All posts filed under: Main

For An Opportunist, There is No Truth

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You might know the story of Galileo Galilei, the Italian astronomer, sometimes called the father of modern astronomy. He discovered ‘Heliocentrism’ which means the Earth revolves around the Sun, and not the other way around. For this, he was tried and condemned by the Inquisition of the Roman Catholic Church, forced to repent of his sin, and placed under house arrest for life. RELATED: Galileo Galilei: Wikipedia It turns out he was correct, but his research interfered with the powers of his time and place. Truth was less important than the opportunity to gain and hold power. This happened at the time of the Protestant Reformation, and it’s one of the reasons why we have Protestants today. Clever people moved north to Protestant regions, and initially research and industry were mostly in the northern parts of Europe, in countries like Germany and Sweden; the wealthy countries, today. That was a big mistake for the Catholic Church, and they are still embarrassed. The story of Galileo is also a warning to us today, especially religious believers …

The Armour of Perfection

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I still find myself afraid to make a mistake. I don’t like looking foolish or weak in the eyes of others and in the end I find myself lost in a forest of perfection, feeling small, insignificant and unworthy as I look at people who have their act together. For so long the message of the world has been that doing everything right will make you happy and that true happiness lies in doing and saying the right thing all the time.  As Koren Motekaitis says, “Chasing perfection is exhausting” because we think the approval of others will make us feel better about ourselves. It won’t, because we can never be perfect. The opposite is what happens though, shame shows up when we make a mistake and fall short of our hopes to be truly loved and accepted. It puts us under pressure to be someone we are not. We work so hard at not being judged by others and end up feeling worse instead of better as we fall short again and again. We …

From deep water to joy

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When I work with people who have gone through deep waters – whose life experience includes trauma that overwhelmed their resilience and robbed them of their ability to cope – I sometimes recall my own traumatic journey and the path I took to wellness. From that journey, I learned to embrace joy – not the faux emotion we sometimes confuse with happiness, but the deep, abiding awareness that even in the midst of the worst of life experience, it is possible to align your spirit with the God who is the source of all that is good and glorious in the universe. Joy is to happiness as celebration is to gratitude. And it is in that realization that I gained an insight into one of the most essential and consequential truths of mental wellness – a realization that has made me a far more effective therapist. It has long been a mainstay of mental health treatment to encourage those suffering from depression to cultivate and foster an “attitude of gratitude” – to identify those things …

Does Pinterest have a secret anti-Christian bias?

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If you are a Christian using the social media site, Pinterest, to post inspiring messages and even Bible verses, you may want to consider another social media alternative. With over 290 million monthly users, Pinterest is a popular social media site that allows users to use photos or images and to a lesser extent videos and gifs to communicate to other users and followers. Founded in 2009, Christians have used Pinterest to create colorful images displaying Bible verses and inspirational quotes, many of which end up on other social media sites such as Facebook. But Pinterest is also based in California, where other similarly-based social media sites are being accused of having an anti conservative and anti Christian bias. And according to a recent expose by Project Veritas, it seems that Pinterest has joined that mob. On the organization’s Youtube Channel, Project Veritas’ founder James O’Keefe explains its mission this way: “The mission of Project Veritas is to investigate and expose corruption, dishonesty, self-dealing, waste, fraud, and other misconduct in both public and private institutions …

What are the odds? 1 in 7,000 chance asteroid will hit earth in September, 2019

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I don’t like these odds. But the European Space Agency (ESA) is reporting that there is a one in 7,000 chance, an asteroid the size of the football field will hit earth on September 9, 2019. The ESA maintain a list of asteroids posing the greatest threat to earth, and this asteroid is fourth on ESA’s list of the most concerning asteroids. There was no mention of the odds of the top three asteroids slamming into the earth. The asteroid known as 2006 QV89, estimated to be 164 feet (49 meters) in diameter, was first discovered in August, 2006 and according to ESA’s computer model, it will pass within 4.2 million miles of earth in early September. There is of course a margin of error leading to the odds. Unfortunately, this list is only made up of the known asteroids. Though space agencies are tracking asteroids, they are not aware of all of them. The asteroid that exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk in February, 2013 was a complete shock. In fact, space agencies …

Whose Story is it Anyway?

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Over the years I listened to more than a few testimonies. In Christian circles these are simply stories about what God did in our lives. A while back, as in a long time ago before we had running water and electricity, I had a job as a Family Worker. This meant that Fridays were court days. I would testify to a family’s ability to care for their own children.  This was not as much fun as one would think. The connection is not that being a Christian preacher is way more fun. The connection is that both require one thing to be credible and valid. Both require the truth. Jesus said the truth will set you free. In court, no matter how hurtful the consequences of my testimony were to the parents, I had to tell the truth. If I didn’t tell the truth and the judge made a decision even partly based on what I said the family could be torn apart or a child could be put in harm’s way. Telling the truth …

God Spoke To Me The Other Day

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I truly believe that the great voice of God, in this world, is in the Bible. That’s where we find a clear message, giving us direction for our lives. That source has always been good for me. It’s also true that God can send things into our lives with a clear message. In my experience, these ‘experience’ messages are easy to ignore, or dismiss, but they point us to something important, if we are willing to listen. So, I have a new job, in a new city. Everything is new for me, and for the people I work with. I do driver evaluations and those who are successful move forward to something new that makes them happy. They shake my hand and thank me, or cry. I really enjoy my new circumstances, and so do the clients. It’s happiness and a new chapter in life, for everyone. I like living in all this new and positive energy. The other day, I started work by evaluating a route. It’s important to ensure that the route will …

Are you infected with the ‘disease to please’?

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There are many physical diseases in this world and in the spiritual realm there is one particular disease that will kill, destroy and eat you up in a very short time. The ‘disease to please’ ruled my life for many years and if I have learned anything, repeatedly putting the wants and needs of others before my own leads to spiritual death that sucks the joy and peace right out of you. Why? Because many of us misunderstand what Christ meant when He said “deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me.” Somewhere along the way our minds twisted the truth of Christ’s words. And as we misinterpret Christ’s command to deny ourselves an infection sets in, and we easily fall into the trap of gaining peoples’ approval through our actions. The infection is called people-pleasing. We start to believe that other people matter more than we do and that we are to live humble, service-orientated lives because what we want doesn’t matter. Geri Scazzero is a pastor’s wife and in her book …

Why am I so anxious?

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“Do not be anxious for anything,” the Bible says (Philippians 4:6). As a psychotherapist, I regularly deal with people with serious and debilitating anxiety. And I know that simply deciding to not be anxious doesn’t work. Anxiety is the product of changes in one’s brain and autonomic nervous system as a result of trauma. And trauma is a life event that overwhelms a person’s emotional capacity and understanding. Traumatic response is marked by these characteristics: Submerged memory as the brain blocks you from again being overwhelmed; Emotional dysregulation as the brain blocks access to executive brain functions responsible for regulating how we feel and respond to stress; and Difficulty forming attachments and, sometimes, disassociation. Anxiety is what a person experiences when these characteristics are inadequate to deal with traumatic memories or new stress experiences. Anxiety is experienced emotionally, psychologically, and somatically (in the body). It is a state of readiness to either respond with aggression (fight) or by fleeing or avoiding the situation (flight). Anxiety is living in the expectation that the immediate future is …

An angel unaware, maybe, but definitely God’s protection

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CBN recently reported on the incredible rescue of missionaries ministering in Haiti?  Some wonder if an angel was involved. Probably not, but at the very least it was divine intervention. The economic collapse of Venezuela due to its Marxist policies has severely impacted Haiti. For years, the country has benefited from low cost gas from Venezuela, but with its own economic collapse Venezuela stopped those shipments last year resulting in Haiti’s gas price shooting up by over 50%. Haitians took to the streets protesting the increase and since then there has been a growing unrest as warlords and gangs have set no go zones in the country. But that hadn’t stopped missionaries from Living Waters Ministries from continuing their work in some of the more dangerous areas of Haiti. Led by Fred Chalker, the ministry was building a community center at a location outside Port-au-Prince and was transporting supplies and computers to the center with two vehicles. As they drove down the road, they encountered over 100 armed Haitian men, many with guns, who had …

Should we pray for President Donald Trump?

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When US President Donald Trump showed up unannounced at McLean Bible Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia this past weekend, David Platt, who pastors the mega church took the opportunity lay hands on the President and pray for him. Trump was visiting the community because of the recent shootings that resulted in the death of 12 people and came to the church on Sunday morning. Before he prayed, Pratt cited the passage in 1 Timothy where Paul exhorts believers to pray for those in authority including Kings. 2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (2 Timothy 2:1-2 ESV) Platt prayed for Trump for over two minutes and in his article, Todd Starnes provides a written record of what Platt prayed, saying in part: And we know, we need Your mercy. We need Your grace, we need Your help, we need Your wisdom …

"And the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, 'You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.'” (Luke 3:22 NASV) Credit: David Campbell/Flickr/Creative Commons

Tongue Tied?

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The Holy Spirit is an active member of the Trinity and is known by many names– each one an attribute or symbolic of a gift or activity. This article looks at when and how to receive the Holy Spirit. On the surface this seems simple enough right? I mean we all know when we receive the Holy Spirit just like we all know when we are saved.  But as in most things simple, there can be controversy. You know we can all have an opinion about anything. But as Christians we have to look at the Bible as our truth.  Even when we are right, we need to base our truth on the Word. So what does the Bible say when you receive the Holy Spirit? Some people believe you receive the Holy Spirit the instant you believe in Jesus Christ. Here are some Bible verses for that perspective. Roman 8:9 and Ephesians 1: 13-14 are used to back the idea that we receive the Holy Spirit when we first believe. Perhaps Acts 10:44 can …

Did God Evolve?

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Evolutionists sometimes discuss the function of the appendix. What is the purpose of that small thing in our body, and why did it evolve? A similar topic is; why do we have religion, the worship of God? Religion is like a spiritual appendix, we can’t explain why it evolved, but it seems to be in everyone. Recently, a writer for the BBC commented on the development, or evolution of religion, among humans. RELATED: Do humans have a religion instinct? If we start with the belief that the universe started from energy, with a “Big Bang” explosion, and then life emerged through some natural accident, the most advanced species today is a large ape, us. If you believe, you will see. We can picture apes in a tree with a sense that something in the world is bigger than them. After millions of years of evolution, that vague sense of something could become a god that we worship. If people are the result of evolution, so is God. In the article, this evolution of religious thought …

The Temple Mount in Jerusalem Credit: David Ortmann/Flickr/Creative Commons

Quería Dios que el rey David construyera un templo?

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English: Did God want King David to build a temple? En su sermón que en última instancia condujo a su martirio, Estevan sabía que estaba hablando a una multitud hostil, y justo antes de su muerte el questionó la construcción del templo: 46 Y David[a] halló gracia delante de Dios, y pidió el favor de hallar una morada para el Dios[b] de Jacob. 47 Pero fue Salomón quien le edificó una casa. 48 “Sin embargo, el Altísimo no habita en casas hechas por manos de hombres; como dice el profeta: (Hechos 7: 46-48 NBLH) Estevan dijo que el templo estaba hecho de manos humanas y no era donde Dios habitaba. Estevan se refería al hecho de que el templo en los días de Jesús fue pagado y construido por el reprobado rey Herodes? O estaba hablando Estevan sobre el hecho del Arca de la Alianza en la que vivía la presencia de Dios había desaparecido siglos atrás y el Santo de los Santos en el templo de Herodes estaba vacio? O estaba hablando de otra cosa? Había tres estructuras …

I saw a warrior charging on his horse

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“The Lord will go forth like a mighty man, He will rouse up His zealous indignation and vengeance like a warrior; He will cry, yes, He will shout aloud, He will do mightily against His enemies.” (Isaiah 42:13) I have been hesitant to share what I experienced during a time of intercession recently. Over the years my friend, Linda, and I have gone to the park surrounding our provincial legislature to pray and intercede for the things the Lord has impressed upon us. Prophetic acts have become a part of these times of intercession for our city, province and nation. We have planted seeds of faith, struck a sword in the ground, worshiped with flags and music and more. The beautiful park that surrounds the legislative buildings also includes a lake at its center.  The park also has monuments, fountains and beautiful flowers landscaping the area. We have prayed in this park many times over the years, when we have felt a call to pray into a season or events with scripture verses and declarations. …

The difference between guilt and shame

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As a mental health professional, I’m often asked the difference between guilt and shame. Guilt is “I did something wrong.” Shame is “I am what is wrong.” Guilt is “I violated a norm, a societal expectation, or a requirement set out by God.” Shame is “I am at my core without any worth.” Guilt originates from selfishness or self-centredness. Shame originates from trauma, from life experiences that overwhelm one’s emotional and mental capacity. Guilt requires forgiveness, restitution to those who have been harmed, and a decision of your will to change the guilty behaviour. Shame requires a reorientation of one’s brain to align itself with what is true. Guilt wears a person down. Shame destroys what it means to be a unique person who can enter into the joy of their relationship with a loving God. Guilt points a person to what needs to change in his/her life. Shame prevents a person from wanting to change because of a core belief that s/he doesn’t deserve wellness and normalcy. I deal daily with people who are …

Apparently, we are supposed to be different

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My wife and I had a good laugh at the pharmacy recently. We own a 14-year-old cock-a-poo called Sugar. Convenient for her, Sugar is mostly deaf in her old age, so when we yell at her to get out of the garbage, she is blissfully unaware and continues to chomp down. Her deafness gives her at least a few more seconds to continue whatever annoying thing she is doing. Don’t get me wrong, Sugar has been a great dog, but in the end she is still a dog and will do what dogs do. But recently she has been having some health problems, an unusually persistent cough. Though my wife disagrees, I think we spent more money at the vet than we should have, and Sugar was diagnosed with an inflammation in her throat. The dog doctor prescribed a bout of Prednisone, an anti-inflammatory, and as well medication to stop the coughing. The vet told my wife that we would need to pick up that second drug at a human pharmacy, as she emailed the …

The theology of diversity and inclusiveness?

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I was a bit stunned after reading a report on CBN that a psychic had been hired to minister at a church in Atlanta Georgia. The woman functions as a medium and claims to consult with the dead. On the surface, this would seem little different than a United Church in Canada hiring an atheist to pastor one of its churches in Toronto, Ontario. Except there is one big difference. The United Church is a Liberal denomination that no longer embraces the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Many congregations have become little more than social clubs. Though the denomination initially challenged her hiring, in the name of “diversity” it eventually relented and allowed the atheist to continue as pastor. However, if you read the theological beliefs of The Vision Church of Atlanta who hired this psychic, they look evangelical. They believe in the deity of Christ and that Jesus died and physically rose again from the dead for the sins of the world. They believe a person is justified by their faith in Christ and …

What’s Your Problem?

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From a Christian perspective the number one problem in the world is sin. But what does that mean? If this is true should the world be worried? How do I know if sin is in my life? It is at this point that most Christians give a pat answer as we explain all about Adam and Eve and the first sin and God’s grand design that culminates in Jesus’ victory at the cross and resurrection. But here’s the problem with that. It’s true. It is true but not heard because it is a hard message to receive. When I tell someone they are a sinner, but they believe they are essentially good and can point to all the good things they do, it does not compute for them. How unfair it would be, they reason, for God to have me born with original sin. Would a loving God actually have innocent babies born with sin? This doesn’t make sense. Much of what God does, does not make sense to us Christians so how much more …

Does God Do Parking Lots?

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A few days ago, we went to Costco on a busy shopping day. That store can be busy and parking is often two blocks away on an industrial road, if the lot is full. Just when I was about to drive away, some people walked to their car and drove away. Right in front of me, they left the best parking lot on the site, the one closest to the door. I snagged that valuable real estate quickly, before any other vultures could slide in. That made my shopping trip so much better. Did God do that for me? Does God do parking lots? In that same week, we had a failed tea kettle. It was one of those glass sided appliances with glowing lights; and we use it every day. It started leaking water, so I looked for a new one. The best deals were on the Internet, and they were not good deals. If I paid a high price and waited about a week, I could eventually get a new appliance to boil …

Stepping out of the swamp of shame

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Guilt and shame are emotions we deal with all the time and it is wise for us to understand the difference between the two. Guilt can have a positive influence in our lives. When we feel guilty about what we are doing it motivates us to change. It encourages us to reconcile with those we have hurt or offended. There is also a redemptive quality as we seek God’s forgiveness. But shame is different. It does not want to change you; it wants to beat you down. It keeps bringing up your failures and weaknesses again and again. Its sole goal is to humiliate you. Shame tries to define who you are. Even after we have asked God to forgive us, shame keeps shaking our sin and failure in front of us. Unlike God, it doesn’t want you to forget your past, because it is screaming in our face how bad we are. Shame isolates us and keeps us hooked up with feelings of being unworthy or never good enough. We believe there has always …

The new Babylon?

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In 597 BC, the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Judah and part of his strategy involved removing defeated peoples from their homeland and transporting them to other regions of the empire. It was thought if they were living in another area of the world there would be less incentive to rebel and try to reclaim their country. And for the most part that was probably true. Part of this process also involved bringing the best and brightest of the conquered nations into Babylon where they were trained in the ways of Babylon. These young leaders were undoubtedly expected to influence Jews now in captivity. Initially, these men including Daniel were allowed to practice their faith and eat the foods approved under the Mosaic law. However, things took a dramatic change when Nebuchadnezzar constructed a giant statue and required everyone to bow down and worship it, under the threat of a fiery death if they didn’t obey. When three of Daniel’s friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) refused to compromise their faith in Jehovah by bowing to another …

Poster child of human evolution gets debunked, again

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Evolutionists have often flung the human appendix in people’s faces harping it is a vestigial organ and evidence of human evolution. The theory goes that certain organs of the human body, that were necessary in the early stages of human evolution, became unnecessary as man evolved. But they still remained part of human anatomy and serve as little more than left overs of our evolutionary past. According to evolutionists, the appendix perfectly fits this description as they believed it no longer had a function in modern humans. However, their poster child has taken a beating in recent years as researchers discovered the appendix has an important role in the health of modern humans. In a major study involving over 62 million people, researchers at Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio) and Cleveland Medical Center discovered that the appendix seems to play a critical role in stopping Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s affects a person’s central nervous system and over time, it increasingly impacts an individual’s motor functions resulting in increased shaking, walking difficulty and rigidness. The research …

It’s not strange: Daystar’s Jerusalem studio firebombed

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On Saturday morning, May 18, 2019, an arsonist firebombed Daystar’s studios located in Jerusalem destroying most of its facility. Founded in the US in 1993 by Marcus Lamb, Daystar is the second largest Christian TV network in the world with over 70 TV stations in the US. In 2004, it moved into satellite broadcasting and is reaching over a 100 countries. Daystar was in the final stage of a major renovation of its studio when it was attacked. Security cameras showed a person climbing to the top of the building around 2:30 in the morning, and a short time later, there was an explosion and a fire that destroyed much of the new studio, including its control room and equipment, and remaining facility. Daystar’s studio is located in Abu Tor, a mixed Jewish/Muslim section of Old Jerusalem. Police speculate there may be a religious motivation behind the attack since it happened during Ramadan, Islam’s holy month, and in addition to being Christian, the station is pro Israel. A second theory has also surfaced involving an …

The struggle to choose the right path. Credit: James Wheeler/Flickr/Creative Commons

Why do I second guess myself?

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Dear Andy Every time I make a decision I doubt myself.  I have very little confidence in myself and many decisions I made have been disastrous.  What can I do to feel more confident and to make better decisions? There are many reasons why someone lacks confidence in their decisions. First I would look at the evidence. No one makes all the right decisions all the time. Perhaps you are focusing on the ones that had less than stellar results. Perhaps there is a history of poor decision making. Many people can be very adept at making decisions in some areas of their lives but not in other areas. For example, a business person might make wise decisions regarding finances or planning for the future but make poor ones regarding dating or relationships. If you are like this, then your focus needs to change from the poor decisions and towards the good decisions you made. Look at the difference between the two. Try to find common themes with the good ones. For example, perhaps they …

Have We Ended the War Between Religion and Science?

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I remember a sermon in church, when I was a boy. I don’t remember the whole sermon, but I clearly remember a dignified and stern preacher telling us about the “fool-osophers” in our universities. I felt sorry for any philosopher in the building. I have also met educated people, who believe in science and think religion is for idiots. When I was a student in a university, I learned that one of my favorite profs was a Christian and a leader in a well-known religious denomination. One day, I was in his office talking about my course work, and I told him the name of the church that I attended. I expected him to be friendly, but he didn’t smile. I could see anger in his face and he said “Oh, so you’re a literalist.” I didn’t know what that word “literalist” meant, but I felt the sneer; like someone was swearing at me. That conversation ended quickly, and I avoided him and his classes after that. So, is there any way that science and …

Happy Mother’s Day or not?

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Are you like my sister who recently posted that she celebrates Mother’s Day the day after when all the hype, cards and running around has settled down?  Truly Mother’s Day for many is the day after. Apparently, the woman who first started Mother’s Day, Anna Jarvis, did it as a memorial ceremony to honor her mother and all mothers at Andrew’s Methodist Episcopal Church on May 10, 1908. After hearing about this, in 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother’s Day as a national holiday to honor mothers on the second Sunday in May. In the end, Jarvis resented the commercialization that quickly surrounded the Mother’s Day celebration and spent the latter part of her life trying to remove it from the calendar. For my sister, who lost a son to suicide 15 years ago, Mother’s Day is a day for her to just get through. I know she struggles with feelings of inadequacy, guilt and shame that try to wrap themselves around her at times. For many, when Mother’s Day rolls around we …

English survey reveals marriage is an important key to happiness

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Think money is the answer to all your problems, then think again. According to a survey by England’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), people living in England believe marriage is one of the important keys to happiness. For the past eight years, ONS has conducted a annual survey asking people what makes them happy. They are asked to rank answers to several questions on a scale of one to ten rating their sense of fulfillment, life satisfaction and whether they considered their life worthwhile on a variety of issues. For the past several years, jobs and economic security was one the strongest indicators of happiness and well-being ahead of marriage, but ONS reported a significant change in the past year that showed marriage has now pulled ahead. In the survey conducted between 2017 and 2018, marriage came in second behind a person’s health. According to the survey, married couples are expressing a 9.9% higher life satisfaction over widows and widowers and 8.8% higher satisfaction than those who are separated or divorced. So how did singles …

Iran’s intelligence minister warns about the spread of Christianity in that country

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One thing can be certain, the Iranian Intelligence minister, Mahmoud Alavi, undoubtedly understated what is really going on in his country. According to Iranwire, Alavi recently called a meeting of Shia Clerics to discuss a growing problem of people converting to Christianity in Iran. There are two main branches of Muslims, Sunni and Shia. The basic difference between the two groups is that Shia believes the leader of Islam must be a direct descendant of Muhammad, while the Sunni do not believe this is necessary. Iran is primarily Shia in belief. Alavi told the group: “Christianity is spreading in part of Iran.” He then explains why Iranians are becoming Christians. Basically, Muslims are tiring of the violence they are witnessing first-hand in Islam. Alavi said: “We had no choice but to summon them to ask them why they were converting. Some of them said they were looking for a religion that gives them peace. We told them that Islam is the religion of brotherhood and peace. They responded by saying that: ‘All the time we …

Why did Sir Isaac Newton predict world would end in 2060 AD?: Podcast #19

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PODCAST NOTES: Hi my name is Dean Smith and in this podcast we ask the question, why did Sir Isaac Newton predict the world would end around 2060 AD? If you were driving through the US in 2011, a strange thing was taking place. Billboards were popping up around the country broadcasting that the rapture of Christ was going to take place on May 21, 2011 and that would be judgment day for everyone else. It was part of an elaborate campaign with an estimated budget of around $5 million undertaken by Family Radio, a popular Christian ministry based in California. It was broadcasting the prediction of its founder Harold Camping. When the event did not take place, an embarrassed Camping readjusted his date, stating that May 21 was the spiritual judgment and that the actual judgment would now take place a few months later on October 21. Of course, it didn’t happen then either. After his predictions fell apart, the atheists and secularists used it to mock Christianity. Time Magazine joined in and included …

Be different not divisive

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I lived in many places and I traveled a fair bit. Divisions are everywhere. Rural people are different than urban people. Rich people are different than poor people. West coast people are different than prairie people. Add in different ethnics and you have a whole lot of differences. Now what do we do? We’re not all the same. Or are we? Ever notice your neighbors? They’re not like you! Some of our neighbors look like us and act like us, but we’re all different. I lived in some areas in which everybody looked and acted the same. I now live in a more diverse area in which people act different from one another. Here is the famous Andy life equation that you never heard about because I just made it up. Difference does not equal division. This changes everything! Think about your own family. Not too many of your brothers and sisters are the same are they? The same with your kids. One might have light hair or be taller or thinner than the others. …

Did Scientists Just Discover the Creation?

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Recently, some scientists have been describing the origins of life on the Earth with language that is almost biblical. This is the strange case of secular scientists discovering something the Bible described thousands of years ago. If there is one thing that separates science from religion, it’s the story of creation, or the origins of life on Earth. Charles Darwin published his theory of The Origin of the Species in November of 1859. Since then, secular science has removed God from our origins. Before that time, most people believed that God, or some divine force that created life. Darwin is commonly called a “naturalist” but really he first apprenticed as a medical Doctor, and then trained as a minister for the Church of England. The young naturalist was a theologian, and I believe his theory of evolution (Origin of the Species) described a universe without God. Removing God was very important for the theologian; the God scientist. Here is an accelerated summary of billions of years of natural history according to Darwin and his followers: …

Turning back the tide of fear and doubt

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During this past week I recognized that something had changed and shifted in my life. And although at times I felt some uncertainty and doubt about the new direction I was taking as I threw off the fears and doubt that ruled my life, I knew that my position had changed, my perspective on life had shifted. Yes, there were some backlashes as I walked through the wall of fear that controlled my life, but now I am taking authority over the doubts and fear that seemingly rise out of nowhere, like a wave wanting to wash over me. Yesterday, I decided to stand my ground and the phrase, “I’ll huff and I’ll puff and blow your house down” literally came to mind. Though the nursery story has the powerful wolf trying to blow down the piggy’s straw house, I sensed that God was telling me to reverse that story. We have authority. We have power in God and that satan’s attacks of fear and doubt are made of straw. We have the power to …

Be angry and sin not, but….

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A study conducted by Concordia University in Montreal, Canada concluded that anger causes more serious health problems in old age than sadness or loneliness. The researchers stated that anger causes inflammation in the body, and though it can have beneficial results in the short term, long-term inflammation can lead to serious health consequences. The team studied 226 older adults broken up by age into two groups, 59 years to 79 and those 80 years and older. The researchers then asked them a series of questions daily for a week about the levels of anger and sadness they were experiencing. They then used blood tests to determine the levels of inflammation in their body and as well asked them about any chronic illnesses they were going through. From their study, the researchers concluded that for those over the age of 80, there was a link between levels of anger and poor health: Speaking on behalf of the research team, Carsten Wrosch said: “We found that experiencing anger daily was related to higher levels of inflammation and …

Falsely accused of blasphemy, Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi now in Canada

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According to Wilson Chawdhry who works with the British Pakistani Christian Association, Asia Bibi, the Christian woman in Pakistan accused of blasphemy, is safely out of the country and is now in Canada with her daughters. Chawdhry said he received a text message from a British diplomat that Bibi was safely in Canada and this has since been confirmed by officials in the Pakistani government and Bibi’s lawyer. In 2009, Asia, who worked a fruit picker, was accused by Muslims of using a tin cup to drink water out of well and by doing so contaminated the cup for other Muslims. This was quickly followed by a blasphemy charge by a neighbor whose family was in conflict with Bibi’s family over land. With a population of over 213 million people, the country is officially called the Islamic Republic of Pakistan with Islam designated the state religion. Over 96% of the population is Muslim with Christians sitting at around 1.5%. Many Pakistani Muslim’s typically trump up these type of accusations when in fights with Christians, legal …