Author: Billy Hallowell
“[We] are fervently lifting up in prayer the children and families in the horrific shooting in Uvalde.” That simple tweet from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) this week in the wake of the deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, predictably sparked a litany of angry responses dismissing prayer and demanding legislative action. Now, I don’t care much about people’s opinions on Cruz or his political postures, and this piece isn’t about the gun control debate. What I’m concerned with is contemporary culture’s overwhelming confusion about the purpose and power of prayer. The “thoughts and prayers” mantra has become a convenient target for…
A pastor and author who has investigated more than 1,000 near-death experiences (NDEs) believes there’s definitive evidence that many of these experiences are authentic. John Burke, co-author of “Imagine the God of Heaven Devotional: 60 Reflections on the Heart of God from the Bible and Near-Death Experiences” with his wife, Kathy, told CBN News he was once a skeptic. “Not only did I not believe in near-death experiences, I didn’t believe in Jesus or God,” he said. “Many … decades ago, my dad was dying of cancer and someone gave him the very first research that coined the term near-death…
A new survey found that just 31 percent of Protestant churchgoers in America read the Bible daily. Lifeway Research also revealed some additional intriguing statistics that are likely to spark conversation within Christian communities. The research gives a powerful lens into Bible reading patterns in the U.S. “According to the State of Discipleship study, around 3 in 5 Americans who attend religious services at least once a month (61%) regularly read the Bible, including 31% who read every day and 30% who do so a few times a week,” the survey explanation reads. “Some engage once a week (14%) or a…
After struggling with addiction and abuse, author Arman Kaymakcian is now living a redeemed life. Kaymakcian, author of “He Calls Me Redeemed: A Memoir of Childhood Sex Abuse, Heroin Addiction, Hope, and Redemption,” told CBN News he chose to come forward with his difficult story in an effort to help others see the power of grace and forgiveness. “I know what it is to be desperate,” he said. “I know what it is to feel trapped, to feel hopeless, lost, broken. I also know what it feels to be redeemed by Jesus Christ, and I know what it is to…
Actor Tim Allen recently wrapped his quest of reading the entire Bible “word-by-word.” “Finished the entire Bible it’s been a 13 month word by word page by page no skimming journey,” Allen wrote this week on X. “Humbled, enlightened and amazed at what I read and what I learned. I will rest and meditate on so much.” And it appears this won’t be a one-time effort, as Allen concluded with a pledge to once again embark on the same journey. “I will begin it again,” he added. Allen has recently been increasingly vocal about his Christian faith journey. He also sat down with fellow…
As Christians ponder whether America is experiencing revival, apologist Frank Turek is digging a bit deeper, noting it’s essential people don’t just get “spiritual renewal but [that] they become disciples.” He also addressed some of the confusion and date-setting that sometimes arises in theological discussions about the end times. “How do you make disciples? How do you make people that actually follow Jesus — not just people that say, ‘I got fire insurance, I’m going to heaven?’” he said. “Jesus didn’t say, ‘Come make believers.’ He said, ‘Come make disciples.’ And that means carrying your cross, and doing things that…
Todd Nettleton is on a mission to combat Christian persecution. Nettleton, chief of media relations and message integration for the Voice of the Martyrs, reflected on the lead-up to the International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians, back in November. “It wasn’t the idea of the Voice of the Martyrs; it’s not a marketing scheme,” Nettleton said. “This is what persecuted Christians ask us to do. The first thing they ask us to do is to pray, and so the International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians is an answer to their number one request that we pray for them.”…