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So much religion. Did we just make it up?

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So, is religion just something that we made up? Are the Atheists correct, do we invent “spiritual” things to make us feel better? Yes. There is a story here, and it’s worth knowing: Jupiter by Jove. Here are some other god words: deity, dios, dieu, Zeus; or some very old names like Deva, Deywos, and Dyo. We also have Jupiter and Jove, and a very old form Dyo Pitr. That last one, from India, is an old form of Jupiter. We also have a related word “day” meaning the time when the sky is lighted. Those god words, in many languages, refer to a God in the sky, or heaven. “Pitr” or “Ju … piter” refers to a father, and we can see how our word “father” is related to “piter.” If you are wondering, our English word “God” comes from an ancient word “gudan” which means to call on, or to pray to. In history, and before history was recorded, tribal people lived on the grasslands of southern Russia, with herds of animals. They …

Israel’s red heifers will soon be of age to be sacrificed

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Orthodox Jews were excited about the arrival of five red heifers in Israel last fall as they are a necessary step in preparing for the construction of a third temple in Jerusalem. CBN reports, that the excitement is mounting as the red heifers have still not developed off-color hairs, white or black, that would disqualify them for the ritual sacrifice. The ashes from the red heifer are used to purify the priests and since a sacrifice produces such a huge reservoir, there have only been 9 red heifer sacrifices in Israel’s history. The red heifers are being kept at a secured location in Israel and are between 1.5 and 2 years of age. They will not be sacrificed until they are three years old and will not be used if they become ritually impure by growing a single black or white hair. They will be inspected with a magnifying glass to ensure their purity. According to Rabbi Mamo, the Temple Institute already has what he described as “nine pure priests” who are ready to perform …

Opentheword Update

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I just wanted to give you a bit of an update on why there there has been a drop off in posts on opentheword.org. Early last week Monday, March 6, 2023, I went into the hospital for elective surgery which quickly and unexpectedly became much more serious. This resulted in me being unable to write. Thankfully, the more serious underlying health issue has been for the most part resolved and God willing I expect the site to return to normal over the next couple of weeks. Thanks to all who have been praying for us it is much appreciated.

Believers and Hollywood: Which side are they on?

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Are you woke, or base? I am learning more about these terms, and they are interesting. We could use the older terms “left wing” and “right wing” but I believe most of us could not define those positions, in one sentence. Definitions are emotional, these days. The question really is, what tribe do you belong to? For you, which side is always right? And who is wrong, before they even speak? We are polarized by in our modern society. With polarized sides, and conspiracy theories, what happens if you believe in something spiritual? What side is God on, woke or base? I am a Christian, and for me, “spiritual” means God, and we find our way back to God through someone named Jesus. So, what does God think about Covid vaccines? Is God a Socialist, or a Capitalist? Does God approve of fifteen minute cities? What about climate change or global warming; yes or no? Is there any place for God in Hollywood? And for Americans, Republican or Democrat, and God? Other countries have their …

Transformed by a touch  

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By Dr. Harold Sala Jesus reached out His hand and touched… Luke 5:13 When Elisabeth Elliot was visiting Dohnavur fellowship in South India to do research for a book on the life of Amy Carmichael, she met a remarkable woman who was working with the mentally challenged. The woman herself was greatly handicapped by the loss of one eye. “I have no professional training,” she explained, adding, “The Holy Spirit gives me new wisdom each day to deal with them. Some are like wild animals but the Lord Himself is my helper. I can’t see on one side, but even in my weakness He has helped me.” When Elizabeth Elliot inquired as to how she had become involved in such a work, Pungaja explained that one day, tremendously burdened by life, she went to Amy Carmichael, who was affectionately known as “Amma” by nationals of India. “When she hugged me,” she said, “all my burdens went away!” The Indian men and women who followed in her footsteps serving others have been a powerful witness to …

An Encounter with God is More Powerful than TikTok

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By Dr. Michael Brown

The influence of TikTok on America’s young people has become so pervasive that this past February I asked, “Is China Using TikTok to Control the Minds of Our Children?” As outrageous as that question may sound to some, I only raised it because others had already drawn attention to the disparity between TikTok in China and TikTok in America.

It’s Time for You To Stop Acting Like You’re a Victim!

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And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it — Colossians 2:15 By Rick Renner We can count on the fact that there are unseen evil forces that have been assigned to kill, steal, and destroy everything good in our lives. The Bible clearly teaches that these devilish forces band together to commit acts of aggression against the saints — and that includes you and me! This truth is quite evident in Scripture, for Paul wrote many verses about spiritual weapons, spiritual armor, and how we are to resist these unseen, demonic forces. Yet it is very important that we approach this subject with the right attitude! Because of Jesus’ death on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead, the forces of hell are already defeated. However, even though they have been legally stripped of their authority and power, they continue to roam around this earth, carrying out evil deeds like criminals, bandits, hooligans, and thugs. And just like criminals who refuse to submit to the law, …

The Spirit of Anarchy Is Not from Above but from Below

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By Dr. Michael Brown

The Greek word anomia occurs 13 times in the New Testament and it literally means “lawlessness.” As defined in one major Greek dictionary, anomia means “to behave with complete disregard for the laws or regulations of a society — ‘to live lawlessly, lawlessness, lawless living” (Louw-Nida Lexicon). The spirit behind anomia is not from above, but from below.

SEX! … Do I have your attention?

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I remember the sexual revolution. I’m old enough that I lived through times when our culture was changing, and people were becoming liberated. I was raised in a religious family, and I talked to my friends, but I didn’t get to participate. My family and church had one word for me: NO! I am grateful now, that I avoided so many dangerous things, but that did not make me a good or moral person. I was just severely restricted. When I started my adult life, we had a pastor who explained morals to us. He didn’t just say the usual “NO!”, he explained the dangers to us. I am still grateful. I am writing about liberation, also known as playing around, promiscuity, or partying and any other words that I missed. My language is not always up-to-date. Basically, it’s describing a pornographic lifestyle. This is an uncomfortable topic, but we need to face it. Young adults in many parts of the world are going through a social revolution, and the results are not good. Depression …

Did Kelsey Grammer receive a sign from God about his role in ‘Jesus Revolution’?

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American actor, Kelsey Grammer, who plays Chuck Smith in the Jesus Revolution, a movie about the Jesus People’s movement that swept America in the late 60s and early 70s may have received a sign from God leading him to accept the role, the Western Journal reports. Kelsey Grammer is best known for playing psychiatrist Frasier Crane in two hit TV series, Cheers and Frasier. Grammer shared the unusual story that led him to accept the role in an interview with Jimmy Fallon on NBC’s Tonight Show. “The truth is I was having sort of a meditative evening one night in my home, and I was up pretty late. It was about 3, 4 in the morning,” Grammer told Fallon. “And I started to think, ‘I want to do something worthwhile, something that has a bigger purpose than just me.’ And I was kind of saying a prayer, I guess. And the next morning the script lands on my door. And I read it and I said, ‘OK, that’s it. I’m doing this Jesus story.’” When …

Another possible candidate for the Pharaoh of the Exodus: Thutmose III

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Dating the reigns of Egyptian pharaohs is extremely challenging with few archaeologists agreeing with each other on suggested dates. Though movies of the Exodus have traditionally pointed to Pharaoh Ramses (1303 BC to 1213 BC) as the Exodus pharaoh, there is agreement among Bible scholars that it definitely wasn’t him because the Exodus took place much earlier than that date. Perhaps the best evidence of this is the Merneptah Stele. Discovered in Egypt by Sir Finders Petrie in 1896, it contains the earliest known reference to Israel outside the Bible. It was erected by Pharaoh Merneptah (1213 BC to 1203 BC), the 13th son of Ramses, around 1208 BC. On the ten-foot victory stele, he describes his great, somewhat exaggerated, victory over Israel: “Israel is wasted, its seed is not; And Hurru [Canaan] is become a widow because of Egypt.” As many have pointed out, if the Exodus is dated to the reign of his father, Ramses, as some have suggested, there would not have been enough time for Israel to have developed into a nation. After …

Kelsey Grammer comes to tears discussing his role in ‘Jesus Revolution’

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Call it a series of coincidences. Revival broke out at Asbury University in Kentucky on Feb 8, 2023, which coincidentally was almost to the day that a similar major revival broke out at the school on Feb 3, 1970. The earlier revival was connected to the Jesus People movement caused by a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Hippies in California, which spread across North America. Many who experienced both revivals are seeing similarities between the two. Coincidentally, later this month (Feb 24, 2023), a movie called Jesus Revolution, is scheduled for release. Directed by John Erwin and Brent McCorkle, it is based on Greg Laurie’s book of the same name. It tells the story of the Jesus People movement as the Holy Spirit swept through Hippies during the late 60s and early 70s, resulting in tens of thousands being saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. Laurie was 17-years-old when he was saved in California in 1971 and by the age of 19, he was leading a Bible study of 30 hippies, which …

God, He or She? And who are you, really?

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Fifteen Minute Cities, vaccine mandates, gender identification, politics … and what did I miss? Have you noticed that we are told who to be? Political correctness and wokeness are dominating our culture, and it is clear who we are supposed to be, in our modern culture. We are being pressured to conform. I have opinions, and so do you, but there is a bigger picture. What is our new orthodox religion? We have a modern culture, and there is pressure to follow the new way. People who do not agree are arguing, and I think our culture is in a civil war. If you want to see this war, consider the Anglicans, the Church of England, in Australia: The Anglican churches, worldwide, are divided and arguing about questions like, Should the Church support same-sex marriages? Is God a man or a woman? The divisions are deep, and this historical Christian denomination could split. We all have opinions about each question, but the bigger problem is; how do we live in our modern culture? Some Anglicans …

Doctrina católica romana: orar a los santos

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Cuando se trata de orar a los santos, la Iglesia Católica Romana sabe que está caminando sobre una línea muy fina, debido a las repetidas advertencias a lo largo de la Biblia en contra de contactar a los muertos. Levítico 20:6 advierte explícitamente que Dios se opondrá a cualquier persona que consulte a médiums (aquellos que consultan a los muertos) o espíritus familiares (literalmente, las almas de los familiares muertos). Advertencias similares se encuentran en Levítico 19:31 y Deuteronomio 18:10-11. Entonces, ¿cómo sortea la Iglesia Católica estas advertencias? Bueno, primero dice que las personas en realidad no están orando a los santos muertos, simplemente les están pidiendo a estos santos que oren por ellos.Sugerir que pedirles a los muertos que oren por ti es diferente a orales es solo una cuestión de semántica. De hecho, están orando a los santos, incluso cuando les piden que oren por ellos. Para apoyar su posición de orar a los santos, los teólogos católicos señalan pasajes en el Libro de Apocalipsis que representan a personas en el cielo alabando, …

King Jehoiachin’s ration cards discovered at the ancient site of Babylon

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The last few verses of 2 Kings explains what happened to Jehoiachin, the king of Judah after Nebuchadnezzar hauled Jehoiachin and his family into captivity around 597 BC. King Jehoiachin was 18 years old when the Babylonians invaded after Jehoiachin’s father, who was serving as a vassal king to Babylon, decided to rebel and no longer pay tribute (2 Kings 24:1). At this point, Jehoiachin had only been on the throne three months and immediately surrendered to the invaders. Nebuchadnezzar installed Jehoiachin’s uncle, Mattaniah to serve as the puppet king of Judah and renamed him Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:8-17). But while Jehoiachin was in captivity we read that he was treated well by the Babylonians, particularly after Evil-Merodach (also known as Amel-Marduk) became king upon the death of his father, Nebuchadnezzar. Evil-Merodach released Jehoiachin from prison and placed him under soft house arrest and allowed Jehoiachin to eat with the King, treating him better than the other kings taken captive. We are also told that Evil-Merodach gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance. 27 Now it came about …

Revival breaks out at Asbury University in Kentucky

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19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. (Acts 3:19 NIV) There has been a major outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, CBN reports. The school founded in 1891 has over 1,800 students and is across the street from the associated Asbury Theological Seminary which has over 1,700 students. The revival broke out during a chapel service on Wednesday, Feb 8, 2023, when 100 students responded to an altar call resulting in them falling to their knees in prayer and repentance. Those attending services stated there is a tangible presence of the Holy Spirit during the services that have been going on 24/7 since the revival broke out. Alexandra Presta, who edits The Asbury Collegian, a student website, said she had never seen anything like this. “Peers, professors, local church leaders, and seminary students surround me— all of them praying, worshipping, and praising God together. Voices are ringing out. People are bowing at the altar, …

Spreading Manure: The Stench of Gossip

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By Julie Barrier    My brother-in-law, Bud Wright, is my hero. He’s a committed Christian leader, a savvy businessman and a wonderful father. I love him deeply because he has managed to put up with my feisty, fireball little sister Kathy for thirty years. And, believe me, she’s a handful! We all call him “Rich Bud” because his real moniker, Maryatte Steele Wright III, is too difficult to pronounce and it sounds like a stuffy English butler. “Rich Bud” toodles around town in his fire-engine red Ferrari and has never met a stranger. But the real reason I adore him is because I have never, ever heard him say a disparaging word about anyone-friend or foe. He may vent to his three cats when I’m not around, but Bud spreads kindness wherever he goes. He sees the best in people. My pastor-hubby Roger always uses Bud as a sermon illustration when he preaches on gossip. Most folks delight in the flaws of others, but Uncle Bud sees the potential for good in those he knows …

Devil Worship? What is that?

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Have you heard the claim that Climate Change is now a religion? Some people believe that. If you want to know more, try an Internet search with those keywords. Also, we have people with strong convictions about sexual orientation and gender transition. Those beliefs can become like the meaning of life for the people involved. Radical ideas can be like a religion. Some critics claim that many of these ideas came together at the recent Grammy Awards: So, have you noticed the talk about religions centered on the person of Satan? For example, there is some interest in “After School Satan Club” meetings for children in public schools. Also, there is a religious organization, that we might call a church, named the “Temple of Satan.” Again, an Internet search with those keywords will produce many discussions and articles. One member was interviewed and claimed that the followers of the Satanic religion were really Atheists. They did not believe in an actual person with that name and image: If we invert the Satanist argument, we could …

Catholic priest claims he was healed of a brain tumor after visiting Lourdes

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I have often been leery of claims by the Roman Catholic Church of miraculous healing because sometimes they attribute them to a myriad of things like the saints. In fact, you can’t become a saint in the Roman Catholic Church without performing at least two miracles after you are dead, which I believe is Biblical error. READ: How many miracles does it take to be canonized a saint? However, I do acknowledge, there was one instance of a dead man coming to life after touching the bones of the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 13:21), but I believe the healing came from the anointing remaining on his bones. It did not originate from the prophet in heaven. The Roman Catholic Church seems to agree because, ironically, it has NOT declared Elisha to be a saint. But at the same time, I also believe it’s possible for healing to take place under weird circumstances because of a person’s underlying faith in Christ. For example, we read of the strange occurrences that took place in Ephesus when the …

Another ‘birth pang’: Massive earthquake hits Turkey and Syria

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A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria early Monday morning destroying countless buildings in both countries and killing at least 1,900 people, with that number expected to rise dramatically. It is estimated that there were over 5,000 people injured most of who were asleep in their homes when the quake hit. Rescue teams are searching for the hundreds of people still trapped beneath the rubble. It was followed a few hours later, by a slightly less powerful, 7.5 magnitude earthquake that demolished buildings damaged by the first. The second earthquake’s epicenter was 60 miles (ca. 97 km) north of the first, which was located north of the Turkish city of Gaziantep (population 2 million), near the Syrian border. According to reports the two earthquakes were unrelated, but the first quake may have triggered the second. There have been reports of smaller quakes in other areas of the world including a 3.8 magnitude earthquake in Buffalo, New York, leading some to suggest the Turkey earthquakes may have destabilized other faults. The Danish Geological survey …

All religions lead to the same place: Agree – Disagree

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I was once a member of a team that travelled to a large city as summer missionaries. I was a driver and I drove small groups around, so they could meet with people to talk about religious things. Now, I have a clear memory of people from Asia and the Middle East, who were offended by everything that we did. This Included Muslims and Sikhs, and probably Hindus and Buddhists. I remember thinking; how can I dare to tell them that my religion is better than theirs? What makes me so special? I really wrestled with those questions, and people argued back when we spoke about our favorite religion. Sometimes it’s hard to be a missionary. In our woke culture, where tolerance is the best virtue, most people understand this. We need an answer to this puzzle. So, who has the best religion? Some people believe that the truth is like a wheel, and we are all on the rim somewhere. From where we are positioned, any spoke will lead us to the center, where …

Doctrina Católica Romana: ¿Qué es el Purgatorio?

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La Iglesia Católica Romana tiene varias creencias que difieren de la doctrina protestante. Uno de ellos es el purgatorio. El Diccionario del patrimonio americano (American Heritage Dictionary) define el purgatorio de esta manera: “En la creencia de los católicos romanos y otros, un lugar de purgación en el que las almas de los penitentes moribundos se purifican de los pecados veniales, o se someten al castigo temporal que, después de que se ha remitido la culpa del pecado mortal, aún debe ser soportado por el pecador.“ Los católicos creen que el purgatorio es un lugar donde las almas de los cristianos irán después de la muerte para pagar la pena por sus pecados ‘veniales’. Aunque el castigo puede incluir fuego (aunque algunos teólogos católicos no están de acuerdo), se considera más un proceso de purificación que un castigo, que es lo que implica el infierno. Sin embargo, es un lugar donde las personas recibirán el castigo por sus pecados, y una vez que se haya pagado ese castigo, se les permitirá entrar al cielo. La …

Is It Time To Make a Change In Your Environment?

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By Rick Renner

Your biggest potential enemy in life (besides your own wrong thinking and the devil himself) is the environment in which you live. For instance, if you constantly live in an atmosphere of doubt and unbelief, it’s just a fact that you’ll have a much more difficult time maintaining a walk of strong faith. That doubt-filled environment will try to rub off on you!

The Lord of Hosts

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3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. (2 Corinthians 10:3-4) We are involved in a spiritual battle, and sometimes it is easy to forget this important fact. Yet, when we look at the Bible, warfare is perhaps its central message and that comes through in one of the names of God, the Lord of Hosts, Yahweh–Sabaoth, which literally means the Lord of armies. God is referred to by this name 290 times in the Bible, more than the total of all other names of God combined. These include the names we are more familiar with such as, Yahweh-Rapha, the Lord is my healer or Yahweh-Jirah, the Lord is my provider. Even the name, Yahweh-Nissi, the Lord is my banner, had military implications as flags or standards were also used to rally troops. The name showed up in Exodus 17:15-16, when Moses used it to describe the altar …

Doctrina católica romana: la veneración de María

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La Coronación de María como Reina del Cielo por Jesús y Dios Padre.Por Amaro do Vale, 1615-1619/Wikipedia/Dominio públicoLa veneración de María por parte de la Iglesia Católica Romana comenzó hace siglos en la batalla de la iglesia con el gnosticismo, una creencia que separaba el espíritu de un hombre de su carne. La carne era mala, y el espíritu era bueno. Como parte de esta creencia, una persona básicamente podía pecar tanto como quisiera en la carne, porque el espíritu permanecía puro, un punto de vista insinuado y condenado por Pablo en Romanos 6:1. Los gnósticos también creían que debido a la vida sin pecado del Señor, Jesús no pudo haber sido humano ni nacido en la carne, y que apareció en la tierra en forma de espíritu. A medida que esta herejía se difundió en la iglesia primitiva, la humanidad de Cristo se convirtió en una prueba para los espíritus; 3 Y todo espíritu que no confiesa a Jesús, no es de Dios, y este es el espíritu del anticristo, del cual ustedes han oído …

Dan Cathy, son of Chick-fil-A’s founder, states the popular fast food restaurant exists to ‘glorify God’

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For the eighth year in a row, Chick-fil-A was rated as America’s most popular food chain by the American Customer Satisfaction Index in 2022. Yet despite this, the fast-food chain has outraged left-wing politicians. When the corporation opened its third restaurant in New York City in 2016, then mayor Bill de Blasio along with several members of the council called for a boycott of the restaurant. This is because the Truett family, who owns the restaurant chain, have never been shy about expressing their faith in Christ and support of the traditional family. And in a recent interview with Chief Executive, Dan Cathy, who serves as Chick-fil-A’s chairman of the board, explained that the purpose of the company is to glorify God, CBN reports. “At Chick-fil-A, we are very grounded on our corporate purpose, to be a purpose-driven organization,” Dan said in the interview. “That purpose is defined in the statement that we’re here to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that’s entrusted to us and have a positive influence on all …

An Unexpected Benefit of Growing Older

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By Dr. Michael Brown

Speaking of that ancient hero named Job, the Bible records that after his time of severe suffering, he “lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.” That is one of the great blessings that comes with getting older: you get to see your children’s children, and even their children. (If you live to be 140, like Job, you could see even more!)

Fighting recidivism with faith

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“I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” (Matthew 25:36 ESV) Recidivism is a term used to describe inmates who have been incarcerated for a crime, released and then end up back in prison a second time having fallen back into a life of crime. It is a major problem. In an article for CBS article entitled “Once a Criminal, Always a Criminal”, Stephanie Slifer wrote about a 2005 study conducted by the National Institute of Justice of 495,000 inmates in 30 states which found: Just punishing a person for their crime is not sufficient, a transformation needs to take place in their heart. Consequently, when the new Decatur County Detention Center in Greensburg, Indiana was being constructed, then Sheriff Dave Durant pushed to ensure there was enough room to focus on rehabilitating prisoners to end this relentless cycle. This included making room and providing funding for both faith and non-faith based programs, the Greensburg Daily Signal reported in 2019. …

Big revival in small town Kentucky

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Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. (Acts 3:19 NIV) While it is easy to be awestruck by mega churches which are typically defined as having over 2,000 people attending weekly services, God is not caught up in numbers but rather in matters of the heart. A revival has broken out in North Main Community Church, located in the small town of Barbourville in South Eastern Kentucky with a population of just 3,200. The church is pastored by Scott Phipps, 58, a former drug dealer in the town who turned to Christ shortly after his wife came home declaring she had become a Christian and was done with drugs. The revival, which has been going on for nearly three months, is impacting the small community as over 300 people have been saved during the meetings and over 150 drug addicts have been delivered. Scott told CBN that during the nightly services, they will have over 150 people who were …

God knows your name

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Having someone mention your name indicates a level of familiarity, perhaps even friendship. And we understand from Scripture, that God not only knows us, but he knows our name. Perhaps the most famous involved the Apostle Paul, who while in his previous life was persecuting Christians, God called him by name as he was on the road to Damascus to arrest more Christians: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4 NASV) Many have this perception, that God is indifferent to what is happening to us, but that is not true. God is personally interested in what is going on in your life. And Jo Hargreaves shared how similar to Paul, God called her by name, transforming her life. Hargreaves’ mother had divorced twice and this included a second marriage to a church vicar, that left a bad taste in Hargreaves mouth about Christianity. By the time she arrived at university, Hargreaves had abandoned any semblance of a Christian faith and started dabbling in paganism and even signed up with classes that pushed those …