Proof The Bible Is True

Turning 50 is considered a landmark for one big reason: It is the age when many of us think about slowing down because we’re physically over the hill. No longer blessed with the energy, flexibility or springy joints of youth, it’s easy to let exercise fall by wayside as we hit the half-century mark. But experts say there is no medical reason to wind down after hitting the big “five-oh.” In fact, maintaining the pace of activity into your 50s and beyond is vitally important to health, say top doctors. Read More  6 Myths About Fitness After 50.

Amid a national push to share the gospel this fall, let’s remember who the real evangelist is I will never be an evangelist. That was my thought the first time I tried leading someone to Christ. It was my best friend in high school, and for months we’d engaged in deep discussions about God, life and the human condition. Scott was a thinker; he loved philosophy, psychology and arguing for the sake of arguing. But somewhere between his intellectual curiosity and self-confidence, God had revealed enough of Himself that Scott sensed there was something more to life than what he [More]

All of us face difficulties in our lives. But we can have victory over them if we keep our eyes on God.Not many of us have experienced as bad a day as David did when he returned to his home in Ziklag after a journey and discovered that his enemies, the Amalekites, had destroyed or stolen everything that was important to him–and his own men turned against him see 1 Sam. 30. However, we can imitate his response when we do face difficulties.As David sat among the ruins of Ziklag and mutinous men spoke of stoning him, he had a [More]

“I just can’t hear God; I know He speaks to some people, but He just doesn’t speak to me!” If that’s your situation, there are several possible reasons for it. First, to hear His voice and be sensitive to His promptings you need to have a relationship with the Lord, which means spending quality time with Him on a regular basis. It could be that you have neglected your fellowship with Him. Second, you may be walking in doubt and unbelief. Jesus said plainly, “’My sheep hear My voice’” (John 10:27, NKJV). If you are a born-again child of God, [More]

“Although this subject is controversial it is of the utmost importance especially as we see the growing spiritual darkness around us. We need the full empowering of the Holy Spirit in these dark days so we can let our light shine as brightly as possible.” Admin Some people have suggested that the baptism in the Holy Spirit was only for the early disciples who needed an extra “charge” or a unique gift to get Christianity started. Well, we need it too! God’s power is for today. You can have your own personal experience with the Spirit Read More  7 Steps [More]

I hope you’re an involved dad. And I hope you recognize the difference you’re making for your kids. I talk and write about that all the time, but I’m not sure anyone can do it enough. Involved parents making a difference is the whole idea behind CASAColumbia Family Day—which is today, Sept. 23. This initiative was launched over a decade ago by CASAColumbia with the goal of getting families to eat dinner together on that day—and generally eat meals together more often. Studies have shown that when families make it a habit to eat dinner together, teenagers are less likely [More]

The article in the NY Daily News about the release of Grand Theft Auto V, a video game expected to make $1 billion in the first month, began with these words: “The game of crime pays—even in the wake of another gun massacre.” The article continues, “The latest installment of the ultraviolent video game franchise Grand Theft Auto will generate $1 billion in sales in one month, analysts predict—despite Monday’s massacre at the Washington Navy Yard that killed 12 people.” These are staggering numbers. How many products of any kind—let alone a $60 video game—make that kind of money? And [More]

The night was serene above the clouds, and I marveled at the sensation of flying. Just like angels, I thought, imagining them all around us. I was with my friend David Wright, who was piloting a Beechcraft Bonanza back to our local airport in Fort Worth from Oklahoma, where we’d taken our pastor and his wife. We’d had a prayer service before we left Texas, and people told us they’d linger at the church for a while to pray some more. “Bad weather reports,” they’d said. Although I was grateful for their prayers, there seemed no cause for alarm. Our [More]

My husband and daughter had always been especially close. Ten-year-old Becky was her daddy’s little helper, running after Don if he went to the store or handing him tools as he fixed a leaky faucet. I had back problems and when the three of us were out walking, I’d often fall behind; Don and Becky would turn around, coaxing me to catch up. When Don started cleaning houses for extra money, he often took Becky along for company. The quiet of the house without them got to me, but it was good knowing they were together—almost like worrying about one [More]

Let me say at the outset that Carl is getting professional help at a domestic-violence treatment center. Since I do not want to hurt his chances of recovery, I have changed names and locations to camouflage his identity. Otherwise I am putting down exactly what happened on the night of May 10, 1994. Carl Broderick and his wife, Marie, were my landlords and next-door neighbors just outside Lubbock, Texas. We shared a driveway, but that’s about all we had in common. I drove a 1987 Plymouth Voyager; Carl drove a brand-new Bronco and his wife a silver Cadillac. Their house [More]

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I would have given anything to take them back. I looked at that youngster beside me in the car, pixie face eager beneath her baseball cap. Knowing just how much 10-year-old Erin missed her dad, wanting to do something special for her, I’d invited her to go with me that afternoon to watch the Giants play the Chicago Cubs at Candlestick Park. I’d never seen a kid so excited. We’d been driving across the Bay Bridge when she suddenly piped up, “Maybe we’ll catch a foul ball!” And like an [More]

In my studio on New York City’s Upper West Side, I train professional opera, cabaret and Broadway singers right alongside talented amateurs from every occupation you could imagine. When I look out of my eighth-floor window onto Broadway, I know Frank Sinatra was right: If you can make it here… Competition is fierce. But often it’s that competition that forges strong bonds between people. All different types of people. And it seems that every type of person has come through my studio. One February afternoon about three years ago, I received my most unexpected visitor ever. I was giving a [More]

My husband found me sitting in a puddle of half a dozen broken eggs on the kitchen floor. “What happened?” he asked. “I dropped them,” I said, sobbing. “Can’t you see?” Todd threw up his hands. He’d tried to understand me, but he couldn’t. Six months pregnant, I overreacted to everything, sometimes bursting into tears for no apparent reason. Todd and I had been high school sweethearts, and we were happy about our first baby, but we were only 20 years old. It was all too new and overwhelming. We both had full-time jobs, and Todd often worked late, so [More]

By Greg Stier , Christian Post Guest Columnist March 2, 2013|12:08 pm God has blessed me with the privilege of speaking to groups of teenagers for the last twenty five years or so. From small youth groups to medium sized camps to arenas full of students I have known the thrill and terror of trying to get and keep the attention of adrenalin-filled, twitchy teenagers. Here are seven lessons I’ve learned when it comes to getting and keeping their attention: 1. Hook them with humor then impact them with truth. During the first 5 to 10 minutes of my talk [More]

Fear consumes our energy. Fear leaves us empty. Fear makes us ineffective. Fear is a parasite. Fear is real. Sometimes it is so invasive that it feels tangible. And the more it controls us, the more real it starts to feel, and we gradually lose control. Do we have to be controlled by these feelings that are constantly trying to invite themselves in? Fear is always looking for an entryway. We are the ones who give it a home in our life. (Just to be clear, I’m not talking about that healthy fear that works like your conscience trying to [More]

When things look really bad, let the so-called “minor” prophets encourage your faith. It’s unfortunate that the last 12 books of the Old Testament are tagged the “minor” prophets. The term was coined because these writings are short, not because they are unimportant. God’s heart is powerfully revealed in the prophecies of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. These 12 short books are anything but minor. If you have never seriously studied them, I challenge you to start digging now. Just as Jesus chose 12 unsophisticated disciples to preach the glorious news of [More]

The last thing I wanted to do was go out for lunch. Even with my best friends. Since my husband and I had separated three months before I didn’t really want to see anyone. “Come on,” my friend Kristin urged when she called to invite me. “It’ll do you good to get out and have a few laughs.” I couldn’t imagine ever laughing again, not the way I was feeling. But I couldn’t put my friends off any longer. I showed up at the restaurant, knowing I wouldn’t be very good company. Everyone looked so sunny and happy, I felt [More]

Banks have never been friendly places in my view. What did an institution built around money care about someone like me, who was struggling to make ends meet? That September day I went in to deposit my meager check, I got in line feeling insignificant. It wasn’t just the bank. So many things lately had conspired to make me feel unimportant. I’d struggled for months to find a steady job with no luck. I lived in constant fear of losing my house to foreclosure. Even the weather seemed to be trying to tell me how little I mattered. In August [More]

Hearing aids cost thousands, but they sure are tiny. I didn’t even realize mine was missing until a phone conversation with my sister in California. I found myself switching the phone from one ear to the other, struggling to hear. How annoying. “Love ya, but I must go find my hearing aid, okay?” I told my sister. I hadn’t even bought insurance on it! Around the toilet, under the pillows, inside every nook and cranny, along every single cabinet. It was definitely not in the house. Read More Here

Candy canes were supposed to be everywhere at Christmas. Yet I’d gone from store to store in a fruitless search. The candy cane was for my four-year-old daughter, Carol. It was the only thing she’d asked for this Christmas. I was sure I could pick one up at the last minute. I was wrong. “No luck?” my husband asked. “Every store is sold out,” I said. Read More Here

Christmas was days away, and I couldn’t wait to spend it with my three grown children. But I woke up one morning barely able to breath. “Get me to the hospital,” I told my husband. I was put on a ventilator. Double pneumonia had caused heart failure. My husband gave me the bad news. “You’ll be in ICU for a while.” “But I’ll miss Christmas with the kids!” My children came to the hospital, but our only visiting together was done in the ICU. Each one kissed me good-bye. Oh, Lord, I feel like everyone got cheated out of Christmas [More]

Beep. Beep. Beep. The sound of heart monitors in the emergency room, a far cry from the carols I thought I’d be listening to on Christmas Day. That morning, on the ranch where I work, I found my boss, Bruce, slumped over in the front seat of his pickup truck, suffering from kidney stones. I’d driven 40 miles to the closest ER. I called Bruce’s wife and told her he would be discharged soon. “We’ll have the turkey waiting,” she said. Bruce, his wife and two kids were like family to me. I lived next door, and we always shared [More]

I sat by the front window cutting out paper dolls and watching the snow pile up across the mountaintop. The flakes had started falling the day before and hadn’t let up—an unusually early storm for November in West Virginia. If anything it was coming down harder now. “Look at the drifts!” I exclaimed. “They’ve nearly covered the fence.” Mother came in from the kitchen. “Looks like it’s just going to be us this year,” she said. I couldn’t help but notice the disappointment in her voice for our Thanksgiving 1928. “No one could get here on a day like this.” [More]

Reverent. That was the best word to describe the house when I got up before dawn. Downstairs the tree was decorated, the manger arranged underneath it. Christmas was on the horizon. It would be hours before anyone else was awake. I sat with a cup of coffee in the kitchen, just me and my thoughts about my father. He taught me what Christmas was all about. Dad shook me gently. “Time to go!” I rolled over on my pillow and squinted at the clock on the dresser: 2:00 A.M. Middle of the night for most people. For a milkman like [More]

Computers aren’t my thing, but my children insisted I get on Facebook. I was grateful for it when Mrs. Moran tracked me down and “friended” me. Back in Brooklyn, when I was a child, Mrs. Moran, a former showgirl, made every holiday in our building an extravaganza—especially Christmas. She cast all the kids in the building in her very own Christmas pageant. As I confirmed her friend request, my mind drifted back to the year I turned seven. My brother, Thomas, and I were making our way up to Mrs. Moran’s apartment for our first rehearsal. “Oh, please, let me [More]

Heavy snow fell all weekend. The weather reports said three feet, but when I glanced out the second-story window of my New Jersey apartment early that Monday morning, I couldn’t even spot my little silver car in the blanketed parking lot below. My building’s on a dead-end street. Always the last to be plowed, I thought. Finally I made out a square silver patch poking out of a snowdrift. I had to get to work somehow, so I bundled up, grabbed my shovel and headed outside. I climbed over the mounds of snow behind my car and began shoveling. My [More]

As Merle and Gloria Inniger traveled from Pakistan to America, they stopped in London for a few days, and somewhere along the way Merle managed to lock the doors of the rental cars and lose the keys. I was Saturday afternoon, and no locksmiths answered the phone. The rental car company said they didn’t have a spare key. Merle and Gloria panicked about missing their flight home. Two Christian friends came to commiserate, and the four bowed their heads and prayed for help. As they finished, they looked up as a strange man approached. He offered his keys to them. [More]