All posts filed under: z416

God Can Use a Cat

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By Kathie Walters

Years ago, I was in a wonderful move of God in London. We reached out to people through the gifts of the Spirit and in faith. During that time, one of the elders in our church was an actor named Timmy.

Spreading Manure: The Stench of Gossip

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By Julie Barrier    My brother-in-law, Bud Wright, is my hero. He’s a committed Christian leader, a savvy businessman and a wonderful father. I love him deeply because he has managed to put up with my feisty, fireball little sister Kathy for thirty years. And, believe me, she’s a handful! We all call him “Rich Bud” because his real moniker, Maryatte Steele Wright III, is too difficult to pronounce and it sounds like a stuffy English butler. “Rich Bud” toodles around town in his fire-engine red Ferrari and has never met a stranger. But the real reason I adore him is because I have never, ever heard him say a disparaging word about anyone-friend or foe. He may vent to his three cats when I’m not around, but Bud spreads kindness wherever he goes. He sees the best in people. My pastor-hubby Roger always uses Bud as a sermon illustration when he preaches on gossip. Most folks delight in the flaws of others, but Uncle Bud sees the potential for good in those he knows …

Udder madness

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A Tennessee farmer, Stephanie Nash, recently reacted to a decision by French dairy giant Danone to require cattle to wear diapers and masks in an effort to reduce methane emissions as an idea birthed “loony town,” Fox News reports. The company made the announcement in mid-January 2023 stating it would reduce the methane emissions coming from flatulence and burps by 30%. Nash responded by calling the move ‘udder madness’ in an interview with Tucker Carlson, stating she tried to put a mask on one of her cows and immediately noticed that it was struggling to breathe. READ: Farmer speaks out against forcing cows to wear diapers to contain methane emissions: ‘Gone to loony town’

Increased interest in spirituality brings opportunity and danger, surveys find

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According to a survey conducted by Barna, there is a potential for a great spiritual awakening among Americans, as they appear to be more open to spiritual things since the pandemic. The survey found that 74% of Americans stated that they were interested in ‘growing spiritually’ and 44% added that they are more open to God than they were before the COVID pandemic, Christian Headlines reports. The survey also found that 77% believed there was a ‘higher power’ or God and only 9% did not believe this. Barna CEO David Kinnaman said that while attendance at churches has declined since the pandemic, the survey revealed this growing interest in spiritual things provided a “tremendous opportunity for faith leaders.” “Across every generation, in fact, we see an unprecedented desire to grow spiritually, a belief in a spiritual/supernatural dimension and a belief in God or a higher power” Kinnaman added. He noted that this interest is even showing up among teens where 76% said that “Jesus speaks to me in a way that is relevant to my …

Rabbi Pesach Wolicki explains what Jehovah means

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In an article for Israel365 News, Rabbi Pesach Wolicki had an interesting read on what the name of God, pronounced Jehovah (spelled YHVH) actually means. He starts off by turning to Exodus 6:2-3, when God revealed His name to Moses, explaining that His actual name was different from the name that the patriarch knew God as: God spoke to Moses, and He said to him: I am the Lord (YHVH). I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty (El Shaddai), but with My name “the Lord,” (YHVH) I did not make myself known to them. (Exodus 6:2-3) So what does YHVH actually mean? Wolicki explains that at its root, YHVH means “to exist.” But a closer examination of the various elements of this word provides a different picture. Wolicki writes: “The form or conjugation of this root that is the name YHVH is an impossible mix of past, present, and future tenses. We can see where God’s name YHVH comes from if we consider three words: #1 YEHYEH        Will be …

Mom meets the son she saved after changing her mind while lying on the abortion table

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CBN recently had a story about Melissa Coles, who in 1993 changed her mind about having an abortion while laying on the table and eventually met her son, whose life she spared. Coles, 18, was poor and unmarried made the decision as the doctor’s hand touched her leg to start the procedure. She blurted out ‘I can’t do this’ and the doctor rolling his eyes stopped. Unaware of what to do next, she later found out that adoption was an option. The story exposes the oldest lie in the abortion handbook, that the child is unwanted. The baby may not be wanted by the mother, for a variety of reasons, but there are thousands of families desperate for a child. In Coles’ case, it ended up being a Christian woman, who had given birth to two children who later died because of their disabilities. Coles gave birth to a baby boy in December 1993, who was named David James. Eighteen years later, Cole had a chance to meet the son she had given up for …

Turning One’s Ears From the Truth to Fables

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And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. — 2 Timothy 4:4 By Rick Renner In our home in Russia, Denise and I have several black, lacquered boxes that are precious Russian works of art. They were painted using a centuries-old technique, and each box contains up to 16 layers of papier-mâché. The work is so intricate, in fact, the scenes on these boxes were painstakingly painted with a brush containing only one hair! Then when the painting was finished on one of these boxes, the artist would burnish it with the tooth of a wolf. Four main schools taught and performed this method, and when the art form first began in Russia, the intricate scenery on these boxes primarily consisted of religious icons and scenery depicting religious events and nobility. But the art changed after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. Under Communism, the artists who masterfully created these works of art were no longer allowed to paint religious themes because atheism had become the “religion” of the …

North Korea is the most dangerous place in the world for Christians

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Open Doors is a Christian organization that monitors and reports on the persecution of Christians around the world In its most recent release of the World Watch List, which breaks down the countries where Christians experience the most severe persecution, it put North Korea at the top beating out last year’s leader, Afghanistan, Premier Christian News reports. Open Doors added that North Korea also received the highest negative score ever given a country for its persecution of Christians. The increase was largely due to the passing of its “Anti-Reactionary Thought Law,” which criminalizes the use of any materials not published in the country including the Bible. North Korean officials have used this law to track down anyone who has been influenced by outside religious materials. Open Door estimates that there are approximately 400,000 Christians in the country which has a population of around 26 million. Open Doors adds that upwards of 70,000 Christians are imprisoned in one of North Korea’s gulags. READ: North Korea deemed most dangerous country to be a Christian In its propaganda, …

Why Westerners are not receiving dreams and visions like those in the Middle East?

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In Joel 2:28, the prophet spoke of a day when God would pour out His Holy Spirit on all flesh, and added that it would be evidenced by people having dreams and visions. I have written several articles on how people in the Middle East have had their lives transformed by God-given dreams and visions. And while this seems to be happening in other parts of the world, it does not seem to be taking place, at least to the same degree, in Western countries. I have a couple of friends who regularly receive dreams and visions. In my case, I have had only one, which I would describe as a warning dream. It resulted in a positive, spiritually life-altering experience as my wife and I moved to another city. Yet, for most Westerners, myself included, these are rare experiences in Christian circles. In an interview with Faithwire, Rev. Lazarus Yeghnazar, the founder of Transform Iran, made an interesting statement that may explain why. If he was in a meeting with Iranian believers and asked …