The other day I was talking to a co-worker about faith and she asked the question what if nothing of what I believe is real? And to be honest, if that were the case, I would have no regrets. I lived an awesome, healthy life doing my best to make the world around me a better place. I think the question that people should really be worried about is what if Christianity is true? What if there is a God who is going to judge us when we die? It says in the Bible that our time on earth will seem like a blink of an eye compared to eternity. Is it really worth living life exactly how we want to for maybe 80 years or so and then spend the rest of eternity paying for it? However, it is so much more than a get out of jail free… read more
Insights
I was reading this scripture passage from Psalms 41:9 this morning. This verse just stuck out to me as never before. It reminded me of Jesus and Judas, the one who clearly betrayed Jesus, who supped with the Lord at His table. Jesus knew the thoughts and intents of his heart, for the Lord knows what is in the heart of all men and women. Judas supped with Jesus, he was right there with the other disciples, why such betrayal? Do we know why? The Bible tells us such. Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. Psalm 41:9 As I pondered on the verse, It remind me of how the Lord reveals to us, His children, when we wholeheartedly seek His face for guidance, for His truth in all matters, all areas of our lives. Including when we pray… read more
About a year ago as I got off the bus, two Mormon missionaries standing at the intersection started talking to me. They offered me some reading materials but I refused them and told them that I was a Christian. We spent few minutes discussing our different beliefs. They said, “Just like in the Old Testament times there were prophecies, God sent prophecies to speak again to us about 200 years ago.†I asked them, “Why did God decide not to talk to us through prophecies in those 1,800 years between the ministry of Christ on earth and 200 years ago?†There were no answers. In the summer (I think) of 2006 a friend in Windsor, Ontario took me and my uncle and his wife to her church. It was a small church and I had never been there before. As soon as the service ended this old woman came directly… read more
The gap is massive, the fall horrendous. We stand here, He stands there. We need to cross. We stand alone, about to fall. He stands there, tall and sure on the mountain. We need to cross. We are rooted, drinking up a dying stream. He needs no sustenance for He Himself is Life. We need to cross. How shall we cross, and where is the bridge for such a chasm? We cannot jump for we would fall. we cannot swim for we would drown. We cannot fly for we have no wings. We need to cross but we are rooted, dead and dying with no hope inside and no hope around. We need to cross but we are darkness and He is light so how could we cross? He must come and take us there, yet He must take us on a cross, He must pay the price for such… read more
I was raised in what I would call a semi-Christian home. I was never taught about having a personal relationship with Jesus, but I was taught the real significance behind Christian holidays and I was taught many of the same basic principles of the Bible for living my life. When I was 10 years old, we moved to a new city and some neighbors invited us to attend AWANAS. We began to attend church and by the end of my first year of AWANAS I had given my life to Christ. During my school years I had a great group of Christian friends and as a result I never got into alcohol or drugs or anything like that. It was really easy in my group to stay on the straight and narrow, which was really cool, but I never felt like I made a difference for Christ while at… read more
There is arguably no greater ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ evidence for the existence of a personal intelligent God than the presence and pervasiveness of biological information in all living things. Ponder the testimony of atheistic Biologist Richard Dawkins on the nature of biological information. “…at the molecular genetic level, every single one of more than a trillion cells in the body contains about a thousand times as much precisely-coded digital information as my entire computer…†(The Blind Watchmaker, 1986, xiii). What Dawkins is getting at here is the stubborn fact that DNA, the molecule of heredity, is information rich. “In order for any organism to be whatever it is, its genetic program (DNA) must specify what sort of organism it will be and, within surprisingly narrow limits, what specific characteristics it will assume…The DNA must be faithfully copied to every single cell of an organism that will eventually consist of billions… read more
The Hoatzin, the national bird of Guyana, is an unusual species of tropical bird found in swamps, riverine forest and mangroves of the Amazon and the Orinoco delta in South America. The scientific classification of this family of birds has been greatly debated, and is still far from clear. It is a roughly pheasant-sized bird, with a long neck and small head. It is brown in color, with paler underparts and has an un-feathered blue face with maroon eyes, and its head is topped by a spiky, rufous crest. It is called Stinkbird, the name is related to a strong smell the bird produces, perhaps due to the consumption of leaves. Even though these birds are very attractive and are not great fliers, they are not considered endangered, its survival seems to be more assured than that of many other birds in its geographic location, this is mostly due to… read more
I thought I’d share some thoughts I had while at work today making donuts. I never read the newspaper except when I make donuts because we spread it out to keep the oil from getting all over the nice clean stainless steel tables. Usually there isn’t much worth reading, especially in this small Kentucky town, but today this headline caught my eye, “Evangelical Awed and Amazed by Evolution”, so I began reading. The article really had nothing to do with evolution or creation, nor of the debate between them but rather how Christians are silly to hold to their fight against Evolution which obviously is a fight against science. While I don’t have the statistics or head knowledge to fight like Ken Ham, I know that there are also plenty of evolutionists who are wowed by creation after they make the switch. I was raised believing in creation, that God… read more
Should Christians celebrate Halloween? the answer to this question may be obvious to some, but believe it or not most Christians do not know or don’t care to know about the history behind this much celebrated day. Halloween is celebrated around the world when people dress up in costumes, collect candy from neighbors and have parties, but do we ever take time to think about the origins of Halloween? Most people don’t think twice about participating in it saying “It’s all in fun” or “Its not evil to me”, but is this so called hallow evening really so innocent? Christians are called to be set apart from the practices of the world, especially those with an history of the occult. Watch this intriguing video that shed some light on the practices and history of…Halloween! Relevant scripture on the issue of Halloween and Christians: “When you come into the land which… read more
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the words, LOWLY and MEEK. I was given a dream several weeks ago. I was bent down in the dream, when the shadow of man walked up to me and said that we were going to meet face to face. I knew it was the Lord, Jesus. He asked me when, and in the dream I asked, “How about on the third day?” At first I didn’t understand, because I thought I was bent down working. The Lord revealed to me that we all shall be bowed low before Him and in His presence. I was thinking how meek and lowly Jesus was spoken of throughout the Bible. Meek and lowly has just really been upon my heart lately and I’ve been pondering the words. Pride is an ugly thing and the enemy loves pride, he is the head of all pride, and … read more
The parable in Luke 12:16-21 that talks about the rich man, packs a lot of punch for people like me, though I don’t stockpile money, I do stockpile stuff. I always want the better lens, the better flash, the bigger camera, the lighter tripod, the faster computer. I have been extremely blessed in what I do have and I must learn not only to be content with it but also not to stockpile it, but to use it in such a way as to become rich towards God. And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods…. read more
My daughter has been on my heart a lot this morning, so I thought I would share. If I seem too open, it’s okay, this is me, and life in this world is always real. Jesus didn’t promise that we will have no pain and no sorrow, in fact, if someone preaches blessings and prosperity in this world with no pain or no trials, RUN! Run the other way, because they are preaching another gospel, a false gospel! The one true Shepherd of my soul, the living Jesus who has risen from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and His written word, tells me I will suffer and I will be tested and tried. He also said that there will be pain, but through it all, Jesus is with me and always close. If we were to remain on the mountain top and never… read more
Hi, my name is Tyler A. van der Hoeven, I accepted Jesus Christ as the Savior for my sins at the age of four. Although my salvation didn’t mean a whole lot to me then, salvation isn’t about the saved, its about the Savior, and what He does to those he has redeemed. My testimony isn’t about me and all that Jesus saved me from, but rather its all about my Savior, the only Son of God, part of the triune Godhead, born of the virgin Mary, who lived on earth as the God/man and died on the cross, bearing the full, unrestrained wrath of almighty God against all my sins. I am the worst sinner I know, such a hypocrite, so prone to pride, to take the credit and pass the blame. It is such a wonder to me that God chooses to keep such a one as me,… read more
In my previous post A Dreamer – Escaping The Brokenness of Life, I shared with you a little of my life leading up to me being saved and being blessed with a spirit filled husband, today I will share how The Holy Spirit has blessed me with different gifts in order to share the Gospel. I’m a dreamer. I also am given many visions from the Lord. These are gifts from the Holy Spirit, yes. Joel speaks of this [ Joel 2:28 ] and again in Acts. [ Acts 2:17 ] The journey in Jesus and this walk, is painful and joyous. That is truth. Persecution has come in all different, shapes and sizes. but the outcome of these trials and tribulations is this. Jesus is LORD and He is KING! I become stronger in Christ. To press toward the higher calling in Christ Jesus. To persevere in Him. I… read more
Where does one begin to truly share about one’s self? First and foremost, thank you Lord for opening a door here to share forth to others of Your goodness, Your Mercy, Your grace, thank You Lord. I would like to start out by sharing about Jesus and give ALL to Him, my Friend, my Strong Tower, My Refuge, My Lord and my Savior, My Healer and Provider,  a true Praise, a true honor and heartfelt glory. He is not only a wonderful Savior and Lord,  He (Jesus) is Lord over me and in my life. He gave me life and I have come to realize, I am not my own, as it is written in the Word. I have been blood bought and paid for [ 1 Corinthians 6:20 ]. I desire to please Him, though I fail at times, this is my true hearts desire to live for Him… read more
As we come to the close of our 100 Days Praise Challenge, we want to thank w2wsoul.com and those who participated, gave praise shout outs, and shared their artwork. We continue to give God thanks and praise for the things he has done in our lives, because we really and truly cannot stop giving praise to God. Praise should be a part of our daily lives and should encompass all that we do. Living a life that is surrendered totally to Christ is our ultimate offering of praise. Our Praise Challenge took us through many books in the Bible and we learnt that praise can take many forms for the believer. Singing songs and hymns, clapping our hands, even jumping for joy…the list is endless. We can give glory and praise to our God with the use of our physical bodies, with our hearts and minds, and with our talents… read more
I am so happy to be a Christian; I would’ve rather not have been created, than live life without my heavenly Father. I love to praise Him. I love to sing to Him…my favorite song to sing to Him is “How Great is Our Godâ€, and that’s for the simple reason: it is the only song I can sing without butchering very badly! LOL! I am not writing this because of my easy life, actually this morning I cried my heart out and I didn’t even find a taste in my breakfast because my heart was crying inside that I could not feel anything on the outside. But we can either choose to draw closer to Him through those extremely troubling and painful times, or we can choose to drift away from Him. The Bible mentions many names, more than anyone can remember, but only few names stand out from… read more
There are times where life hits us and just strikes a nerve with us, causing a change in attitude and to recognize what really matters. We all go through struggles and it’s important that we remember to look to the right places for comfort, understanding, help, and healing during these times. This is one of those times for a particular family in my church and it’s pulling at my heart to share. The Inspiration for This Madison Davis is 6 years old. She has been battling cancer with a good amount of success since she was 4 1/2 years old. Her parents, Destry and Christy Davis and her siblings, all have a very strong faith in God, even through the struggles they have had to endure. However, a recent scan showed that the cancer has come back in multiple places including her bone marrow and a spot on or near… read more
Another capture of a park bench; don’t they just look so romantic? And because I think they are romantic they remind me of something happened about two weeks ago. Two weeks ago I was working with a co-worker who is new to Canada (he has been here for only four months) and has been married not long ago (he celebrated his first wedding anniversary a couple of weeks ago). He speaks English but a bit broken; he certainly speaks better English than I did when I came to Canada. He is truly a joy to work with because he is very easy going, funny, and hard working, that’s why I usually work with him. We were just talking while working, and he told me about his first wedding anniversary being that week, and how he used to work as a marine engineer back in his home country, and so on…. read more
The book, “Creation, The Dawn of Mankind” by Mark Taylor, presents a fresh look at an old story, the story of man’s beginning, as recorded in the book of Genesis. Genesis gives a compelling answer to man’s greatest question, “where did we come from?” The book is illustrated in a comic format using unique full color artwork, created with 3d and 2d software. It captures the wonder of creation and the fact that God made it all for man, His ultimate creation. God’s plan of salvation is revealed in the story and we get to see the loving grace and mercy of God, to His fallen and disobedient children. Read and Share it today. Click the lower right edge of the Flash Book after it is loaded. Book also available in paperback on Blurb Why Did I Write The Book? As a kid, I often pondered the question of, “how… read more
The story of the dry bones mentioned in Ezekiel chapter 37, has been interpreted as the re-gathering of the Jews from many nations back to the land of Israel, this event happened in our time, when Israel was established as a nation in 1948. An interesting fact is that one of the first places that was excavated shortly after Israel received it’s sovereignty was the site called Masada, the last Jewish stronghold against Rome. The archaeologists that excavated Masada knew all about it, based on the writings of Jewish historian, Josephus Flavius. They came upon a synagogue on the mountain fortress, and there they found only one preserved portion of scripture, Ezekiel 37. When they uncovered this find, the discoverers wept, realizing that they themselves were these “dry bones that came to life.” At a time in which this prophecy was being fulfilled, this portion of scripture was preserved in… read more
Ever heard something that just made you chuckle, and at the same time, warm your heart so much you gave praise and thanks to God? We were watching the news yesterday when the upcoming headline was announced, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”. The headline left me waiting for the answer as they switched to commercial. While we waited for the news to return, I said to my brother, “Here they go again with these wasted researches that we already have an answer to, the chicken came first, don’t they know that?”. My brother and I had a nice laugh, then reflected on why we knew the chicken came first; I explained that maybe everyone does not know the reason why we have that conclusion in our heads, but it just seemed so obvious to us. Bible believing Christians would agree with me that the chicken had to… read more
For the last year I’ve been struggling with doubt off and on…from the little things to the big things. Some days I feel that nothing can shake my faith, and other days I feel nothing can make it continue. So recently I’ve been going to God asking Him questions about this and that, and why did this happen and why that didn’t happen, etc. I am determined to face this struggle head on and overcome it, rather than just let it make me drift away from trusting God. God’s faithfulness is probably His most important attribute to me. I simply must know that He does not change, keeps His promises, does not mislead us, makes His will clear, guides us to His best at all times. And He has given me many promises concerning an issue I’ve been facing for quite sometime. All those promises add up and confirm each… read more
Today I was taking a long walk in the mid-day sun, with the temperature at about 88 degrees and the wind blowing mildly in my face. About 15 minutes into my walk the thought came to mind about the cowardly act of many Christians that claim they love people and how they certainly don’t want people to go to hell yet, they refuse to be open about their faith in a way that would make a non-believer want what they have. Please, don’t make the mistake of assuming that I didn’t examine myself as well, so I’m certainly not being too critical, or judgmental. I think sometimes as Christians, we find all types of excuses to not share the Gospel ( the good news about Jesus). If the News is so good, why not share it? If we really believe that we are saved from hell and cleansed of our… read more
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