Proof The Bible Is True

05/15/18   Polls show that over the past 15 years, the proportion of white evangelicals in the United States has steadily been on the decline, while the non-religious sector of the population continues to soar.   Even though the Protestant denomination is still America’s most prevalent religious group, a major analysis of ABC News/Washington Post polls conducted over the past decade-and-a-half indicates that the nation’s religious landscape has experienced a major shift during that time.   “On average last year, 36 percent of Americans in ABC News/Washington Post polls identified themselves as members of a Protestant faith, extending a gradual [More]

Archaeologists discovered part of a lost settlement they say may provide further proof of the existence of biblical kings David and Solomon.   Historians uncovered a building belonging to an ancient settlement in an area about 30 kilometers from Jerusalem they believe to be associated with King David, according to The Sun.   Archaeologists disagree on whether King David and King Solomon existed, but the age and location of the settlement lends greater credence to the Bible’s historical accuracy, professor and archaeological dig co-head Avraham Faust said.   Read More: Lost City Unearthed Near Jerusalem, Shakes Secularists Who Deny Bible

It was just after 4:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 15, 2007 when Darryl Perry died.   The former University of Florida fullback-turned-financial adviser and his wife, Nicky, had settled down to sleep around midnight after an otherwise normal day. Perry usually worked 16-hour days, Monday through Saturday. The father of three also coached his then-8-year-old son’s baseball team. A deeply spiritual man, Perry usually awoke around 4 a.m. to read the Bible and pray for his wife and children before starting his day. Though the forty-year-old’s sudden cardiac death was a shock to his wife, family and friends, Perry knew it was coming. [More]

The doc made it sound easy. Just walk. Walk every day. Easy for him to say. I couldn’t even make it to the end of our driveway to pick up the darn mail. A quarter mile there and back. I got winded just shuffling around the house. Our mailbox might as well have been in China.   Just walk. Right.   Even more pathetic, I was all of 39 years old. I had my own engineering consulting company with employees nationwide. I was always traveling for work or taking care of Cherokee Acres, our 40-acre horse ranch here in Texas. [More]

The pet shop wasn’t my usual destination on a lunch-hour break, but I was out of food for Izzy and Tobie. I pushed my cart through the aisles, wondering how I’d make ends meet this month. Their food wasn’t cheap. Izzy needed a special brand of dog food because of her skin allergy. Tobie got Science Diet for older cats. I’d settle for a sandwich again for dinner tonight, but I didn’t want the animals I loved to suffer because of my problems.   Boy, did I have problems. Money worries whirled around my head as I walked past the [More]

By Admin By Brian Shilhavy The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. (Acts 11:26) The name “Christian” carries a wide range of meaning and understanding today, as it has throughout history. It is obviously related to “Christ,” which is from the Greek translation of the Hebrew word for “Messiah,” and refers to the person of Jesus Christ. A general definition of “Christian” then would be someone who follows the teachings or doctrine of Jesus Christ. The teachings of Jesus Christ are contained in the Bible, but how they are understood and what kind of …read more Source: Health Impact [More]

A retail chain commissioned a survey by a team of psychologists to try and crack a key demographic: millennials. Their research revealed something so startling that they tested 800 more people because they thought they had made a mistake.   The same answers came back, however, and researchers found an alarming picture of an increasingly lonely and lost generation. The average social media use for millennials is six-and-a half hours a day. The researchers concluded that people in this demographic have a large number of friends but an increasing sense of loneliness. Loneliness can drive you to despondency. When the [More]

It’s almost inevitable. The more vocal you are about your faith, the more likely you are to find people who are opposed to it. But how you choose to react when people take jabs at Christianity is profoundly important. Your response can set the tone for meaningful conversation and increase your influence—or it can close the door to dialogue about faith.   Here are some suggestions for responding when someone criticizes your faith:   Read More: How To Handle Criticism Of Your Faith – Faithwire

It’s no secret that America’s colleges and universities are becoming costlier by the minute — but now there’s far more at stake than just a hit to the pocketbook. According to LifeWay, the primary age when youths leave church is between 17-19 years — approximately freshman year of college for most people.   As young, impressionable students arrive on campus, many are ill-equipped to handle the onslaught of ideological attacks they will face. Combined with an atmosphere that encourages and fosters lots of free time, partying and hookups, it’s no surprise that large numbers — as high as 70 percent — [More]

A few years ago my husband James and I worked for a foster care agency as houseparents where we fostered eight to 10 children at a time. These kids were tough and could easily overtake the home creating a chaotic living environment rendering the houseparents helpless.   I prayed daily for my kids and over my home. I proclaimed that Christ would fill our home with peace, comfort, and calmness. Staff and state personal would come into our home and comment on how calm and peaceful our house was.   It wasn’t because of James and me, it was because [More]

03/05/18 Chandan Devi lay on the floor, her shoulder bruised from the blow she had just received. The last thing she remembers about that terrible day in her village in India was the loud bang of the door shutting behind her.   The 35-year-old and mother of four–and now the widow of Aadarsh-wipes her tears away with the end of her sari. She recounts the story of losing Aadarsh, a pastor in the village, with bursts of short sentences.   A group of 30 men forced their way into Aadarsh and Chandan’s home. None of the children were at home. [More]

03/05/18   What’s happening to Christians in the South Asia country and why?   One of the 64 million Christians in India, Reena* grew up in persecution.   “When I was a young child, Hindu children did not want to play with me,” recalls Reena, now age 19. “Later, my parents were banned from using the local water supply. They had to walk many kilometers to draw water from the river.”   Over the last three years, the persecution Reena endured as a child has increased and intensified in her home country of 1.3 billion people. The 2018 World Watch [More]

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me.” Psalm 23 has brought comfort to millions of people on their deathbeds as they have pondered the words of it.   When you get down to it, everything we need in life is found in this profound yet simple psalm. It contains the secret of a happy life, in which every need is supplied: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (verse 1 NKJV). It contains the secret of a happy death, where every fear is [More]

02/25/18   The Israel Antiquities Authority announced a 2,700-year-old papyrus reference to Jerusalem has been recovered and put on public display – the oldest non-biblical Hebrew document mentioning the city.   The papyrus, originally stolen by antiquities thieves, shows two clear lines of writing: “From the king’s maidservant, from Naharta, jars of wine, to Jerusalem.”   The scroll was originally plundered from a cave in Nahal Hever in the Judean Desert near the Dead Sea by antiquities thieves. Read More: Jerusalem Jewish? Yes, says 2,700-year-old relic

An imprint by the prophet Isaiah himself may have created an 8th century BC seal impression discovered in First Temple remains near Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, according to a respected archaeologist at the Hebrew University, Dr Eilat Mazar.   ‘We appear to have discovered a seal impression, which may have belonged to the prophet Isaiah, in a scientific, archaeological excavation,’ said Mazar this week in a statement reported by the Times of Israel.   Mazar’s team found the minuscule clay bulla, or seal impression, during renewed excavations at the Ophel, which is located at the foot of the southern wall of [More]

“They threatened to kill me, and had God not protected me, they would have succeeded.”   The “they” in *Abdul’s story are not Islamic jihadist group Boko Haram that terrorizes Christians and churches in West Africa, fiercely attempting to eradicate Christianity. “They” are Abdul’s family.   When Abdul left his tribal religion of Islam and committed his life to Christ in 2000, his Muslim family felt and acted like he had just pointed a challenging dagger straight at them. Abdul’s family (part of the ethnic Kotoko group spread over Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria) always took pride in the fact that [More]

I tend to get caught up in the process of life. I’m an analytical sort of person and definitely a planner. With every project, I try to anticipate any possible potholes and pitfalls. I build timelines and set expectations.   This was definitely true when our son was in the military and deployed, and I was anxious for his safety.   I truly believed that I could figure out solutions—in advance—to every possible scenario that might occur. In a lot of ways, I was packing my parachute for those life-moments when I would have to jump into the unknown. The exhaustive [More]

Pray with me that one day I’ll be able to go back to my hometown and testify to the people about my faith in the Lord.”   This is Vang Atu*’s prayer.   Vang Atu, a 28-year-old father to two kids, was the first Christian convert in his village in Vietnam (#18 on the World Watch List). He comes from the Hmong tribe and once worshipped different spirits asking for luck, wealth, good health and food; but when he surrendered his life to Jesus, he completely abandoned his animistic beliefs. As a part of the body of Christ, Vang Atu [More]

02/12/18 A new book touting “archeological discoveries that prove the Bible” has gotten a boost from some high-profile tweets in recent days. First it was former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich promoting “Etched in Stone” by Lisette Bassett-Brody to his million-plus Twitter feed. That was followed by one from Gov. Mike Huckabee who had this to say: “Think the Bible is full of nonsense? Do you have the courage to confront archeological evidence? Only if U have an open mind, check out Lisette Bassett-Brody’s new book.” Read More: High-profile tweets pushing ‘Etched in Stone’ book

As part of its most recent clampdown on Christian churches, Chinese authorities have instructed priests and pastors to post signs on churches barring entry to minors.   The instruction is part of a new set of communist party-controlled regulations on religious activities that went into effect on February 1, 2018 and is aimed at preventing children and young people from getting religious instruction or taking an active part in Christian worship.   According to a report Thursday from ucanews, the leading independent Catholic news source in Asia, authorities have begun enforcing the government ban on minors in church in several [More]

The month of January is always exciting because of how God uses the World Watch List to draw attention to the needs of persecuted Christians around the world. But this January, something new happened too.   Author and researcher Ed Stetzer invited Willow Creek Community Church to write encouraging letters to Christians facing persecution in Turkey. The letters, which Ed forwarded to be delivered by Open Doors, offered a heartwarming display of Christian unity as Chicago-area believers let Turkish Christians know “you are not alone.”   As I looked through the letters that arrived at our offices, it struck me how [More]

Nawal lives in the very real tension between finding ways to follow Christ in secret and being a wife and mother in a Muslim culture.   In Saudi Arabia (#12 on the World Watch List), the pressure on believers from family, society and government can be  suffocating, both emotionally and spiritually. Isolated from other Christians, Saudi wife and mom Nawal has gone almost completely silent, afraid to be in touch with other believers. Like all women who have converted from Islam to Christianity in countries governed by Sharia law, Nawal lives in the very real tension between finding ways to [More]

Lee Joo-Chan, now a pastor in China, grew up never knowing the “family secret.”   Lee Joo-Chan* (now in his 50s) is one of the thousands of North Koreans who grew up in a Christian family without knowing it. In this country (#1 on the 2018 World Watch List), parents can’t risk telling their children about their faith–perhaps the saddest consequence of North Korea’s high “squeeze factor.”   Some parents wait until the children are old enough, then let them in on the “family secret.” Others, like Lee’s parents, never feel that freedom.    30 Years of Secrets Revealed   “I [More]

Pinpoints of hope are popping up everywhere—God is doing amazing work in the Middle East and Open Doors is blessed to be His hands and feet.   In a hidden location in the Middle East, a group of female house church leaders has gathered in secret to grow and learn together. Lively conversation and warm smiles fill the room.   Outside this room, in a culture dominated by men, these women are forced to blend into the anonymous mass of covered heads. They must hide their faith and risk their lives. But the light of Christ can’t be stopped, and [More]

When a bomb exploded right next to Samiha at St. Peter’s Church in Cairo on December 11, 2016, everyone thought she was dead. But Samiha miraculously survived—and now testifies of Jesus’ presence throughout her recovery.   Samiha Tawfiq Awad and her husband Qalini prepared to go to church on one Sunday morning in December 2016. Qalini said he was tired, but Samiha encouraged him not to miss church.   Once at St. Peter’s, the two parted ways. Qalini went to sit in the men’s section, and Samiha took her seat in the women’s section—an early church tradition still practiced by [More]

01/31/18   Jim Caviezel, the actor who memorably portrayed Jesus in director Mel Gibson’s 2004 blockbuster The Passion of the Christ, says that Gibson is planning a sequel that will be “the biggest film in history. It’s that good.”   The Passion is already one the biggest films in history. Fourteen years on it still holds the domestic box office record for an R-rated movie ($371 million). From Gethsemane to Golgotha, The Passion told the story of the last 12 hours of Christ’s life — his arrest, trials, torture, and crucifixion. The Faithful turned out in droves despite an unprecedented [More]

Jan. 24, 2018   Only four of out 100 teenagers have a true biblical worldview, according to a new survey from the Barna Group.   The survey, “Gen Z: The Culture, Beliefs and Motivations Shaping the Next Generation,” said that teenagers who are part of Generation Z (born from 1999 to 2015) are the most non-Christian generation in U.S. history.   The survey found that more teens today identify themselves as atheist, agnostic, or not religious affiliated.   Of those surveyed, 35 percent of Generation Z teens say they are atheist, agnostic or unaffiliated in any religion. That number for [More]