A small Christian college in rural Indiana has big goals for its latest initiative — a program designed to be a “flight simulator” of sorts for pastors wanting to hone their skills behind the pulpit.

“If you think about a pilot who’s getting trained to crawl up into the cockpit of a plane, they get into a digital flight simulator,” Dr. Timothy McConnell, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs, said on a recent episode of CBN News’ “Quick Start” podcast. “We’ve created kind of a pulpit simulator, climbing into the pulpit with cameras, confidence monitors, lights, sound systems — all the things you would expect to need to have some acumen and some awareness of to step into the pulpit in our times, and we’ve put it into a lab space.”

McConnell, the program’s director, was describing PREACH Labs, launched this month in Upland, Indiana, by Taylor University, one of the oldest Christian universities in the country. The program’s name is an acronym for “Preparing, Resourcing, Equipping, and Coaching for Homiletic Excellence.”

As it turns out, there seems to be some merit to initiatives like this.

Surveys have found many pastors and ministry leaders feel ill-equipped to adequately and compellingly address issues from the pulpit, especially when the topics center on matters of politics and civic engagement. In 2023, the Barna Group released data showing only one-in-five pastors (20%) felt equipped to lead their congregations on those subjects in particular.

Data published by Lifeway Research in 2021 found more than half of pastors (54%) were frequently overwhelmed by their ministries and 48% felt the demands before them — potentially including preaching — amounted to more than they could handle. But even with these statistics, very few evangelical ministers stepped away from their pulpits.

There are a lot of pastors, McConnell said, “whacking away” at preaching — because it’s a duty many of them, especially in less-populous areas, took on without any real training — who could benefit from a resource like PREACH Labs.

The Colorado-based pastor referenced President Abraham Lincoln, famously credited with saying, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I would spend the first four hours sharpening my ax.” The 16th president was highlighting the importance of adequate preparation for the tasks at hand.

“There’s a lot of pastors out there whacking away, God bless them, and they just feel like, ‘Man, that just wasn’t what I wanted; it didn’t land the way I wanted. I wish I had time and space to step back and go sharpen the ax a little bit and then get back at it,’” McConnell said.

The Apostle Paul encouraged believers to prioritize effectively communicating the Gospel.

He placed a premium on the practical nature of clearly and efficiently sharing the Gospel through preaching, asking believers in Ephesus to pray God would give him “the right words” so he could “boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike” (Ephesians 6:19, NLT).

“If you’re going to speak to thousands, you need to learn how to do that in a different way,” said McConnell. “And you don’t want to be a distraction — you don’t want to be a block to the Gospel.”

He continued, “Because of our motivation to share the Gospel widely, we’ve always been engaged in the advance of technology: What can we use? Can we jump on the radio? Can we jump on TV like CBN? [W]hat platform can we jump on? And if a pastor’s called to use those platforms, we want them to be equipped to use them well.”
Sources:faithwire

http://theendtimeradio.com

വാഷിംഗ്ടൺ: പത്തു രാജ്യങ്ങൾക്ക് പൂർണ വിലക്ക് ഉൾപ്പെ 41.രാജ്യങ്ങളിലെ പൗരന്മാർ അമേരിക്കയിൽ പ്രവേശിക്കുന്നത് വിലക്കാൻ നീക്കവുമായി ട്രംപ് സർക്കാർ.41രാജ്യങ്ങളെ മൂന്നു ഗ്രൂപ്പുകളായി തിരിച്ചാണ് ഈ രാജ്യങ്ങൾക്കെതിരേ നടപടിക്കുളള നീക്കംആരംഭിച്ചത്..

അഫ്‌ഗാനിസ്ഥാൻ, സിറിയ, ക്യൂബ, ഉത്തര കൊറിയ തുടങ്ങിയ 10 രാജ്യങ്ങളിലെ പൗരന്മാർക്ക് പൂർണമായ യാത്രാവിലക്കും വിസ സസ്പെൻഷനും ഏർപ്പെടുത്തും. ഈ രാജ്യങ്ങളെ ​ഗ്രൂപ്പ് ഒന്നിലാണ് ഉൾപ്പെടുത്തുക. എറിട്രീയ, ഹൈതി, ലെ ലാവോസ്, മ്യാൻമർ, ദക്ഷിണ സുഡാൻ തുടങ്ങിയ രാജ്യങ്ങളെ രണ്ടാമത്തെ ​ഗ്രൂപ്പിലാണ് പെടുത്തുന്നത് ഇവർക്ക് ടൂറിസ്റ്റ് , സ്റ്റുഡന്റ് , ഇമിഗ്രന്റ് വിസ എന്നിവയിലായിരിക്കും വിലക്ക്. പാകിസ്ഥാൻ, ഭൂട്ടാൻ തുടങ്ങി 26 രാജ്യങ്ങൾ ഉൾപ്പെടുന്നതാണ് മൂന്നാമത്തെ ​ഗ്രൂപ്പ്. ഇവർക്ക് വിസ നൽകുന്നത് ഭാ​ഗികമായി നിർത്തിവെക്കാനാണ് ആലോചിക്കുന്നത്.

മൂന്നാമത്തെ ​ഗ്രൂപ്പിലുൾപ്പെട്ട രാജ്യങ്ങൾ അമേരിക്ക നിർദേശിക്കുന്ന മാറ്റങ്ങൾ 60 നടപ്പാക്കിയില്ലെങ്കിൽ വിലക്ക് നേരിടേണ്ടി വരും. എന്നാൽ ഇക്കാര്യത്തിൽ അന്തിമ തീരുമാനമായില്ല.
Sources:globalindiannews

http://theendtimeradio.com

In a move that could reignite one of the most controversial policies of his presidency, President Donald Trump is considering a sweeping new travel ban that would block or severely restrict entry into the United States for citizens from as many as 41 countries.

The proposed ban, which would be broader than the travel restrictions implemented during Trump’s first term, is currently under review by top diplomatic and security officials, according to sources familiar with the matter quote.

The draft proposal divides the countries into three categories: a “red” list, whose citizens would be completely barred from entry; an “orange” list, which would impose selective restrictions, particularly on non-business travellers; and a “yellow” list of nations given a 60-day deadline to address security deficiencies or risk being placed on a more restrictive list.

A new ‘red’ list
At the core of the proposed plan is a “red” list of 11 countries whose citizens would be outright banned from entering the United States. According to officials, this list includes Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.

The list would be a stark extension of Trump’s earlier efforts to block entry from predominantly Muslim nations, as seen in the travel ban he imposed during his first term.

The final version of the list remains under discussion, as officials from the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, and other intelligence agencies review the recommendations.

More targetted restrictions

In addition to the total bans, the proposal outlines an “orange” list of 10 countries for which travel would be restricted but not completely cut off. Citizens of these nations — Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan — would face stricter vetting procedures and mandatory in-person visa interviews.

Affluent business travellers from these nations might still be permitted to enter, but immigrant and tourist visa holders would be subject to stringent scrutiny.

Notably, the inclusion of Russia on the “orange” list raises questions about Trump’s broader foreign policy stance. Throughout his presidency, Trump sought to improve relations with Russia, often to the dismay of critics who pointed to Moscow’s human rights abuses and interference in US elections. The proposed restrictions could signal a shift or a new attempt to balance public opinion with security concerns.

A ‘yellow’ warning

The draft proposal also includes a “yellow” list of 22 countries given 60 days to address perceived security deficiencies in order to avoid restrictions. These countries — largely in Africa and the Caribbean — include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe.

The Trump administration has cited concerns that these nations fail to adequately share information about travellers with the US or have lax security practices when issuing passports, which could allow individuals from banned countries to exploit loopholes. The yellow list offers these countries a narrow window to cooperate with US authorities or risk being placed on a more restrictive list.

The proposed travel ban marks a return to one of Trump’s signature policies. In his first term, Trump issued a travel ban that initially targeted seven predominantly Muslim nations. The ban sparked legal battles and protests across the US, and federal courts blocked its early versions. However, a revised version of the ban was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018, allowing the administration to restrict entry from eight nations, six of which were Muslim-majority.

Soon after taking office, President Joe Biden revoked the travel bans, describing them as discriminatory and inconsistent with American values. “They are a stain on our national conscience,” Biden had said at the time.

But with Trump back in the White House, a return to the travel ban is being framed as essential to protecting US citizens from security threats. In an executive order signed in January, Trump instructed the State Department to develop a list of countries whose “vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals.” The draft report is expected to reach the White House in the coming days.
http://theendtimeradio.com

“I don’t know how you could hear my story and my testimony and not believe that there is a God.”

That’s how Cameron Cortman describes his miraculous, death-defying journey — a remarkable voyage of trust, survival, and true reliance in the face of life-altering storms.

Cortman, 24, said his family’s harrowing experience began when he was a 1-year-old and his parents were preparing to move to Virginia Beach, Virginia.

But on the day of their move, something happened that would change the course of their lives.

“I got sick with an ear infection in the hustle and bustle of moving,” he told CBN News. “My mom took me to the doctor. She thought it was just a routine ear infection. I had been getting them a lot lately.”

But Cortman’s mom felt deep in her gut that something else was going on. In fact, after the doctor prescribed antibiotics, she paused to share something she experienced on the way to his office.

“[She said], ‘Actually, on the way over here, the Lord spoke to me and told me that something is seriously wrong and that we need to go to the hospital,’ which is just a wild thing to say to a doctor,” Cortman recounted. “But, thankfully … the doctor was a Christian and he said, ‘Who am I to really argue with the Lord? So we can send you to the hospital.’”

Despite the doctor feeling relatively unconcerned at the time, he knew Cortman’s mother was resolute that she had heard from God. So he complied and called an ambulance — a fortunate choice considering what happened next.

“They start to run pretty much every test imaginable, and they come back a few hours later and say, ‘We’re so sorry, 95% of your son’s blood cells are leukemia. He probably won’t make it through the night,’” Cortman said.

The shocking news, which upended the family’s lives, confirmed everything his mother had felt.

“As you can imagine, it’s just a mix of utter disbelief, and shock, and starting to grieve, and really just confusion of what to do,” Cortman said. “And I think you kind of immediately go into a mode of, ‘OK, let’s figure out next steps.’”

Cortman began intense chemotherapy, which carried its own risks for such a young child.

And the family began pressing into the community around them, with Cortman expressing how “blessed” they were to have loving people around to help care for both him and his brother.

Leaning into God and prayer, though, were the main recipes for tackling the chaos.

“They just really sought to … understand from the Lord how they could be faithful through the journey,” Cortman said.

These tools were essential as Cortman faced four years of hospital stays, chemotherapy, and other interventions. Along the way, the uncertainty required a profound reliance on the Almighty.

“It was one of those situations where, ‘OK, I lived a week,’ then they’re like, ‘Let’s see how long he can live,’ basically, which is crazy to say,” Cortman said. “I can’t even imagine being my parents and just never really knowing if I was going to make it the next day, or the next month, or the next year.”

Remarkably, the cancer eventually disappeared, something Cortman said was “miraculous.” And that’s not all.

“What’s crazy about that situation — other than the fact that I was completely cured from cancer — is they said to my parents, ‘Although he is cancer free, he’s not out of the woods. So there is a very good chance that he’s not able to speak like everyone else would. He might not be able to walk. He might not be able to talk,’” Cortman said, noting these dire effects could have come from the chemotherapy.

He continued, “The chances of it having serious side effects on your brain, on your body is very high. So to go from that to where I am today … a former college athlete [who] had the opportunity to play sports at the highest level, it’s just only God.”

Cortman, who is now the director of digital marketing at Great American Media, a company that produces faith and family-friendly programming, said the entire experience has made him intensely driven and devoted in all he does.

His focus today is spreading the Gospel and working to advance the Christian faith, helping brands like Great American Family and Great American Pure Flix create and market positive, faith-affirming content.

“What I love about my role at Great American is I can wake up every day and know that … the social media posts that my team is creating or the ads that we’re making, we’re really pushing out good into society in a culture of entertainment that is doing the exact opposite,” Cortman said. “So, I do feel like we are a light in the entertainment industry and it’s so cool to be able to use what I’m passionate about and creative about in marketing while also still glorifying the Lord.”

He praised his company for giving families, individuals, and parents a safe experience watching TV and movies — something he called truly “unique.”

“We are telling these really impactful faith redemption stories that I think just really inspire and uplift people, and they’re extremely relatable to journeys that everyone has gone through,” Cortman said.

Connecting the dots between his own medical miracle, God’s plan for his life, and an undying trust, Cortman’s journey to Great American Media is a fascinating one. But his faith is truly driving it all — a deeply fostered and abiding love rooted in his family’s journey.

Reflecting back on the experience, Cortman said he can’t imagine what it was like for his parents to grapple with potentially losing their baby at any moment.

The ordeal moved him closer to his Christian faith and shaped his beliefs, with his parents providing a powerful example for him to follow.

“So much of my faith … I credit to them because I think most people in situations like that, it’s very easy for them to turn against God, turn against each other,” he said. “The fact that they relied on God through that and then came out on the other side stronger … their marriage is still very strong and that their faith is still very strong — I don’t think that I would have the same faith that I have today had they not responded the way they did through that whole journey.”
Sources:faithwire

http://theendtimeradio.com