Historical Events 1828 - First theatrical performance of Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein" as "Presumption; or, the Fate of Frankenstein" by Richard Brinsley Peake, starring Thomas Potter Cooke at Covent Garden 1957 - Rock and roll piano player-singer Jerry Lee Lewis makes his 1st TV appearance with a raucous rendition of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" on the "Steve Allen Show" 1978 - Price of gold tops $200-an-oz level for 1st time 1991 - Buffalo Bills beat Philadelphia Eagles, 17-13 in American Bowl in Wembley 1994 - Texas Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers throws the only perfect game in franchise history, against the California Angels 2022 - Final episodes of TV soap "Neighbours", after 37 years, screens in Australia More Historical Events » Famous Birthdays 1165 - Ibn al-'Arabi, Muslim mystic and philosopher (The Meccan Revelations), born in Murcia, Spain (d. 1240) 1925 - Bruce Matthews, Australian newspaper executive who worked for Rupert Murdoch, born in Sydney, New South Wales (d. 1996) 1937 - Francis Veber, French film director and screenwriter, born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France 1947 - Barbara Ferrell, American runnerr (Olympic gold 1968), born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi 1949 - Vida Blue, American baseball pitcher (6 x MLB All-Star; Cy Young Award and AL MVP 1971; World Series 1972, 73, 74 Oakland A's; SF Giants, KC Royals), born in Mansfield, Louisiana (d. 2023) 1995 - Anna Lapwood, British classical organist, music director (Pembroke College, Cambridge), and radio presenter (BBC), born in England More Famous Birthdays » Famous Deaths 1101 - Su Tung-p'o, Chinese poet, essayist, painter and calligrapher, dies at 64 1128 - William Clito, Count of Flanders (1127-28), dies at 25 1230 - Duke Leopold VI of Austria (b. 1176) 1983 - Alec Marks, Australian cricketer (good NSW batsman 1928-37), dies at 72 2009 - Peter Richard Tahourdin, English-Australian composer, dies at 80 2021 - Ron Popeil, American inventor and TV personality who popularized the phrase "But wait, there's more!", dies at 86 More Famous Deaths »

We can approach God at any time, but it is not based on our worthiness. Rather, it is based on what Jesus did for us.

The foundations of a previously unknown Etruscan temple have been found in Tuscania, an ancient city near Viterbo, about 60 miles northwest of Rome. The temple was discovered in the Etruscan necropolis of Sasso Pinzuto. Associated with the Etruscan settlement on the adjacent Colle San Pietro, the necropolis consists of more than 120 tumulus and chamber tombs carved out of the volcanic tufa that date from the first half of the 7th century B.C. to the Hellenistic period (3rd-2nd century B.C.). It has been explored off and on since the 1830s, and many funerary offerings, mainly pottery vessels, have been unearthed. Polychrome clay slabs dating to the second quarter of the 6th century B.C. decorated with molded reliefs depicting ceremonies and celebrations of the Etruscan elites have also been found, often broken and piled in the ditches surrounding burial mounds. Archaeologists have long thought the slabs were architectural features that once adorned cult buildings, but the remains of no such structures have been found. Until now. Specifically, the tuffaceous opus quadratum foundations of a building with a rectangular plan, measuring 6.2 x 7.1 meters, oriented north-northeast and facing the access road to the urban area of Colle San Pietro, were discovered. Exploration of this building, located in a dominant position over the surrounding area, will enable the acquisition of information about funerary cults, characteristic of Tuscania in the Archaic period. It was probably a cult building, an oikos as it is called in technical terms, that is, the house of the deity (oikos in Greek, in fact, means “house”). The building was found in a tongue of land just under 1,000 m² in size, housing at least three mounds with crepidines dug into the tufa and integrated in opus quadratum. North of the largest mound, with a diameter of more than ten meters, nine small pits in the tuff were intended for burials and cults: it is in this area of the excavation that the building was found. The current excavation of the necropolis aims to deepen the knowledge of Etruscan Tuscania, focusing on how the interplay of monumental architecture and smaller burials explain the social structure of the settlement’s earliest periods (Orientalizing and Archaic, 7th-5th centuries B.C.).

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The number of illegal aliens apprehended at the northern border in less than 10 months has exceeded the number apprehended there over more than a decade. All hail Border Czar Kamala Harris and her disastrous…

We're about to get shamed by two people who have no business shaming other people.As we reported earlier, the International Olympic Committee deleted the YouTube video of its own opening ceremony and…

A Prayer to Be Filled with the Holy SpiritBy Kyle Norman "You will be filled with power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you" – Acts 1:8 In my first year of ordained ministry, I met a man named Curly. Every week I travelled to his house to lead a service for the small group of men who met for prayer and bible study. At the time of meeting Curly, he could no longer walk and was on 24-hour oxygen. The hose that supplied his oxygen ran throughout his house. During one visit, I arrived at the house to see all the gentlemen seated around Curly. I took a chair, moved it beside Curly, and began to lead the service. At some point during our prayers, it was clear that Curly's disposition had changed. He seemed to labor for breath, and his complexion seemed to grow increasingly pale. The gentleman and I exchanged glances of concern. Deciding that an ambulance needed to be called, I stood up from my chair. When I did so, Curly took a huge breath inward, and the color quickly returned to his face. Apparently, when I arrived, I had accidentally placed my chair on his oxygen hose! (Not my finest hour of ministry) What cuts you off from the Holy Spirit? Is there something in your life that dampens your experience of the Spirit's power? Jesus desires to breathe the Spirit into the lives of all his followers, but we need to be open to the Spirit's presence. Internally, we need to be receptive to the Spirit and open to the Spirit's work. This is what we see on the day of Pentecost. The disciples are all together in one place. They had witnessed Christ’s resurrection and ascension, but they still had many questions. They don't know how everything fits together.  And they had yet to step forward in ministry. Suddenly, without warning, they hear a sound like a mighty wind. Tongues of flame appear to fall from the root top, resting on each one of them. The Holy Spirit – who has always been present but not always recognized – now descends upon them in a powerful way. Such is the exterior frenzy of the day of Pentecost. But the true power of that day happened internally. Internally, the disciples feel the inner vibrancy of faith pulsating within them. With the Spirit comes clarity about Jesus. Now, there is a certain power and force to their prayers as the Spirit moves through their words to affect people around them. And if that were not enough, the disciples seem to have an inward strength and boldness to step outside of their zones of comfort and let other people know the good news of who Jesus is.  The disciples didn't quench the Spirit's work, and they didn't resist it. They began to witness to others, not because they had a plan or a strategy, but because they were following where the Spirit was leading. The prayers they prayed were fueled with power and effectiveness, not because they uncovered secret phrases and systems but because they allowed the Spirit to work through them. This was the Christian life the disciples lived, and it drastically changed the world around them.  Sadly, many people mistakenly think that Pentecost is just a past event and that the Holy Spirit is not as present with them as with other, more seasoned people of faith. The pulse of the Holy Spirit is a reality for the person of faith. We can no more deny Christ’s resurrection than we can deny the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. The Holy Spirit’s bestowal isn't dependent upon us, our skills or aptitudes, our holiness, or our religious efforts. No, the sealing of the Holy Spirit is promised by Christ himself, given as a gift in testimony to Jesus’s Lordship.  The same reality that was present for the disciples is present in our lives. This means that the fire of the Spirit, and what the Spirit did for the early disciples, is also available to us. The Spirit is always available to us, and if we need a fresh reminder of the Spirit in our life, all that we need to do is reach out and ask. Let's pray: Almighty God, I thank you for the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. I know that the Spirit is always present, always working. But the stresses and struggles of life can mean that I don't recognize the Spirit; I may even close myself off from the Spirit's work. But still, in your grace, you promise that the Spirit is given to me, a testimony to the covenant you made with me in my baptism. I pray that you renew me and my faith with the power of your Spirit. Send the fire of the Spirit over me, as on the day of Pentecost. In faith, I open myself to the Spirit's work in my life. O Holy Spirit, work through me. Guide me into all truth, lead me deeper in faith, inspire my prayers and work forcefully through those prayers, and stretch me beyond my comforts to the places of ministry and witness. Come, Holy Spirit, come. Fill me anew. Set me afire. Breathe in me and work through me. Amen. Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/sakepaint The Reverend Dr. Kyle Norman is the Rector of St. Paul's Cathedral, located in Kamloops BC, Canada.  He holds a doctorate in Spiritual formation and is a sought-after writer, speaker, and retreat leader. His writing can be found at Christianity.com, crosswalk.com, ibelieve.com, Renovare Canada, and many others.  He also maintains his own blog revkylenorman.ca.  He has 20 years of pastoral experience, and his ministry focuses on helping people overcome times of spiritual discouragement. Related Resource: Remember God’s Enduring Love for You in this Guided Meditation on Psalm 100! This guided Christian meditation from Psalm 100 will help you experience and praise God for his unending love for you. Become aware of God's presence with you, and praise God for his loyal and enduring love from the beginning of time and into the future. Listen to every episode of the So Much More Podcast on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Prayer to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit – Your Daily Prayer – July 28 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A Prayer to Be Filled with the Holy SpiritBy Kyle Norman "You will be filled with power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you" – Acts 1:8 In my first year of ordained ministry, I met a man named Curly. Every week I travelled to his house to lead a service for the small group of men who met for prayer and bible study. At the time of meeting Curly, he could no longer walk and was on 24-hour oxygen. The hose that supplied his oxygen ran throughout his house. During one visit, I arrived at the house to see all the gentlemen seated around Curly. I took a chair, moved it beside Curly, and began to lead the service. At some point during our prayers, it was clear that Curly's disposition had changed. He seemed to labor for breath, and his complexion seemed to grow increasingly pale. The gentleman and I exchanged glances of concern. Deciding that an ambulance needed to be called, I stood up from my chair. When I did so, Curly took a huge breath inward, and the color quickly returned to his face. Apparently, when I arrived, I had accidentally placed my chair on his oxygen hose! (Not my finest hour of ministry) What cuts you off from the Holy Spirit? Is there something in your life that dampens your experience of the Spirit's power? Jesus desires to breathe the Spirit into the lives of all his followers, but we need to be open to the Spirit's presence. Internally, we need to be receptive to the Spirit and open to the Spirit's work. This is what we see on the day of Pentecost. The disciples are all together in one place. They had witnessed Christ’s resurrection and ascension, but they still had many questions. They don't know how everything fits together.  And they had yet to step forward in ministry. Suddenly, without warning, they hear a sound like a mighty wind. Tongues of flame appear to fall from the root top, resting on each one of them. The Holy Spirit – who has always been present but not always recognized – now descends upon them in a powerful way. Such is the exterior frenzy of the day of Pentecost. But the true power of that day happened internally. Internally, the disciples feel the inner vibrancy of faith pulsating within them. With the Spirit comes clarity about Jesus. Now, there is a certain power and force to their prayers as the Spirit moves through their words to affect people around them. And if that were not enough, the disciples seem to have an inward strength and boldness to step outside of their zones of comfort and let other people know the good news of who Jesus is.  The disciples didn't quench the Spirit's work, and they didn't resist it. They began to witness to others, not because they had a plan or a strategy, but because they were following where the Spirit was leading. The prayers they prayed were fueled with power and effectiveness, not because they uncovered secret phrases and systems but because they allowed the Spirit to work through them. This was the Christian life the disciples lived, and it drastically changed the world around them.  Sadly, many people mistakenly think that Pentecost is just a past event and that the Holy Spirit is not as present with them as with other, more seasoned people of faith. The pulse of the Holy Spirit is a reality for the person of faith. We can no more deny Christ’s resurrection than we can deny the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. The Holy Spirit’s bestowal isn't dependent upon us, our skills or aptitudes, our holiness, or our religious efforts. No, the sealing of the Holy Spirit is promised by Christ himself, given as a gift in testimony to Jesus’s Lordship.  The same reality that was present for the disciples is present in our lives. This means that the fire of the Spirit, and what the Spirit did for the early disciples, is also available to us. The Spirit is always available to us, and if we need a fresh reminder of the Spirit in our life, all that we need to do is reach out and ask. Let's pray: Almighty God, I thank you for the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. I know that the Spirit is always present, always working. But the stresses and struggles of life can mean that I don't recognize the Spirit; I may even close myself off from the Spirit's work. But still, in your grace, you promise that the Spirit is given to me, a testimony to the covenant you made with me in my baptism. I pray that you renew me and my faith with the power of your Spirit. Send the fire of the Spirit over me, as on the day of Pentecost. In faith, I open myself to the Spirit's work in my life. O Holy Spirit, work through me. Guide me into all truth, lead me deeper in faith, inspire my prayers and work forcefully through those prayers, and stretch me beyond my comforts to the places of ministry and witness. Come, Holy Spirit, come. Fill me anew. Set me afire. Breathe in me and work through me. Amen. Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/sakepaint The Reverend Dr. Kyle Norman is the Rector of St. Paul's Cathedral, located in Kamloops BC, Canada.  He holds a doctorate in Spiritual formation and is a sought-after writer, speaker, and retreat leader. His writing can be found at Christianity.com, crosswalk.com, ibelieve.com, Renovare Canada, and many others.  He also maintains his own blog revkylenorman.ca.  He has 20 years of pastoral experience, and his ministry focuses on helping people overcome times of spiritual discouragement. Related Resource: Remember God’s Enduring Love for You in this Guided Meditation on Psalm 100! This guided Christian meditation from Psalm 100 will help you experience and praise God for his unending love for you. Become aware of God's presence with you, and praise God for his loyal and enduring love from the beginning of time and into the future. Listen to every episode of the So Much More Podcast on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Prayer to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit – Your Daily Prayer – July 28 appeared first on GodUpdates.