Conversations About Faith

Column reader, are you trusting in the Lord with all your heart?

By Steven Brodsky 

… God never fails.

Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

Posted 11-6-24

Those who’ve accepted this ‘unspeakable gift’ can be thankful before, during, and after Thanksgiving (all the days of the year)

By Steven Brodsky

… by choosing to cultivate thankfulness to God, though words of gratitude will “fall short.”

2 Corinthians 9:15: “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

Have questions about this gift? Visit: https://www.gotquestions.org/indescribable-gift.html.

Hallelujah.

Posted 10-29-24

I don’t know

By Steven Brodsky

Photo by Steven Brodsky

… if Rocky Raccoon, the fictional character in the Beatles’ “Rocky Raccoon,” actually read any words in the Bible that was placed in a hotel room by The Gideons International.

I can tell you that many people have been eternally blessed by their having read verses in Gideons-placed Bibles.

Lives have been transformed.

About The Gideons International: https://www.gideons.org/about.

About “Rocky Raccoon”: https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-beatles/rocky-raccoon.

Posted 10-25-24

Please continue to support those impacted by Hurricane Helene

By Steven Brodsky

 

… Visit https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/nam/#volunteer-now to contribute funds to Samaritan’s Purse.

Margie Royal, Delco Culture Vultures’ managing editor, was affected by Hurricane Helene: Margie Royal Shows Resilience Battling Helene – delcoculturevultures.com. Please send contributions for Margie Royal via the page that’s linked in the article.

Of course, support for all of those impacted by the hurricane includes your prayers.

Posted 10-15-24

About being unashamed of the gospel

By Steven Brodsky

… Sharing the lyric video for Matthew West’s “Unashamed” and a Bible verse (unashamedly):

Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Posted 10-14-24

God’s children

By Steven Brodsky

… can take God at His word.

Philippians 1:6: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

Photo by Steven Brodsky

What it means to be children of God: https://www.gotquestions.org/children-of-God.html.

Posted 9-22-24

Prayer is the subject 

By Steven Brodsky 

… of this brief post and this song:

James 5:16: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Have questions about prayer?

You may find answers to some or all of those questions at:

Does God answer prayers? | GotQuestions.org

Are there any conditions to answered prayer? | GotQuestions.org

Posted 9-12-24

Aaron Wilburn’s ‘The People That God Gives You’

By Steven  Brodsky

… was referenced here in the summer of 2020.

Circumstances of life have affirmed the value of the song’s message for me and many others.

I first heard “The People That God Gives You” on the syndicated radio show that Paul Heil hosted for many decades.

The song has continued to be a blessing to me (and I believe to some of the people that God has given me).

Be blessed.

1 John 4:7-8:

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Paul Heil was interviewed for this column in 2018 and 2016. The interviews are accessible at: https://delcoculturevultures.com/2017/03/14/a-conversation-with-paul-heil-host-of-the-gospel-greats-syndicated-radio-show/.

Posted 9-5-24

‘Sweeter than honey’

By Steven Brodsky

… was the taste of God’s words to the psalmist.

Psalm 119:103: How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

This verse came to my mind while I was enjoying a spoonful of wildflower honey a few minutes ago.

Some of this column’s readers will recall the verse the next time they taste honey.

And some will recall the verse when they next taste the sweetness of the Bible.

Posted 8-27-24

‘I’m just a long-haired son of a sinner’

By Steven Brodsky

… sings Jelly Roll in “Son of a Sinner” (one of my favorite Jelly Roll songs):

We’re all children of sinners.

And all of us have sinned.

Nonetheless, God loves us.

Romans 5:8 KJV: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Posted 8-20-24

One thing that we can’t take back from the enemy

By Steven Brodsky

… unfortunately, is stolen time.

Our lives are short, like the lifespan of a vapor.

James 4:14: “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

Time is valuable, including the time spent to write this column installment and the amount of time that readers will spend engaging with the installment.

God-willing, our time will be well-spent.

Take the time to watch (and enjoy!) this video:

Posted 8-14-24

Have you been redeemed?

By Steven Brodsky

… Hallelujah, if you, dear Entertainment, Culture and More column reader, have been redeemed.

For all of us to enjoy, Big Daddy Weave’s “Redeemed”:

Philippians 1:6: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

Posted 8-12-24

A rescue story

By Steven Brodsky

… not unlike the rescue stories that some of this column’s readers have experienced:

Isaiah 12:2: “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.”

Have you asked God to become your salvation?

Posted 8-3-24

The lyric video for Ben Fuller’s “Don’t Let Me Forget” was released this morning

By Steven Brodsky

… “Don’t Let Me Forget” will remind followers of Jesus about things that should never be forgotten.

“Lord, don’t let me forget.”

Posted 7-26-24

Every morning

By Steven Brodsky

Photo by Steven Brodsky

… God’s mercies are new!

Lamentations 3:22-23: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

Posted 7-10-24

If you’ve found a friend in Jesus

By Steven Brodsky

… the lyrics of this song may tell your story also:

John 8:36: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

Posted 6-24-24

Shackled and unshackled listeners

By Steven Brodsky

… have been enjoying episodes of UNSHACKLED, the iconic radio drama show, since 1950.

Episodes of UNSHACKLED are accessible at: https://unshackled.org/on-demand/browse-all-programs/.

John 8:36: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

Posted 6-6-24

‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’ – 1 Corinthians 15:55

By Steven Brodsky

… This video is embedded here especially for the miracle children who regularly visit the sections of the Entertainment, Culture and More column:

Posted 4-10-24

A life that is proof of what God can do

By Steven Brodsky

You may know people who’ve experienced God-enabled transformation similar to the kind that Stephen McWhirter sings about in “My Life Is Proof.”

I do.

Matthew 19:26 KJV: “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

Posted 4-4-24

It wasn’t you, nor was it me

By Steven Brodsky

… who made this tree:

Photo by Steven Brodsky

“Trees,” by Joyce Kilmer: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/12744/trees.

The tree was photographed yesterday.

The Joyce Kilmer poem was published in August 1915.

About Joyce Kilmer: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/joyce-kilmer.

Posted 3-25-24

Need a reminder that the battle has already been won?

By Steven Brodsky

… If you do, you’ve come to the right place.

Psalm 63:4: “Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.”

Posted 2-19-24

‘But the cross says they’re wrong’

By Steven Brodsky

… thankfully.

Posted 12-4-23

‘Be still’

By Steven Brodsky

Photo by Steven Brodsky

Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Posted 11-10-23

Thrown out of church

By Steven Brodsky

… the character in “The Outlaw’s Prayer”:

I hope that he found a more hospitable place to worship and fellowship.

1 Samuel 16:7 comes to mind: “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”

Posted 3-30-23

Leonard Cohen and Billy Joe Shaver drew upon the same Bible verse

By Steven Brodsky

… The verse is Isaiah 64:6. As translated in the King James Version, the verse reads: “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

I’m writing about Leonard Cohen’s “If It Be Your Will” and Billy Joe Shaver’s “If You Don’t Love Jesus.”

Most people who’ve heard the songs haven’t encountered the verse directly (and most of this column’s readers haven’t heard the Billy Joe Shaver song.)

In the Leonard Cohen song, Isaiah 64:6 is alluded to in the line: “In our rags of light, all dressed to kill.”

In the Billy Joe Shaver song, an allusion to the verse appears as: “Take your rotten rags of righteousness and stuff ’em up your self.”

“If It Be Your Will”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXoqQAvkLfQ&ab_channel=LeonardCohen-Topic.

“If You Don’t Love Jesus”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MbF0bc7iEs&ab_channel=Boofitts. The song is “strident,” as I described it during a radio interview that I did with Billy Joe Shaver a number of years ago.

Posted 8-2-21

‘Elf’ The Broadway Musical at Walnut Street Theatre

Walnut Street Theatre (WST) continues their 216th Season with the charming story of Buddy the elf. Travel with Buddy from the North Pole all the way to New York City in ELF The Broadway Musical. The show begins previews on Nov. 19, opens Nov. 27, and runs through Dec. 29. 

Nic Rouleau as Buddy the Elf in “Elf The Broadway Musical” at Walnut Street Theatre.

Based on one of the most beloved holiday films and top streamed films of all time, ELF The Broadway Musical is the story of Buddy, who mistakenly crawled into Santa’s bag as a baby and was raised as an elf! Buddy is unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, he embarks on a journey to New York City with dreams to find his birth father and discover his true identity. What’s an adopted elf to do when he realizes his father is on Santa’s ‘naughty’ list and his half-brother doesn’t believe that there is a Santa Claus? It’s up to Buddy to save Christmas in this hilarious and charming Broadway musical! 

Based on the New Line Cinema film by David Berenbaum and with a book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin, music by Matthew Sklar, and lyrics by Chad Beguelin. The  show premiered on Broadway in 2010, where it was embraced as a hilarious, charming adaptation of a holiday classic. The show features a selection of original songs infused with holiday cheer, including “Happy All The Time,” “Sparklejollytwinklejingley,” and “Nobody Cares About Santa.” This holiday season, it’s up to one very tall elf to save Christmas. 

Making his Walnut debut is Broadway and West End star Nic Rouleau as Buddy the Elf, a human who’s been raised at the North Pole since infancy.  

If You Go:

Nov. 19 – Dec. 29, 2024 

Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA

Tickets:  215-574-3550 or walnutstreettheatre.org/season/show/elf-the-broadway-musical

Open Mic Comedy at Blue Moon Theatre

The Blue Moon Theatre, 13 West Ave, Woodstown, NJ, will present

Open Mic Comedy Nights

  • Sunday, Nov. 30, 2024

If You Go:

Get ready to be entertained by a lineup of talented comedians. Ages 18+