The Real-Life Miracle That Absolutely Shocked Atheist-Turned-Evangelist Lee Strobel

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(Screenshot: Vimeo/Toby Canning)Lee Strobel, March 2018.

Author and evangelist Lee Strobel was once an atheist who served as the legal affairs editor for the Chicago Tribune before embarking on a quest to try and disprove Christianity — an effort that ironically led him to embrace faith.

READ ALSO:Columbine Survivor’s Powerful Lessons After Facing Terror

Now, Strobel, whose personal story was told through the Pure Flix feature film, book and documentary titled “The Case for Christ,” has released, The Case for Miracles, a new investigative book that relies on facts, interviews and studies to further explore spiritual matters.

“It was really the miracle of the resurrection and the historical evidence for that that ended up bringing me to faith many years ago,” Strobel told Pure Flix Insider and “The Billy Hallowell Podcast.” “But my skepticism didn’t go away.”

Listen to Strobel describe his journey — and the most memorable miracle he’s encountered — below:

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Strobel said that he has long believed that Jesus performed the miracles described in the Gospels. That said, before writing “The Case for Miracles,” Strobel was “ambivalent” about whether these miracles still happen today. Adding to that, he had some skepticism about some of the charlatans who have been exposed for making false claims about healings and the like.

“You just wonder … how legitimate are these miracle claims in the 21st century?” Strobel said. “And so that’s kind of what prompted me to investigate this issue.”

He encountered scores of healings and other claims of the miraculous along the way, but…

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3 More Women Make Sexual Abuse Accusations

(Screencap: YouTube/Highlands Church)Les Hughey of Highlands Church in Arizona in a sermon published online on February 18, 2016.

At least three more young women have come forward to make sexual abuse accusations against Les Hughey, the founder of Highlands Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, after he was placed on leave on Sunday.

The Modesto Bee, which on Saturday published a report sharing the stories of four women who say that Hughey took advantage of them sexually decades ago when they were teens, reported on Monday that now three more women are alleging abuse.

Juliet Buckner Pekaar said that much like the other women, Hughey groped her in the 1970s while he was a youth pastor in California.

“It was definitely sexual — almost naked, touching body parts,” Pekaar shared. “Fondling? Yeah. He went right up to there.”

Pekaar explained that she played keyboard in Hughey’s Christian rock group, “Les Hughey and The Band,” which she sought comfort in because her father had sexually abused her as a child.

“I was in dark depression, with anxiety attacks, so confused,” she recalled. “I went to him for help. But I was going to a predator. That’s how sick this was,” she added, alleging that Hughey fondled her from age 16 to 19, often during the band’s tours.

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Atheists Looking to Impose $1B Taxes on Churches as Pastors Warn of Devastating Impact

(Screenshot: YouTube/Becket)South Side Chicago Christians in a video published by Becket on February 8, 2018.

A group of Chicago pastors are speaking up on behalf of clergy everywhere in America in their latest federal appeals court effort fighting against a lawsuit that they say could cost houses of worship as much as $1 billion in new taxes.

The non-profit law firm Becket explained in a press release last week that Pastor Chris Butler of Chicago Embassy Church went before an appeals court on Thursday in the latest chapter of the Gaylor v. Mnuchin case, looking for a reversal on an earlier decision that went against the clergy.

The case is significant, because the Freedom From Religion Coalition is suing the IRS in the hopes of ending a 64-year-old federal tax provision, the ministerial housing tax exemption, that allows faith leaders to receive tax-free housing allowances.

The tax benefit is for leaders of any faith, not just Christian. The provision was inserted into the tax code to correct an inequity in the law for those whose job requires that they live in a particular location. Other allowances provide help to teachers, business leaders, military service members and other similarly situated workers to receive tax-free housing for their jobs.

John Stonestreet…

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Alfie surviving after life-sustaining treatment turned off ‘a miracle’

Roger Kiska, a solicitor for the Christian Legal Centre, who is supporting the parents Tom and Kate Evans, said: “It’s been a miraculous evening to say the least. Everyone anticipated that when life-sustaining measures – that being oxygen and water were removed – that for Alfie it would literally be minutes before he passed away”.

After the sustaining treatment was removed, Alfie continued to breathe for 9 hours before he was put back on support.

Alfie’s Dad said: “He’s still breathing now. It’s come to a point when his mum’s actually asleep next to him so she can go to sleep, she feels comfortable with him,” he said.

Roger Kiska said: “I would say it’s a miracle”

“This has led to him being put back on oxygen and hydration”

A High Court judge is set to oversee a further hearing on Alfie’s case on Tuesday afternoon as Mr Justice Hayden is scheduled to hear more discussion at a hearing in Manchester.

A spokeswoman said the hearing was due to start at around 3.30pm.

Speaking of what may happen at this hearing, Roger Kiska said: “My gut is telling me that Alder Hey will continue arguing that it’s in Alfie’s best interests to have life-sustaining measures terminated.”

“For Tom and Kate’s part – they will say that it’s absolute not”

Alfie has been granted Italian citizenship, of which Roger said: “if another hospital is happy to take a look then they should have absolutely have…

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Baby Alfie Evans is Taken off Life Support, Proves Doctors Wrong and Survives

Baby Alfie Evans is Taken off Life Support, Proves Doctors Wrong and Survives



Baby Alfie Evans who has a neurodegenerative disorder has been fighting for his life. His parents, Tom Evans and Kate James, have been petitioning for their son’s right to live, despite his medical condition.


Although they gained the support of Pope Francis who said Alfie would be welcomed at a Vatican hospital, a legal representative of Alder Hey hospital, which said Alfie should be taken off of life support, said Alfie was under British jurisdiction and could not be taken to Italy.


“I am not going to provide more time,” said High Court Justice Anthony Hayden. “Alfie is a British citizen, he is undoubtedly habitually resident in the UK. He falls therefore under the jurisdiction of the High Court.”


But Alfie has proved himself to be a fighter.


He was taken off of his ventilator yesterday per the judge’s ruling, but almost 24 hours later, he is still alive.


LifeSiteNews.com reports that Alfie’s doctors were shocked at his survival. Alfie has now been put back on oxygen.


This morning, his mother posted, “Alfie has been allowed oxygen and water!! How amazing is he. No matter what happens he has already proved these doctors wrong. How beautiful does he look!”


 


Photo courtesy: Facebook/Save Alfie Evans


Publication date: April 24, 2018

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Bishops pay tribute to Britons killed in Saudi Arabia coach crash

In a joint statement, the Bishop of Blackburn; Bishop of Burnley, Dean of Blackburn, Archdeacon of Lancaster, and the Archdeacon of Blackburn said: “We are deeply saddened by the terrible news today of the road accident in Saudi Arabia which has claimed the lives of four pilgrims from two towns in Lancashire.

 

“Christians understand the importance of making a pilgrimage – it is a time of deep significance for those making the journey. For such a terrible incident to occur at this of all times is particularly harrowing.

“Their families and friends in Preston and Blackburn can be assured of our prayers. We are also praying for everyone who has been injured in the crash.”

A mother of six with 13 grandchildren is said to have been among the four Britons killed.

Another 12 British citizens were injured in the tragedy around 30 miles north of Mecca on Saturday.

Raj Begum Hussain, 70, from Blackburn, is understood to have died along with an elderly woman and her adult son, from Preston, Lancashire, and an elderly man, also from Preston.

A travel firm confirmed the coach was hit by a fuel tanker which caught fire and set the bus alight.

The victims were among 18 people on board the coach which was travelling from Mecca to Medina as part of an Umra pilgrimage.

All of the people on board were taken to hospital, where six remain.

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Concern as more churches demolished in China

Religious freedom charity Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) says it’s concerned by reports which suggest in the past two weeks authorities in Henan Province have demolished crosses and churches, destroyed religious materials and forbidden children from attending churches.

 

Worshipers have also been told they’ll be expelled from education and employment.

CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said: “The crackdown on Christians in Henan Province demonstrates the increasing pressure on religious communities in China.

“While the authorities claim that religious freedom is protected, the reality is that independent religious communities are subject to harassment, intimidations and other violations.

“Unregistered churches are being forcibly shut down. At the same time, churches registered with the government are being managed more tightly, and forced to show loyalty to the Communist Party.

“We call on the Chinese authorities to protect the right to freedom of religion or belief for people of all faiths in China, in all parts of the country, and to release those detained in connection with their peaceful religious practice.”

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Pastor Tim Challies Warns Christians Against Using Virtual Reality Porn

REUTERS/SANDY HUFFAKERAttendees wearing Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets view a 3-dimensional video for the ”Pacific Rim: Jaeger Pilot” video game during the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention in San Diego, California July 25, 2014.

Pastor Tim Challies of Grace Fellowship Church in Toronto, Ontario, has said that virtual reality pornography is the “next frontier” in technology, and is warning Christians about its harms.  

Challies said on his website Monday that he’s had many opportunities in the last few years to talk about pornography and technology, and the risks that have emerged.

“The rise of the internet provides a ready example. When the internet first came along, we all dutifully signed up for accounts and began to explore this new medium. We surfed and chatted and downloaded and shopped,” he wrote.

“It was only a few years later that we realized that along the way an entire generation had gotten hooked on porn. It’s obvious now — what else was ever going to happen? But somehow nobody saw it coming. We saw the opportunities but missed a major risk.”

When charting the next developments in technology, he said that he’s recently been focusing on virtual reality, a broad term where immersive computer-generalized worlds are often designed to simulate the real world as close as possible.

The pastor pointed out that while today VR is most often associated with gaming, experts are seeking to bring the technology to the next level and mimic and even improve on face-to-face connection.

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First pub in Scotland blessed by a church

The Crask Inn in Sutherland, Scottish Highlands, will begin providing daily prayers as well as spiritual retreats and clergy training.

The pub was gifted to the Scottish Episcopal Church in February last year by its previous owners but legal issues stalled the change in ownership.

 

The pub which was owned by Michael and Kai Geldard is being run for the church by Douglas Campbell – a licensed Eucharistic minister of the Chalice – and his wife Denise, despite the pair having no experience in pulling pints.

Nearly 100 people gathered to witness the rural pub’s blessing conducted by Rev Mark Strange – the Episcopalian Bishop of the United Diocese of Moray.

Denise who attended told the Scotsman: “It’s all very exciting. I think the spiritual and religious aspect will increase but I don’t think the hospitality side of things will decrease.

“The inn side will continue because it’s very important for hospitality and meeting people.”

Services will be held at the pub twice a month.

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Where Has Society Gone Wrong?

(Photo: Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins)Joe Zevuloni mourns in front of a cross placed in a park to commemorate the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Florida, February 16, 2018.

Read part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5 of The Christian Post’s series on youth and school violence.

As the United States has by far more deadly shootings occurring in its schools than any other developed nation, many are left wondering if there are elements of today’s American society that are partially to blame, or at least play a factor, when it comes to the troubling influx of deadly school massacres.

“Where has our society gone wrong?” some might ask.

Dr. Peter Langman, an expert on the psychology of school shooters who runs the database SchoolShooters.info, told The Christian Post that in the U.S., “We have overwhelmingly the majority of school shootings in the world.”

The million-dollar question is “why?”

There isn’t just one easy answer to that question nor is there only one solution, Langman and others who spoke with CP asserted.

A common response, however, which was echoed by two experts interviewed for this article, is the fact that there is much more access to guns in the U.S. than any other nation.

“I did this study of 171 countries to explain statistically why the United States has more [mass shootings] than any other country. I coded any variable that was present for all 171 countries [studied]. I looked at homicide rates, suicide rates, national wealth, firearm ownership rates,” said Adam Lankford, associate professor at the University of Alabama’s…

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