Evidence now suggests that the 1993 study by geneticist Dean Hamer on a possible “gay gene” is not valid. Hamer, formerly of the U.S. National Cancer Institute, and his colleagues published a paper that suggested the X chromosome called Xq28 might contain a “gay gene.” Other studies since 1993 have suggested similar ideas. But none of the previous studies were as massive as the study published last year in the journal Science.

With so much media emphasis on the Covid-19 pandemic these days, many of us may not be aware of another issue pertaining to the “four horsemen of the Apocalypse” (Revelation 6) rearing their ugly heads in the news. I’m talking about famine. The third horseman mentioned in Revelation 6:5-6 is the black horse representing famine. Earlier this year swarms of desert locusts began spreading in countries from East Africa to South Asia. The locusts have been destroying crops and pastures at a terrible pace. I don’t believe Covid-19 and the locusts in Africa are the riders of Revelation 6, but we need to be mindful of how these scourges are impacting the world. The future tribulation will have similar scourges with much greater intensity.

With any major upheaval in society, dramatic changes occur. After 9/11 and the anthrax letters in 2001, the Patriot Act was created and has led to some changes to our freedoms. Surveillance of citizens increased in alarming ways. The 9/11 incident also led the United States into war in Iraq and Afghanistan. After major wars (WWI and WWII) the aftermath can lead to major transformation. The negotiations for peace after WWI helped lead to conditions that led to WWII. The end of WWII helped set the world up for the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union. As we start to come out of the Covid-19 pandemic, what might change?

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wash over the world, there are some important lessons we must learn. One big lesson is that life can change quickly and dramatically. For many of us this would pertain to our economic situation. Many people who had a decent job are suddenly out of work. In some parts of the country, if this virus does not relent soon, we could have a national jobless figure of at least 20 percent. That would approach the jobless rate during the great depression. Hopefully, we will get back to normal soon. There is good news coming from China, where people are going back to work at the epicenter of the virus outbreak. For others, our retirement accounts may have taken a big hit. Hopefully, over time, we can recover that money.

A lot has occurred since we first wrote about this subject about six weeks ago. Worldwide there are more than 136,390 confirmed cases with 5,065 deaths. China’s number of infections is down dramatically due to their Draconian measures in locking down large segments of their country. The interesting thing to watch in China now is what will happen when they decide to send everyone back to work. South Korea reported only 131 new cases on March 10 compared to its peak of 909 cases on February 29. The South Koreans were able to achieve this through widespread testing, rapid tracing, and isolating the infected people

Proverbs 13:24 states: “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” The point of the scripture is that there are times when corporal punishment can be utilized by parents in disciplining their children. But other scriptures should make it obvious we are not talking about abusing a child or physically hurting a child (Ephesians 6:4; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 13). The Bible also talks about instructing and reproving more than using a rod (2 Timothy 1:7; Proverbs 13:1). So if we must use corporal punishment it should be a last resort. I say all this at the outset due to the world’s view of corporal punishment.

I recently read a book titled Empty the Pews, which contains twenty-one essays by people who left hardline, authoritarian Christian groups. As the numbers for Church of God and other Christian groups continue to decline, I think it is important to see if we can find anything in these stories that may help us keep our young people. According to one estimate, 40 percent of people under 30 in the United States are religiously unaffiliated.

On December 31, 2019, a virus that has thus far killed 200 and sickened 8,000 was detected and linked to a dirty food market in Wuhan, China. The Chinese government has quarantined 50 million people, and many more will die before this outbreak subsides. The market is known for selling all kinds of biblically unclean animals for food consumption. These animals include wolf pups, civet cats, snakes, marmots, frogs, and hedgehogs. The Chinese believe the most likely source of the latest outbreak came from animals in this market. All of these animals are not permitted to be eaten by God (Leviticus 11).