I have this pack of cheap ball pens, but I’ve kept only one in my drawer in case I need a pen. First time I tried to use it it was leaking a bit so I just rubbed the tip on a piece of paper and used it. Second time it was a bit of too much of a leak for me to use it so I put the cap back on it, and returned it in my drawer and got out another pen and used that pen. I did the same for the next few times I needed to use that leaking pen. Finally when I tried to use it the leak was so bad that I didn’t even consider keeping it, I thought, “Why am I bothering with this cheap and useless pen when I have so many others that work perfectly fine?†So I broke the pen,… read more
Bible
My family always wanted to leave Iraq. My mother dreamt of living in Europe, North America, or Australia since she was a teenager. My dad also wanted to leave since he was a teenager. But we couldn’t leave until 1998 when I was 15 years old. We spent a year in Jordan and my sister, who is 2 years older than me, and I both accepted Christ in our lives there. I think being Roman Catholic teens, having our first communion a couple of years earlier, left us with a lot of questions and very few answers (if any). My sister, being a very social person, got first interested in knowing Christ as a Savior through going to church in Amman, Jordan. There was a pastor there who was teaching about Christ as a Savior and how trusting in Him can change our lives, gives us eternal life, and that… read more
Dr. Charles Stanley once said something to the like, “Keep a journal of God’s faithfulness because a day is going to come when you will need to look back and hold on to God’s faithful nature and be strengthened through the trial.†So this writing is not for you—it is for me. It has taking me a month to write it, mainly because it was hard to write about something I don’t feel, and may not even believe. But I had forced myself to write it hoping there is a good outcome from it. What you are looking at in this photo is King College Road: this is the “engineering street†that every student must walk to go to their classes because the engineering buildings are at its right and left. Sometimes when I walk through St. George campus I wonder to myself, “How did I get… read more
Personally, I’ve found a peace that I haven’t had for a long time. For nearly the whole summer I have been struggling through my salvation. After I began to really take the Bible seriously, I went through an intense season of examining my life to see if I was on the right path. It wasn’t necessarily a fun time but I learned a lot of valuable things such as perseverance and I grew in knowledge. During the past few weeks things became more intense, prayer became more intense, and now God has granted me peace about it. I think that most of it came from a deeper understanding of the Spirit. I wasn’t sure if I had it before, now I’m certain. For those of you who don’t know, I live in a place called Cranbrook. Right now God is really moving here, it’s really cool to see and I’m… read more
Doing the right thing is important. In our times and culture it is becoming increasingly less common to do the right thing. Many youth nowadays are not committed to anything except to that which makes them happy—what makes them feel good. But what makes you happy oftentimes does not make God or others happy—often times it is not the right thing. Simply put: doing the right thing is a reflection of your character. I remember few years ago as I got off the bus near my home I saw this long line of cars trying to pass an intersection where there is a stop sign. I thought, “What’s going on? This intersection is never busy because of the stop sign!†Just then I saw a police car parked nearby. When it comes to character my favorite quote is by J.C. Watts who said, “Character is doing the right thing when… read more
For the last couple years I’ve been thinking about life and death a lot. I’ve been thinking about eternal life and the importance of the spiritual world but how earthly-minded I really am. I’ve been feeling how meaningless and temporary everything that is earthly. Last morning I was listening to John Piper’s message “Don’t Waste Your Life,†and he said the words of the title of this picture which describe perfectly how I’ve been feeling for a long while now. In the evening I went to downtown and the lakeshore with a Christian Iraqi friend, and it was a fun day filled with taking pictures. We talked a lot about Christianity and our purpose on earth. When I came home I started post-processing my photos but I felt a very heavy burden. At around 4 in the morning I decided I needed to pray because I knew I couldn’t sleep… read more
Today I want to talk about fasting. It’s not something that most people ever consider. You can say that it’s not clearly commanded in the Bible, but if you take a look you’ll see it comes up more often than you think. in Matthew Jesus says, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.” Matthew 6:16 Notice here, Jesus says WHEN, not IF. There are many other passages that mention it as well. We might not think it’s specifically addressed but if so, that’s only because it’s assumed we will. So what exactly is fasting? It’s essentially giving up some, or all, kinds of food and drink. You might not think this is possible, but it is! Common fasts are 24 hours, 3 days, and 40… read more
Next we will discuss “The Religion of Evolution”. First, a definition from Webster`s New World dictionary: Religion – a. A belief in a supernatural power; b. an expression of this belief in conduct or ritual; c. a specific system of belief or worship involving a code of ethics; d. an object that is zealously pursued. Obviously, if you are a creationist, one or more of these definitions would apply to you. You would probably believe that this supernatural power created all things. You should have a code of conduct that you try to make an integral part of your life, as outlined in the Bible, at least for all of us in attendance here. Also, you should also believe that this supernatural power, having created this magnificent universe, also has the power to override what we would call infallible physical laws. These “overrides” are called “miracles” by most people. Does… read more
In the past year there were many tragic cases of teen suicide, so I decide few months ago to write about my experience with depression and suicidal thoughts. I hope this writing will be of help to someone who needs it. Background As you might know I grew up in Iraq to a Roman Catholic family. In the Middle East depression and suicide are almost taboo because of ignorance. Many people equate depression with mental illness (not that mental illness is something to jeer about), and so the general thought patterns goes something like this, “You can’t marry him because his brother has depression and tried to commit suicide once!†To them depression is like bad genes you really don’t want your children to have. So people often times become depressed but don’t tell anyone and don’t get any treatment because they feel ashamed. And if a family member attempted… read more
The end of December 2010 was probably the craziest time of my life. After getting home from Bible school I told God to do whatever He needed so that I could fully live for Him. I found out that is a very dangerous prayer. Through circumstances I was brought to a place where my whole future (that I had planned) was gone. I was left in a broken state and I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t have anywhere to turn but Him. So that’s what I did. I vividly remember curling up into a ball and just crying out for God to take the pain away. It wasn’t a physical pain but it sure felt like it. The next few weeks went by slowly and I didn’t feel like I was making progress in life. But I just kept my focus on God and eventually I began to… read more
Today I’m going to tell you a part of my testimony that I’ve hidden for a long time. I hid it because of pride, guilt, and shame. I hid it because that was exactly what Satan told me to do. That way I’d become a useless Christian immobilized by my own actions. I was ashamed that my life didn’t reflect the promises in Romans 6:6-7 “We know that our old life died with Christ on the cross so that our sinful selves would have no power over us and we would not be slaves to sin. Anyone who has died is made free from sin’s control.†Boy, that sure didn’t reflect my life… You see for more than 10 years (I honestly can’t remember when it began) I had an addiction to pornography and masturbation. These are two of my least favorite words in the world, the very words themselves… read more
This week I wanted to look into the idea of God’s will for our lives. Isn’t that what The Church longs to know? What does God want them to do with their life? This was what I was struggling with last week but I’ve figured out why it was going so poorly. The best advice I’ve heard is to stop worrying about God’s will for your life. You see, this isn’t some sort of puzzle that we can figure out by thinking about it. The way God works is by changing you inside so that your entire life is transformed, He doesn’t just give us the answers to life. He never promises us a long-term plan because that would defeat the whole idea of relying on Him daily. You want to know what God wants you to do with your life? What He wants you to do with… read more
Today I have a note from a great friend named Scott, hope you will be blessed by what he wrote: If you asked me today if I was religious, I would tell you “no”. This might seem weird if you knew that I go to church as often as I can, read and believe every word of the Bible, and pray to God. The reason I would say that is because of what people think when they hear “religion”. People tend to think things like laws, judgmental people, power, repetition, and as the result of some recent and unfortunate events, crazy people predicting the end of the world. Feel free to add your own words to the list. Chances are it’s not what Jesus Christ and His way is all about. – It’s not about religion and obligation, it’s about freedom and love. You might not know but the word… read more
I wanted to look at the book of Acts because I always hear about how different the Church is today compared to the early Church. Armed with some lessons from Hans Peter and my Bible, God has already been putting things on my heart! It’s something we’ve all heard before; the Church isn’t the building, it’s the people inside the building. Take this deeper though, and this you’ve heard as well, wherever you go you bring Jesus with you. You don’t go to “church†(the building) to meet with God; He’s with you wherever you go, YOU bring the Church wherever you go. Does your version of Church change throughout the week? What does it look like with your co-workers? How about around your friends? Does it differ from your church attitude on Sunday? I ask these questions because if your version of church is simply changing your attitude you… read more
As we hear frightening “predictions” about the year 2012, we would be led to believe that the world is coming to an end very soon. We see the disaster/doomsday movies like Independence day (1996), The Day After Tomorrow (2009), portraying destruction on a massive scale. We have programs on TV such as, “Life after man”, which looks at how life would be after mankind is wiped out. We also heard about the Y2K bug, global warming, the melting of the ice caps and the long forgotten, “hole in the ozone layer”. The Mayan calendar stops at the end of the year 2012, resulting in all sorts of religious, scientific, astrological and historic reasons why this calendar foretells the end of mankind or life as we know it. The Mayan predictions have many people in an uproar, coupled with the natural disasters seen all over the world, global distress, global economic… read more
The Bible teaches that the Heavens, Earth, and all life on Earth was created by direct acts of God during a relatively short period, calculated to be sometime between 5,700 and 10,000 years ago, by Biblical scholars. The Genesis accounts of Creation teaches us that God created the Earth in six 24-hour days, taking a literal interpretation of the Genesis accounts of creation. The evolutionary consensus, supported by a 2006 statement by 68 national and international science academies, is that it is “evidence-based fact” that the universe has existed for around 15 billion years, that the Earth was formed about 4.5 billion years ago with life appearing at least 2.5 billion years ago. Evolutionist would go as far as to laugh at those who believe that the earth is much younger than what we have been taught under the guise of science. Now, 5,700 to 10,000 years is a very,… read more
20 Beautiful Christian Wallpapers – The Bible is filled with life changing words that can also be translated into beautiful eye-catching wallpapers. These wallpapers allow us to experience the Word of God in a whole new light. We collected some beautiful and inspirational wallpapers below, remember to share them with someone today.
To seek knowledge, is to advance in wisdom. I often tell people that there is a difference between reading the Bible and studying the Bible. Anyone can read a book, but have no comprehension of what’s really going on. Many people say the Bible was written by man, yet they sometimes leave out the fact that it was also inspired by God, the Almighty. The Bible withstands any test and has survived the trials of man. I am so surprise to find out how many great scientists and inventors were actual Christians. The solid proof of Dinosaurs in the Bible from Genesis to Job. Seeing how the architecture of one cell is more complex than the city of New York and how cells have tiny microscopic parts that resemble actual gears and dump trucks. Evolution is put to shame and our faith is lifted up by the proof of A… read more
Evolution for the most part is based on one’s interpretation of sedimentary strata and the fossils found therein. Those who believe in Evolution appear to be convinced that the fossils found in rock layers all over the earth are the definite proof that creatures have been evolving upward into higher life forms over hundreds of millions of years. Evolutionists declare this process has been taking place through “natural selection” and “mutation”, which leaves behind in its wake, the old models, so to say, which are replaced by higher forms of life. You will find that the mindless processes that are alleged to take place in and through Evolution are nothing more than a fantasy that has been thought out by men who have rejected the Bible and the one and only true God of Creation. Below we will discuss a few of the fossil evidences and a few biological facts… read more
The Bible is not primarily a book of science, but it does contain numerous scientific facts. We laugh at some of the scientific data that was available  just a few hundred years ago. If man alone were the author of the Bible, we would expect to find many such errors contained in it. However, if we examine the scientific data of the Bible and find it to be accurate to present-day scientific laws, then we have powerful evidence for divine inspiration given by God to the authors. The scientific data found in the Bible are not only accurate, but were revealed thousands of years before man discovered them for himself. The Bible does not contain any errors typical of the time in which it was written. Would we expect anything less from a book inspired by God? The scriptures are replete with statements suggesting scientific knowledge which predates the corresponding… read more
The Testimony of Emma Nation reflects the pain and depravity that we face outside of Christ and the ultimate plan that the devil has for all humans which is death! But thank God that He has a better plan for us, a plan for life everlasting! Emma wraps up her testimony, with a revelation on how God is continuing to heal the scars in her life. Testimony My life still holds pain, but I have a faithful comforter and healer! I am still a broken woman, desperately in need of His strength, love, forgiveness and rest every single day, but I am a new creation starting fresh as a pure, lovely, redeemed, chosen, loved child of the Most High King. March 13, 2010 was the day that this verse became the true claim of my life. This was also the day that God changed my name from Emily to… read more
This is a continuation of the testimony of Emma Nation. We learned in the first part of her story, the struggles leading up to abuse and attempted suicide. God showed Emma that He loved her, by sending help just at the right time to pull her from the clutches of the devil, God had better plans for her. The image depicts the surgery that the Lord performed in bringing her out of bondage. Testimony Jesus saved my life in more ways than one. But the pain in my heart was very real and very alive. By that point it had already taken over me and cut deep holes in my spirit. I had already learned to use food in so many ways other than what it was intended for. Food was my connection to my mother as many happy memories with her from early childhood centered around food. Food was… read more
The Bible says that, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handy work”. The clouds make up an essential part of the first heaven and every human being is blessed in some way by them. They serve as cover from the sun, a source of circulating water on the earth and they bring powerful rains, storms and hurricanes. We sometimes stop to gaze at the clouds and our imagination run wild as we see amazing shapes outlined while they move across the sky. How does the clouds declare God’s Glory and display His handy work? From the foundations of the earth God has established the clouds for the purpose of life on earth and He uses them to bless the earth and maintain life. Job during his great trials had to think about this calm yet unmistakably powerful creation of God. … read more
Historical Accuracy of the Bible Revealed Historical Accuracy of the Bible Revealed – To be divinely inspired, a book must be historically accurate. Â For if its credibility cannot be established on the basis of known events, it certainly cannot be relied upon as an adequate guide in matters beyond our ability to check. Â On the other hand, if we can demonstrate that such a book is correct in historical matters, to an extent unknown among human writings, then we have strong evidence that the authors were inspired by God. Â In this lesson we shall learn that this is true of the Bible. The Bible is it’s own best defense – John McArthur Down through the centuries, enemies of the Bible have attacked its historical accuracy. Â Time after time, the Scriptures have been thus questioned, only later to be shown correct by archaeology. Â Archaeology is a study of relics, monuments, tombs,… read more