OpentheWord.org

PODCAST · religion

OpentheWord.org

Welcome to a podcast by opentheword.org where we provide Bible teaching and Biblical perspectives on the rapid changes taking place in our society.

  1. 161

    162 | Miraculous Cancer Healing in Northern Ireland

    An article in the Belfast Telegraph discussed the miraculous healing of Sharyn Mackay who lived in Newcastle County Down in Northern Ireland along with her husband who pastored several Methodist churches. In 2004, doctors diagnosed Sharyn with a cancerous tumour on her kidney. After taking a biopsy, the staff at Craigavon Area Hospital sent a sample to Harvard University because her form of cancer was very rare.

  2. 160

    161 | Roman Historian Suetonius Mentions Jesus

    Based on statements that he was a young man 20 years after Nero died, it’s believed Roman historian Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, was born around 69 AD and died in 122 AD. A close friend of Pliny the Younger, Suentonius eventually became the personal secretary of Emperor Hadrian. According to one source, he was dismissed after having an affair with the emperor’s wife.

  3. 159

    160 | The Ancient Babylonian Talmud’s Unusual Description of Christ’s Crucifixion

    The Babylonian Talmud is over 30 volumes in size. It is a compilation of Jewish oral traditions and Old Testament commentaries passed down by the orthodox Jews over the past 2,500 years. It is the primary source of Jewish theology and interpretation of the law.  In one passage, it actually refers to the crucifixion of Christ.

  4. 158

    159 | An ancient Jewish historian’s description of Jesus was so positive, critics called it fraudulent

    One of the more compelling statements by ancient historians on the existence of Jesus was made by Josephus, a Jewish General and historian who died in 100 AD. In his book, Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus wrote: "And in this time, there was a certain Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man, for he was a doer of incredible deeds, a teacher of men who receive truisms with pleasure. And he brought over many from among the Jews and many from among the Greeks. He was [thought to be] the Christ. And, when Pilate had condemned him to the cross at the accusation of the first men among us, those who at first were devoted to him did not cease to be so, for on the third day it seemed to them that he was alive again given that the divine prophets had spoken such things and thousands of other wonderful things about him. And up till now, the tribe of Christians, who were named from him, has not disappeared.29

  5. 157

    158 | When God Used an Ordinary Christian Woman to Speak to a Soviet Union President

    One of the biggest problems facing the church today is our obsession with Christian superstars. We have our TV evangelists and mega pastors, but I believe that the Holy Spirit wants to use ordinary believers, like you and me, in powerful ways. A few weeks ago, a friend sent me an article about a story published by Crescendo Magazine in 1990 on how God powerfully used a Finish music student Päivyt Rajamäki.

  6. 156

    157 | The Ominous Event That Took Place in the Jewish Temple between 30 AD and 70 AD

    The Jewish Babylonian Talmud made an incredible admission about Jesus Christ’s arrival in the first century. Composed in the fifth century AD by orthodox Jews, it is a written compilation of Jewish traditions that had been passed down through the centuries. The Rabbis consider it as one of the most important sources of Jewish law and commentary.

  7. 155

    156 | Why Paul Ignored the Most Convincing Evidence of Christ’s Resurrection?

    Jesus’ Resurrection is the key to our Christian faith. As Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15:4, “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” So the Apostle spent several verses in chapter 15 providing evidence of the resurrection. But in the process Paul missed the most compelling argument, proving it was not a fabrication.

  8. 154

    155 | Has Politics Infiltrated the Church?

    Hi my name is Dean. In this podcast I want to talk about politics in the church. I can’t remember a time, when politics has become so dominant and divisive in our culture and divisive. It is  everywhere and infecting everything  But before I do that, I need to provides some disclaimers. First I am a conservative. Secondly, during my career, I actually worked for a right leaning political party. While I was considering the job offer, my wife gave me some advice that ultimately proved to be true. She said, the job will require a bit of my soul, meaning you will end up defending the undependable, and I did.

  9. 153

    154 | Do Assyrian Records Mention Jonah’s Visit to the City of Nineveh?

    Jonah is best known for being swallowed by a large fish or whale for refusing to call Nineveh to repentance. But after being vomited up on a beach along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Jonah headed inland to Nineveh where the whole city responded to Jonah’s call to repent.

  10. 152

    153 | Why Some Religions Believe in UFOs and Aliens

    In his book, Religions and Extraterrestrial Life published in 2014, Vanderbilt University Astronomer David Weintraub revealed the results of a poll he conducted on beliefs in Aliens and UFOs by different religious groups. Now these numbers are dated, because there has been a dramatic surge in the belief in aliens in recent years. But nevertheless his poll showcased the significant differences in Alien beliefs among different religions.

  11. 151

    152 | Near Death Experiences: When the Totally Blind See

    In a recent video, former atheist and now Christian apologist Lee Strobel provided evidences for the existence of the human spirit. The Bible teaches that we are made up of a spirit, soul and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). At the death of our physical body, our spirit lives on. This is vividly portrayed in the Jesus’ story about the rich man and Lazarus found in Luke 16:19-31.

  12. 150

    151 | Atheists don’t believe in God, But They Do Believe in Little Green Men

    While atheists mock Christians because of our belief in God, a 2021 Pew survey found that 85% of atheists/agnostics believed in little green men and aliens. But they weren’t alone. The same survey revealed that 80% of nones, those with no religious affiliation, also believed in aliens. Though certainly not as high, overall 57% of Christians also believed in alien life. But this involved a very broad definition of Christian. More specifically only 40% of Evangelicals believed in aliens and UFOs.

  13. 149

    150 | The Strange Connection Between the Christmas Story and the Woman Caught in Adultery

    With Christmas around the corner, I thought I should do a podcast with a bit of Christmas twist. So, I want to discuss the strange connection between the Christmas story and the woman caught in adultery.We know from the Christmas story, that Joseph was engaged to Mary. When Joseph returned to Nazareth for the wedding, he was shocked to find Mary pregnant – having conceived by the Holy Spirit.

  14. 148

    149 | Is Pergamum’s Throne of Satan still exerting an influence?

    According to Wikipedia, Caracas, Venezuela is the murder capital of the world. It has held that position since 2016, when it wrestled the crown away from then reigning champ, San Pedro, Honduras. But that brings me to an interesting article from 2013 on the British new site, The Guardian. The article discussed the murder rate in San Pedro, which at that time was running at 20 a day or over 7,000 murders a year. This works out to an annual murder rate of 173 per 100,000 residents.

  15. 147

    148 | What Ancient Non-Christians Had to Say About Jesus

    In this podcast I discuss several mentions of Christ made by ancient secular sources.

  16. 146

    147 | Are We Seeing Evidence That Spiritual Warfare is Heating Up?

    In this episode I want to discuss spiritual warfare, because I am seeing increasing evidence that things are starting to heat up. At a recent church service my wife and I attend, our pastor shared an interesting story. He never gets headaches. But a few months ago he started having a headache every day for three weeks. It was always in the same spot. 

  17. 145

    146 | What Job Tells Us About the Ice Age, Dinosaurs and the Divine Council

    In this podcast, we discuss what the Book of Job has to say about the ice age, dinosaurs and heaven's Divine Council.

  18. 144

    145 | Did God Roar from Zion?

    When the Holy Spirit fell on the Toronto Airport Vineyard Church in 1994, it immediately caught the world’s attention. Hundreds of thousands of people from around the world visited the church, which was later renamed Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship.

  19. 143

    144 | Called to be an Encourager: The Power of Words

    God has called us to be encouragers, because there is power in words.

  20. 142

    143 | A Couple of Odd Facts About the Jewish Temple

    In this podcast, we discuss two curious facts about the Jewish Temple. Did you know that at one time, there were two Jewish Temples operating at the same time?

  21. 141

    142 | American Pastor Crucified for Believing Jesus is God

    On April 28, 2025, Arizona pastor, Bill Schonemann, was found dead in his home. He had been crucified. His hands were pinned to the wall and he had a crown of thorns on his head.

  22. 140

    141 | A Couple Stories about Noah’s Ark and the Flood

    In this podcast, I discuss a couple of stories concerning Noah’s Ark and the great flood. First was the ark actually big enough to carry a pair of every creature in the world. Secondly, why are there so many flood stories in cultures around the world.

  23. 139

    140 | When Jesus Called Himself God by claiming to be the Son of Man

    A few years ago, someone told me that nowhere in the New Testament does Jesus claim to be God. And to be honest, I was caught a bit off guard by the question. Now, to be honest, nowhere in the Gospels did Jesus say, “I am God.”

  24. 138

    139 | It took 2,000 years but we finally understand Christ’s advice on worry and a strange miracle

    in this podcast, I want to discuss one piece of advice that Jesus gave and a miracle, that proved itself. In both instances, it took nearly 2,000 years to fully understand what Jesus said and did.

  25. 137

    138 | Is Jesus Christ ‘The Angel of the Lord’?

    In this podcast I discuss the mysterious Being in the Old Testament called ‘The Angel of the Lord.’ Many are convinced He is the per-incarnate Christ.

  26. 136

    137 | A Couple of Odd Facts About King David

    Hi my name is Dean Smith and in this podcast I want to discuss two odd fact about one of the Bible’s best known heroes, King David.

  27. 135

    136 | Great Tax Revolts of the Bible

    Taxes have been the.bane of man’s existence for thousands of years. In this podcast, I discuss two major tax revolts that took place in the Bible.

  28. 134

    135 | Pathways of the Heart

    In this Podcast Ian Byrd discusses the pathways of the heart. He talks about three pathways that lead us away from God and one pathway that leads us to God.

  29. 133

    134 | Coughing prayer versus joining a monastery or nunnery?

    In this podcast, I discuss whether believers should incorporate coughing prayer instead of joining a monastery or nunnery.

  30. 132

    133 | Bitten by Devils: Engaging the battle with fasting

    In this podcast, I discuss one the unheralded, but powerful weapons, that God has given believers in our battle against the demonic realm.

  31. 131

    132 | The Manifest Presence of God

    in this podcast, I want to talk about the manifest presence of God. My wife and I recently attended a conference on the Holy Spirit at our church. Yes, it was a full weekend of talking about the importance of the Holy Spirit. A strange thing happened at the conference.

  32. 130

    131 | Are You Vulnerable to Demonic Mind Games?

    With the growing interest in the demonic and occult in the west, In this podcast, we discuss an issue that could make you vulnerable to demonic attack, through 'mind games.'

  33. 129

    130 | Do You Have One of the Gifts of Healing?

    In this podcast, I discuss the gifts, yes that’s in the plural, gifts of healing. God does not want a handful of TV evangelists healing the sick, He wants an army of healers.

  34. 128

    129 | Three pieces of advice for those with the gift of prophecy

    To successfully move in the gift of prophecy, we need to be able to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit. In this podcast, I want to share three things that can lead to us delivering false prophetic words.

  35. 127

    128 | What is the Seer Anointing?

    In this podcast, I discuss the seer anointing, which is part of the Gift of prophecy, that the Holy Spirit has given to the church.

  36. 126

    127 | Did Kim Clement prophesy about Donald Trump’s rise to the presidency of America? And other related issues….

    This podcast discusses prophecies given by a now deceased prophet Kim Clement in 2007 on the rise of American billionaire, Donald Trump, to be president of the United States. Not only did he seem to predict that, but Clement said Trump would serve two terms.

  37. 125

    126 | Why do we see more demons in the New Testament than in the Old Testament?

    In this podcast, I discuss three reasons why we see so many more people being possessed by evil spirits in the New Testament than in the Old.

  38. 124

    125 | Shammah: David’s mighty warrior who stood his ground

    In this podcast, Wayne Johnston discusses one of his favorite Bible characters, Shammah. The man who defended a lentil patch.

  39. 123

    124 | Why did Jesus compare the Kingdom of God to an invasive weed?

    When Jesus discussed the Kingdom of God in the Gospels, He compared it to one of the Middle East's most invasive weeds. This comparison predicted the explosive growth of the church.

  40. 122

    123 | Eight Reasons why spiritual gifts are still for today! Part 2

    In this second of my two part series, I discuss the last three of my eight reasons why I believe the gifts of the Holy Spirit are intended for today. It seems that the Holy Spirit is manifesting His gifts even among those who don't believe in them.

  41. 121

    122 | Eight Reasons why spiritual gifts are still for today! Part 1

    Over the past couple of months, I have been doing a series on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the importance of spiritual gifts. It has attracted the attention of cessationists who don’t believe the spiritual gifts are for today. In this first of two podcasts, I discuss eight reasons why I believe the spiritual gifts are still for today.

  42. 120

    121 | The Holy Spirit: What is the purpose of the Gift of Tongues?

    By Dean Smith: In this podcast, I discuss one of the more controversial Gifts of the Holy Spirit, the gift of Tongues. Why does the Holy Spirit give this gift? What is its purpose?

  43. 119

    120 | The Holy Spirit: My Brief Encounter with the Gift of Faith

    By Dean Smith In this podcast, I discuss my very brief encounter with the gift of faith, one of the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12.

  44. 118

    119 | The Greatest Hindrance to the Moving of the Holy Spirit in Your Life

    By Dean Smith In this podcast, I discuss what I believe is one of the greatest hindrances to the moving of the Holy Spirit in our personal lives and the church.

  45. 117

    118 | Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit?

    The Bible talks about a Second work of grace, after salvation, where believers are filled with the Holy Spirit. It through this Baptism of the Holy Spirit that we can be empowered like the early church.

  46. 116

    117 | Is it time to forgive your parents?

    In this podcast, I discuss the touchy issue of forgiving our parents and how it potentially impacts our perception of God. I know of instances where parents have been dead and buried for years and yet are still alive in their children’s minds because of unresolved issues.

  47. 115

    116 | Laying on of hands and Imparting the Holy Spirit

    In this podcast, Dean talks about laying on of Hands and the impartation of the Holy Spirit, which is called one of the foundational doctrines of the Bible in Hebrews 6:1-2.

  48. 114

    115 | What It Means to Pray Prophetically

    I believe God is calling believers to start praying more, and as part of this, we need to engage in prophetic prayer. In this podcast, I discuss what it means to pray prophetically.

  49. 113

    114 | A Conversation with Diane Harrison on the Gift of Prophecy

    Dean Smith interviews Diane Harrison on the Gift of Prophecy. Diane serves as the Prophetic coordinator for LifeLinks, an international network of churches.

  50. 112

    113 | In the Fullness of Time

    Using an illustration from a Christmas journey many years back, Wayne Johnston explains what it means when the Apostle Paul writes that Jesus came in the 'fullness of time.'

Type above to search every episode's transcript for a word or phrase. Matches are scoped to this podcast.

Searching…

No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.

Showing of matches

No topics indexed yet for this podcast.

Loading reviews...

ABOUT THIS SHOW

Welcome to a podcast by opentheword.org where we provide Bible teaching and Biblical perspectives on the rapid changes taking place in our society.

HOSTED BY

Dean Smith

URL copied to clipboard!