity, the Crossmap website reports today (April 4, 2025). 

God is in three Persons. He is a blessed Trinity, and we worship Him as Father, as Son, and as Holy Spirit. All three Persons are God. They want to love and serve the Lord with all of their heart, soul, and might.

The Holy Spirit's main work is to manifest the active presence of God in the world, and especially in the church. 

In other words, He loves God's work in the world.

The Spirit is the One--in the Trinity -- who is most PRESENT  with us now. He is near. He is with us if we have trusted Jesus as Savior. 

The Holy Spirit purifies us and makes us more holy. 

The Holy Spirit unifies believers and churches. 

The Holy Spirit gives stronger or weaker evidence of God's presence and blessing as we respond to Him. 

Report: 10M Christians Face Deportation from U.S. under Trump Plan

 A new report by several Christian organizations warns that up to 10 million Christians could face deportation under proposed Trump administration policies -- raising concerns for families and churches across the U.S. -- the Christian Daily website reports today (April 2, 2025). 

"One Part of the Body: The Potential Impact of Deportations on   American Christian Families" is a  multi--agency report produced by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, the National Asssociation of Evangelicals, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Migration and Refugee Services, and World Relief.

The report highlights that the Bible teaches that there is one body of Christ, which is "not made up of one part but of many" (Corinthians 12--13--14)and if one part suffers, every part suffers with it;" if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it" (verse 26). 

The authors note that immigrants that are "integral parts" of American churches, whether they have permanent legal status or not, are vulnerable to deportation. This puts millions of Christians at risk under President Donald Trump's pledge to carry out the largest deportation in history.

Survey: Most U.S.Christians Don't Believe in the Trinity

An overwhelming majority of American Christians reject the basic  Christian teaching of the Trinity, prompting new concerns that Americans are living without the influence of "the truths and life principles of God," the Christian Post website reports today (March 31, 2025).

The Cultural Research Center of Arizona Christian University released the latest installment of its American Worldview Inventory series which documents Americans' views on the Trinity. The research is based on responses collected from 2,100 adult sin January.

Overall, ,just 40%of respondents believe that God exists and affects people's lives. That figure rises to 53% among self--identified Christians, 60% among theologically--identified born--again Christians, and 100% among Integrated Disciples. The latter term refers to those who have a biblical worldview, while a majority of those surveyed (59%) believe in the existence of Jesus Christ, a significantly smaller share of adults (29%) believe int he Holy Spirit.

Slightly more than 1 in 10 respondents  (11%) believe in the Trinity, that the God of the Bible is "three distinct but inseparable and equal persons in one infinite Being."The peronsin the Trinity are God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. 

"These results are further evidence of the limited or lack of trust Americans have in the Bible, the limitations we place in the authority and influence of God, and over refusal to cooperate with God by living in harmony with His ways and purposes," said theologian George Barna in response to the survey results.

Pope Has Worst Health Crisis Ever; Returns to Vatican after Five-Week Hospital Stay

Pope Francis was released from Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he has been battling double pneumonia for the past five weeks, returning to the Vatican on March 23, where he will continue his recovery, the USA Today website reports today (March 27, 2025). 

The pontiff left the hospital shortly after he made his first public appearance in weeks, waving to people and giving thumbs up from a balcony. 

Now, the attention in the Vatican is on how the 88--year--old pontiff will lead the Catholic Church following the worst health crises of his papacy. 

Francis' convalescence will take place in the Casa Santa Marta, designed as a guesthouse primarily for cardinals taking part in conclaves. It is this guesthouse that is the backdrop for much of "Conclave," the recent movie on the drama of a papal transition. 

On Sunday, March 23, Francis was discharged from the Gemelli Hospital and made his first public appearance since being admitted on Feb. 14. As he was wheeled out onto the hospital balcony, the pope looked happy to be heading home, giving a thumbs up to the crowd.  

Noticing God with Heart, Soul, Mind , and Strength

 Modern technology has become a "superpower," making the sensation of skill and semblance of progress almost effortless, the Crossmap website reports today (March 25, 2025). 

Personalized algorithms allow us to shed the seeming inconveniences of effort , connection, and patience that engage our human personhood.

Jay Yikim has welcomed Andy Crouch, renowned author, thought leader, and partner for theology and culture at Praxis. Crouch has written several influential books on faithful Christian living, including Culture Making. The Tech--Wise Family, Playing God, Strong and Weak, and most recently, The Life We're Looking For. 

In their conversation, Kim and Crouch explore the unique ways in which modern "personalized" technologies are malforming our loves, desires, and sense of personhood. 

They discuss the unprecedented  "superpower" that technology grants us to experience the illusion of power without the burden of effort. They draw a strong connection between our ever--shortening attention spans and our common struggle to experience God's presence meaningfully every day.Our growing absence of personal discipline, coupled with waning relational connection, is informing a covert belief that following Jesus should be easy and require little day--to--day effort. Informed by Scripture and Christian history, Kim and Crouch encourage us to embrace God's grace by committing to simple, time--tested spiritual practices that will open us up to the activity and presence of God over time. 

Lonely People Need to Find True Friendship in Christ

 A recent survey by Opinium of 10,000 UK adults revealed a sobering one in 10 people have no close friends, and three in 10 feel lonely almost all of the time, the Christian Today website reports today (March 23, 2025). 

God is love. When He created us, He imprinrted His image -- love -- within us. Just as a sunflower instinctively turns toward the sun, our souls naturally seek the source of life.

The problem? Instead of turning to God from whom we can receive true and complete love, we often seek fulfillment elsewhere. 

We chase counterfeit versions of love -- relationships based on convenience, status, beauty, or wealth. And when these superficial connections crumble, the emptiness creeps back in, and the cycle of loneliness starts again. 

You know who can relate to this universal human experience of loneliness? Jesus. 

Betrayed by Judas, abandoned by His closest disciples, and left to face unimaginable suffering,Jesus knows the pain of rejection and isolation. 

Despite knowing He would be abandoned, Jesus showed unwavering love to the disciples till the very end. He humbled Himself , washing His disciples' feet, serving them with patience and grace . He didn't walk away when things got hard. Instead, He laid down His life -- because that's what true love looks like.