President Joe Biden -- the establishment's installed puppet -- has presided over a comical‚ catastrophic and tyrannical administration. And people have noticed. According to The Hill‚ Monday's Morning Consult poll showed Biden with approval numbers substantially lower than those of the least popular state governor. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves of...

Many progressives can't stand Christians. God limits their power. The solution? Get rid of Christians. How? Go after the children. In a bold move to cement radical left ideology into the mainstream‚ the Biden administration is attempting to institute a new rule that would effectively ban Christians from becoming foster...

No doubt‚ the Democratic Party and the establishment media are having a hard time selling President Joe Biden as a winning candidate. Even to his few remaining avid supporters‚ the writing on the wall isn’t good. Biden’s questionable health and competency alongside his failed policies have become overtly blaring. A...

Four years into her tenure as the most visible leftist in the House‚ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is even worse than when she started. The progressive Democrat from New York has never been known as the brightest bulb in Congress‚ but her previous ignorant squawkings generally had the benefit of being irrelevant....

On Sunday night‚ a fire caused significant damage to the Helberg Barbeque in Speegleville‚ Texas -- a suburb of Waco. While the unexpected devastation and indefinite closure of a business would leave some proprietors wallowing in self-pity‚ the Helbergs responded by praising God and defying the evil one who tempts...

At the height of personal glory‚ a young man soon to become a husband thought only of God and service. According to KSL‚ quarterback Levi Williams of the Utah State Aggies announced Monday that he would forego his final season of college football eligibility in hopes of joining the Navy...

A Prayer for the SickBy Emma Danzey James 5:14 says‚ "Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord." Whether it is a pesky weeklong cold during the start of the fall weather‚ a chronic illness‚ or a serious disease. We or people we know are living life today with sickness. God did not intend for us to be sick in this world. Our bodies were perfectly designed to be healthy and strong. However‚ when we sinned and darkness entered the world‚ sicknesses came to be. There are times in the Bible when people believed that sickness was a punishment for sin. In John 9‚ Jesus is healing a blind man‚ and His own disciples asked who sinned in his family. John 9:2-3 says‚ "And His disciples asked Him‚ "Rabbi‚ who sinned‚ this man or his parents‚ that he was born blind?" Jesus answered‚ "Neither this man nor his parents sinned‚ but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him." Of course‚ some sicknesses in this world can be a result of previous decisions made; however‚ the majority of the time‚ sickness is simply a result of the fall. However‚ I love how in John 9‚ Jesus points out that the blind man's parents never sinned for him to be born blind; he was given blindness so God's glory would be displayed. Today we are going to pray this over those who are sick in our lives. Jesus did heal this man and give him sight‚ so He is still our Healer who can remove illnesses and diseases from this world; however‚ if He does not‚ we can know with confidence that He can use it for a purpose greater than ourselves. Let’s Pray: Jehovah Rapha‚You are the God who is our Healer. We come before you today on behalf of those in our lives who are sick. Lord‚ we know that you never wish for us to be sick‚ but You have allowed it in our sinful world. We pray that You would reveal Your great comfort to them today. Help them to feel seen and cared for by You. Father‚ give them hope‚ and gratitude even when in bed or stuck at home. Show them Your love through other people as they look out at nature and in their times praying and reading Your Word. Give them a special sense of victory today. We pray for those who are dealing with serious illnesses. God‚ our hearts are burdened for them. We ask that they would know today that You are with them and have never left their sides. Give them continued hope and joy in the pain and suffering. Provide them with the best healthcare possible‚ give them the finances that they need‚ and help those who are sacrificing to take care of them in this illness. Lord‚ enable them to reach out for help when they need it and not allow pride to stand in the way. Give them Your grace each day and would you please do a miracle in their lives and heal them on this side of heaven? We pray‚ no matter what‚ that You would show Yourself in special and personal ways to them in their sufferings and that You would be glorified in their midsts. We pray for those who are feeling run down today. We ask that you would strengthen them and give them rest. God‚ You give sleep and restoration to those who are weary. You strengthen those who need energy. You care for the broken. We ask that even for the most minor of colds that those who are sick today would be reminded that they are human and You are their God. May they find humility and strength in knowing that You care for their needs and help them when they are down. Give them renewal and physical strength for anything they might need to accomplish this day. We thank You for caring for every need‚ whether great or small. You are the Great Physician. You are the Healer. Do Your work in the lives of the sick today. Amen. Photo credit: ©SalemDesign/BethanyPyle Emma Danzey's mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21‚ to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew and mom to Graham. Emma serves alongside her husband in ministry‚ she focuses most of her time in the home‚ but loves to provide articles on the Bible‚ life questions‚ and Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 on Crosswalk in 2021. Most recently‚ Emma released Treasures for Tots‚ (Scripture memory songs) for young children. During her ministry career‚ Emma has released Wildflower: Blooming Through Singleness‚ two worship EP albums‚ founded and led Polished Conference Ministries‚ and ran the Refined Magazine. You can view her articles on her blog at emmadanzey.wordpress.com and check out her Instagram @Emmadanzey. LISTEN to More Christmas Prayers on LifeAudio Teach Us to Pray is a FREE prayer podcast hosted by iBelieve writer Christina Patterson. Each week‚ she gives you practical‚ real-life tips on how to grow your faith and relationship with God through the power of prayer. To listen to her episode on What to Pray in the Morning for a Worry-Free Day‚ click below! 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 for the Sick – Your Daily Prayer – November 29 appeared first on GodUpdates.

Aqualung is regarded by most as the classic‚ definitive Jethro Tull album‚ but Ian Anderson is reluctant to admit it's his favourite

A few weeks ago‚ I retired from a more-than-full-time job. For decades‚ I was an endocrinologist‚ first in New Jersey and then in Santo Domingo. As I told people I was retiring‚ it was interesting to hear the similarity of their reactions: “Great—you’ll have more time to relax.” “Now your schedule will be less intense.” “Finally‚ you can slow down.” In some sense‚ they’re right. My physical body is getting older. The longer I live‚ the more slowly I’ll move. But for now‚ I’m still active. And these comments made me evaluate what I think about work‚ retirement‚ and the Bible’s teaching. Biblical Examples and Directives I looked first to the Bible for examples. The apostle John was writing—including books of the Bible—into his 90s. Moses was 80 years old when the Lord used him to free the Jews‚ a journey that lasted another 40 years. Daniel was in his 80s when he was thrown into the lion’s den. Anna and Simeon didn’t depart from the temple even in their later years—and in response to their obedience‚ the Lord allowed them to identify the Messiah. Other saints have followed their examples. Polycarp‚ a first-century Christian bishop of Smyrna‚ testified that he’d served the Lord “eighty and six years” as he was being martyred. Even in recent years‚ we’ve seen many Christian leaders continuing to work well into their golden years—including John Piper and Joni Eareckson Tada. But maybe those were unusual cases. After all‚ I’m not an apostle or a martyr. Are normal people supposed to keep working after they retire? What does the Bible say? I’m not an apostle or a martyr. Are normal people supposed to keep working after they retire? Although there are several principles that could be applied to this stage of life‚ the only passage I found specifically on retirement was Numbers 8:23–26. The Lord tells Moses the Levites should begin their work at the tent of meetings at the age of 25. At 50‚ they should withdraw (retire)‚ but verse 26 clarifies this phrase: “They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard‚ but they shall do no service.” What does that tell us? The Levites continued to work—but in a different capacity. Instead of doing heavy labor‚ they supervised or directed. They used their knowledge‚ experience‚ wisdom‚ and discernment‚ which they should have learned over the years‚ to mentor the next generation. Their work responsibility didn’t end but simply changed. The apostle Paul is another example of this shift. As he traveled‚ he evangelized and planted churches. When he was jailed‚ he continued evangelizing‚ although to different groups of people‚ such as the Praetorian guards (Phil. 1:12–13). But he also discipled the churches through his writings. Paul understood well what John the Baptist said: “He must increase‚ but I must decrease” (John 3:30). At any age‚ he was willing to obey what the Lord asked him to do. Biblical Understanding of Work The world will tell you retirement is meant for stepping away from work altogether and finally doing those things you’ve always wanted—traveling or reading or lounging. Those things aren’t wrong. But the desire to get away from work is built on a misunderstanding. God instituted work before the fall. Though our tasks are often made difficult or painful by sin‚ the activity of work is—and always has been—good and purposeful. Work done well brings us joy and satisfaction. We can enjoy the process as well as the rewards. Losing ourselves in a task‚ puzzling through a challenge‚ or creating something new brings us God-honoring joy. The desire to get away from work is built on a misunderstanding. Even though we may retire from our professional careers‚ we should never retire from serving the Lord. As a physician for more than 40 years‚ I was in contact with disease‚ pain‚ and death. I was able to help people deal with the effects of the fall. It was an exhilarating experience to contribute not only to curing or managing diseases but also to helping many face and accept death. There have been opportunities to share the Lord with those who are hurting‚ insecure‚ and questioning why they’re going through their trials. The Holy Spirit has opened the eyes of many‚ allowing me to watch the God of peace crush Satan under our feet (Rom. 16:20). As I came to the end of the road in medicine‚ I saw an expanding opportunity to work for the Lord in church ministry‚ training others to fight the good fight. Though the work is different‚ it’s still good. Work of Retirement We retirees need to do our own work—to leave behind the professional identities we’ve spent years building and instead enrich and fortify our eternal identities. For many‚ career identities have been idols we’ve fought for generations. Retirement is the time to finally destroy them and to fully embrace our identities as children of God. It’s no diminishment of who we are but rather a fuller‚ more freeing understanding of ourselves. Revelation 22:3 informs us that in the New Jerusalem‚ we’ll serve the Lamb who sits on the throne. Let’s do that even now‚ worshiping and adoring him who is worthy of much more than we could ever give‚ in any opportunity he brings our way.