A familiar TV ad queries, “What’s in your wallet?’ A better question to answer is “What’s on your bookshelf ?” Surprisingly, the world’s all time best-selling book is likely found in your home. That book? The Bible, at least according to Guinness World Records. Best-Seller Lists Aren’t best-sellers found on best-seller lists though? The Bible isn’t identified on any lists readers typically check. How can the Good Book be #1 if it’s not even listed on a weekly best-seller list?... Read more
A war on the horizon? The Middle East offers a likely spot for the next one to break out. Tensions are boiling over between Israel and its northern adversary, Hezbollah, based in Lebanon. So far, trading missile strikes has been the extent of their military engagements. But Israel’s targeted killing of the paramilitary’s longtime group leader, Hassan Nasrallah, may push the adversaries over the edge to war between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. What’s Hezbollah? Both a political party and a... Read more
A US pastor held for almost twenty years in a Chinese jail is now savoring physical freedom. A combination of continued prayer by many Christians and US diplomatic efforts resulted in David Lin’s becoming a free man on September 15th. Although it’s good news when China frees a US pastor from jail, the country’s religious oppression makes it likely future detainments will occur. The Detained US Pastor The newly released pastor is 68 year old David Lin from Orange... Read more
Besides remembrance of the 9/11 attacks, another important event occurred this month on September 11th. A request to for the United States Supreme Court to accept an appeal was filed. The case’s object? Preserving Apache religious freedom. What threat to their religion are these Native Americans facing? A proposed copper mine would destroy land they consider sacred. The Sacred Land A site in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest known as Oak Flat serves as ground zero for the controversy. Forty miles east... Read more
A royal wedding took place on August 31st in Norway, but this event wasn’t the culmination of a traditional love story. In fact, the circumstances are troubling to the conservative citizens of this country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula. Why? A Norwegian royal marries an American shaman. Their king’s oldest daughter, Princess Märtha Louise, wed a self-proclaimed shaman. The Norwegian Royal The newly married princess is the 52 year-old firstborn child of His Majesty King Harald and Her Majesty Queen... Read more
Pope Frances goes airborne in September with rigorous travel to four nations in Southeast Asia over eleven days. Unlike the late 1960s television sitcom, “The Flying Nun,” however, his flying will take place with an airplane. His ambitious schedule for an 87-year-old includes numerous activities and events in four diverse nations. What’s the purpose of this Southeast Asia trip for Pope Francis? Travel Details The pope’s visit to four island nations across southeast Asia will take place from September 2nd... Read more
China and the US don’t only disagree on trade, Taiwan, and use of the South China Sea. There’s also the issue of the successor to Tibet’s Dalai Lama. The elderly religious leader’s recent presence in the US for medical treatment has provided reason for more tension between the two superpowers. One thing everything can agree on is that the Dalai Lama divides China and the US. Who Is The Dalai Lama? The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the 89-year-old... Read more
The 2024 elections dominate the nightly news and online chatter. Commentators and ordinary voters pick apart the candidates. But perhaps it’s time to shift the focus off the individuals who are running and consider if being a Christian affects political behavior, specifically voting. Are the Bible Belt and the belt of truth referenced in Ephesians 6:14 relevant to the ballot box? Let’s try connecting the Bible Belt and Belt of Truth with the ballot box. What’s The Bible Belt? Two... Read more
While the Olympics only last a few days, tales of what happened during those events live on in people’s minds and in the history books. One of those events is the stunning American win in the 8+ men’s rowing competition in Berlin’s 1936 Summer Olympics. Now referred to as the boys in the boat event, it provided Olympic drama and is instructive for rowing God’s boat. What’s Rowing? While most everyone’s familiar with the children’s song “Row, Row, Row Your... Read more
A proverbial expression notes “to the victor go the spoils.” But what are these spoils? Those watching the 2024 Summer Olympics know Olympic winners receive medals. But when a Christian completes their life race, the spoils are different. Heavenly crowns await. Both award are coveted, but which is better? Olympic medals or heavenly crowns? What Are Spoils? If a victor receives them, spoils must have a positive connotation. And, unlike spoiled milk, they do have one. “Spoils” consist of the... Read more
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