All posts filed under: z165

The second Philip

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The discovery of an ancient church in sub-Saharan Africa dated to around the 4th century reveals the spiritual impact of the Bible’s second Philip. The large building, 40 feet (ca. 12 m) by 60 feet (ca. 18 m), along with several religious artifact, discovered in Beta Samati, Ethiopia revealed the extent of Christianity in the ancient Aksum Empire that dominated much of Eastern Africa, rivaling in size and influence to the Roman Empire. The Aksum empire existed from around 80 BC to 825 AD and as evidenced by the large church, Christianity was well established in the region by the fourth century as it became Ethiopia’s official religion in 333 AD, shortly after Constantine legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire in 313 AD. Among the religious artifacts discovered at the site was a stone cross with the words ‘venerable’ written on it leading some archaeologists to speculate it may have been worn by a priest. But the exponential growth of Christianity in the Aksum Empire heralds back to a passage in the Book of Acts …

Your True Valentine

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Father Dave Mercer, a Catholic man, in case you were wondering, wrote on Aleteia.org that the three most desired phrases to hear are: “I love you.” “You are forgiven.” “Supper is ready.” When I think of that last one, it brings back memories of holidays with my family. We’re sitting around making small talk and wiping the drool off our chins waiting for that great smelling food to be ready.   We all want to be forgiven for the dumb things we do. I am blessed to be surrounded with such great people that when I do make a mistake, I am quickly and easily forgiven. And that is true of God who forgives my sins after I repent of them. I am loved. Every single day I hear I love you. Yet there were days and months and even years when I was younger in which I never once heard those words. Love means different things to different people. We are easily confused what love is so here are three things love is not. …

My Second-Best Advice: Say ‘Nope, Nope’ And Run Away

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One morning, I was eating breakfast before going to work when the phone rang. That was weird, and it got weirder. I picked up the phone, and someone asked me to cancel my plans for the day, and go to court. The other person was pleading, and really wanted my help. When I say “go to court” I really mean that big building where scary things happen. I almost said no, but I decided to help my friend. The person on the phone was a woman that I knew. She was a Christian, like me, and she wanted me to testify for her in court. I phoned my boss and explained that I would be late for work. There is a history before the breakfast phone call. I had some connections with some people, a couple, and I probably had a claim for about fifty thousand dollars. The main reason was my part ownership of some real estate; a shabby little house that they rented out until they could sell it for a profit. My …

Are waking volcanoes a sign of the times?

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Volcanoes are making news these days. One of the most disturbing was the eruption on New Zealand’s White Island on December 9, 2019. There were 47 people on the island at the time of the explosion with most from Royal Caribbean’s cruise line’s Oasis of the Sea. Twenty people were killed (two are missing) and the remaining 27 were injured many of them severely. Then on January 12, 2020, Taal volcano located just 37 miles (ca. 60 km) from Manila, the capital of the Philippines, erupted forcing tens of thousands of people to flee. According to reports, the blast that included molten lava threw rocks up to 9.5 miles (ca. 15 km) into the sky and the column of smoke reached an estimated 1.2 miles (ca. 2 km). The government upgraded the hazard level of the volcano to the second highest level of 4 which indicates “a hazardous eruption within hours to days was possible.” The day before, January 11, 2010, Japan issued a Level 3 warning for Mt. Shintake, found on an island off …

Imagine a Year Without Addictions

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Most of us don’t know how much addictions interfere with our lives. I was raised in a strict family that went to church every week. The rule was, each of us had to attend something at church three times each week. I can complain now, but my strict parents raised me in a bad part of town, and kept me away from drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. I don’t feel better than anyone else, but I am healthy now. I went to a high school where parts of the building were controlled by drug dealers. Only a few washrooms were safe and the people sleeping in the stairwells were probably high and unconscious. I’m a high school drop-out because I quit when a university accepted my course record. I was never a user; I lived in the shadow of addiction. There are many of us. Groups like Al-Anon are for those of us who live close to addiction, but don’t experience it directly. In school, I wondered why some of my friends were so thin, and …

Have archaeologists discovered the horns once attached to the Jewish altar at Shiloh?

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The discovery last year made the list of the top ten Bible archaeology discoveries of 2019 for several organizations. Three items thought to be the horns off the altar were found by archaeologists with the Texas-based Associates for Biblical Research (ABR) working at a site in Samaria believed to be the location of Shiloh, where the Tabernacle of Moses once stood (Joshua 18:1). During the construction of the altar, the Israeli were specifically told to make horns and attach them to corners of the altar (Exodus 27:2). It is believed the three stone horns discovered by ABR were carved for this purpose. The largest horn was 9.25 inches (ca. 23 cm) x 15 inches (ca. 38 cm). The altar stood at the front of the Tabernacle of Moses. Animals were sacrificed in front of the altar and the blood poured out before the altar and then smeared on the horns (Exodus 29:11-12). The animals were then burnt on top of the altar. The horns played a significant role both theologically and prophetically in Israel’s religious …

Actor Tom Selleck credits God for guiding his steps

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In an interview with Belief Net, American actor Tom Selleck, 74, attributed his rise to fame due to his belief in God adding that Jesus has guided his steps over the years. Tom Selleck rose to prominence after starring in the popular TV series Magnum P.I. involving a private eye in Hawaii and more recently as a police commissioner in Blue Bloods. Admitting that there have been shaky moments in his faith, he told Belief Net: “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps…. Humble yourselves therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.” Tom Selleck, Belief Net And his life has very much demonstrated this combination of two verses. After high school, Selleck attended business college with plans to eventually work for United Airlines. But he was also doing a bit of commercial work on the side for such companies as Pepsi Cola and because of this was approached by Twentieth Century Fox about possible acting roles. However, those plans were cut short when …

The Vending Machine God

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Some preacher somewhere said that we have more faith in a vending machine than we do in God. That was a long time ago, yet I still believe it to be true. Yesterday I was meeting with my good friend, Mark. Mark leads the worship team for Lighthouse Ministries and we often chat to match worship to whatever I am preaching about. Yesterday we talked about making worship more inclusive and for some reason I mentioned the vending machine idea. Mark added to this thought and said that often we treat God like a vending machine. How we do these things is simple and sad. I don’t often use vending machines anymore but when I was a student and studied late into the night at one of the study halls, there was a vending machine. It served up coffee. To be honest, vending machine coffee is not as good as one might think but around eleven at night with hours to go, it was the only choice we had. I think coffee was only a …

Are Ancient Aliens in the Bible?

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You may have noticed, there is a growing interest something called “Ancient Aliens.”  This a step up from UFOs and a little guy named ET. When i was a boy, my older brother developed a fascination in flying saucers and visitors from outer space. I was the little brother, and I started reading his books, and I caught the fascination. It was all exciting until one Sunday, when our family went to church. The preacher brought up the topic of UFOs. This was thrilling to my brother and me, for a few seconds. We thought the adult world was going to endorse our hobby. Our hopes disappeared instantly, when he told us all how bad this belief was. We were not, under any circumstances, allowed to believe in that. I remember our mother looking at us with a look of severe correction. Later, at home, all the books were taken away, and we were warned to never speak of UFOs, flying saucers, and visitors from outer space again. My mother died a few years ago, …

Medical researchers state babies feel pain in the womb before 24 weeks

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According to an article in England’s Journal of Medical Ethics written by two medical researchers, one of whom is actually pro-choice, they concluded that babies in the womb may feel pain as early as 13 weeks. The duo, Stuart Derbyshire and John Bockmann, added that there is “good evidence” that baby feels pain as early as 18 weeks. This is alarming because according to the latest statistics, England’s abortion industry performs about 6,000 abortions annually on babies 18 weeks and older. It is generally accepted that babies feel pain after 24 weeks and England forbids abortions after this point. However, this paper pushes the time babies in the womb feel pain earlier than previously accepted. In an article published in England’s Daily Mail, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service quickly rejected this study, even though Derbyshire has provided advice to two pro abortion giants, the American based Planned Parenthood and the UK’s Pro-Choice Forum. This also represents a 180 degree turn for Derbyshire, because in an article written for the British American Journal in 2006, he …