All posts filed under: z20

Full moon peering out behind exploding Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park Photo: Miles Ritter/Flickr/Creative Commons

Did the prophet Joel predict a boiling river near Yellowstone Park?

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There are strange things happening in America’s infamous Yellowstone Park and believe it or not, the prophet Joel and maybe even the Apostle John might have predicted it. One involves Yellowstone’s most famous geyser — Old Faithful. It normally erupts about every 74 minutes, but the times can vary from 60 to 100 minutes. It shoots spray and water about 140′ into the air and on a good day it can tower to 180′. Heated by the molten lava deep below, the water is hot. It has been measured at 204F (95.6C) and the steam at 350F. But in the video taken on the night of April 15, 2016, by the Geyser Observatory, Old Faithful is going off repeatedly. Other geysers are also suddenly appearing and shooting off. Though the video that was taken in the middle of the night, it looks like day because the ground is glowing: Commenting on the video, Kat Marin2016 said: This was insane! There are places steaming I have never seen steam before….and also note that the bright ground …

What we think of ourselves, affects who we are.

Be nice to yourself

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My mind can be my best friend or worst enemy depending on what I choose to believe about myself. In other words, my body responds to messages I send it via my thoughts. Many times, while trying on clothes in a store, I have stood in front of the mirror and criticized myself for being fat. There is, undeniably, a mind-body connection and statements like “I am fat” affect our mental, emotional and physical well-being. I have shut myself down many times because of my negative thinking and the demeaning language that followed. Waking up and feeling gloomy because the sun isn’t shining often sets the mood and tone of my day and this in turn determines how productive it will be as well. The Bible tells us that our thoughts dictate who we become. The mind of a man reflects who he really is, not just his actions or words . “Above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23) Guarding the heart really means the inner core of …

Helping the poor. Photo Fabian Bockholt/Flickr/Creative Commons

How to best help the poor

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Michael Wooldridge of Muscatine, Iowa recently posted a message to Facebook about an incident that happened to his uncle referred to only as “Mike.” Mike was at a Taco Bell when he saw two men with signs asking for financial help. According to Wooldridge, Mike, who is also a businessman, decided instead of giving these two fellows financial assistance would provide them jobs. However, when he extended the offer the two men turned him down and continued to beg for money. Mike was shocked by their response. So he left, created his own sign, returned and stood behind these two young men with his sign that read: “Offered these guys a job. They said no. Don’t give money.” Angered the two men moved to a different location and Mike apparently joined them there. Eventually the two left. Of course the Facebook comments predictably went one of two directions those who applauded Mike and others who felt sorry for the young men begging for money. What is the Biblical response to this type of situation? As …

Los Angeles Staples Center photo Luca Zappa/Flickr

‘LA Times’ reviewer says recent Justin Bieber concert reminded him of a church service

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LA Times concert reviewer Mikael Wood attended Justin Bieber’s recent concert held in Los Angeles on Friday, November 13th. In his review Wood wrote: “What the vaguely billed event at Staples Center felt most like was a church service.” Wood went so far as to title one of his articles on the concert: Review how Justin Bieber turned Staples Center into a megachurch. The sold out concert coincided with the release of Bieber’s latest CD “Purposes.” I recently reported on the transformation taking place in Justin’s life which he attributes to a renewed relationship with Jesus Christ. A big part of this change also involves a friendship with Judah Smith, a pastor based in Seattle. Smith was even at the concert on stage with Justin. Wood said the two sat on stools for part of the 90-minute performance where they discussed “the importance of maintaining a positive spirit and surrounding oneself with encouraging people…” Wood said during this session “Bieber …. more or less preached.” Wearing a black hoodie, Justin also took some pre-selected questions …

Children playing in Thailand Photo: Khanh Hmoong/Flickr

What is the most important thing you can do for your child?

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The Bible is full of advice on child-rearing. Experts in the field have written hundreds of books and I hate to even delve into this area. Admittedly what I will be sharing doesn’t receive the same press as many popular theories, nevertheless it may help your child develop a proper Biblical view of our Heavenly Father – that God loves us and only has our best interests at heart. To understand this principle, we must look at Genesis 1: 26, where God says, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” The word ‘image’ (Hebrew tselem) means to be a representative figure. It is used throughout the Old Testament to describe idols or as the King James version quaintly called them ‘graven images’ (cf. Isaiah 45:20). This means humans functioned as idols of God, not those cut from stone or hewed from wood. But the choice of “tselem” is curious because it begs the question — who were men and women supposed to represent God to? If we are all created in …

Justin Bieber in Oslo, Norway, October 29, 2015 Photo: NRK P3/Flickr

Justin Bieber takes ‘Billboard’ reporter to church

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I have been following Canadian pop star Justin Bieber’s faith journey over the past few months.  I believe Justin’s faith journey is sincere, but it is filled with foibles, like wearing a a Marilyn Manson t-shirt to Hillsong worship conference in Australia earlier this year. But it is good for the church because we need to lighten up, not on sin, but on the persona that the church and its members are without sin and that somehow we have earned the right to cast the first stone when someone doesn’t immediately meet our expectations. The latest story about the mega rock star involves Justin’s interview with a reporter from Billboard. Justin, 21, actually convinces reporter Chris Martin to join him at church. The two end up at a service at the ballroom of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California where Judah Smith was a guest speaker. Smith pastors The City Church in Seattle, Washington. Justin and the reporter sat in the front row. Though there were only about 400 people in attendance, one …

Are you a time traveller?

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Recently, I came to the realization that I was a bonafide time traveller and spent most of my time in the future. Rarely did I live in the present. I was worrying about  the next day or the day after or even the following week.  Sometimes it was just a barrage of small things that caught me. I would worry about what to wear when I was going to church in a couple of days or to an event in a few weeks. I spent most of my day in another dimension of time — the future. Travelling to the future and then back to the present, over and over again, sent my thoughts spinning out of control.  I was always anticipating the worst.  My “fight or flight” response was  triggering all the time. Worry was creating fear. Fear propelled me into the future. Time travel was ruining my life. Jesus warned us about living in another time dimension. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough …

The real reason the media and atheists mock Christians — cowardice

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In an interview with CNSNews.com atheist Phil Zukerman expressed his opinion on why the media has so actively mocked Christians while giving Muslims a free ride. Zukerman is a professor at Pitzer College where he teaches secular studies. He also writes a blog where he actively criticizes Christianity and Judaism. The Gospel Herald reported on the interview. According to Zukerman the reason is very simple — cowardice. The media are terrified of Muslim extremists and possible physical retaliation so instead they mock and deride Christians. Zukerman said Muslims treatment of women and gays is much more “problematic,” but the media will not say a word. The professor even admitted as an atheist he criticizes Christianity and ignores Islam for the same reason because he fears for his family. In the interview he stated: “I would never write the same kind of stuff that I do about certain religions — Judaism, Christianity, LDS — that I would about Islam because of straight up fear.” Gospel Herald also pointed to a recent interview host Bill Maher had …

Hugh Jackman speaking at the San Diego Comic Con International in 2013. Photo: Gage Skidmore / Flickr

Is Hugh Jackman a Christian?

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Hugh Jackman is a popular Hollywood star by anyone’s standards. He is probably best known for his super hero roles in the X-Men series and Wolverine. He also played Jean Valjean in the Hollywood remake of the classic Les Misérables. In an interview with Parade, Jackman came out about his faith stating bluntly: “I am a Christian.” Though I admit Christian can be loosely interpreted, in the interview Jackman spoke about his involvement with Evangelical Christianity when he was younger. He was raised by his Christian father after his mother abandoned the family when Hugh was eight. Jackman stated: “I used to go to different evangelists’ [revival] tents all the time. When I was about 13, I had a weird premonition that I was going to be onstage, like the preachers I saw.” I found it interesting that he referred to a premonition about being on stage. In an earlier post, I wrote about a prophetic word given Hollywood star Chris Pratt by a Christian evangelist who shared his faith with Pratt because God said …

Ex-con shocks everyone by praying for police officer who arrested him

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When you look at police reports of Edward “Doc” Amey, you will find several pages listing his crimes from everything from felony convictions to misdemeanors, including several drug related charges. He has been in prison three times. In an interview with KHOU TV, Amey said: “I haven’t always been a friend of police. Know what I am saying.” But a recent photo of Amey in action has been circulating on Facebook, it is an image of him praying with a police officer. Not just any policeman but Officer Salvador Chapa from the Texas City, Texas police department. Chapa had actually arrested Amey years back on gun charges and he actually did time for that crime But something happened to Amey several years back — he found God and the encounter transformed his life. With all the news in recent months of unprovoked attacks on police throughout the US, God began speaking to Amey about praying for police. Amey said: “The last week-and-a-half God has really been giving me the urge to pray for police officers.” …