More extreme doses are required to keep the public addicted to their false hopes.

As a physician, I witness countless first and last breaths. As a Christian, I am constantly reminded of how God breathes life into us through his Spirit.The scalpel sliced through the uterine wall. The amniotic sac ruptured, and fluid flowed across the blue surgical drapery toward me. The obstetrician’s fingers curled around the baby’s head while my gloved hands pressed firmly against the mother’s abdomen. The baby was larger than we had expected. I shifted my full body weight against the mother’s belly, and, at last, the newborn’s head slipped through. Her shoulders quickly followed, and there she lay, eyes taking in the bright world for the first time.Before she could cry, she took her first breath. Air rushed in, pushing aside fluid that had filled her lungs from six weeks of gestation. The oxygen diffused through the blood vessels of the alveoli, tiny air sacs within her lungs, relaxing the pulmonary arteries and allowing blood to course through her lungs for the first time. The short vessel connecting her lung arteries and heart began to close. Pressure built in her heart, causing the tiny hole between its chambers to snap shut.She breathed more vigorously than anyone else in the operating room, her purple hue softening to a rich pink. Squinting against the glaring light above, she cried again. What a foreign world this is—where air becomes breath, and then breath returns to air.Ruach is a Hebrew word meaning breath, wind, or spirit. (In the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, it is rendered as pneuma or pneumon, the roots from which we get many English words pertaining to lungs.)In Genesis, ruach is both the Spirit of God bringing light and order into an unordered world (1:1–4) and the breath of life that God breathes into Adam (2:7). Psalm 33:6 says, “By the word of ...Continue reading...

Speech was not God's only miracle at Pentecost. The Spirit also gave the gift of understanding, overcoming division and contempt.Tongues of fire, everywhere. In this loud and furious age, a time of protests and counter-protests, words come burning, singeing, scalding, stinging.“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” James wrote, “because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (1:19–20). But few of us—even those of us who follow Christ—seem to believe that listening more than we speak could possibly meet the reality of these days.We give into the temptation of “thinking the times require using the tools of the enemy,” as Michael Wear says in The Spirit of Our Politics. We justify our tongues of fire as “just the way you play the game,” disregarding our trail of destruction—great forests put to waste by the sparks from our lips (3:5–8).Of course, there’s nothing new under the sun. Rage travels more quickly by gigahertz than messenger, but our era is not uniquely chaotic or tumultuous. The church has lived through worse, not least the dangerous early days after Christ’s resurrection and ascension.“[I’ve] been jailed … beaten up more times than I can count, and at death’s door time after time,” recounted the apostle Paul of his ministry in that time. “I’ve been flogged five times with the Jews’ thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. … I’ve had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I’ve been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers” (2 Cor. 11:23–27, MSG). ...Continue reading...

By calling or circumstance, millions in the “sandwich generation” feel the weight and cost of tending to aging relatives. Shanoah Bruner is among the quarter of American adults who find themselves in the “sandwich generation,” raising children under 18 and supporting aging parents.At her home in the Indianapolis suburbs, the 40-something mom lives with her husband, tween and teen daughters, mother-in-law, and biological father.The caretaking role comes naturally to Bruner. She was raised in a family that regularly opened their home to others and served their church and community. Plus, she worked in assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing for over 20 years.“I grew up in a very Christian home where, you know, people meant more than possessions,” she said. “So that’s just how I look at it, and it’s definitely rewarding for me, though that’s not the case for everybody.”As baby boomers descend into their twilight years, their kids are taking them in or helping manage care from afar. Sixty-six percent of caregivers are women like Bruner, most of them in their mid-to-late 40s, who also work outside the home.The demanding needs of caregivers and their loved ones offer believers a chance to provide support and gospel hope. Churches, nonprofits, and government and parachurch organizations have resources, and individual Christians can provide personal, tangible love in action.In 2022, the first Bible study specifically for dementia caregivers was published. Some churches are implementing caregiver workshops. The Caregiving Support Network hosts a program to “sponsor a caregiver,” and there’s even a dedicated “Caregiver’s Prayer.”Richard Gentzler Jr., an expert in ministry for aging adults, paraphrased former First Lady Rosalynn Carter when he wrote that ...Continue reading...

Spiritual care is essential as stressors among law enforcement rise.Sitting in the front row of a supervisor training in 2016, Stamford Police Sgt. Sean Boeger raised his hand every time the instructor asked who had dealt with a particular experience, including homicides, fatal accidents, and child deaths.During his nearly 30 years as a police officer, 48-year-old Boeger had helped with body recovery efforts at Ground Zero after 9/11. When 20 children were killed by a lone shooter in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, just 40 miles from Stamford, Boeger volunteered to help the small Newtown police department. He covered midnight shifts as officers took time to recover.The instructor at the training triggered something in Boeger. Until that class, he had never dwelt much on the effect of witnessing so much trauma. Driving home that evening, he also thought back to another incident, when he responded to a report of a small child falling out of an eighth-story window.“I felt overwhelmed, kind of panic-stricken,” he recalled of that evening. “I think I was more in shock from the stuff I’d never contemplated and the trauma impact it had on me. Because you don’t stop to think about it.”So Boeger did something he had never contemplated previously: He sought help from John Revell, a chaplain who had recently been spending time with his department.“I don’t know what’s going on with me, but I feel like I need to talk to you,” Boeger recalls telling Revell, whom he calls “the Rev.” Revell invited him over, interrupting his family dinnertime, and the two spent an hour or so talking. It opened the door to a longer-term relationship, and an eventual appreciation for the Rev’s consistent presence around ...Continue reading...

It was announced that the Boy Scouts of America is changing its name to Scouting America in a move to “be more welcoming of the entire scouting community.”

Cass cautioned against a "politically driven"? medical system and recommended a more holistic approach to treating minors with gender dysphoria. She noted that the U.S. medical system has failed such patients due to being overwhelmed by the issue.

By Maryam Henein I am excited to interview Celeste Solum on Truth Lives Here this coming Friday. Solum is an investigator, researcher, author, broadcaster, and...Pandemic X, Nanoparticles of Destruction & More With Celeste Solum

Filmmaker David Helling is preparing to bring more Old Testament figures to the big screen: Jacob, Leah and Rachel, highlighting their part in God's plan of redemption.

Dennis Quaid is hosting a new nonfiction series on the History Channel examining the facts behind some of history's greatest “holy marvels,” including the Ark of the Covenant, Noah's Ark, Jesus' crown of thorns and more.?

? Temple Baptist Church - 5-15-2024John 16:7-15? Introduction:? A. Once again, let me reiterate that this will not be a Systematic Theology study of Pneumatology. But because of the context found in John 14-16, we find some important things about the Person and Word of the Holy Spirit. The Person is the Holy Spirit and when speaking of the work of the Holy Spirit, the name the Holy Ghost is used.? B. Last week, I “scratched the surface” on two things: the Work of the Comforter to the comfortless. The disciples' hearts were “filled with sorrow.” Two words need to be explained: Comforter and comfortless:? 1. Comforter (παράκλητος? paraklētos? par-ak'-lay-tos)? in the Greek means to be summoned to the side of or to come to the aid of the comfortless. Our Lord said that it was “expedient” that He went away but would pray the Father to send the Comforter in Christ's stead. While Christ comforted the disciples for 3 ½ years, the Comforter would abide with them forever.? John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;? 2. Comfortless in the Greek comes from the word Greek word? ὀρφανός? orphanos? or-fan-os'? from which we get our English word orphan. Orphans have no families but the child of God has a spiritual family: our Father which is in heaven; our Saviour and Friend who love us; and the Holy Spirit that indwells us. Aren't you glad that you are not an orphan.? John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.? Psalms 27:10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.? All of our sorrows, come what may! Death, sickness, persecutions, trials and tribulations, personal failure, discouragement, disappointment, defilement, both real and imagined. He will not leave us comfortless: orphaned!? C. The Second name given to the Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of truth,” which I will look at in a little more detail tonight.? John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.? D. Why do people not get saved and why do some saved never grow? The verses that we read to night are the problem.? 1. There are those who reject Christ CANNOT know the truth. “seeth him not … neither knoweth him”? 1 Corinthians 2:11-14 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. (12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (13) Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (14) But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.? 2. Both lost and the carnal saint oft times who reject the Bible CANNOT know the truth! The truth is available in our day.? Zechariah 7:11-12 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. (12) Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.? Acts 7:54-57 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. (55) But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, (56) And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. (57) Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,? E. The Work of the Spirit of Truth:? 1. Verse 8.? John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:? a.? The Holy Spirit teaches us about Sin.? John 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;? 1)? The Truth about Adamic Sin.? Romans 5:12a Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin;? Psalms 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.? 2) The Truth about Willful Sin.? Romans 5:12b and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:? Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;? 3) The Truth about Recompense for Sin.? a) Temporal Recompense.? Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.? b) Eternal Sense. Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.? b. The Holy Spirit teaches us about Righteousness.? John 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;? 1) Lack of Righteousness of the Sinner.? Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.? 2) Perfect Righteousness of the Saviour.? Romans 10:3-4 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. (4) For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.? 3) Imputed Righteousness of the Saint.? Romans 4:20-25 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; (21) And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. (22) And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. (23) Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; (24) But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; (25) Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.? 3. The Holy Spirit teaches us about Judgment.? John 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.? a) The Judgment of Satan and fallen angels. Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:? Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.? b) The Judgment of Sinners and their works.? Revelation 20:11-15 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. (12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. (14) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.? 2. Verse 12-13.? John 16:12-13 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. (13) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.? a. In Depth Teaching. “he will guide you into all truth”? Colossians 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;? b. In Inspired Revelation. “and he will shew you things to come.” The canon of Scripture was not Plenary until after the death of the Apostles as they would continue to write under the inspiration of God in their lives. After their death, the canon of Scripture was Plenary, complete.? 2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.? c. In Prophecy. Eschatology. Things to come. Knowing what the future holds and Who holds the future, we can face tomorrow and all our tomorrows in faith confidence through faith. “I do not know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow and Who holds my life in His hands!”? Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.? ? 3. Verse 14. John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.? a. The Holy Spirit does not speak of or exalt Himself. Be careful around people who constantly speak of the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost.? b. The Holy spirit ALWAYS glorifies the Saviour and not Himself! We certainly honor and love Him, but He only speaks of and directs us to our Lord.

Today's category: AmishRobbing the Amish? ? ? ? ? ? Two fellers were in desparate need of cash, but admittedly were a bit cowardly. So the one suggested they break into the Amish market. The logic being that since the Amish were non-resistant, even if they were caught, no harm could befall them. Thus they carried out their plot.? ? ? ? ? ? However, just as they were breaking into the cash register, the owner turned on the lights and confronted them, a shotgun pointed directly at them.? ? ? ? ? ? Calmly, the Amishman said, Boys, I would never do thee any harm yet you are standing where I am about to shoot.View hundreds more jokes online.Email this joke to a friend

The Association of Baptists for World Evangelism intends to spend more than $6 million to "transform" Papua New Guinea by renovating a Baptist college and medical clinic to enhance theological education and evangelism in the Pacific country with over 600 islands and 800 languages.?

The centuries-old Church of the Holy Spirit in Heidelberg, Germany, drew more than 1,200 people on Sunday for worship services featuring the music of Taylor Swift.

Israel Marks First Post-Oct. 7 Memorial Day Israel marked its first Post-Oct. 7 Memorial Day beginning Sunday (12th) at sundown and extending until Monday evening (13th). Memorial Day for the ... Read MoreThe post News Digest — 5/13/24 appeared first on The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.

At Israel's wartime Memorial Day last evening celebrations began in the bloodiest year in over 50 years. In his powerful, emotional speech President Isaac Herzog said: “I stand here next ... Read MoreThe post Israel at War: Week 31 appeared first on The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.

Israel Marks First Wartime Independence Day Holiday traditions had to be rethought and revamped because Israel never celebrated Independence Day in wartime.? That meant changing, among other things, the torch-lighting ... Read MoreThe post News Digest — 5/14/24 appeared first on The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.

Israeli singer Eden Golan wins 5th place in Eurovision’s contest. Protests and calls to ban Israel from Eurovision 2024 over their war against Hamas loomed over the international contest, but ... Read MoreThe post Antisemitism Strikes Again! appeared first on The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.

IDF KIlls Dozens Of Hamas Terrorists In Largest Gaza Battle In Two Months IDF Division 98 on Tuesday (14th) killed dozens of Hamas terrorists in Jabalya in northern Gaza in ... Read MoreThe post 5/15/24 appeared first on The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.

Annual Bible Quiz brings Jewish world together on Israel's Independence Day, and more.

Israel is not as secure as many thought, but the people are much stronger and more dedicated than most imagined.

For seven seasons, the show has offered a clichéd (and nostalgic) vision of how atheists and believers relate to each other.My mom was the one who told me to watch The Big Bang Theory. It was a show about nerds—and I was a nerd. She thought I’d enjoy it. A friend had already mentioned that the main character, Sheldon Cooper, was “exactly like” me. After I watched the show, at Mom’s encouragement, I joked that I had mixed feelings about the comparison.The Big Bang Theory was extremely popular and not just with my mom; at its height, it averaged 20 million viewers a night. But it never really resonated with actual dweebs. Its audience was largely Gen X women—not people who were Sheldon but people who “knew a Sheldon,” not the geeks themselves but their mothers and friends.It’s fitting, then, that the even-more-popular Big Bang spinoff would be Young Sheldon, a prequel about the title character’s childhood in East Texas—and that Sheldon’s relationship with his mom, Mary, would be at the heart of the show. Young Sheldon sits at the top of the prime-time rankings; one recent week, the show (which streams on Netflix, Max, and Paramount+) topped all streamed content across US household televisions.As Young Sheldon comes to an end (its series finale airs May 16; a spinoff starring two breakout characters—Georgie and Mandy—has already been announced), so too does the onscreen dynamic between Sheldon and Mary. So too does a nostalgic vision for how the “science vs. religion” debate plays out in our families.Mary is Sheldon’s opposite in nearly every way. He’s a logical atheist physicist with no people skills; Mary is a warm, folksy conservative Christian. In many ways, she serves as an audience surrogate. (For what it’s worth, Mary was my ...Continue reading...

The wager only scratches the surface of his relevance to a post-Christian era.It is a common lament that we live in a post-Christian era. This fact raises challenges to our witness to the world. Most of our audience thinks that, in G. K. Chesterton’s words, Christianity has been tried and found wanting (rather than found wanting and left untried). It is not considered a live option. How do we bear witness well in this cultural context? We might do well to reconsider one of the most enigmatic thinkers in Christian history, Blaise Pascal.Pascal suffers from a public relations problem. As the source of Pascal’s wager, he is often considered a gambling man. He urges the non-believer to bet that God exists. What does one have to lose? In Beyond the Wager: The Christian Brilliance of Blaise Pascal, philosopher Douglas Groothuis shows that there is more to Pascal’s life and thought than his most famous argument. Groothuis demonstrates that we have much to learn from this brilliant thinker. Pascal, he argues, is a crucial thinker for our time.Essential writingsPascal came on the scene in the 17th century, during the early years of the Scientific Revolution. Several of his works contributed to this movement, including treatises on the geometry of conic sections, theories of probability, and conclusions to extensive experiments he had done to test the possibility of a vacuum. He invented the first functional calculator, which he had built to help his father with his work of assessing taxes.His best-known works, however, focus on Christianity. In the Provincial Letters, Pascal defends the Jansenist movement, which was condemned by the Catholic church, against the Jesuits. The Jansenists emphasized that the depth of human sinfulness required a work of God for our salvation. The Christian life ...Continue reading...

Māori Christians in New Zealand bristle at newly translated portions of the Bible that use the names of local deities.Last year, Bible Society New Zealand (BSNZ) released a 109-page booklet with 10 Bible passages published in a contemporary Māori translation for the first time. The version used the names of atua Māori, or Māori gods and deities, in place of words like heaven, earth, land, and sea. Genesis 1:1, for example, says that in the beginning, God made Rangi-nui (Sky Father) and Papatūānuku (Earth Mother) instead of rangi and whenua respectively.The changes, meant to appeal to younger Māori, stirred debate. While some readers praised the changes (“The terms are more relatable,” wrote one respondent in a BSNZ survey), many, including Māori theologians and church leaders, decried the use of atua Māori in the Scriptures as “twisted” and “blasphemous.”The aim of publishing He Tīmatanga (A Beginning) was not to present a final translation but to offer a draft for feedback, said Clare Knowles, translation coordinator at BSNZ. Publishing these passages was part of an effort that began in 2008 to “retranslate the entire Bible into Māori [in] today’s language.”While Māori speakers in New Zealand have a Bible translation in their language, it was last revised in 1952. The most recent edition in 2012 mainly focused on reformatting the text with updated paragraphs, spelling, and punctuation, but the content has largely remained the same since missionaries first translated the Bible into Māori in the 19th century.“Imagine if the only English translation we had was the King James Version. … This is a bit like the situation with Te Paipera Tapu, the Māori Bible,” Knowles wrote in an article promoting He Tīmatanga.In New Zealand, about 8 percent of the population speak Māori, ...Continue reading...

A new book seems oddly outraged that CRT skeptics take its arguments seriously.Last year I joined a group of Christian leaders, Black and white, on a tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture located in Washington, DC.Even though I’ve read quite a bit about slavery and Jim Crow, I was still physically and emotionally disturbed by the visual depictions of the systemic and violent ways in which people of color were treated for centuries of American history. There is no sugarcoating this history. It was (and is) an offense against God, with ripple effects that continue to shape our national life.In the past decade, conversations on racism have become more heated, reaching a fever pitch in 2020 with the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.One outcome of the resulting ferment of protest and denunciation was renewed attention to critical race theory (popularly known as CRT), a controversial legal theory once confined to the academic world and now increasingly mainstreamed and popularized in public life, including many of our leading institutions.Books like White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo or How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi rose to the top of bestseller lists in 2020 and after. Corporations, government entities, and even churches began implementing steps drawn from these and other popular works. Evangelical publishers churned out books in this spirit as well.Some Christian leaders have defended the use of CRT as a helpful analytical tool. Others have criticized it as a totalizing worldview opposed to biblical Christianity. This debate has divided many Christians, exhausted many pastors, split many organizations, and convulsed our politics.Seeking to bring sanity and clarity to this ongoing conversation is ...Continue reading...