Category Archives: Christian News

#HarvestSoCal 2019 is in the Books – WOW!

This was my Facebook post Sunday night after watching HarvestSoCal2019:

Tonight’s #HarvestSoCal has been amazing! Wonderful music by @philwickham @newsboys and @christomlin – the powerful message from @greglaurie was simple and so enlightening, but the highlight was the THOUSANDS who just gave their lives to Jesus.

“I keep doing these crusades year after year because I want to take as many people with me to Heaven as I possibly can.”

Greg Laurie

Harvest 2019

100,000 attend California crusade focused on God and country

Thousands of people chose to give their lives to Jesus this weekend at an Anaheim, Calif. crusade in Angel Stadium that honored God and country.

At the conclusion of each night of the SoCal Harvest event held Aug. 23-25 that saw over 100,000 people attend, Pastor Greg Laurie delivered a message called “Happiness, hope, and heaven.”

He shared the gospel, similar to what Evangelist Billy Graham, who called Laurie the “evangelist of the future,” did for so many years.

“Don’t put your hope in technology. Don’t put your hope in material things. Don’t put your hope in politicians. Don’t put your hope even in religion,” Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship of California and Hawaii, he told the crowd each night of the three-day event. “Hope has a name, and it’s Jesus Christ, and he is here with us tonight, and he is ready to change the course of your life.”

With fireworks in the evening sky, the baseball stadium’s scoreboards lit up with the words: “Welcome to the family of God.”

More than 8,000 people made the decision to follow Jesus, bringing the grand total to half a million since the first one held in 1990.

On the first night, followers held a military appreciation ceremony and unfurled a massive American flag across the outfield as Brennley Brown, a finalist on “The Voice,” sang “God Bless America.” Former Navy SEAL and actor Remi Adeleke offered an opening prayer.

Throughout the crusade, attendees worshipped with Jeremy Camp, Chris Tomlin, Newsboys, Lecrae and Phil Wickham, to name a few.

The 30th annual SoCal Harvest Crusade was the kick-off event of Harvest’s 2020 Vision to launch a “Jesus Revolution” through crusades in southern California and Boise, Idaho. The tour is to end with a crusade in 2021 at Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park, currently under construction. The Harvest team has aimed to reach over 1 million people and see 100,000 professions of faith through the crusades.

“I keep doing these crusades year after year because I want to take as many people with me to Heaven as I possibly can,” Laurie said.

Now This Is On Our Bucket List

Amy and I were just talking this morning about how we would love to be baptized in the Jordan River, and then I came upon this awesome story.

NFL quarterback gets baptized in Jordan River during ‘life-changing’ first trip to Israel

During the offseason, one leading NFL quarterback is taking his spiritual life to the next level.

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who set records as a rookie and will be going into his third season this fall, was submerged in the Jordan River, the same place the Bible records Jesus was baptized, during his first trip to the Holy Land co-sponsored by America’s Voices in Israel.

“It is simply overwhelming,” Watson explained. “To be baptized in the waters of the Jordan River, sail on the Sea of the Galilee, and visit one of the first towns where Jesus preached his Gospel – I am truly in awe of this wonderful land and the wonderful people who live here.”

Read the complete article by clicking here.

Latest Podcast: Ed And Amy Talk Abortion Laws in the News

Here is the link to our Latest Podcast.

Ed and Amy give their opinions on the recent laws that passed in 5 different states that have heavily restricted abortions. Ohio, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and now it looks like you can add Missouri to the list. We give our reaction and comment on the reactions of others as well.

When you are finished listening, here’s a link where you can give your opinion about this show or any other topic you would like to share. Who knows, we may even play your comment on a future broadcast.

https://anchor.fm/ed-boston-podcast-network/message

Stuart Varney Opinion Piece on Trump and National Day of Prayer

We’ve made a conscious decision to not post as much about politics as we have in the past. The nation is more politically divided than any time in recent memory and maybe in the entire history of our great nation.

President Trump is one of if not the biggest topics when it comes to that division. It seems that people either love him or hate him and there’s not much in between the two.

We consider ourselves Christian Conservatives, so it shouldn’t be a surprise,  that we are supporters of the President. Is he perfect? Who is? Does he say and do things that we wish he didn’t? Absolutely!!!

All that said, many people would laugh when the topic of President Trump and Christian values are used in the same sentence. That’s exactly why we love the opinion piece from Stuart Varney that is below.

When laughing off the President’s faith, let us remind you of the scripture in John 8 that says:

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 

 

Stuart Varney: Trump doesn’t wear his religion on his sleeve, National Day of Prayer ceremony was a revelation

Thursday morning, President Trump appeared in the Rose Garden for the National Day of Prayer.  It was anything but a “normal” religious event. It wasn’t a somber, restrained affair. It was a joyous call for unity, at a time when unity is vitally needed. It was a very different spiritual occasion.

For me the “highlight,” if I may call it that, was the appearance of Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein. The president called him to the podium and he told the story of the Poway synagogue shooting where he had faced the killer.

He said, “you need to stand tall, to stand fast, and to do what it takes to change the world.” No pieties there: reality! None of this “our thoughts and prayers are with you.” That’s a platitude. Stand up. Face down hate. That’s what the rabbi said. That struck a chord: Christians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus: all in the audience, and all understood the importance of what Rabbi Goldstein had said.

We also discovered that this president begins all cabinet meetings with a prayer. We didn’t know that. We’d never been told. Mr. Trump clearly doesn’t wear his religion on his sleeve. I’m not going to make a big deal out of this but we saw a side of the president that most of us didn’t know.

And this is the side of the president the media does not show.

What a shame: the prayer event was extraordinary. And timely, following the slaughter of Muslims in New Zealand, Christians in Sri Lanka, Jews in Pittsburgh and Poway. A call to spiritual unity that was exactly what was needed, and that’s exactly what President Trump delivered.

Adapted from Stuart Varney’s “My Take” monologue for Fox Nation on May 3, 2019.

Read the entire story by clicking this link: https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/stuart-varney-trump-national-day-of-prayer-poway-rabbi

Discoveries Give More Confirmation That The Bible Is Accurate

More and more discoveries continue to prove that the contents of the Holy Bible are accurate. Here are two recent stories that add to the long list.

Ancient 3,000-year-old tablet suggests Biblical king may have existed

The study of an ancient tablet that dates back nearly 3,000 years suggests that the biblical King Balak may have been an actual historical figure.

Published in Tel Aviv: The Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University, the study looks at the Mesha Stele and makes the determination that after looking at new photos of the cracked tablet, Balak existed, though the researchers are not 100 percent certain of it.

“After studying new photographs of the Mesha Stele and the squeeze of the stele prepared before the stone was broken, we dismiss Lemaire’s proposal to read  (‘House of David’) on Line 31,” the researchers wrote in the study’s abstract. “It is now clear that there are three consonants in the name of the monarch mentioned there, and that the first is a beth. We cautiously propose that the name on Line 31 be read as Balak, the king of Moab referred to in the Balaam story in Numbers 22–24.”

To read the complete story, click here: https://www.foxnews.com/science/ancient-3000-year-old-tablet-suggests-biblical-king-may-have-existed

Rare ancient treasures bearing Biblical names discovered in Jerusalem’s City of David

Archaeologists in Israel have discovered a rare clay seal mark and a 2,600-year-old stone stamp bearing Biblical names amid the ruins of a building destroyed by the ancient Babylonians.

Seal Israel

The amazing finds, which date to the First Temple period, were made in Jerusalem’s famous City of David. The artifacts were discovered in the remains of a structure razed in the 6th century B.C., likely during the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., according to experts.

In a statement, Prof. Yuval Gadot of Tel Aviv University and the Israel Antiquities Authority, which oversaw the dig, said charred pottery shards were found in the building, indicating that the seal mark and stamp survived a major fire. Both artifacts feature ancient Hebrew script.

To read the complete story, click here: https://www.foxnews.com/science/rare-ancient-treasures-bearing-biblical-names-discovered-in-jerusalems-city-of-david

Over 50 Artists Join Forces To Honor Michael W. Smith At Bridgestone Arena

Last night Nashville, TN’s Bridgestone Arena became home to a once-in-a-lifetime, star-studded tribute event honoring Michael W. Smith and celebrating his 35-year career and his 35 #1 hits.

Nashville, Tenn. – 35 Years Of Friends: Celebrating The Music Of Michael W. Smith was packed with over 3 hours of performances from singers including: Amy Grant, Wynonna, Randy Travis with Steven Curtis Chapman, Jordin Sparks with Jordan Smith, Rascal Flatts, The Backstreet Boys’ Brian Littrell, Charlie Daniels, the Gatlin Brothers, Vince Gill with Wayne Kirkpatrick, Matthew West, Avalon, The Oak Ridge Boys, CeCe Winans, Francesca Battistelli, Sandi Patty with Natalie Grant, Ricky Skaggs with the Isaacs, Jason Crabb, Lee Greenwood, Mark Lowry, Jim Brickman, T. Graham Brown and more.

Before the show started, Smith spoke of how he had been kept in the dark about most of the event so he was looking forward to the surprises throughout the night, seeing his songs performed and the rendition that the artists were going to take on them. He stated that “the beauty of the night is how it has brought so many of us together.”

Kathie Lee Gifford kicked off the night bringing Smith and his wife Deborah out to greet the crowd before they took their seats on stage. Smith didn’t stay seated long as he joined several artists throughout the night on his iconic songs and even some of theirs.

Highlights throughout the night included:

  • Randy Travis walking out on stage with his wife Mary Travis as his version of Smith’s “Above All” played. An emotional Smith stood as Travis made his way to him before embracing
  • After performing “How Great Thou Art” Charlie Daniels brought out his fiddle for “Devil Went Down to Georgia” while Smith accompanied him on piano
  • Taped messages from Smith’s dear friends: former President George W. Bush, U2’s Bono and Franklin Graham
  • American Idol winner Jordin Sparks joining The Voice winner Jordan Smith performing “All is Well”
  • Rascal Flatts putting their spin on “Pray for Me”
  • A visibly moved Wynonna, joining Michael Tait, Matt Maher, Avalon and CeCe Winans on “Help Is on the Way” then Smith jumping to the piano to join her for a rendition of his “Majesty”
  • Smith’s longtime friend and tour-mate Amy Grant inviting him to accompany her on the piano during their “Love Will Find a Way”

The show closed with all the artists coming back on stage to join-in for Smith’s classic “Friends.”

After playing the piano, Smith embraced the end of the triumphant night moving to the front of the stage to take a bow as his family joined him.

Promoted by Outback Concerts and produced by Tony Conway of Conway Entertainment Group, music lovers experienced over 50 artists from all genres, performing a set list that included many of Smith’s 35 #1 hit singles. With over 45 Dove awards, three Grammy awards, and an American Music award, Michael W. Smith has forever enshrined his mark in the music history books. Smith garnered yet another Grammy nomination in 2018 for ‘Best Contemporary Christian Music Album’ for his worship effort, Surrounded. AWAKEN: The Surrounded Experienceis Smith’s latest release (Feb. 22, 2019).

“35 Years Of Friends: Celebrating The Music Of Michael W. Smith” full setlist:
Phil Keaggy, Mac Powell, Phillips, Craig & Dean, Point of Grace – “Agnus Dei”
Jason Crabb – “Love Crusade”
Ricky Skaggs with The Isaacs – “I’d Rather Have Jesus”
Zach Williams – “I’ll Stand”
David Hamilton – Instrumental
David Hamilton, Jordin Sparks, Jordan Smith – “All is Well”
Matthew West – “Go West”
Charlie Daniels – “How Great Thou Art”
Charlie Daniels with Michael W. Smith – “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”
Jars of Clay – “I’ll Lead You Home”
Rascal Flatts – “Pray for Me”
Avalon with Jay DeMarcus – “I Will Be Here”
Mark Lowry – “Face in This World”
Gatlin Brothers with Phillips, Craig & Dean – “Shine On Us”
Sandi Patty and Natalie Grant – “How Majestic”
Jim Brickman – “Love of My Life”
Michael W. Smith with original band – “Could He Be Messiah,” “Be Strong,” “You Need a Savior”
Randy Travis and Steven Curtis Chapman – “Above All”
Lee Greenwood with Wes King and sons – “There She Stands”
Brian Littrell – “Place in This World”
Michael W. Smith – “Secret Ambition”
Oak Ridge Boys – “Draw Me Close”
Nicole C. Mullen, Danny Gokey, Katinas, Matthew Ward, Calvin Nowell – “Crown Him with Many Crowns, ” “Easter Song”
CeCe Winans with Point of Grace – “King of Glory”
Matt Maher – “This is Your Time”
Laura Story with Francesca Battistelli – “How to Say Goodbye”
Russ Taff – “Healing Rain”
Wayne Kirkpatrick with Vince Gill – “Never Been Unloved”
Mark Hall – “I’m Waiting on You”
Tait, Matt Maher, Avalon, Wynonna, CeCe Winans – “Help Is on the Way”
Wynonna – “Majesty”
Amy Grant with Michael W. Smith – “Love Will Find a Way,” “Thy Word”
All sing including T. Graham Brown – “Friends”

About Michael W. Smith:
Michael W. Smith has been releasing new music regularly and performing around the world to sold-out crowds for the last 35+ years. During his storied career, he’s written over 35 #1 songs, been honored with three GRAMMY® Awards and 45 Dove Awards, one American Music Award, was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and has sold more than 15 million albums. His most recent USA Today, Yahoo! Music and Billboard-acclaimed studio album A Million Lights and Parade, Good Morning America-featured and GRAMMY nominated live worship albumSurrounded have together become his 30th and 31st Top 10 hits on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart, more than any other solo artist in history. He’s also given back to the global community. Smith has raised funds to battle AIDS in Africa; started Rocketown, a safe haven for young people in Tennessee to meet and find hope; and has helped more than 70,000 children through Compassion International. He has also written several bestselling books, including Old Enough To Know and Friends Are Friends Forever. For more information, visitwww.michaelwsmith.com.

About Outback Concerts:
Outback Concerts is an independent, full-service concert and comedy promoter based in Nashville, TN. In addition to producing hundreds of concerts and events each year, ranging from clubs to arenas across the country and Canada, Outback Concerts also produces the Nashville Comedy Festival. Outback Concerts President Mike Smardak was a 2011 inductee of the IEBA Hall of Fame. In November of 2016, Mike Smardak was honored with a distinguished NATD Award alongside Nashville’s most recognized members of the entertainment industry. In March of 2018, Smardak was honored by the T.J. Martell Foundation with the Tony Martell Outstanding Entertainment Achievement Award. Promoter Andrew Farwell was voted IEBA Rookie of the Year in 2014.

About Conway Entertainment Group:
Conway Entertainment Group is a full-service talent agency comprising live events, booking and talent management. CEG is built firmly on the foundation of Tony Conway’s forty years of experience in the industry, climbing the ranks from agent to CEO of Buddy Lee Attractions, Inc., one of the world’s largest agencies. In 2009, Conway sold his interest in BLA and opened Conway Entertainment Group with the desire to use his expertise from years of representing and negotiating some of the biggest tours, sponsorships, licensing deals, and literary, film and TV projects to come out of Music City.

Breaking News – Notre Dame Cathedral Burns

A massive fire broke out at the famed Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on Monday afternoon, officials said.

Black smoke could be seen from a distance billowing out from the top of the medieval cathedral, while flames leaped out from two of its bell towers. The sight stopped pedestrians in their tracks along the Seine River, which passes under the cathedral.

The cathedral’s main spire has fallen, and there are recovery efforts being made to save artifacts that are irreplaceable.

This is a breaking news story and more will be posted later.

New Feature “Anti-Christian News” To Start on EdBoston.com

An 84-year-old woman is being threatened with eviction from the California Veterans Home where she lives if she continues to host Bible studies there.

The Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) is standing up for the religious rights of Artis Breau in this case.

“For much of the past decade, Artis has volunteered with the chaplaincy program and led Bible studies in the Home,” PJI reports. “She began encountering opposition from officials last September when it was claimed that a discussion between herself and another resident about heaven and hell had allegedly caused him to lose sleep and therefore was elder abuse, emotional abuse, and otherwise illegal.”

We are going to start a new weekly feature here at EdBoston.com called “Anti-Christian News”. The more that Christians ignore or are not informed of these types of incidents – the worse it will continue to get.

The purpose of this new feature will not be just to get Christians riled up but to put out information for Christians to share and get involved with helping fight for the God-given rights that we have.

This week we will just have one story but in the future, there will be multiple stories linked and sharable.

It’s time for the “silent majority” to no longer be silent AND to sit around and not take action when these things happen.

Here is this week’s Anti-Christian News:

H/T to CBN News:

‘Deeply Disturbing:’ 84-Year-Old Widow Faces Eviction from Veterans Home for Her Voluntary Bible Studies

PJI points out Artis and her husband both served the US military honorably throughout their lives:

“Artis and her late husband moved to the Veterans Home about nine years ago. Her husband had served as a Merchant Marine in World War II, served in the famed 82nd Airborne Division overseas, and then served in the Air Force during the Korean War. Meanwhile, Artis worked as a civilian employee in the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army at the Pentagon during the Korean War.”

But officials are labeling her conversation with the other resident as “abuse.”

In December, her volunteer status at the home was suspended indefinitely and three months later she remains barred from serving in any official role.

“On Friday, March 1, PJI received an alarming e-mail from an attorney for CalVet, claiming Artis’ Bible studies were in violation of prior directives and would subject her to ‘involuntary discharge’ from the Home if they continued,” the PJI statement explains. “The Home claims it needs to protect residents from this elderly widow, even though attendance at her Bible studies is entirely voluntary.”

Meanwhile, Artis says that she’s been attacked because she’s “an evangelical Jewish believer in Jesus, which does not sit well with some of the chaplains.”

Brad Dacus, president of PJI, stated, “This shocking attack from the State against our client’s exercise of religious convictions is deeply disturbing. The State seeks to punish Artis based on non-existent directives and deprive her of a personal ministry to the veterans who have benefited from her religious services for years. Artis isn’t fighting just for herself, but for the Gospel and for the residents who are unable to fight for themselves against the State’s attempted intimidation.”

Attorneys are weighing all legal options in the case.

Under No Circumstance Are The Threats Against Covington Catholic High School Acceptable

There is plenty of information and misinformation online about what happened in Washington D.C with students from Covington Catholic High School that was at the Lincoln Memorial after the March for Life.

I believe that the media jumped on a subject with partial video clips and soundbites that were taken out of context to make up a story that didn’t exist. Oh, the encounter happened – just now the way that was initially portrayed by the mainstream media.

No matter what you think happened or what really did happen, there is absolutely NO JUSTIFICATION FOR THE THREATS OF VIOLENCE that have been leveled against the school and individual students. Even if the students had been totally wrong (and I certainly don’t believe they were) that doesn’t mean that they deserve to be told that they should lock all the students in the school and then burn it down or have mass school shooting threatened.

There are plenty of marches, protests, and rallies that I take as highly offensive to me and my beliefs – and I never have attacked and threatened violence against those who participate, no matter how disgusted I am with what is said and done.

The school now as a special safety plan in place just for this issue and school is closed today over safety concerns.

Below, there is a partial story (read the full story by clicking the headline link) at CBN.com. There are videos from both sides of the story, plus tweets and official statements.

I challenge you to comment with statements decrying the threats of violence.

Pastor Ed Boston

 

UNHINGED: After Fake Media Fuels Leftist Threats of Death and Violence to Teen Boys, Catholic School Closes

Some of the threats are too vile to repeat, but the teenage boys who were falsely accused of targeting a Native American demonstrator in Washington, DC have faced a massive wave of extremist, left-wing attacks. The mob of ranting, unhinged social media users has leveled threats of death and violence while others have been trying to have the boys’ parents fired from their jobs.

So Covington Catholic High School is closed today for the safety of the students and their families. “Please continue to keep the Covington Catholic Community in your prayers,” the principal says.

Two of the Covington students are speaking out about all the hate-filled backlash they, their classmates, and families have received. More about that in a minute.

But first, it turns out the media didn’t seek out all the facts in their rush to attack the boys. Additional videos of the incident reveal the boys were standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial after the March for Life, waiting for their bus to take them home to Kentucky. The boys were being taunted and attacked verbally by a group called the Black Hebrew Israelites. So the boys started chanting school spirit cheers.

That’s when a group of marching Native Americans came upon the scene. Nathan Phillips, an elderly leader from the group, then decided to wade into the middle of the crowd of teens while playing a drum and singing. Phillips says he wanted to bring peace, but video shows him singling out one of the boys, Nick Sandmann, who just stood there smiling while the man sang in his face while banging his drum. Members of the Native American group then told the media that the boys had blocked the elderly man’s path and were taunting him, but the videos tell a different story.

Safety plans in place.

 

Unedited raw video – short

 

Washington Post’s take

Long video of events there at the Lincoln Memorial 

https://youtu.be/UQyBHTTqb38

Details about the previous video from the person who posted it. 

First 45 minutes are african americans being incredibly racist and threatening violence against the students directly. Kept that in the upload in case someone accuses me of deceptive editing. Nothing here was edited, at all. This is the whole video of the entire event. Starts getting interesting around @1:10:00 Native Americans invade the student rally at 1:11:24. You can see them come across directly, and instigate the confrontation with the kids. The kids were minding their own business. At NO point in the entire video do they chant “build the wall.”

The President tweets his remarks:

Link to Statement from Covington, KY mayor.

Journalist Erik Abriss (justifiably)  gets fired for making this statement –

“I don’t know what it says about me but I’ve truly lost the ability to articulate the hysterical rage, nausea, and heartache this makes me feel. I just want these people to die. Simple as that. Every single one of them. And their parents,” Abriss tweeted in response to the original video of Sandmann

Statement on the actions of Covington Catholic High School students 19 Jan

The Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School have issued the following statement:

We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general, Jan. 18, after the March for Life, in Washington, D.C. We extend our deepest apologies to Mr. Phillips. This behavior is opposed to the Church’s teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person.

The matter is being investigated and we will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion.

We know this incident also has tainted the entire witness of the March for Life and express our most sincere apologies to all those who attended the March and all those who support the pro-life movement.