Author: Dean Smith

Blurred image of teenagers at high school

The Holy Spirit moved after one teenager bravely took a stand for God in high school

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AG News reports on the powerful testimony of how a young American teen had a profound impact at his high school in Gresham, Oregon. After years of application, in 2023 the high school finally allowed a Christian youth group, Youth Alive, to be formed at the school. Even with its acceptance, members of the original 18 who started the group faced pressure, with one girl being told to kill herself because of her Christian faith. One of the members of this Youth Alive group happened to be the quarterback on the school’s football team. David believed that God wanted him to kneel before the start of each football game and pray. “Many coaches were upset, saying that what David was doing was offensive,” Samara Smyer reports in her article for AG News. But despite this pressure, David bravely stood his ground and kneeled and prayed before each game. Over the next few games, other players started joining David. By the last game of the season, every one of the team’s 50 players was participating in …

Temple of Apollo at Delphi

El descubrimiento arqueológico más importante relacionado con el Apóstol Pablo

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El descubrimiento arqueológico más importante relacionado con el apóstol Pablo es el conocido incidente que tuvo lugar en Hechos 18:6-16 mientras el apóstol se encontraba en Corinto. Las cosas se caldearon después de que el apóstol convenciera a Crispo, el líder de una sinagoga local, y a su familia, de creer que Jesús era el Mesías judío. Durante ese período, Dios realmente se le apareció a Pablo en una visión nocturna, diciéndole que no tuviera miedo y que se quedara en la ciudad predicando el Evangelio. Finalmente, varios judíos prominentes en la ciudad se unieron en un “ataque unido” y llevaron al apóstol Pablo ante el procónsul de Acaya, un hombre llamado Galio. El procónsul era el título utilizado para el gobernador de un área o el alcalde de una ciudad. Acusaron a Pablo de hacer que los judíos “adoraran a Dios de manera contraria a la ley”. Lucas cita a Galio, quien inmediatamente reconoció que este no era un asunto legal, sino teológico. “Si ustedes, judíos, estuvieran presentando una queja sobre algún delito menor …

Nicolas Cage at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con

Nicolas Cage to star in a horror movie about the Jesus’ childhood

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Popular Hollywood actor, Nicolas Cage, will be starring in what is being described as a horror movie about the early childhood of Jesus, Church Leaders reports. The movie, called The Carpenter’s Son, will be based on the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, a second-century pseudo-gospel purported to be about Christ’s childhood. The apocryphal book is not part of the Biblical canon. It is believed that Cage, 60, will play the role of Joseph in the movie. According to Deadline, Jesus, who is referred to only as the Boy, and his family, are living in Egypt after fleeing Herod. “[Jesus] is driven to doubt by another mysterious child and rebels against his guardian, the Carpenter, revealing inherent powers and a fate beyond his comprehension,” the movie’s synopsis explains. “As he exercises his own power, the Boy and his family become the target of horrors, natural and divine.” The movie will start filming this summer.

Group of performers from Eurovision 2024

Critics allege Eurovision performance includes satanic rituals and demonic possession reenactments

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Eurovision is not a singing contest per se, but rather a popular musical contest, where European countries compete for the best new original song, which is chosen through an international voting system involving the participating nations. The voters include both viewers and a set of jurors, from each country. Most countries go through a similar contest to arrive at their song selection for the international event. It seems this year’s contest, which required police protection for Israel’s performer after numerous death threats, also featured what some have described as a satanic performance. It involved a song performed for Ireland’s submission by Bambie Ray Robinson, who, according to The Evening Standard, self-describes as a ‘goblin witch‘ and sings ‘Ouija pop.’ “The artist [Bambie Robinson] does actually practice witchcraft, which they say is inspired by Ireland’s pagan roots, and was further developed after they came across a Muswell Hill witch community when they moved to London,” The Standard reported. In her article for the Western Journal, Allison Anton provided more details on what took place during the …

Jesus healing woman with an issue of blood by Paolo Veronese

What are the gifts (plural) of healing?

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In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul lists the various spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit hands out to Christians, and he specifically states that each believer has received at least one of these gifts. This includes the gift of prophecy, the gift of tongues, the interpretation of tongues, the working of miracles, the gift of faith, the word of knowledge, the word of wisdom, and the discerning of spirits. However, Paul does something odd in 1 Corinthians 12:9, when he says this also includes ‘gifts of healing’. Notice how ‘gifts of healing’ is in the plural. Paul says that there are multiple ‘gifts’ of healing. It suggests that people may be given several gifts of healing, but also implies that a believer may have one particular gift of healing and another Christian will have a different kind of gift of healing. So, what exactly is the Apostle referring to when he says there are many ‘gifts’ of healing? Some suggest this refers to the varying methods of healing we see in the Bible. For …

Our most popular YouTube video: Why Sir Isaac Newton predicted that Jesus would not return before 2060 AD

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This is our most-watched video on Opentheword’s YouTube channel. It was one of our first videos, and despite the video’s poor production quality, people still watched it. I realize that 38,000 views are minuscule compared to other popular videos on YouTube, but for our channel, it is big. Most people don’t realize that Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727), who was a renowned mathematician, physicist, and astronomer, also studied the Bible and particularly end-times theology. Anyway, the video is about why Sir Isaac Newton predicted that Jesus would not return before 2060 AD.

El verso extraño en Hebreos que parece honrar el fracaso

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Cuando las personas reciben una palabra profética de Dios o sienten que son llamadas a hacer algo, la respuesta suele ser sentarse y esperar a que Dios lo haga. Sin embargo, hay un verso extraño en el libro de Hebreos que sugiere que esta puede no ser la respuesta correcta. Es extraño porque parece promover el fracaso humano de manera inusual. Parece implicar que nuestros esfuerzos, incluso cuando cometemos errores, son loables. En el capítulo 6 de Hebreos, el escritor habla de los grandes hombres y mujeres de fe en la Biblia y nos dice que necesitamos seguir su ejemplo. “Para que no seáis perezosos, sino imitadores de aquellos que por fe y paciencia heredan las promesas”, afirma el escritor (Hebreos 6:12, ESV). Dice que no debemos ser perezosos, que es como traduce la ESV la palabra griega “nōthros”. Otras versiones la traducen como negligentes o holgazanes. Así que el escritor de Hebreos dice que necesitamos imitar a aquellos hombres y mujeres de tiempos antiguos que recibieron promesas de Dios pero no fueron perezosos en …

Benny Hinn in 2019

Prosperity preacher, Benny Hinn, reveals his two biggest regrets

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Popular and equally controversial televangelist, Benny Hinn, revealed his two biggest ministry regrets in an interview with Stephen Strange, the Christian Post reports. The first regret that Hinn, 71, pointed to was his failure to address the inaccurate and false prophecies that were delivered during his meetings by himself and others. He specifically cited outside ministries that had uttered prophecies during his meetings, that “brought harm to not only people’s lives but also to my reputation.” He then cited some of his own failed prophecies and stated that no one is perfect. Hinn added, “sadly — and I wish I could go back and fix it — but sadly, there were some prophecies I gave that were not accurate or from the Lord.” His second-greatest regret was his emphasis or perhaps his overemphasis on the prosperity message because he still believes in certain aspects of what is referred to as the prosperity gospel. Hinn admitted that there were elements of this message that he labeled as ‘gimmikry’ and because of the pressure to raise money, …

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX

Can the Southern Baptist church’s declining membership be due to its resistance to the Holy Spirit?

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The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) finally has some good news, the number of people being water baptized in the famed denomination has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, ChurchLeaders.com reports. Last year, over 226,000 people were water baptized, an increase of 26% over the previous year. This is a reason to celebrate in a denomination that includes water baptism as part of its name. However, there was also some bad news. For the 17th year in a row, the denomination’s membership declined, sinking below the 13 million mark for the first time since the 70s. Though membership shrunk by 1.8% in 2023, a loss of about a quarter of a million, it was less than in previous years, so there was a hint of good news in the midst of the bad. A strange thing started happening in 2006, for the first time in its storied history that traces back to the 1800s, the SBC’s membership started declining. From its peak of 16.3 million members, it has declined every year since. Now, we could blame the …

Painting of Jesus feeding the multitude by Lambert Lombard

Cómo un milagro de lo insignificante se convirtió en poderoso

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Se trata de una historia bíblica que ha sido leída por literalmente cientos de millones de personas en todo el mundo. Pero muchos pasan por alto el punto principal, cómo Dios convirtió lo insignificante en una poderosa muestra de poder y provisión. Estoy hablando de la milagrosa alimentación de los cinco mil registrada en (Marcos 6:35-44). Jesús había estado enseñando la mayor parte del día, y ya era tarde en la noche y los discípulos se preguntaban qué hacer con la multitud que se había reunido. Cuando los discípulos sugirieron que deberían terminar la reunión y dejar que buscaran comida, Jesús dijo: “Dadles vosotros de comer”. Después de preguntarse si debían comprar la comida, Jesús les preguntó qué provisiones tenían entre ellos. Después de revisar, los discípulos lograron encontrar cinco panes y dos peces. Esa pequeña provisión se multiplicó para alimentar a miles. En su artículo para Evangelical Focus, Antonio Cruz explica cómo Jesús usó lo insignificante para realizar un milagro que sería leído por millones. “Los cinco panes mencionados eran de cebada, según la …

How a supernatural vision led to one of the largest water baptisms in America’s history

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Jesus told His disciples, “My sheep hear my voice” and I believe the Lord speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. We see an example of this in Acts 8, when Philip encountered the Ethiopian Eunuch. We are told that God spoke to Philip in two ways. First, we are told that an Angel of the Lord appeared to Philip telling him, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza” (verse 26). Some suggest the angel may have spoken to Philip through a vision or a dream. Then as Philip walked down this road, we read that Jesus communicated with Philip again when he encountered a chariot, but in a different way. “Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and join this chariot,’” Luke writes in verse 29. We are not told specifically how the Holy Spirit spoke to Philip, but it does not appear to be through a prophetic word or word of knowledge given by another individual. The Holy Spirit communicated this message directly to Philip, who …

Pastor Glen Germany facing alleged assailant during Sunday morning service, May 5, 2024

Pastor miraculously saved as gun misfires during Sunday service

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A miracle unfolded during a church service in Pennsylvania this past Sunday (May 5, 2024), the Daily Mail reports. Pastor Glenn Germany was preaching at the Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church, in North Braddock, PA, when a young man allegedly stood up, walked down the aisle with a gun, pointed it directly at Germany, and pulled the trigger. Everything was caught on camera as the service was being live-streamed. Miraculously, the gun misfired. Clarence McCallister, one of the church’s deacons, immediately leaped out of his pew, and tackled the alleged shooter, Bernard Polite, before he could fire again. Both Germany and McCallister were able to detain the young man who seemed to be struggling with mental health issues until the police arrived. Pastor Germany added that Polite actually apologized for what happened and allegedly told the pastor ‘Look, spirits was in my mind. They got in my mind and they told me come in and shoot the pastor.’ Germany added that he has already forgiven the alleged shooter, but added that the most difficult part was …

Jaffa Gate, Old Jerusalem, Israel

Archaeology confirms the Bible’s description of Jerusalem during King David’s and Solomon’s reigns

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Over the years, liberals have tried to downplay both King David and King Solomon’s roles in the Bible by suggesting they were little more than tribal warlords and that Jerusalem itself was basically an insignificant hamlet. They believe the Bible exaggerated both the size and significance of Jerusalem and as well the importance of King David and King Solomon in Israel’s history. However, that theory took a heavy body blow, after a recent study of a section of the ancient wall that surrounds Old Jerusalem revealed that it is much older than originally thought, the Daily Mail reports. It was originally believed that King Hezekiah (715 BC to 686 BC) built this section of the wall to increase Jerusalem’s defenses, when “He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him,” (2 Kings 18:7 ESV). It was initially believed that this expansion was not only due to an impending threat of invasion but also to the rapid growth of the city from Jews fleeing the invading Assyrian army. However, a study of the …

Ex-Latin Kings gang member now preaches the Gospel

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Fox News had an interesting story about how a former member of the Latin Kings Nation is now preaching the gospel and serving God. Having just served a lengthy prison term, Andy “Rebirth” Pellerano became a Christian after surviving a near fatal drug overdose. Today, he is not only preaching the Gospel, but also sings and in 2018 won Nola Gospel Rap Artist of the Year. In an interview on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Pellerano explained how his gang life started. “I was around 14, 15 years old and I let five grown men jump me so I could be their friend, as I like to put it,” Pellerano said. “So what would I have to do to keep that friendship? And it led to a first-degree attempted murder, three counts of aggravated assault, one count of aggravated criminal damage. It was gang-related. I was 16, I made 17. I was charged as an adult.” But a close call with a drug overdose resulted in him starting to go to church, and ultimately transformed his life. …

Painting of the approach of the Simoom, by David Roberts and Louis Haghe (1846-1849).

¿Mató un “simún” a 185,000 soldados asirios en 2 Reyes?

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La Biblia nos dice que cuando murió el rey de Asiria, Sargón, su hijo Senaquerib ascendió al trono. El rey Ezequías de Judá aprovechó este cambio en el gobierno para liberarse del control de Asiria, y “se rebeló contra el rey de Asiria y no lo sirvió” (2 Reyes 18:7). En este punto, Senaquerib sitió a Judá y a Jerusalén para someter nuevamente al país bajo su dominio. Sin embargo, Isaías profetizó “He aquí, pondré un espíritu (hebreo rûach) en él [Senaquerib], y oirá un rumor y volverá a su tierra; y haré que caiga por la espada en su tierra” (2 Reyes 19:7 RVR1960). Luego leemos varias versículos más adelante, después de rodear a Jerusalén, que Senaquerib se vio obligado a retirarse después de que el Ángel del Señor matara a decenas de miles de sus hombres (2 Reyes 19:35). Sabemos, tanto por la profecía bíblica como por la arqueología, que poco después de su regreso a Asiria, Senaquerib fue asesinado por sus hijos. Sin embargo, cuando examinamos la profecía de Isaías en la …

University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

The Holy Spirit is continuing to move on Gen Z at the University of Tennessee

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Despite the negative reports of the rampant violence and antisemitism occurring in American universities, we have another report on how the Holy Spirit is moving on university campuses. This involves a recent outpouring at the University of Tennessee on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, CBN reports. Over 8,000 students gathered at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN, which saw hundreds of students respond, and 150 get water baptized. This was the last event of the year for the semester, and it was obvious many students were impacted. “We have been waiting for a move like this all school year,” a student told FOX & Friends. “At the finale of the event we were singing ‘Speak the Name of Jesus’ and students just rushed to the front. I brought my buddy and it brought us to our knees. There are just no words for the experience.” “Just seeing the presence of the Lord fill the room and how people from all different backgrounds came together for one reason and to worship Jesus is just so awesome,” another female …

Painting of the approach of the Simoom, by David Roberts and Louis Haghe (1846-1849).

Did a ‘simoom’ kill 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in 2 Kings?

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The Bible tells us that when Assyria’s King Sargon died, his son Sennacherib came to the throne. King Hezekiah of Judah took advantage of this change in government to break free from Assyria’s control, and “He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him” (2 Kings 18:7). At this point, Sennacherib besieged Judah and Jerusalem, to bring the country back under his thumb. However, Isaiah prophesied “Behold, I will put a spirit (Hebrew rûach) in him [Sennacherib], so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land” (2 Kings 19:7 ESV). Then we read several verses later, after surrounding Jerusalem, that Sennacherib was forced to withdraw after the Angel of the Lord killed tens of thousands of his men (2 Kings 19:35). We know from both the Biblical prophecy and archaeology, that shortly after his return to Assyria, Sennacherib was assassinated by his sons. However, when we look at Isaiah’s prophecy in the ESV, we see no hint …

Candace Cameron Bure in March 2018

Actress Candace Bure talks about how the Holy Spirit is invading Hollywood

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In an interview with CBN, Christian actress Candace Bure stated that she has seen a growing interest in Christianity in Hollywood recently. In particular, the former Fuller House star talked about actress Danica McKellar’s decision to become a Christian due in part to Bure’s influence. Danica starred in the popular TV series, Wonder Years. “It’s pretty incredible from the people that I’ve walked hand-in-hand with and encouraged along the way,” Bure said. “And just to have a small part of knowing that I planted a seed, or maybe spoke a word that encouraged them along to become a believer — or strengthen their faith in Christ.” Bure also talked about her recent involvement in Christian movies, which she had purposefully avoided because of their poor quality. But that changed recently. “Within the last, I would say, five years, the quality is incredible,” Bure told CBN. “It’s like people of faith are coming out of the woodwork.” This led to Bure’s decision to serve as both the executive producer and act in the Christian movie Unsung …

Inside Iran's Parliament

Is a demonic angel, the Prince of Persia, influencing the government of Iran?

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As we watch events unfolding in the Middle East, it is clear that Iran is a major instigator of the problems involving attacks on Israel. Iran is believed to be providing both financial and armament support to several terrorist groups in the region, including Hamas (Gaza), Hezbollah (Lebanon), and Houthis rebels (Yemen). Even other Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia, which was actually attacked by the Iranian-backed Houthis in 2019, are concerned about Iran’s growing influence in the Middle East. As I have mentioned in an earlier article, before 1935, Iran was commonly referred to by its ancient name Persia. In a recent Christian Post article, Jason Jimenez wonders if the issues we are seeing in Iran today are being instigated by powerful demonic forces that are influencing the country’s political leaders, whom even the Iranian people despise. Jimenez asks if the Bible’s description of a powerful fallen angel, who influenced Persia in its ancient past, is exerting itself once again? In Daniel 10, the prophet Daniel, who was living in Persia (verse one), …

Tucker Carlson speaking at the 2023 Turning Point Action Conference, West Palm Beach, Florida

Tucker Carlson suggests UFOs are actually manifestations of spiritual beings in an interview with Joe Rogan

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In a recent interview with Podcaster Joe Rogan, former Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson revealed his opinion on the appearance of UFOs and in some instances even aliens, the Christian Post reports. While some believe the Earth is actually being visited by aliens from other planets, others believe that many of the UFOs are actually evidence of advanced technology created by governments. However, the first thing that Tucker points to is that in the Bible’s Book of Ezekiel, the prophet saw similar types of unidentified flying objects. Obviously, these flying objects were not created by some top-secret government agency, 2,500 years ago. Instead, Ezekiel identified these beings as angelic. “It’s not American technology or Russian or Chinese. It predates all of that,” Carlson noted. “I mean the prophet Ezekiel writes about it in the first chapter, wheels in the sky.” “These are spiritual phenomena. There’s no evidence they’re from another planet,” Carlson added. “They’ve been here for thousands of years, whatever ‘they’ are, and it’s pretty clear to me that they’re spiritual entities, whatever that …

Americans believe social media companies are too powerful, survey finds

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A recent poll conducted by Pew Research Center found that a vast majority of Americans believe that social media companies, such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, have too much power or influence in today’s society, The Blaze reports. The poll found that overall, 78% of Americans hold this opinion. The poll also found that it basically didn’t matter what side of the political spectrum you were on, people on the left and right basically agreed with this. When broken down by political affiliation, 84% of Republicans felt social media companies were too powerful. Though a slightly smaller percentage of Democrats held this opinion, 74% is still a significant majority.

Should we read any more into two odd coincidences, one that took place this year and the second 3,000 years ago?

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The four-horseman of the Apocalypse that the Apostle John saw being released on the world in his vision of the end times is perhaps one of his best-known apocalyptic references, other than the anti-Christ and the mark of the beast. With that in mind, many people in Britain, and around the world, were stunned to see video and images of a bloodied white horse and black horse charging through the streets of London, England on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The horses were part of a group of seven horses in training with a British army cavalry unit. The animals were startled by a work project going on nearby, and four horses bucked off their riders. Five horses managed to escape. Three were recaptured soon after, while the remaining two, a black and white horse, charged wildly down the streets of London for another six miles before finally being corralled. Both were immediately taken to a vet and the army is reporting that both horses are recovering. What made this imagery particularly bizarre was the videos …

Frogs in the kettle: Christians in America

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Jeff King, the president of International Christian Concern (ICC), warned that Christians in America are like frogs in a boiling pot of water and seem blissfully unaware of their slowly changing environment. “Too many people are not aware politically, and they’re so used to thinking of how things were that they can’t figure out where these bubbles are coming from, not realizing they’re being cooked,” King said in a recent interview with the Christian Post. The ICC president noted that this growing persecution and censorship of Christians is on display in a recent court case involving a Texas teacher, Staci Barber. Barber, along with two other teachers, were allegedly reprimanded by their school principal for participating in a “See You At the Pole,” an international prayer event where students, teachers, and parents gather at the flagpoles of schools around the world to pray. These events typically take place before the start of the school day. The principal allegedly told the teachers that the Katy Independent School District, located near Houston, does not allow teachers to …

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, Rome.

Catholic organization immediately defrocks AI priest after complaints

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Catholic Answers, a San Diego-based lay Catholic organization, had set up an Artificial Intelligence (AI) animated priest, complete with a white collar, priestly vestments, and a beard, who would answer questions about the Catholic faith, the Western Journal reports. The AI called Father Justin was named after Justin Martyr, who was beheaded for his faith by the Romans around 165 AD. The goal was to have the AI priest serve as a search engine of sorts. “Although this is not a substitute for human interaction with a priest, teacher, or spiritual advisor, we believe it can be a valuable tool to help our users better understand and articulate the teachings of the Catholic Church,” Catholic Answers stated in its news release. However, after receiving numerous complaints that Father Justin’s cartoonish look demeaned both real priests and their calling, the Catholic organization was forced to almost immediately defrock him.

Christian teachers fled California to start anti-woke online K-12 school in Florida

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A Christian couple, Joshua and Kali Fontanilla, quit their teaching jobs in California in 2021 and moved to Florida to start what they describe as an anti-woke, school, the Daily Mail reports. They wanted to counter the politicization taking place in schools across America. Their online school called, the Exodus Institute, teaches traditional American values to those from kindergarten to grade 12. When they started in 2022, they only had one student. Today, the school, with its motto ‘Exist Public Education,’ has over 200 students enrolled in its K-12 program. “It’s gotten to the point in public schools where you can’t just mind your own business and keep your politics to yourself because they push it on everyone that you have to participate in liberal politics,” Joshua told the Daily Mail. In explaining their decision to start the school, Kali said that a lot changed from when she first started teaching over 20 years ago. “There are a lot of things teachers didn’t have to face at that time.” Kali, 41, said. “There wasn’t pressure …

Russell Brand in September 2020

Russel Brand announced plans to be baptized on Sunday, April 28, 2024

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Russel Brand, a controversial British comedian, actor, and podcaster, just announced on April 26, that he will be getting baptized this Sunday (April 28, 2024), Fox News reports. Over the past several months, Brand has been expressing an increased interest in the Christian faith. This included videos stating that he has started reading the Bible and notable Christian author, CS Lewis. In one video, he also explained his decision to wear a Christian cross and even discussed the possibility of getting water baptized. “What’s been explained to me is, it’s an opportunity to die and be reborn. An opportunity to leave the past behind and be reborn in Christ’s name,” Brand said in his most recent video. “Like it says in Galatians: that you can live as an enlightened and awakened person,” Brand added. He also said that as the world seems to be getting crazier, he has noticed a growing interest in the Christian faith. “People are so cynical about the increasing interest in Christianity and the return to God, but to me, it’s …