V - PEOPLE FILES
- Dillon Valadez - Jennifer Erin Valent - Kris Vallotton - Milenko Van Der Staal - Paul Van Noy - Miles V Van Pelt - Billy VanCamp - JD Vance - David Vandeput - Matthew Vandegriff - Jonathan Vanderbeck - Kevin Vanhoozer - Mark Varughese - Graham Veale - Heidi Vegh - Scott Venable -
==dillon valadez======
Dillon Valadez
Lucifer deceived many angels to become part of heaven’s ardent opposition. In fact, because his insinuations had reached so deep, “Even the loyal angels could not fully discern his character or see to what his work was leading” (Patriarchs and Prophets, pg. 41). In order to right them it became necessary for Jesus to commit to the plan of redemption, and in this way Jesus became the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8). Although Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice, the responsibility for the consequences rest solely with Lucifer. This conspiracy, like many after it, involved the highest level of authority in heaven. In order to be successful the co-conspirators needed to be deceived. Ellen White, in commenting about how successful the deception was, says,
“Taking advantage of the loving, loyal trust reposed in him by the holy beings under his command, he had so artfully instilled into their minds his own distrust and discontent that his agency was not discerned” (ibid., pg. 38). Have you ever read a more accurate description of brain washing? The angels did not know they were led down a path for the only purpose of legitimizing Lucifer’s own feelings. --Dillon Valadez: Fulcrum 7: Assassinations 9/25/24
“Taking advantage of the loving, loyal trust reposed in him by the holy beings under his command, he had so artfully instilled into their minds his own distrust and discontent that his agency was not discerned” (ibid., pg. 38). Have you ever read a more accurate description of brain washing? The angels did not know they were led down a path for the only purpose of legitimizing Lucifer’s own feelings. --Dillon Valadez: Fulcrum 7: Assassinations 9/25/24
==Jennifer Erin Valent======
Jennifer Erin Valent is the 2007 winner of the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild's Operation First Novel contest and 2010 Christy Award winner for Fireflies in December. She lives in central Virginia, where she has worked as a nanny for over fifteen years. A lifelong resident of the South, her surroundings help to color the scenes and characters she writes.
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Meet Jennifer Erin Valent This month’s Jen’s Jewels Jennifer Erin Valent is an expert, in my opinion, in making the past come to life. In her latest release CATCHING MOONDROPS, she continues the story of a brave young white woman named Jessilyn Lassiter who comes face to face with social prejudices in Virginia in the 1930’s. The third book in the series, she takes the reader to a place where the Ku Klux Klan reigns supreme and the rights of those of a different race are put to the test. (Fresh Fiction 10/1/10) READMORE>>>>> |
==kris vallotton======
Kris Vallotton is an author, international speaker, culture leader, and most of all, a spiritual father to this generation. As the Senior Associate Leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California and co-founder of Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM) and Moral Revolution, Kris has helped thousands of Believers over the last 20 years realize their identity as sons and daughters of God. He’s a bestselling author, having written more than a dozen books and training manuals to help prepare believers for life in the kingdom. Kris has a diverse background in business, counseling, consulting, pastoring and teaching, which gives him unique leadership insights and perspectives.
Bethel Church Leaders Respond to Attempted Assassination of Former President Donald Trump
Bethel’s Senior Prophet Kris Vallotton referenced the Clement prophesy yesterday morning, calling Trump’s survival “providence to the providence, max.” Vallotton told the congregation “there’s a wrong spirit in the land,” and suggested that this might not be the only attempt that will be made on Trump’s life. “I feel like the spirit of vengeance is on our country,” he said, “and if we’re not careful, we’ll be swept up in this hatred.” Like Johnson, Vallotton has a long history of support for Trump. In 2019, he instructed the congregation to oppose Trump’s impeachment. In 2020, he inaccurately prophesied that Trump would win the presidential election. He apologized after the Electoral College confirmed Biden’s win. Yesterday, Vallotton appeared to temper his previously vocal support for Trump with a call to prioritize faith over politics. “I want to point out that Donald Trump is not the answer to our moral crisis,” Vallotton said, “Joe Biden is not the answer to our moral crisis . . . If we’re not really careful, we’ll be calling for a king,” Vallotton said, “and we have a king. His name is Jesus.”
(ShastaScout 7/15/24) Read More>>>>>
Bethel’s Senior Prophet Kris Vallotton referenced the Clement prophesy yesterday morning, calling Trump’s survival “providence to the providence, max.” Vallotton told the congregation “there’s a wrong spirit in the land,” and suggested that this might not be the only attempt that will be made on Trump’s life. “I feel like the spirit of vengeance is on our country,” he said, “and if we’re not careful, we’ll be swept up in this hatred.” Like Johnson, Vallotton has a long history of support for Trump. In 2019, he instructed the congregation to oppose Trump’s impeachment. In 2020, he inaccurately prophesied that Trump would win the presidential election. He apologized after the Electoral College confirmed Biden’s win. Yesterday, Vallotton appeared to temper his previously vocal support for Trump with a call to prioritize faith over politics. “I want to point out that Donald Trump is not the answer to our moral crisis,” Vallotton said, “Joe Biden is not the answer to our moral crisis . . . If we’re not really careful, we’ll be calling for a king,” Vallotton said, “and we have a king. His name is Jesus.”
(ShastaScout 7/15/24) Read More>>>>>
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Mar 23, 2023: Kris Vallotton: Church Leaders: 3 Core Values of People Who Actually Made a Difference in the World
June 18, 2019: CalMatters: How Redding, California, became an unlikely epicenter of modern Christian culture
For those who flock to the School of Supernatural Ministry, proximity to Bethel’s vaunted spiritual leaders, Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton, and the promise of direct access to the supernatural are a powerful draw. But many stay for the sense of community or spiritual growth. |
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==milenko van der staal======
Milenko van der Staal is the editor of ActiveChristianity.org, a website and podcast dedicated to Christian teachings. He is also associated with the Norwegian organization Brunstad Christian Church (BCC). As editor, he oversees a small staff and volunteer workers who publish Christian articles and podcasts in multiple languages.
He is mentioned in connection with BCC's mission initiatives, indicating his involvement with the church. He frequently serves as a host on the ActiveChristianity podcast, discussing topics like forgiveness, bitterness, and how biblical parables apply to modern life. According to Norwegian business listings, he has roles in several industries, including consulting, translation, and retail, under the name Jacob Milenko van der Staal. He is also an author for Bible Kids, a resource created by BCC Media
He is mentioned in connection with BCC's mission initiatives, indicating his involvement with the church. He frequently serves as a host on the ActiveChristianity podcast, discussing topics like forgiveness, bitterness, and how biblical parables apply to modern life. According to Norwegian business listings, he has roles in several industries, including consulting, translation, and retail, under the name Jacob Milenko van der Staal. He is also an author for Bible Kids, a resource created by BCC Media
Milenko van der Staal
In James 1:14-16 I read that it is my own desires (lusts in the flesh) that cause me to be tempted. A temptation is the desire in my flesh making its presence known, usually as a thought or feeling. But the desire must conceive in order to give birth to sin. The conception occurs when my mind agrees with the flesh. The two “I’s” unify, and the thought that started out as an involuntary impulse – a temptation – becomes sin, often followed up by words and deeds.
However, the whole Bible is a call to action: to resist the enemy, which in the New Covenant is the sin that dwells in my flesh. Being tempted is not the same as committing sin, but for it to stay that way I have to take up a battle against the lusts that become visible.
It can seem impossible, but when Jesus returned to His Father in heaven, He promised to send us His Spirit, the Helper. With the Holy Spirit’s help and guidance we get strength, not only to endure in temptation, but also to totally defeat the enemy. This is the fight of faith. As long as I am fighting, I have not sinned! This is the life of an overcomer! This also means that I remain pure, and there is no condemnation for those involuntary thoughts.
--Milenko van der Staal: Active Christianity: Is it even possible to keep my thoughts pure?
However, the whole Bible is a call to action: to resist the enemy, which in the New Covenant is the sin that dwells in my flesh. Being tempted is not the same as committing sin, but for it to stay that way I have to take up a battle against the lusts that become visible.
It can seem impossible, but when Jesus returned to His Father in heaven, He promised to send us His Spirit, the Helper. With the Holy Spirit’s help and guidance we get strength, not only to endure in temptation, but also to totally defeat the enemy. This is the fight of faith. As long as I am fighting, I have not sinned! This is the life of an overcomer! This also means that I remain pure, and there is no condemnation for those involuntary thoughts.
--Milenko van der Staal: Active Christianity: Is it even possible to keep my thoughts pure?
==david vandeput======
David Vandeput was born in Belgium but grew up in South Africa. He returned to Belgium when he was a teenager and the whole family settled near Charleroi, where he became involved in the local youth group. He has been married to Myriam since 1986 and from the beginning of their marriage they decided together to get involved in youth work, both locally and internationally. They are one of the founders of the annual youth gathering Convention de Jeunesse, which lasts 4 days and involves 650 young people, and the Explosion/The Shift movement, which takes place every two months and involves more than 150 young people. For years they were leaders of the youth group in Christian Center (Assemblies of God) and David was director of the European youth network PEFY (Pentecostal European Fellowship for Youth) until 2017. Then they took over the Antioche network of churches with more than 120 churches. Their leadership and organizational skills and their passion for youth and the church are highly appreciated. At the same time, David worked for 27 years as a sales manager in construction and Myriam worked as an employee in a multinational company. They have two children, both married and involved in the church. Kevin is pastor of a church in England and Chelsy is secretary of the Antioche network. David and Myriam have taken their careers in a different direction … David is now president of the Federal Synod of Potestants-Evanglian churches in Belgium and Myriam is a life coach at ExponenCiel.
Souls Delivered, Christians Emboldened in Brussels
“Pastors kept coming up to me, saying, ‘we need to do this more often,’” said Pastor David Vandeput, president of the Belgian Federal Synod of Evangelical and Protestant Churches. “They were so touched by the unity and the coming together of the two main regions of Belgium—the Dutch region and French region—which is a very hard thing to do.” Vandeput, who acts as an intermediate between the church and government, said the Festival has brought visibility to the evangelical church in Belgium, a nation in which Christians often feel invisible.
(BGEA 11/1/25) READMORE>>>>
“Pastors kept coming up to me, saying, ‘we need to do this more often,’” said Pastor David Vandeput, president of the Belgian Federal Synod of Evangelical and Protestant Churches. “They were so touched by the unity and the coming together of the two main regions of Belgium—the Dutch region and French region—which is a very hard thing to do.” Vandeput, who acts as an intermediate between the church and government, said the Festival has brought visibility to the evangelical church in Belgium, a nation in which Christians often feel invisible.
(BGEA 11/1/25) READMORE>>>>
==paul van noy======
Feb 22, 2023: Religion News Service: How big Christian nationalism has come courting in North Idaho
There are even fissures among vocal Christian conservatives. Paul Van Noy, pastor of Candlelight Christian Fellowship in Coeur D’Alene, said Reawaken organizers originally approached him to host the September event, likely in consideration of Candlelight’s embrace of politics and clashes with LGBTQ rights activists; last year, local LGBTQ advocates pushed unsuccessfully to keep the church from being used as a polling location. And like Wilson’s congregation in Moscow, Candlelight has doubled in size since it refused to close during the pandemic. (Van Noy was so opposed to COVID-19 restrictions that he kept the church open even after he was hospitalized with the disease in 2020.)
Van Noy is unashamedly political — “I tell people what I think about candidates,” he said — but as he reviewed Reawaken’s proposal, Van Noy was struck by the inclusion of baptisms.
“All of a sudden someone says ‘We’re going to do baptisms,’” he said. “I’m asking the question, ‘OK, well, then who’s preaching the gospel? What gospel? Are they going to believe? Are they going to be told that if they’re baptized in water they’re saved?”
There are even fissures among vocal Christian conservatives. Paul Van Noy, pastor of Candlelight Christian Fellowship in Coeur D’Alene, said Reawaken organizers originally approached him to host the September event, likely in consideration of Candlelight’s embrace of politics and clashes with LGBTQ rights activists; last year, local LGBTQ advocates pushed unsuccessfully to keep the church from being used as a polling location. And like Wilson’s congregation in Moscow, Candlelight has doubled in size since it refused to close during the pandemic. (Van Noy was so opposed to COVID-19 restrictions that he kept the church open even after he was hospitalized with the disease in 2020.)
Van Noy is unashamedly political — “I tell people what I think about candidates,” he said — but as he reviewed Reawaken’s proposal, Van Noy was struck by the inclusion of baptisms.
“All of a sudden someone says ‘We’re going to do baptisms,’” he said. “I’m asking the question, ‘OK, well, then who’s preaching the gospel? What gospel? Are they going to believe? Are they going to be told that if they’re baptized in water they’re saved?”
==miles v van pelt======
When we think about Jesus fulfilling Old Testament prophecy, we often think about individual verses or statements from the Old Testament quoted in the New Testament. For example, in Psalm 118:22, the psalmist states, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” This text is referenced on multiple occasions in the New Testament as a prophetic text fulfilled by Jesus during his earthly ministry (Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10–11; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; Eph 2:20; 1 Peter 2:7).
Beyond individual texts like Psalm 118:22, the New Testament also recognizes Jesus as the fulfillment, or embodiment, of certain Old Testament institutions. -Miles V Van Pelt 12/12/25
Beyond individual texts like Psalm 118:22, the New Testament also recognizes Jesus as the fulfillment, or embodiment, of certain Old Testament institutions. -Miles V Van Pelt 12/12/25
==billy vancamp======
Feb 6, 2023: AzCentral: 'I felt very unsafe': Gay fathers confronted at Arizona religious school accepting vouchers
Pastor Billy VanCamp took them to a conference room "away from all the children" and started questioning the relationship between Williams and Ortega, Ortega said. The pastor told Ortega he wasn't allowed on campus because he is a gay man without any blood relation to Williams' daughter, he said.
Pastor Billy VanCamp took them to a conference room "away from all the children" and started questioning the relationship between Williams and Ortega, Ortega said. The pastor told Ortega he wasn't allowed on campus because he is a gay man without any blood relation to Williams' daughter, he said.
==matthew vandegriff======
Feb 24, 2023: The Christian Index: Hundreds pray for revival across Georgia campuses on Collegiate Day of Prayer
Pastor Matthew Vandegriff of Poplar Springs Baptist Church and Timothy Agee, Pastor of Young Adults at Hopewell Baptist, joined Georgia Baptist Campus Minister Keith Wade and students on a prayer walk on the Gainesville campus of the University of North Georgia. Wade said, “May we continue to see the Lord move among this campus and students be bold to share Jesus.”
Pastor Matthew Vandegriff of Poplar Springs Baptist Church and Timothy Agee, Pastor of Young Adults at Hopewell Baptist, joined Georgia Baptist Campus Minister Keith Wade and students on a prayer walk on the Gainesville campus of the University of North Georgia. Wade said, “May we continue to see the Lord move among this campus and students be bold to share Jesus.”
==jd vance======
JD Vance at March for Life: Abortion debate is a question of choosing either God or paganism
Vice President JD Vance said in his remarks at the 53rd annual March for Life rally in Washington, D.C., that the debate on abortion is a decision between God or paganism. In his remarks Friday before the massive pro-life gathering at the National Mall, Vance touted the Trump administration's efforts on behalf of the movement. This includes pardoning pro-life activists imprisoned for protesting at abortion clinics and ending federally funded experiments using aborted fetal cells. (Christian Post; 1.23.26) READMORE>>>>>
Vice President JD Vance said in his remarks at the 53rd annual March for Life rally in Washington, D.C., that the debate on abortion is a decision between God or paganism. In his remarks Friday before the massive pro-life gathering at the National Mall, Vance touted the Trump administration's efforts on behalf of the movement. This includes pardoning pro-life activists imprisoned for protesting at abortion clinics and ending federally funded experiments using aborted fetal cells. (Christian Post; 1.23.26) READMORE>>>>>
JD Vance, Erika Kirk rally University of Mississippi crowd with call for conservative Christian revival
“We ought to have faith that the best way to make sure the best idea wins is to actually just have a discussion. And that is what this event is all about, that is what Turning Point USA is all about,” Vance said. “We’re going to have a discussion tonight, and that is what Charlie would want us to do.” Calling himself a “geriatric millennial,” Vance aimed a large portion of his remarks at young people. He said the Trump administration’s immigration policies would limit competition for new entrants to the labor market, which he said would prevent immigrants from driving down wages. Vance, who has in the past railed against “childless cat ladies,” also filled his remarks with appeals to college students to have children when they are young and anchor their lives around family. (Mississippi Today 10/30/25) READMORE>>>>
“We ought to have faith that the best way to make sure the best idea wins is to actually just have a discussion. And that is what this event is all about, that is what Turning Point USA is all about,” Vance said. “We’re going to have a discussion tonight, and that is what Charlie would want us to do.” Calling himself a “geriatric millennial,” Vance aimed a large portion of his remarks at young people. He said the Trump administration’s immigration policies would limit competition for new entrants to the labor market, which he said would prevent immigrants from driving down wages. Vance, who has in the past railed against “childless cat ladies,” also filled his remarks with appeals to college students to have children when they are young and anchor their lives around family. (Mississippi Today 10/30/25) READMORE>>>>
US 'unchurching' marks the 'fastest religious shift in modern history'
Far-right Christian nationalists are feeling empowered during Donald Trump's second presidency. Idaho-based evangelical Christ Church, led by pastor Doug Wilson — who believes that women never should have been given the right to vote — is openly embraced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. And Vice President JD Vance, speaking at Turning Point USA's recent AmericaFest 2025 convention in Phoenix, told the MAGA crowd that the United States "always will be a Christian nation."(Raw Story; 12.26.25) READMORE>>>>>
Far-right Christian nationalists are feeling empowered during Donald Trump's second presidency. Idaho-based evangelical Christ Church, led by pastor Doug Wilson — who believes that women never should have been given the right to vote — is openly embraced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. And Vice President JD Vance, speaking at Turning Point USA's recent AmericaFest 2025 convention in Phoenix, told the MAGA crowd that the United States "always will be a Christian nation."(Raw Story; 12.26.25) READMORE>>>>>
JD Vance hopes his Hindu wife converts to Christianity, sparking debate on interfaith marriage
Vice President JD Vance recently told a packed college arena that he hopes his Hindu wife would someday convert to Christianity, thrusting into the spotlight the deeply sensitive challenges facing interfaith couples.
Experts who have counseled hundreds of couples who don't share religious beliefs say the key is respect for each other's faith traditions and having honest discussions about how to raise their children. Most agree that pressuring or even hoping the other would convert could prove damaging to a relationship, and all the more so for a couple in the public arena. "To respect your partner and everything they bring to the marriage - every part of their identity - is integral to the kind of honesty that you need to have in a marriage," said Susan Katz Miller, author of the book "Being Both: Embracing Two Religions in One Interfaith Family."
(ABC7 11/8/25) READ MORE>>>>>
Vice President JD Vance recently told a packed college arena that he hopes his Hindu wife would someday convert to Christianity, thrusting into the spotlight the deeply sensitive challenges facing interfaith couples.
Experts who have counseled hundreds of couples who don't share religious beliefs say the key is respect for each other's faith traditions and having honest discussions about how to raise their children. Most agree that pressuring or even hoping the other would convert could prove damaging to a relationship, and all the more so for a couple in the public arena. "To respect your partner and everything they bring to the marriage - every part of their identity - is integral to the kind of honesty that you need to have in a marriage," said Susan Katz Miller, author of the book "Being Both: Embracing Two Religions in One Interfaith Family."
(ABC7 11/8/25) READ MORE>>>>>
September 29, 2024: Washington Post reported: Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance appeared Saturday at a town hall event organized by top Christian nationalist leaders who promote election denialism and portray Vice President Kamala Harris as a “demon.” The event’s host, Lance Wallnau, who emceed the live event and introduced Vance’s first town hall on the campaign trail, is a leading figure in the fast-growing New Apostolic Reformation, a movement that preaches Christian supremacy through a blend of prophecy and hard-right politics. Though a campaign official said Vance and Wallnau didn’t speak to each other, Vance’s appearance at Saturday’s event was the latest example of the Trump campaign intersecting with once-fringe figures who now have wide followings.
==JONATHAN VANDERBECK====== |
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March 21, 2021: Queer Theology: COVID SELF-CARE: ONE YEAR LATER
It’s been a year since the pandemic shut the world and we’ve all been anxiously waiting for the curtains to unveil what might be in our future. It was also a year ago when Brian interviewed Rev. Jonathan Vanderbeck on Facebook to talk about handling anxiety and what that means for queer folks during the pandemic. Tune in to hear what Rev. Jonathan says about anxiety 1 year into this pandemic. Feb 16, 2021: Daily Gazzette: Newly unified Rotterdam congregations host first joint event, are hopeful for future expansion
Wright said conversations around unifying began last January as he was looking into making Messiah more accessible, when he and then Trinity Rev. Jonathan Vanderbeck met for something unrelated and realized they could both solve each other’s problems. |
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June 24, 2021: Vanderbeck wrote: For queer Christians, I would encourage us to be bold and honest about our grief, in whatever form it may manifest. If we need permission to feel angry or depressed or anxious, know that Christ himself experienced these things in his crucifixion, in which he must have been grieving the ultimate rejection of his friends, followers, and of God. But more importantly than even being bold about our own grief, I believe that we must examine how we receive the grief of others. If we are, in fact, called to be the body of Christ, that is, the embodiment of Christ on earth, then we are called to also receive the grief of one another. The beauty (and the pain) of our queer Christian family is that we share many of these experiences together. As such, it can sometimes feel overwhelming; the tendency to push past the pain is real. However, we are called to bear this together. What might it look like if our queer family, rather than trying to hide our griefs, instead became a place where we could honestly wrestle through the pain and help each other heal? I think it might look a little bit like resurrection, this side of heaven.
==kevin vanhoozer======
How Technology Transformed the Global Church
Robert Webber once reminded evangelicals that “the road to the future runs through the past.” If evangelicalism is fracturing, we may just find our way to unity through what Kevin Vanhoozer called “Protestant catholicity” by retracing our steps. This, of course, raises the thorny question “What is an evangelical?” People have made valiant efforts to sort evangelicals into groups or types. Evangelicals are a diverse bunch, and the rapid growth of the movement in the Global South has only increased this diversity. It needs to be said more often and more clearly that evangelicalism is not an American movement—it is a global one—and the vast majority of the world’s evangelicals today are African, Asian, and Latin American. Evangelicalism was a transnational movement from the very outset and has never been confined to a single nation or ethnicity. David Bebbington, whose intellectual labors laid the cornerstone for building out a robust evangelical historiography, is a British evangelical whose perspectives have helpfully challenged American-centric descriptions of the movement. In this new era of world Christianity, deeper engagement with the global church (and the older church) could lead us closer to an evangelical catholicity. (Christianity Today 11/13/25) READMORE>>>>
Robert Webber once reminded evangelicals that “the road to the future runs through the past.” If evangelicalism is fracturing, we may just find our way to unity through what Kevin Vanhoozer called “Protestant catholicity” by retracing our steps. This, of course, raises the thorny question “What is an evangelical?” People have made valiant efforts to sort evangelicals into groups or types. Evangelicals are a diverse bunch, and the rapid growth of the movement in the Global South has only increased this diversity. It needs to be said more often and more clearly that evangelicalism is not an American movement—it is a global one—and the vast majority of the world’s evangelicals today are African, Asian, and Latin American. Evangelicalism was a transnational movement from the very outset and has never been confined to a single nation or ethnicity. David Bebbington, whose intellectual labors laid the cornerstone for building out a robust evangelical historiography, is a British evangelical whose perspectives have helpfully challenged American-centric descriptions of the movement. In this new era of world Christianity, deeper engagement with the global church (and the older church) could lead us closer to an evangelical catholicity. (Christianity Today 11/13/25) READMORE>>>>
==mark varughese======
Aug 24, 2023: Kingdomcity: Perth megachurch pastor Mark Varughese meets with millionaire US preacher Joel Osteen
On Tuesday, Varughese shared a post on Instagram showing his meeting with Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen.
In the image, Varughese and Osteen are shown with their arms around each other while smiling into the camera.
On Tuesday, Varughese shared a post on Instagram showing his meeting with Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen.
In the image, Varughese and Osteen are shown with their arms around each other while smiling into the camera.
==graham veale======
Graham Veale has particular interests in the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection, and the design and moral arguments for God’s existence; he is also enthusiastic about introducing apologetics to young people. He has graduate and post-graduate degrees in theology from Queen’s University Belfast and has taught Religious Education for 17 years. Graham Veale is the head of the Religious Education department at the City of Armagh High School, Armagh, Northern Ireland and co-founded saintsandsceptics.org, a web ministry for apologetics
Graham Veale
When God wishes to increase our suffering he sends us theologians. At least, this is one lesson Job learned; his infamous comforters were well informed and had undergone deep, mystical experiences; but their learning had no useful lessons for Job. These armchair philosophers lacked the wisdom that life requires; they thought that Job’s suffering was a philosophical conundrum and that his questions were academic. So they gave the simplest answer available to them. God punishes the guilty by making them suffer; therefore, Job’s suffering was evidence of his guilt: Job needed to repent.
This is very neat, very tidy and very rational. After all, Job’s comforters could not monitor all his activity. Surely Job had some secret sin which they did not know of and which he had not confessed? But the reader – who has a “God’s eye view” of Job’s plight – knows better. The reader has already learned that Job had sacrificed for sin and that God had declared him righteous. God had reasons for allowing Job’s suffering – reasons that we will come to. But these were above the reach of the philosophers.
In any case, when Job howled like a wounded animal before the philosophers, he was not asking for philosophical answers. He suspected that his life was meaningless and so he wished to be erased. He could no longer sense any goodness or joy in creation, so he desperately desired not to exist. What Job needed was reassurance and vindication. He needed to know that God was great enough to defeat evil and he needed God to defend his honour before an accusing world. Job did not deserve to be left alone, without love, comfort and hope. He had lived for God; did he live in a universe in which faithfulness and goodness counted for nothing?
Ancient doubts are often regurgitated in contemporary culture (and fashionable theology for that matter!) . Nihilism is alive and well and oh-so scientific. After all, aren’t we merely the products of atoms and molecules and the shuffle of our genes? Isn’t every human, at heart, a selfish-capitalist seeking to maximise gain and minimise loss? If so, there is no transcendent goodness that can redeem suffering. In the trials of life some people are going to get hurt. Some people will be casually eliminated. Deal with it. At least we have the comfort of knowing that the stars can’t last forever, and that life, that titanic waste of time, will be extinguished with their light.
If the universe is to have substantial meaning there must be something greater than the universe. So God intervenes in Job’s story– he must if anyone is to have hope. Job learns, by direct experience, that God is great enough to defeat evil. Then God declares to his accusers that Job’s suffering was not a punishment. In fact, there were deeper reasons for this tragedy. Job is not told these reasons because he does not need to hear them; vindication and comfort are what he requires. Job’s counsellors are not let in on the reasons because they are not wise enough to understand them; they need to learn humility before they can teach others about God.
We cannot understand the story of Job without referencing the prologue’s scene in heaven. Before the tragedy can begin, an “enemy” (literally, a Satan) comes into the court of God. This demon would murder the world if God would let him. If it was possible, he would tear the creator down from his throne. And this hatchet-man, this spin-doctor and muck-raker, wants to establish that God is unjust and humans are worthless. How could a just God allow this petty, rebellious human race to exist? How can a good God have relations with them? These are reasonable questions; they stand behind many Old Testament texts. When the first humans rebelled, why didn’t God shut the whole project down? God’s answer – with Eve, Enoch and Noah – is always “the human race is not beyond hope.”
Here, God pre-empts the accuser: “Have you considered my servant Job?” The cynical Satan is not content. Sure, Job is faithful, but God has bribed Job with a prosperous life, full of love and comfort. Job is only in the religion game for the short-term benefits. Take those away, and you’ll find the rebel inside. The devil is sure that human hearts cannot be transformed and God has not created any goodness in Job. So God gives his enemy permission to test Job; he will discover for himself that Job is faithful. The book of Job is not the story of a bet between God and the Devil. The stakes are too high for any wager.
Job loses his family in a day. When that does not break him, Satan tortures him. Yet Job remains faithful. This establishes that the accuser was wrong: God is good and the human race is not beyond redemption. Having learned his place, the evil one disappears very early in the book of Job. That still leaves Job with his unanswered questions. From the perspective of the divine court we can see that Job’s agony is meaningful. His trials have a purpose: in the drama of Job they establish that God is good, that he knows his people and cares for them. Job illustrates that the most terrible suffering can be conquered by God; that even the collapse of our entire world is not enough evidence to establish that God has abandoned us.
But Job does not see his life from the heavenly court. He does not even have the luxury of studying the problem of evil in a well stocked library. On his own, with no human counsel or love, in the depths of despond, he must choose. Will he curse God and die? Job refuses – even if God slays him he will not abandon hope. Is this a blind faith in the face of overwhelming evidence? Hardly. Depressed and exhausted, Job is in no position to engage in abstract arguments. When breathing takes effort and eating a chore you need something more than a philosophical proof.
Job chooses to believe because the alternative is worse than his agony. He would be forced to admit that his grief was not rational, because his sons and daughters were an insignificant consequence of a chaotic universe. He would have to concede that love was not stronger than death. He would lose all hope of justice and redemption. Job believes because he has no other choice. He is profoundly rational and his story could not be more relevant to our time. --Graham Veale; Saints and Sceptics; Job and Hope for the Suffering 8.18.18
This is very neat, very tidy and very rational. After all, Job’s comforters could not monitor all his activity. Surely Job had some secret sin which they did not know of and which he had not confessed? But the reader – who has a “God’s eye view” of Job’s plight – knows better. The reader has already learned that Job had sacrificed for sin and that God had declared him righteous. God had reasons for allowing Job’s suffering – reasons that we will come to. But these were above the reach of the philosophers.
In any case, when Job howled like a wounded animal before the philosophers, he was not asking for philosophical answers. He suspected that his life was meaningless and so he wished to be erased. He could no longer sense any goodness or joy in creation, so he desperately desired not to exist. What Job needed was reassurance and vindication. He needed to know that God was great enough to defeat evil and he needed God to defend his honour before an accusing world. Job did not deserve to be left alone, without love, comfort and hope. He had lived for God; did he live in a universe in which faithfulness and goodness counted for nothing?
Ancient doubts are often regurgitated in contemporary culture (and fashionable theology for that matter!) . Nihilism is alive and well and oh-so scientific. After all, aren’t we merely the products of atoms and molecules and the shuffle of our genes? Isn’t every human, at heart, a selfish-capitalist seeking to maximise gain and minimise loss? If so, there is no transcendent goodness that can redeem suffering. In the trials of life some people are going to get hurt. Some people will be casually eliminated. Deal with it. At least we have the comfort of knowing that the stars can’t last forever, and that life, that titanic waste of time, will be extinguished with their light.
If the universe is to have substantial meaning there must be something greater than the universe. So God intervenes in Job’s story– he must if anyone is to have hope. Job learns, by direct experience, that God is great enough to defeat evil. Then God declares to his accusers that Job’s suffering was not a punishment. In fact, there were deeper reasons for this tragedy. Job is not told these reasons because he does not need to hear them; vindication and comfort are what he requires. Job’s counsellors are not let in on the reasons because they are not wise enough to understand them; they need to learn humility before they can teach others about God.
We cannot understand the story of Job without referencing the prologue’s scene in heaven. Before the tragedy can begin, an “enemy” (literally, a Satan) comes into the court of God. This demon would murder the world if God would let him. If it was possible, he would tear the creator down from his throne. And this hatchet-man, this spin-doctor and muck-raker, wants to establish that God is unjust and humans are worthless. How could a just God allow this petty, rebellious human race to exist? How can a good God have relations with them? These are reasonable questions; they stand behind many Old Testament texts. When the first humans rebelled, why didn’t God shut the whole project down? God’s answer – with Eve, Enoch and Noah – is always “the human race is not beyond hope.”
Here, God pre-empts the accuser: “Have you considered my servant Job?” The cynical Satan is not content. Sure, Job is faithful, but God has bribed Job with a prosperous life, full of love and comfort. Job is only in the religion game for the short-term benefits. Take those away, and you’ll find the rebel inside. The devil is sure that human hearts cannot be transformed and God has not created any goodness in Job. So God gives his enemy permission to test Job; he will discover for himself that Job is faithful. The book of Job is not the story of a bet between God and the Devil. The stakes are too high for any wager.
Job loses his family in a day. When that does not break him, Satan tortures him. Yet Job remains faithful. This establishes that the accuser was wrong: God is good and the human race is not beyond redemption. Having learned his place, the evil one disappears very early in the book of Job. That still leaves Job with his unanswered questions. From the perspective of the divine court we can see that Job’s agony is meaningful. His trials have a purpose: in the drama of Job they establish that God is good, that he knows his people and cares for them. Job illustrates that the most terrible suffering can be conquered by God; that even the collapse of our entire world is not enough evidence to establish that God has abandoned us.
But Job does not see his life from the heavenly court. He does not even have the luxury of studying the problem of evil in a well stocked library. On his own, with no human counsel or love, in the depths of despond, he must choose. Will he curse God and die? Job refuses – even if God slays him he will not abandon hope. Is this a blind faith in the face of overwhelming evidence? Hardly. Depressed and exhausted, Job is in no position to engage in abstract arguments. When breathing takes effort and eating a chore you need something more than a philosophical proof.
Job chooses to believe because the alternative is worse than his agony. He would be forced to admit that his grief was not rational, because his sons and daughters were an insignificant consequence of a chaotic universe. He would have to concede that love was not stronger than death. He would lose all hope of justice and redemption. Job believes because he has no other choice. He is profoundly rational and his story could not be more relevant to our time. --Graham Veale; Saints and Sceptics; Job and Hope for the Suffering 8.18.18
==heidi vegh======
Heidi Vegh is a writer, speaker, and ministry leader living in Gig Harbor, WA. She is a remarried mother of four, navigating the blended family life after the loss of her first husband to cancer in 2013. She contributes to her blog found at thebreathingmama.com, sharing stories and devotionals of faith stemming from her loss and healing, mothering, and her blended and complex family. She graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a degree in Creative Writing and English and is working on her first book. Heidi is the Women’s Ministry Director at Gig Harbor Foursquare and has a deep heart for sharing Jesus with women and encouraging them in their faith walk.
Heidi Vegh Files
Sex was designed as a selfless act of deep intimacy with our spouse. We read in Genesis 2:24 that they shall become one flesh. God desires couples to experience this kind of pleasure with each other and no one else, not even an image.
Pornography is entirely self-focused. There is no need for a relationship and no requirement for love. However, acting out sexually without a spouse will end in deep dissatisfaction and leave them wanting more, entering addiction. This is a perfect tactic for the enemy. He comes to steal, kill and destroy John 10:10, and marriage is his number one target.
The act of pornography not only destroys marriage intimacy but can also lead to destroying families and societies as a whole.
A Focus on the Family article "How Pornography Impacts Marriage" states, "God-honoring and marriage-honoring sex is about self-giving love. Righteous sex is about self-sacrifice. It joins two people together in love and should always strengthen a relationship rather than weaken it. The opposite of God's design for sex between a husband and wife can be seen in the use of porn where satisfaction is always at the expense of your spouse — because it's all about you. God created sex to be about love, sacrifice, mutual respect, dignity, and care between a husband and wife. Great sex happens when the focus is on serving each other and not on getting our own needs met." Heidi Vegh; Crosswalk; 4 Ways Pornography Damages a Marriage
Pornography is entirely self-focused. There is no need for a relationship and no requirement for love. However, acting out sexually without a spouse will end in deep dissatisfaction and leave them wanting more, entering addiction. This is a perfect tactic for the enemy. He comes to steal, kill and destroy John 10:10, and marriage is his number one target.
The act of pornography not only destroys marriage intimacy but can also lead to destroying families and societies as a whole.
A Focus on the Family article "How Pornography Impacts Marriage" states, "God-honoring and marriage-honoring sex is about self-giving love. Righteous sex is about self-sacrifice. It joins two people together in love and should always strengthen a relationship rather than weaken it. The opposite of God's design for sex between a husband and wife can be seen in the use of porn where satisfaction is always at the expense of your spouse — because it's all about you. God created sex to be about love, sacrifice, mutual respect, dignity, and care between a husband and wife. Great sex happens when the focus is on serving each other and not on getting our own needs met." Heidi Vegh; Crosswalk; 4 Ways Pornography Damages a Marriage
Heidi Vegh Files
The Lord doesn't call us to guard our hearts against things in our world because He is a strict dictator, but because He loves us and wants to protect us; He wants us to protect ourselves. If we are filling our minds and hearts with violent, sexual, or evil content, we are filling our hearts and minds with things that don't please God. This can hinder our relationship with Him and keep us from glorifying the Lord in our everyday life. This doesn't mean we need to abstain from secular entertainment completely; we just need to be vigilant in filtering out what we choose to watch and what we choose to listen to. In proverbs 4:23, it says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Meaning watch over the entrance to your heart; the door is where things can enter your heart. Be careful about what you let in. --Heidi Vegh; Crosswwalk 12.21.21
==scott venable======
Scott Venable is the Lead Pastor of Northwood Church in Keller, Texas. Before leading Northwood, Venable planted and led a multi-ethnic church in Chicago, which grew and planted 10 other churches over seven years. He has been pastoring and preaching for 23 years, and holds a Doctorate in Ministry Leadership in a Multi-ethnic Context from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Northwood Church, under Venable's leadership, is known for its multi-ethnic, multi-generational, multi-ability, and multi-lingual approach. They emphasize loving all people without conditions, as Jesus did, engaging their local and global communities through service. This approach is informed by Venable's doctoral work in redemptive leadership in multi-ethnic contexts. The church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Venable's preaching often emphasizes the significance of Jesus and his word, calling for attachment to Jesus rather than places and programs. He asserts that breakthroughs from sin to forgiveness, and in life in general, are found in Jesus. In addition to his pastoral work, Venable is also involved in multifaith ministry, building friendships with people of various faiths like Muslims and Jews.
Faith-based refugee organization calls on Christians in Fort Worth to see immigration as a ‘biblical issue
When Keller pastor Scott Venable thinks about the church’s role in immigration, his mind goes to two congregants who loved their neighbor. As federal funding paused for refugee resettlement agencies earlier this year, Northwood Church responded to Christian humanitarian organization World Relief’s call for congregations to help fill the gap. Since February, Northwood Church has been serving three refugee families who arrived in North Texas in December. While the two church members come from different ends of the political aisle, they were the first to carry a couch up flights of stairs into a refugee family’s apartment, take them to the grocery store and help them get jobs, Venable said.
(KERA 7/23/25) READMORE>>>>>
When Keller pastor Scott Venable thinks about the church’s role in immigration, his mind goes to two congregants who loved their neighbor. As federal funding paused for refugee resettlement agencies earlier this year, Northwood Church responded to Christian humanitarian organization World Relief’s call for congregations to help fill the gap. Since February, Northwood Church has been serving three refugee families who arrived in North Texas in December. While the two church members come from different ends of the political aisle, they were the first to carry a couch up flights of stairs into a refugee family’s apartment, take them to the grocery store and help them get jobs, Venable said.
(KERA 7/23/25) READMORE>>>>>