All posts filed under: z177

Standing in hope

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I watched our dog, Lulu, bounce down the stairs, go to her dish, do her little dance as she looked up at me with hopeful eyes expectantly waiting for her breakfast. She knew that I would not disappoint and I realized as I prepared her dog food that this was the perfect picture of hope! I have been trying to enter into hope as I prayed at different times throughout the day and the night about the Coronavirus. But the events of recent days are pushing against hope. Like many, I was caught up in the concern of those feeling panicked, overwhelmed and because of this, fear held me in its grip as I struggled to pray during this COVID-19 crisis. I had lost my hope. And, in the midst of this an indignation and anger rose up within me and I found myself fighting and pushing back against the injustice and manipulation this pandemic had brought into our lives. And for me, hope was the seal and security I needed to continue stepping forward …

Publishers reporting surging interest in the Bible due to COVID-19 crisis

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Tyndale House Publishers, a major publisher of Bible and Christian books based in the US, has noticed a “considerable increase” in interest in the Bible since the start of the COVID-19 panic. In an interview with the Christian Post, Tyndale executive Jim Jewell said that there has been a 60% increase in the sales of Immerse Bibles and a 44% increase in Life Application Study Bibles. He also added that the number of people visiting the company’s Facebook page for the New Living Translation in March was triple the numbers of March last year. The page features Scripture verse memes. There has also been a substantial increase of visits in 2020, as the page recorded a 72% increase of visits between March and April. Jewell attributes this significant growth to the COVID-19 crisis that has “upended almost everyone’s lives in some way.” He added that people are turning to the Bible for “clarity.” Tyndale is not the only Bible publisher to see growth. According to an article on Fox News, Alabaster Co. has noticed a …

The man who carried Christ’s cross, Simon of Cyrene

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It was a good deal, but Simon didn’t know it at the time. He was the man the Romans compelled to carry Christ’s cross, after the guards realized after their beating, Jesus was in no condition to carry His cross to Golgotha. I am sure at the time, Simon was wondering “why me.” Since this was Passover, some doubt that the Romans would conscript a Jew to carry Christ’s cross, and probably identified Simon as a gentile by his dress. And since he was in Jerusalem for the Passover, it suggests he had converted to Judaism. But the good deal was this, Simon would carry Christ’s cross, and in turn Christ would carry the burden of Simon’s sin. Most Bible scholars believe Simon of Cyrene became a believer in Christ, because three of the Gospel writers not only knew his name and where he was from, but other personal details, suggesting they were familiar with him (Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26). Both Mark and Luke knew that he had just arrived into Jerusalem from …

What? Me Rest?

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What is the number one thing you would change in your life? Before you read on, take a moment and think what that would be. In counselling, we often set goals and objectives, issues that the clients want to address or need to be examined. At first, these can be rather unclear, and often what the real issues are, end up being a lot different than what the client came in to discuss. I think that is true of most of us. We just are not inward focused. We focus on what we do, not who we are. What we want, not what we need. Even when we focus on what we need, it gets mixed up with what we want. Here is an example. I need a rest. I want to see my friends. I will rest from my work by seeing my friends. While this may be a break from work, it is not a rest. You would only switch from work persona to friend persona. The idea of rest is not of …

How Lonely Are You?

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Years ago, when I was younger, I flew on an airplane from Arizona to my home in Canada. I had been to a conference and visited my parents, who were snow birds living in a trailer park. In the airport I met a woman who was also traveling north on the same plane. I like to be friendly, in a small-town way, and we chatted. The conversation continued for a while, and then I realized that she wanted more than friendly conversation with me; she had something like a romantic interest. This made me uncomfortable, and I ended the conversation politely. She seemed disappointed. This is not a story about temptation; I was a bit creeped out. On the positive side, she was good looking, and everything on her looked expensive. Also, she seemed educated and she spoke well. I suspect that she had a husband somewhere, but she never mentioned him. Where I live, rich people often have expensive condos in Arizona, usually near golf courses. I had one feeling as I walked away. …

Why I left the left, an interview with Melanie Phillips

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I just wanted to share an intriguing interview that The Sun had with former Guardian columnist Melanie Phillipst. Melanie is Jewish and was a former reporter with The Guardian, a far-left news paper in England. In this interview, she shares why she left The Guardian and essentially left the left. She also explains how the left is trying to change society. She also discusses the rise of anti semetism in the political left. I disagreed with is her description of Adolf Hitler as a fascists. Though, fascist and the extreme right have embraced Nazism, in fact Hitler headed the NSDPA or Nation Socialist German Workers’ Party, that was later abbreviated to NAZI. Melanie is broadcaster and journalist who currently writes for The Times and the Jerusalem Post.

Standing in Faith Against the Storm

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Often during the past few weeks, I have felt fear and uncertainty rise up within me. During these times, I made a firm decision not to succumb to fear, and as soon as I did that, something changed and life suddenly felt lighter and brighter in our living room where I was standing. As I stepped forward and envisioned myself on a beach with waves rising and building on the waters before me, I was reminded of Christ’s words, “Peace to you!” Shortly after the Lord’s crucifixion, the disciples had locked themselves in a room for fear of the Jews and the uncertain times they were in. Jesus appeared in their midst saying: “Peace to you! As the Father has sent me, I also send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”  John 20:21-22 The Hebrew word for spirit in the Old Testament is ‘ruach’ and it means ‘air in motion.’ The same word is translated ‘breath’ and life’. When talking about the Holy Spirit, Jesus …

Iceland study reveals that half the people with Coronavirus didn’t even know they had it

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While we are being inundated daily about the number of people who are dying from the Coronavirus or COVID-19, a new study out of Iceland may throw new light on those statistics. According to World Meter, as of April 2, 2020, there have been 1,003,729 reported cases of COVID-19 worldwide (this includes 210,500 people who have recovered) and 51,522 deaths which puts a death rate for the virus worldwide at about 5%. (Note these numbers are adjusted several times during the day). However, those stats vary widely by country. For example Italy has reported 110,547 cases and 13,155 deaths which works out to a death rate of nearly 12%. Meanwhile, US and Germany are recording death rates of 2% and 1% respectively. But, if a study out of Iceland is right, the percentage death rates for COVID-19 in many of these countries may actually be lower. With a population of 346,000, Iceland has reported 1,319 cases of virus with four deaths, a percentage death rate of less than 0.4%, half of what Germany is reporting. …