In this podcast, we are going to take a look at an MRI scan done on a person about a decade back and see if it provides the answer to a question that has plagued theologians for generations and that is this: why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mt Moriah.
The Jewish Feast of Tabernacles also called the Feast of Sukkot or Feast of Booths started this past Monday (October 14, 2019) and will run for seven more days. There are seven feasts instituted in the Old Testament and the Feast of Tabernacles is one of the three pilgrimage festivals, along with Passover and the Festival of Weeks, that requires Jewish males to visit Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16). The Feast of Tabernacles is the last feast on the Jewish Calendar and falls in September or October, five days after the Day of Atonement. The seven feasts fell in this order: Feast of PASSOVER (Leviticus 23:5) Feast of UNLEAVENED BREAD (Leviticus 23:6) Feast of FIRST FRUITS (Leviticus 23:10-11) Feast of PENTECOST (Leviticus 23:17) Feast of TRUMPETS (Leviticus 23:24) Feast of ATONEMENT (Leviticus 23:27) Feast of TABERNACLES (Leviticus 23:34) So should Christians celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles or any of the other feasts? I don’t think there is any problem if they do. In fact if we look at the Book of Acts, we see hints that Paul …
Throughout the Bible God used dreams to communicate messages with people. The Pharaoh of Egypt received a dream warning of a coming drought, that Joseph successfully interpreted. Pontius Pilate’s wife received a dream warning her husband about his treatment of Jesus at the Lord’s trial. God used dreams in both the Old and New Testament to communicate with people, so should we be surprised that God might warn Christians today through dreams. If so maybe we need to take heed of a dream received by American Pastor Andrew Brunson while imprisoned in a Turkish prison after being accused of terrorism by the government. Andrew and his wife had served for 25 years prior as missionaries in Turkey working largely among the Kurds along the Syrian Turkish border. Brunson was eventually released from prison in October 2018 and returned to the US. Brunson received this dream in December 2016 while in prison. In an interview with Fox News, Brunson said: “In the dream, Turkey, Iran and Russia began to move together in a very dark alliance.” …
Yesterday afternoon I drove around a rougher area of town giving out bread. It’s just something my wife and I do whenever Lighthouse Ministries has more bread donated than we need. Usually people are happy to see me and only take what they need. No trouble, just happy faces. Yesterday, this streak of beauty came to a screeching halt. While a woman with three kids was choosing her bread, a big man came strolling the street. I asked him if he wanted bread. He said “I’m a bad guy.” Now I am somewhat familiar with bad guys, I even taught a group of federal parolees once and I worked at a federal penitentiary. Not to mention living in one of the most violent neighborhoods in Canada. Most bad guys don’t have to say they are bad. Maybe I should have been nervous. ‘I don’t care if you’re a bad guy,” I responded, “Do you want some bread?” His response was not what I expected. He stopped and started towards me and threatened that he was …
Did you know, we have a new normal? People are demonstrating in the streets, and disrupting our lives; and this gets them into the news. I remember the seventies, when demonstrations were common, but now they seem to be making a comeback. Someone must think this is a good idea. For me, and people from my generation, these kids are amateurs. I remember when every high school assembly was interrupted by radical students. I can’t remember one assembly that worked out according to the plan. One of our classmates liked to shout about “Acheemitka.” We eventually realized that some nuclear devices had been exploded under an island called Amchitka, and our classmate probably had dyslexia. It was all fun, and then we graduated and got jobs. Today, it’s all forgotten, except I can clearly remember someone shouting “Acheemitka, Acheemitka.” It’s like a song I can’t forget. And now we have the new wave of demonstrators: RELATED: Walterdale bridge blocked as part of climate protest: Global News We are used to living our lives without these …
At times, my soft spot for a particular person shows up when I should be offended, as they unexpectedly direct their anger at me. Because I am starting to realize that behind the angry words is a hurting, wounded person. And through this, I am learning to find my soft spot that overlooks and pushes through their angry energy that pops up out of nowhere directed at me or more often past me, when they’re actually angry at someone else, but I was in the way. I am learning not to take it personally, because it is not me they are furious at. And, as I peek around my shield I try to reveal my heart for them and be sensitive to what might be the root cause of their anger, that often they can’t explain. This happened to me recently. And in this situation involving a young woman, I turned and faced her trying to understand the reason for her pain. I pushed back the offense and judgement that was rising up in me and …
Pop superstar Kanye West’s conversion to Christ has certainly caught everyone’s attention. Secular media are broadcasting stories about the church services he is holding and of course the religious media is doing the same. Some, both religious and secular, have questioned the sincerity of Kanye’s faith. But a recent interview with Adam Tyson, a California pastor, on Pure Flix has me increasingly convinced that the Holy Spirit is doing a work in the pop star’s life. Tyson made contact with Kanye, when the pop star attended the pastor’s Placerita Bible church in Santa Clarita, California, one Sunday morning. Of course, I immediately suspected Tyson must be one of those mega-pastors with thousands of people attending every Sunday. It wasn’t. Tyson’s church has 300 members. But through this initial visit, Tyson developed a relationship with Kanye and is now regularly preaching at Kanye’s services held around the US. But in his Pure Flix interview, Tyson recalled what Kanye said to him: “I was just under the weight of my sin, and I was being convicted that …
In 2013, Dutch researchers noticed an odd thing happening when the people walked through the doorway into the research room. And in an odd way, their behavior is connected to a statement that the ancient patriarch, Abraham, the great man of faith, made in Genesis 17.
Maybe it’s all just a coincidence, but one of the favorite Old Testament stories may have a strange link to the Book of Revelation and a case being brought before the US Supreme Court. The Bible story involves Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into a fiery furnace because they refused to bow and worship a giant idol. The Jews had been taken in captivity by the Babylonians and an edict was passed requiring people of all nations to bow and worship a massive idol set up in the city. Refusal to worship would result in death by burning (Daniel 3:4-6). Because of their faith in Jehovah, three Jewish boys Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused and were immediately sentenced to death. They stood for their faith and were thrown into a fiery furnace where their lives were miraculously spared. Babylon was one of the great enemies of Israel and was eventually destroyed. But as we look to the New Testament, Babylon makes a second appearance in the Book of Revelation, a written record of the …
Do you ever wonder if prayer works? Or how prayer works! I have experience praying for many people both directly and indirectly. There have been instant healings, healings over time, and no healings. I have no human explanation for this other than I am not God and it is up to him how he answers prayer. I do know at least two things about this. God always knows when we pray and prayers always make a difference. Prayers bring us closer to God as we talk with him and ask for his help. The people we pray for also have something spiritual happen when we pray. It may be something different from what they expect, but something happens nonetheless. I had a vision the other morning that explains the way in which prayers matter. I can’t recall if I saw them first or heard them first. They were about a block away. I heard distant crying and yelling. As they got closer, I could see that it was a woman and a child. The woman …
Morphogenesis: This scientific word describes a straight path. Until recently, the science of human evolution was dominated by the philosophy of Morphogenesis, ‘a linear path to a predetermined end,’ the idea that evolution was predictable and consistent, and that it changed living things from simple and primitive to sophisticated and more desirable. The most evolved life form was always the best, and the least evolved was undesirable and deserved extinction. So, newer is better. Fossils showed us the remains of organisms that went extinct, like the dinosaurs, and we were told that they died out because they were less fit. Extinction happens when something better comes along. Morphogenesis can look backward, to trace the trail of species that evolved and went extinct, up until now. It can tell us how we got here, and it can also look into the future, to show us how to guide the evolution of life to better, more desirable forms. Forward looking morphogenesis is scary, and it mostly ended with World War II. Did you know that Hitler was …
It began in a very difficult season of my life several years back. My physical health was deteriorating and my emotional and mental well-being was in a dark, downward spiral. Tough circumstances at work and hurtful accusations that sent me reeling kept me emotionally drained and teetering on despair. How could this be happening to me? It was the worst of times but ended up being the best because out of those dark, depressing days came some extraordinary changes in my life. While people were beating me down, God started the process of changing the way I thought of myself as these difficulties revealed the fragile, wavering opinion I had of myself. I believed that I wasn’t good at anything. The gift in these painful circumstances was my desperation and after saying no to several opportunities to get help during that difficult period, I finally said yes and took a course that woke me up. At this course, I heard things like you need to love and value yourself. People were telling me that the …
A Dallas jury recently found former police officer Amber Guyger, 31, guilty of killing Botham Jean, a believer, and worship leader at a Church of Christ in Dallas. Though the prosecutor was asking for a sentence of 28 years, Guyger was sentenced to ten years in prison. It was a bizarre story. Guyger lived in the same apartment building as Botham. She was a police officer and had just finished her shift in September 2018 and was returning home. But according to her testimony, distracted by texts, she inadvertently mistook Botham’s apartment for her own. Apparently Botham’s door was unlocked and thinking this was her apartment, Guyger was immediately suspicious that someone had broken in. When Botham stood up, thinking he was an intruder, Guyger pulled her gun, and shot Botham, killing him. There were obviously a lot of questions about this senseless killing and many were upset that Guyger hadn’t received a longer sentence. In fact, there were protesters outside the court room demanding a longer prison term. But after the sentencing came down, …
The recent arrival of Greta Thunberg, an environmental activist based out of Sweden, has certainly caught everyone’s attention. The 16-year-old’s fearful, emotional and angry presentation to the UN was viewed by millions as she warned of an imminent environmental apocalypse if governments didn’t immediately reduce CO2 emissions. And she is not alone, many young people are feeling a similar anxiety. According to an article entitled “Climate change poses mental health risks to children and teens” published on Science News for Students, the fear mongering over climate change is causing mental health issues for students. Unfortunately, the discussion of global warming has become so politicized, it is almost impossible to separate the rhetoric from the truth. But in the midst of all this, you may have missed a few major news stories that were not the flavor of the day, so basically ignored by most of the main line media. They were calling into question all the hysteria surrounding the issue of climate change. Nobody denies that global warming is taking place. What is questioned is …
One question that has lurked at the back of my mind is this: Does the Bible warn of Nuclear war in the end times? It’s not a topic that many of us want to talk about, but in my study of the Bible I have seen hints of it. In this podcast we look at three Bible passages that suggest there will be a nuclear war during the end times.
I live in Canada and in Canada our current Prime Minister did something years ago that was stupid. At least back then it might have been only stupid but looking back with the modern lens of racism it is now seen as bad. Really bad. For those who don’t know, he colored his face brown and then black on separate occasions and dressed up like a person of color. He champions himself as anti-racism so this was quite the shock for his followers. According to the media this might just have done him in. Perhaps we will have a new Prime Minister within the month after the election is over. Good thing I am not running for office! My slogan would have to be I sinned! Get over it! Remember the fiasco in the United States regarding the past of Brett Kavanaugh during his process of being appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court? His family had to weather a storm like few others have encountered. Which brings me to victims. What about when a …
Yesterday, I was working in a small city that I will call Pleasantville because it’s a nice place, with clean streets, green parks and many tall trees, and where most people are polite. It’s a center for the economy of a large region and it has a university campus. It’s also full of retired people because of the low house prices. I’m sure you get the picture. I was in a car, waiting at a red light at a busy intersection, with another person. Suddenly, on my left, I saw someone walking through the intersection, and not on the sidewalk. That person was followed many others, two or three hundred, including at least one person in a wheel chair, and several babies. This was in a city where everyone waits for a walk light, and crosses carefully at the designated crosswalk, showing respect and courtesy to the neighbors. It’s that kind of place. It was shocking to see a large crowd walk through a busy intersection, even when the light was red for them, in …
Recently, I had an appointment with a young lady. Halfway through, my daughter arrived bringing me a coffee and joined us for the last half of the appointment. I love this young gal, and she obviously felt the freedom to express her thoughts on various world views. But the conversation was starting to become intense. Something had triggered her and I wasn’t able to figure out what it was or why. In the middle of this, she abruptly stopped and said, “I would give anything to have the relationship you and your daughter have.” Then she started to talk about her own father and it was then I realized she was talking about the relationship my daughter had with her dad. My daughter joked about her dad and how he likes to tease her. My daughter loves her dad, and they have a good relationship. I had found the trigger and the explanation why the conversation had become so intense. I looked at her and asked what the relationship with her father was like. She …
According to a documentary released in August, the explosive growth of Christianity in Iran is a result of a rapidly expanding house church movement with most being led by women. The documentary entitled Sheep Among Wolves was produced by Frontier Alliance International (FAI) and looked at the growth of Christianity in Iran perhaps one of the most repressive regimes in the world. And we know Christianity is growing because of the repeated public statements made by Iranian officials and religious leaders in recent years warning of Christianity’s growth. In their video, FAI explained what was behind the unusual growth. In its trailer, the documentary noted: “The Iranian awakening is a rapidly-reproducing discipleship movement that owns no property or buildings, has no central leadership and is predominantly led by women.” In the video they were forced to disguise the Iranian believers because of fear of arrest. One Iranian Christian said “What if I told you the mosques are empty inside Iran.” He went on to say that the political and the elites are the ones who …
Francesca Battistelli, 34, a Grammy winning Christian singer recently shared a story of how God miraculously healed her of an ovarian cyst in the middle of her pregnancy. Francesca grew up in a musical family with both her mom and dad involved in theatrical singing in New York. Though, she expected to head in the same direction, Francesca veered off into a successful musical career, winning a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song in 2016 with her song “Holy Spirit.” Recently, the mother of four shared a testimony on Instagram of God’s miraculous healing. She was ten weeks pregnant and woke up in “excruciating pain.” When the pain intensified over the next couple of hours, on the advice of her midwife, Francesca went to the hospital emergency. However, by the time she arrived, the pain had started to subside. Francesca knew from previous tests that she had a cyst on one of her ovaries. But the hospital tests revealed that this cyst was now 10 cm in size, about the size of a large …
According to researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, feeling resentful or bottling up your anger may result in an increased risk of stroke for women. Strokes occur when plaque build up in arteries results in a reduction of blood flow to the brain as the arteries narrow. An additional contributor is Atherosclerosis that occurs when chunks of plaque break away increasing the potential of a blockage. According to the Daily Mail, that reported on the study, strokes are the third highest cause of death in America and fourth highest in England Women are also more vulnerable to strokes than men and struggle with recovery when strokes do occur. In their study, the researchers analyzed 304 non-smoking women between the ages of 40 and 60. They asked them a series of questions that included if they tended to put other people’s needs first over their own and if they were likely to express their true feelings about a situation. The researchers then did ultra sounds on the women’s arteries and discovered that women who did not …
There are times in which it is hard to believe. Times in which it is hard to have faith. We pray and pray and we hope and hope for a miracle that just never seems to come. What do you do when that happens? Why does that happen? How come other people get healed, get a job, find true love, or seem to get whatever else they want? Well there are really only two places to look at when we pray. There’s God. And there’s you. I don’t know how many times people point the finger at some poor schmuck like me and tell me that it’s my fault God doesn’t answer my prayers. That maybe I have some unconfessed sin in my life, or that I don’t have enough faith to get what I asked for. Then there’s the other side of the table. Some people even tell me there’s no God or that He doesn’t care or love me. Perhaps He is not interested in my petty little things. Maybe I shouldn’t even …
You probably know the name Sinead O’Connor, especially if you listened to popular music about twenty years ago. She is one of the most popular entertainers from Ireland, a country that produced U2, and Enya, and if you remember, the Irish Rovers. For a small country, Ireland has a huge influence on our popular music. Sinead O’Connor is probably best known for her song “Nothing Compares to You” but she has produced a large volume of music, and she is still active with her musical career. Sinead O’Connor was also famous for her troubled personal life. She searched for meaning in her life, and recently, apparently in 2018, she converted to the religion of Islam. Now she speaks openly and proudly about her new faith, and she wears a conservative hijab, in Ireland. She also denies that her Islamic faith is new to her. According to Sinead O’Connor, she didn’t convert to Islam, she reverted. She discovered that she was always a Muslim, when she read the Koran, the Muslim holy book. In her own …
A few nights ago my daughter parked her car in a bay next to the park where she plays soccer. She opened the door and a small gray dog jumped into her vehicle. She noticed that its two front paws had blood all over them, and they were still bleeding. She felt torn because her game was about to start and her team needed her that night. She picked up the dog and asked a lady in a yard nearby if she had seen the dog before. The woman replied that she had seen it running around the bay before. So my daughter placed the dog back on the street in hopes that the owner would find it. Since our dog Sugar had just passed two weeks ago, I wondered if this was a sign from God that this dog was to be ours, as it didn’t have a collar. First thing in the morning armed with a blanket I drove to the park to find this dog, rescue it, take it to a clinic …
In this podcast entitled A Failure to Equip, I want to talk about a major shift that needs to take place in the church and its strange connection to square dancing.
Yes, I am talking about the “dosado, allemande right” square dancing.
As I read a story out of China, I wondered if I was watching end times prophecy come to pass. Now I don’t think it is the actual fulfillment, but I don’t like how close it got. In 2 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul describes how the Antichrist will set himself up like a god, in the temple of God: 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 NASV There were two temples in Israel’s history. King Solomon built the first temple that was destroyed by Babylon in 586 BC. The second, built by Ezra and later renovated by King Herod, was the one that Jesus visited. It was obliterated by the Romans in 70 AD and was never rebuilt. But there are …
Español: Dios va a encontrar la manera Despite secularists and left-wing activists trying to banish the church into a dark corner of irrelevancy, God will find a way to get the message of Jesus out to the world. Over the past three weeks, two rocks stars, though one is probably more a pop star and another a hip hop artist, put God and faith front and center. But I call them rock stars for a reason. It’s a play on what Jesus said as He entered Jerusalem riding a colt on what would be His final trip. As the Lord entered the city, people were crying out “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord”, and the pharisees in the crowds were trying to quieten everyone and finally yelled out for Jesus to order his disciples to quit shouting out (Luke 19:28-47). Jesus responded that if they didn’t cry out, then the rocks would. The lesson of this story is very simple. If society tries to marginalize the church, then God …
Ever find an old box that hasn’t been opened in years? You open it up and it has your old uniform or your old outfits in it. So, you try it on and if you manage to get it to stay on without using tape and staples, your glory day memories can pop up faster than the shirt buttons! Why can’t I be young again? I was called ‘The Cat’ because I was so quick when I played sports. The last time I played hockey my own teammates called me the ‘Old Jalopy’! Old Jalopies are still useful as witnessed by all the joy (okay it was sneering laughter) from the bench. Now I am not complaining about my life now. In most ways it is better than I could have imagined. It’s just that my chiseled body of the past is now made out of clay that looks like it flopped down around my ankles. Being made of clay is not a bad thing though since God made Adam out of clay. Then he …
I am a Christian, but lately, I have noticed that no one wants to talk about that. I can talk with other Christians about our beliefs, but people who don’t believe don’t seem to care. When I just mention that I believe in Jesus, I get an awkward silence, and then the other person changes the subject, or leaves. So, does anyone out there care about Jesus anymore? Probably not many, but the question is wrong. Does anyone do anything for more than a week? You might know the name Alvin Toffler, the author who wrote a famous book “Future Shock.” The book was published about fifty years ago, which makes him a futurist from the past. He predicted that the pace of change would accelerate; change would come on us so fast we wouldn’t be able to cope with it. RELATED: Future Shock: Wikipedia In the Bible, the mark of a successful prophet, or religious futurist, was if the predictions came true: “You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message …
I miss my dog Sugar. She was 14 years old and passed a week ago. My greatest comfort has been envisioning a creamy white pup running through fields chasing rabbits. It was her happy place and on most of our walks over the years a rabbit usually showed up just around a corner or ran across the street in front of her to entice her. I hope there is a doggy heaven, that dogs and pets alike may be guaranteed a heavenly home because of their innocence and inability to make human choices. They make choices but it’s limited to chasing a rabbit or not, begging for food or escaping the back yard into the neighborhood and beyond. Unlike humans, animals do not have the same understanding that we have. Our Creator gave us a free will to make our own choices — good, bad and ugly — and as a reward we get to own our mistakes, failures and successes. We get to take responsibility for the good and bad. We may want to …
In early September, Dr. Ghassan Weshah, an archaeological professor from the Islamic University of Gaza in Palestine told the media that the Biblical references to the Jewish Temple existing on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem are all a complete lie. He made these claims despite the fact the Muslim Koran refers to the temple at least twice, and even refers to King Solomon building the temple (34:13). Another Koranic verse describes the Muslims praying towards Mecca and the Jews towards their temple (Sura 2:145). However, a handful of Islamic scholars try to get around this problem by insisting that Solomon actually built a mosque, even though Islam did not appear on the scene until 1,600 years later. According to the Biblical record, Solomon built the first temple around 1000 BC and it was destroyed in 586 BC by the Babylonians who them promptly hauled thousands of Jews into captivity. Ezra constructed what is called the second Temple around 520 BC when the Persians who had defeated the Babylonians allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem. …
I recently read of two events that took place in Canada that in some ways define the cultural climate of hostility against Christianity and its roots. The first involved an Orthodox Priest who was allegedly fired for praying for Israel and the second involved a leader of a political party who quickly apologized after stating in a media interview that her favorite person was Jesus Christ. Father Vladimir Tobin, 77, served as a priest for St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Church in Halifax, Nova Scotia. According to Breaking Israel News (BIN), he got into trouble with his overlords in the Orthodox church when he publicly prayed for Israel. BIN reports that on August 12, Tobin received a letter from America Archbishop Irénée who serves as the archbishop of Canada telling Tobin it was time for him to retire because his ministry had a “Jewish twist.” Apparently the assistant pastor at the church had contacted the archbishop complaining that during one service Tobin had asked his congregation to pray for Israel. Initially, the archbishop had asked for Tobin’s …
Archaeologists working at Atarot, located in Jordan, recently uncovered a large cylinder shaped altar dated to the 9/8 the century BC. It was created by an ancient king of Moab, one of the dreaded enemies of Israel mentioned several times in the Old Testament. Archaeologists believe the altar, found inside an ancient shrine, was used for burning incense. But as they deciphered the seven lines of script written on the altar, they discovered the oldest reference to the “Hebrews” outside the Bible. The inscription is linked to a Biblical battle mentioned in 2 Kings 3. According to the Biblical record, Israel had conquered Moab and were forcing the country to pay an annual tribute to Israel. However, when the Israeli King died (Ahab), the Moabite King decided to take advantage of the political instability to break free from Israel’s control by refusing to make the annual payment. When that happened, the new Israeli King, Jehoram, contacted Judah’s King Jehoshaphat and an unnamed King of Edom to bring Moab to heel. If the King of Moab …
The saddest day of the year is fast approaching. It is a day in which I am sullen and silent. Yeah, if you knew me, you’d be saying what? You’re always yakking about something and at least you’re happy. Not on this day though. For this is the day I have to switch from shorts to long pants. The summer fades and soon so will my tan. The leaves fall and the rain and dampness of fall turns to snow and bitter cold of winter. And somewhere along the way I’ll be forced into the switch. And don’t even get me going about socks and shoes! I live in sandals and shorts all summer. From spring really. I walk, shop, preach, and write in them. Well, never mind what I wear when I write, if you knew you’d never be the same! But why the sadness? Seasons are inevitable and so what if I have to wear grown up pants. Good points but there is an allegory happening here. Each season has a different impact …
There is a news story from Tennessee, in the U.S., about a Roman Catholic priest who removed all Harry Potter books from the school library. The priest, Rev. Dan Reehil, made a statement that Harry Potter books contain actual “actual spells and curses” that might summon demons. The parents, who complained and asked for the priest to be fired are quoted; “Reehil is a toxic narcissist who hates Pope Francis and views himself as ‘a soldier of God.’ … Our school, however, consists of children, not soldiers” The parent’s statement contained 50 bullet points. RELATED: Parents complained of priest who banned Harry Potter books: CTV So, the battle lines are obvious, in that confrontation, and I’m glad I don’t have to be a referee. The answer, from the priest’s employers, the Diocese, was that the priest’s views and some other opinions “have homes in the church.” The Diocese backed the priest by saying that his ideas were acceptable in the Roman Catholic Church. The parents talked about their children’s education, and the Diocese talked about …
