Some Christians have wondered why some eminent professionals don’t believe. I have heard it asked, “If it’s true then why doesn’t ‘so and so’ believe it”? The validity of Christian faith or any other truth claim is neither affirmed nor denied on the basis of who endorses it. I believe it’s folly (and unbiblical) for a Christian to seek ultimate validation of one’s faith from human sources. As Paul wrote, “For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel” (Gal. 1:11).

Solomon wisely placed humankind in proper perspective, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Eccl. 7:20). History has taught us repeatedly that humanity is inherently vulnerable to its own flaws, and regardless of how seemingly great its accomplishments it is not impeccable. In the Roman Empire, when a conquering general returned to Rome with spoils, one emperor always said: “Remember, you are mortal.” Even Shakespeare emphasized this when a subject wanted to kiss the hand of King Lear who responded, “Wait, let me wipe it first; it is stained with mortality.” Yet today’s culture continues to create personalities whose opinions seem to impose truths on everyone else.

As a young Christian, I learned a valuable lesson which has benefitted me for decades. I learned to evaluate content by its own merits, and not to accept assertions based on deference to what cultural thought ascribes to “smart people.” A professor invited me to a science seminar. At lunch, I listened to the conversations of scientists and realized that they were like everyone else. They joked around, talked about sports and material things, ate chocolate cake, and in no way appeared humanly exceptional. Their distinction was having completed the rigors of academic requirements and thereby earning a meritorious designation. Yet somehow cultural thought elevates such designates to godlike status and mere mortals must listen to them because they are deemed smarter than everyone else.

Perhaps in the West we have trained people to pay homage to cultural icons and to apply critical thinking selectively. During my years in academic institutions both in the USA and Canada, I came across students who I thought were needlessly conceding to unbelief by being critical of what they didn’t like and favoring what they preferred. In our discussions, the skeptical appeals were in their thinking substantiated by appealing to the authoritative positions of high-profiled figures in cultural thought.

For example, I conversed with psychology students who accepted Freud’s view that God was a human projection of a father figure for needs of comfort and for dealing with feelings of guilt, hope, and the fear of death. I would ask, “what gives Freudian thought authority over Christian thought? Why should that be so?” It seemed that I could not compete with the cultural status of Freud. It’s almost as if they were saying to me, “how can you possibly know more than Freud?”

The fear of having faith devalued by a personality deemed “super smart” by cultural thought is what becomes a wormwood in a Christian’s mind. We were warned long ago that, “The fear of man lays a snare, but whosever trusts in the Lord is safe” (Prov. 29:25).

There is also a gadfly component within the cultural intimidation. Believe it, many critics of Christian faith have no interest whatsoever in an open-minded exploration of God’s grace. They simply take great satisfaction in annoying believers, because our witness and commitment to the Good News disturbs the natural person. The aim is thus to eradicate that conviction by pressuring believers to change their minds and accept an impotent version that will alleviate conviction. To some degree, it’s working. Progressive Christianity is a product of cultural compromise which is relegating Christian faith to a mere option of self-help.

A Christian’s journey towards victorious faith must now overcome the mirage of mind games played in culture. It’s now necessary for those who know “on whom (they) have believed and (are) convinced that he is able to guard what has been entrusted” (2 Tim. 1:12) to realize what they have. Our message is “sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit … and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). The Christian has the powerful message of grace that by the Spirit is convicting “the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). Pushbacks at every level are reactions to the convicting nature of this spiritual dynamic.

The message of God’s grace and repentance in Jesus is an all or nothing proposition that provokes backlash and antagonism. “If the world hates you,” said Jesus, “know that it hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18). That is part of why Christians are to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:44). Believers who represent the message of grace and repentance often become the target of a natural person’s frustrations and rebellion against God.

There are definitely times when honest and fair questions require answers. Conversations should be welcomed. The Lord Jesus was right that love and mercy should be hallmarks of Christian reaction. Nevertheless Christians should begin to take our trust in God’s grace much more seriously and realize that cultural skepticism is built on “sinking sand” by flawed human beings.
Sources:Christian Post

http://theendtimeradio.com

Texas – This Sunday’s service at Providence Baptist Church in Pasadena, Texas, was anything but ordinary. It was a celebration—one of their own had finally come home. After spending nine months stranded in space, astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore reunited with his wife, two daughters and church family.

“It’s great to know that he’s here, that he’s safely here,” said Pastor Tommy Dahn.

Wilmore has been resting following last week’s 17-hour return journey to Earth alongside fellow astronaut Sunitha Williams. During his 286 days aboard the International Space Station, Wilmore relied heavily on his faith.

“My feeling on all of this goes back to my faith,” Wilmore said. “It’s bound in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is working out His plans, His purposes for His glory throughout all humanity.”

Pastor Dahn emphasized that Wilmore’s faith was not just a temporary source of strength during his time in space. “It wasn’t just a faith that he drummed up for nine months,” Dahn said. “That’s the way Barry’s lived.”

Wilmore also found encouragement in the prayers and messages from his church family, who followed his journey closely.

“He watched every Sunday,” said Pastor Corey Johnson. “So having that, being able to hear the word of God, having the Word of God to read—like that—the Lord’s the one that sustained him through it all.”

As a longtime elder of the church, Wilmore stayed connected with his congregation while in orbit. He frequently called church members from space and even led devotionals, sometimes joining in song with fellow astronauts.

“We sang together with all the astronauts on the space station,” Dahn said. “We sang ‘Amazing Grace,’ and Barry shared the devotion with the whole congregation.”

Last Tuesday, the church watched intently as Wilmore splashed down on Earth.

“He came out and then he saw Barry,” Johnson recalled. “He attempted to stand up, and what he told me was, ‘I was standing up because we are made for the Earth.'”

Wilmore is undergoing 45 days of rehabilitation to adjust to gravity—no easy task for someone who prefers to stay busy.

“It’s going to take a while,” Johnson said. “He hasn’t driven yet. I asked if he had mowed his yard yet. He laughed and said, ‘Not yet.'”

One thing Wilmore is enjoying again is home-cooked meals.

“We might just have a get-together with a few close friends but no big party or anything,” said his daughter, Daryn Wilmore, via TikTok. “I am making him his favorite dessert—pecan pie.”

As he continues to recover, Wilmore is eager to share stories of his faith and God’s sovereignty from his time in space.

“I understand that He is at work in all things,” Wilmore said. “Some things are for the good—go to Hebrews Chapter 11. Some things look to us to be not so good, but it’s all working out for His good for those that will believe.”
Sources:CBN News

http://theendtimeradio.com

യു.എസിൽ എഫ്-1 അപേക്ഷകരുടെ അപേക്ഷകൾ കൂട്ടമായി തള്ളുന്നു. 2023 ഒക്ടോബർ മുതൽ 2024 സെപ്റ്റംബർ വരെയുള്ള കാലയളവിൽ ഇത്തരത്തിലുള്ള 41ശതമാനം വിദേശവിദ്യാർഥികളുടെ വിസകളാണ് യു.എസ് ഭരണകൂടം തള്ളിക്കളഞ്ഞത്.10 വർഷത്തിനിടെയുണ്ടായ ഏറ്റവും ഉയർന്ന നിരക്കാണിത്.

2023-24 വർഷത്തിൽ എഫ്.1 വിസക്കായി 6.79 ​ലക്ഷം അപേക്ഷകളാണ് ലഭിച്ചത്. അതിൽ 2.79 ലക്ഷം അപേക്ഷകൾ തള്ളി. 2022-23 വർഷത്തിൽ 6.99 ലക്ഷം അപേക്ഷകളാണ് ലഭിച്ചത്. അതിൽ 2.53 ലക്ഷം അപേക്ഷകൾ നിരസിച്ചു. അതേസമയം, അപേക്ഷ നിരസിക്കപ്പെട്ടവർ ഏതു രാജ്യങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നുള്ളവരാണെന്ന പട്ടിക യു.എസ് പുറത്തുവിട്ടിട്ടില്ല.

കോവിഡിന് മുമ്പുള്ള കാലങ്ങളിൽ അപേക്ഷകളുടെ എണ്ണത്തിൽ ഗണ്യമായ രീതിയിൽ വർധനവുണ്ടായിരുന്നു. 2023-24 വർഷമായതോടെ അപേക്ഷകരുടെ എണ്ണത്തിൽ കുറവു വന്നുതുടങ്ങി. 2023-24 വർഷത്തിൽ 4.01 ലക്ഷം എഫ്-1 വിസകളാണ് യു.എസ് ഇഷ്യൂ ചെയ്തത്. അതിനു തൊട്ടുമുമ്പുള്ള വർഷം 4.45 ലക്ഷം എഫ്-1 വിസകളും അനുവദിച്ചു. യു.എസിലെ അക്കാദമിക സ്ഥാപനങ്ങളിൽ പഠനം നടത്താൻ വിദേശ വിദ്യാർഥികൾക്ക് നൽകുന്ന കുടിയേറ്റ ഇതര വിസയാണ് എഫ്-1 വിസ. യു.എസ് പ്രതിവർഷം അനുവദിക്കുന്ന വിദ്യാർഥി വിസയിൽ 90 ശതമാനവും എഫ്-1വിസയാണ്.
Sources:azchavattomonline.com

http://theendtimeradio.com

F1 Student Visa Rejection in US News Student visa denials by the United States (US) soared to a decade-high last fiscal year (October 2023 to September 2024) with 41% of F-1 visa applications from across all countries turned down — almost double the rejection rate of the 2014 fiscal year.

In 2023-24, (the US government’s fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30), the US received a total of 6.79 lakh applications for F-1 visas, of which 2.79 lakh (41%) were denied. This is an increase from 2022-23, when 2.53 lakh applications (36%) of a total of 6.99 lakh were turned down.

While the US State Department did not share data on the country-wise refusal rate for F-1 visas, On December 9 last year that the number of student visas issued to Indians in the first nine months of 2024 had decreased by 38% as compared to the corresponding period in 2023.

According to the data, the percentage of student visa denials increased even as the absolute number of applications from across all countries dipped over the last decade. During this period, the total number of applications peaked at 8.56 lakh in 2014-15, but saw a steady dip in the next few years, till it hit a low of 1.62 lakh in the Covid year of 2019-2020.

Post-Covid, while the number of applications steadily increased, there was a 3% decrease in 2023-24 — from 6.99 lakh in 2022-23 to 6.79 lakh in 2023-24. As a result, the absolute number of visa denials in the last fiscal year (2.79 lakh) represents the highest percentage in at least a decade. A total of 4.01 lakh F-1 visas were issued in 2023-24, down from 4.45 lakh the previous year.

The F-1 visa is a non-immigrant category for students attending academic institutions in the US, while the M-1 visa covers vocational and non-academic programmes. The analysis focussed on F-1 visas, which account for over 90 per cent of US student visas annually.

Asked what explains the rise in F-1 visa rejections, a Department of State spokesperson: “All visa adjudications are adjudicated on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and applicable federal regulations.”

The State Department did not share data on the country-wise refusal rate for F1 visas, and said they “do not publish data to the granularity requested”. The spokesperson also pointed to a “change in methodology” for calculating visa data from FY2019 onwards, and said the annual ‘Report of the Visa Office’ is to be referred to for final statistics for the fiscal year.

“Our previous methodology was based on a count of workload actions, which were not linked by application. The new methodology more accurately reflects final outcomes from the visa application process during a specified reporting period. The new methodology follows visa applications, including updates to their status (i.e., issued or refused), which could change as the fiscal year progresses, or result in slight changes in data for earlier years. Therefore, beginning with FY 2020, individual monthly issuance reports should not be aggregated, as this will not provide an accurate issuance total for the fiscal year to date,” the spokesperson said.

Data on visa issuances and refusals are, however, available for the entire fiscal year, and not as monthly reports. The department did not offer any further clarification on this.

While country-wise break-up of F-1 visa rejection is not available, Last December that 64,008 student visas were issued to Indians from January to September in 2024, down from 1.03 lakh in the corresponding period in 2023. The State Department website now says that the monthly reports from March-September were updated in December 2024. With this, the total for the nine months from Jan-Sept is a slightly lower figure of 63,973.

According to data, 65,235 visas were issued during the corresponding period in 2021, and 93,181 in 2022.

Indian students constitute a significant proportion of the international student cohort in the US. The Open Doors 2024 report showed that in 2023-24, the number of Indian students surpassed that of the Chinese, making Indians the largest international student cohort (29.4% of international students) in the US. There were 3.31 lakh Indian students in the US in 2023-24, the highest figure for the Indian cohort so far, according to the Open Doors data.

The increase in F-1 rejections comes at a time when some other countries have sought to limit the number of international students. Canada, for instance, announced in 2024 that it would cap the number of study permits, meaning a decrease of 35% compared to 2023. It explained then that “increases in the number of international students puts pressure on housing, healthcare and other services.” It announced a further 10% decrease in study permits in 2025.

The UK, where Indians are the second largest source of international students, imposed restrictions on foreign students bringing dependents to the country in a bid to restrict their numbers. As a result, international student enrolment across British universities has fallen by up to 40%.
 http://theendtimeradio.com