All posts filed under: z384

The Pit and the Path

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In Nehemiah 2:12-16, there is an interesting story. After arriving at the ruins of Jerusalem, Nehemiah desired to inspect the damage. At one point, he must have got off his sure-footed donkey, because of the rubble “Then, I went on to the Fountain gate, and to the King’s Pool, but was no room for the animal that was under me to pass.” (Nehemiah 2:14 NKJV) Nehemiah wanted to check out the damage to the walls himself. He needed eyes on the problem and did it secretly without others unduly influencing his survey. He soon learned how bad it was. Before you can enjoy the blessings and refreshments of the Fountain’s Pool, you must clear away the rubble. This was an ancient problem, played out many times and in many ways. The word in Hebrew for rubble means, ‘ashes, dust, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish.” The root word literally means ‘to be dust.’ Nehemiah understood that the issue was more than just a physical one, but it was also about people. Sometimes, the path to our call …

Canada’s push for medically assisted suicide

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For those who are unaware, Canada has been providing medically assisted suicide since 2016 and is among 8 countries that fully or partially allow it, writes Susan Bates in her article for the Deseret News. “Canada’s law is considered among the most expansive, and has some of the fewest safeguards for patients,” Bates added. It is officially called Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) and according to reports, over 10,000 Canadian were given this assistance in 2021. This was a 32% increase over 2020. But there have been concerns about what is going on after a Canadian veteran stated he was pressured by an employee at Veterans Affairs Canada to use MAID to end his life. What was equally disturbing is that the man, who suffered from PTSD hadn’t brought up the issue and according to Global News, the government employee continued pushing it even after the man had said he wasn’t interested. READ: Ottawa orders ‘full and thorough’ probe into veteran assisted dying discussion The Deseret News provides some other stories: Canadian Prime Minister Justin …

Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022): Royal family gathers over concerns about Queen Elizabeth’s health

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UPDATED: Britain’s longest reigning monarch has died. Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest reigning monarch, has died. She will be missed. READ: Queen Elizabeth II, longest-reigning British monarch, dead at 96 According to several reports, the family of Queen Elizabeth, 96, are gathering at the Queen’s Scottish estate, Balmoral, over concerns about her health. The Queen is said to be under medical supervision at the estate. BBC writes: “Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision,” a statement said. “The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.” Prince Charles has travelled to Balmoral with the Duchess of Cornwall. The Duke of Cambridge is on his way to the Scottish estate, about 40 miles (64km) west of Aberdeen. The announcement comes after the Queen, 96, pulled out of a meeting of her Privy Council on Wednesday, with doctors advising her to rest. READ: Queen under medical supervision at Balmoral RELATED: LIVE UPDATES: Royals arrive in Scotland where Queen Elizabeth is under medical supervision AND …

Seven Steps to Help Unite the Church of America

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By Dr. Michael L. Brown

It was Jesus Himself who said, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” (Matthew 12:25) The same applies for the Church: If we are divided against ourselves, we will be ruined and we will not stand. And if we, the people of God in America, will not stand, neither will our nation. But how we can unite when there are such deep divisions and differences among us?

Sharp decline in reading and math scores of 9-year-olds during pandemic

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According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), young school-age children in America were severely harmed by the political decisions to lock down the country and close schools during the pandemic. The study found that there was a sharp decline in reading and math scores for nine-year-olds. Breitbart provides more details: Released by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the new data shows nine-year-olds’ reading scores saw the steepest decline since 1990 (a full five-point drop) while math scores saw a record drop of seven points. The results were tracked by the special administration of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which has often been referred to as the “nation’s report card.” […] Noting classroom disruption, violence, truancy, cyberbullying, and absent teachers also rose during the pandemic, Carr said a variety of factors “contextualize” the data. […] To make matters worse, students who were already struggling pre-pandemic suffered an even steeper drop compared to their counterparts, dropping an average of 12 points in reading and math. Black students dropped an average of 13 points …

Is Europe planning to forcibly ration energy?

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After a sharp turn to Green energy, the European Union announced plans to force citizens to reduce the amount of energy they use at peak times of the day, morning (6 am to 9 am) and evening (5 pm to 9 pm). Coincidentally, these are the times when energy use peaks and also when the wind typically doesn’t blow, and of course, the sunshine is at its lowest levels. Meanwhile, EU manufacturers of aluminum and zinc, critical elements in today’s technology, have cut production by 50% because of soaring energy prices. READ: Europe’s non-ferrous metals producers call for emergency EU action Meanwhile, in California

Extraordinary find confirms the Bible’s smallest details

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What I like about Biblical archaeology is how it consistently confirms some of the smallest, seemingly irrelevant details, mentioned in Scripture. In 1 Kings 10, we have a bit of an idea of King Solomon’s wealth gained through tribute paid by subdued nations and as well taxation of those doing business in his realm (1 Kings 10:14-15). One of the displays of Solomon’s wealth is found in a description of the king’s great throne, which is described as being “covered with ivory and overlaid with fine gold” (1 Kings 10:18-20). It also had a huge rounded back, and appeared to have a full-sized lion on either side of the throne. There were also six massive steps going down to the palace floor, with a lion on both ends of each step (12 in total). But in the midst of this grandiose description, the first thing the writer noted is that Solomon’s throne was decorated with ivory, and it is mentioned before the gold and lions. This is not surprising because ivory was considered more valuable …

Environmental groups want natural gas banned in the US

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Over two dozen environmental groups recently petitioned the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban natural gas in the US, the Denver Gazette reports. In his article for the Gazette, Scott Weiser writes: More than two dozen environmental organizations petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the use of natural gas for home heating nationwide, arguing the federal agency must regulate “deadly pollution from heating appliances.” The petition, sponsored by the Sierra Club, claims fossil fuel-fired home furnaces, water heaters, clothes dryers and stoves emit enough nitrogen dioxide (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) that they must be classified as “new stationary sources” of air pollutants, placing them in the same regulatory regime as power plants and factories. Critics suggest, that the inclusion of nitrogen oxide in the list of banned substances, would essentially eliminate the usage of natural gas across the US. If implemented, new homes would not be allowed to use natural gas. As well, owners of older homes would be required, at horrendous cost, to convert all natural gas appliances including furnaces, stoves, …

Do ‘big’ dreams make a difference?

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“All things are possible to him who believes!” (Mark 9:23 ESV) Does believing for big things make a difference in our walk with God? Well, a recent survey conducted by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) has concluded that thinking big makes a difference when it comes to church planting and church growth, Christian Post reports. The ECFA conducted a survey of new church plants in order to determine the best strategies for growth. Many of these involved plants by larger multi-site churches and other denominations. One aspect that the survey uncovered is that the group’s vision of success does seem to make a difference in how successful the church will ultimately be. The study came to this conclusion after comparing the end results of those groups who expected their church would multiply by ten times in five years, with those who did not believe their church would multiply in five years. The survey found that those who had big dreams grew ten times faster than those who didn’t While the big-vision churches reported …