Shawn Boonstra

Shawn Boonstra is the speaker/director for the Voice of Prophecy. He is the host of the radio program and a popular public speaker. He has preached on every continent except Antarctica and is a prolific author. Shawn enjoys any activity that gets him outdoors and into the mountains, especially when his wife and daughters join him.

Articles by Shawn Boonstra

Pay to Pray

12/19/2016

Blog

By Shawn Boonstra

The book of Acts tells the story of a recovering sorcerer by the name of Simon, who, shortly after his baptism, saw people receive the gift of the Holy Spirit when the disciples prayed for them. Accustomed to performing tricks for money, Simon begged the disciples to share their secret. Offering them what one can only assume was a considerable sum of money, he said, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit." (Acts 8:19)

It would seem that "pay to play" is a very ancient practice indeed.

On the Other Half of the Mouse

11/28/2016

Blog

By Shawn Boonstra

I found myself trying to imagine what had led to such a horrible fate. Had the mouse been attacked by a neighborhood cat? Maybe. But it seemed very strange to me that the cat would leave half a mouse behind. Perhaps the unlucky rodent had been tragically bisected by the wheel of a passing car or bike. I looked around in vain for the rest of the mouse; it was nowhere to be seen.

An Underground Obsession

11/6/2016

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By Shawn Boonstra

I have dug up the ground behind a number of houses here in North America for various reasons, and I have never found any lingering remnants of antiquity. I didn't expect to find anything, either: such finds are rare in North America and if they are found, they tend to be unearthed on the East Coast where a rather surprising number of Europeans seem to have landed well in advance of Columbus.

Breathtaking

10/17/2016

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By Shawn Boonstra

During the long winter nights, I was able to pull in an astonishing array of radio stations from all over the place, even though we lived a considerable distance away. (And in Canada, "considerable" distances are formidable.)

No Time Travel???

9/26/2016

Blog

By Shawn Boonstra

A recent study published in Physical Review Letters discloses the discovery of a new form of atomic nucleus. Unlike other nuclei (how often do you get to use that word in an article?), this one is pear-shaped.

If you have the right equipment handy, you might want to take a peek at some Radium-224 or some Barium-144. That's where you'll find it.

Until this discovery, it was assumed that the atomic world exhibited symmetry. A pear-shaped nucleus, obviously, does not:

Does the Bible Teach Karma?

9/5/2016

Blog

By Shawn Boonstra

What they all have in common is the notion of cause and effect. Right ideas and behavior lead to right consequences, and bad ideas and behavior lead to bad consequences.

But karma is impersonal—a cosmic principle without a personal face. It's like gravity; it works because it's a law of the cosmos.

Hashtag Christianity

8/15/2016

Blog

By Shawn Boonstra

One candidate would present a set of ideas for an hour or three, while the audience would listen intently, and then his opponent would present a counterargument for a number of hours as well.

The Abomination of Desolation

7/25/2016

Blog

By Shawn Boonstra

In the ancient world, the captivity of the sanctuary furniture and vessels was a potent symbol: the Babylonian gods were being touted as far more powerful than the God of Abraham. How else could you explain that God's temple vessels were now subject to Babylonian deities? That was the ultimate humiliation: your God had, symbolically, become a servant of their gods.

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Shawn Boonstra

Articles by Shawn Boonstra