All posts filed under: Main

Isis, Al-Qaeda and that Bird

Published by

A funny thing happened in the Middle East, recently. A team from ISIS, probably in the country of Yemen, made a video for the Internet. One member of the group had a statement to make about his loyalty to the cause. It was a propaganda announcement for the group. When the man tried to speak into the microphone, in front of the camera, he was interrupted. Every time he spoke, a loud bird squawked nearby, and the man had to keep restarting his speech. He started to get confused, in front of the camera, and he consulted his notes, and someone behind the camera tried to coach him, telling him to be cool. I guess that means stay calm and focus on the job. RELATED: When a bird turned an ISIS propaganda video into a blooper: Times of Indian The video is funny, and it was published in many news sources, around the world. I chose a link to the “Times of India.” The video went viral, and the people who made it probably wish …

Venom or victory

Published by

It has become clear to me that forgiveness is a practice.  It is something you just do when you recognize resentment, anger or even hatred building in your life towards another person. Each of us must come to that place where we recognize that these symptoms debilitate and dis-empower us from becoming the best version of ourselves for the glory of God.  Forgiveness is not about the other person, it is always about what is best for you. When we are bitten by the venomous snake of unforgiveness, it sucks out our potential and purpose. Left unchecked, its poison will travel through the veins to our heart and once there we lose sight of everything that is important to us. The people we love end up getting contaminated by this venomous reptile, as we slither around with a forked tongue spewing and releasing venom onto our loved ones. Forgiveness needs to become a practice in our lives. We need to determine in advance, when offended we will forgive.  Sometimes it won’t be easy and will …

Sometimes there is more than one right way of doing things

Published by

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

One Christian’s view of the death penalty

Published by

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

View from the pulpit. Credit: Tyrone Warner/Flickr/Creative Commons

Keep Your Shorts On!

Published by

The other night I was preaching. I was just giving it! I mean I was on fire! God had given me the words to say and it was incredible! Then it happened! My pants started falling off. Actually they were shorts. Yup, I am the kind of preacher that wears shorts and sandals. And a shirt. I always wear a shirt. I don’t stay behind a pulpit or a podium when I talk. I walk around while I talk. Whenever possible I connect with people when I speak. This evening was a great setup for this. Unfortunately the word setup is more appropriate than I realized. So there I am in front of the church with rows of chairs in a semi circle around me and rows of pews behind them. I am right in the middle of the main aisle about standing right where everyone could get a good look at me. At first, it was a slight loosening. No problem I thought. I’ll make my way behind the podium and give them a …

Just What is the Temple of Satan?

Published by

There are reports this year, of an emerging new religion “The Temple of Satan.” This group may have existed for years, but recently it has been getting attention, and apparently attracting many new members. One prominent community is in the city if Ottawa, the capital of Canada. Ottawa is usually a quiet city with tourists and politicians, and government workers. The new ‘Temple’ religion is new and different. RELATED: The Rise of the Satanic Temple in Canada: Global News One of the practices of the group is to ‘unbaptize’ people from Christianity, to undo their conversion and remove them from that religion. Christians should know that this is very different from traditional atheism and agnosticism. Those ideas have been at the center of western culture for several generations, and are usually called “liberal” and “modernist.” This modern thinking usually refers to ideas like Darwin’s theory of Evolution. Notice that Darwinian Evolution has a universe with no God, no creator. Darwin was trained to be a Christian minister, and he speculated about a universe like a …

Breathing life into your dry bones

Published by

How far can you go without breathing? In reality, you are breathing but sometimes it feels like you have stopped breathing or does it feel more like your living in the valley of dry bones where numbness has set in and you are clattering through the day just barely surviving? If I pay attention in these moments I notice that my breathing is shallow and I wonder if at times I have actually been holding my breath. I suspect that is exactly what happens as I lose myself in the course of my day full of  ‘to do lists.’ And, I am sure this happens to many of us. There is a small group of women who meet regularly on my deck to do some gentle stretching.  Each of us has tightness issues, and we have greatly benefited from this weekly routine. Sometimes between stretches we lay on our backs and notice our breathing and listen to the birds singing in the yard. Often during these times a gentle breeze will blow over us like …

Apostle Peter’s house in Bethaisda discovered?

Published by

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

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

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

Published by

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

Who is the Jewish Messiah — Jesus or Rabbi Schneerson?

Published by

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

Under Pressure

Published by

The other day I’m driving around and I hear an annoying ‘boing-boing’ sound. Normally the only annoying sound I hear when I’m driving is my singing so this really caught my attention. The oil pressure gauge read no oil pressure! Then it read too much oil pressure! Either the motor was going to seize or blow up! My poor truck. We’ve been together a long time and every scratch and dent and rust hole is a story. It has more miles on it than the space station! And it just keeps on trucking. I like my truck more than most of my kids. Probably because it cost less and doesn’t talk back. Until now. Turns out the gauge was faulty. It still is, and we, truck and I, learned to live with it. As a Christian I also have to pay attention to my own gauges. I don’t want seize up and I certainly don’t want to blow up. But what if my gauge is faulty? Or what if I simply ignore it?Did you know …

Will God Give Us Money?

Published by

I was travelling for work recently, and on a quiet evening, in a hotel with free cable TV, I surfed the channels to find something interesting. One show had a television preacher asking people to send him money. Apparently, if we send money to him, God would send even more money to us. We couldn’t lose. You might know the song by Janice Joplin, where she makes a joke about people who send money and believe in the ‘Prosperity Gospel.’ It’s an old joke, but some television preachers are still serious about it, and many people still believe. So, what is the truth? Will God give us money? Yes. On my travels, I learned some lessons about free stuff from God, either money or things we could buy with money. 1) We are asking God to do something twice, and 2) we need to patch the holes in the bucket. The Bible tells us about “purses with holes.” Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never …

Praying like a child of God

Published by

I have had many thoughts about prayer lately.  And, I have noticed one thing I often get stuck in and that is asking, begging and pleading to God for answers especially when facing desperate circumstances in my life or that of a loved one. I do believe there is a time for seeking God for answers and even miracles like Hannah who poured out her heart before God on her knees crying, shaking at times in her desperation for a child because she was barren. In these moments, the Holy Spirit will engage with our prayers and intercession. I have been there. During the early years of our marriage I found myself bent over in prayer asking, requesting and pleading to God for a child and this went on for a long period. I was desperate. But there needs to be a balance and part of this includes a shift in attitude because I believe it is possible to block blessings, provisions, answers by getting stuck in prayers of pleading and prayers of desperation and …

Rapper megastar Kanye West now leading a church service?

Published by

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

Is David Gelernter God’s response to Joshua Harris?

Published by

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

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

Published by

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

I Hear Voices

Published by

Christmas in July! Black Friday! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Sale ends today! There are lots of incentives to buy. The excitement of that new car. The beer that gets the girls. Even the coffee that wakes us up. Man, if we only had these things we’d be fulfilled. Our life would be grand. Okay. I’m not going to lie. Money and good coffee make life much easier. I’ve had both and I’ve had neither. I prefer both. Then there are the more personal incentives like health. Boring! Why lose weight when the right beer makes you happy and attractive? Besides, there’s a drug for everything anyway right? You only live once. Life is short. You know what? Life is only short when things are going well. When things are going poorly life drags on and on. No matter what your life is like, you do only live once. And who can blame you for wanting life in the fullest? I’ve counseled many people who wanted life in the fullest. From sports stars to men and women …

The Universe Is Sending You a Spiritual Message

Published by

I have a friend who talks about messages from the Universe. When I think that God is trying to tell me something, he corrects me and says the Universe is speaking to me, and I should listen. I’m a Christian, and I naturally think about God. You might have a friend like this, and maybe you believe in the spiritual power of the Universe. It’s a popular concept, and I have met many people who like the idea. The idea that the Universe sends messages to us, and we can find our way through life if we listen, is popular these days. Oprah is one celebrity, among many, who thinks we need to hear from the Universe; life teaches us how to be successful if we listen. These messages include personal responsibility; they are things we need to do if we want to find our destiny. With my friend who talks about the Universe, that word is another way to say ‘God’ without getting religious and joining a church. Lately, he has started to read …

Can anger be a road map to a better life?

Published by

Anger is a powerful emotion and can pull us into situations we are not prepared to deal with.  We are not in control. Anger can map out a direction and lifestyle we did not ask for or want.  It just takes us there! We get angry about relationships and our circumstances at home or work. But anger can quickly get out of control. It is like an anchor attached to a rope that slips out of our hands before we can get a good grip on it. Now a lot of Christians think it is a sin to be angry. But the Apostle Paul says that we can be angry and not sin: 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, (Ephesians 4:26 NKV) Anger is an emotion and sometimes things happen that are clearly unfair or simply wrong, and we are allowed to get angry. But we must catch the last part of this verse when Paul says don’t stay angry. Don’t let the sun go …

A prophetic call to leadership?

Published by

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

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

Published by

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

Bulla mentioning ancient Bethlehem found

Published by

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

Michelangelo's Creation of Adam in the Sistine Chapel Photo: Bill Read/Flickr/Creative Commons

Is God a Good Idea?

Published by

Is God a good idea? Is God just an idea? Did we invent something, or someone, from our psychology because we wanted some comfort in this world? This is a common idea. One of the founders of Christian Liberal thinking is Ludwig Feuerbach, who believed that we invented God by looking at ourselves. We created our creator in our own image; we looked into ourselves and put pieces of ourselves into our ‘superman in the sky.’ RELATED: Ludwig Feuerbach: Wikipedia Ludwig Feuerbach inspired many, including the founders of Communism, and probably the Nazis. He also inspired the Protestant Liberals. The result of that thinking, in Christian churches, was Liberal Theology, and the end result of Liberalism is empty churches. People who learn the teachings of doubt and dis-belief are not inspired to believe more; they are mostly inspired to leave. Look around your city and notice all the old and empty church buildings. We have some very beautiful buildings where I live, and they are mostly empty on Sunday; beautiful tombs. I remember a historical …

The flame of faith

Published by

Español: La llama de la fe When it comes to praying for a miracle, doubt and fear circle my mind with thoughts I can’t do this and my faith drains away. Yet my ability to pray confidently and clearly for miracles seems possible until I am actually faced with a seemingly impossible situation, then doubts flood my mind. The mountain of the impossible looms over me blocking my faith and diminishing my hope.  Why even try to pray or believe for the impossible? As a result, I lower my expectations and say to myself, maybe next time I will be able to believe for a miracle but not now . . . not this time. It’s not that my hopes are too high and I fail to reach them; it’s that they’re too low and I do. But there is something I have started doing recently that seems to help. Whether your hopes and expectations for a miracle are high or low start envisioning a candle burning brightly and steadily inside you. And let this …

Former porn star now leading XXXchurch

Published by

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

‘Unplanned’ smashes box office expectations in Canada

Published by

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

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

Published by

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

I Matter

Published by

Have you ever thought about your life and wondered what happened? How did I even get here? I always knew I would be a somebody.  Like the next great journalist, rock star or great writer.  But here I am. I am just me. And what’s wrong with just me?  Probably nothing except I did not plan to be just me.  I planned to do big things with my big brain and my big ideas.  Women talk about the glass ceiling, this idea that they can see the top-level of decision makers but can never attain it.  This is not a feminist idea, this happens to men as well as women.  You see I was born into a very poor, very tired family.  My parents had their dream of farming pulled out from under their feet.  They worked extremely hard, taught their kids about love and God, and made us feel loved.  But they never recovered.  Eventually they moved to BC where Dad became a logger, then a city worker and Mom became a waitress.   I …

Is Sin Still a Thing?

Published by

One of the buzz words that explains modern society is ‘tolerance.’ It fits nicely with ‘inclusive’ and ‘multicultural’ and other similar sentiments. If you want to be tolerated, you need to be tolerant. Ironically, tolerant people will be intolerant towards you if you are not suitably tolerant. They will judge you for being judgmental. And then there is ‘sin.’ It’s a popular word among old Christians, but it clearly is not tolerant, inclusive or multicultural. A sin is something that is wrong, and needs to be condemned, and possibly forgiven. That idea is judgmental and it does not fit with modern thinking. So, is sin still a thing? I have a job that is new for me, and last week I traveled and stayed in a small-town motel. My room was clean, but the neighbors were a bit scary. They were the kind of people who stay in motels in small towns. One group was a team of furniture movers. They seem to live like gypsies, and they like to barbecue and argue about things …

Struggling to free yourself from the web of comparison

Published by

Español: Luchando para liberarnos de las redes de la comparación I think we say sorry to often. Others may not like your opinion, but provided you weren’t harsh or mean in what you said, there is no reason to apologize. Yet many of us apologize for the silliest things.  Stop saying sorry for no real reason. Ask yourself if you really need to apologize or are those words another way of belittling yourself? Save your apology for the real stuff when you have really blown it and now you have to own it.  Do it when you want to run and hide or avoid acknowledging the mistake you made. That’s when you apologize and say those words, I’m sorry. But along with this we need to train ourselves to stop saying I’m sorry for things we are not responsible for which is also backwards. So why do we do this? We need to understand the root of our apologizing for everything may have been deeply ingrained in us from childhood. It is often rooted in …

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

Published by

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

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

Published by

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