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Do Egyptian transliterations confirm the Exodus account?

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In the speech that led to his martyrdom, Stephen stated that Moses was educated in all the wisdom of Egypt (Acts 7:22). This is to be expected, since the Bible records that he was raised in the Pharaoh’s court, where he would not only learn the ways of Egypt, but as well its language. But we also know that his Hebrew mother basically served as his nanny during his early years (Exodus 2:7–9). So, Moses would also be familiar with the Hebrew culture and religion, and perhaps even the Hebrew language. It is also generally believed that Moses was the author of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, as we find several references of Moses writing down events as they took place. 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.” (Exodus 7:14 NIV) 4 Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said. …

Justice vs forgiveness

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Several years back I stumbled upon a conversation a couple coworkers were having in the coffee room of the place I worked. One was asking the other who was a believer about a Bible discrepancy. How come the Old Testament talks eye for an eye and executing murderers and the New Testament talk about loving and forgiving everyone including our enemies, he wondered? These two commands seemed diametrically opposed to each other and from outward appearances a contradiction. It was a legitimate question. But we see the answer to this alleged contradiction in a recent story out of Alabama. On Thursday, July 28, 2022, Joe James was executed for murdering his ex-girlfriend, Faith Hall, in 1994. Faith, who was 26 at the time, had two daughters when she broke up with James after they had briefly gone out. James was found guilty and sentenced to death in Alabama for the senseless murder and 26 years later he had run out of appeals. But then a strange thing happened, Faith’s two daughters, now adults, petitioned the …

¿Por qué estás enojado con Dios?

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English: Why are you angry with God? Traducido por Belen Juarez Richter Estaba leyendo un artículo interesante en Denison Forum por Jay Richardson, pastor de la iglesia Bautista “Highland Colony” en la ciudad Ridgeland, Misisipi. Le pidieron que aconsejara a una mujer que estaba teniendo luchando espiritualmente. La mujer admitió que su vida espiritual se estaba derrumbando, ella no había orado por meses. Después de hablar con ella, Richardson se dio cuenta que la mujer estaba enojada con Dios. Cuando él mencionó esta posibilidad, ella lo negó, pero Richardson siguió presionando en el asunto. Finalmente la mujer admitió su enojo. Y Richardson le pudo aconsejar; ella debía decirle a Dios en oración que ella estaba enojada con Él, por supuesto, de forma respetuosa. Ella siguió el consejo se Richardson y unas semanas después, mientras estaba en un restaurante, el esposo de la mujer se acercó a Richardson y le agradeció por devolverle a su esposa. Necesitamos empezar a ser honestos con Dios en nuestras oraciones. Dios quiere que conversemos con Él y le digamos exactamente …

What Does the Bible Say About the End of the Age?

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By Dr. Michael L. Brown Let’s be brutally honest here. It would be arrogant and foolish to imagine that, in one short article, any of us could make a definitive statement about the Bible and the end times. After all, these issues have been debated for hundreds, if not thousands of years, and the debate continues to rage until this day. Plus, what Bible are we talking about? And what do we mean by the end of the age? Let’s answer those questions first. When talking about “the Bible,” I’ll be referring to the version of the Bible shared by the largest number of people, namely, the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament. Judaism accepts only the Hebrew Scriptures (called the Old Testament by Christians) as the Bible. And Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians accept the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Apocrypha as sacred Scripture. But all Christians agree on the Old and New Testament as being Scripture, so for simplicity’s sake, when we speak …

Honesty in prayer

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There has been a trend in recent years, largely due to the influence of the faith movement, that we need to declare faith and belief in the situations we face in our life. Some refer to this as ‘blab it and grab it’. Yet, I am beginning to wonder if we need less declarations of faith and more honesty in our prayer life. And we see that in the story of a man desperate to see his son healed of a demonic affliction. After Jesus took Peter, James and John up on the Mount of Transfiguration for a remarkable encounter with some Old Testament saints, a man approached the disciples who remained below asking for help for his son who was being plagued by an evil spirit (Mark 9: 14-29). However, the disciples were unable to deliver the boy, and when Jesus and the disciples came down the hill they encountered the commotion surrounding the failed deliverance. The man then approached Christ, pleading for help. First, he complained that the Lord’s disciples had been unable …

‘Without an excuse’: How God’s creation created doubts in atheists, causing them to become Christians

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While we watch atheists becoming emboldened in recent years in their attacks on Christianity, it can cause us to question our faith. But a verse in Romans has always puzzled me: 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[a] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20 ESV) People can have all the excuses they want on judgement day on why they didn’t believe in God, but in the end, the Apostle Paul states that everyone will be without excuse because of God’s creation. But I think this verse is suggesting more than just that, because it also means that the Holy Spirit uses creation to create secret doubts in the minds of those who claim to be atheists. And along this line, God Reports had testimonies on how two atheists became Christians because of their study of science. Mariah Jones confronted by God in second-year science classes The first story involves Mariah Jones, a …

What should we do about the homeless?

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We have a dangerous cult in our society, or possibly two working together. Have you met any homeless people lately? Mentally ill, drug addicts, and criminals; that is how most of us see homeless people. I live near a city center, and homeless people are being chased out of their usual neighborhoods by new construction. I think that is why so many are moving into our community. They come with shopping carts and tents, and they settle in public parks. One couple put their tent, and large amounts of personal property, in a corporate parking lot. Imagine coming to work in the morning, and your parking spot is occupied, by a family in a tent. The ‘personal property’ was probably salvaged from garbage bins. I think the problem is growing this summer because the weather is warm. Another driver of this issue is that people, who are not good personal managers, are being chased out of their homes by high costs. When rents go up and people are evicted, they look for a new place …

¿Qué significa orar con toda confianza?

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English: What does it mean to pray boldly? Traducido por Belen Juarez Richter En Hebreos 4:16, se nos anima a venir confiadamente al trono de la gracia cuando oramos, para obtener la ayuda que necesitamos. 16 Por tanto, acerquémonos con confianza al trono de la gracia para que recibamos misericordia, y hallemos gracia para la ayuda oportuna. (Hebreos 4:16 NBLA) Pero exactamente, ¿qué significa esto? ¿Cómo podemos orar confiadamente? Este versículo nos da dos claves vitales, para orar confiadamente.La primera, habla sobre conocer nuestra posición en Cristo. Hace algunos años, leí la historia de un cazador Inuit del norte de Canadá, se encontró con un cachorro de lobo abandonado y decidió llevarlo a la aldea. Inmediatamente se convirtió en la mascota favorita de la aldea, pero los perros de la aldea sabían que era un extraño y empezaron a maltratarle. Este cachorro continúo creciendo, en poco tiempo era más grande que todos los perros de la aldea, tanto en tamaño como en fuerza. El escritor recordaba como un día vio a un pequeño perro persiguiendo al …

Why is Ezekiel 38 trending on Twitter?

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Twitter exploded after photos emerged of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Iran’s Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. It was Putin’s first international visit since his invasion of Ukraine, and it was unmistakable that Putin was showing the world that he still has allies. Also in attendance was Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is trying to broker a deal that would end Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s ports, allowing needed grain shipments to leave. But it left Turkey looking like a Putin ally as well. However, the meeting also caught the attention of those studying Biblical end times events because it could be a precursor to fulfilling an infamous end times war, also called Armageddon, where several nations attacking Israel. This included Gog and Magog, Persia, Cush and Gomer, described in Ezekiel 38. Persia, of course, fits modern Iran, but there have been a few questions on who Gog and Magog described since it seems to be the major player in this war. Gog is the leader of this …

Reckless

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By Rick Renner

Many years ago, Denise and I took our sons to Rome for a study tour of the ancient world with a special emphasis on early Christian history. As we stood inside the great Roman Coliseum, we listened as our doctoral guide spoke to us at length about the barbarism and atrocities that were so loved and cheered by the Roman citizens who packed that great stadium nearly 2,000 years ago.

The impact of a godly wife: ‘I’ll never be mad at God’, Jim Breuer on the death of his wife, Dee

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Jim Breuer is a popular stand-up comic, musician, actor, radio host and podcaster. He became famous for playing Joe Pesci and the “Goat boy” on Saturday Night Live between 1995 and 1998. He has also had roles in several movies, including ‘Half Baked’. Jim married his wife Dee in 1993, and they have three daughters. I don’t know if Jim is a Christian, but his wife, Dee, certainly is, and she has had a profound impact on Jim. Dee, who was also a regular contributor on Jim’s podcast, The Breuniverse Podcast, was originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, which was successfully treated. However, in 2015 she was diagnosed with Lymph node cancer and doctors admitted there is nothing they can do. But even after her second diagnosis, Dee continued to join Jim on the podcast as she talked about her struggle with cancer. In a recent episode, Jim shared a conversation that he had with a friend and you can see Dee’s profound impact. The friend, a former actor on SNL, asked if Jim …

Former pro-life flight attendant successfully wins lawsuit over firing

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A jury has awarded, former Southwest Airlines flight attendant, Charlene Carter, $4.5 million from the airline, which Carter alleges had fired her because of pro-life beliefs. She also won $950,000 in punitive damages from Local 556 of the Transport Workers Union. When Carter started working for Southwest Airlines in 1996, she had to join the union. In 2013, she quit her union membership because it was supporting activities, such as abortion, that violated her beliefs as a Christian. It was also using Carter’s union dues to support political causes that Carter did not support. Though no longer a member, as part of her employment with Southwest, Carter was still required to pay union dues. The problem started in 2017 when Carter found out that several members of the union, including its president, Audrey Stone, were attending a woman’s march in Washington, DC, that was sponsored by several pro-abortion groups. Seeing her union dues being used in such a manner, Carter posted comments on social media indicating her pro-life position and as well criticizing Stone and …

“He trains my hands for war:” the Christian who started ‘Top Gun’

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In a fallen world, war is inevitable, and according to Jesus, ‘wars and rumors of wars’ will be one of the signs that we have entered the end times. But in the Book of Psalms, King David made a couple of intriguing statements about war. He stated that God actually trained his hands and fingers for battle and even helped subdue his enemies. Blessed be the LORD my Rock,Who trains my hands for war,And my fingers for battle—My lovingkindness and my fortress,My high tower and my deliverer,My shield and the One in whom I take refuge,Who subdues my people under me. (Psalm 144:1-2 ESV) The Hebrew word for train, ‘lâmad’, speaks of repeated exercises to attain skill. It speaks of a goad, a sharp stick, being repeatedly used to guide and train an ox. The finger training undoubtedly referred to learning how to use the bow, being able to quickly grab the next arrow, and redraw the string. A properly trained bowman could unleash six arrows in a minute. And in Psalms 18:2 and 34, King …

This is so boring; until they come for us

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Are you familiar with the term “World View”? I usually click on something else, when I hear that in the news. This is one of those sleeper topics, that we ignore, and we pay a price later. The commentator with Fox News, Tucker Carlson, has been speaking about this, recently. He believes that Christians will be attacked because of different world views. He is correct, and we should know what he is saying. Let’s analyze: When you saw the words “Tucker Carlson” and “Fox News” you had an opinion, probably. You were either happy or unhappy. U.S. politics are very polarized, these days. If you didn’t feel anything, you might be Canadian. That is a picture of a worldview. We make small decisions and they grow into an orientation. The small things that we decide make us into the people that we are, they give us a world view. So, with a world view, you admire one person from one news source, or you have strong feelings the other way and you don’t like him. …

Ten stories from this week

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Here are a ten news stories, that caught my attention, this past week. Prophetic word about draft, fulfilled in the very last pick in 2021 NFL draft Grant Stuard was an all-conference linebacker while playing for the University of Houston. His dad was in prison several times and his drug-addict mother worked strip clubs to feed her habit, leaving Grant to raise his four siblings. There had been hints he would be drafted in the 2021 NFL draft, and a friend even gave a prophetic word, that this would happen. But Grant was losing hope by the time the seventh and final round of the draft started. But Grant was picked by the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the very last pick of the draft. READ: NFL’s Last Draft Pick Sees His Blessing Movie director encourages Chris Pratt to ‘keep standing for Jesus’ Andrew Erwin, who has directed films such as American Underdog and Moms’ Night Out, took to Instagram to support Hollywood actor, Chris Pratt, after he was criticized for sharing that his faith …

A Friendly Word to My ‘Cautiously Charismatic’ Colleagues

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By Dr. Michael L. Brown In recent years, I have heard Christian leaders describe themselves as “open but cautious” when it comes to the gifts and power of the Spirit for today, including tongues and prophecy and healing. Others have described themselves as “charismatics with seatbelts.” But is that really a biblical position to hold? Is it a healthy spiritual perspective? To speak directly to my “cautiously charismatic” colleagues, are you “open but cautious” when it comes to following Jesus? Or believing God’s Word? Or giving yourself to the Great Commission? Or loving God? Why, then, when it comes to the gifts and power of the Spirit for today are you “open but cautious”? When it comes to your overall devotion to the Lord, do you wear those same seatbelts? Or do you wear them when you get alone with God in prayer? Or when you engage in corporate worship? Or when you share the gospel with the lost? Why put those seatbelts on only when it comes to the things of the Spirit? I …

Poll reveals growing intolerance to Christianity in America

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Jesus warned His disciples that they would face times of trouble (John 16:33), and the Lord purposefully did this, so they could prepare their hearts beforehand on how they would deal with it. And then the Lord added in the midst of it, they could still find peace in Christ because He had conquered the world. It is advice that we need to heed today, as we are witnessing an increasing intolerance to Christianity in America, confirmed in a recent poll conducted by Lifeway in the first two weeks of September 2021. The poll found that 59% of Americans believe that there is an increasing intolerance to Christianity, and of those, 24% strongly agreed. For the remainder, only 32% said there wasn’t, while 18% said they weren’t sure. Of course, it was most noticed by those who are on the receiving end of this intolerance, as those with a Christian affiliation, 69% of Protestants and 59% of Catholics, believed this intolerance was growing. It was particularly noticed by those who have greater respect for the …

The key to optimism

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A recent study conducted by several researchers from Canada and the U.S. has concluded that optimists live longer, the Washington Post reports. The study came to this conclusion after tracking 160,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79 for 26 years. At the beginning of the study, the women completed a self-analysis that measured their optimism, with those scoring the highest considered optimists and those on the lower end of the scale, pessimists. In 2019, the researchers then conducted a follow-up study with those who were still alive and also determined the ages at which the remainder had died. While accounting for other factors that contribute to a longer life span, such as economic well-being and ethnicity, the researchers found that those who scored high on the optimist scale lived longer than those who didn’t. Optimists were also more likely to live into their nineties, which the researchers described as ‘exceptional longevity” considering the average life span for women in their study was 83 years. Another study, conducted by researchers from Rochester University in …

Televangelist Creflo Dollar retracts his teaching on tithing

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It was a surprising admission from one of the church’s more popular televangelists, Creflo Dollar, when he publically stated that he was wrong about tithing earlier this month. Creflo pastors Christian World Changers Church International, based in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. He has become known as a prosperity preacher, basically, the more people give, the more God will bless them. Of course, tithing was the main part of his message. Over the years, Creflo has come under criticism for what people describe as a lavish lifestyle, that included several homes and a private jet. But in a recent sermon, entitled The Great Misunderstanding, Creflo basically stated that his teaching on tithing was wrong. He told his congregation: “… I will say that I have no shame at all at saying to you throw away every book, every tape, and every video, I ever did on the subject of tithing, unless it lines up with this (held up his Bible).” “So why is this important? Because religion is sustained by two factors, fear and guilt. …

Deconversion: Do you want to quit?

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I have deconverted. As a boy, I was raised in a strict religious family, and I knew exactly how to behave. I was not a rebellious boy, and I tried to follow the rules. Sometimes I failed, but usually, I lived to the standard of a good boy. The technical word for my religious experience is “sectarian.” I was not raised in anything like a controlling “cult.” I had one problem with my religion. It wasn’t mine. I didn’t feel the need to make a decision; I only had to conform. As I grew older, I had a faint nagging sense of doubt. Something kept telling me that I wasn’t being me. I was the person other people wanted me to be. If you want to know where this ended, I found my own way. I liked the idea of following Jesus, so I did that. I didn’t like just following the restrictions and rules of other people, so I found a new church and some new friends. I am still learning to be strong, …

Cofounder of South African Satanic Church turns to Christ after experiencing God’s love

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One of the co-founders of the South African Satanic Church (SASC), Riaan Swiegelaar, has renounced his involvement in Satanism and become a Christian, CBN reports. Swiegelaar made the announcement in a video posted on Facebook on July 4, 2022, after several people asked why he had left Satanism. Swiegelaar said: “I’m doing this live video because many, more than 100 people, on WhatsApp and almost 200 on Facebook, are sending me messages wanting to know why did I leave the South African Satanic Church as well as why did I turn my back on Satanism.” Swiegelaar, who was involved in Christian ministry decades earlier, had left the ministry, become an atheist and later found himself drawn to Satanism. In his video, which has been viewed over 212,000 times, Swiegelaar explained what happened: “I got involved with Satanism because at the time it resonated with me, being very broken and sad without realizing it. I think the reason a lot of people resonate with Satanism is they come from a very broken place. I have met …

Granger Smith’s wife, Amber, speaks of her need to forgive others for hurtful comments

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Granger Smith, 43, is a country music singer, songwriter, who also goes by the name of Earl Dribbles Jr. He had a number one hit in 2016, Backroad Song and another, If the Boot Fits, was a top ten hit in 2017. In 2010, he married his wife, Amber. But in 2019, the family was struck with tragedy when their three-year-old son, River Kelly, drowned at the family home. Amber, 40, recently share an Instagram Post of people who are still condemning and blaming her three years later for their son’s death. It started after Amber commented on the post of another woman, whose child had also apparently died. “All of us mamas who know this pain have been praying so hard for your family,” Amber wrote. “We are all rallying around you and are here for you. Light will come from the dark. He is working. Bless you for blessing others in your deepest hurt. Sending all our love.” After she posted that comment, the condemnation about her son’s death started pouring in. One …

Hints of the digital age in end times prophecy

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As we read of the Biblical end times, we see hints scattered through the prophecies of the modern digital age we are living in today. When the angel of the Lord delivered a prophetic message to Daniel about the end times, God’s messenger said these prophecies would be sealed until the end of the age that would be marked by a rapid increase in knowledge: 4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” (Daniel 12:4 ESV) Even Sir Isaac Newton, a 17th century scientist who studied the end times prophecies, suggested that there would need to be an increase in technology to fulfill the events he saw taking place in the end times. One example include the death of the two prophets of God, who had tormented the world, in the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John’s vision of end-times events. John saw that when the beast killed the two prophets, people from every tribe and …

Evolution: Do we have to believe?

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We all know Charles Darwin, but have you heard about Darwin’s doubts? Apparently, Charles Darwin, with his theory of evolution, expected scientists to find evidence that proved his theory. He did not know how some parts of evolution occurred, but he expected the evidence to be found. Now, we have skeptics, who want to change Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. Darwin lived and worked during the 1800s when religion was important and powerful. His famous book “On the Origin of Species” was published in 1859, and the world has never been the same. Religious people don’t like a theory that claims life is an accident, with no God to create it. Atheists see Darwin’s theory as settled or established science, and as proof that they are correct. For them, God did not create life, and they believe there is no God. It all fits for them. For believers, Darwin is a problem. Settled or established science means we really can’t question the ideas; they are accepted as facts by reputable scientists. I used to work in …

Christian News: Chris Pratt, the Christian Taliban, Jane’s Revenge, Ex Mafia boss, exorcisms on the upswing, NHLer Josh Manson, Canadian military chaplains, and a mother’s prayer

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Here is a brief round-up of some Christian news this past week: Christ Pratt talks about religion Hollywood actor Chris Pratt found himself in a bit of controversy this past week, when in an interview with Men’s Health, Pratt said that he was not religious, but added that he had a relationship with God. “I think there’s a distinction between being religious — adhering to the customs created by man, oftentimes appropriating the awe reserved for who I believe is a very real God — and using it to control people, to take money from people, to abuse children, to steal land, to justify hatred. Whatever it is,” Pratt explained. When asked if he attended Hillsong, which has found itself in a pile of controversy recently, Pratt said he attended Zoe Church in Los Angeles. READ: ‘I’m Not a Religious Person’: Chris Pratt Addresses Online Backlash Concerning His Faith Facebook labels Jane’s Revenge a terrorist group? According to Life Site News, Facebook has labeled Jane’s Revenge a terrorist group and given it, Facebook’s strictest Tier …

I Want to Be a Torch

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Speaking of John the Baptizer, Jesus said, “He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light” (John 5:35). That’s my heart as well. I want to be a burning and shining lamp. I want to be a torch! In the words of Smith Wigglesworth, “O, if God had His way, we should be like torches, purifying the very atmosphere wherever we go, moving back the forces of wickedness.”

An explosion of rage over too much mayo?

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I am not sure how much a Subway sandwich costs in Atlanta, Georgia, and of course, the price varies depending on the size and type, but I am guessing around $8.00. And a subway employee was shot to death and another injured requiring emergency surgery when a customer became enraged and opened fire after an employee put too much mayo on a sub. In an interview with Fox News, the Subway manager, Willie Glenn said “Believe it or not, it was about too much mayonnaise on his sandwich. He decided to escalate the situation and from there that’s when all hell broke loose.” The police have not caught the person responsible for the murder. Though the mayo triggered the violence, it was not the cause, because whole people do not kill someone over an $8 mistake.. I suspect that the person responsible walked into that subway carrying grudges, and by his reaction, I am guessing a mountain of offenses. It reminds me of the story of the King who called for an audit of his …

Some lessons on spiritual warfare

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Since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade and returned the authority for abortions to state legislatures, there have been dozens of reactions by pro-abortionists that included throwing Molotov cocktails at pro-life centers. READ: Wisconsin anti-abortion group targeted in Molotov cocktail arson attack: police But perhaps the most revealing involved a group of Satanists and witches who launched spiritual attacks against a group of believers who had gathered to pray for peace across America outside the US Supreme Court after the ruling. These attacks included summoning demonic forces to come against those who were praying. Mike Staver, the CEO of Liberty Counsel, a Christian legal nonprofit that was actually a part of the court case that saw Roe vs Wade overturned, described the scene. “Black-robed men and women began arriving on the scene, screaming obscenities over the prayers,” Staver reported. “A pro-abortion demonstrator brought a wagon carrying a large boom box blaring satanic ‘music’ and noise. A woman walked right up to our podium and stood next to the pro-life speaker.” “Every time the pro-lifer spoke, …