Lighthouse Faith

The belief that science disproves the existence of a creator God is so last century! It's an out of date, intellectually feeble assertion that has no basis in, well, science! The fact is, says Dr. Stephen Meyer, "The major discoveries of modern science over the last 100 years in cosmology and physics and biology are pointing in exactly the opposite direction." In other words, the more we delve the deepest depths of cosmology, biology, physics and beyond, the more we understand, "there must be a God somewhere," as the spiritual says. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Meyer, best-selling author and director of the Discovery Institute in Seattle, talks about his most recent book, "The Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries that Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe". For instance, DNA, the foundation of human building blocks. Meyer shows that scientists have known for quite a while that it would be a mathematical impossibility that random forces could create even a fully functioning amino-acid sequence to produce a protein for DNA; it would be about 1 in 10 to the 195th. That's a direct assault on Darwin's theory of evolution. Meyer writes, "Over the past three decades, many evolutionary biologists have challenged a key tenet of the neo-Darwinian synthesis, namely the idea that small-scale microevolutionary changes can be extrapolated to explain large-scale macroevolution innovations." It's complicated, and yet so simple: "And God said..." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most politicians tend to write books about what they've done while in office. But Scott Morrison, a former Prime Minister of Australia, wanted to write about what God has done and continues to do for him. Morrison is candid about how God brought him through some of the most harrowing days of his leadership of Australia, a country not known for its religious fervor. And that's what makes Morrison's faith all the more interesting. One would expect such devout beliefs in America, a country that Morrison greatly admires. But the land down under is a bit of a head scratcher. Founded as a penal colony for the United Kingdom, Australia had a rough and tumble beginning. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Morrison talks about his book "Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister’s Testimony Of God’s Faithfulness." It's based on the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah's prescient words to the children of Israel, and to us, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'” In this political season, such comforts are words to cling to. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in the early 1990's Matthew Barnett thought he was headed to Los Angeles for a short-term mission trip at a small church. Thirty years later, he's still there, but the operation is much larger. The Los Angeles Dream Center is the result. A massive operation that includes a 400,000 square foot facility and a church, which serves the homeless, getting the drug addicted unaddicted and seeing in all people the image of God. But the sad news is, despite the center's successes, the city of Los Angeles and the state government hierarchy refuses to partner with them because they are faith-based. While the city of Los Angeles announced they would spend $1 billion on the problem of homelessness, the equivalent of an estimated $50,000 for each homeless person, Barnett says it costs the center $7,500 to rehabilitate someone out of drug addiction. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith, Barnett talks about the triumph of transforming lives when God is at the center of the process. He says they're not just ministering to people's needs; they're ministering to people's potential. God-given dreams give people hope that there's something greater to live for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1996 Bishop W.C. Martin and his wife Donna Martin, from the small town of Possum Trot, Texas, adopted four children out of foster care. They inspired their entire congregation of Bennett Chappell Missionary Baptist Church to adopt every available child in the county's foster care system. Twenty-two families adopted all 77 children. Many of those children were some of the hardest to place; victims of sexual and physical abuse, neglect, trauma, and unsafe living situations. Thier story inspired the movie, "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot." On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, the Martins talk about the movie and the extraordinary saga of their lives that can only be described as God working miracles. The adopting of children with deep emotional and physical needs put untold strains on church bmembers' families and their finances. But through it all their faith helped them triumph. The Holy Spirit, not the spirit of the age, is what brought about astonishing transformations in the lives of the children and the families. The Martins challenge other churches to do the same. Right now there are some 400,000 children in the foster care system in the United States and 100,000 available for adoption. The Martins say if every church committed to giving every available child a loving home, the numbers would be reduced to zero. Answering the call of Jesus to look after the orphans, the least of these, is true religion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Stephen Strang says it's hypocrisy that mainstream media on the left skewers Donald Trump's Evangelical supporters, asking the question, 'How can believers in Jesus Christ support a man known for his philandering?' Strang, who's also the founder of Charisma Media, says, "Did we hold Lyndon Baines Johnson or John Kennedy or Bill Clinton or a bunch of other people up to that high standard? I don't think so." On this episode of Lighthouse Faith, Strang, who's the author of "God And Donald Trump", and "Trump Aftershock: The President’s Seismic Impact On Faith And Culture", talks about Trump's legal woes, now that he's a convicted felon thanks to New York's District Attorney, and why Evangelicals still support him. He points out that when Trump was a New York billionaire Playboy, part of the social scene, attending Chelsea Clinton's wedding, for instance, he was the darling of the press. But when he got serious about life, protecting America's borders, joining the Republican Party, and getting serious about his faith, that's when the media turned on him. Strang is worried that many of the new Evangelicals are engaged in hero worship of Trump, but he says most of Trump's supporters are silent, wanting only the right choice for their communities and the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The cultural clash over the LGBTQ community has spilled over into the Christian Church. One blaring example now is the schism in the United Methodist Church. But on a personal level, Christians are asking and voicing their opinions over Pride Month, which celebrates the gay community. It forces Christians to deal with one blaring question, "Is homosexuality consistent with Christianity?" Is it a sin, and part of human brokenness, or is it not a sin, and something that should be praised and honored? On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, two Christians offer their opinions. Ryan Bomberger, author and co-founder of the Radiance Foundation, and Doug Pagitt, an author and pastor who's been leading the conversation on progressive Christianity through Vote Common Good. It's not often people of faith talk to each other in a reasoned and respectful way about this culturally divisive issue. But for people who are followers of Jesus Christ, it is essential, if there ever could be a realization of John 17, "May they all be one." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willie Robertson is all about having a conversation... about Jesus. Robertson is a member of the famous Duck Dynasty clan whose reality show became one of the most popular ever. It was a program that might never have been until producers promised patriarch, Phil Robertson, they could talk openly about their faith in Jesus Christ. The show became known for the family's prayers at mealtime. Now Willie, Phil's son, has a new book out called "The Gospeler: Turning Darkness Into Light One Conversation At A Time." On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Robertson explains how believers in Jesus can live out The Great Commission (of spreading the Gospel) in everyday life situations. His own father's life was turned around after a preacher sought him out while in a bar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can always tell how important something is by the priority placed on it. In Genesis, the very first chapter of the first book of the Bible, God establishes a family, Adam and Eve. The very first thing God does in the New Testament is the merging of family between Mary and Joseph in the birth of Christ. And the very first miracle Jesus performs is at a wedding, the wedding at Cana. It is now officially wedding season, in the month of June more weddings will take place than at any other time of the year. But how do you ensure that a beautiful wedding with all the pomp and pageantry creates a strong marriage, where husband and wife move forward joyfully in whole-life oneness? Enter Fr. Nicholas Louh and Dr. Roxanne Louh. Fr. Nick is a Greek Orthodox Priest who's presided over the nuptials of scores of couples. His wife Dr. Roxanne Louh is a clinical psychologist and family therapist who sees many of those couples after the luster has worn off the glitz of the wedding and a life of children, careers and financial strains complicated their "happily ever after". On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, the Louhs talk about how to overcome difficulties in marriage, even some of the worst things that could happen, like an adulterous affair. But more importantly, how God's design for marriage is the key to a strong marriage, one that truly is, "for better or for worse." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eden Gefner was born and raised in Kibbutz Reim in Israel, just three miles from the border with Gaza. On October 7th, her life changed from being a normal 28-year-old thinking about her future, to believing she was now in the Holocaust, that she and her family would die, just for being Jews. But instead, she and her mother, father, and boyfriend narrowly survived the Hamas attack. Hiding in the safe room and holding tight to the door, they heard automatic gunfire break the front door, a terrorist searching their home and finally, a tug on the door. Eden says it was a miracle they survived when so much death surrounded them. On their community "WhatsApp" chain a neighbor is yelling to help two children who just saw their father gunned down in front of them, others are giving updates on how many Hamas terrorists are surrounding the Kibbutz. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, we travel to East Hampton, New York to interview Eden just before she told her story of survival to a small group at Chabad of the Hamptons. It's part of the Faces of October 7th Project, which aims to "humanize the consequences of terrorism and challenge the support that terrorist organizations like Hamas have garnered, particularly among young people." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine all the love you've experienced in your entire life, from parents, spouses, friends, family, and then multiply it a thousand times. That's the kind of love experienced by people who've had Near Death Experiences; they report being in the presence of God. NDE's, as they are known, are scientifically recognized phenomenon that occur when people are clinically dead and see visions of themselves, their bodies as paramedics try to revive them, doctors as they operate, or even family members in waiting rooms. Some even describe scenes they couldn't possibly have seen except supernaturally. But the one commonality: a love that is so deep and so complete they never want to return to their lives. It's the love they, and probably all of us, are searching for. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, John Burke, best-selling author of "Imagine Heaven" and now his follow-up "Imagine the God of Heaven," explains that millions of people from all different faith traditions, cultures, and educational backgrounds have had NDE's. But the vast majority report similar events, a welcoming benevolent Light and a Love that penetrates the deepest recesses of their souls. Burke says the only explanation is, it's evidence of not only the reality of God, but also God's relentless love. As the Scriptures say, "A love that surpasses all understanding." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is hard to fight against an enemy whose reason for being is to eliminate you. So says author Rick Richman, as he answers the criticism leveled against Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. It is Israel, he says, that is trying to prevent a genocidal operation perpetrated by Hamas. Richman, the author of "And None Shall Make Them Afraid: Eight Stories of the Modern State of Israel," says the anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian protests are filled with misinformation and misguided passions by young people, students and even faculty, lured into a political position by authorities who choose to ignore the facts surrounding the centuries of clashes between Jews and Arabs and its modern day manifestations. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Richman talks about a long list of topics concerning Israel, including: the ongoing protests on college campuses and why so many are ignorant of what Zionism actually is, Zionism and Americanism, the two great "isms" of the 20th century, that Palestine was never an independent state, why Arabs rejected having their own independent state six times including in 1947, reaction to claims that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, and war crimes by Hamas as they use their own people, innocents, as human shields. Jews, says Richman, are the "canary in the proverbial coal mine", what happens to them is only the start. Islamic militants will not stop with them until the world is converted to its rule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When stars align it's hard not to see God's hand in it. For world class percussionist, Zoro, it's hard not to see his mother as the gift that kept on giving. How does a young boy of a single mother of seven children go from abject poverty to the highest ranks of musicians, performing with the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Earth, Wind and Fire, and hob-knobbing with the Jackson Five? It's a faith that moved mountains. It was also a mother's love that believed in her children's dreams. Like the unknown author said, "Mothers hold their children's hands for a while... their hearts forever." On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Zoro talks about his rise in the music world, his faith, and his new book, "Maria's Scarf: a Memoir of a Mother's Love, a Son's Perseverance, and Dreaming Big." Christian minister, pastor, evangelist, and now author Zoro seems to have no limits to what is possible to achieve. With faith and his mother's orange scarf, Zoro lived out her prophecy of doing something fantazmical! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bible verses like Romans 12, "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind" and 2 Corinthinians 10, "Take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ", turn out to have real scientific structural foundations. How do you 'renew your mind'? How do you 'take every thought captive'? Those directives wouldn't be possible unless the brain was pliable. Unless the gray matter between our ears, instead of being fixed through its DNA, possesses a plasticity, able to be molded by it's environment, by what we do and say to it constantly. Dr. Alan Weissenbacher and his new book, "The Brain Change Program: 6 Steps to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life," takes to a spiritual level, Dr. Norman Doidge's best-selling book, "The Brain That Changes Itself". Weissenbacher is a counselor to drug addicts and is the managing editor of academic journal "Theology and Science". On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Weissenbacher explains how the Bible always understood our biology better than we did. And while it may speak in poetic terms, there's real science underneath the prose. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For three decades, Tom and JoAnn Doyle's ministry has focused on the Middle East. The two affable and faith-filled Americans have smuggled in Bibles and helped locals organize Christian house churches in places where it could bring a death sentence for converting from Islam. And yet, even under threat of death, there's been a massive conversion there, particularly in Iran, the country that just launched hundreds of missiles on Israel. What's the real take of how Iranians feel about their country's regime and its attack on the Jewish state? Is the missile strike fulfilling an ancient biblical prophecy in Ezekiel of Gog and Magog? And why are so many Muslims having dreams of a mysterious man in white? On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, the Doyle's talk about what's happening spiritually in the Islamic Republic, and how the Word of God is making miraculous changes in a people hungry for the truth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bible's words saying "God made them male and female" for centuries had been upheld by the scientific community, that is up until just a few years ago. In today's woke culture, gender dysphoria, a mental health problem, has spurred many young people into surgeries that they later regret. Once celebrated for expressing their "true self" as transgender male or female, they are often attacked when they realize they made the wrong decision and begin the arduous journey of de-transitioning. Jennifer Lahl is telling their stories. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Lahl talks about her new book, "The Detransition Diaries", the saga of eight men and women who once felt they were born in the wrong body, and then realized the solution to their struggles were more spiritual than physical. Lahl is the founder and former President of The Center For Bioethics And Culture as well as an award-winning documentary maker producing several films, including the one the book is based on: "The Detransition Diaries: Saving Our Sisters". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The old adage that 'a picture is worth a thousand words,' was never truer than when faithful Christians told stories of injustices, not with words, but through photos. At a time when photography was new technology used more for entertainment, Alice Seeley Harris, an English missionary, documented the horrors of human rights abuses in the Congo under the regime of King Leopold II of the Belgians. Children and adults with limbs cut off as punishment. Thousands of miles away, Jacob August Riis, a Denmark native, was exposing the squalid conditions of New York City neighborhoods. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, best-selling author Christina Stanton delves deeper into their stories that she first told in an article published last year, "Capture This: How Christians Used Cameras To Expose Injustice." What's disheartening about Riis and Harris' stories is how over the years secular media has ignored their Christian faith, even while honoring their work. Yet, it was their faith that compelled them to expose grave injustices at the turn of the century in parts of the globe that had been forgotten by Western culture, even when it was in their own backyards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Easter, as it is celebrated in America, has morphed into bunnies, bonnets, baskets, and egg coloring... the reality of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is in fact a 'revolution'. So says Bishop Robert Barron, the founder of Word On Fire Catholic ministries, and the bishop of the Rochester-Winona diocese in Minnesota. On this special Easter episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast recorded at his studios in Rochester, Minnesota, Barron, who's also a best-selling author and former auxiliary bishop of the Los Angeles diocese, explains why Christians should not 'domesticate' Easter. Instead, we should spend this day meditating on the 'subversive' nature of what Christianity unleashed more than two-thousand years ago. Says Barron, "It turns everything upside down, and there's nothing more subversive, literally subversive, than the resurrection of Jesus from the dead." It's that Divine power of love in raising Jesus from the dead, that is now available to humanity today. It proves that that Love is in fact the foundation of all creation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It may be a surprise to some folks, but the Easter Bunny has nothing to do with the true meaning of Easter. Neither do Easter baskets, bonnets, spring flowers or any of the plethora of secular imagery that have taken center stage during the Lent and Easter season, pushing the Resurrection of Jesus, the cornerstone of Christianity, to the side or dismissed entirely. But best-selling author Anthony DeStefano is fighting back. He's embraced the Easter Bunny for a children's book about Jesus, His life, crucifixion and resurrection. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, DeStefano talks about his new book, "The Story of the First Easter Bunny", and about the culture wars all parents of faith are battling in trying to teach their children the true foundations of their beliefs. DeStefano is the author of more than 25 books for children and adults; some of which delve into the headier issues of Christianity like heaven and hell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twenty years ago, Mexican actor Eduardo Verastegui made a promise to God that he would not do any work that offended his Catholic faith, his family or his culture. The vow meant he didn't work for four years as he had to constantly turn down offers. Then he started a production company with two friends and together produced "Sound of Freedom," about child trafficking and sexual exploitation that starred Jim Caviezel as the agent who hunts down traffickers. And now Verastegui's new film, "CABRINI." On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Verastegui talks about Cabrini, which tells the saga of Mother Cabrini, Frances Xavier Cabrini, an Italian immigrant Catholic nun whose feistiness defied her frail health. She fought the power structure of the Catholic Church and the city of New York, to build orphanages, hospitals and schools, relieving the poverty of Italian immigrant children. Verastegui says 100% of the film's profits will go to charity, continuing the work of Mother Cabrini. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former GOP consultant Bunni Pounds may have lost an election for U.S. Congress, but she gained valuable experience. And she's using that experience to mobilize Christians to come out and vote. In 2020, some 25 million sat on the sidelines and didn't cast their ballots. Now Pounds, from the great state of Texas, is pulling out all the political stops to make a serious dent in that number. She's created an organization that shows churches how to get their congregations involved in praying, engaging, registering, and researching candidates and issues. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, recorded at the NRB Convention in Nashville, Pounds talks about her book "Jesus and Politics: One Woman's Walk With God in a Mudslinging Profession." The bottom line is, if Christians want to live out a biblical worldview, then they must lobby government; because government has the power to subvert and control their lives. Pounds says the problem has been that "We keep this separation between what we think is secular and sacred, and not see that God should encompass every part of our life, even our civic duties." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices