Proof The Bible Is True

In the US, July is National Watermelon Month, so named not only because a cool, refreshing slice of watermelon represents the epitome of summer, but also because watermelon harvests peak this month.1 Watermelon is now the most-consumed melon in the US (followed by cantaloupe and honeydew). This cousin to cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash is thought to have originated in Egypt close to 5,000 years ago, where it is depicted in hieroglyphics. Today, upwards of 300 watermelon varieties are grown in the US and Mexico (although only about 50 are popular).2 You may think you know everything there is to know [More]

Sometimes it’s easy to get our battles twisted. What are we really fighting for? What are we really fighting against? Christians in Nepal reminded me of the answer. During the first part of a recent trip to Nepal I helped distribute VOM’s Christmas Care and Village Outreach packs. VOM readers give to provide these packs each year around Christmas time. Nepal was a recipient of these packs last year. Nepal Girl Christmas CareDuring the distributions in the churches I got to meet many Nepali believers. I was astounded by their faith in spite of the odds their society stacks against [More]

“Would our response be the same if we faced such circumstances? Something to ponder.”  Admin The northern shores of Africa teemed with Christians during the second century, but all were at risk. In 180 seven men and five women were captured carrying “the sacred books, and the letters of Paul, a just man.” On July 17, 180 they appeared before the Roman proconsul Saturninus in Carthage. Charges against them were read: “Whereas Speratus, Nartzalus, Cittinus, Donata, Vestia, Secunda, and the rest have confessed they live in accordance with the religious rites of the Christians, and when an opportunity was given [More]

Daily Courage – July 20 from Day by Day with the Persecuted Church, The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand. (Psalm 121:5) Sister Chen Difficulties, as high as mountains, come rushing towards me. Strong waves dash against my heel. When the power of darkness focuses on me to attack my faith, I lift my eyes to the hills and ask the Lord for help. He speaks to me, “My strength is made perfect in the weakness of men.” This is always a wonderful paradox. I therefore worship His way, with tears. The [More]

A federal judge has given a secular organization the green light to distribute more atheistic and anti-Christian materials to Florida public school students, in spite of the materials’ graphic content and offensive language. As previously reported, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) learned last year that a Christian ministry had made Bibles available to Orlando high school students on “Religious Freedom Day.” To counter the Bible distribution, FFRF sought permission from the school district to give students a variety of atheistic and anti-Christian materials. According to reports, the Orange County School Board permitted FFRF to distribute several books and pamphlets, [More]

“Return to the Hiding Place,” a new film based on a true account of Corrie ten Boom’s secret army of untrained teenagers who rescued Jews from the Nazi Gestapo during the Holocaust, will hit theaters Oct. 24 after outperforming big-budget Hollywood showings in its initial release. Based on Hans Poley’s autobiographical book, the movie highlights themes of endurance, perseverance and faith through Poley’s experiences as a student resistance fighter during World War II. The message echoes the story of Anita Dittman, told in her book “Trapped in Hitler’s Hell.” Published in early May, Dittman’s book was accompanied by a documentary [More]

Promoted for decades as a “safe” sugar alternative, presumably to prevent or reduce symptoms of diabetes, Splenda (sucralose) has been found to have diabetes-promoting effects in human subjects. The artificial sweetener sucralose, which is approximately 600 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar), and marketed under a variety of brand names, such as Splenda, Cukren, Nevella and SucraPlus, has recently been found to have diabetes-promoting effects in human test subjects, despite containing no calories and being classified as a ‘nonutritive sweetener.’ A new study published in the journal Diabetes Care, lead by researchers at the Center for Human Nutrition, Washington University [More]

You’ve probably heard the buzz already about the many health benefits of probiotics, a word which literally translates to: pro- “for” + biotics “life” — FOR LIFE. But did you know that these remarkable commensal microorganisms, which outnumber our bodily cells 10 to 1, and contribute over 95% of our body’s total genetic information, also break down highly toxic manmade chemicals which your body is either incapable, or only partially capable, of defending itself from? Learn about some of the amazing ways in which ‘good bacteria’ help to detoxify chemicals within our body: Read More  7 Ways Probiotics DETOXIFY Your [More]

One of the benefits of exercise overall is improved sleep quality, but it’s typically recommended that you not exercise within three hours of bedtime so you have adequate time to wind down. If your regular bedtime is midnight, then exercising in the evening, at 9 p.m., for instance, should theoretically not interfere with your sleep (although admittedly this schedule is pushing the limits of your body’s natural circadian rhythm). New research is suggesting, however, that exercise as little as 1.5 hours before bed may not interfere with your sleep either and, in fact, might help you sleep better. Strenuous Exercise [More]

A mom of two young children is wondering: What’s in ice cream sandwiches these days? Christie Watson’s kids love eating ice cream. But one recent morning, she saw an uneaten ice cream sandwich sitting on her patio table. When she looked closer, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. It wasn’t melting. I noticed that my son had left his ice cream sandwich outside,” she said, “and I was wondering why is there still ice cream in there?” The Walmart Great Value sandwich had barely melted 12 hours later….even though it was an 80-degree morning. “I thought that’s quite weird,” [More]

A number of scientists in recent years have stated that atheists might not actually exist, and that a belief in God is naturally ingrained into all people, prompting a recent article that is stirring discussion around the world. Last week, Nury Vittachi published a story entitled Scientists Discover That Atheists Might Not Exist, And That’s Not a Joke. In the article, Vittachi cites the works of several researchers, such as Graham Lawton and Pascal Boyer, who argue that belief in God is naturally ingrained into every person. “Cognitive scientists are becoming increasingly aware that a metaphysical outlook may be so [More]

Famed actor and former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson says Americans need be “mindful” of a government that undermines religious freedoms, and on July 18, he has a new movie coming out in theaters illustrating just how dangerous an overzealous government can be. “Persecuted” is a dramatic, fictional thriller about a popular preacher who dares resist a new “religious unity” bill being pushed by powerful players in Congress. The preacher soon finds himself toppled from the pulpit and a fugitive on the run for his life, all for refusing to compromise his freedoms of speech and religion. PERSECUTED – In theaters [More]

The most comprehensive analysis ever performed comparing organic foods with those “conventionally” grown with synthetic pesticides and fertilizers has concluded that organic fruits and vegetables are not just less toxic but actually more nutritious than conventional produce. The difference between organic and conventional produce was so striking, the researchers said, that switching to an all-organic diet might be the nutritional equivalent of adding one or two daily servings of fruits and vegetables to your diet. “The crucially important thing about this research is that it shatters the myth that how we farm does not affect the quality of the food [More]

When I was a boy, my dad used to tell me that when he wasn’t around the house, I had to “be the man.” That sounded really important, so I loved it when he spoke those words. But things never really changed … I didn’t get to make the rules. What my dad was really saying was, “Behave for your mother and watch out for your siblings.” The truth is that manhood is a lot more than just bossing somebody around. The world has espoused some odd definitions of manhood … like, “Men get in touch with your sensitive side,” [More]

“About 4 months ago I decided to go gluten free and gave up all forms of bread. I’ve lost about 6 pounds, feel better and save money. The only grain I eat, about twice a week, is Bob’s Red Mill Quick Cooking gluten free oats. I stir a number of healthy things into it like coconut oil, cinnamon, chia seeds, bee pollen granules, protein powder, fruit (banana or strawberries) and a pinch or two of stevia, very delicious and filling.”  Admin It’s truly amazing how many health problems are caused by gluten, specifically wheat. Much of the time, the person [More]

Last week my column “10 Men Christian Women Should Never Marry” went viral. More than 1.2 million people have shared that message so far—most likely because so many single men and women are seriously asking for guidelines on finding a compatible mate. In response I received numerous requests to share similar guidelines for men who are looking for wives. Since I am mentoring several young men right now and have seen a few of them marry successfully during the past few years, it wasn’t difficult to draft this list. These are the women I tell my spiritual sons to avoid: [More]

My wife and I raised four daughters—without shotguns in the house!—and three of them have already married. We love our sons-in-law, and it’s obvious God handpicked each of them to match our daughters’ temperaments and personality. I have always believed God is in the matchmaking business. If He can do it for my daughters, He can do it for you. Today I have several single female friends who would very much like to find the right guy. Some tell me the pickings are slim at their church, so they have ventured into the world of online dating. Others have thrown [More]

Hit reality show creator Mark Burnett has had recent success creating biblical movies and television shows, and predicts that his next project, “A.D.: Beyond the Bible,” will be another goldmine. The NBC television series will begin filming in September, and premiere on Easter Sunday 2015. Burnett said it “could become NBC’s biggest series in many, many years.” “Beyond the Bible” begins after the resurrection of Christ, and follows the lives of King Herod’s family, Roman politicians, temple priests, and the disciples. Burnett said the storylines are powerful. “These disciples, after Jesus dies and resurrects, the Holy Spirit comes upon them [More]

“So it appears the panel and all it’s witnesses were GMO advocates and no dissenting opinions were heard, how nice. Let’s just ignore the evidence for GMO dangers and force them on everyone appears to be the prevailing attitude.”  Admin It’s pretty rare that members of Congress and all the witnesses they’ve called will declare out loud that Americans are just too ignorant to be given a piece of information, but that was a key conclusion of a session of the House Agriculture Committee this week. The issue was genetically modified organisms, or GMOs as they’re often known in the [More]

Five years ago, if someone were to mention the use of oregano essential for health and wellness purposes I would have looked at them cross-eyed.  Although well versed in the benefits of essential oils, for one reason or another, oregano essential oil was nowhere to be found on my radar screen.  Oregano for wellness? Although I grow it in my yard and use it in pasta dishes and on pizza, I had never considered it to have healing qualities. Moving forward in time, as I began to toss out conventional over-the-counter remedies, I discovered that Oregano essential oil has some amazing [More]

The beauty industry has big marketing budgets. They’ve spent fortunes trying to convince women that injections, chemical peels or $300 creams and serums will smooth wrinkles and restore youthful skin. But harsh treatments and chemicals can actually make things worse. The beauty industry focuses almost exclusively on external issues. But skin reflects the health of your entire body from the inside out. It tells the story of chronic stress, the toxins in your food, chemicals in your environment, and lifestyle choices. There is no magic bullet to repair the skin from all that. But there are natural alternatives for slowing [More]

In the first study of its kind, this common herb was found to have remarkable healing results for common warts and corns. A clinical study published in the International Journal of Dermatology, titled “Healing effect of garlic extract on warts and corns,” reveals the amazing healing properties of garlic extract in healing common warts and corns. Warts are caused by the virus human papilloma virus (HPV), and corns by pressure of friction. They are some of the most common conditions found in dermatological practice today. In the new study, peeled garlic was processed to produce either a water or fat [More]

One of the biggest myths about health and nutrition is the one which would have us believe that we can get all the nutrition we need by simply eating a balanced diet. The truth is that it is next to impossible to get even the minimal RDA amounts of the limited number of vitamins and minerals on the RDA list from diet alone, much less the optimal amounts of all the many nutrients needed for optimal health. Decades of over-farming has left the world’s top soils severely depleted of essential minerals. For the most part, the only minerals replaced have [More]

“Oh well, another attempt by big medicine to demonize supplements with a flawed and basically worthless study as you’ll read. I personally have taken supplements for years and consider them one of the best forms of health insurance you can get, along with a healthy diet. Just make sure they are quality supplements.”  Admin The mainstream media is awash and abuzz with news about a new study which purports to show that taking vitamins, minerals and other supplements can be dangerous. However, even a perfunctory look at the study reveals it to a seriously flawed study using junk science. The [More]

On Monday, Quartz published an article by Devin Cohen titled, There is a Secret Ingredient in Your Burgers: Wood Pulp. Given the headline and people’s already present suspicion regarding all of the shady and potentially dangerous ingredients hidden in food items, the article gained a lot of traction. In subsequent days, most journalists and bloggers have focused on the dangers of this additive (unclear) and whether or not it is pervasive throughout the food chain as opposed to just fast food (it appears to be). The one angle that has not been explored as much is the overall trend. Let’s [More]

Seven-year-old Priyala rested on her bed so motionless you would think she was dead. A fever, cough and stomach pains had taken over her body. Her mother, Marala, hated to stand idly by, not willing to give up her daughter. Priyala had attended the local Bridge of Hope center, and Marala knew, from everything her precious daughter had told her, that the staff were people who prayed. So she asked them to pray for her daughter. When they came to her home at the end of the day, Priyala’s father, Ganesh, turned them away, telling them he did not believe [More]

Early on, rejection led me to deny who I was. Because I saw women as victims, the last thing I wanted to be was a girl. It started out like any other Sunday morning. Mom was in the kitchen finishing her breakfast before heading off to the golf course. I stopped to chat with her briefly before going to church. Only this time our conversation turned sour. “What do you want from me?” my mom asked abruptly. Without thinking I shot back, “I want a mom!” “I don’t want to be a mom,” she said curtly. “I didn’t plan to [More]