OpentheWord.org | A bit of Bible, A bit of Life, A bit of Politics

Google rejects ads of Christian publisher

by Dean Smith

In a statement released on Facebook, Concordia Publishing House (CPH), operated by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) denomination, stated that Google had rejected one of its ads because CPH’s website had Biblical content and referred to Jesus. Formed in 1847, LCMS has two million members and is evangelical in doctrine as is its publishing arm. In an article on The Federalist, Bruce Kintz, the CEO of Concordia said that they were wanting to advertise their Vacation Bible School but were rejected by Good AdWords that places ads on participating websites. Kintz said Google rejected their ad “because of the faith we express on our website.” When Concordia asked for specifics, Google referred to the organization’s Vacation Bible School page stating the “Bible Challenge would clearly need to come down before they could consider us for ads.” The Bible Challenge page referenced several Biblical passages such as: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through...

Another unexpected Christian hero at the Waffle House shooting in Antioch, Tennessee?

Published by Dean Smith

Though he doesn’t consider himself particularly religious, James Shaw Jr., 29, comes from a Christian family who attends Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church in Antioch, Tennessee. Shortly after having...

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Main, News, Religious, Testimony

Part of the earthly treasure of King Bluetooth, the man who Christianized the vikings, discovered

Published by Dean Smith

A teenage boy, Luca Malashnitschenko, 13, and his teacher Rene Schon were out with metal detectors on Rügen Island. Located in the Baltic Sea, off the northern coast of...

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Main, News, Religious, Testimony

I saw God in Nairobi

Published by smcintos

Many years ago, when I was a careless young man, I traveled to Nairobi, in Kenya, East Africa. I had relatives who worked as missionaries in the tea country,...

Comments 2

Main, News, Religious, Testimony

Unwrapping guilt and shame

Published by Barb Smith

I remember feeling numb and barely able to move at times as I began to take responsibility for some of my harsh experiences in past years. Whoever else I...

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Emotional health, Main, Spiritual Life, Women

Born again with ‘Nerves of steel’, ‘hero’ pilot Tammie Jo Shults successfully landed stricken Southwest jet

Published by Dean Smith

Commercial pilot Tammie Jo Shults, 56, is credited with safely landing a Boeing 737 on Tuesday, April 17, after its engine exploded resulting in shrapnel shattering a window, de-pressurizing...

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Main, News, Testimonial, Testimony, Women

Israeli flag displayed on the Temple Mount for the first time in over 50 years

Published by Dean Smith

It hasn’t happened for over 50 years, but an Israeli flag was proudly displayed on the Temple Mount on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. The only significant difference is that...

Comments 2

Arts, Israel, Main, News, The Arts

‘The New Yorker’ magazine writes about Chick-fil-A’s ‘creepy pervasive Christian traditionalism’

Published by Dean Smith

According to Technomic, a restaurant consultancy firm, based on current growth, it expects the popular American restaurant, Chick-fil-A, to become the third largest fast food chain in the US,...

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Main, News, Testimony

Death on the Bus

Published by smcintos

Recently, a truck collided with a bus filled with passengers, mostly young hockey players, in Saskatchewan. The most recent count is 16 dead, and many crippled for life. I...

Comments 4

Main, Opinion

Has one of the Menendez brothers, convicted of the brutal murder of his parents, found God?

Published by Dean Smith

The Menendez brothers, Lyle, 50 (born January 10, 1968) and Erik, 47 (born November 27, 1970), were sentenced to consecutive, double-life sentences for the brutal murder of their parents,...

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Main, News, Testimony

Where was God? The Humboldt Bronco tragedy

Published by Barb Smith

They did not know they were going to be the latest news and that it would send waves of shock and sorrow across the nation. The Humboldt Broncos, a...

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Main, News, Religious, Spiritual Life, Testimonial, Testimony, Women

Has this punctured a hole in your faith?

Published by Dean Smith

When we study the New Testament, one of the major themes is faith. But equally as prominent is the concept of unbelief that is a major hindrance to miracles....

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Bible, Main, Teaching, z16, z18

The Addiction Epidemic

Published by smcintos

I know a young man who turned out right. He has a wife and two children, a career, and a good attitude. When he was a troubled teen, a...

January 17, 2016

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Main, News, Opinion, Religious, z18

A woman’s perspective: Can forgiving others make you feel lighter and jump higher?

Published by Barb Smith

I read an article recently referring to a study reported in Social Psychology and Personality Science that determined the act of forgiving makes us lighter both emotionally and physically?...

December 16, 2015

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Main, News, Studies, z18, z30

A Christmas Story

Published by earlblacklock

We had just arrived in Chicago, on our way home. Carol’s wheelchair attendant was, as promised, waiting at the cabin door for her. He was a cheerful fellow, with...

December 14, 2015

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Christmas, Main, News, Testimony, z18

Are you a victim of a victim mentality?

Published by Barb Smith

A few years ago at a seminar for emotional healing, a group of us were in the hallway waiting for the next session to start. We were all proud...

December 11, 2015

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Bible, Main, Teaching, z18, z30

Tests confirm it’s dinosaur blood!

Published by Dean Smith

After running tests, scientists from North Carolina State University (NCSU) have confirmed that non-fossilized organic material found in a dinosaur bone thought to be nearly 80 million years old...

December 10, 2015

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Apologetics, Evolution, Main, z18

Is John 4:35 the most misunderstood verse in the Bible?

Published by Dean Smith

It seems every year, pastors preach the obligatory message on evangelism. It is an annual event in most churches. Invariably they will turn to the Gospel of John and...

December 9, 2015

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Bible, Israel, Main, News, Teaching, z18

New Brazilian worship song “Minha Essência” (My Essence)

Published by Dean Smith

I encourage you to listen to this video by Thiago Brado, a worship singer from Brazil. The song sung in Portuguese, entitled My Essence in English, has nearly 4.3...

December 4, 2015

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Arts, Main, Music, Music, Uncategorized, Videos, z18, z30

The difference between iniquity and sin

Published by Dean Smith

Several years ago, a 10 year-old girl was brutally murdered in the city of Toronto. The murderer cut up her body and deposited it in bags in nearby Lake...

December 2, 2015

Comments 6

Bible, Main, Teaching, z18

Separating myth from fact on man-made global warming

Published by Dean Smith

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) is going full-bore in Paris. The conference held annually started November 30 and is scheduled to end December 11. It will...

December 1, 2015

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Apologetics, Global Warming, Main, z18

Español, z75

Características de un intercesor: ¿Es usted un luchador de la calle?

English version: Characteristics of an Intercessor: Are you a street fighter? Todos luchamos por la oración contestada. A veces nos preguntamos si Dios incluso nos escuchó. Cuando nos fijamos...

Apologetics, Bible, End times, Islam, Main, News, Teaching, z75

Marilyn Hickey, a Pakistani anomaly

As we read about Christians being persecuted in Muslim countries, a weird anomaly keeps popping up — American televangelist Marilyn Hickey. Aged 86, last November during a eight-day tour...

Bible, Main, Spiritual Warfare, z75

Territorial Spirits: The strange case of Clarita Villaneuva

In the early 1950s, the Lester Sumrall (1913-1996), an American evangelist, sensed God prompting him to go to the Philippines on an evangelistic mission. He was impressed by the...

Bible, Main, Teaching, z75

The Kingdom of God is like a weed?

Three of the Gospels, Mark, Luke and Matthew, record Jesus comparing the Kingdom of God to a mustard plant: 31 He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of...

Apologetics, Archaeology, Bible, Main, z75

53 Bible personalities make the list, more to come

Purdue University Libraries associate professor Lawrence Mykytiuk recently released a report in Biblical Archaeological Review outlining 53 people mentioned by name in the Bible verified by archaeology. His work...

Arts, Arts, Main, Music, Women, z61, z75

Sound – The prerequisite to Music

While music is a huge industry, very few singers and musicians take the time to learn about sound, the prerequisite to music. While the term “sounds of heaven” is...

Emotional health, Main, Women, z61, z75

Reigning it in

Smoke billowed upstairs and I ran down to see what was going on. Something was left to slowly cook on a stove burner and no one was paying attention...

Apologetics, End times, Main, z62, z75

Two types of Christians, only one hears a knock

I regularly receive a daily devotional from Open Doors, a Christian organization that stands with believers being persecuted around the world. In a recent newsletter, they quoted Iranian Christian...

Islam, Israel, Main, News, Religious, z62, z75

So Who is Zoroaster?

About three thousand years ago, probably in the times of David and Solomon in the Bible, a man named Zoroaster or Zarathustra began preaching about one God, and one...

Apologetics, End times, Israel, Main, News, z1, z75

Will God allow a third Jewish temple to be built?

Many orthodox Jews and Evangelical Christians are looking forward to the day when Jews build a third temple in Jerusalem, replacing the one destroyed by the Romans in 70...