Friday Church News Notes
May 2, 2025 - Volume 26, Issue 18
The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, though this does not imply an endorsement.
A white rose lays on the tomb of Pope Francis in Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, in Rome, Italy, on April 27, 2025
POPE FRANCIS BURIED IN SHRINE TO ROMAN CATHOLIC IDOLATRY (Friday Church News Notes, May 2, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Pope Francis is one of the few popes to be buried outside of St. Peter’s Cathedral. As noted in last week’s Friday Church News Notes (“Pope Francis’ Death and the One World Church”), Francis desired to be buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore), which is devoted to the “veneration” of Mary as Mother of God, Immaculate (sinless), Ever Virgin, Queen of peace. Rome’s latest and most official statement of Mary is as follows: “The Immaculate Virgin preserved free from all stain of original sin, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, when her earthly life was over, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things...” (Vatican Council II, “Dogmatic Constitution on the Church,” chap. 8, I, 52, 53; II, 59). For a short, effectual video on these things, we recommend the following:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIUgT_vL8vw
EVANGELICALS HAVE ONLY PRAISE FOR POPE FRANCIS, NO WARNINGS, NO EARNEST CONTENTION FOR THE FAITH (Friday Church News Notes, May 2, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - In a survey of evangelical news sites, I could find only praise for the late Pope Francis, who sat on the seat of apostasy and preached a false gospel to multitudes. I could find no biblical warnings, no earnest contention for the faith once delivered to the saints. This is evidence of the rapid formation of a one-world “church” created by the rejection of biblical separation and the resultant blending and merging of evangelicals with Catholicism and ultimately every other ism. Christianity Today, which was founded by Billy Graham in 1956, published eulogies entitled “Pope Francis, Friend to Evangelicals” and “An Evangelical Considers Pope Francis.” There was no clear warning about the Pope’s great heresies, beginning with the mythology of the papacy itself and the false gospel of salvation by sacraments and works.
ABORTION PILL FOUND TO HAVE SEVERE ADVERSE EFFECTS FOR 1 IN 10 WOMEN (Friday Church News Notes, May 2, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Mifepristone is FDA approved to kill a helpless little baby up to 10 weeks after pregnancy. At that time, the baby’s first tooth buds are developing under the gums, the stomach is producing digestive juices, the kidneys are functioning, bones and cartilage are forming, knees and ankles are taking shape and “tiny elbows are already working” (“10 Weeks Pregnancy,” Whattoexpect.com). The following is from “Abortion Pill,” Fox News, Apr. 28, 2025: “A new study has exposed ‘serious adverse events’ linked to mifepristone, also known as the ‘abortion pill.’ Mifepristone is a ‘pregnancy blocker’ that is used in combination with another medication, misoprostol, to terminate pregnancies, according to Mayo Clinic. Research by the Ethics & Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. [EPPC], has revealed that the rate of serious side effects is 22 times higher than what is indicated on the FDA-approved drug label. After going through an abortion assisted by mifepristone, nearly 11% of women--more than one in 10--reported experiencing ‘infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious or life-threatening adverse event,’ according to the study summary. The study used insurance claims data that includes more than 865,000 medication abortions prescribed between 2017 and 2023, resulting in what is described as the largest-ever dataset on chemical abortion. ... The study authors--Jamie Bryan Hall, EPPC’s director of data analysis, and Ryan T. Anderson, EPPC’s president --called the results a ‘truly shocking and sad reality.’ ... Based on the study, the researchers are calling on the FDA to reinstate the original safety protections that they required when they approved mifepristone, stating that ‘women deserve the truth.’ Christina Francis, M.D., CEO of the American Association of Pro Life OBGYNs, who is based in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, was not involved in the research but commented on the significance of the outcome. ‘The findings of this study, which analyzes nearly 900,000 drug-induced abortions, align with what I have seen in my two decades of practice as an OB-GYN, during which I have cared for many women who have been lied to about the safety of abortion drugs and suffered significant complications from them,’ she told Fox News Digital.”
TRUMP’S TASK FORCE TO ERADICATE ANTI-CHRISTIAN BIAS (Friday Church News Notes, May 2, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from Standing for Freedom, Apr. 24, 2025: “On April 22, Attorney General Pam Bondi convened the inaugural meeting of the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias, a bold step toward restoring the religious liberty that has been under siege for far too long in our once-Christian nation. Established by President Donald Trump in February through Executive Order 14202, titled ‘Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias,’ this task force signals a seismic shift in how our government will treat Christians. Christians are, without question, the most persecuted religious group in America. During 12 of the last 16 years under the anti-Christian Obama and Biden regimes (with a four-year reprieve during Trump’s first term), Christians were explicitly and relentlessly targeted by the life-crushing power of the government. If it wasn’t the feds, it was hostile blue states like Colorado, Virginia, New York, and others that did the devil’s dirty work. And if it wasn’t the feds or the states, it was universities, corporations, and the media. So for conservative Christians and First Amendment fans everywhere, this isn’t just a policy win being put into action--it’s an answer to prayer. God is closing the mouths of the lions and opening the door out of the den (at least for the next four years). ... The previous administration weaponized federal agencies like the Department of Justice, FBI, and IRS against believers, while turning a blind eye to vandalism and violence against churches and pro-life centers. The task force, Bondi vowed, would ensure that ‘abuse would not continue and that American tax dollars were not used to support the weaponization of our legal system to target Christians.’ From what I can tell, this task force is no abstract bureaucratic exercise nor is it simply a talking point offered to satisfy Trump’s evangelical voting base. The meeting featured gut-wrenching testimonies from Christians persecuted under Biden’s watch. ... Dr. Scott Hicks of Liberty University detailed how Christian institutions like his and Grand Canyon University were intentionally targeted and slapped with punitive fines for their biblical worldview. These are not isolated incidents but part of a deliberate campaign to marginalize Christians, a campaign that Bondi’s task force is now poised to dismantle. Again, the past two decades have felt like a slow-motion crucifixion of our values. ... Obama’s DOJ also argued against religious liberty in landmark cases, such as Obergefell v. Hodges, prioritizing secular ideology and the radical LGBT agenda over faith. Biden doubled down, with his DOJ prosecuting pro-life Christians under the FACE Act, resulting in multi-year prison sentences for peaceful protesters, including a Catholic priest and a 75-year-old grandmother. Meanwhile, over 400 attacks on churches since 2020 have gone largely unprosecuted. The secular culture, amplified by Hollywood, academia, and media, has mocked and vilified Christians, painting us as bigots for holding to biblical truths about marriage, life, and gender. This is the context in which Trump’s task force emerges, not as some act of favoritism towards Christians but as a necessary corrective to a government that has trampled on the First Amendment and, specifically, the religious liberty rights of Christians. This is a much-needed correction.”
ARCHEOLOGISTS DISCOVER EVIDENCE OF JOSIAH’S BATTLE OF MEGIDDO (Friday Church News Notes, May 2, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Archaeologists Discover,” Christianity Daily, Apr. 12, 2025: “Archaeologists have discovered new evidence that supports the biblical account of the Battle of Megiddo, which is detailed in both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Recent archaeological findings include pottery fragments in the area that suggest there was an Egyptian presence around the time of the battle, which occurred in 609 BC. Israel Finkelstein, an archaeologist at the University of Haifa and Tel Aviv University, and the lead author of the study describing the findings, stated that in addition to Egyptian pottery, remnants of Greek pottery were also discovered, likely due to the practice of hiring Greek mercenaries by the Egyptians during that period. The Battle of Megiddo is noted as the cause of death for King Josiah, who is recognized in the scriptures as a pious king and is also mentioned in the New Testament as an ancestor of Jesus.”
UNDERRATED SENSE (Friday Church News Notes, May 2, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from CreationMoments.com, April 10, 2025: “How does your nose work? Medical researchers admit that they don’t know. Your nose performs an extremely unlikely job. It senses invisible molecules in the air and turns each molecule into a unique sensation that is sent to the brain. If the fact that molecules floating in the air could be detected was a modern discovery, it would be hailed as the scientific discovery of the century! Medical researchers do know that the roof of your nose cavity contains about 10 million cells that are wired directly into the brain. The nervous system that connects your olfactory cells to your brain is so large and complex that its surface area is several times greater than the surface area of your body. Researchers also know that your sense of smell is important to your sense of taste. For example, that’s why, when you have a head cold, chocolate tastes like a flavorless waxy paste. In this case what you taste in your mouth has more to do with what is happening in your nose than on your tongue. Many creatures, including birds, can sense odors. Farmers who had difficulty with birds eating as much as 20% of the food set out in feed lots discovered that birds hate the smell of grapes. When they laced the feed with grape scent, the birds left it alone, but the cattle didn’t seem to mind. Researchers have also learned that each of us has a unique ‘odor print.’ This reminds us that each of us is a unique being, made by our Creator because He wanted to have a relationship with us. REF.: Dawson, Jim. ‘Nose is now,’ Minneapolis Star-Tribune.”
CONCLUSION: The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, but this obviously does not imply an endorsement. We trust that our readers will not be discouraged. It is God’s will that we know the times (1 Ch. 12:32; Mt. 16:3) and that we be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The News Notes remind us that the hour is very late, and we need to be ready for the Lord’s coming. Are you sure that you are born again? Are you living for Christ? “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Ro. 13:11-14).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIUgT_vL8vw
EVANGELICALS HAVE ONLY PRAISE FOR POPE FRANCIS, NO WARNINGS, NO EARNEST CONTENTION FOR THE FAITH (Friday Church News Notes, May 2, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - In a survey of evangelical news sites, I could find only praise for the late Pope Francis, who sat on the seat of apostasy and preached a false gospel to multitudes. I could find no biblical warnings, no earnest contention for the faith once delivered to the saints. This is evidence of the rapid formation of a one-world “church” created by the rejection of biblical separation and the resultant blending and merging of evangelicals with Catholicism and ultimately every other ism. Christianity Today, which was founded by Billy Graham in 1956, published eulogies entitled “Pope Francis, Friend to Evangelicals” and “An Evangelical Considers Pope Francis.” There was no clear warning about the Pope’s great heresies, beginning with the mythology of the papacy itself and the false gospel of salvation by sacraments and works.
ABORTION PILL FOUND TO HAVE SEVERE ADVERSE EFFECTS FOR 1 IN 10 WOMEN (Friday Church News Notes, May 2, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Mifepristone is FDA approved to kill a helpless little baby up to 10 weeks after pregnancy. At that time, the baby’s first tooth buds are developing under the gums, the stomach is producing digestive juices, the kidneys are functioning, bones and cartilage are forming, knees and ankles are taking shape and “tiny elbows are already working” (“10 Weeks Pregnancy,” Whattoexpect.com). The following is from “Abortion Pill,” Fox News, Apr. 28, 2025: “A new study has exposed ‘serious adverse events’ linked to mifepristone, also known as the ‘abortion pill.’ Mifepristone is a ‘pregnancy blocker’ that is used in combination with another medication, misoprostol, to terminate pregnancies, according to Mayo Clinic. Research by the Ethics & Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. [EPPC], has revealed that the rate of serious side effects is 22 times higher than what is indicated on the FDA-approved drug label. After going through an abortion assisted by mifepristone, nearly 11% of women--more than one in 10--reported experiencing ‘infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious or life-threatening adverse event,’ according to the study summary. The study used insurance claims data that includes more than 865,000 medication abortions prescribed between 2017 and 2023, resulting in what is described as the largest-ever dataset on chemical abortion. ... The study authors--Jamie Bryan Hall, EPPC’s director of data analysis, and Ryan T. Anderson, EPPC’s president --called the results a ‘truly shocking and sad reality.’ ... Based on the study, the researchers are calling on the FDA to reinstate the original safety protections that they required when they approved mifepristone, stating that ‘women deserve the truth.’ Christina Francis, M.D., CEO of the American Association of Pro Life OBGYNs, who is based in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, was not involved in the research but commented on the significance of the outcome. ‘The findings of this study, which analyzes nearly 900,000 drug-induced abortions, align with what I have seen in my two decades of practice as an OB-GYN, during which I have cared for many women who have been lied to about the safety of abortion drugs and suffered significant complications from them,’ she told Fox News Digital.”
TRUMP’S TASK FORCE TO ERADICATE ANTI-CHRISTIAN BIAS (Friday Church News Notes, May 2, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from Standing for Freedom, Apr. 24, 2025: “On April 22, Attorney General Pam Bondi convened the inaugural meeting of the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias, a bold step toward restoring the religious liberty that has been under siege for far too long in our once-Christian nation. Established by President Donald Trump in February through Executive Order 14202, titled ‘Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias,’ this task force signals a seismic shift in how our government will treat Christians. Christians are, without question, the most persecuted religious group in America. During 12 of the last 16 years under the anti-Christian Obama and Biden regimes (with a four-year reprieve during Trump’s first term), Christians were explicitly and relentlessly targeted by the life-crushing power of the government. If it wasn’t the feds, it was hostile blue states like Colorado, Virginia, New York, and others that did the devil’s dirty work. And if it wasn’t the feds or the states, it was universities, corporations, and the media. So for conservative Christians and First Amendment fans everywhere, this isn’t just a policy win being put into action--it’s an answer to prayer. God is closing the mouths of the lions and opening the door out of the den (at least for the next four years). ... The previous administration weaponized federal agencies like the Department of Justice, FBI, and IRS against believers, while turning a blind eye to vandalism and violence against churches and pro-life centers. The task force, Bondi vowed, would ensure that ‘abuse would not continue and that American tax dollars were not used to support the weaponization of our legal system to target Christians.’ From what I can tell, this task force is no abstract bureaucratic exercise nor is it simply a talking point offered to satisfy Trump’s evangelical voting base. The meeting featured gut-wrenching testimonies from Christians persecuted under Biden’s watch. ... Dr. Scott Hicks of Liberty University detailed how Christian institutions like his and Grand Canyon University were intentionally targeted and slapped with punitive fines for their biblical worldview. These are not isolated incidents but part of a deliberate campaign to marginalize Christians, a campaign that Bondi’s task force is now poised to dismantle. Again, the past two decades have felt like a slow-motion crucifixion of our values. ... Obama’s DOJ also argued against religious liberty in landmark cases, such as Obergefell v. Hodges, prioritizing secular ideology and the radical LGBT agenda over faith. Biden doubled down, with his DOJ prosecuting pro-life Christians under the FACE Act, resulting in multi-year prison sentences for peaceful protesters, including a Catholic priest and a 75-year-old grandmother. Meanwhile, over 400 attacks on churches since 2020 have gone largely unprosecuted. The secular culture, amplified by Hollywood, academia, and media, has mocked and vilified Christians, painting us as bigots for holding to biblical truths about marriage, life, and gender. This is the context in which Trump’s task force emerges, not as some act of favoritism towards Christians but as a necessary corrective to a government that has trampled on the First Amendment and, specifically, the religious liberty rights of Christians. This is a much-needed correction.”
ARCHEOLOGISTS DISCOVER EVIDENCE OF JOSIAH’S BATTLE OF MEGIDDO (Friday Church News Notes, May 2, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Archaeologists Discover,” Christianity Daily, Apr. 12, 2025: “Archaeologists have discovered new evidence that supports the biblical account of the Battle of Megiddo, which is detailed in both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Recent archaeological findings include pottery fragments in the area that suggest there was an Egyptian presence around the time of the battle, which occurred in 609 BC. Israel Finkelstein, an archaeologist at the University of Haifa and Tel Aviv University, and the lead author of the study describing the findings, stated that in addition to Egyptian pottery, remnants of Greek pottery were also discovered, likely due to the practice of hiring Greek mercenaries by the Egyptians during that period. The Battle of Megiddo is noted as the cause of death for King Josiah, who is recognized in the scriptures as a pious king and is also mentioned in the New Testament as an ancestor of Jesus.”
UNDERRATED SENSE (Friday Church News Notes, May 2, 2025, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is from CreationMoments.com, April 10, 2025: “How does your nose work? Medical researchers admit that they don’t know. Your nose performs an extremely unlikely job. It senses invisible molecules in the air and turns each molecule into a unique sensation that is sent to the brain. If the fact that molecules floating in the air could be detected was a modern discovery, it would be hailed as the scientific discovery of the century! Medical researchers do know that the roof of your nose cavity contains about 10 million cells that are wired directly into the brain. The nervous system that connects your olfactory cells to your brain is so large and complex that its surface area is several times greater than the surface area of your body. Researchers also know that your sense of smell is important to your sense of taste. For example, that’s why, when you have a head cold, chocolate tastes like a flavorless waxy paste. In this case what you taste in your mouth has more to do with what is happening in your nose than on your tongue. Many creatures, including birds, can sense odors. Farmers who had difficulty with birds eating as much as 20% of the food set out in feed lots discovered that birds hate the smell of grapes. When they laced the feed with grape scent, the birds left it alone, but the cattle didn’t seem to mind. Researchers have also learned that each of us has a unique ‘odor print.’ This reminds us that each of us is a unique being, made by our Creator because He wanted to have a relationship with us. REF.: Dawson, Jim. ‘Nose is now,’ Minneapolis Star-Tribune.”
CONCLUSION: The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, but this obviously does not imply an endorsement. We trust that our readers will not be discouraged. It is God’s will that we know the times (1 Ch. 12:32; Mt. 16:3) and that we be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The News Notes remind us that the hour is very late, and we need to be ready for the Lord’s coming. Are you sure that you are born again? Are you living for Christ? “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Ro. 13:11-14).
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Distributed by Way of Life Literature, publisher of Bible Study Materials and reports for Fundamental Baptists and other fundamentalist, Bible-believing Christians. Established in 1974, Way of Life Literature is a fundamental Baptist preaching and publishing ministry based in Bethel Baptist Church, London, Ontario, of which Wilbert Unger is the founding Pastor. Brother Cloud lives in South Asia where he has been a church planting missionary since 1979. OUR GOAL IN THIS PARTICULAR ASPECT OF OUR MINISTRY (REPORTS AND FRIDAY NEWS) IS NOT DEVOTIONAL, BUT TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ASSIST PREACHERS IN THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCHES IN THIS APOSTATE HOUR.
David Cloud, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org
The Way of Life Literature preaching and publishing ministry is based at Bethel Baptist Church, London, Ontario, of which Wilbert Unger is the founding Pastor. A mail stop is maintained in Port Huron, Michigan.
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