All posts tagged: OpentheWord.org

Does Prayer to the Saints Nullify the Word of God? – OpentheWord.org

Does Prayer to the Saints Nullify the Word of God? – OpentheWord.org

Published by Sam Flores

In a recent podcast, Dr. Gavin Ortlund made his case for why he believes praying to the saints is unbiblical, ChurchLeaders reports. Ortlund runs an online ministry called Truth Unites where he deals with controversial issues such as this. Praying to dead saints is a position long held by both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. They believe that people can ask Christians who have died, particularly those designated as saints, to pray for them. They point to passages such as Revelation 5:8, where John saw saints in heaven holding bowls containing the prayers of the people on earth and offering them to God: When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (Revelation 5:8 NASV) Catholics teach that these heavenly saints must have heard these prayers in order to present them. Catholics also believe that since Mary is the mother of Jesus, she has her Son’s ear and praying to her can be particularly …

The spirit of Korah – OpentheWord.org

The spirit of Korah – OpentheWord.org

Published by Sam Flores

By Don Nicely   Numbers 16:1-3: 1  Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men; 2 and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. 3  They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?” Numbers 16:8-12: 8 The Moses said to Korah, “Here now, you sons of Levi: 9 Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to serve them; 10and that He has brought you near to …

Great Isaiah Scroll at Israel Museum Points to Jesus as Messiah – OpentheWord.org

Great Isaiah Scroll at Israel Museum Points to Jesus as Messiah – OpentheWord.org

Published by Sam Flores

Israel Museum, Jerusalem Credit: אסף.צ, Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 A display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem may signal a shift slowly taking place in the country. In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul, citing Isaiah 59, saw a day coming when all of Israel would be saved (Romans 11:26). Essentially, one day the Jews, en masse, would recognize and accept Jesus Christ as the Jewish Messiah. Though this has not yet happened, ministries in Israel are reporting a growing interest in Jesus among Jewish people, Charles Gardner writes in an article for Israel Today. But what caught people’s attention recently is a display of the Great Isaiah Scroll at Jerusalem’s Israel Museum, which included a passage from the Gospel of Luke. The Great Isaiah Scroll was discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947. All 66 chapters of this book were found intact. The manuscript was dated to 125 BC, making it over a thousand years older than the manuscripts used for our modern Bible translations. But despite the differences in age, …

Was Dolly Parton Religious?  – OpentheWord.org

Was Dolly Parton Religious?  – OpentheWord.org

Published by Sam Flores

Dolly Parton in Nashville, 2005. Credit: U.S. Air Force, Wikipedia, Public Domain I’m sure we all know by now that Dolly Parton died recently, at the age of 80. The news is sad, of course, but it is good that she had a long life and accomplished many things. She was very famous, and successful, mostly as a singer and also as an actress. In American celebrity culture, including Hollywood, she was not known to be promiscuous. Wealthy, attractive celebrities are commonly known to have affairs. On the other side, celebrities are sometimes known to have religious convictions and beliefs. I am writing as a Christian and I know that a few famous celebrities are, or were, sincere Christians. Talking about their beliefs could damage their careers and possibly cost them millions of dollars. Success comes with a high price. Dolly Parton was generally known as a moral person. Apparently, she met her husband when she was a young adult; they married and stayed together. The story is that they met in a laundromat, and …

la tumba de Jesús está en la Iglesia del Santo Sepulcro – OpentheWord.org

la tumba de Jesús está en la Iglesia del Santo Sepulcro – OpentheWord.org

Published by Sam Flores

Iglesia del Santo Sepulcro. Crédito: Gerd Eichmann, Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 ENGLISH: Evidence Mounts That Jesus’ Tomb Is at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Arqueólogos de la Universidad «La Sapienza» de Roma, Italia, han encontrado evidencia que confirma que la Iglesia del Santo Sepulcro en Jerusalén es el lugar de la tumba donde fue sepultado Jesús, según informa el New York Post. Una iglesia fue construida por primera vez en el siglo cuarto sobre el lugar que se cree es el sitio donde Jesús fue crucificado, sepultado y resucitado de entre los muertos. Se considera el lugar más sagrado del cristianismo. Según el Times of Israel, la iglesia está siendo co-administrada actualmente por tres grupos: el Patriarcado Ortodoxo, la Custodia de la Tierra Santa y el Patriarcado Armenio. La relación entre los tres grupos ha sido descrita como turbulenta. En 2022, se convocó a arqueólogos como parte de los trabajos de restauración de la iglesia, que incluían reparaciones importantes en el piso principal. Para 2025, los arqueólogos que estudiaban lo que había bajo el piso …

la tumba de Jesús está en la Iglesia del Santo Sepulcro – OpentheWord.org

Evidence Mounts That Jesus’ Tomb Is at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre – OpentheWord.org

Published by Sam Flores

Church of the Holy Sepulchre Credit: Gerd Eichmann, Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 Archaeologists from Italy’s “La Sapienza” University of Rome have found evidence confirming that Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the location of Jesus’ burial tomb, the New York Post reports. A church was first built in the fourth century over the site believed to be the spot where Jesus was crucified, buried and then resurrected from the dead. It is considered to be Christianity’s most holy site. According to the Times of Israel, the church is currently being co-managed by three groups, the Orthodox Patriarchate, the Custody of the Holy Land, and the Armenian Patriarchate. The relationship between the three groups has been described as tumultuous. In 2022, archaeologists were brought in as part of restoration work at the church, which included major repairs to the main floor. By 2025, archaeologists studying what lay beneath the church’s ground floor had found the remains of an ancient garden with several tombs cut out of the limestone rock. They also discovered a stone quarry …

Meta to Pay Billion Over Youth Social Media Addiction – OpentheWord.org

Meta to Pay $18 Billion Over Youth Social Media Addiction – OpentheWord.org

Published by Sam Flores

Meta, which operates two popular social media sites, Facebook and Instagram, has agreed to an $18 billion settlement after 48 states sued Meta, arguing it had caused youth to become addicted to its social media platforms, CBN reports. In addition to the payment, Meta also agreed to institute several reforms to limit children’s exposure on its sites: Limiting the amount of time a child can spend on its social media platforms each day. Meta will also restrict a child’s usage at night. Many have expressed concerns that children are scrolling through social media when they should be sleeping. Meta has agreed to send out fewer notifications while children are in class. It plans to implement more safeguards on content that deals with eating disorders, bullying, self-harm and suicide. “The head of Instagram testified ahead of court that some of their optional teen protections were only taken up by 1 to 2 percent of teens,” said Haley McNamara of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation commenting on the settlement. “But now that they have been sued …

5 Reasons Why Praise Should Be Passionate – OpentheWord.org

5 Reasons Why Praise Should Be Passionate – OpentheWord.org

Published by Sam Flores

King David bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem Credit: Pieter van Lint, 1650, Wikipedia, Public Domain “Then David danced before the Lord with all his might…”2 Samuel 6:14 NKJV By Andrew Hopkins Have you ever been in a worship service where the passion in the room was epic and the Presence of God electrifying? On the other hand, have you been in a room where it looked and felt like the people were baptized in the spirit of boring? In light of who we’re singing to and the gravity of what He’s done for us, passion should be the norm in our praise. I remember when I first started following Jesus, I would go to Christian events where the latest worship leaders would be leading. The room was electrified with passion, dancing, singing, the lifting of hands and all sorts of outward expression. I found, though, when I went back home and attended a church service, that people’s passion was tamed, expression was much less, and well…just not as exciting or vibrant. Before …

Actress Anna Faris Challenges Her Son’s Faith as He Shares Jesus with Her – OpentheWord.org

Actress Anna Faris Challenges Her Son’s Faith as He Shares Jesus with Her – OpentheWord.org

Published by Sam Flores

Chris Pratt and Anna Faris at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival Credit Josh Jensen, Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.0 While you may not have heard of Jack Pratt, you have no doubt heard of his famous father actor Chris Pratt who starred in the Jurassic World series. Jack’s name came up when his mother, actress Anna Faris, was being interviewed by comedian Chelsea Handler on her podcast Dear Chelsea, Church Leaders report. Faris, 49, is best known for her comedic roles in the Scary Movie series. Faris and Pratt were married between 2009 to 2017. Both have since remarried. In the interview, Faris shared how Jack, 14, has been asking her to “accept Jesus Christ” into her life. She responded by saying that she would do anything for him, but there would have to be a lot of discussion before she did. As part of this she challenged him on his faith. She added that it hasn’t thrown him off describing her son as “solid as a tugboat emotionally,” She added that he is not easily …

News From Science – OpentheWord.org

News From Science – OpentheWord.org

Published by Sam Flores

Chimpanzees in Uganda, Credit or USAID Africa Bureau, Wikipedia, Public Domain If I said two words—‘cave man’ you would probably have a mental picture of a large person holding a club and wearing some simple clothes made from animal skins and fur. In popular fiction, those people were supposed to be our ancestors, and in the story, they descended from apes or monkeys who climbed down from trees and started walking on the ground. With their less developed brains, they supposedly spoke in grunts, and ate animals that they killed. Over millions of years, their descendants evolved larger brains and became more human, and eventually became us. If that process continues, who knows what our descendants will become. That is a quick summary of some ideas that we have learned from Darwin’s “Theory of Evolution.” Now we are taught about Evolution, but the word ‘Theory’ has been dropped. We are told by science educators that Darwin’s model is a fact, not a theory. If you research the topic, you will probably find a reference to …