Author: Dean Smith

Sometimes there is more than one right way of doing things

Published by

He said: “Dean, there is more than one right way of doing things.” As Christians, we tend to fall in the trap of thinking there is only one way of doing something, God’s way, often cleverly disguised as our way. Now there are certainly things that we need to be dogmatic on including the Deity of Christ, the supremacy of Scripture and morality. But there are a few elements of the Christian faith where there is clearly more than one right way of doing them. One of those is whether to honor Sunday as the Lord’s Day. I was reading an interesting article on CBN, about Chick-fil-A and the company’s decision to close on Sunday. The company is owned by the Cathy family, devout Christians, who have publicly supported traditional values. Despite being closed one day a week, it is now the third largest fast food restaurant in America. Its average restaurant doubles the sales of a McDonald restaurant that opens on Sunday. And since the biggest sales days for most fast food restaurants are …

Passing on iniquity for four generations?

Maldiciones generacionales: Parte 2 – Durante cuatro generaciones

Published by

English version: Generational curses: Part 2 — For four generations En mi primer artículo sobre maldiciones generacionales , miré un verso en Éxodo 20: 5, donde Dios prometió castiga la maldad de los padres sobre los hijos. 5No los adorarás[a] ni los servirás[b]; porque yo, el Señor tu Dios, soy Dios celoso, que castigo la iniquidad de los padres sobre los hijos hasta[c] la tercera y cuarta generación de los que me aborrecen, (Éxodo 20: 5 LBLA) En ese artículo, discutimos cómo la maldad (en hebreo awon) y no el pecado (chataah hebreo). La diferencia entre las dos es que mientras que el pecado se refiere al acto, maldad se refiere a una adicción al pecado. De la misma manera que los niños heredan el pelo rojo y pecas de sus padres, también heredan características espirituales. En este artículo, quiero hablar sobre el tercer principio que se señaló en este verso que maldiciones generacionales pueden transmitirse hasta cuatro generaciones. En mi primer articulo, he citado un artículo publicado en The Globe and Mail que hablaba sobre …

One Christian’s view of the death penalty

Published by

Several years back, I was talking to a friend who asked me why the Bible supports the death penalty in the Old Testament (Numbers 35:16-17), while Jesus states in the New Testament that we need to forgive and even love our enemies (Matthew 5:44-45; Matthew 6:14-15). To him it appeared like a contradiction. How could Jesus exhortation to forgive in any way support the death penalty? It was a valid observation. Two recent media stories may help explain what appears to be a Bible contradiction. According to Religion News Service, the Rabbi of Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue is calling for mercy for a mass shooter who killed 11 members of the congregation in a murderous antisemitic attack on October 27, 2018. The media are reporting that the social media accounts of the alleged killer, Robert Bowers, had several anti Jewish statements in some instances referring to Jews as “filthy evil.” Bowers pleaded not guilty to the mass murder. In a letter sent to the state’s attorney general, Rabbi Johnathan Perlman and his wife Beth …

Apostle Peter’s house in Bethaisda discovered?

Published by

Archaeologists working with Nyack College’s Center for the Study of Ancient Judaism and Christianity and Israel’s Kinnert College recently announced they had discovered what was thought to be the Apostle Peter’s home in Bethsaida. What the archaeologists actually discovered was the remains of an ancient Byzantium church that they believe was originally built over top of the birth home of Peter and Andrew, disciples of Christ. Though Peter eventually moved to nearby Capernaum, the Gospel of John reports that he his brother were originally from Bethsaida: 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. (John 1:44 NASV) The archaeological team led by Mordechai Aviam is referring to the Church of the Apostle referenced by a man named Willibald in 725 AD. He was the Bishop of Eichstaett located in Bavaria. During a pilgrimage to Jerusalem he wrote of visiting the Church of the Apostle in Bethsaida while sailing from Capernaum to Kuris on the Sea of Galilee. He noted specifically the church was built over the original home of Peter and …

Florida-based Chick-fil-A restaurant. Photo: Robert du Bois/Flickr/Creative Commons

Chick-fil-A preparing a table in the midst of its enemies

Published by

Despite being closed on Sundays, Chick-fil-A continues its exponential growth as a fast food restaurant in America. Last year the sales for an average restaurant were double those of McDonalds considered one of the iconic brands of America. In terms of total sales, Chick-fil-A is third behind McDonalds and Starbucks due to the fact the leaders have more restaurants. In 2018, Chick-fil-A generated $10 billion an increase of $2 billion since 2005. Compared to one of its major competitors, Chick-fil-A increased its number of restaurants by 8% that year, while KFC actually shrank by 1%. It is one of the fastest growing food chains in America. These are staggering numbers considering the chain typically only opens six days a week giving its workers Sunday off to be with family and attend church. But it has opened on Sundays on occasion to provide food often for free in emergencies such as it did after Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina. Staff were called in on a Sunday to not only make but help distribute free Chick-fil-A sandwiches …

Who is the Jewish Messiah — Jesus or Rabbi Schneerson?

Published by

There is an interesting story on Breaking Israel News (BIN) of how a group of Orthodox Jews from an organization called the Yad L’Achim recently prevented a Christian missionary group from baptizing several Jews in the Sea of Galilee. There was no mention of  the name of the Christian organization. The plan was to transport the Jews from Tel Aviv to Tiberias for the baptism. According to BIN the organization decided to baptize the Jews on the sabbath believing it would hinder any opposition as the Old Testament law limits travel on the sabbath for Orthodox Jews. But apparently there was away around it, or they just ignored the prohibition against travel and about 15 students who attended a Yad L’Achim religious school in Tel Aviv made their way to the spot that the Jews were preparing to load a bus to Tiberias. Some orthodox Jews were wearing shirts, “Jew stop! Christianity is not our way.” There was a bit of a confrontation at the bus between the missionaries and the members of Yad L’Achim …

Rapper megastar Kanye West now leading a church service?

Published by

Though I am not all that familiar with rap singer and song writer Kanye West, 42, I should be. He has won 21 Grammy Awards (putting him on the top ten list of most wins) and his 140 million record sales also makes him one of the best-selling artists of all time. And for the period of 2005 t0 2015,  Time Magazine ranked him among the world’s 100 most influential people. And top all that off he is married to Kim Kardashian, a star in her own right. But there have been rumblings recently of Kanye’s belief in Christ. In a broadcast on Queen Radio found on Apple Music, singer Nicki Minaj was interviewing “Chance the Rapper” another Christian artist when she mentioned that Kanye told her that he is a born-again Christian and became one shortly after he was hospitalized for bi-polar in 2016. Minaj said: “Sometimes in the music business, we think other artists don’t believe in God or aren’t spiritual as we are. Then when you find people because I was just …

Is David Gelernter God’s response to Joshua Harris?

Published by

The Christian world was recently shaken when former mega church pastor and popular Christian author Joshua Harris publicly stated “I am not a Christian” and at the same time announced that he and his wife of 19 years were separating. Harris, 44, pastored Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland for 11 years and wrote several books including “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” that sold over a million copies. In his Instagram post, Harris stated: “The information that was left out of our announcement is that I have undergone a massive shift in regard to my faith in Jesus. The popular phrase for this is ‘deconstruction,’ the biblical phrase is ‘falling away.’ By all the measurements that I have for defining a Christian, I am not a Christian.” In simple terms it seems that Harris has now denied his faith. It is discouraging for believers to read of a man with some prominence in Christian circles walking away from Christianity. The Apostle Paul warned of a falling away that will take place in the end times (2 …

Un llamado profético de liderazgo?

Published by

English version: A prophetic call to leadership? A principios de este año, los ciudadanos de El Salvador eligieron Nayib Bukele como presidente del país en las elecciones nacionales celebradas en febrero. Nada raro hay en eso, pero hay varias cosas inusuales sobre Bukele. La primera, el solo tiene 37 años de edad y es la persona más joven en ser elegida presidente en ese país. Él es también el presidente más joven en América Central elejido como president independiente. Es un logro poco común el ser elegido presidente sin un partido politico tradicional como ocurriò la última vez en El Salvador en 1972. Pero lo que lo hace realmente único es que Bukele recibió tres palabras proféticas de y una advertencia alentadole a este empresario cristiano a ser presidente. Bukele era un exitoso hombre de negocios y alcalde de la ciudad y no tenía interés en postularse para presidente del país. De acuerdo con Charisma News , en una presentación a un grupo de pastores, empresarios y líderes locales a finales de Julio, Bukele inesperadamente compartió …

Inheriting sin?

Las maldiciones generacionales: Parte 1 – La herencia de pecado?

Published by

English: Generational Curses Part I — Inheriting sin? En su artículo en el Globe and Mail titulado “La mala semilla,” Carolyn Abraham cuenta la historia de Dan S. (un seudónimo). En 2003, cuando escribió este artículo, el hombre estaba sentado en el corredor de la muerte en una prisión del estado en el sur de Estados Unidos. El tribunal lo condenó a muerte por el asesinato a sangre fría de un gerente de una pizzeria en un atraco 1991. Cuando Dan entró a la pizzeria, el gerente de 24 años de edad rápidamente cumplió con sus demandas y entrego todo el dinero que habia en la caja. Entonces Dan obligó al gerente a ponerse de rodillas e insensiblemente le disparó asesinando al empleado a quemarropa en la parte posterior de la cabeza. “Deberian haver visto a ese gordo rogando por su vida,” Dan más tarde expresó. Antes de este incidente, ya había cometido una serie de robos a mano armada, además de una serie de robo de automóviles y de tarjetas de crédito. Después del …

The IRA vs Ulster Loyalists and Zealots vs Tax collectors: God brings hardened enemies together

Published by

An article on CBN, tells how the Holy Spirit is bringing together Catholics and protestants who were once deadly enemies in Northern Ireland. Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and two decades ago it was the center of a violent conflict between Catholics and protestants as the Catholic Irish Republican Army (IRA) was seeking Northern Ireland’s independence from British rule. The Union Protestants loyal to the British government were literally in an armed conflict with the IRA trying to stop this from happening. War raged between the two factions for decades with British soldiers also thrown into the mix who were there to keep the peace. In 1998, a peace was reached between the warring factions and though the peace has held, there are still deep-seated resentments between the two groups. And today in Belfast there is a distinctive Catholic sector in the city marked by murals of the conflict twenty years ago. Though the two groups have put down their guns, God is trying to bring a heart-felt peace and a big …

A prophetic call to leadership?

Published by

Español: Un llamado profético de liderazgo? Earlier this year, the citizens of El Salvador elected Nayib Bukele as the country’s president in national elections held in February. Nothing unusual about that, but there are several things unusual about Bukele. First he is only 37 years of age and is the youngest person ever elected president in that country. He is also the youngest president in Central America. He managed to get elected as an independent. It’s a rare achievement to be elected president with no party affiliation as the last time that happened in El Salvador was in 1972. But what makes him truly unique is that he received three prophetic words and one warning encouraging the Christian businessman to run for president. Bukele was a successful businessman and city mayor and had no interest in running for president of the country. According to Charisma News, in a presentation to a group pastors, businessmen and local leaders at the end of July, Bukele unexpectedly shared his story on how he ended up as president. It …

Is an ‘end-times’ Bubonic plague coming to Los Angeles?

Published by

Drew Pinsky is better known by his celebrity moniker, Dr Drew. He is a doctor who specializes in internal medicine and addiction, but became famous through several radio and TV shows such as Loveline, Dr. Drew on Call, and Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. Recently, he gained headlines again when he stated in an interview with Scott Adams, the creator of  the Dilbert comic strip, broadcast on Periscope, that Los Angeles (LA) was on the verge of an outbreak of the Bubonic plague. He actually used the term “apocalypse” to describe the looming crisis. The Bubonic plague devastated Europe in the 14th century killing an estimated 50 to 100 million people ,upwards of 50% of the population. The bacteria that causes the plague was spread by fleas from infected animals such as rats. There are different varieties of the plague some more deadly than others. The common symptoms for the Bubonic plague include fever, flu, vomiting and boils, that often break open as the lymph nodes swell. The plague can result in death within 10 …

Bulla mentioning ancient Bethlehem found

Published by

In 2012, archaeologists working with the Israel Antiquities Authority made a remarkable discovery in old Jerusalem. They found a bulla that mentioned the name of Bethlehem (House of Bread). This is the first mention of the famous town found outside the Biblical record. Bullas worked much like our signatures do today and were used to verify documents. Governmental and wealthy people used bullas to seal documents to verify that it was coming from them. They typically wore signet rings that pressed their confirming insignia into wax or clay, sealing the document. The Bulla in this instance was estimated to be 2,700 years old placing it from the first Temple period (1000 BC to 586 BC) referring to the first temple built by King Solomon. The Second Temple period refers to the temple rebuilt by Ezra and Nehemiah (upgraded by King Herod) and destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans. In this instance, the bulla was used to verify the shipment of taxes collected in Bethlehem being sent to Jerusalem. Referred to as a fiscal bulla, …

Nambia desert Credit: John Adams/Flickr/Creative Commons

Sanando el rechazo

Published by

English Version: Healing our rejection Usando una resonancia magnética, los investigadores universitarios descubrieron que el dolor emocional asociado con el rechazo es tan real como el dolor físico. En 2011, un grupo liderado por el profesor Ethan Kross asociado de la Universidad de Michigan, estudió a 40 personas que recientemente habían pasado por una ruptura romántica en los seis meses anteriores. Todos los participantes elegidos mencionaron haber sentido sentimientos intensos de rechazo debido al final de la relación. Las 40 personas fueron sometidas a dos pruebas relacionadas con el dolor emocional que sentían por el rechazo y el otro dolor físico real. En la primera prueba, los sujetos del estudio vieron una imagen de su ex y se les pidió que pensaran en la ruptura. En la segunda etapa, los dispositivos térmicos se unieron a sus brazos que crearon un calor equivalente al de un café caliente. Cuando las 40 personas pasaron por estas y otras pruebas comparativas, los investigadores monitorearon su actividad cerebral usando un test de imagen de resonancia magnética. Los investigadores descubrieron …

Israel captive in Egypt by Edward Poynter (1836-1919) Credit: Wikipedia/Creative Commons

El misterio del guardian Egipcio

Published by

English Version: Mystery of the Egyptian Guard Hay muchas teorías sobre quién fue el Faraón del Éxodo. Mientras que algunos buscan a la arqueología para la respuesta, la Biblia proporciona pistas muy claras sobre su identidad. Para determinar quién era el Faraón, primero debemos descifrar un misterioso pasaje en Génesis: José y la esposa de Potifar 39 Cuando José fue llevado a Egipto, los ismaelitas que lo habían trasladado allá lo vendieron a Potifar, un egipcio que era funcionario del faraón y capitán de su guardia. 2 Ahora bien, el Señor estaba con José y las cosas le salían muy bien. Mientras José vivía en la casa de su patrón egipcio, 3 este se dio cuenta de que el Señor estaba con José y lo hacía prosperar en todo. 4 José se ganó la confianza de Potifar, y este lo nombró mayordomo de toda su casa y le confió la administración de todos sus bienes. 5 Por causa de José, el Señor bendijo la casa del egipcio Potifar a partir del momento en que puso a José a cargo de …

A sign of the times? Calbuco Volcanoe, Chile Photo: Andiseno Estudio/Flickr/Creative Commons

Otro evento final de los tiempos – volcanes?

Published by

English version: Another end times event — volcanoes? Nunca había oído hablar de Perry Stone, un maestro y evangelista de la televisión Americana. Recientemente me encontré con su interpretación de versículos de Joel en el que habla de los últimos tiempos y esto me llamó la atención. Joel escribe: En el cielo y en la tierra mostraré prodigios:     sangre, fuego y columnas de humo. 31 El sol se convertirá en tinieblas     y la luna en sangre antes que llegue el día del Señor,     día grande y terrible. (Joel 2: 30-31 NVI) Hasta este punto, he interpretado estos versos que se refieren a la sangre, fuego, columnas de humo, oscuro sol y la luna en sangre como la descripción de las secuelas de un gran terremoto en donde el apóstol Juan se refiere en Apocalipsis 6: 12-17 . Sin embargo, Stone tiene un giro diferente en este pasaje y creo que podría ser adecuado. Él cree que Joel está describiendo las erupciones volcánicas gigantes que estallan en la tierra. Columnas de humo describen perfectamente las consecuencias de los …

Former porn star now leading XXXchurch

Published by

Christian Post is reporting that Craig Gross who founded XXXchurch 17 years ago is leaving this ministry and turning it over a former porn star Brittni De La Mora and her husband Rich. XXXchurch is a ministry dedicated to helping people break free from their addiction to porn. According a statement by Gross, seven years ago he helped Brittni leave the porn industry where she performed under the name of Jenna Presley. Four years later, Brittni met and married Rich who was pastoring a church at the time. As he was contemplating leaving XXXchurch, Gross felt God impress on him that Brittni and Rich were to replace him. Gross added that this choice does not surprise him because Brittni is picture of God’s redemptive work. In a post on Facebook, Brittni added that Craig and his wife Jeannette played a critical role in helping her break free from the porn industry: “This is crazy! When I was in the adult film industry XXXchurch used to tell me that Jesus loves me. They gave me a …

‘Unplanned’ smashes box office expectations in Canada

Published by

Despite attacks from the radical left, politicians and the pro-choice crowd, the movie Unplanned did extremely well in Canadian movie theaters over the weekend. The movie is scheduled for a seven-day release running from July 12 through the 18th. Listing of theaters showing Unplanned at the end of the article. The movie tells the story of Abby Johnson’s conversion from the pro-choice movement to pro-life.  Abby worked as a director of a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in the US and dramatically changed her mind after witnessing the abortion of a 13-week-old baby. And Unplanned continues this tradition as according to its producers they have received  letters from many abortion workers have turned their backs on the abortion industry after viewing the film. According to reports, the movie earned an estimated $7,041 per screen based on reports from 49 Canadian theaters. This gave it the second highest per screen average in all of North America for that weekend. If the movie had shown in 1,500 theaters instead of 53, it could have grossed an unprecedented $5 …

Barna survey show moms’ impact a child’s faith more than dads’ do

Published by

A study conducted by the Barna Group in conjunction with the Lutheran Hour Ministries concluded that mothers played a more significant role in the development of their children’s faith than the fathers. In 2018, Barna surveyed 2,347 people described as committed Christians to find out who influenced them spiritually. The survey reported: 68% said they were most influenced by their mothers, 46% attributed their fathers, 37% grandparents, 16% non relative, 14% a friend, and 59% said their faith was passed down to them from their parents. This study shows the profound impact mothers can have on their children and according to the Apostle Paul it was Timothy’s mother (Eunice) and grandmother (Lois) who most impacted Timothy, who went on to be a key leader in the early church. 5 For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. (2 Timothy 1:5 NASV) In fact, the lack of reference to Timothy’s dad suggests he …

Has an altar of Melchizedek, the man of mystery, been discovered in Jerusalem?

Published by

El Shukron is an archaeologist working with Israel Antiquities Authority and over the years he has made some significant discoveries. Working with fellow archaeologist Ronny Reich, the two discovered the pool of Siloam in 2004 that is mentioned in the New Testament as the spot where Christ healed a blind man (John 9:11). He has also had a hand in discovering the Jerusalem Pilgrim Road and a bulla that referenced Bethlehem which at the time of its discovery in 2012 was the only mention of Bethlehem found outside the Bible. But recently in an interview with CBN, Shukron shared what he considered to be his greatest discovery found while working in the old Jerusalem that includes the Temple Mount. Shukron found a stone pillar that he believes was part of an altar used by Melchizedek. It included a channel used to funnel off the blood during sacrifices. He believes it was similar to the altar that Jacob set up after having a dream where he saw angels descending and ascending to heaven on a ladder. …

‘Free speech’ victory: The Unplanned movie will now be shown in Canada

Published by

In what many believe is a battle for free speech in Canada, the movie Unplanned will finally be shown in selected theaters across Canada between July 12th and 18th. The controversial movie starring Ashley Bratcher portrays the story of Abby Johnson’s conversion from a former director of a Planned Parenthood abortion facility in the US to a strong pro-life advocate in 2009. Abby walked out of Planned Parenthood after being traumatized as she watched the abortion of a 13-week-old baby. The movie was shown in selected theaters across the US earlier in the year earning revenues of $18 million compared to production costs of $14 million. For two weeks it ranked as one of the top ten most watched movies in American theaters. Though Rotten Tomato Reviewers hated the movie, often a good indicator it is probably worth seeing, the viewer rating was overwhelming positive. When there were talks of Unplanned being shown in Canada there was a huge uproar on social media with some theaters actually receiving threats if they decided to show the …

King David moving the Ark of the Covenant from Gibeon to the Tabernacle of David in Jerusalem. Painter unknown

Discovery of Ziklag confirms Biblical record

Published by

According to Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), archaeologists have uncovered the small, yet significant town of Ziklag that was located near ancient Judah’s southern border with the Philistines. Archaeologists working at the site are 90% certain that they have found the remains of the ancient town. They discovered evidence that both Israelis and Philistines inhabited the site which confirms the Biblical record. These included the distinctive idols, lamps and pottery similar to finds in other known Philistine cities. They also discovered nearly 100 complete pots with a design associated with Israel during King David’s reign. The were used to hold oil or wine and in at least one instance beer. Though mentioned several times in the Bible, Ziklag was a small rural town and archaeologists said it measured about 1,000 square meters (10,764 sq ft) in size. Some believe the name Ziklag could be loosely translated as liquid metal and may be a reference to smelting. When Israel entered the Promised Land under Joshua, the city was given to the tribe of Simeon (Joshua 19:1-5). However, …

The fight for religious freedoms in England and California

Published by

We live in interesting times. In 2016, the University of Sheffield in England kicked Felix Ngole out of its program because of a 2015 Facebook discussion. Ngole, a Christian, was attending post-graduate courses at the university with the intent of becoming a social worker. The Facebook thread involved a discussion of same-sex marriage and Ngole shared some Bible verses revealing his support of traditional marriage. A few months later an anonymous person made a complaint to the University of Sheffield who responded by kicking Ngole out of its program stating that he could not share his personal Christian opinions while attending the university. In fact, the university told Ngole he wouldn’t even be allowed to share his views off campus and that included in churches. But Ngole decided to fight this decision. Represented by Paul Diamond, an attorney who specializes in defending religious liberties, Ngole took the university to court. Though Ngole lost his initial court case, this past June, a three judge Court of Appeals ruled in Ngole’s favor stating: “The mere expression of …

Antisemitism warnings in Germany: spokesman warns against wearing a kippah in public

Published by

In an interview with the German newspaper, Funke, Germany’s antisemitism commissioner Felix Klein warned that Jewish men should not wear their kippah or skull cap in public due to the rapid increase in antisemitic attacks in recent years. There are approximately 200,000 Jews living in Germany. According to Breaking Israel News, in 2018 Berlin reported nearly a 20% increase of antisemitic offenses over the previous year with nearly 300 incidents reported in Germany’s capital. With 1,649 attacks in 2018, overall the country registered a 10% increase in hate offenses over 2017. But what is particularly disturbing is that the number of violent antisemitic attacks has nearly doubled over 2017 increasing from 37 to 62 in 2018. Though the police and mainline media report that these attacks are due to right-wing fanaticism, this is not what the Jews are reporting. They suggest that Muslim extremists and left wing fanatics are equal partners in Germany’s hate crimes. A recent survey of Jews in the EU showed that 41% indicated the most serious antisemitic offenses came from people …

Did God answer a comedian’s prayer through a prophetic word at Starbucks?

Published by

An employee working at a Starbucks’ drive thru provided an incredible answer to prayer for comedian Victoria Jackson revealing that God does hear our prayers and will use spiritual gifts to confirm it. Jackson, 58, gained fame working as a comedian and singer for Saturday Night Live, a late night comedy show that debuted in 1975 and routinely runs parodies of culture and politics. Famous for her ukulele, she was a regular contributor to SNL from 1986 to 1992 where she performed skits, some involving impersonations of Rosanne Barr. Jackson came from a Christian home and attended Florida Bible College in Hollywood, Florida before moving on to Furman University in South Carolina after receiving a gymnastic scholarship and then to Auburn University where she majored in theater. Jackson’s gym-coach father had trained his daughter in gymnastics, a training that she utilized on screen doing back flips on SNL and reciting poetry while doing hand stands. The comedian refers to herself as a conservative Christian and even sent her children to a Christian school. However, Jackson …

Sun appearing over the India Ocean Credit: Nasa/Flickr

Christianity by the numbers on the world stage

Published by

When you look at the overall stats on the impact of Christianity in the world, it initially seems a bit concerning. Facts and Trends recently wrote an article on current trends in worldwide Christianity based on a report published by Gordon-Cromwell Theological Seminary’s Center for the Study of Global Christianity. With a growth rate of 1.27%, Christianity is the fourth fastest growing religion in the world behind Islam that is growing at a rate of 1.95%, Sikhs that are growing at a rate of 1.66% and Hindus at 1.30%. Despite its fourth place position, Christianity is growing faster than the world population that is increasing by 1.2% a year and with 2.5 billion Christians, it is the largest religious group in the world. The earth’s population sits at nearly 8 billion. But when you take a closer look at the stats other interesting trends start to surface. Christianity is of course divided. According to the report, in 2019 there are 45,000 church denominations in the world encompassing 5.5 million congregations. But some larger historical denominations …

In her message, ‘It’s real’, Tina described her encounter with Jesus after heart attack

Published by

Tina and her husband Brian Hines were preparing to go for a walk around their home in Phoenix, Arizona in February 2018 when Tina collapsed to the floor with a severe heart attack. Brian immediately called emergency, but was forced to use CPR twice to revive his wife before the ambulance arrived. During the trip, the medical team revived Tina a couple more times before they reached the hospital. They estimated that Tina had been dead a total of 27 minutes. When she arrived at the hospital, medical staff were able to stabilize Tina and when she came too, Tina who could not speak due to the tubing in her mouth, motioned for a pen and paper then scrawled an almost indecipherable message that read “It’s real.” On an Instagram post describing what happened, Tina’s niece Maddie wrote: “A little over a year ago my Aunt Tina, one of the most amazing, discerning, and healthy people I know had an unexpected cardiac arrest and according to doctors had died and was brought back to life …

Maybe it’s more than a coincidence? Israeli paratroopers discover ancient watchtower

Published by

It was more than a bit ironic when soldiers with the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) discovered an ancient watchtower associated with the days of King Hezekiah during the 8th century BCE. The IDF paratroopers had set up a base on a hilltop in Southern Israel when they accidentally discovered the tower. After making the discovery, the soldiers actually participated in the dig. The remains of the tower were about 6 feet (1.83 m) in height and archaeologists estimate that it was originally 15 feet (4.57 m) high with a diameter of 10.5 feet (3.2 m). This was a significant structure as the foundation stones weighed about 8 tons. According to the archaeologists this tower, built on top of a hill, would have provided ancient Israeli military commanders an excellent view on activities taking place in the Philistine nation, particularly one of its major cities Ashkelon. Israel built a series of towers and fortresses along the border that were within view of each other, so it would allow a tower to send up a warning using …

God’s extraordinary voice leads female Pakistani jihadist to Christ

Published by

God has amazing ways of communicating with people and desires to speak to us today, as directly as He did in the Bible. One of the extraordinary ways that God communicates is through dreams. Is every dream we have from God? No. But I believe the Holy Spirit will clearly highlight those that are. A single verse in the Gospels tells of a dream that God gave the wife of Pontius Pilate as he dealt with the charges being brought against Jesus. 19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” (Matthew 27:19 NASV) And obviously this dream even impacted Pilate, as he initially tried to gain Christ’s release. Years later, Origin, an early church father (184 AD to 235 AD), said Pilate’s wife, Procula Claudia, had become a Christian after Christ’s resurrection. Whether that is true or not we can’t be sure. But a dream did result in …

Are Hong Kong protesters in a battle of good versus evil?

Published by

Christians are playing a major role in the massive protests taking place in Hong Kong in recent days. Millions of people have taken to the streets demanding freedom. The protests were sparked by the Hong Kong government’s introduction of an extradition bill that would allow the government to extradite people to countries where they committed crimes. The bill was sparked by a Hong Kong man who killed his girl friend while visiting her in Taiwan. The man fled back to Hong Kong and the Taiwanese government asked for his return. However, if passed this law would also allow China to demand extradition of Hong Kong citizens for prosecution, essentially giving China partial control of Hong Kong’s justice system. Currently, the people are allowed to freely express their views in Hong Kong, including criticism of China’s communist government. If this extradition law is passed, many believe the Chinese government will trump up charges against anti -communist Hong Kong activists and demand their extradition and begin to slowly weed out opposition in this way. Many also suspect …

U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of Christian bakers in Oregon

Published by

The US Supreme Court has just issued a decision  favoring two former Christian bakers based in Oregon. In 2013, a lesbian couple had asked Sweet Cakes by Melissa bakery, owned by a Christian couple Aaron and Melissa Klein, to create a wedding cake. The Kleins refused, stating because of their faith they could not create a cake for a marriage they did not agree with. According to reports, the Kleins had previously made a cake for one of the members of this lesbian couple but balked at using their artistic skill to create one promoting same sex marriage. The Lesbian couple took the Kleins before Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries that fined the bakery $135,000 for the emotional damage inflicted on the Lesbian couple for not creating a cake worth about $400. The commissioner at the time allegedly took to social media reporting on his disdain for the Kleins before even coming down with his decision. This fine eventually led to the closing of the bakery. The Kleins appealed the case to an Oregon …